Chapter 8 (Part 1)

Of course, every word Bowen had spoken to Kayev was a lie from beginning to end. Celestia had never left the Ruden Estate of her own volition, she could swear it to the heavens.

“Celestia. His Grace the Duke has ordered you to leave the estate. You must pack your belongings and depart as quickly as possible.”

It was less than a month after Kayev had left for the battlefield when the butler suddenly told her this, throwing her into utter confusion.

“That can’t be true. He clearly asked me to stay in the estate and wait for him until the war was over.”

Celestia had never trusted this scheming butler. However, after Kayev’s departure, the butler began acting as though he were the master of the estate.

“Oh, Celestia… You’re just as naive as His Grace. Surely you didn’t believe that promise?”

The butler sneered at her with a vile grin, as though mocking her for her ignorance, and continued speaking as if revealing some grand truth about life.

“Men are all the same. In the heat of passion, they promise you the stars, but that fiery heart cools in an instant. I even brought evidence, knowing you might put up a fight. If you want, you can check it yourself.”

The letter the butler handed her was undoubtedly written in Kayev’s handwriting, complete with his seal. As Celestia read its contents, her hands trembled violently.

“No man likes to personally throw out his mistress, Celestia. Handling such matters delicately is part of a butler’s duty. His Grace instructed me to let you go as gently as possible.”

The letter’s contents were clear. While it was true that he had enjoyed his time with her, he couldn’t take responsibility for her for the rest of his life. It was time to part ways naturally.

But Celestia couldn’t bring herself to believe the letter.

“To be honest, I thought you’d disappear on your own before hearing this. Occupying His Grace’s bedroom in an empty estate… Tsk, tsk. Even if you were once favored, what would you have done if His Grace married a proper lady later? Ah, but I suppose you didn’t think that far ahead. I’ve seen plenty of foolish women like you.”

Every word from Bowen’s mouth stabbed into her heart like a dagger, pushing her further into a corner with the undeniable truth of his accusations.

Despite the butler’s constant pressure, Celestia tried to hold her ground, trusting in Kayev. But it wasn’t long before she was driven out by his relentless harassment. Day after day, he would show her the so-called evidence and demand that she leave. There was no way for her to resist.

When she asked for a letter of recommendation, the butler ignored her, leaving her with no choice but to end up on the streets overnight.

Celestia felt utterly hopeless. Without a letter of recommendation, it was impossible to enter another noble household, and she had barely any money to her name. She had no idea what to do. Relying solely on Kayev’s goodwill had left her as powerless as she had been during her days as a noblewoman.

She managed to hire a carriage with the little money she had and aimlessly headed toward a civilian area. For several days, she stayed holed up in an inn, trying to figure out her next steps.

At one point, she considered traveling to Gwen Island, where her brothers resided. Though it was a penal colony, it was said to be undergoing active development and wasn’t such a bad place for commoners to live.

Though she didn’t feel a strong familial bond, they were still her only blood relatives. She found herself curious about how her two older brothers were doing.

However, no matter how much she deliberated, she always arrived at the same conclusion. She wanted to wait for Kayev, no matter what. She simply couldn’t believe the butler’s words.

If she were to leave for Gwen Island, it wouldn’t be too late to hear Kayev’s words directly and then part ways. Celestia couldn’t believe that the love he had shown her was merely a fleeting passion.

A newfound determination welled up within her. She had to meet Kayev again, no matter what. She resolved to survive until the day she could see him once more. Whether her new goal would succeed, however, remained uncertain.

* * *

Perhaps the heavens approved of her resolve, for Celestia soon encountered an incredible opportunity. While wandering through the civilian area, she happened to recognize a familiar face.

The kind-faced gentleman was none other than her former fiancé, Marquis Fenel.

‘Celestia? Celestia Danverton?’

‘Marquis Fenel…?’

The Marquis appeared deeply flustered upon encountering his former fiancée in such an unexpected place.

To Celestia’s knowledge, he had hastily married a young lady from another noble family after the fall of the House of Danverton. Since it had been an arranged engagement between their families, she bore no personal resentment toward him. At one point, she had wondered if he might help her, but she harbored no ill will toward him for not doing so.

However, the Marquis seemed to feel differently. The guilt of having abandoned his former fiancée had weighed on his conscience, and now, seeing her in such a shabby state, his remaining sense of decency tormented him.

After hearing Celestia’s plight, Marquis Fenel arranged for her to work at the home of his cousin, the Countess of Glemming.

Rather than a maid, he offered her a position as a governess, living in the estate and caring for the children. For Celestia, who had nowhere else to go, it was an opportunity she couldn’t afford to miss. She gladly accepted his kindness.

‘Thank you so much for helping me, Marquis.’

After several days of formalities, Celestia settled into the Countess’s household and expressed her heartfelt gratitude to Marquis Fenel. Though he looked slightly uncomfortable, he ultimately accepted her thanks.

‘I’m sorry I couldn’t help you during harder times. I hope this makes up for it, even a little.’

The two of them, who might have become husband and wife under different circumstances, resolved any lingering emotions.

Thus, Celestia began her new life in the House of Earl Glemming.

As soon as her situation stabilized, the first thing she did was write a letter to Kayev. She detailed everything that had happened, asking whether the butler’s words were true. She also included her current location and expressed that she was waiting for his return.

She wrote that she desperately wished to speak with him once he came back. However, to her despair, no replies ever came to the countless letters she sent daily.

In her frustration, she even asked the mail carrier if the letters were being delivered properly. The answer was always the same: the letters had indeed been sent to the Duke of Ruden.

For two years, during which she received no word from him, Celestia continued to write. By the end, she was so exhausted that even her determination to meet him again had nearly crumbled. Yet, she never stopped waiting. The longer the wait, the more she began to believe the butler’s words might have been true. But even then, her love for him remained unchanged.

Even if he truly had ordered her to be cast out, to her, Kayev was still Kayev. She didn’t want to tarnish the good times they had shared together.

Even if he returned and no longer wanted her, that was fine. She was grateful for the life she had, even if it meant being loved by him only for a short while.

The work as a governess wasn’t bad at all. The two young daughters of the Countess of Glemming were sweet and well-mannered and adored Celestia for her beauty. Caring for the children was a rewarding task in its own way. Compared to the work of a maid, it was also less physically demanding. However, that didn’t mean her heart was at ease.

The biggest reason for her unease was, of course, Kayev. She missed him terribly and wanted to confirm his true feelings. At the same time, she was deeply concerned about her future. If she no longer had Kayev as her goal, she had no idea how she would go on living.

As time went on, Celestia’s reasons for waiting gradually began to change.

At first, she wanted to meet Kayev again to clear up the misunderstanding. However, as time passed and she began to suspect that the misunderstanding might not have been one at all, she wanted to ask him why. If she was just a woman to be played with and discarded, why had he spoken of love? She wanted to know the reason.

Finally, Celestia came to accept that the butler’s words had been the truth, and she began to envision a graceful ending. After all, they had once shared love, and she wanted to part ways without tarnishing that memory.

Thus, she set a new goal for herself: when Kayev returned, she would meet him one last time, just once more, and then disappear quietly. That became her new reason for living.

And so, Celestia waited for Kayev in her own way. It was a long and heartfelt wait, one that Kayev himself could never have imagined.

It wasn’t until two and a half years later that Celestia finally saw him again. Their reunion took place in the most unexpected of places.

Celestia encountered him at none other than the House of Earl Glemming, where she worked.

* * *

Kayev always appeared before her at the most unexpected moments.

“Princess Jules, it’s an honor to meet you. And this gentleman is…?”

“Kayev Ruden, the Duke of Ruden. Please greet him, Kayev. It’s nice to meet you as well, Marquis Fenel. Haven’t the two of you met before?”

That day, a grand party was being held at the Glemming Estate.

The sole younger sister of the Crown Prince, Princess Jules, along with many prominent figures of high society, had attended the banquet. Celestia, who had been busy all day assisting with the preparations, had just run into Marquis Fenel on her way back to her room.

It was the first time she had seen Marquis Fenel since coming to the Glemming Estate. They exchanged greetings warmly, but their conversation was soon interrupted by the unexpected arrival of two notable guests. They were none other than Princess Jules, the star of the evening, and Duke Ruden.

The suddenness of the encounter left Celestia breathless. Kayev, too, seemed visibly startled, his expression hardening. 

What on earth was going on? 

Celestia was in such a state of shock that she couldn’t move.

However, Princess Jules and Marquis Fenel, oblivious to the situation, remained entirely composed.

“Unfortunately, we haven’t had the pleasure until now. It’s an honor to meet the hero of Panien in such a setting.”

Marquis Fenel’s greeting was met with a slight bow from Kayev, who said nothing in return. His gaze remained fixed on Celestia. Princess Jules soon noticed his lingering stare.

“Hmm, I see. We can discuss this further later. But who is the young lady standing beside you…?”

It was only then that Marquis Fenel seemed to remember Celestia’s presence, looking slightly flustered.

“Oh, this is the governess of the Glemming Estate. You should head upstairs now, Celestia.”

Snapped out of her daze by Marquis Fenel’s words, Celestia quickly regained her composure.

“Yes, I’ll take my leave now.”

In the brief moment as she bowed and rose, her eyes seemed to meet Kayev’s, who was staring at her intently. Suppressing an inexplicable shiver, Celestia quickly turned and left.

Even as she climbed the stairs, she could feel his smoldering gray gaze lingering on her.

* * *

“Kayev.”

“…”

“Kayev Ruden!”

“Yes, Princess.”

Princess Jules glared at him with her emerald-green eyes, her gaze sharp and reproachful. Kayev snapped out of his daze.

“Get a hold of yourself.”

“I am composed.”

His lie only made the princess’s glare grow colder.

“Are you sure? Then do something about that look in your eyes. To me, you look like you’ve lost your mind.”

“…”

Princess Jules and Kayev had grown up together like childhood friends. Perhaps that was why she was even more unrestrained in her words and actions when they were together.

“Was that governess earlier the woman my brother mentioned?”

Kayev clicked his tongue inwardly. The siblings were as sharp as ever.

“This is none of your concern, Princess.”

Even his icy glare, which could intimidate most men, didn’t faze her.

“Oh my, how cold. So it is her, then.”

She grinned mischievously, clearly enjoying herself, but Kayev chose to remain silent.

“Why don’t you just go to her?”

Her cryptic remark made his brow furrow deeply.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Don’t pretend you don’t understand. Go while I’m still being nice. You’re standing here with that scowl, scaring off all the men who want to ask me to dance. Just go. Get out of here. I didn’t come to this party to stare at your gloomy face all night.”

Princess Jules, who was well-known for her love of parties, had only accompanied Kayev to this stiff and dull event at her brother’s insistence. She had no intention of spending the entire evening with him.

Waving her hand dismissively, she added a few more teasing remarks. Then, noticing something behind her, she let out a small laugh. Kayev was already striding out of the banquet hall, his cape billowing behind him.