Trees laden with lush, blue apples filled her vision – not just one tree, but several. Ciela immediately recognised the names of these trees. 

‘Fairy Apple Trees.’ 

She had seen their distinctive appearance countless times in botany books, and the fruit itself was something she ate every day. There was no mistaking them. 

On a whim, she pinched the back of her hand. The sting confirmed that this wasn’t a dream – this was real. 

‘He said there weren’t any when I asked before.’ 

Ciela turned her eyes to Calix, about to express her thoughts, but he spoke first, as if anticipating her question. 

“I wanted to give you this to remember today.” 

“Ah.” 

Suddenly a memory of a conversation with Ken flashed through her mind.  

‘The scoundrel who took the Fairy Apple Trees… could it really have been Calix?’ 

Only now did she understand what Uncle Ken had meant when he had cryptically assured her that someone else would find a way to get them. Ciela ran a hand over her face and pressed her lips together to keep the chaotic tangle of words from spilling out. 

After a moment’s thought, she decided what to say first. 

“Since they’re so rare, it must have been incredibly difficult to find them. Thank you.” 

Though she expressed her gratitude, her unease remained. Her eyes narrowed slightly and her lips twitched as she debated her next move. 

‘It doesn’t feel right to just accept them as they are.’ 

Apart from the magical stone mine, she had no intention of giving him anything he might want. She tucked her hair behind her ear and let out a frustrated sigh. 

‘Even if I offered him money, he’d probably refuse. Perhaps I could discreetly add more when I pay for the party?’

Knowing Calix, it was almost certain that he would notice, and she shook her head inwardly. Still, unwilling to give up completely, Ciela made a tentative suggestion. 

“It’s more than enough that you went to the trouble of finding them for me. I’d be happy to pay for them, along with the cost of the party, if you send me the bill.”

“The very thought of asking for money for something as trivial as this is embarrassing.”

Calix replied, pinching the bridge of his nose with a dramatic expression. 

“But if Lady Ciela insists, I suppose I’ll have no choice but to accept.” 

His soft words left Ciela momentarily speechless. Narrowing her eyes, she silently studied him. His easy manner was suspicious, almost as if he was deliberately playing with her. Although they had not spent much time together, he seemed to know her far too well. 

Her mind flashed back to a theory she’d once entertained in passing – could Calix be someone possessed by another soul? The idea crystallised with unusual clarity. 

“Jjajangmyeon. Chicken. Tteokbokki.” 

“What’s that? Some kind of secret code between noble ladies?” 

“No. Nothing at all.” 

Ciela quickly dismissed it, shaking her head, her lips curving into a faint, enigmatic smile. 

Seeing him completely clueless, Ciela shook her head. Pushing her suspicions about his true identity to the back of her mind, she asked him a question. 

“Your Grace, is there something you want in return?” 

“In which case, will you marry me immediately?” 

“Anything but that.” 

Calix’s shoulders slumped dramatically. 

“In that case, I’d like you to call me Calix instead of ‘Your Grace’ from now on.” 

Ciela slowly closed her eyes, then opened them. 

‘I’ll call him Calix in front of people from now on anyway.’ 

As if he had guessed her thoughts, Calix’s eyes softened and a gentle smile tugged at the corners of his lips. 

“It’s important that you call me that when we’re alone.” 

“Is that really all you want?” 

“Yes.”

Ciela nodded and finally said his name out loud. 

“Calix.” 

“Yes, you called?” 

Ciela let out a soft, incredulous laugh and paused briefly in thought. When she had calmed down, she spoke again. 

“Then you should call me Ciela when we’re alone.” 

For a moment, Calix’s eyes widened in what seemed like slow motion. 

“We have to use each other’s names in front of others anyway. That way we don’t risk slipping up.”

Ciela quickly added to her explanation and then closed her mouth. It wasn’t meant to be an excuse, but it felt like one and made her feel uncomfortable. *Maybe I should have just kept quiet.* As regret set in, she absentmindedly rubbed the hem of her skirt between her thumb and forefinger. 

“Ciela.” 

Calix’s smile bloomed, warm and uninhibited. Seeing the dynamic change in his expression, Ciela’s hand relaxed. His sheer joy – so genuine it was almost surreal – left her speechless. 

‘What is so special about that?’ 

What was even more absurd was how much she believed his joy to be real. The wind seemed to have stopped and the rustling of the leaves faded into silence. Ciela, feeling self-conscious, deliberately shifted her gaze to the fairy apple trees. The leaves continued to sway in the breeze, blurring her vision and keeping her thoughts unsettled. 

—

A few days after the party. 

 By now, there wasn’t a single noble near the capital who didn’t know of Ciela and Calix’s relationship. The rumour had spread so quickly that even some nobles in the distant provinces had caught wind of it. The excitement that started at the top rippled all the way down. 

“Hey, have you seen this morning’s paper?” 

On the bustling first floor of an inn filled with diners, a man leaned over to his companion and asked casually as they ate. 

“The paper? I haven’t read today’s yet. Has something happened?” 

Eager to share, the man immediately began to recount the details he’d read. 

Bang!

“What did you just say? Who’s the lover of Duke Calix Icarus?” 

A man eating at the next table suddenly slammed his hands down on the table as he stood up. The force knocked his plate over, spilling soup all over the surface. 

“Lady Ciela Arcel and Duke Calix Icarus are…” 

“Say that again! Who’s whose lover?” 

“Goodness, why are you so upset? Don’t take it out on us – go and buy yourself a newspaper!” 

Without another word, the man stormed out of the inn. 

“Extra! Extra!” 

A paperboy shouted at the top of his lungs, carrying a stack of papers. Spotting his target, the man made straight for the boy. 

“Hand it over.” 

The man held out his hand as he approached, towering over the boy. The boy turned his head, taking in the sight: shabby clothes, greasy red hair and fierce, piercing eyes. His instincts, honed by years of selling newspapers, sounded an internal alarm. 

“Uh, the… the money, sir…” 

The man’s expression darkened, his face contorting into something even more menacing. 

“You know who I am, yet you dare to treat me like a beggar?” 

The man dropped a coin on the floor. (CLICKS) The coin bounced and rolled across the floor. The paperboy, startled, hastily handed over a newspaper before scurrying off to chase the rolling coin. 

“Hmph. How dare a mere commoner.”

The man muttered as he made his way to a nearby bench. 

Sitting down, the man – Turbin – unfolded the newspaper and began to read. 

[A love for the ages! Duke Calix Icarus in a relationship with Lady Ciela Arcel…]

The article confirmed what the commoners had said. His hands clenched the paper and crumpled it mercilessly. With a trembling hand, Turbin searched for the name of the reporter responsible for the article. 

‘Ben.’ 

The name of the journalist who had once ruined him. 

Shaking with rage, Turbin flung the newspaper to the ground and roared.

“Cielaaaaa!” 

His angry roar drew the attention of those around him, but Turbin didn’t care. He stomped on the discarded newspaper again and again, venting his frustration, oblivious to the stares that followed his outburst. 

As he let out a roar of rage, all eyes turned to him. Turbin, however, paid no attention and continued to kick the newspaper relentlessly. 

I was deceived. 

Breathing heavily, he clenched his teeth in anger. Flames of rage burned fiercely in Turbin’s eyes, as if he might do something drastic at any moment. 

* * * 

Madam Arcel sighed as she left Lilia’s room. Worry was etched deep into her face. Since that day, Lilia had been consumed by grief and refused to leave her room. Seeing her daughter in pain felt like a mother’s heart being torn apart. But the concern that had clouded her face soon turned to open hostility. 

“What makes you think you can shamelessly show your face here?” 

“What’s wrong with visiting my sister?” 

As soft sunlight filtered through the corridor, Ciela approached leisurely. Dressed in a pastel blue dress, her appearance caused Madam Arcel to furrow her brow.

It was a dress she had never seen before. She remembered how the Duke of Icarus had sent a pile of gifts not long ago. The thought that this dress might have been among them made her stomach churn even more. As Ciela tried to pass by and enter Lilia’s room, the madam stepped in her way.

“Could you please step aside? I have business with Lilia.”

“After stealing the man your sister had her heart set on, you have the audacity to hold your head high and act so boldly. If you had a conscience, you wouldn’t even think of visiting Lilia.”

“Conscience?”

“You know very well how many years Lilia has been in love with the Duke of Icarus.”

“I know that… but Calix and Lilia weren’t even in a relationship. So why should I feel guilty?”

Ciela tilted her head to the side and brushed a hand over her cheek.

“Lilia just shrugged it off as a mistake when she stole my fiancé, didn’t she?”

Who should feel guilty here? Ciela held back her biting words and offered a gentle smile instead. Although it should have stung, Madame Arcel’s eyes only grew redder with rage, brimming with hostile intent.

At that moment.

The door opened from within. Standing in the darkened room was Lilia. Without the light, her eyes seemed as deep and shadowy as an abyss.

“Mom, it’s all right. Please step back for a moment.”

“Lilia…”

Madam Arcel looked at her with concern before taking a few hesitant steps back. The look she gave Ciela was vicious, as if warning her that one wrong word would lead to ruin.

“What are you doing here?”

“I’ve come because I’ve been worried since you haven’t left your room lately. How are you feeling?”

Lilia let out a dry, deflated laugh.

“You must have a real reason for coming.”

“I really came because I was worried, but it’s a bit disappointing that you don’t believe me. Hmm. But there is something else.”

Ciela held out her hand, her gaze lingering on the “Whisper of Love” that still hung around Lilia’s neck.

“Give me back my necklace.”