“I thought the only child of the Ceres family would have something special, but you’re just an ignorant person blinded by food and setting up pride over unnecessary things.”

Eventually, that irritation consumed Aaron and made him spit out sharp words.

“I’m really curious what secret method you have that allows you to persistently interfere with what I’m trying to do every single time.”

“What did you say?”

Actually, it was strange from the beginning that Aaron had come to the Benston family’s party, ignoring the novel’s plot. No, meeting Aaron in Fresher was strange from the start.

‘Well, that’s not what matters now.’

He’s spitting insulting words at me right now.

That fact alone was enough to make Eileen’s hatred blaze.

“I don’t know when I interfered with your business, but isn’t it that you, Duke Aaron, who keeps losing to ignorant me, who’s incompetent?”

The colorful, dazzling appearances of the people around them had long since disappeared from view. Now, all Eileen could see was a single purple eye that was terribly chilling.

“If you’re done talking, would you please get lost?”

The sound of her heartbeat, which had been pounding loudly, gradually found its rhythm again. The fear of encountering Aaron had already faded.

“What did you just say?”

“Duke, you need to study the language of the Bereut Empire again? Since you can’t understand words…… Oh! If you wish, shall I introduce you to a teacher?”

Eileen twisted the corner of her mouth and spoke in an exaggerated voice.

“A teacher.”

Aaron sneered at her words as if they were ridiculous.

“If your goal was to make me laugh, you’ve succeeded.”

“Oh my! I’m so glad. But are you perhaps drunk? Otherwise, it wouldn’t be easy to pick a fight so thoughtlessly!”

Despite her somewhat exaggeratedly raised voice, Eileen’s green eyes were filled with coldness.

“Don’t worry. When I see your face, even the approaching intoxication flies away because it’s so irritating.”

“That’s reassuring.”

Eileen clapped her hands lightly and mocked him.

“If you hadn’t interfered with my business in the first place, this wouldn’t have happened.”

“You really like the word ‘interfere.’ You probably lost to me because you’re incompetent.”

The two didn’t miss even a single moment and persistently refused to avoid each other’s gaze.

“What’s this noise?”

“It sounds like there’s some commotion over there.”

Sharp voices flowed out like dissonance amidst the beautiful violin sounds covering the space, the clicking sounds of shoe heels, and the bursting laughter of people.

“My goodness, are those people fighting right now?”

Eventually, the dissonance created by Eileen and Aaron caught people’s attention.

“Is that blonde woman with green eyes Lady Eileen of the Ceres family?”

“Ah! Come to think of it, this is the first party Lady Eileen is attending after finishing her studies abroad!”

People who discovered Eileen’s identity opened their eyes wide and began to whisper.

“Wait a moment. The person fighting with Lady Eileen now……”

“My goodness, it’s Duke Aaron!”

People covered their mouths at the sharp argument between Aaron and Eileen, which they hadn’t expected at all.

“Why are they fighting?”

“I don’t know?”

“Shouldn’t we stop them?”

“That’s true, but……”

Eileen, the only daughter and treasure of the Ceres ducal family, who had power second only to the Emperor in the Bereut Empire.

Similarly, Aaron, the head of the Monston ducal family, who had power no less than hers.

From the beginning, there was no one with enough courage to stop their fight, and besides……

“Viscountess Jennifer, come over here!”

How could they interrupt this interesting fight?

The nobles who had been focusing on the party killed even their breathing sounds and concentrated on the voices of the two people to enjoy the newly emerged gossip material.

* * *

“Ugh……”

Whether due to the fear of meeting Aaron or the fatigue of being surrounded by people, Eileen fell ill and stayed in bed for several days after returning from the party.

Fortunately, the nightmare Aaron had brought faded with the passing time.

“……Is it morning?”

A ray of sunlight settled on the bed through the slightly open window. Eileen, awakened from sleep, raised her still heavy body and slowly left the bed, heading toward the balcony.

“Wow!”

The blue sky resembled the warm southern emerald sea and the warmly shining sunlight.

The beautiful and bright weather, comforting her after the hardship of the past few days, tickled Eileen’s heart.

“The weather is really nice today.”

Eileen tidied her disheveled hair and stretched high. The fatigue accumulated over several days seemed to fly away with the wind.

“Should I go for a walk after breakfast?”

It was too precious to stay cooped up inside on such a beautiful day. Eileen rang the bell placed on the table to request preparations for going out.

“Eileen!”

“Mom, Dad?”

Contrary to Eileen’s expectation, it was not Mary who rushed into the room but her parents.

“Our daughter, are you feeling better now?”

The duchess gently asked while arranging Eileen’s disheveled hair.

“Yes, Mom, Dad. I’m sorry for worrying you.”

“No need. What’s important is that you’ve recovered healthily.”

“Yes, Eileen. Just being healthy makes everything fine.”

The clear laughter of the three people gently resonated in Eileen’s room filled with sunlight.

“Ah, by the way, Eileen.”

Duke Kyle, who had been spending a happy time with his family, let out a small sigh remembering something he had forgotten.

“Count Brooks sent you a letter.”

“Count Brooks?”

When the name Count Brooks came up, a bright smile spread across Eileen’s face.

“Read it right away.”

Duke Kyle took out a letter from inside his coat and handed it to Eileen.

“Thank you, Dad.”

Eileen carefully opened the letter received from Kyle and read it thoroughly.

After a few minutes.

A brief silence fell when Eileen’s gaze reached the last paragraph while reading the letter.

Soon, the silence turned into joy.

“Mom, Dad! Can I go out now? I want to go to the theater to meet Count Brooks!”

Eileen folded the letter, put it in a box in the drawer, and spoke with an excited voice.

“You want to go out now? You’re still not well…… Couldn’t you go after you’ve fully recovered?”

The duke’s eyes looking at Eileen were full of worry and concern.

“Kyle. The doctor said it’s not good to stay at home too much, remember?”

The duchess, who had been quietly watching the duke, gently held his hand and whispered.

“But Lia.”

“If she dresses warmly and goes with Mary and Daniel, it should be fine.”

Please allow it.

When the corner of the duchess’s mouth drew a gentle arc, the duke’s firm stubbornness collapsed in an instant.

“……Then dress as warmly as possible and come back as early as you can.”

When the duke gave his permission, Duchess Lia rang the bell. This time, Mary came to Eileen’s room.

“Mary. Go to the theater with Eileen.”

“Yes, Madam!”

Mary nodded with a bright smile. Then she headed to the dressing room, saying she would bring clothes.

“Eileen, have fun.”

“Have a good time.”

The Duke and Duchess of Ceres hugged Eileen tightly and left the room. Meanwhile, Mary, who had brought outdoor clothes, helped with the preparations.

“I’ll be back.”

Eileen, having completed all preparations, boarded the carriage with Mary and Daniel. Perhaps because they were going out together after a long time, the two looked excited.

“Miss, which theater are we going to?”

“It’s a secret.”

Over Eileen’s laughter, the coachman’s voice announcing their arrival resonated.

“Um, Miss?”

Mary, who got out of the carriage, couldn’t believe the reality unfolding before her eyes. She grabbed Eileen’s sleeve standing beside her.

“The theater…… Surely you don’t mean this place?”

The outer wall that looked like it would collapse if tapped, the sign hanging precariously making creaking sounds, and cobwebs hanging everywhere.

From the moment they arrived here, Mary’s open mouth wouldn’t easily close.

“That’s right?”

“What?”

That’s right?

Mary let out a laugh close to a sigh and looked back and forth between the theater and Eileen.

“Ah, you don’t know because you’ve never been here before.”

Eileen smiled lightly and continued speaking slowly.

“This is the first theater I ever visited when I was young. I wanted to come while I was in Fresher too.”

Eileen looked at the theater with eyes full of nostalgia.

“I’m sorry, Miss. I didn’t know that and……”

“No, it’s okay! Mary, you didn’t know!”

And looking at its current dilapidated state, anyone would think the same, right?

Eileen burst into cheerful laughter.

“To think even Lady Eileen had such thoughts……”

A gloomy voice flowed in amidst Eileen’s cheerful laughter. Startled by the sudden voice, Eileen turned her head.

“Lady, it’s been a long time.”

Behind Eileen stood an elderly gentleman with white hair growing amidst his red hair, wearing a smile on his lips.

“Count Brooks!”

When she realized who had called her, Eileen’s eyes grew round.

“I should have contacted you earlier, but I was very late.”

“No. I should have visited you first…… Have you been well?”

“I’ve been very well, thanks to you, lady.”

Count Brooks’s hearty laughter spread between the two as a pleasant resonance.

“By the way, Count. The reason you sent me a letter wanting to meet me is perhaps……”

Eileen carefully asked, trailing off.

“That’s right. I wanted to give you good news.”

“Good news?”

“Yes, I think you would manage this theater better than I would.”

The count smiled, raising one corner of his mouth.

“Of course! Thank you so much, Count!”

The theater, obtained after a long wait, was so sweet. Eileen smiled brightly as if all her accumulated worries had flown away.

“Please don’t just stand there, come in.”

Eileen entered the theater with excited steps. The count, who had been watching her with a benevolent face, turned his gaze and gently gestured to Daniel and Mary.

“Ah, yes!”

Mary and Daniel, who had been standing blankly, also followed the two into the theater upon the count’s invitation.

“Eileen?”

Eileen’s laughter filled with happiness reached the ears of Aaron, who happened to be passing by.

Though he couldn’t hear clearly what she was saying due to the distance, Eileen’s bursting laughter was heard vividly.

“……”

Cheeks flushed pink and eyes curved like crescent moons.

It was the face of someone overflowing with happiness, no matter how you looked at it. Aaron stopped his steps for a moment and looked at Eileen.

“What on earth is that theater that makes her make such an expression?”

How annoying.

Aaron glanced at Eileen with a bitter smile.

“Ah.”

At that moment, a strange thought flashed through Aaron’s mind.

“Right. Eileen, you should feel this dirty feeling too.”

It would be unfair if only I felt it.

Aaron laughed softly with a sneer.

* * *