Chapter 1

Lekoni, who had been working in the mansion’s study, looked up. Her silvery hair, as brilliant as the Milky Way, cascaded down her shoulders with her movement.

Her crimson eyes, tinged with curiosity, turned to the butler, who couldn’t hide his bewilderment.

“Who’s here?”

“Young Master Daniel Heston has come to visit. I’ve shown him to the drawing room.”

“Why is he here?”

“He didn’t say, only insisted he had to see you as soon as possible.”

The butler paused, choosing his words carefully.

“He didn’t seem to be in a good state.”

“In what way?”

“It would be best for you to see for yourself.”

Her elegant hand, having set down her pen, tapped lightly on the documents. Lekoni’s delicate brows furrowed slightly.

“Any news from the Heston Dukedom?”

“None.”

“Nothing between the Dukedom and the Enas Grand Duchy that might be an issue?”

“There’s been nothing for you to be concerned about, My Lady.”

“Then why….”

Lekoni leaned back. A fleeting look of fatigue crossed her pale, expressionless face.

It had been nearly a year since Daniel Heston last visited the Gardwin family’s mansion. Once, he’d come so often the front gate nearly wore out, but due to circumstances with Lekoni, Daniel had become an unwelcome guest here.

If today’s events hadn’t happened, that would have continued. Lekoni opened her tightly closed eyes.

“He’s been let in, so I should at least see him.”

As she made her way to the drawing room, Lekoni’s mind was tangled. Her gaze was subdued as she thought.

‘There’s no reason for you to do this now. If you know how I’ve struggled in pain for the past year, you shouldn’t be doing this.’

‘This is deceit.’

“Koni!”

“….”

As soon as the door opened, Daniel turned around. Only a year had passed, yet the scene with him felt unfamiliar.

Lekoni looked Daniel up and down as if seeing something strange. Now she understood why the butler had said to see for herself.

Daniel looked, to put it kindly, distressed; bluntly, he looked like someone mentally unwell. His golden-brown hair was tousled, and his attire was far from his usual neatness.

He strode over and grabbed Lekoni’s wrist. She nearly pulled away.

“Koni, please, just listen to me once.”

“…”

Her indifferent scarlet eyes slowly scanned the hand holding her, then his face. A faint, mocking laugh escaped her lips.

‘Is there anything left for us to talk about? Did he become a different person overnight?’

“I don’t know what’s happening. I woke up, and a year had passed. And now they say you and I are strangers. That we’re nothing anymore.”

“…”

“How can we be broken up when I still love you this much? This can’t be right. You agree, don’t you? Hm? Koni, please say something.”

Daniel looked extremely unstable. Only then did Lekoni stop sneering and examine his complexion more closely.

‘Had he suffered some severe mental shock? Or… drugs?’

‘What did he mean, a year had passed since he slept?’ 

But she couldn’t figure out anything more. It was just that absurd.

When Lekoni said nothing, Daniel stopped pressing and looked at her with pleading eyes. She recognized that look—he’d shown it whenever he felt wronged or at a disadvantage during their relationship.

Staring at him, Lekoni twisted her wrist free. His dark green eyes widened in disbelief.

“I don’t know what’s gotten into you all of a sudden.”

“Koni…?”

“Showing up unannounced like this isn’t right.”

Daniel tried to grab her again, but she didn’t let him.

“Why are you saying these things to me? Did I do something wrong?”

“Go home, Danny. We ended things a long time ago.”

‘We’re not people who can sit together and smile anymore.’

Lekoni’s white face was eerily blank. Her calm, ringing voice held no emotion. Not the hatred, nor the sorrow, nor even a trace of lingering attachment that once consumed her.

Daniel’s mouth hung open in shock. Lekoni tilted her head, arms crossed, a strange light flickering in her eyes.

‘This situation. How ironic.’

“Goodbye. Don’t come so early next time. Give my regards to the Duke of Heston. Butler, see him out.”

“Yes, My Lady.”

“Koni, Koni. Wait. Koni!”

That was enough. Lekoni didn’t look back as she climbed the stairs, even as he called after her in desperation.

Clinging to someone after things are over is cowardly.

Once, she’d done that. Now, it was his turn.

* * *

Once, there was a lover she’d loved passionately.

They only had eyes for each other, loving as if nothing else existed. They spent many days together and overcame hardships side by side.

People envied them, calling it the love of the century.

But the feelings that seemed eternal wore out after three years, turning to ashes. Not even worthy of the word ‘memory’, just a time she’d rather not recall.

“So, did you find out?”

Lekoni pressed her aching head. Because Daniel had come by early in the morning, she’d had the butler look into it.

The butler handed her some documents.

“It seems… Young Master Heston has a problem with his memory. The cause is unknown.”

“With his memory?”

“Yes. He’s lost a little over a year’s worth of memories.”

After a pause, the butler added,

“It seems he only remembers the time when he was still dating you.”

“That idiot Danny—I knew he’d regret it someday!”

As soon as Lekoni heard Daniel had come to the Gardwin mansion, her friend Kayla rushed over, storming in and gulping down the water the maid brought. Her lush, rosy curls shook with her rough movements.

Lekoni confirmed through the documents that the Heston mansion was also in turmoil over the sudden incident, and she dryly chided Kayla.

“Kay, watch your mouth. What if someone hears?”

“I hope they do! What nerve does he have coming here? Serves him right. I feel ten years’ worth of frustration melting away.”

“Kay….”

“Butler, don’t you have any special champagne for today? Today, we have to party. Koni, you should take the day off too.”

“Shall I prepare some champagne?”

“Butler, don’t go along with Kay’s antics.”

Lekoni frowned, trying to stop them, but the butler and Kayla were already picking out champagne, not paying attention.

They had watched Lekoni and Daniel’s relationship from beginning to end, and didn’t mind this turn of events. Kayla, in particular, was triumphant, like a general bringing back the enemy’s head.

As she chatted with the butler, Kayla glanced at Lekoni. She’d rushed over when she heard Danny had come, worried about what foolish thing he might do next.

Kayla had been a longtime friend to both Lekoni and Daniel, and now, after everything, was just Lekoni’s friend.

Ignoring the party chatter, Lekoni focused on the documents, her face calm. It had taken her a long time to become so indifferent.

Just when she thought she could finally relax, Daniel, the root of all trouble, showed up and ruined it. He really wasn’t good for Lekoni’s life.

She hoped her friend wouldn’t get tangled up with her ex again.

“But what’s with Danny’s sudden amnesia? It’s not like there was an accident. Did he get punished for wronging you?”

“Punished, how?”

“For looking at another woman after dating you for three years.”

Lekoni smiled bitterly.

“I told you, Kay, it wasn’t like that.”

“Oh, really? You still want to defend Danny?”

Lekoni shook her head. Kayla always said the same thing when this topic came up.

But there was a deeper reason Lekoni broke up with Daniel—something fundamental, beyond anyone’s control, no matter how hard they tried.

It had just taken Lekoni a long time to accept that. Once she did, blaming anyone stopped mattering.

“But really, it’s not that. Even if that hadn’t happened, Danny and I would have broken up soon.”

“You’re so frustrating. Why do you always say that? You’re so rational at work, but when it comes to Danny, you’re like an overripe peach.”

“I’m not.”

“If it were me, I wouldn’t care if he’s the heir to a dukedom—I’d make sure he couldn’t show his face in the capital. Got it?”

“Thanks for getting angry for me, Kay. But you don’t have to.”

Kayla clutched her chest in frustration. Her rough words lost their edge thanks to her cute looks. Lekoni just looked a little apologetic, not shaken.

Sometimes, Kayla wondered about those times when Lekoni was barely making it through each day.

Back then, the emotions Lekoni carried were so heavy, Kayla wished she could unload them quickly, to empty herself out.

Otherwise, it seemed like Lekoni might suffocate.

But now… Lekoni had found stability, but was she really better?

Even with her ex-boyfriend showing up with lost memories, Lekoni was almost too composed. It was as if something was hidden beneath the surface.

It felt like something important was missing.