“As expected, the battles between the young ladies are truly fierce.”

Crown Prince Lucas spoke softly, sipping his wine elegantly. His reddish-blonde hair gleamed in the light, his neatly slicked back fringe revealing a smooth, chiseled forehead adorned with an extravagant red mask.

His muted blue eyes, which had been scanning the area where the commotion had just occurred, shifted to Calix.

“Don’t you agree?”

Calix made no reply. His gaze followed only one person in silence. Lucas raised the wine glass to his lips, a wry smile playing at the corners of his mouth.

It was, as always, a truly shocking and fascinating sight.

“Many women tried to get close to him, but he was like an immovable mountain that couldn’t be moved. After the previous Duke and Duchess of Icarus died, the one who raised him made countless attempts to find him a match, but not once did they succeed.”

Frankly, Lucas had suspected he might be impotent…

“Turns out he’s not.”

“What did you just say?”

“Nothing. I was just saying that it’s surprising how you don’t seem to know how to look at someone, as if you’re afraid they might disappear the moment you take your eyes away.”

He continued in a low voice.

“Although it’s also surprising that the person in question is Lady Ciela Arcel.”

As soon as he mentioned Ciela’s name, Lucas let out a deep chuckle, amused by the sharp look directed at him.

“Do you know why Lady Harley treats Ciela the way she does?”

Since they were betrothed in the womb and have known each other since childhood, it’s possible that he knows something about it. With this in mind, the Crown Prince handed his empty wine glass to the servant.

“I can’t speak for something the person involved doesn’t want revealed.”

“So you know.”

Despite the relentless, piercing red eyes that followed him, Lucas maintained a relaxed expression as he savoured the sweet aroma of the fresh wine the servant handed him.

“Yes, but I won’t tell you.”

How would Calix react if he were told the truth?

Earlier he had glared at the men who were looking at Ciela. Telling him could lead to unnecessary trouble.

Lucas dismissed the thought lightly and took a sip of his wine. The cold liquid moistened his lips before sliding down his throat, leaving a sweet warmth in its wake.

“Understood. Then I’ll take my leave now.”

Knowing that the Crown Prince was a man of few words who meant what he said, Calix turned without hesitation. Just then, the Crown Prince grabbed his shoulder.

“Where do you think you’re going, leaving me here?”

“I’m tired of listening to trivial conversation. I’m going to see my woman.”

“Stay with me a little longer.”

“I am not Your Highness’s companion. Find someone else to talk to.”

“Your future master is bored, and if you leave like this, Duke, it would upset me. His Majesty the Emperor is busy talking to his officials even on a day like this, and as you know, there’s still no news of his younger brother. As for Her Majesty the Empress… well, you’re already aware of that.”

After the incident 18 years ago, the daily lives of many who lost loved ones changed. The Imperial Family was no exception. On days like this, the Emperor refrains from enjoying anything and concentrates solely on his work, while the missing Second Prince has long been considered better off not being heard from than receiving bad news.

Since the incident 18 years ago, the lives of many who lost loved ones have been irrevocably changed, including those of the Imperial family. On days like today, the Emperor forgoes all pleasure and devotes himself entirely to his work, while the runaway Second Prince has long been considered good news simply by being out of sight.

The one who changed the most was the Empress.

The Princess, born after much struggle, lost her life, and the Empress’s heart was left in ruins, turned to ashes. Her daily life was shattered beyond repair.

“And so, on a day like today, I feel especially lonely. Do you really want to leave me behind, Duke?”

“Yes.”

“Your Highness, the Crown Prince, should also join His Majesty and discuss matters of state together.”

“You have become more ruthless with age. When you were younger, you followed me so well and were quite endearing, unlike your younger brother.”

The Crown Prince sighed deeply and was about to release the shoulder he had been holding.

At the Masquerade Ball, where everyone except the winner of the Hunting Competition and her partner had to wear a mask, a noblewoman took off her mask and approached them.

The lady was a familiar face to both of them. At the same time, she was someone who should not have been there.

“Your Highness, the Crown Prince.”

Lady Cordelia, the Empress’s maid, greeted her respectfully.

“Why is Lady Cordelia, who should be attending to the Empress, here?” 

“In truth, Her Majesty the Empress…”

As she continued, the expressions of the two men listening to her grew tense. 

* * * 

“Wait a moment.” 

When she heard the voice calling to her, Ciela stopped and turned her head towards the sound. The noblewoman, her milk-brown hair neatly braided, avoided Ciela’s gaze as their eyes met.

“I forgot to close the curtains by mistake, so there’s no need to apologise to me, young lady.”

“Thank you for your understanding.”

“Perhaps…”

The noblewoman forced her thin, trembling lips to move. 

“If it’s all right… could you be my conversation partner here?” 

The moonlight illuminated the woman’s pale face, making her look frail, as if she might collapse at any moment. Her deep blue eyes lingered briefly on Ciela before retreating quickly beneath her lashes. Her hands, trembling slightly, seemed to be clutching something.

“Would it be all right if I sat in the chair opposite you?” 

When the lady nodded slightly, Ciela took the opposite seat.

Even though she had been asked to be her conversation partner, the silence lingered, broken only by coughing, the rustling of the wind and the chirping of crickets. Ciela sat quietly, watching the night sky, which seemed to be filled with stars.

“Thank you for accepting my one-sided request.”

“It wasn’t a difficult request.”

It was clear that the woman had struggled to find the courage to make her request.

While Ciela’s gaze had shifted to the woman, the noblewoman continued to look up at the sky.

“I apologise for asking you to be my conversation partner and yet failing to observe the basic courtesy of speaking face to face. Please do not think that I am ignoring you, young lady.”

She continued, her hand brushing over the mask that covered her face as she spoke.

“I am not good at looking people in the eye, especially young women. Even talking to them is difficult. I didn’t want to be a burden to those around me anymore, so I decided to attend the masquerade ball…”

Her words trailed off as she swallowed, a bitter smile crossing her lips.

She didn’t want to be a burden to others any longer, or shy away from her responsibilities. But every time she tried, she failed and eventually gave up.

This time she had hoped the mask would help. But as soon as she saw the crowd of people and young ladies that filled the ballroom, her mind became clouded.

If her child was still alive, she would be the same age as Ciela.

The thought made it hard for her to breathe again.

“In the end, I ran away again, but I thought it might be okay if I could just talk to one person. So I finally managed to ask for help.

But it was still difficult to speak and every time she tried to look up, her throat felt stiff and tight. The hope that it would be easier with just one person proved to be in vain.

The lady, who had been coughing occasionally, coughed again. Her frail body shivered slightly in the cold wind as she asked softly. 

“Pathetic, aren’t I?” 

The almost muttered question wasn’t one she expected an answer to. She knew the answer better than anyone. 

‘I should stop bothering the young lady and just go back.’ 

It was clear that the lady who had accompanied her was already worried. Just as she was about to get up from her seat, she heard, 

“It’s admirable that you’re making an effort to change.”

At the unexpected answer, spoken in a calm and straightforward voice, she turned her head to look at the young lady. This time, however, it was Ciela who was looking out. Her eyes rested on the trees swallowed by darkness, the forest faintly visible in the distance where the hunting competition had been held, and somewhere in the dark night sky as she spoke softly:

“Choosing to change, coming here to try, and continuing to try even in difficult circumstances – it’s all hard, isn’t it?”

The memory of being abandoned by her family and dying alone in her previous life had left a deep scar. So in her present life she wanted to get on well with her family. She had long since realised that this relationship was slowly eating away at her. She had often thought that she should stop, that it was time to let go, but she couldn’t bring herself to do it.

It was only as the desire gradually diminished and faded away that she was able to let go.

Looking back, she regrets not letting go sooner.

‘Maybe it’s because I left those feelings behind that I can think about them now.’

She also vaguely thought that maybe it was for the best that she let go then, because it allowed her to see what they had really done to her.

“Anyone who sees a woman trying to change would surely say it’s admirable.”

As she spoke these words in a calm, straightforward tone while looking at the woman, tears slowly welled up beneath her eyes. The body that had been half raised from the chair sank back into it.

“……”

Drop.

Drip.

As the woman cried silently, Ciela looked elsewhere, pretending not to notice.

Quietly, she placed the handkerchief on the table. After some time had passed and the lady had stopped crying, she turned her head and carefully wiped the tears from her cheeks.

“Thank you for the handkerchief. It seems like all I’ve said today is thank you.”

“From now on we can talk about something else.”

“Isn’t that right?”

After that, the two of them talked about simple things like her favourite tea, what’s in fashion and other everyday topics. Throughout the conversation, the lady in the white mask made an effort to look at Ciela more directly than before.

Although there were still moments when her shoulders hunched or her eyes looked away, as the conversation progressed she found herself looking at Ciela for longer periods of time. Gradually, the stiffness in her shoulders began to ease and her posture softened.

“There was a young lady I had hoped to see from a distance this time, and I’m a little disappointed I didn’t get to meet her. But since I was able to meet the young lady in the rose mask, I feel even more satisfied.”

“A young lady you wanted to see?”

“Yes. I was curious who she might be.”

Pressing down on what she was holding with both hands, the lady spoke with a more relaxed smile than before.

“Who is this young lady? If it’s someone I know, perhaps I can tell you a little about her.”

After hesitating for a moment at Ciela’s suggestion, the lady finally replied:

“Young lady Ciela Arcel.”