Chapter 15
“Hey… where are the guests staying?”
“The guests? I thought you didn’t like them, miss.”
“I-it’s not that I hate them.”
Lyra blinked in surprise. For some reason, I got flustered and turned my head away, mumbling.
“The guests are staying in the annex. They haven’t shown any particular movement.”
“I see… the annex.”
Then maybe… there won’t be many chances to run into them.
That thought crossed my mind before I even realized it. Then, Lyra asked abruptly,
“Do you have any instructions regarding the guests, miss? If you’re planning to visit, I could contact Duke Belkius—”
“Ah! No, it’s nothing. I was just asking.”
Despite my overreaction, Lyra simply nodded with a calm face and stepped closer to tie up my hair.
“Which ribbon would you like today, miss? Please choose one.”
“Umm… the red one on the left.”
“Very well. Then I’ll choose a dress to match the ribbon.”
As usual, Lyra’s face remained expressionless.
But her touch was always gentle, and I no longer felt upset that she only smiled at Rose.
Because I knew very well—she was kind to me, in her own way.
And besides, I wasn’t exactly someone who smiled easily either. So we were even.
“By the way, Lyra.”
“Yes, miss?”
Unable to bear the silence, I changed the topic.
“Doesn’t Rose seem kind of excited lately? Maybe it’s because of the new guest. The house feels a little noisier too.”
“Lady Rosériel has always been like that. I haven’t noticed much of a difference.”
“No, it’s different.”
It hadn’t been many days since Gabriel arrived,
but there had already been some changes around the house.
One of those changes was Rose’s suspiciously busy movements.
‘Hopefully in a good way.’
Apparently stirred by her curiosity, our ever-energetic Miss Rosériel was often nowhere to be found all day.
I could easily guess why.
‘She must be with Gabriel again today. …Already that close?’
In the novel, there wasn’t any grand event that triggered their love story.
It was a series of chance encounters,
and eventually, they found out they were in talks for a marriage proposal.
No dramatic turning point—just quietly growing feelings, until those soft sparks lit up into affection.
Of course, the story wasn’t completely free of conflict or drama.
For instance, things that would happen at the Imperial Palace…
Just thinking about the future made me want to run far, far away.
“Rose seems to really like the Duke of Belkius. I wish they’d just go ahead and finalize the engagement already.”
Lyra blinked slowly.
“Did it seem that way to you?”
“Yeah. Rose clearly likes him, and the Duke of Belkius seemed to take a liking to her too.”
I nodded in agreement.
At that moment, I didn’t notice the faintly doubtful expression that crossed Lyra’s face.
“Some people fall in love at first sight, right? Maybe they’re like that.”
“But they’re all still young.”
“Nobles get engaged early, Lyra.”
“Hmm… Seemed like someone else was more excited, though…”
“Huh? What did you say?”
I tilted my head. I couldn’t quite make out Lyra’s mumble.
“Can you repeat? I didn’t hear you.”
Lyra simply shrugged.
“It’s nothing, miss. More importantly, are you really not going to visit them?”
“What?”
“At this rate, things might be finalized between Lady Rose and the duke. Aren’t you even going to try?”
Try? What was there to try?
“You know… I already said it’s better this way.”
“It’s the Duke of Belkius we’re talking about. Everyone would want that engagement. Are you really not interested?”
I blinked—and then, almost imperceptibly, the corners of my mouth dropped.
A small, trembling movement—barely anything. But I think Lyra ’s gaze briefly landed on my face.
“There’s no way the Duke would choose me. And there’s no way I’d choose him either.”
“But, miss…”
“You must’ve heard the tree incidenttoo. I’m lucky if it didn’t turn into a full-blown disaster. Let’s just drop this topic.”
Honestly, it was ridiculous to even entertain the idea that I’d covet that engagement.
‘I nearly crushed him to death, and he’d choose me? He’d have to be either a fool or a masochist.’
I grumbled under my breath and went back to fixing my outfit.
I’d already been scolded by Father over the whole tree incident.
“It’s not that I’m against you climbing trees. But you do understand how seriously you could have been hurt today, don’t you, Hildea?”
“Y-yes, I understand.”
“It’s best if you don’t climb trees when you’re alone.”
“Yes, Father. I understand.”
“…So now you’re calling me Father.”
“Huh?”
“…Never mind.”
Just recalling his calm, serious voice gave me chills. He even said something weird at the end, I think.
“Lyra, I want to head out now.”
I shook off the complicated thoughts and stepped outside.
Today was a rare day without lessons. On such days, I usually went horseback riding or observed the daily activities of the household staff.
“Where shall I escort you today, miss?”
“Hmm… today…”
Just then, my steps toward the garden came to a halt.
Because I heard it—
a clear, ringing laugh, like a bird chirping.
‘That laugh… is that Rose?’
The face smiling so happily—it was unmistakably my younger sister, Rosériel.
And the person sitting across from her…
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At the far end of the garden, inside a wide-open glass greenhouse, sat a boy and a girl laughing together.
If there was ever an image to define the phrase “a perfect match,” surely it was this.
Rose was always cheerful, but today, she shone brighter than the sun.
With her chin cupped cutely in her hands, she focused intently on what the boy was saying, occasionally letting out crystal-clear bursts of laughter.
Her pink hair fluttered gently in the breeze, and her ruby-red eyes were so adorable they made you want to pinch her cheeks.
And in front of her—Gabriel, the kind boy explaining something eagerly, never withholding his bright smile.
“It looks like a world only the two of them can touch.”
It was a scene that made one look forward to the future—when a few more years had passed and the boy would return safely from the battlefield.
But why?
I’d imagined this moment so many times while reading the novel. I thought seeing it in person would make me feel nothing but thrilled and happy.
‘But… why do I feel a little lonely?’
Maybe it was because Rose, who normally would light up the moment I arrived, was now so wholly focused on someone else.
‘Jealous of my sister? That’s just pathetic.’
Or maybe… it was because Gabriel, who only ever showed me a stiff, reserved face, was now smiling so gently and warmly at her.
‘This isn’t right.’
If this was jealousy, it was a truly embarrassing kind of emotion.
What was I—a little girl of eight? Did I really think I wanted to be friends with him?
I bit my lip, embarrassed.
‘This is why getting your hopes up just leads to disappointment. I’m not the type to beg someone who doesn’t like me. Enough.’
Gabriel clearly found me uncomfortable, and Rose probably wouldn’t want her sweet moment interrupted either.
‘Go for it, Rose.’
I turned my head as if I hadn’t seen anything, twisting my body away and trying to think cheerfully about where else I could go.
The sound of laughter paused briefly behind me, but I ignored it—whatever it was, it had nothing to do with me.
And then I disappeared from the spot.
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Gabriel swallowed hard.
He looked visibly nervous, and the girl in front of him smiled slyly.
“Mmh, my sister’s just shy. That’s all. I’m sure she doesn’t dislike you—she just finds you a little intimidating!”
If only that were true.
Gabriel’s heart fluttered as he caught sight of a shining silver figure approaching from the distance.
Rosériel ’s cheerful, chirping voice flowed in one ear and out the other.
‘What should I say when she gets here?’
‘Will I be able to smile this time?’
‘Should I ask again if she was hurt when she fell?’
‘I heard she got scolded for climbing the tree…’
Thinking that Hildea might hate him even more because of that made him feel heavy inside.
He was upset.
His face, which usually moved with such ease and expression, always froze or failed when he was in front of Hildea.
‘But this time…’
He had an ally now. Things would be different.
Gabriel looked meaningfully at the pink-haired girl laughing in front of him.
Bright and innocent as she might seem, her mischievous smile and glinting eyes made her look more like a troublemaker.
That girl—Rosériel —had become Gabriel’s new ally.
A few days ago, the girl had suddenly appeared and said,
“You look so gloomy!”
He was stunned.
She didn’t seem like a noble lady at all—more like a cheeky little monkey.
Gabriel narrowed his eyes suspiciously, but the girl swinging her legs from up in the tree didn’t vanish.
“…Are you Lady Rosériel?”
“Just call me Rose! And I’ll call you Gabriel instead of ‘sir’ or ‘duke,’ okay?”
Her friendliness was overwhelming, to say the least, but he had no intention of becoming close.
“I refuse.”
“Aww? That’s not going to work well for you…”
“There’s no chance of that happening.”
He didn’t want people to get the wrong idea—that he had intentions to propose to Rose.
But then, what she said next piqued his interest.
“But, you know, if you just keep waiting like that, you’ll never get close to my sister.”
Gabriel was startled.
No one had figured out why he kept pacing around beneath that tree—but this cheerful, innocent younger twin had seen right through him?
“…What do you mean?”
“Weren’t you waiting for my sister?”
Even more surprising was the glint in Rosériel ’s eyes as she said it.
“Want me to help you, Duke?”
And now, back to the present—
A blush spread across Gabriel’s cheeks.
Hildea had looked his way.
But things didn’t unfold the way he had hoped.
The girl he had waited for so long turned her body away and began walking off without a second glance.
He was crushed.
‘Why?’
Could it be… did she see me?
‘Did she avoid me…?’
Gabriel felt like his heart had dropped into his stomach.
Had Rosériel not stopped him, he might have jumped up right then and there and gone after Hildea.
“I said I’d help you get close, but if you hurt my sister, I’ll never forgive you!”
“Excuse me? When did I ever hurt Hildea?”
“If she doesn’t want it and you go after her—that’s hurting her!”
“She… Did Hildea say she hates me?”
The sweet, seemingly airheaded young lady from earlier had vanished—Rosériel ’s crimson eyes now sharp and piercing.
