This embarrassing dream all started because of a truly, genuinely trivial coincidence.

“Oh, he’s here. He’s here! The second young master is really here!”

The nanny had been glued to the window all morning, and her flustered cry pulled Lisette’s gaze away from her book. Just as the nanny said, her voice rising with flushed excitement, beyond the window, through the great trees, the family crest and a golden victory banner came into view.

‘He’s back.’

Her heart, which had stayed quiet through all the noise outside, began to beat a little faster.

‘Three years, was it?’

Her brother, who had gone off to the battlefield, was returning after three years with news of victory. Lisette had been fiddling with the corner of the book she’d been reading all morning. She closed it and set it on the sofa.

“Where is he now?”

“He looks like he’s just crossing the main gate… Miss, don’t tell me you’re going down?”

“Yes. Why?”

Right, a full three years.

Her dearest friends, who had been everything to her in her younger days, were returning after three years of war. It made no sense to stay cooped up in her room on the grounds that she wasn’t feeling well.

“But the family members….”

“I’ll speak to Mother myself.”

She stood up, brushing off the nanny’s worry without a second thought.

But even with that bold declaration, the nanny’s expression looked uneasy.

“Why don’t you just wait in your room? Your fever was still high as of yesterday….”

“It’s completely gone now.”

“But what if you fall ill again….”

“This is the day my brother returns after finishing a long war, three years away. Does it make any sense for me to miss that?”

“Still… Miss!”

“I won’t cause any trouble this time.”

“…….”

The word trouble shut the nanny’s mouth in an instant.

She was probably thinking back to that day three years ago, the day they left. No, everyone who knew Lisette remembered that incident.

‘It’s a painful memory for me too.’

But things were different now.

‘Three years have passed. I’ve truly grown up.’

“So don’t worry.”

“Miss.”

The nanny bit and released her lip repeatedly before calling to her with care. But Lisette waved a hand at the air, unbothered, and turned away. There was no stopping her anyway.

‘There’s no one in this household who can hold me back.’

She walked out of the room and down the corridor, completely ignoring the nanny who fretted and followed close behind.

After they left for the battlefield, whether by coincidence or not, the kingdom that had been losing ground began to string together a steady run of victories.

At first, her brother had seemed like someone dragged away against his will under the noble conscription system. But over time, she had heard from her mother’s own lips that he had distinguished himself and earned merit on several occasions.

‘Though, of course, all those were achievements Leon made and handed over to him.’

Leon Hart. Her escort knight, and her brother’s longtime sparring partner.

The final image of her escort, forcibly sent to the battlefield to protect her frail brother, remained vivid even now, three years later.

‘Before I leave, would you smile for me one last time?’

‘It is my wish, Miss.’

She had given him a twisted smile, her face caught somewhere between crying and laughing, in response to those last words he spoke to her. That was three years ago. Yes, the night he left.

‘Come back alive.’

‘I will come back alive, without fail.’

‘Don’t get hurt.’

‘Yes. So you must also stay safe, Miss.’

“Waaah!”

Lisette had reached the top of the spiral staircase leading to the first floor when a sudden burst of cheering made her grab the railing.

‘Are they here already?’

Through the glass above the front door, the porch below was still empty. She shifted her gaze and spotted the backs of her eldest brother and her mother standing near the entrance.

‘Not yet.’

She let out a breath of relief and rested her hand on the railing. All the way down the stairs, a quiet excitement built inside her, and she found herself humming a little tune as she descended to the first floor.

“Goodness, Lisette!”

But just as she stepped off the last stair and was about to set foot on the hall floor, she heard a cry from her mother, Countess Céline de Vermoa.

“Dear, be careful!”

“Miss, please be careful!”

Then came the quiet calls of her eldest brother Théodore de Vermoa and his wife Angela. She met the worry etched on her family’s faces and curved her lips into a smile, pretending nothing was wrong.

“I can’t very well be absent when the whole family is gathering.”

She stepped lightly down from the staircase and smiled broadly.

Céline watched Lisette’s smile and pressed her lips together, her expression stiffening as she walked over.

“You’re not even well, and you came all the way down here. What on earth are your maids doing? And where is your nanny!”

“How could the nanny possibly stop me?”

“You!”

“It’s the day of my brother’s return, Mother.”

At Lisette’s words, Céline glanced toward the entrance and pulled out her handkerchief.

“I say this because you’re not well. And your marriage is coming up soon, on top of that. So why come all the way down here and….”

“I’m fine. The fever is completely gone.”

Céline bit her lip and shot her a look.

“You, really! That’s not even the point right now! You’re going to do that again with that lowborn….”

“Mother.”

Angela stepped in from behind Céline, who was catching her breath, and spoke in her place, as if to calm her.

“Mother is only saying this because she worries you might catch a cold and fall ill again. You understand, don’t you? You had such a hard time this time around, too.”

Angela exchanged a brief glance with Théodore, then turned to Lisette with a faint smile. Céline gave a reluctant nod at Angela’s graceful, gentle tone.

“That’s exactly what I mean. If you catch a cold and fall ill, you’re the one who suffers. Baron Tarmen, your fiancé, will be arriving in a few days.”

Céline had been forcing a smile as she looked at her daughter-in-law, but in the end she couldn’t smooth out her expression, and her brow furrowed. Something felt off about that look, and Lisette quietly lifted the corners of her mouth.

“I’m really fully recovered. The doctor came by this morning and said I was fine.”

“…….”

Lisette smiled brightly, looking for all the world like she hadn’t heard a word of their protests, and slipped her arm through Céline’s.

“Truly.”

“…….”

“Think about it. My brother is on his way back after a victory. There are so many eyes watching. How could I not come out? The whole family should be here to welcome him.”

“That boy, knowing his personality, the moment he arrives he’ll go straight to see you anyway!”

“Still, he’d be even happier if I’m the first one to greet him.”

“You!”

“Mother, let Lisette do as she wishes.”

“Théodore!”

“Lisette is all grown up now. She’ll act accordingly, with the responsibility that comes with that. Isn’t that right, Lisette?”

“…….”

Théodore stepped in between the two of them, neither willing to give an inch, and looked at Lisette. He held her gaze with those blue eyes, the same shade as hers, steady and pressing. She lifted the corners of her mouth.

“Of course. Brother.”

“…Then, Mother.”

Théodore heard Lisette’s firm answer, turned to Céline, and gave a brief shake of his head. Since her son was the one saying it, Céline couldn’t bring herself to refuse, and she pressed her lips together in displeasure.

Honestly, when she thought about the appalling thing Lisette had done three years ago, she wanted nothing more than to send her straight back to her room and lock her in. But with Théodore speaking up like that, she couldn’t simply dig in her heels.

“You headstrong girl! How could anyone ever win against you.”

With a short sigh, Céline tapped Lisette lightly on the nose and turned toward the maid standing back.

“Bring the young miss a coat.”

“Yes.”

The moment Céline’s words fell, a maid hurried up the stairs. Lisette looked around.

‘A coat, in the middle of summer.’

Everyone in the manor was dressed in light clothing.

There was a breeze, but it was a hot breeze, the heat bearing down in the thick of summer. Wearing a coat on top of that seemed like a sure way to collapse from heatstroke. She even thought that after a fever breaks, wearing too much could make things worse, but…

‘Right, she’s worried about me.’

She thought it over and smiled, the charming beauty mark beneath her eye crinkling. That smile seemed to settle the matter for Céline, who let out a deep sigh and turned away.

“Just for today.”

“I know.”

“If you cause trouble today….”

“I know that too.”

Lisette nodded without resistance, and Céline let out a long sigh and kept up her scolding all the way to the entrance.

“I’ve always told you. You’re twenty now, so you need to be careful about everything going forward. You’re unusually frail compared to other people. And your marriage is coming up soon. If you were to fall seriously ill before the wedding… goodness, this time it might actually be the death of me.”

“That won’t happen, Mother.”

“You think so?”

Angela smiled and nodded at Céline’s worry.

“The young miss has been in much better health lately, and Baron Tarmen doesn’t mind about such things. There’s nothing to worry about.”

“Even so.”

“Don’t worry.”

With her caught in the middle of the exchange between the two of them, she suddenly felt something tightening around her throat. She even felt the urge to cry out right then and there.

But she knew that if she did, she’d be sent straight back to her room. So she simply let their conversation pass through her in silence, in one ear and out the other. The noise of their exchange was no match for the excitement she felt.

‘Please come soon.’

Her heart pounded fast. She drew a quick breath and turned her gaze toward the commotion outside the entrance.

And so, how much time passed?

“There he is! There! It’s the young master!”

Just when the two of them were getting tiresome, the servant’s voice rang out loudly, announcing the arrival of her brother’s party.

“Goodness, Théodore.”

At the servant’s words, Céline’s face already brimmed with tears, but she couldn’t bring herself to step forward and looked up at Théodore instead. He gave a single nod at that earnest gaze and walked out through the entrance.

Théodore turned to the left, and his face broke into a bright smile, as though he had spotted something.

“Alexander! Mother, Alexander is here.”