Chapter 1.1

“Impossible….”

Cecilia felt as if all the blood had drained from her head, leaving her dizzy. She steadied herself against the table, catching her breath for a moment. The dress tightly wrapped around her waist felt uncomfortably restrictive.

Once her startled heart calmed, she turned her gaze to the crumpled invitation in her hand.

‘The engagement of Rozain, eldest daughter of the Deneuve Earldom, and Dmitri, eldest son of the Geminique Dukedom.’

Cecilia, unable to believe it, carefully read each letter of the invitation, one by one. But before she could finish the first sentence, tears welled up, blurring the words.

Cecilia quickly tried to think. 

‘When did those two become close? When did talk of marriage happen between their families?’

Many questions tangled in her mind, but when she reached the last one, she felt utterly dejected.

‘Why hadn’t Rozain told me about this?’

Rozain was her closest friend. The only person who truly knew Cecilia’s long-held feelings for Dmitri.

[“How can I wait until the ball? I already miss Sir Dmitri so much.”]

Whenever Cecilia dreamed about Dmitri, Rozain would listen with genuine amusement.

[“Cecil, I heard Sir Dmitri likes azalea flowers. Why not wear a pink dress to the ball this time?”]

Rozain was the friend who always gave advice to Cecilia, who’d never even been in love.

‘What had Rozain been thinking then?’

Since her feelings had grown alone without anyone knowing, she couldn’t blame Dmitri for anything. But Rozain was different.

Cecilia let out a deep sigh and buried herself in the bed. Her maid, Dallein, quickly brought her a strawberry cake, but Cecilia had no desire to even taste a single piece.

***

“Dallein, you know my favorite ribbon, right? Use that one!”

The maids of the Serin Earldom were bustling to dress Cecilia up. Cecilia hurried over and sat in front of the vanity.

Her bright, wavy blonde hair was beautiful, and her quick steps were as lovely as a fluttering sparrow.

A month ago, she’d buried herself in bed after receiving the invitation, but now that attitude was nowhere to be found.

Today was the day of Rozain and Dmitri’s engagement ceremony.

After receiving the invitation, Cecilia had sent letters to the Deneuve Earldom, hoping to talk to Rozain, but received no reply. Frustrated, she visited the Earldom herself, but the butler said Rozain was away, so she had no choice but to turn back. A month passed, with no explanation or word from Rozain.

At first, Cecilia thought there must be a reason, but as time passed, anger grew, and eventually, resentment exploded. With nowhere to vent her frustration, she had to quietly swallow it alone. But even that period passed, and to her own surprise, her heart gradually calmed.

‘Let’s forget about a man who isn’t meant for me.’

She tucked away her longing for Dmitri as if folding it and placing it deep in a drawer. His way of speaking, manners, light brown hair, and gentle eyes—she had cherished everything, but now she resolved to keep them all as memories.

Now, only one thing troubled her heart: Rozain.

She couldn’t fold away their friendship as easily as paper. Surely, Rozain had an unavoidable reason. Cecilia decided to wait until Rozain explained in person.

“The carriage is ready, Miss.”

At the butler’s polite knock and words, Cecilia rushed outside as if even a moment of thought was a luxury.

At the same time,

Another person was hurrying toward Rozain and Dmitri’s engagement ceremony.

A horse raced wildly down the forest path. On its back, a handsome knight urged the spirited animal even faster.

The knight was a rare beauty in the Empire. The line from his forehead to his nose was sculpted and neat, and his dark blue eyes gave a sense of melancholy. However, a splash of blood on one cheek gave his appearance a chilling edge.

“At this rate, I’ll be late.”

Unaware of the changes soon to come, he rode with only the thought of arriving faster.

***

The engagement ceremony was held at Steiny Castle, where the Geminique Dukedom spent their summer holidays each year. The carriage from the Serin family glided through the castle gates, cutting through the refreshing breeze that cooled the summer night’s heat.

Stepping out of the carriage, Cecilia looked up at the castle before her. Steiny Castle, truly the pride of the Geminique family, was breathtaking. White stone pillars harmonized with the surrounding forest, and the blue-roofed spires matched the soft violet sky of the summer evening in a fantastical way.

To be engaged in such a fairy-tale castle, and to someone as gentle as Dmitri!

‘Now there’s one more reason to envy Rozain.’

Thinking of her friend standing in the place she’d dreamed of, Cecilia felt a moment of sadness, but quickly let out a short breath and steeled her resolve. She gripped the hem of her dress tighter.

‘Just think happy thoughts! I’ll catch up with everyone, eat delicious food, and enjoy myself.’

Cecilia strode boldly into the castle. With each step, her heart pounded with strange tension, but she calmed herself and maintained a composed expression.

“Miss Cecilia!”

Noble ladies who recognized Cecilia began to gather around her.

“Have you recovered your health?”

“We were so worried when you didn’t come to the book club for a whole month!”

These were the ladies of the book club that Cecilia and Rozain attended together. Cecilia had never missed a meeting, but after hearing about Rozain’s engagement, she’d used her health as an excuse to stay away. She simply hadn’t had the energy to meet people, laugh, or chat.

“Thanks to your concern, I’m much better now! I’ve missed you all so much.”

Seeing familiar faces, Cecilia’s nervousness faded, replaced by a bright smile. Immersed in lively conversation, the shock from a month ago felt distant, like a bad dream.

“But why didn’t Miss Rozain say a word about meeting such a wonderful man?”

“Miss Cecilia, you must have known, right? You were so close with Miss Rozain.”

Even though she’d just regained her composure, a careless comment instantly dropped her mood to the floor. Eyes demanding answers pierced Cecilia like arrows.

“Ah… haha. Oh, look at that cake! It looks delicious!”

Embarrassed, Cecilia hurriedly changed the subject and slipped away from the ladies.

Her insides burned, so she grabbed a cocktail glass from a passing servant and drank it all at once.

Expecting a sweet taste, she was hit instead by the strong alcohol, which sent a rush of heat to her face.

“Miss Cecilia, are you alright?”

Turning her head, she saw Miss Asen, her hair neatly pinned up, approaching with concern.

“Of course, Miss Asen.”

Cecilia tried to force a smile, but for some reason, her facial muscles wouldn’t cooperate. Her lips kept twitching, and she felt on the verge of tears.

“Oh my, you’re quite tipsy. That must have been strong. Come get some fresh air with me.”

Asen gently supported Cecilia’s arm, leading her out to the terrace.

“Ah… haha. Thank you, Miss Asen. I’m embarrassed to show myself like this…”

Cecilia leaned on Asen, struggling to walk.

Out on the terrace, the breeze from the summer forest cooled her flushed face. The tightness in her chest eased and the effects of the alcohol began to fade.

Leaning on the railing, Cecilia admired the carefully tended garden in front of the castle, then turned to look at Asen.

Asen Audique. The Audique family was the only mage family in the Empire. They infused magic into weapons of war to create powerful arms, and they strengthened the nation by healing knights who defended the Empire with recovery magic.

Cecilia’s gaze fell upon Asen’s wounded hands. Unlike the rest of her family, Asen had little talent for magic. Her skill was inversely proportional to her passion, so she often injured her hands while handling spells.

Asen, head lowered, seemed to mumble something, then gathered her courage and spoke.

“Um, Miss Cecilia. You’re really upset because of Miss Rozain, aren’t you?”

At the sudden question, Cecilia’s blue eyes flickered with confusion.

“Actually… everyone in the book club knows. That you’ve been in love with Sir Dmitri.”

‘Oh no. I hadn’t told anyone except Rozain—how did they all know?’

“Miss Rozain told us. She said you seemed to care deeply for Sir Dmitri, so maybe we could help bring you two together.”

“And then?”

“Everyone was interested since it was about romance. Each person shared what they knew about Sir Dmitri, hoping it might help you. His favorite books, foods, instruments, and so on…”

Thud. It felt like an earthquake in her mind. What was happening?

“It was so strange. For Miss Rozain to suddenly announce her engagement to Sir Dmitri…”

Deep inside, Cecilia felt as if the last thread of reason had snapped.

Shame that everyone knew about her one-sided love, and disappointment toward Rozain, surged within her, making her tightly clenched fist tremble.

What burst out next was a cry of frustration, so raw she hardly understood it herself.

Her face flushed as she let out a fiery roar, startling Asen, who stepped back in alarm.

Seeing Asen’s reaction, Cecilia also snapped out of it and struggled to calm her rising emotions.

“I’m sorry. Hic, I got too worked up, didn’t I? Hic, maybe that drink was too strong.”

To hiccup while speaking—she looked just like a drunken fool.

“Hic, ah… Why do I keep hiccupping… Hic.”

Unable to stop, she grew embarrassed to face Asen. But when she felt hot tears running down her cheeks, she realized it wasn’t hiccups at all.

Uncontrollable sobs. Without meaning to, she was crying. Oh, what a pitiful sight at someone else’s engagement.