Suddenly, his big, greenish teal eyes – like those of a puppy – lit up with excitement. 

“Oh my God, that’s right! That’s exactly what he said.” 

He leaned over to Dalia and continued eagerly.

“I’ve been thinking about this for so long, but I couldn’t find any clues! This is incredible – you understood the situation immediately just from my fragmented story. Honestly, I just couldn’t understand how a well-intentioned word could lead to such a bad outcome!”

“Yeah… well, I guess you’ll never understand.”

And she was right – he never would. 

How, over time, kind and considerate words spoken out of habit and good intentions could gradually turn into misunderstandings. It was an exhausting habit, not only for him, but for everyone around him. 

If he didn’t have anything, not even a penny, and looked unkempt, it might not have been a misunderstanding at all. Instead, it would have been outright contempt, and he would have learned to keep quiet. 

But with his charming presence and his status as the richest man on the continent…

Besides, he had yet to meet his so-called true love, Irvelyn. 

As Dalia looked at Delfion, her eyebrows furrowed slightly, her gaze tinged with a trace of pity. Soon she stood up. She had walked around all day, and although her stomach screamed for food, her appetite was completely gone. Deciding to turn in early, she made her way to bed. 

“I’m going.” 

“All right. See you tomorrow.” 

Delfion waved casually at her retreating figure, watching until she was completely out of sight. Then, with a puzzled expression, he took a swig of cheap rum and tilted his head in thought. 

‘If this is really Dalia, then she must have been the Duchess of Fraser – the one they said was dead. And yet here she is, alive and well.’

Though he hadn’t shown it while talking to Dalia, Delfion had recognized her from the second time he saw her face. 

Even though Dalia hid her true identity, it didn’t mean that she lacked freedom. Likewise, Delfion had met countless people while using a false identity.

Of course, it wasn’t surprising that he recognized Dalia – the daughter of the ancient Count of Gruy and a member of the powerful Fraser family, the most influential in the Empire. 

‘A living Duchess of Fraser? If this gets out, the whole social world will be turned upside down.’

Delfion remembered the sharp, watchful eyes of the hyenas – always lurking, waiting for a chance to take the Duchess of Fraser’s place – and he couldn’t help but shiver, even as a grin tugged at his lips. 

As he rubbed his arms against the sudden chill, his green eyes shone with keen awareness. The Gruy’s long-lost daughter, presumed dead, was returning to their lands. But how would the Gruy react? Would they welcome it as a joyous event, or would they see it as an inexplicable twist of fate – a misfortune? 

If it were a cause for celebration, the Gruy would likely be in a benevolent mood, making it easier to take advantage of their generosity. If they considered it a misfortune, they could use the somber atmosphere to push through a deal and curry favor with the merchants. 

Either way, Delfion was confident he could turn the situation to his advantage.

But he needed to know more about her circumstances. 

Staring at the empty spot where Dalia had been sitting, he let out a small sigh before shaking his head. 

‘I don’t know what’s going on, but digging up things that are supposed to stay hidden is never the right thing to do.’

Even though he had just confirmed that the Duchess of Fraser herself – presumed dead from poisoning – was alive, Delfion decided to let it go.

Everyone has one or two things they’d rather keep hidden. 

Especially someone like her – someone who has managed to ease his worries with just a few words. There’s no need for him to use her, and he’s confident that he can still close this deal successfully. 

If he didn’t have that confidence, he wouldn’t have let his already angry friend vent and storm off. But if he comes back with something valuable, maybe his temper will cool down a bit. 

With that in mind, Delfion decided to pretend not to know Dalia’s true identity, unless she decided to reveal her family background herself. Even if she recognized him, he trusted that she wasn’t the type to spread gossip carelessly. 

He also couldn’t help but notice that Dalia had an exceptional sense of judgment when it came to people.

‘From what the rumors say, she seems to be a very capable person. I wonder if she could help me break this habit of mine… I really hope she can.’ 

It was a great relief to Dalia that Delfion had come to a carefree conclusion. And so began a companionship that she had never imagined before her regression – and believed would never exist in her life afterward – through three chance encounters.

***

Tok, to-dok.

The rain began to hit the window with a few drops, and soon it poured heavily.

The damp and heavy air and the dark sky weighed down on people’s shoulders that afternoon.

“Sir. Sir Curtis?” 

In the Duke of Fraser’s office, the assistant – who had been working diligently and with unflagging concentration – couldn’t hide his confusion. He had called out to Curtis several times for clarification, but there had been no response. Curtis remained motionless, his gaze fixed on the window where fog and mist mingled. 

After a few more unsuccessful calls, the assistant decided not to disturb him any further and returned to his seat. It wasn’t an urgent matter, so he figured he could try again later. 

As he sat down and picked up another document, his eyes drifted back to Curtis. Like a perfectly carved statue, Curtis seemed even more detached from reality today.

The rain trickled down the window, scattering the light in soft, fractured patterns, making him seem even more removed from the world around him.

Like a perfectly carved statue, he seemed more detached from reality than ever as the rain poured down and the light scattered through the window. 

The assistant, momentarily lost in the strange and overwhelming sight, found himself staring at Curtis without realising it. But he quickly snapped out of his trance. 

‘Oh, I almost lost my concentration.’ 

Having served Curtis since before he ascended to the title of Duke, the assistant had steadily risen through the ranks over the years. Yet despite knowing him for so long, a single lapse of attention was enough to make him forget everything – as if Curtis had an almost effortless way of drawing others in. 

‘Honestly, he doesn’t seem human anymore.’

Lately Curtis had taken to looking off into the distance, and now he seemed even more striking, almost unreal. 

‘I should just concentrate on work.’

Shaking off his thoughts, the assistant forced himself to return to his duties.

Taking a deep breath and gripping his pen tightly, Curtis remained motionless, his gaze fixed on the garden outside.

Heavy rain was pouring down and mist was rising in the air, but his mind was far from the present – it was lost in the past. 

The scene before him blurred as memories flooded back. The day two and a half years ago had been nothing like today, when the sky seemed to have split open and unleashed an endless downpour.

Instead, that day had been clear, with just a few scattered clouds and short, heavy showers coming and going. 

For some reason, this day had felt unusually slow, almost sluggish. Perhaps that was why – why he had acted on impulse, unlike his usual calm self.

That day, as Dalia walked through the garden in the intermittent rain, Curtis had found himself approaching her without thinking.

“C-Curtis”

“Are you going for a walk?”

“Yes… how did you get here?”

“I just wanted to take a walk.”

It was just a whim. A small break from the usual routine, but a very small one.

So Dalia walked beside Curtis, her face slightly flushed.

As they walked slowly under the same umbrella, Dalia tried to start a meaningless conversation.

“Even though the sky is clear, they say there’s a story behind the rain showers…

Curtis listened in silence, and perhaps Dalia got tired of talking alone, so she stopped and didn’t continue the conversation.

After a while they walked on in their usual silence, only the sound of raindrops hitting the umbrella could be heard.

Curtis quickly lost interest in the walk. As quickly as the warmth left his body, so did the little interest he had in Dalia.

“I think I should go now.”

“Yes. I should go in too.”

As they entered the same mansion, neither Dalia nor Curtis said anything about going together. To an outsider it would have been a strange sight, but neither of them noticed because they weren’t used to being “together”.

The walk they had just taken as a couple quickly faded from Curtis’ mind and he went to his office, dismissing it as nothing.

He didn’t notice that Dalia, who he thought was focused only on him, had looked up at the shadow of the umbrella above her and then immediately lowered her head. Nor did he notice the shadow on Dalia’s face and her indifferent expression.

Reflecting on the past, Curtis unexpectedly realised a truth that caused a sharp pain in one side of his head.

Frowning, he tried to close his eyes or press his forehead against his head to ease the pain, but he didn’t let it block his vision.

Outside the window he could see Dalia’s reflection in the rain.