The wind blew through Haiden’s hair, scattering leaves that drifted into the nearby bushes. At that moment, a man who had been secretly watching everything since Gellensid stepped outside jumped down from a tree.

Thud.

With practiced ease, he darted through the bushes and leapt through a window midway up the palace. Once inside, he dropped to one knee. There sat Princess Everett, quietly embroidering. Without even turning around, she asked calmly,

“Levi. How does this look?”

The embroidery hoop was filled with bright yellow flowers—Kyla’s favorite.

“It’s beautiful, Your Highness,” Levi replied with his head bowed.

“Come closer.”

At Everett’s sidelong glance and command, the pale-faced Levi stepped closer and stood behind her. He bent down and whispered everything he had seen into the princess’s ear. Of course, this information eventually reached Kyla, and it didn’t even take half a day to spread. Given that the princess frequently visited Bailey Castle, she always delivered fresh gossip with remarkable speed.

“He’s using you.”

But for the first time, Kyla wished she hadn’t heard what Everett had to say. She absently fiddled with the handkerchief the princess had given her and nodded quietly.

“…I know.”

She had already suspected as much.

“It’s okay. I wasn’t sincere either.”

She clenched the handkerchief in her hand slightly. Her eyes flicked briefly toward the coat the duke had draped over her shoulders the night before. She suddenly wanted to erase the excitement she’d felt yesterday.

***

As the weather warmed, the social scene became even more lively. Kyla also received invitations for tea parties, but there was one invitation she had been waiting for in particular.

“Nothing from the Queen yet?”

Queen Renezielle’s invitation. The national holiday was approaching—a celebration also known as the Feast of Teracanis, the Mother of All. 

Queen Renezielle held a grand festival each year in honor of this feast, an event that local shopkeepers looked forward to eagerly.

‘Getting close to the Queen meant better business opportunities.’

Kyla always helped with the Queen’s festival preparations to stay in the loop.

“Here it is!”

Mary, who had been rummaging through the newly arrived letters, beamed as she found it. Kyla clutched the invitation tightly to her chest, her expression overflowing with emotion.

“Time’s short. We’d better start preparing right away.”

Lady Kyla Bailey, known as the most beautiful debutante in society. True to her title, she only wore the most fashionable dresses.

“Should I go with an off-the-shoulder gown this year?”

Her fair neck and delicate shoulders were her pride. She picked a dress that showed off her slender figure, accentuated by stylish accessories. Among them, the radiant sapphire necklace was the perfect final touch.

“It suits you perfectly, miss!”

The maids were thoroughly enjoying the process of dressing her up.

“Hehe.”

Looking in the mirror, even Kyla was pleased. Especially after finishing her makeup—every servant she passed in the hallway gave her a thumbs-up, and her shoulders rose with pride.

But the real reason she was putting so much effort into today’s event wasn’t just to impress Queen Renezielle after a long time. There was another reason…

***

“Oh, so you’re Lady Bailey.”

The Dowager Duchess of Blake. Having passed her title to her son, she was now the grand matron of the house. The dignified middle-aged woman with neatly tied black hair greeted Kyla beside the Queen.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Your Grace.”

Kyla had heard that the duchess had been living on the family estate due to poor health. The fact that she had returned after five years made it clear:

‘She’s looking for the next Duchess.’

Kyla smiled politely.

“You are truly as beautiful as the rumors say.”

The Duchess herself was a stunning woman. Even the lines by her eyes when she smiled looked elegant.

‘Does she… look a bit like the Duke?’

Hard to tell.

‘I haven’t seen him truly smile that often.’

The only time she remembered his genuine smile was that night—when he draped his coat over her shoulders. …Which was all probably an act anyway.

Kyla smoothed her expression and exchanged polite greetings with others, then found a seat with Lady Yoker, who had come with her. Even though people didn’t talk to Kyla directly, everyone made sure to greet Lady Yoker at least once as they passed.

“Oh my, my lady. What about Miss Maryville?”

They asked as if they couldn’t even see Kyla sitting right next to them.

“Oh, our Anne hasn’t fully recovered yet. So I brought Lady Bailey with me instead.”

“My, the two families really are close!”

They laughed behind their fans—hohoho—but their true thoughts were transparent. It was obvious they pitied the Yoker family for having to take in such a troublemaker, all for the sake of maintaining political ties.

Still, Kyla didn’t feel especially wronged.

‘I have acted like a delinquent in high society,’ she admitted to herself.

More than anything, it was true that Lady Yoker, despite not being her real mother, had taken care of her all this time. Wanting more than that might have been too selfish. And yet, realizing that she had no one truly on her side in the world… sometimes it left her feeling devastated.

“Excuse me for a moment.”

To shake off the bitter mood, Kyla made her way to Queen Renezielle.

“How have you been lately?” 

As always, the Queen asked the same question.

“The same as always…”

In this dreary social cage, it had become an unspoken rule between them to call it hell every time. After all, no bird could be happy living in a cage, stripped of freedom.

But somehow, today, Kyla wanted to say something different. She changed her response.

“I’m getting better.”

Because she truly wanted things to improve—for both the Queen and herself. She didn’t want to feel lonely anymore.

“And Your Majesty?”

Renezielle, who had been gazing off into the distance, gently closed her eyes. She didn’t answer.

What she had been looking at was a group of uninvited queens passing by. Among them, the most eye-catching was the First Queen, Carona, accompanied by the twenty-second queen—who had recently announced a pregnancy.

“Ohoho, Queen Carona, really!”

They made such a noisy entrance that all the ladies at the tea party turned to whisper among themselves.

Renezielle silently rested a hand on her lower stomach. There was longing in her eyes. Kyla thought the Queen might be feeling even lonelier than before.

“Kyla. Will you visit me from time to time?”

It wasn’t a long conversation, but it didn’t need to be. Kyla could feel what the Queen meant, and that made her all the more heartbroken.

“I will.”

Besides, she would be seeing the Queen more often anyway while helping prepare for the upcoming festival. She placed a single yellow flower into Renezielle’s hand and smiled, hoping it could soothe at least a part of the Queen’s bruised heart.

From a distance, the Dowager Duchess of Blake watched the exchange, unable to take her eyes off Kyla.

“What a kind-hearted young lady.”

“…Pardon?”

The people around her couldn’t believe their ears and followed her gaze. When they saw it was Kyla Bailey she was looking at, they were taken aback.

“That young lady? Oh no, madam, surely not. She’s famous for stirring up trouble!”

“Is that so?”

“You haven’t heard? They call her the ‘Delinquent of High Society,’ Kyla Bailey!”

The duchess raised an eyebrow as if hearing this for the first time. But she had lost her husband early and had to protect a vast estate—if there was one thing she trusted, it was her judgment of people.

What mattered most was potential—how much someone’s vessel could eventually hold.

“I’m quite curious,” she said with a soft smile.

“To see just what kind of ‘trouble’ that young lady will stir up next.”

***

“Kyla. Will you visit me from time to time?”

Even as she lay in bed, Kyla couldn’t stop thinking about Queen Renezielle’s voice. For some reason, those words wouldn’t leave her head.

Though she hadn’t lived the Queen’s life, it still felt as if something buried deep within her had crumbled, as if it were her own sorrow.

‘What’s wrong with me?’

Her heart was pounding. To calm herself, she began visiting Queen Renezielle more often under the pretext of helping with the festival—sipping tea and trying to soothe her mind.

But the inexplicable heaviness inside her only grew. Eventually, it became so difficult to breathe that she had to summon the doctor.

“How am I?”

The physician placed his stethoscope to her abdomen, looking puzzled.

“Please don’t speak while I’m listening, miss.”

“What kind of illness is this?”

“Well… from what I can tell, everything seems normal…”

“So you’re saying I’m faking it?”

She shot up, narrowing her eyes at him in irritation. The seasoned doctor simply smiled and gently took her hands.

“Are you sleeping well these days?”

She shook her head.

“My heartbeat gets weird when I try to fall asleep.”

“I see.”

“And when that happens, what thoughts come to mind?”

What thoughts?

‘Well…’

A few things did come to mind. The sorrowful face of Queen Renezielle, the stern expression of her father, the duke’s face… and Everett’s trembling voice.

“I think you’ve been under a lot of emotional stress. Maybe try to relax your mind a little?”

“…”

“This is medicine to help you sleep. But remember, it can only assist you. Ultimately, the only one who can change your heart… is you.”

The doctor offered a gentle smile, and Kyla nodded with a strange expression.

That very night. Unable to sleep once again, she stood quietly by the window, holding Haiden’s schedule in her hand.

Then suddenly, she began ripping it to pieces.

Because she wasn’t sure anymore.

Because now she thought she understood the fate of a woman who lived without love.