Chapter 4
Too easy. Too naïve. Her cheeks flushed with a rosy hue after just a few sweet words—how easily she was swayed. A few more staged coincidences, and she would fall right into his hands.
“Completely unaware that her admirer is actually the snare tightening around her neck.”
Recalling those wide green eyes that had stared up at him, Dominic silently mocked the young Lady Aiola—still more girl than woman.
Elaine Aiola.
A proud noble of Hermanda who carried the blood of the mighty Kartan Imperial House. The delicate flower of Aiola, raised with obsessive care for over a decade by none other than Fernando Aiola.
She was considered the most noble lady in all of Hermanda—more so even than Princess Vanessa, the Queen’s own daughter.
Perhaps it was because of that. Though she trembled slightly at the advances of a stranger, she still carried herself with an untouchable elegance. That composed dignity, shimmering through every delicate feature, was so nauseatingly refined it made Dominic want to crush it beneath his grip.
The truth was, he hadn’t been able to stop thinking about Elaine Aiola since that night. The image of her foolish, innocent face kept returning to him, pulling his lips into a sharp, sneering smile.
“You look pleased, Dominic.”
A woman appeared at his side and spoke casually. Her hair, originally a dry, frizzy brown, had been poorly dyed in a blotchy attempt at red. It was a pitiful imitation of Vanessa’s fiery locks—far inferior in every way—but even that faint resemblance was enough to catch Dominic’s eye for a fleeting moment.
If only this poor imitation were truly her…
“Hm…”
Momentarily forgetting the woman’s presence, Dominic gave a thin smile and gently tugged at her hair. As she was pulled toward him, she spun slightly and ended up facing him.
“Yes, very pleased.”
And why shouldn’t he be? The girl so dearly cherished by Fernando Aiola and Vanessa—the two he loathed most—was already beginning to fall into his hands.
“So, what’s Lady Aiola’s schedule for this weekend?”
The woman, briefly dazed by Dominic’s rare, dazzling smile, snapped back to her senses and replied.
“She’ll have a family luncheon at the Aiola estate at noon, then visit Madame Sharon’s boutique. Vanessa’s birthday is coming up, so I assume she’s planning a surprise gift.”
“…I see. Vanessa’s birthday is soon, huh.”
For the first time that day, a crack formed in Dominic’s otherwise serene expression.
Vanessa Herdian Aiola.
Once, the woman he loved so much he would have given her his entire world. Now, the witch who had betrayed him and cast him into ruin. His poor sister, Liliana, had died abandoned and alone—all because of Vanessa’s vile selfishness.
“This year, I’ll give her a very special birthday present.”
Dominic thought again of Elaine, who was already beginning to waver after just two encounters.
“She said her favorite flower was freesia, right?”
“No, it was daffodils.”
“Ah, daffodils.”
He had no genuine interest in what flower Elaine liked. But details like that were precious tools when seducing a girl who had only just come of age.
“Seems like things are going well with the young lady, hmm?” the woman whispered as she edged closer. She was always desperate for Dominic’s attention, but even her shameless advances failed to faze him.
Frustrated, she snapped with a trace of warning in her voice.
“But be careful, Dominic. Prince Turner has been eyeing her for years. He’s the only crown prince of Hermanda. Not exactly an opponent you can take lightly.”
But Dominic just scoffed lightly and stood, ignoring her outstretched hand. He reached for a jewel box on the table and casually tossed something from it at her.
The gemstone he threw was worth more than a luxury house in the capital, yet he showed no sign of reluctance. It was payment for the information she had brought about Aiola. She had proven to be quite the useful little spy.
“You know I don’t care about this kind of wealth.”
“Then leave it.”
“You’re so cruel, Dominic. But I know the reason you’ve become this heartless is all because of that wretched couple who raised Aiola’s heir.”
Pathetic.
Dominic had always been this way—ever since they were children. She had romanticized the years that had passed, twisting old memories into longing and hope, chasing feelings that had never existed.
Foolishness, plain and simple.
“I will complete your revenge for you. Fernando and Vanessa… those two…”
As the woman’s soft words of resentment slipped from between her lips, Cheshire Dominic let them pass through one ear, replaying her earlier warning in his mind. At the mention of that noble Herdian bloodline, a familiar sense of revulsion began to rise.
Prince Turner… That useless whelp who had simply watched like a fool as Dominic danced with Elaine at the ball.
The irritation that briefly flickered in his dark eyes disappeared without a trace. Curling his crimson lips upward, he produced a smile—one so beautiful it was almost terrifying.
“Lord Cheshire…?”
Sienne, capital of Hermanda. In front of the central plaza fountain, the voice he had longed to hear stopped Dominic in his tracks.
Feigning indifference as he passed by, Dominic turned slowly. There, no more than a few minutes ago, Aiola Elaine had been sitting on a bench, fanning herself in irritation as she waited for her coachman. Now she stood with her hands pressed together, as though in prayer, looking directly at him.
Her expression was so innocent and joyful—like that of a young girl receiving a surprise gift—that it betrayed not a shred of caution.
“Lady Aiola…?”
Dominic widened his eyes slightly in mock surprise, then curved them into a gentle smile as he approached her.
“What brings someone so esteemed to a place like this?”
Stopping at a polite distance, he dipped his head in a graceful bow.
Elaine, still wearing an expression of disbelief, gradually broke into a smile. Unlike the wary, reserved girl he had seen at the palace ball, she now beamed openly, laughter spilling from her lips without restraint.
“My goodness, it really is Lord Cheshire. What are the odds!”
She had come to Sienne herself to prepare a surprise birthday gift for Vanessa. Normally, a lady like her would never venture into the busy common streets—she would’ve summoned Madame Sharon to the estate. But this time was different.
After ordering Vanessa’s gift at Madame Sharon’s atelier, she had stayed longer to browse for herself and for Fernando. Upon exiting, she found her coachman nowhere in sight.
Suppressing the irritation beginning to bubble up, she had sent Anna to find him and sat down by the fountain to wait. That was when she happened to catch a glimpse of Lord Cheshire’s profile.
She had left him coldly the last time, fleeing the terrace in a fluster. Since then, she had promised herself that if they met again, she would act more graciously. Still, she had never imagined their next meeting would come so suddenly.
To Elaine, this unexpected encounter felt utterly romantic. A wave of summer heat washed over her face, already warm with excitement.
It was a heat strong enough to make her blush—but strangely, it didn’t irritate her this time. Rather, it tickled her heart, and the corners of her lips kept curling up of their own accord.
“So Lord Cheshire is out shopping for a gift as well?”
“Yes, my lady. But I’m curious—why do you ask?”
“I’m here for Vanessa’s birthday gift! Oh, Vanessa is, um…”
Her cheerful chatter was suddenly cut off by a low, chilling voice.
“Vanessa Herdian Aiola.”
Dominic spoke the name he both loved and hated, his red lips curling loosely into a smile.
“Of course I know her. The sole princess of Hermanda and mistress of House Aiola.”
“Oh—of course. I was explaining something so obvious.”
Elaine, rather than looking embarrassed at his correction, simply laughed and clapped her hands.
“No need to apologize. Lady Aiola is so kind, she worried that someone like me might not know such an important name.”
His deep, velvety laugh broke softly above her head.
There it was again. Though he called himself lowly, his voice sounded like that of someone who ruled the world.
Nervously swallowing, Elaine shifted the topic.
“Still, isn’t it funny? That both of us would come into town on the same day, both for someone else’s gift?”
“Would you be surprised if I said there were more coincidences?”
“You mean we share even more things in common?”
“Indeed. I intend to discover every one of them—starting now.”
“What kind of answer is that?”
She let out a breathy laugh at his absurd reply. Watching her smile so sweetly, Dominic’s eyes curved in amusement.
“Do you like summer?”
“Not really. I prefer winter.”
“Then how about this—rising early on a winter morning, before anyone else is awake, and walking across a field of untouched snow?”
“Oh, I love that. Do you?”
“Yes, very much. That makes two things we share.”
Elaine found herself enjoying this little game—this search for meaningless common ground. Somehow, it was surprisingly fun.
