Chapter 29
It had been a long time since the friends were all gathered together. This time’s unofficial Paulette was being held at the Karzel estate.
Ellen arrived at the Karzel estate a day early and claimed one of the guest rooms.
“Welcome!”
Ellen came all the way to the front entrance of the mansion and greeted her friends as they stepped down from the carriage as if it were her own home.
“Is this your house?”
Adrian smiled his usual gentle smile and extended his hand to Ellen. As she lightly grasped and shook his hand, Erica appeared from behind him.
“Hi, Ellen! And Rian, this is going to be our house soon, you know?”
Going through puberty, Erica had become even more open and direct about her feelings for Roil.
“What are you saying? All of you go back to your own homes—this is my house.”
Roil cut between them as he watched their exchange.
Unlike in the past, when he would accept everything Erica said and did, Roil had started to put up subtle boundaries as he grew older.
After the last official Paulette, in the carriage on the way to the magic circle office in the capital, Ellen had asked:
—“Hey, Roil-oppa, you’ve been kind of stepping back whenever Erica says she likes you. You used to just go along with it, didn’t you?”
Roil had scratched his nose lightly and replied:
—“We were kids back then. I didn’t think it’d last this long. But now that we’re older, I can’t just brush it off—I’m worried she might be serious.”
Erica had made it obvious that she liked Roil—so obvious it was like saying, “I know, you know, everyone knows.” Roil, on the other hand, was careful to express himself just enough so everyone understood his feelings, but without creating awkwardness between the Karzel and Note families.
And Erica had long realized that Roil didn’t return her feelings.
✿ ✿ ✿
That night, when everyone was gathered at Roil’s house, Erica and Serel came into Ellen’s room and sat down together.
Draped in shawls over their pajamas, the way they darted into Ellen’s room looked exactly like how they had five years ago as kids.
“They’ve only gotten taller.”
Ellen, well aware that as people age, noble courtesy and polite façades often take over, was glad to see her friends hadn’t changed.
May they always be this way.
Erica and Serel threw their shawls onto the couch and flopped down.
“Let’s have another drink!”
“Someone might think we’re actually drinking alcohol.”
Serel playfully covered Erica’s mouth.
“Go get us some non-alcoholic champagne and snacks.”
Erica stuck her tongue out and licked Serel’s hand, then turned to a maid standing nearby and gave the order.
“Ew!” Serel recoiled in disgust and wiped her hand on Erica’s pajama sleeve.
“I do like that you’re always the same. But can you maybe… not do this anymore?”
Serel frowned but still wore a smile.
All three of them knew Erica wouldn’t stop.
“By the way, Ellen, Erica—didn’t that girl who just left look familiar to you?”
Serel glanced at the door through which the maid had exited.
The maid assigned to Ellen’s guest room was Silla, temporarily placed there by Diana.
“Did she?”
“Right? When I first saw her, she looked familiar, but I couldn’t place her.”
Erica tilted her head, and Ellen nodded.
“So I wasn’t imagining it. But Serel, if she looked familiar to you too, then when and where did we see her?”
Ellen recalled the moment she first saw Silla at the hunting grounds. She couldn’t remember anything specific. But if Serel also remembered her, maybe they’d seen her together?
“Maybe you’ve just been to the Karzel estate too often and got used to her?”
“No, I first saw her just recently too. And Serel said the same thing.”
“Hmm. Well, Serel has the best memory for faces among us.”
Erica stared at Serel, who covered her eyes playfully and replied,
“It’s not someone I saw recently. It feels like I saw her a long time ago…”
Ellen rolled her eyes up to the right and looked at Serel again. She still couldn’t remember anything.
“According to Aunt, she only joined the Karzel household recently. Even so, it’s hard to imagine we crossed paths with her before.”
Knock knock.
Just as Ellen finished speaking, a knock came at the door.
“Come in.”
Silla entered, pushing a tray. As if on cue, Ellen, Serel, and Erica quickly changed the subject.
“So, what kind of girl does Roil even like?”
Erica sighed and initiated the new topic: Roil.
Silla, carefully setting down champagne and fruit on the table, showed no sign she had overheard their earlier conversation.
Ellen pondered Erica’s question. Thinking back on Eunho and Roilet…
“Come to think of it, neither Eunho nor Roil ever liked anyone in particular.”
Ellen was a bit surprised by this realization.
Even as Eunho, he had been popular. People often assumed he was dating Hyesuh. When she clarified that they weren’t, other girls would subtly ask whether Eunho had a girlfriend.
“Maybe he’s just not interested in romance?”
At the very least, Ellen couldn’t imagine him liking anyone right now. After all, even she saw boys like Adrian and Santiuc—13 or 14 years old—as little brothers.
Counting her life as Hyesuh, she was already 26 years old. The age gap between her and her friends felt enormous. She was in an ambiguous situation.
“Wait, how am I even supposed to get married later?”
Ellen’s expression turned grave.
The age gap between her physical and mental self was a real issue.
As she debated whether to base her choice of a future spouse on her mind or body, a light clink rang out. She looked over and saw Erica and Serel staring at her.
Erica still had her fork near her champagne glass.
“Huh?”
Ellen blinked in confusion.
“Ellen, you’re supposed to answer.”
“Answer what?”
Erica was even more confused.
“I asked what kind of girl Roil likes. You’re closest to him, so you should know.”
Erica said it like it was obvious.
“Hmm, true, but I don’t know either. We’ve never talked about that kind of thing.”
“Really?”
Erica’s shoulders slumped slightly. Seeing that, Ellen quickly added,
“Want me to ask him sometime?”
“No, it’s fine. If he has a type and I’m not it, I’ll just feel worse.”
Erica smiled weakly and declined.
“Besides, ideal types are just ideals. A lot of people end up with someone completely different.”
Ellen remembered a conversation she once had with Eunho. But Erica only shook her head.
Serel was the first to climb into Ellen’s bed. She said she felt stiff and walked around the room a few times before naturally lying down.
“Ahhh, this is nice.”
She stretched out comfortably.
While the conversation continued, Erica quietly climbed in too.
“Called it.”
Ellen chuckled internally.
This always happened during unofficial Paulettes.
They’d talk, then one by one climb into the bed and fall asleep. Then Ellen would join them!
Erica and Serel had come wearing only pajamas and shawls, fully intending to sleep here.
Ellen didn’t mind sharing a bed. Falling asleep after chatting with her adorable friends made her happy too.
“Still, from now on I should pick the guest room with the biggest bed.”
As the girls grew, even the big beds began to feel smaller.
The one they were in now was huge, and they were all still growing, but in the future it might not be enough.
Ellen’s current room was the closest guest room to Roil’s. It had basically become her room from frequent visits, but she resolved to use a different one during Paulettes from now on.
✿ ✿ ✿
The next morning, after staying up late chatting, Ellen, Erica, and Serel woke up late. They had a quick breakfast, changed, and met in front of the mansion’s entrance.
Erica and Serel were wearing the same design as the riding suits Ellen had gifted them.
“Oh? That’s not the set I gave you.”
Ellen noticed the clothes.
“We had a few more made in the same design.”
Serel replied, and Erica nodded.
“We can’t wear it at formal events yet, but we don’t need to worry about that when it’s just us. The more I wear it, the more I like it.”
Erica twirled in place, the petal-like tunic flaring over her thighs.
The three headed down to Roil’s personal training grounds. Adrian and Santiuc were already warming up.
Roil was off at the knights’ training grounds for his morning drills. Since they couldn’t just wander into another family’s training, they decided to spend time in Roil’s personal one.
As Adrian and Santiuc started a light spar, Ellen, Erica, and Serel ran to the side. There, equipment for dagger throwing—something Roil often practiced—was set up.
Whenever Ellen visited, she and Roil would practice throwing daggers or shuriken here. It was also where she first taught Erica and Serel how to throw them.
Originally, neither Erica nor Serel had wanted to learn martial arts.
“Is there any point in learning this?”
“Your family is a border marquess, so it makes sense, but noble daughters usually don’t learn things like this.”
But once they learned that Roil knew how, Erica jumped on the chance. And when Serel heard that Princess Gloria had learned too, she joined in—arguing that if a royal could do it, it wasn’t shameful for her either.
“What simple friends.”
Ellen thought as she watched them stretch.
“Have you been practicing?”
Serel, stretching her arms, suddenly grinned.
“Ellen, Erica set up a target at home for practice. Guess where she put it?”
“Where?”
Serel didn’t answer immediately but looked at Erica. Erica pouted in embarrassment.
“Don’t blame me. That was the only spot available!”
Now even more curious, Ellen asked again,
“So where exactly did you put it?”
