Hair as black as the pitch-dark night sky and golden eyes. A handsome face one could never forget once seen.

No matter how I looked at him, it was definitely that man, but I was confused as those around called him Herald Breyden, not Dillon Oppenheimer.

As people around, even Fredrick, applauded congratulating the man on receiving his title of Count, Lily stared blankly at him like someone in a daze.

Is that man really Herald Maximilian, the empire’s hero who defeated the Salaman tribe, now Count Herald Breyden?

Then who is Dillon Oppenheimer? Who was that man who appeared like a lie whenever I was struggling, comforting my tired body and mind?

“…I was deceived.”

As Herald’s voice suddenly echoed in her ears, the color drained from Lily’s face. As Lily staggered back looking like she might collapse at any moment, Fredrick hurriedly supported her.

“Are you alright, my lady?”

“…..”

“My lady.”

Though Fredrick called out several times, Lily did not look back at him. All her attention was focused on that man, Herald Maximilian, now Count Breyden, and she couldn’t hear what Fredrick was saying.

Her anxiously trembling green eyes were fixed on the present Herald, warmly smiling and responding to those around him, but her mind recalled the Herald of the past.

Starting from spending a night with that man, walking together in the forest. Kissing by a beautiful lakeside that seemed like fairies might live there. Eating a delicious dinner at a romantic restaurant, and when she cried saying they should stop seeing each other, he firmly grasped her hand and said… he would even become her lover if she wanted. Everything.

At the time, Herald’s words and actions seemed sincere to anyone who saw. So even though she thought it was nonsense, she couldn’t refuse his proposal… but it was all a lie?

Did that man deceive me too, just like Fredrick and the others did?

“…..”

Lily’s jaw and lips trembled, having received a huge shock as if hit hard on the back of the head with a large hammer. Her breath caught as if someone was choking her and her vision blurred, but Herald’s face was still clearly visible, which made it even more painful. The memories that kept surfacing were also one of the things tormenting her.

‘I don’t want to see him.’

Not wanting to see the man who had deceived and betrayed her, nor wanting to remain any longer at this celebration for him, Lily shook off Fredrick’s hand and turned away.

“My lady, my lady!”

Fredrick called out urgently, bewildered by her sudden action, but she quickly left the banquet hall without looking back.

Tired and annoyed. That was Herald’s current mood. He had told both the Crown Prince Austin and the Emperor that the title bestowing ceremony was enough, that there was no need for a congratulatory party, but his opinion was cleanly ignored.

Saying they couldn’t slight the empire’s hero, that it would tarnish the empire’s prestige, they insisted on holding a grand welcoming party, speaking so vehemently that spit flew. How could he refuse?

‘I shouldn’t have done that.’

If he had insisted more strongly, like Austin and the Emperor did, that there was no need for such an extravagant congratulatory party, it wouldn’t have grown to this scale.

“I sincerely congratulate you on receiving your title of Count, Count Breyden.”

“Thank you.”

Herald swallowed his belated regret as he shook hands with the man offering congratulations. He couldn’t remember how many handshakes this was. It felt like he had said thank you dozens of times already.

Wanting to rest a bit, Herald was contemplating escape when he spotted a man next to Count Stacy and frowned. He wasn’t wearing glasses so he wasn’t sure at first, but it was definitely Lily’s husband, Fredrick Benjamin.

Which meant… could she be here too?

His heart sank. Herald quickly looked around Fredrick but couldn’t see Lily anywhere. Still, he couldn’t relax yet. She might have just stepped away briefly, so he needed to confirm for certain.

“Excuse me for a moment.”

Herald headed towards where Count Stacy and Fredrick were, leaving behind the people who had come to congratulate him.

“Why is that man coming this way?”

“I’m not sure. Perhaps he’s coming to greet the Count? I heard he went on an intimate date with Miss Kennedy Stacy recently.”

“If that’s the case, then that’s fortunate…”

The nobles who had been whispering fell silent and put on artificial smiles as Herald approached. Count Stacy likewise put on a broad smile and offered his congratulations to Herald.

“Congratulations on receiving your title of Count, Count Breyden.”

“Thank you.”

Herald replied perfunctorily as he turned to look at Fredrick. As their eyes met, Fredrick bowed his head and introduced himself.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Count Breyden. I am Fredrick Benjamin. Please feel free to call me Viscount Benjamin.”

It was purely his imagination that the ordinary self-introduction sounded like boasting about being Lily’s husband. Knowing this, Herald’s gaze still turned cold as his mood soured.

“I see, Viscount Benjamin.”

There was a chill in his voice as well. Puzzled to feel hostility from someone he was meeting for the first time, Fredrick looked at Herald in bewilderment. Disliking even that expression, Herald twisted his lips and asked.

“Did you come alone?”

Please say yes. Please say you came alone because Count Stacy asked you to come along.

“No. I came with my wife.”

Herald had desperately hoped and wished, but God was merciless and did not grant his desire.

That woman, she, Lily had come here…

Which meant Lily had learned his true identity, right? Herald felt his heart plummet and his vision go black.

He had thought he should reveal his identity to Lily someday, but not now. Certainly not like this.

“Where is Viscountess Benjamin now?”

Thinking he should meet with Lily and talk first, Herald asked Fredrick, but oddly enough, Count Stacy answered.

“The Viscountess went to the powder room to fix her makeup.”

It was a blatant lie. Confirming that they had no intention of telling him where Lily was, Herald glared at Count Stacy once before turning away.

“Oh, Count Breyden.”

Crown Prince Austin, who had deliberately arrived late saying the party’s guest of honor should stand out, greeted him cheerfully, but Herald ignored him and left the banquet hall. If Lily had learned his identity and received a great shock, there was a high chance she would be crying somewhere without people, so he intended to look outside.

‘What if she’s really crying?’

Imagining Lily crying, Herald bit his lip hard. Having seen her cry in person before made it even more vivid and painful to recall.

I need to find her as soon as possible. His feet moved quickly, matching his urgent heart. Herald searched for Lily with even more focus than when he had hunted for the fleeing Salaman tribe.

Without looking back, Lily rushed out of the banquet hall in a daze and headed for the relatively dark garden. She settled on a chair in the most secluded corner there, took off her shoes and hugged her knees.

“Hic…”

Tears kept falling as she felt foolish and pathetic for being deceived by another man after being so badly hurt by Fredrick. Her makeup, which the maids had spent hours perfecting, was ruined and smeared, but Lily didn’t care.

To be more precise, she had no room to care, her mind completely filled with the fact that she had been deceived by that man.

As Lily was crying her eyes out with her face buried in her knees as if to expel all the moisture from her body, she suddenly felt a presence and looked up.

The first thing she saw was a hand holding out a handkerchief. Raising her head a bit more, she saw a man with slightly reddish blonde hair and delicate features. He was a handsome man who could be described as pretty rather than handsome.

She was so surprised to find someone else in the dark garden besides herself that her tears, which had been pouring like a broken faucet, stopped instantly.

“Are you alright, my lady?”

“Ah, I-I’m fine.”

Lily hurriedly stood up, then turned her head when she felt something catch on her foot. One of her shoes that she had neatly taken off had been kicked away by her foot and was lying some distance away. She was about to go pick it up, not minding that she was barefoot, when the man moved first.

“Here you are.”

“Th-thank you.”

As if it wasn’t embarrassing enough to have been seen crying so unattractively, now she had made him pick up her shoe. Lily lowered her head deeply in shame.

“If you don’t mind me asking, may I ask why you were crying?”

Having received his help, she couldn’t coldly tell him not to ask.

“It’s just… I felt so foolish for dreaming a dream that didn’t suit me.”

Not wanting to tell the truth, Lily gave a vague answer. It was also a sentence that perfectly summed up her situation. For a moment, she had had the ridiculous thought that a man like Herald could sincerely like her.

“It may sound like a formal consolation, but I believe there’s no such thing as a dream that doesn’t suit someone in this world.”

The golden eyes looking at Lily were gentle.

“So I’m sure the dream you had suited you very well, and I hope you won’t be too discouraged.”

“Thank you.”

Though Lily didn’t think so at all, she didn’t want to ignore the man’s attempt to comfort her, so she gave a faint smile on her tear-stained face as she thanked him.

“…..”

The man’s expression, which had been smiling in response, suddenly hardened.

What did he see to be so surprised?

As Lily was about to turn around in confusion, someone grabbed her arm before she could turn her head.