Chapter 3 (Part 2)

Yuliana desperately tried to suppress the moan that was about to escape from her lips. Seeing this, Anthus looked at her face with eyes full of desire.

Anthus felt his body twitching continuously as Yuliana froze, unable to move, overwhelmed by his kiss and the touch of his hands. He clenched his teeth, trying to suppress the desire rising within him.

Yuliana, unable to push away Anthus’s hot lips and touch that were stirring her mind, could only tremble. She involuntarily flinched.

Unable to hold back any longer, Anthus pushed Yuliana’s shoulder.

“I told you to push me away, but I’m the one pushing you away… Ha… I pushed you because I couldn’t endure it any longer.”

Anthus’s lips moved as he breathed heavily. The temperature in the room had risen sharply, and the air had become thick.

Yuliana felt embarrassed at the thought that they had kissed again. They weren’t even in a relationship, but they had kissed twice already!

“I won’t force you to give me an answer to my confession just because I confessed. I can wait until your heart opens to me. But please, don’t run away like you did yesterday, Yuli.”

His words, which seemed to see right through her heart, made Yuliana’s face turn even redder.

“I told you I didn’t run away…”

Anthus gently removed the hair stuck to Yuliana’s cheek while looking at her with affectionate eyes.

He brushed her lips with his thumb.

* * *

“What’s wrong, Lia?”

“Huh? It’s nothing, Sellie.”

“What are you thinking so deeply about that you’re just poking your favorite lemon pie with a fork instead of eating it?”

“Oh…”

Yuliana blushed, embarrassed that she had been playing with her food with a fork, something unbefitting a noble lady.

It was strange. Even though her favorite snack was right in front of her, Anthus’s face kept popping into her mind. Even when she decided not to think about him anymore, he came to her mind again.

<Do you know?>

<Know what?>

<That we were originally supposed to be engaged.>

It was a story she had never heard before.

<Ask Earl Loengrin. It’s true.>

Yuliana remembered the warmth of Anthus’s hand as he gently caressed her cheek, always looking at her lovingly. She lowered her head, suppressing the strange emotions that welled up inside her.

“Lia?”

Yuliana raised her head. Selenia was looking at her with a worried expression.

“What are you thinking about so deeply? Your face is red… Are you feeling unwell?”

“No, Sellie. Let’s get going now.”

“Okay. I want to quickly see the new dresses.”

Yuliana and Selenia headed to the Clairira branch they often visited to look at dresses for the Crown Prince’s birthday banquet. Clairira, the dress designer, was the daughter of an Earl in the Carpen Empire. She created dresses with designs and embroidery that no one else could think of, and she dyed the dresses herself.

Yuliana and Selenia entered the shop to the sound of a bell. People immediately looked at Yuliana, opened their fans, and started whispering.

“People are looking at you because of the rumor that you’ve enchanted Duke Rockbellion.”

“Enchanted…”

“Still, the rumor has spread, and Duke Rockbellion did not deny it.”

Yuliana squinted at Selenia. Instead of the rumor that she had been two-timing with Anthus before breaking off her engagement with Beonar, the rumor was that Anthus had secretly loved Yuliana, who had been engaged.

<I prefer the truth to rumors.>

“You did go on a date with the Duke.”

“I didn’t expect just having a meal together to cause such a rumor.”

“But you didn’t just have a meal together but also watched an opera? In a box seat?”

“I don’t know.”

Selenia laughed playfully at Yuliana’s embarrassment. Although Yuliana felt burdened by the curious gazes of the people, she tried to ignore them.

However, one young lady was glaring at her with hostility rather than curiosity.

“Sellie.”

Yuliana whispered softly to Selenia.

“What?”

“Why is that young lady in the red dress diagonally to our left glaring at me?”

Selenia glanced in the direction Yuliana indicated with her eyes and chin.

“That young lady is… Lady Sophia, the youngest daughter of Earl Lumichua. She’s also a close aide to Princess Ophelia.”

“A close aide to the Princess?”

Emperor Cloud had killed Rezeph and ascended to the throne. At that time, he spared only two of his twenty half-siblings. They were Princess Ophelia and Princess Seria.

“Princess Ophelia is passionately in love with Duke Rockbellion… But now there’s a rumor that you’re his lover…”

“So, Lady Sophia of Earl Lumichua is not looking at me kindly?”

“Exactly. And also…”

“And also?”

Selenia hesitated, pouting her lips.

“Lady Sophia is about to marry Young Lord Beonar.”

“Oh… I see. I heard on the day of the broken engagement that Young Lord Beonar was going to buy a dress for his lover, and that must be Lady Sophia of Earl Lumichua.”

“It’s a bit awkward, isn’t it? Should we come back another time?”

Selenia smiled awkwardly.

“It’s okay. I’m fine.”

“But I’m really angry.”

Yuliana didn’t want to think about the feelings she had when Beonar informed her of the broken engagement.

<Expect from tomorrow. A sweet reward awaits.>

Anthus’s advice suddenly came to mind.

“Rather than dwelling on the past, I will look forward to a sweet future. The past doesn’t hurt me. So, don’t waste your emotions, Sellie.”

Yuliana smiled quietly. It was then.

“Lady Loengrin, the proud Saint of the Battlefield of the Sirius Empire! Welcome.”

“Rivilious, it’s been a while. How have you been?”

“Of course! Hoho!”

“Weren’t you planning to return to your hometown in the Carpen Empire recently?”

“How could I leave my fiancés in the Sirius Empire? Hoho. This is my hometown now.”

At first, Yuliana found Rivilious’s coquettish speech and behavior while selling dresses strange, but the more she got to know him, the more she felt he was genuine in his love for Clairira’s dresses and his dedication to selling them.

“You’ve come to choose a dress for the Crown Prince’s birthday banquet, haven’t you? I have a design set aside just for you.”

Rivilious twisted his body more than usual and whispered softly so only Yuliana could hear.

“A design set aside?”

“Madam Clairira told me to show it to you specially.”

“Please thank Madam Clairira for me.”

“Of course! Hoho.”

“Rivilious!”

At the sharp voice, Yuliana stopped her conversation with Rivilious and turned her head towards the voice. It was Sophia.

“Are you really saying that Madam Clairira won’t make my dress? I’ve bought so many dresses from her! How can she refuse my request?”

Sophia spoke irritably to Rivilious.

“But as I told you, Lady Sophia, Madam Clairira is so worried about Lady Meia that she can’t focus on her work and can’t take any orders. I’ve told you this several times, Lady Sophia.”

“So, are you saying I’m less important than that girl from the Carpen Empire?”

“She’s not just any girl from the Carpen Empire. Lady Meia Hatzbellua is Madam Clairira’s only muse. Without her, there would be no Madam Clairira dresses.”

“Then shouldn’t you come over here and recommend a dress to me?”

Sophia said, glaring openly at Yuliana. Rivilious, seeing Sophia’s gaze, rubbed his forehead as if he had a headache and shook his head.

“I’m sorry, but I have orders from above to attend to Lady Loengrin first. I’ll assign someone else to you. Aurora!”

Clap, clap.

At the sound of Rivilious’s claps, an employee named Aurora stood in front of Sophia.

“I will assist you, Lady Sophia of Earl Lumichua.”

Sophia ignored Aurora’s greeting, glared at Rivilious, and then stood in front of Yuliana.

“Aren’t you Lady Loengrin, who was recently broken off from her engagement?”

Sophia smiled smugly, curling up the corners of her lips as she mentioned Yuliana’s broken engagement.

“Since you don’t have a fiancé for the Crown Prince’s birthday, will you be entering with Young Lord Loengrin? Oh, right. He has a fiancée, doesn’t he? So, you’ll be entering with Earl Loengrin. How pitiful.”

“It’s etiquette to introduce yourself and your family name before engaging in conversation. It’s unbecoming of a noble lady to approach and mention a broken engagement without doing so.”

Yuliana’s voice was gentle, but her words were sharp.

“I don’t know who you are. Approaching suddenly and mentioning a broken engagement is something I don’t understand. Even if you introduce yourself now, I don’t want to converse with someone who hasn’t learned proper etiquette.”

Sophia and Yuliana’s eyes seemed to spark as they met in the air.

“Is it your hobby to bring up things that might hurt others and mock them?”

“What? Mocking? I was just stating the truth about your broken engagement.”

“Even if what you say is true, if it sounds like mockery to the listener, then it’s not the truth but mockery. Unknown Lady.”

“So, you’re saying my words are mockery now?”

“Yes. It sounds like mockery to me when you mention my broken engagement.”

Sophia clenched her fan tightly at Yuliana’s blunt statement. Rivilious, Selenia, and the people around watched the two silently.

Then a voice Yuliana didn’t want to hear reached her ears.