At that moment, I clearly saw a deep, indescribable emotion flicker across Hazel’s clear face.

It was a very momentary reaction, and she quickly erased her expression and regained her characteristic calmness, but she couldn’t deceive Kisa’s eyes.

Above all, Kisa already had certainty.

Having loved Daniel for over a decade, Kisa could intuitively recognize a woman who harbored affection for him like herself.

Hazel Turdy loves Daniel Lowens.

No matter how they defined their relationship, whether there was romantic attraction between them or not, whether Hazel intended to leave him for Daniel’s future, that was an undeniable fact.

In the first place, she, who was known as the decisive reason for the broken engagement, comes to the Vansfeld Count’s house before anyone else?

What kind of humiliation did she expect to face? It was nothing for a noble family, if they so desired, to trample on the life of a commoner.

But Hazel not only came here, she even spoke boldly to Kisa.

Love was the driving force that led Hazel to this reckless and irrational action.

“No, My Lady.”

However, the person in question did not acknowledge her own feelings.

“I don’t love Daniel. I only send respect and friendship as a close friend.”

It was a transparent lie.

‘What friendship.’

Kisa recalled Daniel, who was so confident that their relationship was a noble friendship without a trace of desire.

It seemed like just yesterday that she had been angry at deceiving herself like that, but honestly, Kisa no longer cared much whether Hazel loved Daniel, whether Daniel knew that fact or not, or what they called their relationship.

She just wanted to be freed as a third party from their relationship that was causing irritation.

Just as Hazel had been an outsider in the conflict between Kisa and Daniel, Kisa was also just a stranger in their relationship.

“Oh, is that so? Well, whether it’s love or friendship.”

Kisa opened her palm and pointed at Hazel.

“That’s for you two to figure out, and if you’re done with your business, may I get up now?”

“Wait a moment. Then, are you willing to meet Daniel again on the condition that I break up with him?”

“I refuse. As you know, I have someone else I’ve promised my future to.”

“What? But if things continue like this, Daniel might really go wrong. I’ve never seen him like this since I’ve known him.”

“So? What about it?”

“…Please, I beg you.”

Hazel’s eyes sparkled with moisture.

“I can’t bear to see Daniel falling apart like this. I know it’s an outrageous request. But this is all I can do. My Lady, please.”

Kisa stood up and looked down at the woman who was pleading to her almost abjectly.

The woman, who already had a pitiful impression, looked twice as forlorn doing this.

“Hazel.”

“Yes.”

She met Kisa’s gaze with a face tinged with hope.

“If you want to feel like a devoted lover sacrificing everything for the man you love, look elsewhere. I have no intention of playing along with your emotional games.”

That hope was extinguished in an instant.

Kisa left the reception room without looking back at her.

“The guest is leaving now.”

There was much to do back in her room.

Hazel left the Vansfeld townhouse with heavy steps.

“Don’t ever come back again!”

Marsha, was it? The maid who had guided her to the reception room and then escorted her out shouted at Hazel as she went out the main gate, glaring at her.

“What a sight, really.” The maid muttered to herself loud enough to be heard, then urged the gatekeepers to close the gate quickly, and the Vansfeld gate was firmly shut.

It was too much after all. Heaving a sigh, Hazel trudged along.

She had thought there might be some hope because of how Daniel usually spoke as if he had a fiancée who was dying for him, but it was far from the truth.

Just as she was thinking she should hurry back to the shop to see what Daniel was up to, it happened.

“Hazel.”

Someone put a hand on her shoulder. When she confirmed who it was, Hazel nearly fainted from shock.

“Daniel…”

Daniel, with a completely stiff face, looked back and forth between the Vansfeld mansion and Hazel.

“Why are you coming out of there?”

In a deserted alley. As Daniel listened to Hazel’s story, his expression grew increasingly worse, and eventually his lips trembled.

“…Did I ask you to do such a thing?”

“Daniel, calm down. I just-”

“Why, why did you do such a thing? Why!”

Hazel stiffened at his raised voice.

It was the first time Daniel had shouted at her.

For a while, he said nothing, holding his forehead as if trying to suppress the anger within him.

After a few minutes, he barely opened his mouth.

“I’m already dying of anger just from ignorant people talking nonsense, why are you doing this too? Why are you making me look like an idiot who sends even his friend to beg his fiancée to come back?”

Hazel tried to be as composed as possible as she answered.

“I did it for you. I couldn’t bear to see you ruining yourself anymore.”

“Am I ruining myself just because I drank a little? Am I not allowed to drown my sorrows in alcohol?”

“You’re not drinking moderately. These days, you’re practically living in the tavern.”

“Even so, why did you go to Kisa?”

“Because you need her-”

“I don’t need her! I decline a woman who betrayed me and left!”

At those words, Hazel wore a slightly sad expression.

“Then why did you come here? Didn’t you come to see Lady Vansfeld?”

Momentarily at a loss for words, Daniel avoided her gaze.

“I was just walking the streets drunk, and before I knew it, I ended up here.”

It was a clumsy lie.

There was quite a distance from the bustling area where his frequent taverns were located to this area lined with noble townhouses. It was definitely not a place one would come to inadvertently.

Knowing this full well, the proud Daniel didn’t correct what he had said.

“…”

“…”

In the awkward silence, Hazel was the first to speak.

“I’m sorry.”

Regardless of the reason, there was no excuse for interfering in Daniel’s problems without saying anything.

“I judged it to be for your own good, but thought you would never allow it, so I acted on my own. Daniel has every right to be angry.”

He frowned with his lips tightly pressed.

It was difficult to reproach her further after receiving an apology, but he still didn’t seem to be in a better mood.

“It’s fine. What’s done is done.”

As Daniel strode towards the main street, Hazel hurriedly followed him.

“Wait a moment, Daniel! Where are you going?”

He was heading in the opposite direction of the Vansfeld townhouse, which had been his original destination.

“You don’t need to worry about it.”

“Are you going to the tavern again? Don’t drink today. You’ve been drinking too much lately.”

“I’ll handle it myself.”

Saying that, Daniel roughly shook off Hazel’s hand that was holding his sleeve.

“Daniel…”

Hazel, cradling the hand that had been shaken off with her other hand, watched the man’s retreating back.

But he turned back to look at Hazel after just a few steps.

Just as she thought his heart had finally been moved by her concern for his health, Daniel opened his mouth.

“By the way, what did Kisa say?”

“Pardon?”

“How exactly did she refuse Hazel’s request to meet me?”

“Ah…”

Seeing the anxiety on Daniel’s face, Hazel wondered if she should tell the truth.

However, Daniel seemed determined not to let it go without an answer, so she tried her best to soften her words as she relayed what she had heard in the reception room earlier.

After hearing Kisa’s words through Hazel, Daniel bit his lip.

“Did Kisa really say that…?”

“Yes.”

“Damn it.”

Muttering a low curse, Daniel quickly turned away from Hazel.

“Wait a moment!”

Hazel called out to him belatedly, but couldn’t stop his steps.

“At least tell me when you’ll be back!”

She could only shout at his cold, retreating back.

The next day, in the morning. The nanny appeared in Kisa’s room with the usual large pile of letters.

“Another bundle of letters for you today, miss.”

“Oh, put them on the desk.”

Sitting in a chair by the window, Kisa answered without properly checking.

After placing the letters on the desk as requested, the nanny looked at Kisa, who was deeply engrossed in some work.

“You’ve been holding onto that embroidery frame a lot lately, haven’t you?”

“Ah, just trying to practice a bit.”

“Your embroidery skills weren’t bad to begin with, so why are you practicing so hard? Are you trying to challenge yourself with a complicated embroidery?”

“No, that’s not it… I was thinking of adding some initials to the corner of a handkerchief.”

“For something like that, you don’t even need to practice, do you? How beautifully are you trying to embroider it?”

“Well, the prettier the better, right?”

“If you insist, shall I bring one of the maids who’s excellent at embroidery?”

“No need. It’s meaningless if I don’t do it myself.”

Suddenly, the nanny gave a knowing, mischievous smile.

“It’s a handkerchief for Duke Hillan, isn’t it?”

“…”

“Are you that excited for your first date?”

Date. At that word with its embarrassing connotation, Kisa’s hands gripping the embroidery frame tightened.

That’s right. The day after tomorrow, Seiard will visit the Vansfeld Count’s residence for the first time, revealing his identity.

Just to go on a date with Kisa.