“Miss, wait! Miss!”

Tiffany called, panting heavily, but Lilia continued down the stairs undeterred. She had heard of an unexpected visitor.

Could it really be him?

But it seemed impossible. They hadn’t even cleared up the misunderstanding. Her emotions fluctuated between anticipation and disbelief. The more her emotions fluctuated, the faster her feet moved, barely touching the ground. Finally, she reached the point where she could see with her own eyes who the visitor was.

“I’m here to see Lady Arcel. My name is Kolik Bentlik, envoy of the Duke of Icarus.”

A middle-aged man wearing a hat emblazoned with the Icarus family crest bowed formally. Lilia glanced quickly past him to the people standing behind him. Each of them wore the crest of the Duke of Icarus on their buttons.

They are servants from the Duke’s residence.

They carry an abundance of gifts, seemingly tailored for young noble ladies of Lilia’s age. What could be the reason Calix had sent them? Lilia’s flushed cheeks betrayed her excitement, but she quickly composed herself.

“You must have had a difficult journey. My parents are away at the moment, so I had to come in their place.”

Then she lifted the hem of her dress slightly and bowed politely. The effortless grace of her movements only added to her radiance.

“Thank you for your understanding.”

“Not at all. In fact, we’re grateful for the warm welcome, despite our sudden visit.”

Kolik replied with a gentle smile. He produced an invitation from his cloak and handed it to her.

“We plan to send it to the nearby families tomorrow, but His Grace wanted the Arcel family to receive it first.”

Lilia ran her fingers over the elegant invitation, her eyes darting around as her mind raced. The very thought of why she might have been chosen first made her entire body tingle. Unable to contain herself any longer, her lips curled into a smile.

“May I ask why, by any chance?”

“He was quietly preparing this for his beloved. He really wanted to deliver it himself, but due to pressing matters he couldn’t and expressed his regret.”

As expected. On hearing the explanation, Lilia clasped her hands together and pursed her lips.

The Duke, just for me.

Her eyes welled with overflowing joy, the emotion shimmering openly.

“So this is what he had planned.”

Kolik’s smile softened further, a kind and understanding expression.

“He also asked me to convey his apologies for not being able to spend much time with you lately.”

After taking a moment to catch his breath, he resumed explaining the list of gifts one by one. Lilia listened intently, examining each item as it was mentioned.

“That one…”

Her expression suddenly became fixed. Lilia, who usually faced most situations with a cheerful demeanour, found herself unable to maintain her composure as her eyes landed on “that” particular item. A dress – splashed with red, green and orange in a chaotic mix – caught her attention. Under normal circumstances, she wouldn’t have given it a second glance.

And yet.

“What a beautiful dress. The Duke’s aesthetic sense is truly impeccable.”

Lilia said, her voice betraying none of her true feelings as she smiled sweetly.

“Isn’t it…?”

Kolik hesitated, tentatively agreeing with her.

He couldn’t help but remember the moment when the Duke had insisted on finding such a strange dress. The memory of the Duke’s menacing intensity then didn’t feel like that of a man choosing a gift for his beloved, but rather of someone sharpening the blade of revenge.

To hear even Lilia express admiration, however, left Kolik puzzled, wondering if trends in the social scene had changed drastically without his notice.

“…Also, the Duke had a special request.”

Kolik continued, taking a luxurious black case from the servant standing directly behind him.

“He said he would be very pleased if you wore this necklace at the upcoming party.”

The case was carefully opened to reveal a necklace set with large red diamonds, surrounded by a bezel of brilliant white diamonds.

“A whisper of love.”

Lilia murmured the name of the necklace. As if enchanted, she reached out and almost snatched the case from Kolik’s hands.

“Please thank the Duke for me! I’m truly delighted.”

“When you wear it, I’m sure he’ll be even happier.”

The thought of Calix smiling at her was enough to fill her with joy. With a gentle smile on her lips, Lilia looked up at Kolik.

“By the way, Sir Bentlik.”

Kolik met her gaze, her clear, unblemished eyes staring straight at him. For a moment, he felt a chill run down his spine and shivered involuntarily.

“Why do you keep referring to me as the Duke’s ‘beloved’ without mentioning my name?”

Despite her innocent expression, her question made him uneasy. Kolik cleared his throat and lowered his voice.

“Well, the Duke specifically instructed me not to mention your name. But since it’s you, I’ll let you in on a little secret.”

He glanced around, then leaned forward slightly.

“His Grace is quite jealous. He insisted that I never mention you by name.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

When Kolik nodded gravely, Lilia covered her face with her hands and blushed deeply. After a few more words from the Duke, the envoy left. Lilia then told the servants to take the gifts to her room.

“…”

Her eyes, full of honey-sweet sentiment, looked at the necklace case. At that moment, her maid, Tiffany, approached her cautiously.

“My lady, congratulations.”

“Mm. Thank you.”

“May I have a closer look?”

“Of course. Who else would I show it to if not you?”

Lilia said affectionately and opened the box.

Even the most modest person would have been tempted by the extravagant necklace inside. Tiffany’s jaw dropped in awe as she gazed at its magnificence.

“Even if it’s a tarnished reputation, you must have been disappointed by my scandal. Still, isn’t that necklace beautiful?”

The mention of ‘tarnished reputation’ grated like sand in Tiffany’s mouth and made her instinctively tense. But Lilia was right, and Tiffany knew better than to argue. She cloaked her words in sweetness.

“The Duke must really love you, my lady, no matter what! Well, who wouldn’t? You’re so lovable, it’s only natural.”

“Just hearing that makes me happy.”

The sweet praise crawled warmly around her ears. Lilia covered her mouth and let out a charming laugh. But then her expression suddenly turned cold.

“My lady…?”

Tiffany called to her hesitantly. At a moment when she should have been thrilled, her sudden change in demeanour left Tiffany confused. The only thing Tiffany knew for sure was that this was the time to be cautious. She bowed her head slightly.

“You’ve been here the whole time, so I want to ask you something.”

“Yes.”

“Didn’t Sir Bentlik seem nervous earlier?”

Tiffany hesitated, taking in the heavy air before answering.

“I don’t remember such a moment.”

“It was when I asked why he called me ‘beloved’. Are you sure you don’t remember that?”

“Even thinking back, I didn’t notice anything like that.”

“Really?”

Lilia’s gaze lingered on her, prompting Tiffany to muster the courage to give a tentative answer.

“Please don’t worry so much. Who else but you would the Duke of Icarus have feelings for?”

“Of course, it’s only me.”

Lilia replied without the slightest hesitation.

“Of course! You and the Duke of Icarus are meant to be together.”

Tiffany’s gentle reassurance gradually softened Lilia’s tense demeanour.

“Have I been too sensitive?”

“It’s understandable if you’ve felt uncomfortable, my lady. You’ve been under a lot of stress lately.”

Lilia’s eyes dropped to her hands. The Whisper of Love sparkled as it filled her vision. Not long ago, when Calix had bought it at auction, it had caused quite a stir in the capital. Everyone knew he had bought it – everyone in the capital, anyway.

“Wearing this to the party would practically announce my relationship with the Duke to everyone.”

With that thought, she began to wonder if she really had overreacted. Lilia let out a small sigh and nodded.

“You’re right.”

As her own heart fluttered for Calix, it was only natural that his would do the same. Lilia and Calix were meant to be together. Reflecting on this immutable truth, Lilia finally allowed herself to revel in her happiness, her smile radiant.

* * *

The quill danced gracefully under Ciela’s guiding fingers. With each elegant stroke that filled the paper, the faint scent of ink lingered in the air. She was so focused that she didn’t even blink when she finally set the quill down.

‘Done.’

[To Lady Daisy Aspel].

The letter expressed her earnest wish to meet in person to return the handkerchief. She read it again, slowly.

‘I had intended to write it as soon as I arrived at the manor that day.’

Was it the stress of Lilia’s threats, delivered through Titi, that had left her so exhausted? Her recovery had taken longer than expected. As she waited for the ink to dry, a light breeze ruffled her hair and brushed against her cheeks. She turned her head to follow it. The curtains swayed gently in the wind.

She gazed quietly out the window, which was left open so that Titi could come and go as he pleased. A single puffy cloud drifted leisurely across the vast sky.

“Hm.”

It was a round, oval cloud with two uneven, pointed tufts joined at the top.

‘It looked like Titi.’

The more she stared, the more it reminded her of him, and Ciela allowed herself a small smile. But her expression soon changed, her lips tightening slightly.

He’s hardly been in the room lately.

Though he’d always enjoyed his walks, she saw him barely an hour a day these days.

‘Has he got a girlfriend or something?’

The thought of a “Titi Jr” made Ciela blink. It was as if she was seeing her own child off into independence – a thought that would no doubt upset Titi if he ever found out.

After making sure the ink was dry, Ciela carefully folded the letter and placed it in an envelope. Her gaze then fell on the pristine handkerchief that lay unused and untouched on her desk. For a moment, she admired the intricate embroidery that always caught her eye.

How noisy.

The voices of passing servants were unusually loud today. Turning her attention to the clock, Ciela noted the time. A flicker of warmth danced in her blue eyes.

The guest seemed to be leaving. Lilia must have been overjoyed to meet him, not knowing that he might be a Gatekeeper of Hell.

She should’ve left someone else’s precious cat alone.

Ciela closed her eyes softly before opening them again. In that brief moment, the heat in her gaze had vanished, replaced by a softly wrinkled expression that made the corners of her eyes crinkle with a subtle charm.