“So, how was the all-night ball? Was it good?”

At Eida’s sudden question during breakfast, Melly’s mind went blank.

“Ah, well…”

She hesitated, not knowing how to answer. Then Edric, who was next to her, spoke instead.

“It must have been boring, Mother. The Rockston family’s balls are famously dull, aren’t they?”

Melly then remembered that she had allegedly attended the Rockston family’s ball last night. Allegedly, that is.

Eida said with a bright expression:

“Still, it was a good idea. From now on, you should attend balls more often. That way you can meet good people too.”

“Yes…”

Melly lowered her head in guilt. She couldn’t dare to face Eida.

It was just as the soup bowls were being cleared and the truffle roast drizzled with balsamic vinegar was being served.

“By the way, have you not considered meeting Mrs. Gellen’s nephew I mentioned before?”

Eida suddenly brought up the topic of marriage.

“I think it’s not polite to keep them waiting too long. I’d like you to tell me your thoughts.”

Whether superficial or not, rejecting Eida’s kind suggestion was extremely painful for Melly.

“…I’m sorry. I don’t… intend to meet him.”

Melly rejected with great difficulty. But Eida didn’t seem to want to stop there.

“Then, how about Baron Conrad?”

She brought up another marriage prospect.

“Although he’s the second son, he’s from a noble family and a handsome man. Moreover, he’s devoted to love. He hasn’t looked at anyone else except his late wife who passed away a year ago.”

“…”

“Mrs. Fanie showed me a portrait of his late wife yesterday when she brought up this match, and my goodness! She looks just like you, Melly.”

“…”

“I think that man might cherish you dearly. Although it’s a remarriage, which is a bit… Since there were no children with his previous wife, it’s almost like a first marriage, isn’t it?”

Finally, Eida Pelton concluded gracefully and kindly.

“The decision is yours, Melly. I respect your wishes.”

Melly knew too much now to believe those words at face value.

The lady was hoping that she would marry anyone, whether an older man or a widower, just to leave this place.

While she could grant the wish of leaving, it was right to refuse marriage.

It wasn’t proper for a woman who harbored feelings for another man and had even been intimate with him to go on matchmaking meetings.

“I’m sorry, but I…”

“Actually, at first, you have no idea how furious I was.”

Eida quickly said as Melly showed signs of refusal.

“I said I wanted to make you my daughter-in-law if I had another son, that I couldn’t possibly give you to a mere widowed baron. Can you imagine how angry I was? I almost fell out with Mrs. Fanie.”

“…”

“But Melly, from what I hear, that Baron Conrad has good judgment and is very devoted to his family. They say he had such a good relationship with his late wife. Since you look exactly like his former wife, he’s sure to pour all the affection he had for her onto you. A woman, you know, should always go to a man who loves her.”

Melly found it impossible to flatly refuse the lady’s proposal, which was so kind and passionate.

She hoped that at this point, Edric would say something on her behalf.

Although there were no promises for the future, couldn’t he say at least that much in return for tormenting her so persistently last night?

But Edric said nothing.

He just moved his cutlery with an elegant attitude, as if he had nothing to do with this matter.

“…I’ll think about it.”

In the end, Melly had to say it herself.

Melly wondered why Edric wouldn’t say anything for her.

Perhaps…

‘Was the night not good enough?’

No.

Melly shook her head.

The Edric she knew would never ignore her predicament for such a reason.

He probably just judged that it was better not to interfere. It might upset his mother…

‘Just give her some time. It must be sudden for Melly too.’

But suddenly, she remembered what he had said when the marriage talk with Blair came up.

At that time, he had clearly prevented her matchmaking. Even going against his mother. But now… why now…

“Oh, I’m planning to visit Duke and Duchess Adel soon. I intend to discuss the marriage more concretely when we meet. After all, if we leave it to young people, they tend to skip too much of the formalities. The wedding of a great family is all about formality, isn’t it? Don’t take tradition lightly, Edric.”

“I’ve never taken it lightly, Mother. Of course, the wedding should be conducted with proper formality.”

Watching Edric politely accept his mother’s advice, Melly felt more and more miserable.

Her certainty was gradually fading.

I thought even one night would be good.

I thought I was satisfied that I could have him without committing a sin.

I believed I had the confidence to be fine even if I ended up being just Edric’s one-night stand, because I knew my place.

But now Melly realized how little she had known herself all this time.

‘It’s not okay at all.’

My heart ached. It hurt so much, as much as my body that felt like it had been beaten.

“Damn it.”

Before I knew it, even a vulgar curse came out.

Mother had told me that people like me should be especially careful with their words and actions.

‘What kind of person am I anyway?’

Melly stood in front of the full-length mirror, seething. There stood a small, skinny woman looking back at her, barely worthy of having accepted him.

For a moment, she hated herself so much she wanted to shatter the mirror.

Thinking that he must not have felt any satisfaction with her, she really came to despise herself, her body.

It was such a strange thing.

‘Was it all an act?’

Even in the moment when he was persistently pushing her, he looked truly ecstatic.

That strange cry calling out her name at the critical moment still rang clearly in her ears.

But now he had become a man who didn’t care whether she went on blind dates or not.

And what about breaking off the engagement?

If he broke it off, why didn’t he tell his mother, the Dowager Duchess, about it?

Was it just something that came up briefly between him and Rosalyn?

After sharing a bed with her, did he reconsider and think there was no woman better than Rosalyn?

Thousands of thoughts floated through Melly’s mind.

She learned at this point that thoughts could devour a person.

Moreover, her thoughts kept leaning towards the negative.

Although she knew well that Edric wasn’t that kind of man, after thinking and thinking, she always concluded that he was, after all, human.

Humans are contradictory and selfish. Edric is human. Therefore, he too can act contradictorily and make hypocritical judgments. Quite possibly…

Melly wanted to cry.

She hated Edric. She wanted to run to him right away and curse at him.

‘Bastard! Shameless! Womanizer!’

But Melly did well to be patient and wait.

Whenever her emotions boiled over, she calmly closed her eyes and sorted out her thoughts.

And she concluded that all this trouble ultimately happened because of her own selfishness.

She wanted to imprint his traces on herself. It was Melly herself who accepted him, thinking it would be fine even if it ended after just one night.

‘What should I do? Should I just give up?’

Edric gave Melly a choice, and Melly chose to spend the night with him.

So there was no reason to blame him for changing his mind, nor to hold him responsible. It was all her own choice.

Still.

‘Bastard! Shameless!’

When such thoughts arose, she repeated that thought process from the beginning again.

“Mother.”

Eida looked through the mirror at her son who visited her quarters not long after they finished their meal.

She was in the middle of being dressed by her attendants to visit the Adel Marquis and his wife.

“What is it, Edric? If it’s not important, I’d prefer to do this after I return from the Marquis’s house.”

“It is important,” Edric said.

“Please dismiss the servants for a moment, Mother.”

But Lady Pelton couldn’t stop her preparations. She couldn’t be late for such an important visit to her in-laws’ house.

“Just say it. Our household servants are famous for their discretion, they won’t carelessly divulge secrets. Right?”

At her words, the servants swore in unison.

“Of course, my lady. We have ears but will not hear, so please speak freely.”

“I broke off my engagement.”

The servants’ hands froze just moments after they said they wouldn’t hear even though they had ears.

Lady Pelton lowered her voice solemnly and instructed,

“Everyone, leave us.”

“…Yes, my lady.”

The servants hurriedly gathered their tools. After they hastily left the room and only the two remained, Lady Pelton turned to face her son.

“What do you mean, Edric?”

Her expression was benevolent, as if hoping she had heard wrong.

But her son mercilessly betrayed her expectations.

“It’s exactly as I said. I will not marry Rosalyn Adel.”

Edric’s voice was calm yet firm. Eida’s expression gradually hardened.

“Why? What’s the reason? Did Rosalyn offend you?”

“How could that be? You know well that Lady Rosalyn isn’t that kind of woman, don’t you?”

“Then why on earth?”

Lady Pelton’s voice rose.

“There’s someone else I want to marry.”

Edric added immediately, not giving the Dowager Duchess a chance to ask who it was.

“I will marry Melly.”