How rude to say it’s heavy right to my face.

‘Come to think of it, who is this man?’

Where did he suddenly pop up from?

I glared at the man whose good looks were half-ruined by his unpleasant words and actions. Even though it was a fallen noble’s house, it was still an aristocratic residence. The surrounding fence was quite high, considering it was maintaining some semblance of appearance.

“Who are you? How did you get in here?”

He doesn’t look like a local.

Though he wasn’t dressed extravagantly, judging by the aura surrounding him and his refined demeanor, he was clearly a nobleman, and a high-ranking one at that. He seemed completely out of place in this rural estate. Of course, even for a nobleman, entering another family’s property without permission was a breach of etiquette.

‘Though he seems like the type to have thrown etiquette out the window from the start.’

In response to my question, the man crossed his arms and raised his long, perfectly arched eyebrows.

“Shouldn’t a word of thanks for helping you come first?”

The man tilted his head askew and looked down at me. Though his arrogance was quite irritating, if it weren’t for him, I might have been seriously injured. I suppose I should be grateful it ended with just a sore bottom.

Unable to completely disregard etiquette after bringing it up, I quickly stood up, brushed the dirt off my dress, and bowed my head.

“Thanks to you, I’m unharmed. Thank you.”

Of course, it would have been better if you hadn’t thrown me, but I swallowed the words that had risen to the tip of my tongue. At this point, a humble response would be the proper etiquette in this world, but strangely, it was quiet. I glanced up slightly to see the man looking away. He clearly had no manners to speak of.

“Were you trying to run away?”

The man’s nonchalant question nearly made my heart leap out of my mouth. Only then did I belatedly remember that there were others staying in this house besides family members. The servants sent by Floria!

This man must be one of them. That would explain his unpleasant attitude. It’s no wonder he wouldn’t look kindly upon the sister who had tormented his mistress all her life. But still.

‘Don’t tell me I’ve been caught before even getting a chance to properly escape?’

As I blinked in astonishment, the man turned his gaze to me and jerked his chin.

“Pick that up.”

I turned my head in the direction he indicated. A suitcase I hadn’t noticed before was lying wide open, its contents spilled everywhere. It must have opened from the impact of falling to the ground. Just when I was wondering if I could run away without looking back, this had to happen.

In a situation where anyone could see I was clearly caught, I rolled my eyes around instead of my head and decided to brazen it out.

“I accidentally dropped it out the window.”

“You accidentally dropped something that heavy?”

“The wardrobe is near the window, you see.”

“So you came down to pick it up?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

The man chuckled.

“Through the window?”

“It was late. I was worried I might wake my family.”

“Climbing down that flimsy thing?”

“I used to play on it often when I was young.”

As if he’d believe such an unbelievable story. But there’s no beating persistence. If I say so, what can he do? I met his scrutinizing gaze without flinching.

My neck was prickling, but I absolutely couldn’t look away. Well, it’s not like I told a big lie.

His purple eyes, both delicate and somewhat savage, clung to me persistently. I widened my eyes even more, lest I be mesmerized by that gaze.

“Then pick it up and go back inside.”

The man stroked his smooth chin with his long fingers and nodded slightly. Only then did I inwardly sigh and relax my eyes.

“Yes, I should.”

I quickly turned around and began gathering the belongings that had spilled from the suitcase. The back of my head felt hot, suggesting the man was standing there watching me.

Thinking it was too late to escape now and that I should try again later when the night deepened, I was scooping up the scattered dress when a large hand suddenly appeared before my eyes.

“Take it.”

“Thank you.”

I quickly snatched the familiar bread bag from the man’s hand and put it in the suitcase. He then picked up another bread bag lying right next to it and held it out.

“You packed quite diligently.”

I could tell from his outstretched hand urging me to take it. This man was mocking me right now.

“I eat more than I look.”

I retorted gruffly and quickly swept the belongings into the suitcase.

“Thank you for your help.”

There was no point in stalling any longer. I turned my back without hesitation, and the man asked from behind.

“Are you planning to go in through the door?”

Where else would I go in? I turned back as if to say, “What kind of question is that?” and the man curled up the corners of his mouth.

“Weren’t you worried about waking your family?”

“…”

It takes talent to make such a handsome face look this unlikable. His cold features combined with his nonchalant attitude made him even more annoying in a strange way.

“I don’t have the ability to levitate, so I have no choice.”

I pointed to the short blanket rope dangling from the first-floor wall, smiled sweetly, and went into the house without looking back.

What good is being handsome if you’re so unpleasant? I shook my head and carefully went up to my room, worried about waking my family. After reorganizing the haphazardly stuffed suitcase and lengthening the blanket rope, quite some time had passed.

“He must be gone by now, right?”

I peeked out the window to check and almost screamed. The man, whom I thought would have left long ago, was looking up at me precisely. As our eyes met, the man stretched his lips into a smile.

I quickly sat down to hide, and I heard a short laugh.

‘I thought my heart was going to fall out. What’s with that man?’

Is he watching to make sure I don’t run away again? Why work so hard when no one’s watching!

“Damn. Unnecessarily loyal.”

I sighed deeply and sprawled out on the bed. Since our eyes met, he would probably stay put for a while longer. I’ll have to wait and try to escape again at dawn.

— Or so I thought, but now I was sitting obediently in a carriage heading to the royal palace. This was because every time I tried to escape after that, I ended up making eye contact with the man.

‘Later, he even took a position close to my room window.’

How startled I was to see the man lying askew on a tree branch, staring at me. His smiling face asking, “Aren’t you going to sleep?” couldn’t have been more annoying.

‘Why is he so persistent!’

In the end, I spent the night wide awake and had to board the carriage while being seen off by my family.

As the Countess held my hand, urging me to borrow living expenses from Floria as soon as I arrived in the capital, I turned my head to look for the man who had tormented me all night. But I couldn’t find him among the servants.

‘After staying up all night, he must be catching some sleep somewhere.’

Thinking about it now, no matter how much it was for surveillance, it was incredibly rude to stand in front of a lady’s bedroom window like that. I vowed to say a word about his ill-mannered behavior when I met the man again.

But throughout the journey to the capital, I never saw the man again.

* * *

Lehoz, the capital of the Hilic Kingdom, was a planned city that appropriately blended classical beauty with sophisticated architectural styles. It was famous for its beauty, attracting tourists even from foreign countries, but right now, I couldn’t care less about the splendid streets or anything else.

‘So this is the tiger’s den I’m entering.’

I watched the drawbridge connecting the royal palace to the capital lowering with mixed emotions. Throughout the journey to the capital, I had desperately hoped for even a slightly delayed arrival, but the carriage was mercilessly fast.

It’s not that I hadn’t tried to escape during that time. But the servants were annoyingly perceptive and unnecessarily loyal, just like that man. There was never an opening, which is how I ended up walking down the corridor of the Second Prince’s Palace where Floria was staying.

I had been pondering all along why she had called me to the palace, unlike in the original story, but I couldn’t come up with an answer. At this point, where things had already deviated from the original, there was nothing I could predict. I could only hope it wouldn’t be the worst-case scenario.

‘Damn it.’

Standing in front of the reception room door where Floria would be waiting, I suddenly thought of the man. It was practically his fault that I was standing here like this. I unconsciously clenched my fist, remembering his annoying face smiling every time I peeked out, lying on that tree branch.

‘Just wait until I see you again.’

If I end up dying at Floria’s hands, I’ll come back as a ghost and curse you!

Having gritted my teeth at the man throughout the carriage ride to the capital, I took a deep breath to calm myself down. Now I had to worry about how to deal with Floria inside.

‘Surely I won’t be attacked by pigeons as soon as the door opens, right?’

Though I thought such a thing wouldn’t happen since she had called me all the way here, I couldn’t shake off the uneasy feeling.

‘Should I prostrate myself as soon as I enter? At least then my eyes won’t get pecked out.’

In that short moment, countless scenarios of facing Floria flashed through my mind.

The fact that not a single one of them was positive made me feel even more dejected. Unaware of my predicament, the servant opened the door without hesitation as soon as permission was granted from inside.

Floria, who had been standing in the midst of sunlight pouring in from the large window, slowly turned towards me.