Chapter 1.1

Claire, the young lady of the Mansfield Earldom, was working as an imperial administrative officer in the palace.

It wasn’t unusual for a noble young lady to work as an imperial administrator.

Usually, a young lady’s life was divided into two paths: living quietly while taking lessons to become a bride and then marrying, or, like Claire, working in the palace.

The former was generally the path for young ladies from financially stable families, while the latter was for those who were less well-off or enjoyed mingling with imperial people.

That’s why Claire, the young lady of the not-so-wealthy Mansfield family, had to become an administrator in the palace.

The department Claire was assigned to was the Ministry of Finance, and her superior, the treasurer, was Marquis Vikander.

He had a laid-back personality and didn’t enjoy working too much, so Claire didn’t have to live overwhelmed by work. She could have leisure time during work, and when work hours ended, she could go home without having to do extra work.

“Take this to the secretary in the Imperial Household.”

“Yes.”

Receiving her superior’s order, Claire picked up the stack of papers piled high on her desk and left the office.

It was hard work moving such a heavy load, but her steps were light. She even hummed to herself.

There was a special reason why she was in such a good mood.

Would I be able to see him today?

Even while carrying a stack of papers so high it blocked her view, she turned her head from side to side, checking if anyone was passing by. She was hoping she might see him.

And then, just as she spotted the man she’d been searching for passing by in the distance, Claire stopped in her tracks.

Ash-grey hair, sharp jawline, clear golden eyes, tall height, and a sturdy build….

Just seeing him walk down the corridor made Claire’s heart race.

I saw him for 20 seconds today!

Just seeing him for a moment made her feel as if all the stress of her day had melted away. After his figure disappeared completely, Claire started walking again.

The man she had just stopped to watch was Helion Radner, a secretary in the Ministry of State and the son of the Duke of Radner.

His gentle impression, handsome face, soft smile that seemed to melt everything, and polite, restrained manner made him the object of admiration for many young ladies.

Claire was also in love with him, but it wasn’t just his appearance that made her like him.

She began to like him because of that incident. After that event, her secret crush began.

With a fluttering heart, Claire recalled the day she first met him.

On the day she attended a banquet as an adult for the first time, Claire was tense with the pressure of having to formally greet the Emperor and Empress.

Afraid she might make a mistake, she tried to relieve her nerves by nibbling on various desserts.

She thought she’d feel better after tasting the delicious desserts, but she didn’t. Maybe because she ate too quickly, Claire ended up with an upset stomach.

Just standing still made her heart pound, and her stomach churned so much she couldn’t stay in the banquet hall. Luckily, her turn to greet the Emperor came early.

“Are you all right?”

After the audience, the Earl of Mansfield and the Countess, noticing how pale Claire looked, approached her with concern.

“I’m fine. I’ll be okay if I get some fresh air.”

Not wanting to worry them, and thinking she’d feel better with some cool air, Claire headed to the garden alone.

Maybe because there were still many families left to greet the Emperor, the vast garden was almost deserted.

As she wandered the garden alone, Claire’s condition grew worse. Her chest felt tight, as if something was stuck, and she felt so nauseous she thought she might retch.

Oh, what should I do. I should have brought some medicine. Maybe I should have gotten something to help with digestion?

She hadn’t expected it to get this bad, so she regretted it too late.

Her breathing grew labored, so Claire instinctively wrapped her hand around her neck and tried to breathe slowly, but she couldn’t.

Instead, her face grew paler, and soon she was struggling to breathe, her chest aching. It felt as if she was forgetting how to breathe, as if her airway was being squeezed tighter and tighter.

I shouldn’t have come alone.

As her mind grew faint, Claire started to regret coming out to the garden by herself.

Am I going to die like this?

The thought of dying so young filled her with regret, and as her breath grew shorter, Claire’s will to live faded.

That’s when it happened.

“Are you all right?”

Suddenly, a man’s voice came from behind her.

Who…?

She could only open her eyes a sliver, so she couldn’t see the man’s face. All she could do was reach out her hand, asking for help.

After that, she lost consciousness, so she remembered almost nothing. When she briefly came to, Claire’s body was lying on a bench.

“Breathe…!”

From far away, she thought she could hear the man’s voice.

His hands, clasped together, pressed quickly and firmly below Claire’s sternum, and then, after opening her airway, he breathed into her mouth. As he repeated these two actions,

“Cough!”

A cough came from deep inside her body, and finally, Claire felt like she could breathe again.

As she gradually regained her senses, she noticed a refreshing fragrance coming from the man. It was a clean scent that made her feel better.

“Are you conscious?”

Panting, she nodded her head, and the man told her to wait a moment before hurrying off somewhere.

It all happened so quickly that Claire didn’t get a good look at the man’s face. All she remembered was his uncommon ash-grey hair and sturdy build.

Wait, just a moment….

She thought she reached out her hand toward the man, but his figure grew fainter and fainter in her eyes, and, as her tension melted away, Claire’s eyes slowly closed.