Translator: Nox

Chapter 18

18화

Alice agonized over the situation before finally seeking out Miona. She intended to ask her for advice.

However.

“Why wasn’t I invited?”

“Huh?”

“I heard there was a tea party. Why didn’t you invite me?”

Why was Miona suddenly acting so insolent?

Alice was flustered.

To ask why she hadn’t been invited to the tea party…

True, they had once been friends and enjoyed tea parties together—but at that time, Miona was the daughter of the wealthy Viscount Cruiser. She wasn’t the breadwinner of a ruined household.

‘You’re my maid now, aren’t you?’

They were no longer equals. Inviting a maid to a tea party was a bit… wouldn’t it be inappropriate?

But telling her the truth would surely hurt Miona’s feelings.

For Miona’s sake, Alice spoke with kind euphemisms.

“I thought you wouldn’t want to come. You never liked those kinds of gatherings much anyway. I just assumed you’d refuse…”

“I’ll be the one to decide which gatherings I attend, Alice.”

“I’m sorry, Miona. I was thoughtless.”

When Alice apologized with tearful eyes, Miona let out a sigh as if surrendering.

“No. It’s fine. Don’t apologize. I was just being sensitive.”

“Are you forgiving me?”

“There’s nothing to forgive, Alice. Not between us.”

“Yeah.”

“I’m the one who should be sorry. You were the only one who reached out to me when I was in trouble… I guess I thought even you were avoiding me.”

At that, Alice squeezed Miona’s hands tightly.

“That could never happen, Miona. I don’t care what your circumstances are. You’re my best friend.”

“…Alice.”

Miona’s eyes grew moist, seemingly moved by the sentiment.

“You’re the only one who didn’t turn away from me. After my father passed away and I was buried in debt, everyone else pretended not to know me…”

As she muttered this, a flash of determined resolve flickered in Miona’s eyes.

“Thank you so much for paying off my debts back then, Alice. I will never forget that kindness.”

In the end, because the conversation concluded this way, Alice didn’t even get the chance to consult her about the Moonlight Flowers.

Alice stamped her feet in frustration.

‘What should I do?’

What else could she do? There was no choice.

‘It’s wrong to break a promise.’

She had made a promise to her friends first.

Therefore, she had to prioritize her loyalty to them.

Alice decided to secretly smuggle out the Moonlight Flowers, one by one.

---

“We meet again.”

What now?

Dana, who had been walking through the garden, turned around irritably.

Raios.

He was leaning against a large zelkova tree behind her.

“Why are you here?”

“I have some matters to discuss with Duke Winzer.”

With that, he put a cigar to his lips.

Dana frowned.

‘A cigar again.’

Come to think of it, since when had Raios been smoking cigars?

‘He never once smoked in front of me while we were together.’

Looking at him, it didn’t seem like a habit he’d picked up just a year or two ago…

‘He must have been hiding it and smoking behind my back all this time.’

The thought made her stomach churn again. How much of him had been real, and how much had been a lie?

It was a meaningless question now.

She truly couldn’t stand the sight of him. Just as she was about to whirl around and leave—

“Danae.”

He called her name.

“You’ve always been excessively firm in your opinions.”

Dana slowly turned her head.

Raios stared at her blankly, tilting his head slightly.

“I liked that about you at first.”

Like a machine that had reached the end of its lifespan, he spoke in a hollow voice.

“It was refreshing. Your smiling face was just like any other noblewoman’s, yet you’d say everything on your mind with that very expression.”

Suddenly, she had a premonition.

She shouldn’t listen to this. It was a waste of time and a waste of emotion.

So, she should just pick up her feet and walk away.

Yet, for some reason, she couldn’t move an inch.

“As for when exactly that became tiresome… well, I’m not sure.”

It felt as though she were slowly turning to stone, starting from her toes.

Dana held her breath and listened to Raios’s voice.

“At some point, your voice started sounding like the screeching of a crow.”

That low, calm voice she had once loved so much.

“On the other hand, Alice’s voice began to feel like the song of a canary.”

“…”

“I wonder if you know how sweet every word Alice utters is.”

Dana took a long breath. By now, her breath had grown hot with anger.

“Is that something I need to know?”

At her response, he smirked.

“Why don’t you watch and learn? Then your voice might become pleasant to listen to again.”

“No. Instead of that, let’s just break off the engagement.”

Dana spoke softly, wearing the very smiling face Raios had mentioned.

“Since the moments I spend listening to Your Highness’s voice are quite dreadful for me as well, let us sever our ties for the sake of our mutual happiness.”

“…”

Raios didn’t answer. He simply looked at her with an annoyed expression.

“You still have a long way to go to adapt to this world.”

He clicked his tongue and turned his back to leave. Dana shouted firmly at his retreating figure.

“Don’t flatter yourself. I have absolutely no intention of adapting to this world!”

Raios moved further away without responding.

Dana almost chased after him. She wanted to strike the back of his head so badly.

If she wouldn’t be thrown into prison for insulting the imperial family, she certainly would have done it.

‘Bastard.’

Dana went straight back to her room. Even after returning, she was so furious that her fingertips trembled.

Raios and Alice.

She truly hated those two with a passion.

They had already made a mess of her life, and as if that weren’t enough, they managed to ruin her mood in new ways every single time.

“My Lady. A telegram has arrived from Viscountess Grace Gilten.”

Just then, her secretary brought in a letter.

“It seems Miss Alice has promised to sell Moonlight Flowers privately to her friends.”

At those words, Dana’s emotions settled.

Selling Moonlight Flowers privately? How could she think of something so stupid…

“Lord Eric and Lord Karl Winzer stopped her, of course.”

“Then Alice must be in a very difficult position right now.”

Dana now understood Alice’s flaws in detail—flaws that had been obscured by her previous affection.

She loved being praised and hated playing the villain.

There was no way a girl like that would take on the ‘villainous’ role of breaking a promise and saying ‘no.’

Instead, she would…

‘She’ll probably commit a crime where people can’t see.’

A sneer formed on Dana’s lips.

She knew it was petty, but it felt satisfying.

Go ahead, try to keep pretending to be kind until you fall into the abyss.

‘No, that’s not it. I should be the one to send her there myself.’

Even if it meant playing dirty.

“First, tell Lady Grace Gilten that I’m grateful for the update on the tea party atmosphere as promised. And give her a generous gratitude fee.”

“Yes, My Lady.”

“And put a tail on Alice, Rete.”

“A tail?”

“Yes. Hire the best professionals and have them follow her closely. I don’t care how much it costs.”

How much time had passed since she sent Rete out?

Knock, knock.

“Danae. It’s me. Juan.”

Dana’s face contorted. Why was that man here?

“Danae, are you not in there?”

Dana didn’t answer.

Yes, just think I’m not here and get lost. Just as she thought that—

Creek.

The door opened.

“Oh. You were here.”

“…”

Her mind froze instantly.

‘What is this?’

Did Juan, that man, just open her bedroom door and walk in without permission?

Into my bedroom?

Instead of looking embarrassed, Juan smiled brightly.

“I heard the news. Did the Crown Prince humiliate you?”

Click.

He closed the door.

The space was sealed, leaving the two of them alone.

In an instant, the weight of the air grew heavy.