Ann lived in the Queen’s Palace after that. Her room was a small bedroom with a modest balcony. But it had a splendid canopy bed, wallpaper decorated with charming beige-toned wildflower patterns, and a vanity and round table made of rosewood. 

Small, but never shabby.

The Queen Dowager provided generously in material terms, though not quite to the extent of noble daughters. Ann grew up splendidly under the Queen Dowager and her maids, becoming a young woman worthy of any high-ranking official’s daughter. 

The Queen Dowager and her maids were more refined and cultured than any noblewoman, so naturally Ann, who received their teachings, could grow into a young lady with quite a reputation in high society.

So according to Charlotte, the teaching was not just excessive but beyond her station. However, Ann couldn’t really argue back. Because her words weren’t wrong. Ann was a girl whose entire life had been turned upside down simply because she’d shown courage once.

A girl from the slums who’d been an orphan becoming the Queen Dowager’s page… It was a position even daughters of noble families found difficult to be selected for. A page’s duties amounted to little more than pouring tea at best. 

Though they said a page did an abbreviated version of what the maids did, in reality it was nothing more than an honorary position with even less to do.

Ann had risen from such a position. So Ann couldn’t tell whether this was a good thing or not. It was certainly something to be happy about. 

If her late parents could see, they would be overjoyed beyond measure. Especially her mother—she would be jumping around on clouds with joy.

But even so, it was hard to be purely happy. Because everything given to her was far too excessive. Besides…

“So you’re Ann. I’ve heard a lot about you.”

Ann flinched and trembled at the friendly greeting that struck her ears. She was a remarkably beautiful girl, but somehow Ann felt there was an edge to her. Even though she wore a very fresh and bright smile.

Ann looked at Lennox standing beside her. His face was as calm as usual. Ann turned her gaze away from him. The girl laughed softly. Ann felt an inexplicable coldness along with a thorn-like malice. The back of her neck grew chilly.

“I’m Charlotte. Charlotte de Beauve. I’d like you to call me Charlotte.”

The girl extended her hand. Ann looked down at the pure white hand, then raised her head. Her eyes met Lennox’s. Charlotte briefly withdrew her hand and turned to look at him. Her eyes seemed to ask him to introduce her. Lennox parted his lips.

“She’s my fiancée.”

“Fiancée…”

Ann murmured quietly. She felt like she’d been struck on the head. She reconsidered the meaning of “fiancée” that she knew. It meant they would marry in the future. The girl Lennox would marry in the future. She felt strange.

Her heart pounded. It was a different feeling from last time. Ann held back the burning heat around her eyes and stared at Lennox. He gently extended his hand toward his fiancée and said they’d prepared refreshments, so they should move.

“Wonderful, Your Majesty.”

Charlotte gently placed her hand on his and smiled. Lennox took his fiancée and moved forward smoothly. Ann stared at him blankly. Lennox turned around.

“What are you doing?”

“……”

“What are you doing standing there?”

“I…”

“Sophia made strawberry jam herself. Let’s go.”

Lennox laughed cheerfully. Charlotte belatedly turned around to look at her.

“Right. Ann, you come along too.”

Ann looked at Lennox, who’d started calling her Ann since yesterday. 

Her mother had called her “Ann” because she disliked shortening the name, so Lennox immediately started calling her “Ann” too. She turned her gaze to look at Charlotte.

The girl was smiling properly. It was a slightly different smile from before. Her somehow cold gaze was strangely chilly and sharp. Ann tried to follow him, then pressed her lips tightly shut and shook her head.

“I… No, I’m fine. Your Majesty, please spend time with Miss Charlotte.”

Ann turned around. Lennox tried to say something, then closed his lips. Charlotte didn’t miss the opportunity.

“Let’s go, Your Majesty. The tea will get cold.”

She urged Lennox on with a coquettish laugh. Lennox erased the faint smile that had been on his lips. Charlotte saw the boy’s face that seemed to gather frost. Lennox turned his head. 

Charlotte couldn’t urge him further.

* * *

Lennox was gazing at the palace garden swallowed by darkness. Small fireflies seemed to fly between the rounded shrubs. The summer wind ruffled his hair. The breeze tickling his ears carried the scent of grass.

“Your Majesty.”

A familiar voice called to him. Lennox didn’t turn around. Charlotte approached his side.

“Is Ann all right?”

Charlotte asked. Lennox slowly turned his gaze. Her calm face was shadowed with what seemed like concern. Lennox lowered his eyes.

“You must have been very surprised, right? Since you’ve always cared for Ann.”

Charlotte put strength into her two hands clasped neatly together. She’d been quite surprised when she heard through a maid that Ann had collapsed.

She’d heard Ann wasn’t particularly healthy to begin with. 

Perhaps because she’d grown up as an orphan in the slums, from childhood her development had been slower than her peers, and throughout her growth years, even though the Queen’s Palace fed and housed her well, she was shorter than Charlotte herself.

How much so that throughout her growing years she was shorter than Lennox? 

Lennox was two years younger than Ann. One year younger than Charlotte herself. Yet in childhood, Ann had been smaller in build than Charlotte’s own cousin sister who was four years younger.

It seemed her frame was naturally that thin and her bone structure that delicate. 

Still, perhaps because the Queen’s Palace maids fed and raised her well, now that she was an adult she was average height, but…

“Miss Rosenthal collapsed?”

She thought about what had happened during the day. When news came that Ann had lost consciousness, the noble young ladies who’d been enjoying a card game together frowned. 

The maid who came rushing to convey the palace news seemed a bit startled and closed her mouth.

“I wonder how much she’ll melt His Majesty’s heart this time.”

“Indeed. When it comes to Miss Rosenthal, His Majesty always loses his senses.”

“And yet she claims to be his friend. Where in the world can a man and woman be as friends? No, before that, is friendship even possible between men and women?”

The sarcastic words were sharp, one after another. They were words that belittled Ann, but they were words that should never be said in front of Charlotte. Because in the end, they were saying her fiancé had no interest in her whatsoever.

“Everyone, stop it. Someone collapsed, what rude things are you all saying?”

When Charlotte’s face hardened stiffly, one young lady who’d been quietly handling her cards spoke up. As she glanced at Charlotte, the women fell silent. Charlotte felt an indescribable displeasure and stood up.

“I should be going now.”

“Oh my, Charlotte. What we said earlier…”

“I’ll pretend I didn’t hear it.”

Charlotte turned around with those final words. Throughout the carriage ride back to the estate, she thought about Ann. No, to be precise, she thought about wanting to kill Ann. She’d never felt such intense murderous intent before.

She’d often thought it would be nice if Ann disappeared. Ever since that girl—no, that wench—started occupying the place beside Lennox. Wasn’t she a wench living a life beyond her station simply because she’d discovered and saved Lennox?

‘Please, die. Die, Ann.’

Charlotte swallowed her rising tears and prayed for Ann to die. But Ann didn’t die.

This time too, just like that day three years ago, she captured Lennox’s attention with the excuse of being ill.

‘D*mn wench.’

When Charlotte returned to the estate, unable to contain her anger, she threw a vase and broke a mirror. She grabbed and threw whatever came to hand and screamed. She felt like she’d die from anger.

“She did it on purpose.”

“M-Miss.”

“She’s scheming because she knows my wedding isn’t far off!”

Charlotte stomped her feet, screaming like she was shrieking. 

The maid watching her stammered, frightened. Charlotte screamed at her that she was sick of looking at her, then buried her face in the bed and cried.

“What’s the reason for Ann’s illness?”

Charlotte continued asking the King who gave no answer. She was curious about how he would react toward Ann. Even though she knew nothing good would come from finding out… she wanted to confirm. Because he’d said nothing would change regarding the royal marriage.

It had been the same three years ago. Even while postponing the wedding because Ann was ill, he said their marriage itself remained unchanged… So what she needed was certainty.

“She fainted.”

“Oh dear… What’s the reason? Did something happen to shock Ann?”

“Who knows.”

It was an indifferent answer. Like there was no reason for her to know. Charlotte held back what was welling up inside her. There was no reason she should be treated this way.