Feeling embarrassed for disturbing the lady’s work, Eloise awkwardly fidgeted with her hands and headed towards the kitchen behind the stairs.

However, right after that, Eloise’s smooth forehead instantly wrinkled.

“…Wait. Is this a meal?”

It was sad enough to have to eat alone, but all that was on the table was a withered piece of bread, an apple, some cold tea, and a little milk.

Of course, she didn’t expect skills comparable to Cook Mitchell, who had been responsible for the family’s meals.

But isn’t this too modest even so?

‘She said not to expect a grand meal, but this is a bit…’

Eloise hesitated for a moment before pulling out a chair with a scrape and sitting down.

There was nothing else to be done. There was no room for complaints.

If she had wanted a warm breakfast full of love, she shouldn’t have left home in the first place.

She should be grateful that she slept in a soft bed, even if it was a bit dusty, and that a meal was prepared like this.

This was the capital of the kingdom, where she knew no one and which was utterly indifferent.

‘If I had been unlucky, I might not have found a place to stay all night. Then I would be shivering now, clutching my hungry stomach.’

Thinking that way, the food before her didn’t seem so bad.

It was still lonely without her mother’s pre-meal prayer, but Eloise put her hands together without showing it.

“Thank you for the meal.”

Eloise rubbed the pale green unripe apple against the hem of her dress to clean it, then took a big bite.

With a crisp, cheerful sound, the sweet juice burst in her mouth. It was quite tasty.

After eating the apple clean except for the core, Eloise poured milk over the cold teacup.

The first breakfast in the capital ended with her forcing down the dried-out bread along with the milky tea that had no aroma to speak of.

Eloise neatly stacked the plates and cups and placed them in a corner of the kitchen, then tiptoed out to the living room.

Mrs. Mullitch was still sitting motionless, absorbed in her knitting, and the cat on her lap was sprawled out asleep like butter on a pan.

A strange breathing sound, purr, purr, escaped between its pointed teeth.

“Thank you for the meal, Mrs. Mullitch.”

The lady glanced at Eloise out of the corner of her eye.

Perhaps due to her deep wrinkles, her already unpleasant expression looked even more vicious.

“Well, are you going out?”

“Yes. I need to find a job right away.”

Though it was true that Eloise felt a little intimidated by the lady’s sharp voice, her heart wasn’t entirely anxious as she answered.

Perhaps because it was the first day in a new place, she even felt excited.

Maybe she just wanted to believe that was the case.

“What are you staring at?”

“Pardon? Nothing in particular…”

Eloise shrugged her shoulders in surprise. She had been looking because she had never seen such a uniquely shaped cat before, was that rude?

Even so, the way its fur was cut looked too strange…

“Surely you’re not expecting me to find you a job too? As if getting a room so cheaply wasn’t enough!”

“What do you… Absolutely not!”

As Eloise hastily waved her hands in denial, the lady put down her crochet hook on the small table.

The cat, awakened by the movement, glared at Eloise with a displeased face before letting out a noisy yawn.

“I had no such intention at all. How could I? I was planning to go out now and ask around here and there.”

“Go to the central square.”

“Pardon?”

The old lady, having put down her knitting yarn on the side table, leaned back in her armchair and said.

“Go and buy an advertisement paper. For job listings, I mean.”

“Job listings…”

Eloise blinked with a blank face at the unexpected information.

She had been planning to go out and ask where the largest factory in the capital was located, but there were advertisement papers?

‘Well, that was too reckless a thought. The largest factory? What kind of factory did I even mean?’

At that moment, Mrs. Mullitch continued.

“Look at that and find a place that seems suitable for you, then go and submit an application. There should be quite a few places hiring.”

“I see. That’s very helpful, ma’am. Thank you…”

“By the way, do you even know where the central square is?”

“You mean the square with the big clock tower and fountain? If that’s it, I remember passing by it yesterday. I think I can find it without much difficulty.”

At those words, the lady closed her eyes and gave no reply.

“Um, ma’am?”

When Eloise called out carefully, an irritated answer came back.

“I’m going to get some sleep, so don’t disturb me and just get going.”

“Ah…”

How brusque. The thought that she might just be clumsy at expressing herself but actually be a kind person quickly faded away.

Eloise tied the ribbon of her bonnet firmly under her chin and gave a quiet greeting.

“Then, sleep well.”

Careful not to wake the lady, Eloise went to the front door and quietly pushed it open.

Her surroundings immediately brightened, and a fresh breeze brushed against her skin.

Faced with the sunlit main road, Eloise finally realized that her life in the capital had truly begun.

Though she felt anxious and uncertain, an inexplicable excitement was much stronger.

“I can do this.”

She mumbled softly and couldn’t help but smile. Her footsteps down the stairs were as light as a feather.

“Happy 24th birthday, Bi.”

The woman who said this rested her chin on her hand with an expectant look.

Her blue eyes were as innocent as a child’s, and the chestnut brown curls cascading below her ears were adorably lovely.

With her snow-white face, apple-red cheeks, and dazzling appearance that seemed to gather all the light of day with her luxurious clothes and accessories, she looked as perfect as a doll.

Everyone in the coffee shop couldn’t help but glance at her.

Of course, for Bianca Talbot, known as the flower of Brightnum’s social circle, all of this was as natural as breathing.

“Aren’t you going to do it?”

“I already said it, Bianca.”

However, Ansel loosened his cravat with an indifferent face as if he found it bothersome.

Even so, his sitting posture remained impeccably straight. It was a part of him that Bianca loved dearly.

“You didn’t call me ‘Bi’.”

Bianca smiled with her eyes curved, coaxing in a voice as gentle as a flower.

As befitting the birthday girl today, she was more persistent than usual.

However, Ansel was already sufficiently tired just from agreeing to Bianca’s request to spend the day together on the pretext of her birthday.

“Have I ever called you that?”

“No. Not once since the day we first met at Saint Martin until now.”

The two first met at the age of 13 at the kingdom’s top-ranked private school.

Although Ansel went abroad to study for two years in between, they both completed the five-year educational program in the same year and chose the same university.

There was no special reason for it. It was just that both Ansel and Bianca aspired to attend the kingdom’s top educational institution and were qualified to do so.

However, Bianca attached more meaning to this obvious fact than anyone else.

As someone who had consistently wished to marry Ansel from the moment they first met, there was nothing about him that didn’t feel special to her.

“That’s why I want to hear it. Just once.”

“I think it’s about time you gave up.”

“You’re getting married soon. They say you’re leaving the capital for good.”

Bianca showed a sad expression.

Her face, looking down at the half-cooled teacup, was so pitiful it made one want to hug her right away.

Of course, this didn’t apply to Ansel, her long-time friend.

“You don’t look like someone who said it would all be a show. Didn’t you guarantee you’d break off the engagement and come back soon?”

“Did you meet Haines in the meantime?”

Far from being flustered, Bianca smiled prettily. It was a perfect smile with dimples deeply set in the middle of her cheeks.

“But I’m genuinely sad. A remarriage after breaking off an engagement won’t be as beautiful as the first marriage.”

“Haven’t I said enough? I’ve never thought of you that way.”

“You never know what might happen in the future, Ansel.”

Her voice was as sweet as sugar as she answered.

In fact, she was recalling the moment when she danced with Ansel as partners at the university graduation party.

That day too, Ansel was dressed in a splendid frock coat just like this.

It was foreseeable that the atmosphere of the party would be heated, given that it was the graduation of two famous individuals, and that day, even Ansel was unusually drunk.

‘Tell me what you like about me, Ansel. Hmm?’

It was on that very night that he, who had consistently been unresponsive to Bianca’s long-standing affectionate advances, revealed his true feelings for the first time.

‘…Eyes.’

‘What? Say it again.’

‘Blue eyes…’

Even amidst the noisy clamor, that whisper resonating softly was like thunder to Bianca.

It was even harder not to know that this was Ansel’s true feelings.

She knew his nature well enough to know that he wouldn’t put it into words unless it was sincere.

That night, Bianca had an intuition.

It might take some time for her and him, friends and family, to become lovers, but nonetheless, she would surely become his wife.

As time passed, though her face and body might lose their luster, her blue eyes that Ansel loved would shine without fading, always looking at him.

However, Bianca’s hand, about to grasp the teacup, stopped abruptly in mid-air at his next indifferent words.

“It won’t happen in the future either. Never.”

“…”

For nearly a decade, she had watched him closely like family, sometimes even more so, but she had never imagined that Ansel would decide to marry overnight.

She could assert that not even a speck of doubt had ever crossed her mind.

Let alone spending a lifetime in the countryside far from the capital, it couldn’t possibly be true.

Having come to that conclusion, Bianca playfully asked, pretending to be nonchalant as she tidied her hair.

“…Nonsense. Is it really happening? Your wedding, I mean.”

“I’ll specially invite you, so come and see for yourself.”

“Does this bride of yours really exist?”

Her tone became anxious without her realizing it, faced with his attitude that showed not even a hint of wavering.

Ansel said what he had to say without batting an eye.

“And I’d prefer if we didn’t meet after the wedding.”