Chapter 15
Upon arriving at the garden, Diana pondered what topic to bring up.
“The garden is truly beautiful.”
Praising one’s surroundings was always the best way to start a conversation.
She spoke at length, almost like reciting a written reflection, her admiration extending from the careful maintenance of the grounds to the fragrance of the flowers.
Meanwhile, Ersivan glanced around, his expression utterly indifferent.
No matter how meticulously he observed, to him, they were nothing more than clusters of insignificant living things.
He gestured toward a carnation with a thick stem.
“Would you like to cut that?”
“Cut it?”
“I’d like to see how well you’ve absorbed today’s lesson.”
He handed her a sword and whispered,
“Go ahead, on your first day.”
“Today?”
“You’ve only learned posture and theory so far.”
“You say that like today’s lesson was completely useless.”
“That wasn’t my intent…”
Hesitant, Diana reluctantly drew the sword from its sheath.
“I never expected you’d actually make me cut a flower.”
Suddenly, she recalled Ersivan’s earlier, half-mocking praise—that at the very least, she could probably cut flowers.
‘Surely, he isn’t testing that now, is he?’
If she failed, her pride would take a serious hit.
She might not have much in terms of skills, but her pride? That, she had in abundance.
Firming her grip, she extended her elbow slightly, mustering all her strength as she swung downward.
‘Damn it!’
She barely stopped herself from swearing out loud, an old habit from her days in the slums.
Cutting a single flower turned out to be far more difficult than she had anticipated.
Of course, if she simply swung wildly, she could slice through an entire cluster.
But that wasn’t the point.
‘How foolish.’
Ersivan thought to himself.
And yet, it was a generous assessment.
This woman grieved over a single flower, yet never considered the countless lives her father had cut down with his sword.
Truly, how naive.
But perhaps the greater fool was himself—the one still clinging to a fading truth.
Ersivan stepped behind Diana, placing his hand over hers, guiding her grip.
“For something like this, you actually need to relax your strength.”
“…”
“Instead, focus on the target. Rather than a straight line, aim with a soft curve.”
As he controlled her movements, her hand followed his guidance.
The sword, now steadier, traced a smooth arc before finally slicing through the flower.
“Direct your focus precisely.”
A moment later, the stem fell gently to the ground.
“…I did it.”
“Congratulations. You succeeded.”
“Strictly speaking, you did.”
“That’s not true. Don’t be so modest.”
Ersivan then pulled out a dagger, trimming the carnation’s stem neatly.
“Hold out your hand.”
Diana extended her right hand, puzzled.
“It was bothering me, so I figured I should take care of it.”
She looked down to see what he was doing.
Ersivan was carefully tying something around her ring finger—fashioning a ring out of the flower’s stem.
She was suddenly reminded of their postponed engagement.
Due to the monster raid in the eastern region, the engagement ceremony had been canceled in a hurry.
She hadn’t even received a proper engagement ring.
“So, this is the Valencia family’s engagement ring?”
“That’s right… But you truly lack any sense of romance, don’t you?”
“Oh, was I supposed to feel embarrassed?”
Diana, playing along, altered her expression, feigning the shy demeanor of a bashful young lady.
But her attempt at acting was too obvious.
“Even if this wasn’t the marriage you wished for, thank you for coming to me.”
As if determined to turn her feigned shyness into something genuine, he murmured sweetly and pressed a kiss to her finger.
“A promise of lifelong companionship is an important vow. I regret not being present for the ceremony.”
She could see right through his calculated words, and yet—she still fell victim to them.
Her face felt like it was going to explode.
The sensual kiss and his teasing gaze were simply unfair.
“Your lack of response is almost hurtful.”
“…”
“What’s wrong? Are you feeling a little flustered?”
He whispered, still holding her hand.
His breath, warm and teasing, lingered against each of her fingers.
‘Did he seriously just ask that?’
Even the question itself was mortifying.
In the end, Diana couldn’t bring herself to say anything at all.
“You spent a lot of time outside today. Are you not too tired?”
“Aside from my body feeling a little stiff, I’m fine.”
“Shall I prepare a bath for you again?”
“Please do.”
After finishing her simple dinner, Diana went straight to her room without even glancing back.
‘That was an exhausting meal for entirely different reasons.’
She had spent the entire dinner keenly aware of Ersivan’s gaze.
By the time she was done, she had no idea whether the food had even gone down her throat properly.
In the end, she was just relieved that she didn’t end up feeling too stuffed.
“Lady Diana, everything is ready!”
Hearing Daisy’s bright voice announcing the bath’s completion, Diana lifted herself from the sofa where she had been lounging.
As Daisy helped her into a robe before she entered the bath, she took the opportunity to ask casually,
“Did something happen between you and His Highness today?”
“No, nothing.”
Guilt crept in, and Diana blurted out her response without even a moment’s hesitation.
Somewhere in the world, a certain nobody once said, A strong denial is a strong affirmation.
Sensing the strangeness in her mistress’s reaction, Daisy narrowed her eyes.
“Really?”
“…Nothing. Nothing at all. What could possibly happen between us? It hasn’t even been that long since we started seeing each other.”
Her reddened cheeks betrayed her, but poor, naive Lady Diana still hadn’t realized that her denials were utterly ineffective.
“Alright, Lady Diana. Shall I remove the ring for you?”
Daisy gestured toward the dainty finger adorned with a flower ring.
In that fleeting moment, Diana’s ring finger burned as if scalded.
“…Leave it.”
Her heart pounded furiously with embarrassment.
What was absurd was that even in her flustered state, she couldn’t bring herself to ask for the ring to be taken off.
When she glanced down, the delicate flower ring still looked as fresh as when she first received it.
It would be a shame if it wilted. With mild concern, Diana asked,
“Will it get damaged in the water?”
“Don’t worry, my lady. The ring won’t be ruined.”
Thanks to a special enchantment, the flower wouldn’t wither or deteriorate.
“So, hurry and relax in the bath! Lady Diana!”
With Daisy’s enthusiastic encouragement, she quickly immersed herself in the warm water.
As the soothing temperature embraced her, the fatigue from the day’s activities melted away.
Her overworked muscles relaxed, and a deep sense of relief settled over her.
‘I never imagined I’d be living like this.’
Diana lifted one of her legs out of the water.
Perhaps because it was soaked in the luxurious bath blend, her skin looked smoother and softer than ever.
Before Count Mernard had taken her in, she had lived in poverty. Who would have thought her life would be turned upside down so suddenly?
‘When you think about it, it’s all because of him.’
The only reason she was here at all was due to the marriage arrangement between young Lillian and Ersivan years ago.
Ersivan Valencia had held her life in his hands then—and he still did now.
And, perhaps, even in the future.
‘A man who will one day erase me from his memory.’
A sudden wave of injustice welled up inside her.
To her, he was the one and only savior who had pulled her from ruin—yet to him, she was nothing but a temporary existence, someone he would soon forget completely.
She raised her other hand above the water, staring at the ring upon her finger.
The flower rested atop her skin, as delicate as ever.
“Why did he even give me this?”
It was the first time she had ever received a ring from someone.
She had never once dared to purchase jewelry with the Mernard family’s funds, always conscious of how it might be perceived.
The Count, too, had never offered her any. He had simply suggested she use whatever trinkets Lillian had stored away.
“Even though it’s all just an act…”
Holding hands.
Sleeping beside him.
Receiving a ring.
All of these gestures were simply part of his plan, nothing more.
And yet, to Diana—who had never experienced such things before—they all felt special.
『“He seems much kinder than the rumors suggest…!”
For the first time, Diana found herself drawn in by the attention of a man. It felt natural, as if she were merely succumbing to an instinct written into the fabric of the world.』
Suddenly, she recalled the original Diana—the one who had fallen in love with Ersivan.
Had she not known the full story, would she have been just as helplessly ensnared?
Would she have marveled at this new life, only to eventually step aside for the real Lillian and meet her end?
How foolish.
How utterly pathetic.
“A fleeting moment of excitement isn’t worth my life.”
A hollow laugh escaped her lips.
Her already slender abdomen sank even deeper into the water.
The truth was, she hated both fates.
Dying without knowing why.
Or living in constant fear of an inevitable downfall.
Both were equally unbearable.
With a sudden, exhausted sigh, Diana submerged her arm back into the bath.
Then, she curled her legs inward, folding her body into itself.
Resting her forehead against her knees, she tucked herself into the limited space between her torso and thighs.
She remained there, unmoving.
Even as her breath became strained.
Even as the discomfort increased.
‘Know your place.’
Only when she reached her limit did she finally gasp for air, jerking her head up.
Her breathing was ragged, her eyes stung.
And yet, despite the momentary chaos, the suffocating gloom didn’t fade.
If anything, it only grew stronger.
