Angela’s hands moved busily for the rare outing.

Her hair, neatly combed to a glossy sheen, exuded the fragrance of duranta flowers.

It was an alluring scent, reminiscent of the smell of bittersweet chocolate, enough to make one’s mouth water involuntarily.

“Anyone seeing this would think you’re preparing for a debutante ball.”

“You haven’t been out much lately! Dresses and accessories are piling up, but there’s nowhere to show them off. Do you know how frustrated I was?”

Angela appealed her past grievances with a metal pin between her lips.

Indeed, Angela’s skills and background were too outstanding to serve a dark-skinned princess like Diana.

If she had served a clever and ambitious young lady, she would have lived wielding authority among the maids.

Diana felt sorry for Angela, who had taken on the job that others were reluctant to do twice, and spoke heavily.

“What will you do after retirement, Angela?”

Angela, after a brief pause, gave a casual answer without much thought.

“After retirement? Well… I haven’t really thought about it yet, as it’s too far off.”

“Many maids retire when they get married. Haven’t you… thought about it, Angela? Your wedding day with Vincent isn’t far off either. I actually heard… that you received a proposal…”

The busy hands styling the hair suddenly slowed to a stop.

Angela glanced at Diana’s reflection in the mirror, sighed heavily, and spoke.

“Who said that? Was it that Raoul? Did that ungrateful traitor who turned rebel say such a thing to you, Young Lady?”

“Who said it doesn’t matter. A proposal isn’t a bad thing… If Angela is getting married, I should naturally know about it. I’m the one who will prepare your dowry, after all.”

“Please don’t say that. I’m not getting married. I’ll retire late like Head Maid Belmain. What’s the point of living if I retire early? It’s not too late to worry about such things after turning forty.”

Diana’s eyes widened.

“Not getting married… But what about Sir Vincent?”

“…We completely ended things not long ago. He agreed to it as well. It wasn’t a big deal, so I didn’t mention it, but you don’t need to worry about it at all. There’s no need for you to treat Sir Vincent uncomfortably because of me either.”

“Why are you talking so harshly? Calling him Sir Vincent…”

“We’re no longer on close terms, so I should address him properly with respect. He’s none other than the vice-captain of a ducal family, after all.”

Angela said so in an indifferent tone, without a hint of regret or irritation.

Having finished styling the hair, she casually opened the jewelry box and recommended pearl hair pins to Diana.

“Let’s stop talking about me. Today is a day for you, Young Lady. Since you’ll be wearing a navy blue dress decorated with fox fur, I think it would be nice to match the hair accessories with a subtle shine as well. What do you think?”

Although she chattered in a bright voice as if excited, she couldn’t hide the subtle trembling transmitted through her fingers.

Diana noticed the deep-seated sadness within.

Looking at the reddened nose tip, she regretted not letting the two go their separate ways sooner.

After a long, deep silence, Diana finally parted her lips.

“Is it because of me…? Did you refuse Vincent’s proposal to leave for the Eastern Continent with me?”

“Surely there will be plenty of good prospective husbands in the Eastern Continent as well. He’s also getting older, so he can’t live only looking at me… I have to let him go. We weren’t that deeply involved…”

“Angela!”

Diana suddenly grabbed Angela’s large hand.

Angela, startled by the unfamiliar action of being grabbed by the delicate hand that could easily reject and break her, widened her eyes.

But Diana had to clearly address the matter.

“Do you think I don’t know you, Angela? You just don’t want to break up with him.”

“…What? That can’t be. I’m sick and tired of just seeing his face. Immigrating to the Eastern Continent was just an excuse; we were destined to end up this way from the beginning. We didn’t break up because of you, Young Lady. Thanks to you, we cleanly sorted things out. You don’t need to worry about it at all.”

“Angela… Please… Don’t say that. Who do you think knows you best in this world?”

Angela stretched her lips and lowered her gaze.

“You, Young Lady…”

“Yes, that’s right. You said it yourself, Angela. That I read people’s hearts too well… Remember going to the temple to get tested because people made a fuss, calling me a saint? I still vividly remember the look on the high priest’s face as he shook his head indifferently.”

“I was truly sorry about that. I have no excuse…”

“Yes, it was something to be truly sorry about. But I think it’s because of an Angela like you that I grew up to be someone who knows love. Angela, who cherished and valued me as someone great even when everyone else looked down on me… I was really grateful. That day, you even danced strangely because I cried so much.”

“…You remember that?”

“Of course I do. I remember everything without exception, from what Angela said, to the warmth when you carried me on your back, even the weather that day. You also told me that I’m pretty, so I don’t need to have abilities. It’s nonsense to say I’m pretty, but it was so… so nice to have someone who simply cherished me as I am. I didn’t cry because I was embarrassed, but because I was grateful. You were the first person to treat me so preciously. You’re the one who first made me realize that when you love someone, you start observing them diligently.”

“…”

Diana, still kneeling, tightly hugged Angela, whose eyes had turned red.

“Angela, you’re my one and only family. That fact won’t change even if we’re far apart. So don’t lie to me and honestly pour out your heart.”

“…”

“Do you love Vincent?”

Angela finally surrendered. Tears that had welled up in her large eyes heavily stained Diana’s navy blue dress.

“…I’m sorry, Young Lady… I’m sorry for not being able to happily follow you when you love me so much.”

Diana finally smiled at ease and stroked Angela’s back.

“See? I was spot on, wasn’t I? I told you I know Angela’s heart much better than Angela does.”

Although the journey to the Homern Duchy was long, Diana spent a long time talking with Angela.

It was about the dowry she would prepare for her and the estate where the two would settle down.

The carriage carrying Diana stopped in front of the high castle gates of the Homern Duchy, plowing through the fierce snowfall.

As the sturdy iron bars rose, the carriage crossed the bridge leading to the entrance.

Since Dilaia’s abduction, the construction of fortifying the castle walls had continued for a long time, making the public order of the Homern Duchy one of the best among the great territories.

If a comparison had to be made, it was similar to the level of the main palace where Emperor Alber resided.

Diana couldn’t help but admire the castle walls that had been perfectly built over the course of several years.

The figures of holy knights dispatched from the Holy Kingdom could also be seen throughout the castle.

They held white spears in their hands, maintaining solemn expressions.

Finding the scenery unfamiliar after a long time, Diana awkwardly smiled and followed the servant.

As the Homern Duchy did not allow personal escorts within the castle, Beech always had to wait outside.

Diana followed the oddly unfamiliar servant through the snow-covered rear garden without looking back, which was nothing new.

By the time her leather shoes were soaked, Diana realized that something was seriously wrong.

“Excuse me, why aren’t we going to the drawing room today? The meeting place has always been the same. Is the path to the drawing room perhaps blocked due to the snow?”

“…”

“Excuse me?”

Diana finally couldn’t stand the frustration and raised her voice.

The servant, with his hair neatly tied up in a single strand, boldly ignored the noblewoman’s words and diligently walked his own way.

Diana stopped walking, with snow up to her calves, and looked around at her surroundings.

“This is the path leading to the spire. Surely they wouldn’t hold the meeting in the spire… Who are you?”

The moment Diana impulsively grabbed the man’s arm, she felt an inexplicable sense of déjà vu. It was because the man’s expression as he turned around was mischievously unsuited to the situation.

“…Who… Have we met before?”

In the white snowfield overlooked by the eerie spire, with no one coming or going in the rear garden, pink clouds billowed up.

Diana stared at the cat in front of her with a dumbfounded expression.

“Sebastian?”