‘If I go to the kitchen, there might be something to eat. Uncle Charles might give me something.’

Charles was a cook who had been making food at House Nosent for twenty years, and he pitied Ellienne. He would secretly give her leftover food without catching the Duchess’s eye.

The other servants at the ducal estate also felt sorry for Ellienne. They pitied the young lady who wore splendid dresses on the surface but was always starving and mistreated.

Ellienne secretly entered through the hidden door connecting the annex. It was a small door linking the annex and the ducal estate’s garden.

The door was small enough for a child to enter, but she was so thin she could bend her body and pass through.

Beyond the garden, brilliant lights shone from the central hall and beautiful melodic music flowed out.

Through the massive windows, she could see elegant noble ladies in dresses dancing while holding gentlemen’s hands.

Ellienne, hiding in the flower bed, stared blankly at the scene.

‘Ah, the Duchess is hosting a soirée today.’

Duchess Madrian was a renowned celebrity in high society and enjoyed hosting balls and tea parties to invite nobles.

The balls she held were formal affairs attended by outstanding artists and prominent orators and writers of the era, and everyone wanted to be invited.

‘A ball… how wonderful.’

Ellienne gazed at the splendid world beyond the window with a dreamy look.

Though she was a ducal lady, she had never formally debuted at a ball. The Duchess had blocked it.

The Duchess had prevented Ellienne’s debut, claiming she was ill and mentally fragile.

‘How could I step forward with my status? Everyone would point fingers at me for being a bastard.’

Ellienne turned her gaze away with a bitter expression. Her empty stomach rumbled again. The forgotten hunger came rushing back.

She clutched her stomach, embarrassed and ashamed. If she had known this would happen, she would have at least drunk water to fill her belly.

Just then, she heard the sound of footsteps on the grass.

‘I can’t let anyone catch me!’

The Duchess forbade Ellienne from coming to the ducal estate without permission. When she was young, she had been beaten several times for entering the garden out of curiosity.

Ellienne hurriedly tried to hide in the flower bed. But her shoes got caught in her trailing dress, making it difficult.

While she fidgeted and tried to forcibly pull her dress—

“Lady Ellienne?”

A gentle, soft male voice in a mid-low tone reached her ears. Relief momentarily washed over the frightened Ellienne’s expression. She lifted her head to look up at the person.

He was a young man in his twenties with dark brown hair, tall stature, solid build, and neat appearance.

Ellienne finally relaxed and smiled brightly.

“Oh, thank goodness. It’s you, Cassien.”

It was her escort knight, Cassien. The youngest son of a fallen viscount family, Cassien had entered House Nosent’s knight order with his excellent swordsmanship.

When Ellienne turned sixteen, the Duke selected her escort knight.

He was nominally an escort knight, but actually a guard to prevent Ellienne from escaping. No one volunteered because it blocked advancement as a knight.

Only Cassien had volunteered to be Ellienne’s escort knight, and for three years he had been silently protecting her.

Worry appeared in Cassien’s gentle blue eyes. He extended his hand to Ellienne.

“My lady, why are you here?”

Ellienne took Cassien’s hand and answered with a dejected face.

“Ah, I’m sorry. I’m not supposed to come to the garden…”

Cassien carefully helped Ellienne up and steadied her. He looked at her with an affectionate smile.

“The ball is in full swing, so the Duchess won’t notice. So please don’t worry.”

“What?”

“I’m saying this because I’m concerned you might get hurt being alone in the garden.”

“Ah… I see.”

Ellienne clasped her hands together, fidgeting, and nodded slightly. Cassien seemed to be the only person who formally acknowledged her as a ducal lady.

Then he stepped very close to Ellienne. Too close.

“Ah, Cassien, what…?”

Ellienne exclaimed softly in surprise. That was because Cassien had knelt on one knee and was brushing off leaves and dirt from the hem of Ellienne’s dress with his hand.

Ellienne didn’t know what to do, embarrassed and ashamed.

“It’s, it’s okay. I can brush it off later…”

“No. Your hands will get dirty, my lady.”

“Still…”

Ellienne looked down at Cassien brushing her clothes, her face already red. Suddenly he raised his head and stared at her intently.

“My lady, excuse me, but would you give me your shoes?”

“What? Why?”

“There’s dirt on your shoes, so I’ll brush them off for you.”

Ellienne tried to refuse, but facing the escort knight’s serious expression, she couldn’t bring herself to speak. She lowered her head and extended her small shoes from beneath her dress.

Cassien placed her foot on his knee and delicately brushed off the dirt on her shoes with his white-gloved hand.

Ellienne somehow felt ticklish and embarrassed, unable to say a word, waiting for this moment to pass quickly.

“It’s done. Please be careful walking through the garden from now on. The Duchess would have been angry again if she had seen you.”

“Ah, thank you.”

Ellienne changed the subject out of embarrassment.

“But why are you here, Cassien? Weren’t you supposed to be guarding the ballroom?”

Cassien smiled affectionately like a brother looking at his sister.

“I was on garden patrol. I’m glad I got to see you, my lady.”

He took out a small pouch from his knight uniform pocket. Then he respectfully presented the cloth pouch to Ellienne with both hands. A sweet cookie scent drifted from the pouch.

“I brought this in case you were hungry. If it doesn’t displease you, would you like to eat?”

“…Thank you, Cassien.”

Ellienne answered politely. She felt sorry for Cassien, who always cared for and helped her. He understood her pitiful situation and always helped with meals and necessities.

Whenever she was hungry like now, Cassien would bring food from the estate kitchen or give Ellienne his own portion.

Mixed with guilt and shame, she accepted the cloth pouch. Inside were a few cookie pieces and a small muffin.

Unable to resist her hunger and forgetting her dignity as a noble lady, she chewed and swallowed a cookie in one bite. Sweet butter fragrance and savory flavor spread through her mouth. It was delicious enough to bring tears.

“Does it suit your taste, my lady?”

“It’s, it’s so delicious.”

Ellienne ate the cookies and muffin frantically. Since she had eaten nothing but barley porridge in the morning, even a few cookies were something to be grateful for.

“Really… I’m lucky Cassien is my escort knight. I keep owing you favors.”

Cassien quietly watched Ellienne eating cookies happily like a child. Deep sympathy and guilt settled in his thoughtful blue eyes.

“Not at all. I wish I could help you more definitively… I’m sorry I still lack the power, my lady.”

Instead, Cassien bowed his head deeply toward Ellienne. She stared up at her escort knight blankly, momentarily choked up.

“Please remember. I’m always worried about Lady Ellienne.”

“I know. Your deep loyalty, Cassien.”

Ellienne nodded with a subtle smile like a wildflower. A breeze suddenly blew, scattering her abundant brown hair. She slowly tucked her hair behind her ear.

“Rather, I’m sorry that following me seems to prevent you from being active as a knight, Cassien.”

Cassien froze like time had stopped. Ellienne smiling in the scattering wind was beautiful and graceful.

Outsiders gossiped that the bastard lady of the noble House Nosent was a crazy lunatic or a mute. Even within House Nosent, Ellienne’s existence was despised and looked down upon—a noble lady in name only.

But only Cassien knew Ellienne’s true nature.

He had seen that though she had a kind and tender disposition, she silently endured any oppression and coldness. Despite her delicate appearance, her inner self was solid and strong, shining with light.

Ellienne broke the remaining cookie in half and offered the rest to him. When Cassien hesitated to accept, she smiled cheerfully.

“They say you share with friends. Cassien is my precious friend, so let’s eat together.”

“If that is your wish, my lady… I understand.”

Cassien obediently accepted the cookie piece and put it in his mouth. Sweet, soft butter fragrance swirled in his mouth. Like Ellienne’s scent.

Ellienne also ate the remaining cookie piece while looking up at Cassien. In the vast ducal estate, he was the only person who truly cared for and worried about her.

‘…Is this what it would feel like to have a brother?’

Ellienne didn’t know what blood relatives felt like. But she had thought several times about how it would be if the kind and affectionate Cassien were her brother.

Ellienne didn’t notice the heat writhing in Cassien’s eyes staring intently at her, unable to hide it.

* * *

The official dinner at House Nosent was held once a month.

Duke Nosent mainly resided at his townhouse in the capital, attending the House of Nobles, going to social gatherings, and building friendships with high nobles.

He came to the main estate for about a week each month to handle territorial affairs or perform the family head’s duties. Dinners with family were part of that.

Under the brilliant chandelier in the dining hall, five members of House Nosent gathered at a long table that could seat twenty people.

The dinner table was decorated with the finest foods, silver utensils with gold trim, and beautiful flowers, but the atmosphere flowing over it was suffocatingly quiet. Only the sounds of clinking utensils or setting down glasses could be heard.

It was so stiff it couldn’t be called a harmonious family meal after a long time.

Duke Nosent sitting at the head seat focused on his meal with a cold, detached expression, and on his right sat Madam Madrian wearing an elegant ivory dress.

She was smiling brightly while talking to the Duke.

But the Duke’s response was lukewarm. He only gave bland answers like “I see” or “Mm” from time to time.