If We Had Known Each Other a Little Earlier (2)

It was that man who had been staring at her earlier.

‘Why him of all people?’ Fearful of receiving unwelcome attention, she was about to hastily leave the balcony when the man spoke to her.

“I wondered where you’d gone, but here you are.”

The soft, medium-deep tone of his voice sounded somehow familiar. Adelaide stopped and turned to look at his face.

Eyes like the night sky, jet-black hair, a noticeably strong build, and a masculine, neat appearance.

Though completely different from Elkius, he had a similar quality that drew people’s attention.

‘Have I seen this man somewhere before?’

As she stared at him intently, trying to recall, the man lightly cleared his throat.

“Is there something on my face?”

“…Ah, I’m sorry.”

Adelaide, coming to her senses, hastily apologized. Just as she was about to draw the curtain in embarrassment:

“Lady Cornwall.”

Her name was called naturally.

A second question arose in Adelaide’s mind.

‘How does he know me?’

While he might have heard rumors about Earl Cornwall buying his title with money, which had swept through social circles, it was the first time her name had come from the lips of someone she’d never met.

And if he knew who she was, she also wondered why he had approached her.

Adelaide looked up at the man with eyes full of wariness.

“Was the handkerchief I gave you helpful?”

“…What?”

For a moment, her mind went blank. The man was waiting for her reaction with a subtle smile.

‘So this man was the one that day…’

Her jewel-like eyes quickly scanned the man again. Since she hadn’t seen the person who gave her the handkerchief, trying to confirm his face was futile.

But his voice was different.

‘Come to think of it… it’s similar to that person’s.’

A soft accent with a resonant, medium-deep voice.

Adelaide took out the handkerchief from her dress pocket. Her mouth was dry, making it difficult to speak.

“Are you perhaps the owner of this handkerchief…?”

“Your Highness, what are you doing he—”

At that moment, an uninvited guest burst onto the balcony. Sensing the atmosphere with a sharp glance, the intruder quietly closed the curtain.

‘Your Highness?’

Adelaide blinked her large eyes, processing what she had just heard. It was such an uncommon title that she couldn’t immediately recall who it referred to.

He rubbed his face with an awkward expression and opened his mouth.

“I apologize for the late introduction. I am Callion Isulandt.”

“Callion… Isulandt?”

‘Isulandt? Lord Elkius is also an Isulandt, so Callion Isulandt would be his…’

Her face suddenly turned pale. She unconsciously took a step back, causing her heel to catch in the gap between tiles.

“Ah!”

“Lady Cornwall.”

Callion supported her as she lost her balance. Adelaide quickly stood up and pushed him away.

“I-I apologize for my rudeness. To have failed to recognize Your Highness the Crown Prince and been so disrespectful…”

“Adelaide.”

He lightly grasped her wrist. The captured wrist felt as if it had been burned. Though she knew she should avoid him, she couldn’t decide how.

Meeting her widened eyes, Callion spoke quickly:

“I came to meet you not as the Crown Prince, but as Callion Isulandt.”

“…”

“I wanted to see you again.”

Adelaide blinked blankly.

‘…Why would the Crown Prince want to meet me? Is it because of Elkius? Is he trying to extract information about him by approaching me? Or does he think I’m easy and is just testing me?’

Her mind was endlessly confused. It was Callion who stopped her thoughts from spiraling further:

“You seemed to cry for quite a while that day… Are you alright now?”

“Oh, yes. I’m, I’m fine. Really.”

Finally recalling why she had met him, Adelaide hurriedly held out the handkerchief.

“I’ll return your handkerchief. Thank you so much.”

She placed the handkerchief in Callion’s hand and immediately turned away. However, he didn’t let her go easily.

“I’d like to repay you for returning my handkerchief.”

“Pardon?”

‘He wants to repay me for returning his own handkerchief? What kind of excuse is that?’

It was an absurd pretext, but she couldn’t question the Crown Prince about such things.

“Are you free next Wednesday?”

“What? Um…”

“If Wednesday is difficult, Tuesday would be fine too.”

“W-well, I…”

“If Tuesday is also inconvenient, tell me a day that works for you. I’ll adjust my schedule.”

The Crown Prince was as persistent and tenacious as his status suggested. Realizing there was no way to escape, Adelaide reluctantly answered:

“W-Wednesday…”

“Then I’ll send a carriage to your mansion on Wednesday morning.”

Having successfully secured the appointment, Callion smiled with satisfaction.

“If you need to contact me urgently, you can do so through Danny McKinnon.”

After respectfully pressing his lips to the back of her hand, he left the balcony with a regretful expression. Adelaide collapsed right there.

It felt like she was having a very strange dream.

—

Adelaide returned home after midnight. Even as she left the salon, the discussions were still heated. Callion, however, had already disappeared.

She entered the mansion in such a daze that she couldn’t even remember getting into the carriage and returning home. Earl Cornwall greeted her at the door.

“Where have you been until this hour?”

“I attended Marquis Grant’s salon. Are you still awake?”

“How could I sleep when you hadn’t returned?”

Adelaide made an apologetic face at Earl Cornwall’s reproach.

‘Should I tell him I met the Crown Prince?’

‘Would he believe me if I said the Crown Prince asked me on a date?’

While she was hesitating, concerned that speaking rashly might cause trouble if it reached Elkius’s ears, the Earl spoke first:

“The Grand Duke visited in the evening.”

“Lord Elkius?”

“Yes. I told him you were out, but he waited for a long time, saying he wanted to see you before leaving. Do you have any idea how embarrassed I was?”

“I’ll explain it well.”

“Don’t create any disappointments. You know better than anyone how dearly he regards you.”

“Of course. Father, I’ll go to my room and rest now.”

‘I’d better keep today’s events secret after all.’

Adelaide closed her mouth and headed to her room. Her whole body ached, perhaps from the tension. She collapsed onto the bed without even changing her clothes.

‘I wanted to see you again.’

The gentle tone and quiet voice. It was the voice that had uniquely comforted her on that sorrowful night.

‘But why…’

No matter how much she pondered, she couldn’t understand why the Crown Prince had shown her such kindness.

Looking at the dark ceiling, Adelaide slowly closed her eyelids. Behind her closed eyes, the images of Elkius and Callion appeared in succession.

‘Strange. The person I like is Lord Elkius, but the one lingering before my eyes is Callion.’

Adelaide opened her eyes and shook her head vigorously.

‘Wake up, Adele.’

‘The Crown Prince wouldn’t sincerely care about me. His asking for a date must be because he wants to find out some information through me, or if not that, it’s just his manners.’

‘So I should just use him to my advantage. Even for Lord Elkius’s sake.’

Adelaide steeled her resolve this way.

—

At 10 o’clock on Wednesday, the carriage arrived precisely in front of the mansion.

“His Highness the Crown Prince is waiting for you.”

A man who looked unmistakably noble opened the carriage door. Unlike what one would expect from a carriage sent by the Crown Prince, its exterior was ordinary, but the interior was quite spacious and comfortable.

Adelaide examined the carriage interior, which bore the imperial emblem, and then checked her appearance.

Thinking it would be better not to attract attention, she had chosen a simple dress and wore almost no makeup, which now made her somewhat self-conscious.

‘I hope Father doesn’t find out.’

She had sneaked out while Earl Cornwall was away, so there shouldn’t be any major problems as long as she returned before he came back.

Adelaide took a deep breath and looked out the window. The carriage had left the mansion and was moving toward the central district.

‘Where are we going?’ As she worried inwardly, a small card came into her view. On the back of the card, which bore the Crown Prince’s seal, was a brief letter:

“I’m sorry I couldn’t pick you up personally. See you soon.”

Adelaide gently held the letter, which emitted a subtle fragrance, to her nose. The letter had the same musk scent that came from him.

Strangely, it made her feel calm. Adelaide read the short letter repeatedly while waiting for the carriage to stop.

Before long, the carriage stopped in front of an opera house that had recently opened. As she picked up the shawl she had set aside and prepared to get out, the carriage door opened.

“Welcome.”

It was Callion.