Rellia couldn’t understand Yelodia at all.

“Since when have you been such a proper lady, feeling shy like this? Are you going to keep boiling with frustration by yourself?”

“But, the Baron and I…”

“You’re about to marry, right? The day will come when you’ll share a bed in the mansion.”

“….”

At the blunt expression, Yelodia lost her words.

Soon, Yelodia’s cheeks flushed hot with embarrassment. Her voice became a whisper.

“I just want to know how to make the Baron like me…”

“With a stubborn man like the Baron, sometimes being straightforward is the best way. He might be slow to pick up on things, especially since he’s a soldier.”

“Rellia, I can’t do it. Confessions are something knights do to ladies, aren’t they?”

“Excuse me?”

All the climaxes in the romance novels Yelodia had read involved knights kneeling before a lady and confessing their heartfelt emotions.

Until then, the lady would only convey her feelings through her gaze or by accidentally dropping a handkerchief sprinkled with perfume, pretending it was a mistake.

The knight would only guess the lady’s heart with a brief word or a glance, and there was never a direct confession from the lady.

Rellia was taken aback by Yelodia’s outdated views on relationships.

“How could you guess someone’s feelings just by their gaze? We’re not wizards. If you can’t say it out loud, you can at least write a letter.”

“I think I should leave now.”

Yelodia abruptly stood up, and Rellia smiled brightly.

“Are you really leaving?”

“It seems like Rellia and I aren’t on the same page about this.”

“Well, it worked with Fabian, didn’t it?”

“That’s true.”

Now that she thought about it, there was a world of difference between Fabian and Edward’s personalities.

“I’m sorry to take up your time. Goodbye.”

Yelodia hurriedly exited the parlor as if she were being chased.

As soon as the door closed, Rellia burst into laughter.

“Honestly, why is she so cute?”

Rellia felt that was quite an accurate assessment.

***

As soon as Yelodia arrived at the mansion, she received an unexpected message from the butler.

“Lady, there’s a guest.”

“A guest?”

“He says he’s the second son of Count Havel.”

At the butler’s response, Yelodia looked at him with a puzzled gaze.

No matter how she thought about it, there was no reason for Count Havel’s second son to visit her.

“He said he’s here to apologize… I thought you might understand.”

“Ah.”

Yelodia furrowed her brow slightly. The unpleasant feelings from the previous night resurfaced.

‘That rude man was Count Havel’s second son.’

Yelodia opened her mouth as calmly as she could.

“Could you tell him I don’t want to meet him? I’ll consider the apology accepted.”

“Should I tell him that?”

“Please also tell him not to come again.”

“Yes, I’ll pass on the message.”

The butler bowed respectfully and answered her.

Having finished speaking, Yelodia strode up the stairs. However, she soon had to stop in her tracks.

The man she had encountered on the terrace the previous night at the palace banquet was now in the hallway.

“….”

Unlike when she had seen him in the dark, the man had quite a striking appearance.

He was tall with a slender build, and his bright blonde hair framed violet eyes that looked both dazzling and strangely weary.

The man placed his right hand on his chest and bowed.

“Karas Havel, second son of Count Havel, greets Lady Xavier.”

“Do you have good hearing?”

“Excuse me?”

Karas responded with a confused look.

Yelodia silently pointed to her right ear, indicating her question.

Caught off guard, Karas replied.

“I’m fairly sensitive to sound.”

“Then, you must have heard what I said to the butler? I’m too lazy to repeat it.”

“….”

“Well, I’ll assume you heard me.”

Yelodia continued to climb the stairs without expression. Karas’s face stiffened slightly.

Just as Yelodia was about to pass him, he spoke up.

“I’m sorry, My Lady. I sincerely apologize for the rudeness I showed last night.”

“Oh my, you’re being so formal… I’ll accept your apology. Now, if you’ve said what you needed to, I’d appreciate it if you’d leave.”

“I….”

Yelodia didn’t give Karas a chance to defend himself.

“But you’ve committed another rudeness. Next time you visit a lady, please contact us in advance. Not every woman welcomes you, Lord Karas Havel.”

Yelodia cast a cold glance at Karas before passing him.

It was a cold attitude that gave no room for anyone standing outside the line.

Karas, who had always been met with rational curiosity or seductive glances from women, couldn’t help but feel intimidated.

It wasn’t until some time had passed that Karas rubbed the back of his neck and let out a sigh.

“Well, she’s scarier than I expected.”

***

The stable was filled with its characteristic smells from a distance.

The scent of hay, the earthy smell of dirt, the pungent odor of manure, and the musky scent of animals—all of these different smells pierced Yelodia’s nose.

“Sigh.”

Yelodia thought she even missed the scent that numbed her nose and whistled a long tune.

“Whirr, whirr.”

At her call, the black horse kicked its legs excitedly, clearly happy to see its owner.

As Yelodia approached and extended her hand, the horse began rubbing its head against her palm.

“I’m sorry, Tully, I missed you too. I’m so sorry I left you alone. I know it sounds like an excuse, but I’ve just been so busy with things lately.”

The healthy mare blinked her large eyes as if she understood Yelodia’s words.

Just then, a red ear perked up between Yelodia’s legs.

It was a curious baby fox.

“Lily!”

More surprised than Yelodia was Tully.

The horse, incredibly sensitive to the presence of the small predator, lifted her legs in alarm.

“Hee-hee-hee!”

Lily, almost stepped on by the horse’s hooves, fluffed up his fur and bared his teeth.

“Growl.”

“Lily, stay still!”

At Yelodia’s unusually firm command, Lily drooped his ears in apparent embarrassment.

“Ki-iing?”

His large amber eyes seemed to protest, as if saying, “Don’t you see that I almost got squashed?”

Yelodia almost forgot the situation and burst into laughter.

“It’s your fault. You appeared so suddenly, of course, it’s going to scare her.”

“Ki-iing, pii-ing.”

“That’s not going to work. Do you think you’ll always be a baby?”

When his cries didn’t work, Lily started rubbing his fluffy head against Yelodia’s leg.

“Honestly, you’ve grown so big but you still act so cute.”

Lily had grown to a size that made it hard to still call him a baby fox in just a few weeks.

Yelodia wondered how much raw meat he had devoured in that time, to the point where even the chef was starting to notice.

Strangely, the baby fox, as it grew, showed fewer signs of its earlier form.

Its long, pointed ears had shortened, and its once protruding snout had become blunt, so it almost looked more like a feline than a fox.

“Are you really a fox?”

“Pi-ing?”

Thinking Yelodia was speaking about him, Lily perked up his ears.

“Well, I don’t really mind.”

Yelodia scratched Lily’s neck.

Lily narrowed his eyes and purred in contentment.

“I think you might actually be a cat. I’ll have to ask the Baron later.”

Whether fox or cat, Yelodia just hoped he would grow up healthy.

“Alright, now go outside.”

Yelodia picked Lily up and tossed him outside the stable.

Lily ran toward her with a “pi-ing” sound, but Yelodia firmly shut the door.

She could hear scratching sounds from the other side of the wooden door.

“Not today. Go play with Martha.”

Knowing his owner’s firmness, Lily quickly gave up and hopped toward the garden.

Yelodia wasn’t sure if he was going to dig up the garden again or hunt squirrels as usual.

With a light sigh, Yelodia approached Tully.

The stableman, who had been watching her from the beginning, smiled proudly.

“If you stay there, I’ll bring Tully out for you, Lady.”

“Thank you.”

As Yelodia stepped back, the stableman soon led Tully out of the stable.

Yelodia helped by putting the saddle on the horse and checking the bridle.

Once everything was ready, Yelodia mounted the saddle.

“Let’s go.”

With a light tap of her feet, the horse began walking slowly. Soon, her surroundings blurred, and the scenery around her changed.

“Ah, Tully, I’m engaged. I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you sooner. I didn’t even get to introduce the Baron to you.”

“….”

Tully, seemingly absorbed in the rhythm of walking, moved her legs regularly.

Yelodia didn’t truly think Tully would understand her words, so she continued talking to herself without hesitation.

“Rellia says I’ve liked the Baron for a long time. Why didn’t I know that? I wonder if the Baron knows?”