“……Princess?”
“……”
Though they met again after finding the handkerchief, Lylaina had grown uncharacteristically quiet. Standing beside her, Dianther looked at her with concern. The princess, who had been staring blankly ahead, finally blinked and turned toward her when she called her name again.
“Ah… I’m sorry, Dian. I was just lost in thought for a bit…”
“You might be tired from all the walking, Your Highness. I think it’s best if you return to the palace now.”
“Th-then, I suppose so. Um… Dian, today…”
Her voice trailed off. Dianther looked at her wordlessly. Her large eyes shimmered faintly—as though she were about to cry.
She tried to guess what could have caused such a sudden change in the gentle young princess’s mood. When she turned her gaze, even the stern Knight Commander, who stood like a shadow at the princess’s side, wore a subtly different expression than usual. His face was far more rigid than normal, his brows furrowed in visible displeasure.
The air was completely different from before they’d gone to look for the handkerchief. Dianther could clearly feel the shift.
Seeing that Lylaina was hesitating, unable to speak, she smiled gently first.
“I had a wonderful time. It’s all thanks to you, Your Highness, for showing me around. I feel much better now. Thank you for being so thoughtful, Princess Lylaina.”
“R-really? Then I’m… glad. I’m glad you enjoyed it.”
Lylaina lowered her gaze, her voice catching slightly in her throat. Noticing the distinct change in his sister’s demeanor, Kian finally spoke up.
“…Lylaina. Did something happen?”
“No. Nothing happened.”
“……”
“…Let’s go back, brother.”
Her uncharacteristic impatience to return to the palace was not so much strange as it was unsettling. Kian fell silent and turned his eyes toward Luke Benedict. The man’s tightly pressed lips and confused gaze said it all—something had happened. There was no way Kian would let the Knight Commander leave early tonight.
________✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧𓉞___________
The short but seemingly endless vacation had finally come to an end.
That day, Arthur opened the gifts I’d brought him one by one, delighted by each of them. He’d always avoided telling me what he needed, but apparently, the items I’d picked—after consulting Edward Callinan—were exactly what he’d wanted. As he happily chewed on the strawberry crepe I’d brought, Arthur beamed up at me.
“Sis, how do you always know what I like so well?”
“Oh, well… I got a little help here and there. Do you like them?”
“Yeah! I love them! Thanks, sis. I’ll study hard!”
I brushed it off, but honestly, that was enough for me. Seeing Arthur happy made the whole trip worth it.
Since I had to leave a little earlier, Mrs. Alex prepared an early dinner for me. I wasn’t particularly hungry, but I finished everything she’d served before getting on the carriage back to the mansion.
Arthur looked ready to cry at the thought of saying goodbye. I hugged him tightly, then bid farewell to Mrs. and Mr. Alex as well. Once I arrived at the Aspania mansion, I knew my usual daily routine awaited me once again.
The first thing I did upon returning was report to Head Maid Meg.
“Head Maid, I’ve returned from my vacation.”
“Amel.”
Meg sat at her usual place in front of the office table, her posture upright, her eyes sharp and precise as ever. She told me she had returned earlier that morning with the lord and lady of the house. Despite the early travel, she showed no sign of fatigue.
“Surprisingly, you’re not late this time.”
“Yes, Head Maid. Did you enjoy your vacation as well?”
“I did. …Starting tomorrow, the mansion will resume its usual routine. Don’t let yourself linger in vacation mode.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
After that brief report, I was finally able to lie down on my small bed in the servants’ quarters.
A small sigh escaped into the quiet air. I lifted my arm to rest it across my forehead—it felt warm, as if a slight fever had risen. My mind kept drifting toward a certain voice.
‘If I were to disappear like this… what would you do? Your engagement hasn’t been annulled yet, has it?’
“……”
‘I asked what you would do if I disappeared.’
“……”
‘Then I won’t let you disappear.’
‘I’ll make sure you never vanish from before my eyes again.’
And then—
What had I done after that?
I’d asked him if I could believe him. I’d told him to trust me.
And then I kissed him.
…Ha.
Thinking about something like that right before bed—honestly, it was the stupidest thing to do. How could I possibly fall asleep peacefully after recalling that? My thoughts kept spinning out of control. I tossed and turned, caught in memories that refused to fade. The more I thought about it, the more insane my actions seemed.
At first, I couldn’t even understand why he’d said those words.
I’d asked a perfectly reasonable question—what would happen if I disappeared after he’d paid off all my debts—and yet his answer had been anything but reasonable. It was as if Edward Callinan had already known me. His attitude was so strange. I had only met him for the first time at the Aspania mansion—as my lady’s fiancé.
At least, I was certain there had never been a man named Edward Edwin Callinan among the nobility I remembered.
Then why had he spoken to me that way…?
I didn’t know. Everything was hazy, like a fog at dawn.
The more I dwelled on the past, the more my head throbbed. A dull ache pressed against my temples.
I closed my eyes and forced myself to focus. The past was unclear—but the present was not.
My current situation. My position.
My father’s debt had vanished absurdly easily, but that didn’t mean I planned to break our contract and disappear midway through. I’d agreed to it fully aware of what it entailed. I hadn’t intended to make some noble, self-sacrificing gesture for Lady Dianthe’s sake, nor to endure any criticism in her place. We were simply employer and employee—our relationship perhaps friendlier than most between nobles and servants, but unchanged in essence.
I had made this choice for myself—for my benefit, my reality, and my future.
So now was no time for cowardice or escape.
Just as Edward Callinan hadn’t used and discarded me, I had no intention of betraying him or Lady Dianther simply because my debt was gone. Having entered into this contract, it was my responsibility to see it through to the end.
For my lady’s unfulfilled love.
And for whatever purpose Edward Callinan sought to achieve. They still needed me.
“……”
My thoughts drifted back to that moment yesterday, in the alleyway of the new city.
At the edge of my blurred vision, I had seen Princess Lylaina.
It wasn’t a royal occasion, so seeing her in such an ordinary place was certainly unusual. Still, I could quickly infer that she must have invited Lady Dianther personally into the city.
What would the princess think of this scandal?
She adored Lady Dianther deeply. If she saw Edward Callinan—the fiancé of her dear friend—kissing another woman, the engagement would surely end sooner.
If that happened, then Edward Callinan and I would no longer need to continue our act.
And the surest way to make that happen—was for the princess to see it herself.
________✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧𓉞___________
Before (Amel’s Pov):
I looked up at Edward Callinan.
Without a word, I stepped closer and kissed him. As I reached up on my toes, my hand resting on his arm, I felt his body tense slightly.
Was he surprised? I wondered if he’d push me away.
But he didn’t. He didn’t try to avoid me.
His hand rose, slowly, naturally wrapping around my back.
The world spun. I closed my eyes, opened them again after a long moment, then closed them once more. I didn’t know what he was thinking as he responded to such an impulsive act.
He turned me in his arms, blocking my view of the princess. I could no longer see her—but I knew. I had seen her eyes widen in shock. The impulsive plan had worked.
The princess now knew for certain—Edward Callinan had another woman besides Dianther del Aspania.
“……Ha.”
“……”
Our lips parted. His breath lingered close to mine. Only then did I fully comprehend what I had done.
What had I been thinking? What on earth possessed me?
Maybe… I just wanted to show him that I would honor our contract no matter what. I’d told him to trust me, after all.
I won’t do anything foolish.
I’ll give this contract my all.
So don’t waver.
Don’t misunderstand.
That’s what I’d wanted to say.
Because I couldn’t understand his occasional strange expressions—the way he looked at me as though afraid I might get hurt.
But that kiss, at least, allowed me to remind myself of one thing.
That in fulfilling this contract to the very end— I would never love him.
