The morning sun rose behind Herald’s back as he left the Crown Prince’s palace. As the bluish light of dawn disappeared as if chased away, Herald briefly stopped his busy steps and looked back. The moment he faced the dazzling light, his eyes were blinded and the world turned white.

“Then… will you be my concubine?”

As the image of Lily tearfully making a brazen request on a blank canvas came to mind, Herald tightly closed his eyes.

He should have rejected her back then. He should have treated her as a crazy woman making nonsensical demands, thrown her away, and left the room. Instead, he was intrigued, and that had been holding him back until now.

‘No, I was the one holding myself back.’

Lily had told him countless times that she couldn’t accept his heart, so he should let her go. But he couldn’t do that and kept clinging on. He spouted nonsense about doing it for her sake, but his actions were far from it. Disgusted by this realization, Herald twisted his lips and opened his eyes.

The world was now filled with bright sunshine. Looking at the trees with deep green foliage under the warmly shining sun, Lily’s eyes came to mind. He liked every part of her, but if he had to pick his favorite, it would be her fresh green eyes.

It was funny that she came to mind even while he was shuddering with revulsion. Herald thought as he looked at the swaying leaves that seemed to beckon him to come.

What would happen if he let Lily go now and cut ties with her?

Then Lily would be free from people’s sharp glares and pointing fingers, but instead, she would face greater danger. Fredrick Benjamin and the Second Prince were eagerly eyeing her.

Fredrick Benjamin was one thing, but the Second Prince Derius was truly dangerous. He wouldn’t hesitate to kill someone to achieve his goal. The moment Herald let go of Lily’s hand, there was a high possibility that he would go after her life.

So he couldn’t let go now.

Even if he was pointed at and accused of having an immoral relationship not permitted by God, he had no choice. Lily was more important than anything else. If she fell into great danger because he couldn’t endure a moment of shame, he would surely be plagued by guilt for the rest of his life.

So let’s postpone letting go of her hand until after the Second Prince’s issue is resolved. Even better if Fredrick Benjamin’s issue is also resolved.

…If Fredrick Benjamin’s issue is resolved, is there even a need to let go of her hand?

At the sudden question, Herald’s gaze fell down. His neat hair was disheveled by the gently blowing spring breeze.

“Count Braden?”

A court official who spotted him while passing by called out in puzzlement. Only then did Herald raise his head, his face as calm as if nothing had happened. Nodding to acknowledge the court official’s greeting, Herald moved forward again.

Swish-

As the curtains were drawn, warm sunlight poured relentlessly into the dark room. The sunlight tickled her thin eyelids, making her neat eyelashes tremble.

“……”

Awakened by it, Lily drowsily sat up, and Emily, who was arranging the curtains, greeted her with a smile.

“Good morning, Madam.”

“…Yes, good morning.”

Her voice was hoarse from not speaking for a long time. Her throat and mouth were also dry, so Lily drank some lukewarm water. Even while drinking, her eyelids felt heavy as if a stone was placed on them, constantly drooping down. It was because she had stayed up late translating the contract Count Stacy had requested.

As Lily dozed off while holding the water cup, Emily worriedly took the cup from her, afraid she might spill the water.

“If you’re very sleepy, please rest some more, Madam.”

“It’s alright.”

Although she desperately wanted to sleep more, she hadn’t finished translating yet. Herald was supposed to come around lunchtime, so she had to do a fair amount before then to finish within the targeted time.

Lily drank cold water, washed her face, and tried to wake herself up, but it wasn’t easy. Having a hearty breakfast in this situation made her even sleepier.

“I’ll go out for a short walk.”

Feeling this wouldn’t do, Lily put on a thin shawl and left the bedroom. Emily offered to go with her, but she declined. She wanted to walk alone and sort out her cluttered mind.

“Where are you going?”

As Lily walked down the corridor leading to the central staircase, a familiar yet unfamiliar voice called out from behind, making her turn her head.

“Good morning, Lord Lamford.”

It was Dillon Lamford, Herald’s assistant. When Lily greeted him warmly, Dillon stopped approaching and stood still. The way he looked at her was subtle. It was hard to define exactly, but it was clear he didn’t welcome her.

He probably thinks of me as that man’s concubine.

Understanding Dillon’s feelings, Lily smiled bitterly.

“Where are you going so early in the morning?”

Dillon composed his expression as if he had never made such a face and asked Lily again.

“To the garden. I’m trying to wake myself up with a walk.”

“Alone?”

When Lily nodded, Herald looked at her for a moment, then said,

“I will go with you.”

“No, it’s fine. Alone…”

“I will go with you.”

It wasn’t a suggestion but a demand. As Dillon strongly insisted on going together with a serious face, Lily had no choice but to nod.

Dillon followed behind her quietly, barely making any sound, but that alone was uncomfortable. It was impossible to feel at ease walking with someone who didn’t welcome her presence. Lily glanced at Dillon from the corner of her eye, and when their eyes met, she was startled and quickly looked ahead again.

“Good morning, Madam.”

“Have a good day today as well, Madam.”

The servants she encountered on the way to the garden all greeted her warmly. Although there were quite a few of them, Lily responded to all with a smile. She was so grateful that they treated her kindly even though they probably found her presence unpleasant.

“Phew.”

When Lily finally let out a small sigh, feeling tired, Dillon asked in dismay,

“If it’s tiring, you could have just nodded lightly. Why did you respond to all of them?”

“I know. I didn’t expect to meet so many servants either.”

Lily laughed awkwardly and scratched her cheek.

“When I first came here, there seemed to be only the butler and two maids around my age… The number of servants suddenly increased. I see a lot of guards too.”

“You don’t know why?”

“Pardon?”

When Lily asked back, looking clueless with wide eyes, Dillon inwardly sighed deeply and shook his head.

“It’s nothing.”

There was so much he wanted to say, but he couldn’t easily bring it up. Not only was Lily of higher status than him, but the main reason was that she was the woman Herald liked.

Why did it have to be this woman?

Dillon felt like a student faced with an eternally unsolvable problem as he followed behind Lily.

Walking with Dillon was quite uncomfortable, but it definitely woke her up. After returning to the bedroom from the walk, Lily focused on translating the contract. Herald would come soon, and then she wouldn’t be able to work, so she planned to do as much as possible.

Knock knock-

As she was concentrating, there was a knock on the door. Lily reflexively checked the time. It was currently 11:20 AM. It was time for Herald to come. Lily hurriedly organized her things and answered,

“Come in!”

Thinking it would obviously be Herald, the person who opened the door and entered was the maid who had attended to her when she first arrived at the Braden estate. In the maid’s arms was a huge bouquet of pink roses, so large it was difficult to embrace with both arms.

“What are the flowers for?”

“It’s a gift from the Count to you, Madam.”

“For me?”

Why did he suddenly send a bouquet?

Lily wondered as she took the bouquet the maid handed her. The fragrance of the roses was so strong that she felt momentarily dizzy. The bouquet was too big and cumbersome to hold, but she didn’t want to put it down, so she kept holding it.

“Here, he also sent a letter.”

But to read the letter Herald sent, she had no choice but to put it down. Lily gently placed the flowers on the sofa so they wouldn’t get damaged and read the letter.

Lily hesitated from the first line because Herald used a different expression than before. My dear. Lily read that sentence over and over, then lowered her gaze.

The content of the letter was brief. He seemed unable to come due to urgent business. Tomorrow would be difficult too, and they could probably meet the day after. The bouquet was an apologetic gift for breaking his promise. After reading until the last line, Lily closed her eyes tightly, then opened them and said to the maid,

“It seems I’ll have to have lunch alone.”

It was an indirect way of saying Herald wasn’t coming. The maid, who immediately understood, smiled and asked,

“I see. Is there anything you would like to eat, Madam?”

“Well, I had a big breakfast, so I’m full. I’d like to have something light for lunch.”

“I will let the kitchen know.”

After the maid left, Lily read Herald’s letter again. More precisely, she only read the first line.

Until now, Herald had written [To my beloved Lily] in his letters.

But suddenly changing the expression to ‘my dear,’ did it mean his feelings had changed?

It could be meaningless, but somehow it didn’t seem so, and it bothered her. The fact that she was concerned about this was also irritating.

“……”

Lily’s gaze suddenly fell on the bouquet Herald had given her. Looking at the lavishly blooming pink roses, she muttered as she recalled the flower’s meaning.

“I will make you happy.”