Ingrid looked at her son, cold like a sharpened blade, and answered that she’d imprisoned her.

Lennox shot up from his seat furiously. Ingrid barely managed to calm her son down. But Lennox didn’t cool off easily and ended up going to the prison that very evening to fetch the girl.

“Ann, you eat too.”

Ingrid offered a pastry to the completely frozen girl. The girl glanced at her, then nodded. 

Seemingly frustrated by the sight, Lennox pressed the pastry into her hand. Startled, Ann looked back at him.

‘Eat,’ Lennox whispered. Ingrid stared at what her son was doing, then watched the child taking small bites of the pastry.

Cleaned up, she was lovely like a smooth pebble. Even when she’d been crouched like a stain in a corner of the carriage in rags, Ingrid had thought the pretty little thing looked like a doll.

Her delicate features and thick lashes… Her mysterious silver hair like an ancient princess and eyes like glass beads. Washed clean by the maids’ hands, her doll-like features had bloomed prettily like a young flower bud.

‘Not bad.’

Ingrid recalled her son saying he wanted to keep staying with this child. 

A slum girl in the royal palace—many would think it outrageous, but if they said the Queen had adopted an orphan, the picture wouldn’t be so bad. Ingrid thought this was an opportunity. 

A chance to separate Lennox from Yvonne.

“Is it good?”

Ingrid asked gently as Ann nibbled the pastry with lips like a bird’s beak. Ann blushed shyly and answered “Yes.”

* * *

“When do I go home?”

“Where’s your home?”

Ann asked Lennox, who was holding her wrist and strolling through the garden. Lennox stopped and turned to look at Ann. Ann pulled her wrist free like shaking off a grip, then looked up at him. 

The Queen came to mind. When they’d actually met, she hadn’t thought they looked that similar, but strangely, looking between the two, the outlines of their features felt remarkably alike.

Ann pressed her lips together. He was asking where home was, but she couldn’t answer. 

Because Ann had no home. Lennox smiled at Ann as her gaze traced the round edges of the flower bed. It was a very fresh and bright smile.

“See? You have nowhere to go.”

At the needle-sharp murmur, Ann glared at him. Lennox just laughed cheerfully. Annoyed for no reason, she turned sharply away, but vine-like hands grabbed her arm.

“Live with me.”

“What?”

“The palace has so many rooms. You saw my mother’s palace, right? There’s at least a room for you to stay in.”

“But…”

“You’re my benefactor.”

Lennox cut off Ann’s words. Ann blushed at the word ‘benefactor.’ Could that really be called a benefactor? Could she be described with such a grand word? 

Ann lowered her gaze. Lennox’s two hands cupped her reddened cheeks.

Ann’s shoulders hunched at the unexpected touch. Her heart beat rapidly. She hated her heart pounding away in place. She was afraid the boy before her might hear her wildly beating pulse. 

Ann pushed away the boy casting his shadow over her with all her strength. Startled, Lennox looked down at her.

“What’s wrong?”

His voice was as calm as his quietly landing gaze. Ann looked at the boy with her chin pulled in, then turned and ran away. 

Lennox watched Ann racing through Stürophe Garden like escaping a monster, then felt the warmth remaining between his fingers. The lukewarm warmth tickled him like a feather.

Ann returned to the Queen’s palace late that evening. Because Stürophe Garden was so maze-like and she’d just run hard without knowing the way, she’d wandered the garden. 

In the late afternoon as the sun was setting, it was the prince’s attendant who came to fetch the frightened Ann.

He found Ann sniffling alone against a wall overgrown with ivy and brought her to the Queen’s palace. 

Duchess Valenska said with a stern face, “You really are a troublemaker.” 

Ann answered apologetically with a wet face.

Fortunately, the Queen’s face showed no anger. She gently patted Ann’s shoulder, then entrusted her to a maid. Ann’s quarters were a small bedroom not far from the Queen’s chambers. Ann returned to her bedroom, sniffling.

She was lying on the soft bed, ruminating on her foolish behavior, when suddenly she heard a knock and a voice asking if it was all right to come in. Ann sat up in surprise. The calm, kind voice was familiar.

“Yes! Come in!”

She shouted while quickly rubbing her wet eyes with her sleeve. The door opened with a click and a woman of small build appeared. It was Countess Hervonne. Ann watched her carefully.

Bright, soft brown hair curled like wool. The woman had twisted that hair up low and wore a lotus-shaped coral hairpin. Unlike Duchess Valenska, the kind-looking woman with a round face was extremely caring toward Ann.

“I thought you missed dinner, so I brought some simple snacks. Are you very hungry?”

Countess Hervonne asked Ann, who was looking up at her with hands neatly folded. She had a maid set up a meal on the round table, then seated Ann. Ann looked around at the snacks that were by no means simple.

The steaming pot-au-feu and various types of bread, flat roasted duck legs drizzled with pepper sauce, and fresh fruit juice were impressive.

“Go ahead and eat.”

Countess Hervonne said, pressing a spoon into Ann’s hand. Ann took a spoonful of warm pot-au-feu and soothed her empty stomach. She’d rushed through breakfast too, since Lennox had come looking for her that morning.

Ann thanked the woman with a slight smile. Countess Hervonne responded with a gentle smile, finding doll-like Ann adorable.

“I heard from His Highness the Prince. That you said you wanted to go home.”

It was when she had a mouthful of bread. Though the words were gently delivered, her shoulders jumped at hearing he’d told Lennox. Ann swallowed the bread she’d been chewing and looked up at the woman. Countess Hervonne wondered how to approach the conversation.

Helena—that is, Duchess Valenska—thought casually that since she was an orphan, wouldn’t she be grateful to be taken in? 

But her own thoughts were different. No matter how much an orphan, she had a will. Just like even a slave had their own will.

Especially Ann seemed like a gentle but sensitive child. The adults at court must be unfamiliar and frightening, and she didn’t want to force anything. Wasn’t she the child who’d saved the life of the one and only prince?

Before discussing high or low status, she was a child to be grateful for. Hadn’t the prince nearly left the castle and lost his life due to their oversight, along with the servants? 

If not for the child before her, the prince might not be in this world right now. So they should treat her well.

“You must be hungry, so listen while you eat.”

Countess Hervonne looked at the frozen child and cut some roasted duck to offer her. Ann looked at the flesh of the well-cooked duck leg. The pink meat was glistening. She took the fork offered and put the meat in her mouth. The smoky aroma and pepper sauce flavor were good.

“His Highness said he wants to stay in the palace with you. If you’re willing, Her Majesty the Queen also wants to take you in.”

Ann, who’d swallowed the meat, looked at her. The woman’s bright hazel eyes were warm like her mother’s. She had a gentler, warmer impression than Duchess Valenska or the Queen. 

Was that why? 

Even though she was provided with a warm bed and delicious food, her unmoved heart began to move little by little.

Turning red like an apple in front of Lennox was terrible… Meeting the Queen and Duchess was unbearably frightening, but still, if it was with this person, wouldn’t it be all right?

“Would it be okay for me to stay here?”

“Of course. You’re a very special child. Didn’t you save our Prince’s life? His Highness the Prince is His Majesty the King’s heir and our kingdom’s future. So Ann, you’ve essentially saved our kingdom’s future.”

Essentially saved the kingdom’s future. Her cheeks flushed red again. The excessively grand words were burdensome.

“That’s not true. I just did what I had to do. Anyone would have. Anyone…”

“But among them all, only you saved His Highness the Prince. Risking your life… No one, including myself, thinks that would have been easy.”

Her voice was warm but firm. Ann raised her head. The woman stood and came before her. Ann rose from her chair and looked up at her. Countess Hervonne bent her knees to meet her gaze.

“I heard your mother passed away early. No matter how hard I try, I won’t be able to become your mother, but Ann.”

Her fine ungloved hands cupped Ann’s cheeks. Ann held her breath and stared blankly at the kind woman. The late mother and Countess Hervonne didn’t resemble each other at all. 

Their features, voices, status, and the environments they’d lived in—everything. Yet Ann’s heart warmed like her late mother was before her.

“I’ll try.”

Countess Hervonne smiled. It was a firm smile. 

Ann bit her lip weakly. Tears seemed to well up.