The bright and warm sunlight of the sky, welcoming the new owner, gently caressed the earth. While opening the window to let in the approaching spring air, I spotted carriages bearing the Baitness family crest lined up in the distance.

‘To put it nicely, you can stay here until you pay off that debt. To put it bluntly, you can’t leave until you pay it all back.’

A few days ago, I found the source of the 700,000 mori everyone was worried about. What was supposed to be a request for permission to stay until mother returned turned into a place where I had to beg pitifully.

But I don’t regret it. If it’s to protect mother, such humiliation wouldn’t even count as humiliation.

“Still, it’s fortunate. At least the debt won’t increase further.”

I felt relieved, but everything was full of questions.

How did mother know Duke Baitness and borrow money? Why did Duke Baitness lend such a large sum to my mother who had no credit? What is the real purpose of Duke Baitness showing me mercy?

Somewhere between hostility and kindness. Or those eyes that were closer to hostility.

Those blue eyes that were close to hostility, close to kindness…

A familiar memory suddenly spread and tangled in confusion. Vivian frowned, trying to sort out the fluttering memory, but it faded like fog as if it never existed in the first place.

The carriages that had been lining up stopped in front of the mansion. As the sound of horses stomping brought her distant consciousness back to clarity, she left the room carrying the trunk she had prepared in advance.

Viewed from the second floor, the mansion was bustling for the first time in a long while. The servants carrying things passed by ignoring Vivian, who was not the owner, without even greeting her, but she didn’t mind at all.

All she felt was excitement amid the familiarity. It seemed as if calling out “Mother, Father” would immediately bring a response.

“Put this luggage in the Duke’s bedroom. Be careful not to break anything. You must arrange it exactly like the previous bedroom. He’s quite sensitive. And this…”

Charlotte, who was giving instructions to the butler, noticed Vivian’s presence on the lobby stairs. Vivian, who had hurriedly come down to the first floor, faced Charlotte for the first time. Her gaze lingered briefly on the hat decorated with feathers that suited Charlotte quite well.

“I am Vivian Eveline.”

Vivian, suddenly coming to her senses, showed respect and courtesy towards Mrs. Baitness. But there was no corresponding answer. Vivian realized the other person did not want her as the blatant gaze became embarrassing. Feeling rushed, Vivian added:

“As you may have heard, I received permission from Duke Baitness to stay here for the time being. I’ll be careful not to be noticed by you two as much as possible. If you could designate a room for me, I’ll stay there.”

“Miss Eveline can use the room she used before.”

Charlotte withdrew her annoyed gaze with a sigh, and with a flick of her finger, a clumsy maid hurried over.

“The room I used before? But that room is…”

“From now on, this child will assist Miss Eveline by her side. If there’s anything uncomfortable, let her know through this child.”

“What?”

Lending money to my mother, forgiving the interest, letting me use the room I used before, and assigning a maid.

Was it eyes with kindness, not hostility?

Although I had never read it that way, what the Duke and Duchess showed me was closer to kindness. But judging from Mrs. Baitness’s expression, it seemed she had no say in all these decisions.

Then why is the Duke showing me such excessive kindness?

Indeed, questions breed shapeless fears.

“No, madam. I just need a small room. The room I used before is for the owners, and moreover, I don’t need a maid. I’ll just accept your kindness.”

“I’ll talk to the Duke. But he won’t change his mind. That’s the kind of person the Duke is.”

Like a couple, it was a confident tone that knew everything about Edwin Baitness.

“I’m Charlotte Windler. I look forward to working with you.”

Charlotte, Windler?

The surname Windler threw cold water on Vivian, who had concluded she was Mrs. Baitness, leaving her dumbfounded. Charlotte gave her respects to Vivian, who was filled with both apology and bewilderment, and then immediately turned away.

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Why? For what reason?

Charlotte’s heels clacked nervously on the floor. Though she knew it looked unsightly, if she didn’t vent her anger like this, it was clear it would be directed somewhere inappropriate.

‘I’ll be away from the mansion for a while due to company business. So take responsibility and finish up the mansion affairs.’

That’s what Edwin had said when he suddenly called her out in the early evening. She had been thinking it was a good opportunity to ask him to postpone the wedding.

‘And from now on, Vivian Eveline will also be staying at that mansion.’

If it weren’t for Edwin’s shocking statement that followed, she might have already been begging him to delay the wedding.

‘Tell Eveline to keep using the room she was using. And assign her a suitable maid.’

Right now, the most important thing for her was postponing the wedding. But Edwin’s attitude towards someone was unsettling Charlotte enough to change the order of importance.

Edwin was paying attention to Eveline. Whether it was in a bad way or a good way, it was an unexpected interest for Edwin, who didn’t show much concern for anything other than company matters.

Charlotte, who had stopped in her tracks, turned around. Behind the busy servants, Eveline appeared holding her trunk, with a smile bright enough to dispel even dark clouds.

Their eyes met again. That woman who lost everything smiles like a fool. Charlotte put on a stiff smile with courtesy and turned her body again. An irrepressible heat boiled up in her chest.

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The road to Rodinia after finishing business in Perington was full of dark clouds. Just as I thought it would rain soon, the sound of heavy raindrops hitting the carriage echoed inside.

Carriage. And rain.

Naturally, an unforgettable memory that could never be erased flashed by strangely.

‘I’m not a bad person. I’m being chased. Please save me. I need to get to the port. I need to board the ship to Newway.’

A 14-year-old boy begged a 9-year-old girl for his life. That’s what he did, sneaking into that small child’s carriage.

A boy who looked like a beggar after rolling in the mud while avoiding Preston’s soldiers, and a girl like a noble princess. I thought that contrast would properly touch the small child’s sympathy.

‘What’s your name?’

‘Sayer…’

‘Sayer?’

‘Sayer Raven.’

The dynasty of Preston changed again. Earl Eveline, trying to restore the Mayer dynasty, pushed out Duke Raven who was trying to protect King Bannister, and put everyone on the execution stand.

Now in Preston, all those with the surname Raven are killed by Eveline. Knowing this current state of affairs, telling my name to that small child was daring courage.

‘I’m… Vivian Eveline.’

I saw the guilt in that tiny child’s eyes, and only then realized that the carriage I had boarded to save my life belonged to the enemy.

I couldn’t overcome the shame of begging for my life from the enemy. That name alone, Vivian Eveline, completely shattered the determination to live like a dog and get revenge on Eveline.

Edwin recalled the moment when he put his signature under the carefully written name of Vivian Eveline on the promissory note bearing Vivian’s signature.

A woman who would easily crumble with my one signature. A woman who stamped Eveline’s name without knowing how that mere document would bring down Eveline.

The fact that he had survived and come this far by the hands of such a woman felt like someone else’s story.

14 years ago, that young Vivian Eveline must have seen Sayer Raven in the same light.

A powerless and unsightly rebel and survivor. A pitiful boy destined to die soon even if let go. So the kind Eveline must have decided to show mercy.

Unlike me.

The boy who survived by the hands of a small child was planning to take the life of the pitiful and fragile Eveline.

At the right time, at the most perfect moment.

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The carriage arrived at the Duke’s residence in Rodinia. Edwin, standing under the butler’s umbrella, slowly scanned the servants lined up in front of the mansion. Between them, Charlotte came running urgently through the rain with a smile bright enough to dispel even dark clouds.

“Duke!”

Even in the rain, just Edwin. Charlotte, who wouldn’t mind even if it were fire as long as it was in front of Edwin.

“You must be tired from the long journey. Shall I prepare dinner first since you must be exhausted? Ah, it’s been a while, Mr. Royce.”

She didn’t forget to greet Royce, who appeared quietly behind Edwin, warmly as well.

“You’ll catch a cold. You’re getting wet.”

Edwin was unusually calm. He took the umbrella the butler was holding and put it in Charlotte’s hand, causing her freckled cheeks to turn red.

“Thank you, Duke. Or would you like to take a bath first since it’s still early?”

Edwin didn’t respond to the kind question, his eyes were directed far away somewhere else. He was searching for something else among the servants.

The blonde woman who should be visible was nowhere to be seen.

Edwin looked up at the second floor, searching for someone who might be looking down at him from the window, but he couldn’t see even a strand of hair tinged with sunlight anywhere.

“…Miss Eveline has been embroidering for days. I just heard from Sophie that she’s gone out for a walk now.”

Once Eveline was mentioned, his attention turned to Charlotte as well. Although Charlotte felt quite unpleasant about this, she didn’t show it.

“Oh, right. And Miss Eveline said the room was too much and she didn’t need a maid, so I said I’d relay the message. I told her not to expect anything, but what should we do?”

Edwin let out a chuckle. The ill-mannered Eveline who didn’t even show her face had sent her message through his ward.

“Leave it.”

The steps that were about to leave stopped because his eyes, turned carelessly, spotted a blonde woman far away.

The ashen eyes were looking this way too. Even though their eyes met, Vivian, who showed no reaction, turned her steps towards her. Then, startled, Vivian ran away for no reason. Vivian, moving away, finally disappeared from sight.

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The commotion in the mansion made my heart flutter. It felt as if turning my head would reveal the people I love, the people who love me, in their original places.

Ironically, while the family crest and traces of my parents were disappearing from the mansion that had been taken away, the traces of the family and my parents were coming to life more than ever.

The more this happened, the clearer the obstacles before my eyes became. My missing father and my mother who hasn’t returned, leaving behind a huge debt. And the cake handed over by Duke Baitness, which might contain sweet cream or terrifying poison.

An unfounded ominous feeling made Vivian hide in the forest. She wanted to escape from the harsh reality for a moment and suppress this crisis.

“Not to your taste? Miss Eveline.”

Startled by the low question, Vivian tightly gripped the fork she had been holding loosely. Raising her eyes, there were the Duke and Miss Windler.

Throughout the past days when the Duke was absent, Charlotte had called her to the dining table and ate meals together. Despite showing clear signs of unwillingness, she consistently shared meals with her.

‘I’m sorry for misunderstanding at first. I thought you were the Duke’s wife.’

As always, not speaking first, she brought up the topic to change the awkward atmosphere.

‘The Duke is my guardian. We’ve been like family since the Duke was adopted into the Baitness family.’

It was only then that she learned that the two were in a guardian-ward relationship and that Edwin was an adoptee of the Baitness family.

“No. It’s delicious.”

“Then eat. Food doesn’t enter your mouth just by staring at it.”

“Yes…”

The brief conversation ended like that. Charlotte chattered away like a beautiful bird singing, talking about what had happened in the past few days while he was gone. Edwin mixed in appropriate responses, ensuring Charlotte’s conversation didn’t break off.

As Charlotte said, the two were family. Realizing the distance between herself and the two, she understood that now she had no one left.

When she hid in the forest, she heard the sound of Duke Baitness’s carriage. Although she hadn’t been waiting for him, Vivian ran. She embraced the foolish illusion that inside that carriage would be her father, not Duke Baitness. Vivian, who had escaped from reality, held onto a vain belief.

She denied it even though she knew it wasn’t her father. She denied it even though she knew her mother wouldn’t be waiting. She held onto the illusory belief that if she ran breathlessly, even God would be moved and return her life to her.

The hem of her only dress was ruined with mud from running in such a hurry, and even her shoes came off after getting caught. She pushed her wet feet back into them and ran again.

The price of escaping from reality leaves a large scar that won’t be erased.

The servants surrounding them and the horse’s irritated stomping, eager to return home quickly. Edwin and Charlotte’s cheerful appearance. There was no place for Vivian Eveline in that harmonious picture she so desperately wanted to reclaim.

“Miss Eveline.”

Just as tears were about to well up at the thought of her parents, the Duke’s deepened voice rang out.

“Don’t you know how to use a knife?”

Vivian silently shook her head.

“Or is the level of the Eveline family so low that I need to teach you how to eat?”

Only then did she suddenly raise her head and look up defiantly with a reddened complexion.

“Why do you speak like that? Although our family owes you a great debt, such insults are unpleasant.”

Although firm, the smile he showed was an arrogant one that didn’t acknowledge his mistake. Edwin rang a bell, and a servant approached.

“Miss Eveline says the meal is insufficient. Bring out more food.”

Vivian looked down at her plate and immediately expressed her refusal.

“I’m fine. I still have food left.”

“I’m not fine with it.”

His impeccable posture and smile, whether hostile or kind, made her flinch.

“If you don’t want to be insulted, eat. Miss Eveline.”

“But I…”

Edwin stood up from his seat. As the dull footsteps approached, her head lowered deeply. No sooner had she recognized the presence of the shoe at her side than the hand resting on the chair back roughly turned her around.

Her body, which had been facing the table, now faced Edwin. Before she could raise her head in surprise, cold fingertips gripped Vivian’s chin, making their eyes meet.

“It seems you don’t understand the meaning of the document you signed that day.”

It was the second time she was surprised by the unrefined attitude of a gentleman carelessly grabbing a lady’s face. The oppressive atmosphere overwhelmed her, making it impossible to push him away or say what she wanted to say.

“How should your attitude be towards the kindness I’ve shown?”

His voice was gentle, as if there had never been any hostility to begin with.

“You have an obligation to follow all my decisions and a responsibility to obey my will. Accepting my kindness means just that, Miss Eveline.”

At a time when she particularly missed her parents, what cut that feeling to the bone were the blue eyes in front of her.

“Even if you don’t want to eat, eat. Even when my eyes can’t reach you, if food is served, eat. Don’t leave anything behind.”

Tears she had tried to hold back flowed down her reddened cheeks, but those cruel eyes were persistently waiting for Vivian’s answer.