Chapter 1.12

Valentine turned his gaze toward the staff.  

“Would liquor soaking into the grass be harmful?”  

Caught off guard by the question, one of the staff hesitated before answering.  

“Well, yes, it wouldn’t be ideal. But if we water it thoroughly, it shouldn’t cause significant harm.”  

Valentine nodded and smiled faintly.  

“That’s good to hear. We value every blade of grass at Winchester.”  

“You arrogant little…”  

Archibald glared at Valentine with smoldering rage.  

“You may find Myra’s funds sweet for now. But.”  

Archibald stomped on the liquor-soaked grass.  

The well-maintained green blades were crushed beneath his foot.  

“That’s nothing but weeds.”  

Archibald raised his chin arrogantly and continued.  

“The true essence of Winchester lies in its expansive forests and timber. That’s what true nobility is about.”  

Archibald sneered viciously.  

“My brother forgot that, and that’s why he earned resentment, didn’t he?”  

Valentine’s expression turned icy at those words.  

It was a clear insult toward the late Duke of Winchester, Archibald’s brother, and Valentine’s father.  

“…Viscount Archibald.”  

Fury flickered in Valentine’s eyes.  

The former Duke of Winchester had also tried to shift the family’s business focus from timber to coal.  

But during that process, he had been mysteriously murdered.  

Thus, people speculated that the culprit behind the murder was a commoner who had lost their livelihood due to the timber industry’s decline.  

“You’ve forgotten your roots. Let’s see how long you can keep strutting about.”  

Archibald spat his words with a raised chin before turning away.  

Valentine suppressed his anger and watched him leave.  

***

Martha helped Liz change into a new dress and adjusted her appearance.  

Liz spoke calmly.  

“Thank you… No, thank you, Martha.”  

“Oh, it’s nothing.”  

Martha tied the ribbon on Liz’s cloak beautifully and shook her head.  

“It’s thanks to that kind-hearted young man that I was able to bring you here. Wasn’t his name Lord Russell?”  

“Yes… That’s right. Theodore Russell.”  

Theodore Russell. Theo.  

Liz softly whispered the name.  

It was once a name she had called more often than her own brother’s.  

But after the Garrett family’s art supply shop went bankrupt, Liz became a maid and left for Myra’s estate.  

For years, she hadn’t seen him.  

“See you behind the dressing room, Liz.”  

Liz smiled faintly.  

The memory of his still-kind voice brought her comfort.  

“Then I’ll head out now.”  

Liz stood and spoke.  

Martha asked with a worried expression.  

“Are you going out already? Wouldn’t it be better to wait for the Duke and leave with him?”  

Liz hesitated for a moment.  

But.  

“Don’t you understand yet? The Duke threw you to us as a toy.”  

Manon’s words pierced Liz’s heart painfully.  

“No. It’s fine.”  

Liz quietly shook her head and stepped out of the dressing room.  

***

Outside, the sun had already set.

Liz wandered behind the dressing room, feeling her way through the tall trees and glancing around nervously.  

“Theo? Are you there?”  

At that moment, there was a rustling sound, and the branches swayed.  

Underneath a large tree stood Theodore.  

“Liz, over here!”  

Theodore, having spotted Liz, waved with a gentle smile.  

His dark hair had made him difficult to notice.  

“Theo!”  

Liz ran toward him with delight.  

The boy who had once run across the fields with her had grown tall and now looked down at her.  

“Theo, you’ve really grown into an adult!”  

Theodore’s dark brown hair and chestnut-colored eyes seemed to reflect the setting sun, calm and serene.  

His appearance suited the twilight hour perfectly.  

“What are you talking about, Liz? I was already an adult the last time you saw me.”  

Theodore protested gently, and Liz teased him with a playful smile.  

“Were you? I don’t really remember.”  

“Honestly… Anyway, Liz, what’s going on? Why are you wearing the Duchess’s dress?”  

His gaze lingered on her hair ribbon, necklace, and dress in turn.  

Embarrassed, Liz grabbed the hem of her dress.  

“Oh, well… It doesn’t really suit me, does it?”  

Theodore had been her friend, someone she had skipped stones with and climbed trees alongside.  

Meeting him now, dressed in something so out of place, felt awkward.  

“No, not at all! That’s not what I meant.”  

But Theodore shook his head vigorously.  

“You look beautiful, Liz.”  

Theodore smiled warmly as he gently tucked a strand of Liz’s hair behind her ear.  

The earring dangling from her earlobe swayed slightly.  

That touch was the same as it had been years ago, yet it felt strangely unfamiliar now.  

Theodore’s fingers, now stronger than before, and the weight of the earring against her ear seemed to highlight the difference between then and now.  

“Th-Thank you. Anyway, the thing is….”  

Feeling flustered, Liz took a small step back.  

“It’s kind of complicated—or maybe not complicated, just… um.”  

Hesitant, Liz finally spoke honestly.  

“I’m not sure if I can tell you about it.”  

“What are you talking about? There’s nothing you can’t tell me.”  

Theodore jumped in surprise.  

He was right—there had been a time when Liz and Theodore shared all their secrets.  

But their secrets had been simple, like a pretty stone hidden under a tree trunk or a set of paints Theodore had gifted her in secret.  

Those innocent childhood days were far removed from the adult dilemmas they faced now.  

That distance made Liz falter.  

“Well, that’s true, but….”  

Seeing Liz hesitate, Theodore spoke with a serious expression.  

“Liz, be honest with me. I’m your friend. I can help you….”  

“The Winchesters require no help from you, Lord Theodore Russell.”  

Startled by the sharp tone, Liz turned her head. Standing there was Valentine.  

The moment their eyes met, Liz forgot that the sun was setting over the banquet hall.  

Perhaps it was because of his sapphire-blue eyes, as vivid as the midday sky, and his golden hair that seemed to hold the sun itself.  

His radiant colors seemed to reject the very idea of night.  

He stood in stark contrast to Theodore, whose presence blended naturally into the twilight hour.  

While Liz stood momentarily dazed, Theodore extended a hand toward Valentine.  

“Thank you for the invitation, Duke Winchester.”  

It was a gesture of impeccable courtesy.  

But Liz, who knew Theodore well, could sense his displeasure.  

It was rare for Theodore’s usually warm voice to sound this subdued.  

“Yes. It’s a pleasure to meet Miss Isabel’s friend.”  

Valentine smiled softly, his eyes curving as he shook Theodore’s hand.  

But Theodore, looking baffled, asked back.  

“Your Grace, what are you talking about? The person standing before you is Liz Garrett.”  

Theodore released Valentine’s hand as if in protest and lightly placed his arm around Liz’s shoulder.  

“And I’m not Miss Isabel’s friend—I’m Liz’s friend.”  

Surprised by his touch, Liz looked up at Theodore.  

Though they had often leaned on each other’s shoulders as children, it felt oddly unfamiliar now.  

Feeling awkward, Liz gently pushed him away and whispered.  

“Theo, this isn’t the time….”  

“It’s fine, Liz. I’m not lying.”  

But Theodore spoke firmly, his expression unusually resolute.  

Valentine’s blue eyes turned cold, like ice.  

“Ah, Liz. A friend of Liz Garrett.”  

Perhaps it was the refined pronunciation, as polished as a gemstone, or the smooth cadence of his voice.  

Valentine’s murmuring sounded almost like a melody.  

Yet the chill in his gaze betrayed his displeasure.  

Liz, flustered, tried to mediate between the two, but Theodore was quicker to respond.  

“If you have caused Liz any discomfort, Your Grace, I won’t stand idly by, even if you are a Winchester.”  

“Who is the one causing discomfort to the Duchess of Winchester, Lord Russell?”  

Theodore flinched and removed his hand from Liz’s shoulder.  

Valentine’s tone carried an undeniable authority that left no room for argument, even though his words were clearly intended to provoke.  

Valentine stepped forward and pulled Liz closer.  

Though his movements appeared graceful, his grip was firm, almost binding.  

Liz dared not push him away and could only look up at him.  

Valentine, seemingly satisfied with her reaction, smiled faintly as he spoke.  

“Do not insult the Duchess of Winchester, Lord Russell. She is no common maid to be called by such a name.”  

“A common maid?!”  

Theodore finally raised his voice. Liz quickly intervened, trying to calm him.  

“Theo, it’s fine. Let’s talk later, okay?”  

“Liz….”  

Theodore’s hand slid helplessly from her shoulder.  

Liz sighed in relief, feeling that the situation would not escalate further.  

Seizing the moment, she turned to Valentine and said,  

“Your Grace. It’s been some time; perhaps we should return to the banquet hall?”  

“No, the banquet is over.”  

“What?”  

“Didn’t we agree?”  

Valentine’s lips brushed against Liz’s ear as he spoke.  

Her cheeks burned with embarrassment.  

It seemed he didn’t care that Theodore was standing right there.  

“If even one person calls you Liz Garrett instead of Isabel Winchester, I would end the banquet immediately.”  

Liz’s eyes widened in shock at his whisper.  

“Th-That’s….”  

Valentine chuckled softly and pulled away.  

Such an abrupt end?  

Liz hadn’t anticipated the banquet ending this way.  

And the first emotion she felt was, surprisingly, regret.  

‘That can’t be….’  

What was this hollow feeling? 

Liz looked up at Valentine with a puzzled expression.  

Before she could fully process the emotions in his sapphire-blue eyes, he spoke again.  

“Ah, you said you were not the Duchess’s friend but Liz Garrett’s, correct?”  

Valentine shrugged and glanced at Theodore.  

“I thought I might extend my greetings as a friend of the Duchess. But if you are merely a friend of the maid Liz Garrett, there’s no need for me to do so.”  

“What kind of joke is this?! There are limits to how far one can go with mockery!”  

Theodore’s voice, which had momentarily calmed, rose again.  

But the more agitated he became, the softer Valentine’s tone grew.  

“Shall we go, Duchess?”  

Valentine wrapped an arm around Liz’s shoulders and turned her away. He was blatantly ignoring Theodore.