1. The Meaning of Yellow Carnations

The criminal, Janet Wilton, has been released.

It had been five years since she was sentenced to 10 years and imprisoned in Adif Prison on arson charges.

“Feel free to come back again.”

Janet heard a voice tinged with amusement from the guard who was unlocking the shackles from her feet. Looking up, she felt a strange heat in his gaze.

There was no reason for it to take this long to remove the shackles, but he was deliberately taking his time, rubbing her ankle.

Feeling the moist warmth on her ankle, Janet barely restrained herself from spitting.

If she spat here, at best she would only soil that ridiculous hat. But the price for offending him would be paid by those still inside.

“……”

No, perhaps she simply lacked the courage to say anything.

The countless words that rose to the edge of her throat but couldn’t escape felt like a kind of habit.

She simply turned her gaze away without saying anything.

Clank, finally came the sound of the shackles being unlocked from her left foot. Then her right foot. A strange emptiness wrapped around her ankles.

“No fun at all.”

The guard muttered briefly as he stood up and led the way. Janet exhaled the breath she’d been holding.

She followed behind the guard. Having lived for five years with shackles on both feet, she walked with short steps before realizing she couldn’t keep up with the guard’s pace this way.

Janet took a larger step. Wobbling, she nearly fell but managed to steady herself.

With her head bowed, she carefully extended one foot and then another as cautiously as possible. Another guard who saw her burst into laughter. But Janet paid no attention and focused only on walking.

By the time she grew somewhat accustomed to the larger stride, Janet shifted her gaze to the hem of her dress that fell below her ankles.

Come to think of it, it had been five years since she’d worn this dress.

Even with the waist ties cinched, it hung loose and shapeless. For a moment she wondered if it belonged to someone else, but that wasn’t the case. The white embroidery on the gray skirt. This was definitely the dress she had worn when entering prison.

The elaborate dress didn’t suit Janet at all. It was amusing. She had clearly chosen modest clothing to wear.

Such clothes no longer suited Janet Wilton with her dry hair and face.

Suddenly realizing this fact, the five years wrapped around her like the wind. Janet swallowed dryly.

“Now, go out.”

While lost in thought, she had already arrived at the main gate. A large iron gate in the middle of impossibly high walls. The thing that had felt more like a wall than the thick walls themselves opened.

“Highborn filthy b*tch.”

Inwardly responding to the guard’s affectionate farewell with ‘vulgar and nasty bastard,’ Janet stepped through the gate.

A tingling sensation rose to the tips of her hair.

The sunlight hitting her face was so bright that she put on the bonnet she had been holding. The sun beyond the gate couldn’t have changed, yet it felt strange.

“Hello, Miss Janet.”

Someone called out to Janet from a short distance away. Reflexively about to bow her head, Janet instead stiffened her neck and looked straight ahead.

The young man with neatly combed light brown hair and a gentle smile was someone she had seen before.

Janet shifted her gaze to the carriage standing behind him. On the deep navy carriage was an emblem both unfamiliar and familiar.

“House Reynes……”

“Yes, that’s right. The Duke sent me.”

He heard that small mutter? Thinking that it would be quite tiring to avoid accidentally cursing, Janet deliberately lifted the corners of her mouth.

This seasoned man who showed no reaction to Janet’s considerably changed appearance would likely maintain his expression no matter what she said.

“It’s been a while, Flan.”

“You remember me!”

“Of course. How is the Duke?”

Janet asked as she moved forward. Flan lowered his eyebrows and opened the carriage door.

“Unfortunately, he returned to God’s side a year ago. Duke Rihanel Reynes is now the duke.”

Janet faltered at the unexpected answer.

The Duke is dead? Rihanel has become the duke?

Her mind became rapidly complicated, but she hid her expression and said what needed to be said.

“Such a thing…. May he rest peacefully at God’s side.”

“Yes, I’m sure he will. Oh, His Grace also wanted to come greet you, but he couldn’t due to urgent business. He was very worried……”

“I know. He’s a kind person.”

Flan swallowed at Janet’s words. While he was thinking of an appropriate response, Janet boarded the carriage on her own.

Oh, I should have helped her up. Flan reproached himself as he grabbed the door handle.

“We’ve prepared a room for you at the Reynes ducal residence in the capital, Miss Jane.”

“Why not go to my house?”

Fortunately, this time he could answer properly. It was a question he had anticipated.

“It’s His Grace’s order that you stay at the ducal residence.”

“But I’m not a person of House Reynes.”

“You will be. The Wilton mansion has been empty since you’ve left. We’ll arrange for you to stop by your home to gather personal belongings. It will take about three days to reach the capital.”

Janet gazed steadily at Flan. Many thoughts crossed her mind, but in the end, she nodded without asking anything.

She didn’t want to hear a summary of what had happened during the five years while standing at the prison gate.

“The items placed in the seat are gifts sent by His Grace.”

Flan pushed the door carefully with his customary smile. Soon the carriage door closed.

Janet looked at the large bouquet. Yellow carnations filled the space densely and deeply.

Recalling the meaning of yellow carnations, Janet shifted her gaze to the small box placed beside them. Even opening it felt tiresome, but she couldn’t just leave an unknown object unattended.

Finally opening the box, an elaborate set of accessories revealed itself. A large green gemstone emitted light. But it didn’t match even the dress she was wearing, which she had considered quite elaborate, so she didn’t even attempt to try it on.

Would Rihanel Reynes have personally chosen this?

And that carnation bouquet?

Janet closed her eyes while holding the box in her hand. Exhaling a long breath, she murmured her name that wasn’t yet hers.

“Janet Reynes……”

Janet Wilton was soon to become Janet Reynes.

So… Duke Reynes, Rihanel Reynes, was Janet Wilton’s fiancé.

It’s not particularly important that the Duke didn’t personally come to the prison to pick up his fiancée. After all, Adif, where she had been imprisoned, was far from both the capital and the Reynes territory in Belfine.

Moreover, this kind and affectionate fiancé had sent a person, a carriage, gifts to coincide with her day of release.

She didn’t ask for more. She only wished that nothing would happen during the three days until they reached the capital.

Despite Janet’s concern that the necklace wouldn’t suit her, an emerald green gem proudly shone on her neck as she arrived in the capital.

This was because she had changed into clean clothes and groomed herself at the inn they had stopped at before arriving. Those who had prepared her were also people sent by Rihanel.

It was amazing how makeup could hide her sunken cheeks. When expensive flower oil was applied to her dry hair, it transformed into glossy dark brown locks. The white dress with dense lace and light green embroidery must be quite valuable.

But….

Would she be worth this much expense to her fiancé?

Feeling stifled, she opened the window. The carriage was now passing through a bustling area.

Janet, who had been quietly looking outside, stuck her face out the window and said:

“Please stop for a moment.”

Janet got out of the carriage and walked to a store. As she picked up a gossip magazine from the stand, she overheard men talking at a table in front of the adjacent café.

“I heard Janet Wilton has been released. The real culprit of the Philodis Cathedral arson case from eight years ago.”

“That witch? Shouldn’t she have rotted in prison longer?”

“They say she was released early for good behavior. Who knows what favors she did for the guards with that pretty face.”

“She might have used magic. She’s the woman who hid the truth for a full three years. If they hadn’t reinvestigated, the truth might never have come to light.”

“Ugh, she’s no ordinary vicious and poisonous woman.”

“I just feel sorry for Duke Reynes. Getting engaged without knowing she was an arsonist. No matter how rich a businessman’s daughter she is, how could such a perfect person end up with a woman like that……”

“Won’t he break off the engagement? He’s done his duty by waiting until her release. Now, it’s not House Reynes’ concern what happens to that woman.”

Janet shifted her gaze to the gossip magazine. Flan, who had been rolling his eyes nervously near the carriage, finally approached Janet.

“Excuse me! Shall we go now?”

“Witch Returns from Hell. Will She Cling to Savior Reynes?”

As Flan reached for the gossip magazine in Janet’s hand, she read the headline on the front page.

Hiiik, Flan inhaled sharply. Would she blush with shame? Or crumple the magazine?

But it was neither. Janet calmly paid for the magazine and walked back to the carriage.

And with a snicker, she muttered:

“I’ve become a celebrity.”

Flan followed Janet with a dumbfounded expression. Only after the carriage departed did he realize he had failed to help her board again.

The carriage traveled quietly, eventually arriving in front of the Wilton mansion.

Beyond the Lilrodi tree path familiar to Janet’s eyes, a green roof was visible.

Why was the house empty? Where had the servants who worked there scattered to?

The suppressed questions rose again.

But such thoughts didn’t last long.

The gate was open. And as the carriage drove across the no-longer-maintained garden to the mansion, Janet noticed a strange crowd.

“It’s Janet Wilton!”