Episode 4
No sooner had morning broken than guests began arriving at House Alfred.
Even the servants had only just started their day.
After finishing her usual morning exercise and returning home, Adora was immediately met by a frantic John rushing toward her.
She quickly washed up, changed clothes in a hurry, and headed straight to the reception room.
Inside sat a middle-aged couple and a young man.
At a glance, they clearly looked like parents and son.
They politely introduced their family, exchanged greetings with Adora, and openly expressed their interest in marriage.
They even brought expensive gifts to demonstrate the sincerity of that interest.
And visits like that continued all day long.
It didn’t take Adora long to realize something.
Some noble families sent marriage proposals through their retainers—
while others came in person to declare their intentions.
And so Adora spent her days overwhelmed by an endless stream of proposal letters and visiting guests.
As though they were competing against one another, people rushed to secure the earliest appointments and traveled great distances just to meet her.
Some noble families didn’t even care about her age and simply pushed potential partners toward her.
One of the men she met was absurdly younger than she was.
And to win her favor, every visitor brought gifts.
Massive bouquets.
Large gemstones.
Decorative ornaments said to hold deep symbolic meaning.
Even sacred relics supposedly imported from across the sea.
Since she rejected and returned everything except flowers, some people began sending flower arrangements so enormous it looked as if they had uprooted entire gardens.
After spending yet another morning entertaining guests, Adora finally found some free time and collapsed onto the sofa in her office.
But even that freedom was meaningless—
because the table was still piled high with proposal letters she hadn’t read.
Holding up a letter that smelled strangely pleasant, Adora let out a deep sigh.
“When am I ever going to finish reading all of these…?”
“Please rest. I’ll continue reviewing them.”
John spoke without lifting his eyes from the letters.
Though he said it casually, he had actually been handling most of the proposal reviews while Adora dealt with guests.
Adora had tried helping him, but after spending most of her life on battlefields, she honestly knew very little about suitable marriage candidates.
John was far more capable in that regard.
“At least most of these families aren’t bad.”
“Really?”
But Adora wasn’t interested in family prestige.
She tossed aside the scented letter and looked back at John.
Unlike her, he was carefully reviewing each proposal one by one.
Resting her chin on her hand while leaning against the sofa’s armrest, Adora watched him work.
“What do you think, John? Which family seems best?”
“The best family is whichever one pleases you most, my lady.”
“The family you choose will probably become the one I like most.”
“Then the family you like most will naturally become the one I believe is best.”
Adora laughed softly at how he simply reflected her words back at her.
If there was anyone in the world who wished most sincerely for her happiness—
it was John.
The once-stern man she remembered from childhood was no longer young.
And as he aged, he had gradually become a replacement for the parents she had lost.
After quietly staring at him for a moment, Adora spoke.
“As long as we get along, I honestly don’t care who it is.”
“That is certainly important. However, this is someone you’ll spend the rest of your life with, so you must choose carefully. Wealth, status… or perhaps there is someone you already have in mind?”
Adora shook her head.
“No. There’s no one.”
“Then is there anything you consider particularly important in a marriage partner?”
“Something important… well…”
Pretending to think deeply, Adora sprawled lazily across the sofa.
She had never acted like this while living on battlefields—
but being around John always made her relax too much.
She yawned from exhaustion.
John asked again, clearly believing her opinion mattered most.
After thinking for a moment, Adora answered lightly.
“Compatibility in bed?”
A married comrade had once told her:
‘A marriage lasts longer if your nights together are good.’
Another comrade had enthusiastically explained all the disasters that could happen if a couple wasn’t compatible in that area.
Remembering that conversation, Adora answered without much thought.
But John slowly turned to look at her—
then nodded very seriously.
“That is indeed extremely important.”
Adora had only meant it as a joke.
She hadn’t expected him to agree so seriously.
When John began saying he would make sure to find someone with perfect bedroom skills, Adora shot upright in panic.
Her exhaustion instantly disappeared.
“Actually, I think I should help review these too.”
“Oh? You’ve changed your mind?”
Adora nodded and reached for another pile of letters.
Unfortunately, the one she grabbed was the same scented letter she had thrown aside earlier.
She brought it closer.
The fragrance was overwhelmingly sweet.
And familiar.
It smelled like the perfume noblewomen often used.
Whoever sprayed it had clearly put thought into it—
but unfortunately, it wasn’t her taste.
When she read the contents, it was stuffed with every flattering phrase imaginable.
It felt exhausting.
She coldly set it aside and opened another letter.
This one was cleaner and simpler—
but the contents were nearly identical.
Then several more were the same.
Adora continued opening letters one by one.
By the tenth letter, they all felt exactly alike.
As she read yet another painfully formal and boring proposal, she began wondering if she should simply give up on marriage altogether—
when someone knocked on the door.
A maid entered and bowed.
“What is it?”
“Um… y-you have a visitor.”
At the word visitor, Adora looked immediately exhausted.
She didn’t want to meet any more guests.
And according to the schedule, there shouldn’t have been any visitors today.
Then again, several rude people had shown up unannounced over the past few days, so perhaps this wasn’t unusual anymore.
Adora waved dismissively.
She had no intention of meeting anyone.
But instead of leaving, the maid clasped her hands nervously.
“B-but…”
Only then did Adora notice the maid’s flushed face.
For a moment, she wondered if the girl was sick.
Before Adora could ask, John stepped forward and quietly asked who had arrived.
After speaking briefly with the maid, John turned toward Adora.
“I believe… you should go.”
Who in the world could it be?
Slightly irritated, Adora rose from the sofa.
She followed the maid out of the office and headed toward the entrance hall.
The hall was overflowing with every kind of flower imaginable.
They were all gifts sent alongside marriage proposals.
When she had casually told John to place them somewhere nice—
he had apparently chosen the entrance hall, where they formed what looked like a small flower garden.
And standing in the middle of that floral garden—
was her unexpected guest.
It was as though sunlight existed only in that one spot.
Silver hair shimmered transparently beneath the spring sun.
The light clung to his dark brows and long eyelashes, trembling delicately.
His sharp nose and vivid red lips formed a flawless harmony.
The pale throat visible beneath the thick fur draped over his shoulders drew the eye.
The gold embroidery on his neatly tailored black coat and vest glimmered softly.
His long elegant fingers rested on a cane with a silver handle.
And the bouquet of roses overflowing from his arms only made him look even more breathtaking.
Adora stopped walking entirely.
She suddenly understood why the maid’s face had been so red.
Then the man seemed to notice her presence.
He slowly lifted his head.
Their eyes met.
And instantly—
his previously stiff expression melted into a radiant smile.
“Sir Adora Alfred.”
His voice flowed from parted lips like birdsong in the morning.
For the first time in her life, Adora realized her own name could sound so beautiful.
The man, whose face looked as though light itself poured from it, slowly approached her.
Adora stared at him as though she were seeing something unreal.
“…Your Highness Lionel?”
she asked in disbelief.
And understandably so.
Because the rude, unannounced visitor standing in House Alfred—
was the Fourth Prince of the Kingdom of Glorious.
His smile deepened at her call.
“It’s been a long time.”
“Ah… yes, Your Highness. It has been quite some time. I hope you’ve been well.”
Adora hurriedly bowed.
Even as she greeted him, she still felt dazed.
A soft chuckle sounded above her.
“Why such formal greetings between us? Raise your head.”
Between us? What kind of relationship do we even have?
Adora panicked internally but obediently lifted her head.
And was once again greeted by a face so beautiful it seemed sculpted by the gods.
Trying not to reveal her confusion, she calmly asked:
“Your Highness… what brings you here today?”
No matter how she thought about it, she was certain no appointment had been made.
But instead of answering—
the prince simply stared at her.
Being looked at so directly made Adora uncomfortable.
Her gaze drifted away slightly.
A heavy silence followed.
Adora was too busy organizing her confused thoughts to notice how strange it felt.
But once her mind calmed somewhat, she glanced at him again—
and his red lips moved immediately, as though he had been waiting.
“Have you chosen someone yet?”
“Pardon? Chosen what?”
“I heard you’re searching for a marriage partner.”
Adora suddenly felt embarrassed.
Her marriage plans seemed to be spreading across the kingdom like national news.
At the same time, she couldn’t understand why the Fourth Prince had suddenly appeared just to ask her that.
She shook her head.
“No. I haven’t chosen anyone yet.”
The moment she answered—
he laughed softly.
And he looked genuinely happy.
Truly happy.
