Chapter 1.5

That night, Alexa had an unpleasant dream—a dream filled with memories of her childhood. Because of it, she tossed and turned from dawn and woke before sunrise.

‘Why did I have such a dream?’

As she thought in a daze, Alexa admitted to herself that the prospect of leaving the Winterbourne townhouse, a place she had finally grown used to, was affecting her deeply.

Today was a day she didn’t need to go to the department store. Sitting quietly on her bed, listening to the growing bustle of the mansion, Alexa threw off her blanket and pulled out large boxes from her wardrobe.

Ever since Harrison had suggested she marry, she had slowly begun organizing her room. If she didn’t pack in advance, she would inevitably forget something and regret it later.

A faded poetry book gifted by her grandmother, glasses her mother occasionally used, letters from friends… As she carefully packed precious things into the box, she came across her diary from Blainefield House.

After some hesitation, she opened it.

As she turned the thin pages, emotions she had tried to ignore came rushing back—anxiety, impatience, and worry from the days she had to live with people who disliked her.

Admiration and curiosity for a sparkling world, awe for the perfect boy… But such feelings didn’t last long. Blainefield never accepted Alexa and Isabella. That thorough rejection left scars, preserved in the diary’s pages.

Raymond, Raymond, and again, Raymond.

The Alexa in her diary seemed to have a lot of grievances with him. There were many sentences that began with his name. After the conflict in the greenhouse, Raymond no longer hid his contempt for her, and Alexa, not knowing how to accept his hatred, immaturely retaliated in kind. Eventually, they became even less than strangers.

Reading the gloomy words of her younger self, Alexa closed the diary with a shallow sigh.

‘He’s someone who has nothing to do with me now.’

Meeting him again at the department store had certainly been unsettling. But it was only a coincidence—a particularly unpleasant one. The woman standing beside Raymond that day looked like a noble lady from a prestigious family. Perhaps she was his fiancée.

Now that he had become the Duke as he wished, he’d lead the estate with a woman of similar standing. Blainefield would respect and love the young Duke and his wife.

That kind of life suited him. Just as life in Winterbourne felt more natural to her. No matter how much the world changed, the gap between their statuses was still insurmountable.

After finishing her packing, Alexa gathered up the delivered magazines and headed down to the sunny study. The butler brought her tea and snacks. In the peaceful atmosphere, she felt completely at ease.

* * *

In the afternoon, Dominic entered the study and quietly smiled when he saw Alexa, as usual, absorbed in magazines on the sofa. Silently moving behind the sofa, he startled her by speaking up suddenly.

“What are you thinking about so intently?”

As expected, Alexa jumped in surprise. Shivering, she closed her magazine and grumbled,

“Dominic! You nearly gave me a heart attack.”

“If it falls, I’ll pick it up. That’s what a brother should do for his only sister.”

“Such nonsense… You’re home early?”

In Dominic’s hand was a stack of documents tied with a red string.

“I finished all my work for the week. Now I just have to read the reports written by the researchers at home.”

Dominic circled the sofa and sat next to Alexa. She cleared away the pile of magazines beside her to make space for him. Picking up one of the magazines, Dominic flipped through the pages, found an Everhart advertisement, and spoke cheerfully,

“Working, I see.”

Alexa shrugged as if it were obvious.

“I always check to make sure the advertisements we requested are placed correctly. Sometimes they get left out.”

“I can already imagine how thoroughly you check everything, Miss Winterbourne. But aren’t you overworking yourself these days? I hear you’re working even harder than Harrison Winterbourne in his prime.”

Ignoring Alexa’s glare, which warned him that the teacup on the table was hers, Dominic picked it up and took a sip.

“The aroma is nice.”

“You could just ask for a new cup.”

“Yours smells nicer.”

“Don’t be ridiculous.”

“Tell me, why are you pushing yourself so hard?”

“It’s the busiest season of the year. Of course I have to work hard. I’ll be busy with various things for a while, too.”

Dominic’s gaze shifted from worry to something else. The smile on his lips faded as he hesitated before speaking.

“Is it because of marriage?”

Alexa paused for a moment and turned her head.

“Did Father tell you? Aren’t you curious who I’ll end up marrying?”

“Are you pretending to be a woman desperate to get married? If so, you’re out for this role.”

“What do you mean pretending? Why would I?”

“To protect the peace of the family, that’s reason enough. You worry too much, that’s your problem. Father won’t force you to do anything you don’t want. Go and tell him how you really feel. Say it’s too soon.”

Dominic’s persuasion was sincere. He genuinely didn’t want Alexa to suffer through a marriage she didn’t want. Knowing her brother’s concern, Alexa felt grateful, but she had already made up her mind.

“It’s something I’ll have to do eventually. For a while, people didn’t talk much about my marriage because of Mother’s passing, but time has passed now.”

“You don’t need to care about what others think.”

Alexa knew why Dominic was worried.

Finding a husband would be far more difficult than expected. The social world had harshly criticized her mother for divorcing as a Duchess. Finding a man who could see Alexa without prejudice was like finding a needle in a haystack.

“You know it’s impossible, Dominic. Many people wonder why Harrison Winterbourne’s daughter isn’t married. Some of them are even strong partners with Elford.”

But after Harrison’s suggestion, Alexa faced reality. She couldn’t live doing only what she wanted. If she wanted the department store, it was only fair to agree to the marriage her father wanted.

“Finding a husband who meets Father’s standards won’t be easy. But I can’t stay in Winterbourne forever, being the sister who gets in the way of your marriage.”

“That wouldn’t be so bad.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. I refuse.”

Alexa shook her head firmly and lowered her gaze to the magazine. Dominic was still dissatisfied, but seeing her more determined than he expected, he decided to let it go for now. Only the sound of turning pages filled the sitting room.

As time passed, the afternoon sunlight from the window cast a warm glow on Alexa’s black hair. Pretending to read documents beside her, Dominic occasionally glanced at Alexa’s profile, veiled in gold.

Alexa’s posture, shaped by strict etiquette lessons in a noble’s mansion, was always proper and upright. It had been the same when she first came to the Winterbourne townhouse.

Though she’d been frightened and withdrawn, there was a strange grace in her demeanor. Dominic had figured out within days of living together what kind of time Alexa had spent at the Duke’s mansion.

The girl had clearly been bullied.

From above, and from below.

After realizing that, Dominic worked hard to make the house a place where Alexa could smile comfortably. Just as his stepmother Isabella had restored their father’s laughter, he wanted to be a reliable brother for Isabella’s daughter, Alexa.

“Today’s the day we’re supposed to eat out with Father. Why don’t you finish your overtime work now too?”

Sensing his gaze, Alexa spoke quietly without looking up from her magazine. Dominic grumbled lightly.

“If I’d known, I wouldn’t have come home from the office.”

Alexa murmured with a small smile.

“You’re so silly, really.”

The smile Dominic wanted to see blossomed on Alexa’s face. Her cheeks lifted, and her pink lips curved gently—she looked truly lovely.

Dominic stared at her as if bewitched, then cleared his throat repeatedly. He blamed the butler for brewing the tea especially strong today, making his stomach churn.