Ciela could barely swallow the lump in her throat. The unexpected touch made the skin under her eyes tingle and her fingertips flinched slightly. 

“Of course, Calix. That was more than enough of an answer.” 

Feigning shyness, she cupped her hand over her ear. The earlobe pressed into her palm radiated warmth. With a bright smile, she turned her gaze to her sister. 

“You heard that, didn’t you? You don’t have to worry anymore.” 

Lilia froze, her face pale, her mouth hanging open. The shock in her eyes made her gaze unfocused. 

“We really do love each other, so you can just sincerely wish us well. You will, won’t you, Lilia?” 

Ciela’s words made her lips tremble with every syllable. Having made her declaration in front of everyone, she had no choice but to stand by it. Lilia clenched her jaw and lowered her head, covering her face to hide her expression. 

“Sure.” 

“What did you say?”

“For… sure.”

“I couldn’t hear that.”

Grit. Lilia clenched her teeth and her words came out sharply, as if they’d been chewed and spat out.

“I said I congratulate you most sincerely.”

Still staring down, her face remained hidden from everyone. No one could tell what expression she was wearing; they could only guess from her clipped tone.

“Thanks for your congratulations, Lilia!” 

Ciela smiled broadly. Her round, smiling eyes rolled slowly towards their next target.

“Mother, Father, you both look rather pale.”

As Ciela whispered her concern, the attention following her shifted to the Marquis and Marquise. Officially, they were the doting parents who loved even their ‘wayward’ daughter. But their attempt to control her emotions was clumsy at best. Those who noticed the unnatural change in her behaviour exchanged murmurs in low voices. 

The Marquis of Arcel forced a smile, though the strain was obvious. 

“It must have been obvious that I was surprised, as we had not heard of your relationship with the Duke before.” 

“You both kept persuading me to speak up for Lilia, so I never found the right moment to tell you. I’m sorry.”

“Ahem, ahem. Still, it’s good to see you and the Duke getting along so well. As a father, I’m happy for you.” 

The Marquis’ embarrassed cough barely concealed his discomfort. He was determined to end the exchange with the air of a supportive parent. Just then, the Marchioness touched her temple and spoke in a strained voice. 

“It’s good to see you happy, but my condition isn’t the best. I don’t think I can stay much longer on such a happy occasion.” 

“Are you very unwell?” 

The marchioness avoided meeting Ciela’s gaze. Her chest hurt at the thought of Lilia’s agony, and seeing Ciela only increased her anger. She hid her simmering frustration with a flick of her fan.

“I think I should go now. It’s a shame, but I hope you understand.” 

“I understand, Mother.” 

“Thank you.” 

Her voice shaking, she spat out words she didn’t really mean and quickly turned away. 

“Lilia, could you help me?” 

Lady Arcel attended to Lilia, who couldn’t even lift her head. Click, click. The sound of hurried footsteps echoed, reflecting their urgent desire to leave this place as soon as possible. 

Ciela couldn’t take her eyes off the mother and daughter’s backs as they walked away, muttering under her breath. 

“What a pity.” 

That she couldn’t watch the mouse running away from the cat any longer. Ciela swallowed the rest of her words and leaned her head against Calix’s arm. 

After the Arcel mother and daughter had disappeared, the orchestra began to play a lively tune at Calix’s command to lighten the mood. The nobles, who had been tense and stiff-shouldered at first, soon began laughing and chatting as if nothing had happened. 

Lady Tuslan savoured her wine as she tore into Lilia, using her as fodder for conversation rather than appetiser. 

“Isn’t Lady Lilia Arcel absolutely hilarious? She had the audacity to mention the name of Duke Icarus to me and claim that necklace as her own!” 

“Frankly, I can’t imagine that she had any intention of delivering the necklace, as Lady Ciela Arcel claimed.” 

“Even if that’s not the case, to think that she would come to an event like this with plans for romantic whispering – such behaviour is completely at odds with her appearance.” 

As the surrounding nobles voiced their agreement, Lady Tuslan let out a broad, exaggerated laugh, her mouth open in glee. With Lilia’s outrageous actions to mock, the wine flowed down her throat more easily than ever. 

‘I should thank Lady Ciela Arcel for this.’

With a slight hiccup, Lady Tuslan parted her lips again. 

“All this time I almost misjudged Lady Ciela Arcel because of those narrow-minded rumours.” 

“Didn’t Lady Ciela Arcel seem a little pitiful earlier? It was obvious that she was sorry when Lady Arcel and her younger daughter were about to leave.” 

“That is true. But Lady Arcel didn’t even look back when she left.” 

“It seems that Lady Arcel favours her younger daughter a little more.” 

“I felt the same way.” 

Overhearing the whispers of the other nobles, Lady Tuslan rolled her eyes and scanned her surroundings. At the centre of the buzzing crowd of nobles, she quickly found the one she was looking for. Lady Ciela Arcel, accompanied by her partner, gracefully accepted the greetings of the other nobles. 

One might have expected her to be flustered by the sudden surge of attention, but she remained calm and composed, showing no sign of discomfort. 

“Hmm.” 

Although Lady Tuslan’s personality often made her a troublemaker in social circles, her sharp instincts had allowed her to maintain her position in society. 

‘A young lady who changed her image in an instant and secured a seat next to a duke.’ 

She slowly tilted her glass clockwise, watching the wine swirl in a gentle spiral. 

There will be many interesting things to come. 

Lady Tuslan felt a signal from her intuition and gently drew the corners of her lips into a faint smile. As she hiccupped and tilted her glass, the crimson wine wetted her lips before sliding down her throat. 

—

“Whew.” 

Having escaped the throng of nobles, Ciela stepped out onto the terrace with Calix. The cool breeze ruffled her hair. 

Refreshing. The breeze felt delightful after leaving the stifling banquet hall. With her eyes closed, she savoured the breeze, but unbidden thoughts of her family surfaced – their faces tense as they struggled to hide their shattered hopes and distorted expressions. 

I’m going to sleep like a baby tonight. 

A faint smile formed on her lips. Slowly opening her eyes, Ciela turned to Calix, who had been at her side the entire time, and greeted him. 

“That was a flawless performance.” 

“I’m glad you liked it. Although I haven’t acted once today.” 

“Is that so?” 

Ciela let out a small laugh and shrugged. Considering how much better he had done than expected, she decided to overlook the obvious lie just this once. 

Adjusting her windblown hair, she couldn’t shake the feeling of being watched. No matter how hard she tried to ignore it, her skin prickled with awareness, prompting her to finally turn her head. 

“Is there something on my face?” 

“There isn’t.” 

“Really? You were staring, so I thought there might be.” 

Looking up at him briefly, Ciela resumed tidying her hair. As her fingers combed through her locks, parting them neatly, he spoke again. 

“It’s hard to look away.” 

“Pardon?” 

“It’s been a while since I’ve seen you, and it drives me crazy how much better you’ve become.” 

Calix looked at her greedily, taking her in with an unfamiliar intensity. Having missed her often – even in her feline form – as he rushed to prepare for the party, his eyes betrayed an unhidden joy. 

“We didn’t see much of each other before anyway.” 

Ciela looked away, trying to escape the tickling sensation of his gaze. Just then, Calix’s hand covered hers. At first their palms pressed together, then his fingers slid seamlessly between hers, filling the gaps perfectly. 

“I’ve always loved seeing you, but now I can hold your hand in front of others whenever I want.” 

‘That’s why I like it even more.’ Though unspoken, the sentiment tickled her ears. Ciela rubbed her ear with her hand, then rolled her eyes sideways and opened her mouth to change the subject. 

“Now everyone will know about our relationship. That’s why we even invited Ben, the reporter, to this party.” 

Remembering the reporter’s frenzied expression, driven by the prospect of breaking a big story, Ciela shook her head slightly. Knowing his abilities, she wasn’t particularly worried – he would deliver a satisfactory article. 

“Even without his article, everyone would have been interested in our relationship.” 

“But this way it will spread faster.” 

Calix raised an eyebrow as he watched her think about another man. For a moment, the image of the awkward-looking, shaggy-haired reporter stuck in his mind, then he smiled gently. 

“I’d like to borrow you for a moment. Would that be all right?” 

Ciela looked up at him, her expression questioning his intentions. When her eyes met his again, the slight furrow in his brow settled into a calm line. 

“I want to show you something.” 

“Hmm. All right. But if we leave here, people will follow us.” 

Ciela replied with a touch of reluctance. After all, they had come to the terrace to escape the overwhelming attention of the nobles. 

“If you’re worried about that, don’t be. As long as you allow it, I can move us without anyone noticing.” 

His confident tone suggested he had a method in mind. Ciela nodded, not thinking too deeply about what he meant. 

“Excuse me for a moment.” 

Calix stepped closer to her, and before she could process what was happening, her feet suddenly left the ground. Ciela stifled a cry, her eyes widening in shock. By the time she realised what was happening, she was in his arms. The inverted view showed a sky darkened to black, his arms firmly supporting her waist and legs. And then there was the terrace railing – nothing more than an obstacle for a duke like him. 

“Surely the ‘safe method’ you mentioned isn’t jumping off the terrace with me in your arms?” 

“Can you think of a safer method?” 

Calix replied with a mischievous smile and unshakable confidence. 

“If I were an ordinary noble lady, I’d have fainted by now.” 

She was used to it, having occasionally climbed out of windows herself with the help of Uncle Ken’s underlings. 

“Fortunately, the woman I plan to spend my life with doesn’t faint easily.” 

Calix’s teasing smile lingered as his steady gaze remained fixed on her. Ciela let out a small, incredulous laugh and shook her head in exasperation. 

“I only hope that the young lady who will be your mistress in three years won’t faint from something like this.” 

As she wrapped her arms around his neck, the distance between them shrank and she caught a whiff of his artificial cologne. Beneath the cologne, however, was a faint, elusive scent that teased her senses. 

‘I feel like I’ve smelled this before. Where was it?’ 

The familiar yet faint scent stirred her memory. She tried to trace its origin as her mind wandered. 

“Lady Ciela.” 

The sound of his voice finally registered and Ciela inhaled sharply. By the time she realised, they were already on the ground. 

“I called you several times, but you didn’t answer. Isn’t it okay if you just stay in my arms while we move like this?” 

“No. Please put me down.” 

Ciela freed herself from his arms and placed her feet firmly on the ground. Although her ears burned with embarrassment, she kept a calm expression. Calix, wearing a knowing smile as if he were privy to her every thought, offered his arm to accompany her. 

Following him across the garden, Ciela stopped suddenly, her eyes widening as her lips parted in surprise. 

‘What is all this?’ 

The sight she had longed for now completely filled her vision.