“But who is this person?”
“A distant relative.”
Curtis hesitated, unable to come up with a false name, so before the Baroness could get suspicious, Roxana quickly interjected.
“I’m Melanie Talden, madam. I’ve been living abroad and recently came to visit.”
“Oh, I see. Welcome.”
She wore a beautiful dress, but her face seemed unfamiliar with this kind of gathering. The Baroness, smiling warmly, greeted Roxana.
“Your blonde hair is so lovely. I hope you have a wonderful time, Lady Talden.”
“Thank you, Baroness.”
Roxana awkwardly replied with her eyes lowered. Soon, people began gathering around the Russell siblings.
“Lord Russell! I’ve been meaning to speak with you. It’s about the newly discovered mine…”
“Lady Russell! It’s such a pleasure to meet you in person. You’re as beautiful as the rumors say. I’ve been wanting to get close to you.”
Surrounded in an instant, Frey looked a little overwhelmed. Roxana lightly touched her back as if to reassure her. A small gesture, but Frey’s tense expression softened a bit. Relieved, Roxana quietly asked,
“Miss, shall I get you some water?”
“Please.”
With Frey’s permission, Roxana took a few steps back—more accurately, she was pushed back by the growing crowd.
She took a glass of water from a passing waiter and looked for Frey again, but in the throng of people, the Russell siblings were nowhere to be seen. As she was about to head back into the crowd, a ball rolled to her feet.
“My ball!”
A well-dressed boy pushed through the people. Roxana picked up the ball and looked around.
“Kiddo, where are your parents?”
“I dunno. Somewhere.”
Normally, children weren’t brought to evening parties like this. The boy, sulking, took the ball and threw it somewhere. At the same moment, Roxana jumped up and caught it mid-air.
“What do you think you’re doing?”
The ball had been aimed toward the food table. Beautiful floral decorations and delicious dishes would have been ruined.
“I felt like it. Give it back.”
The boy shamelessly held out his hand. Roxana, stern-faced, refused.
“No. I won’t give it to you. This isn’t your playground.”
“That’s my ball.”
“I’ll give it back if you promise not to throw or kick it around here.”
“Do you even know who I am?!”
The boy flared up but then hesitated. Was he from a noble family? His disrespect toward an adult hinted as much. Roxana asked back,
“Who are you, then?”
“…Doesn’t matter.”
The boy turned his head away with a huff and held his hand out again. Instead of giving the ball, Roxana asked,
“You’re bored, aren’t you? No kids your age around, huh?”
“……”
The boy ignored her with a sulky face. As Roxana glanced around in thought, she spotted Frey in the distance, chatting happily among people. Curtis stood beside her like a strong pillar.
If it’s just for a little while… maybe it’s okay.
“Perfect. I’m bored too. Want to play? I’ll teach you a game that’s more fun than ball games.”
“Why would I play with you?”
“If it’s boring, I’ll give your ball back immediately.”
Roxana cut him off and offered her deal.
“What do you say? If you really love playing alone that much, I won’t stop you.”
She smiled.
“I promise it’ll be fun.”
Her smile was radiant like a newly bloomed flower. The boy looked at her blankly, then looked away.
“It better be.”
—
Since the hall was too crowded, Roxana took the boy outside. Though it was night, the moonlight was bright.
“Wow, you’re good at this.”
“It’s nothing.”
“Then can you fold it like this?”
“If I know how, I can do it in one try.”
Watching the boy’s eyes sparkle as if he’d never resisted, Roxana folded napkins into shapes. Her mother had taught her origami when she was young.
“You can make so many things from just a napkin scrap.”
“Amazing, right?”
It wasn’t surprising that the boy was fascinated. Origami was a pastime common among lower-ranking noble children. Roxana simply wanted to bring a little joy to the boy who had been dragged to an adult’s party. Luckily, he was delighted with the activity.
“Ta-da! What do you think this is?”
“…A wolf?”
“Correct! Now try making one yourself.”
The boy silently started folding a napkin. Roxana watched fondly. It reminded her of when she used to wish for a younger sibling—before she realized her parents’ relationship was strained.
“Look! Isn’t it the same?”
“Hmm. Not sure.”
“Why?”
“Look at the tail.”
“Oh.”
The boy quickly fixed it and focused again. After successfully folding a sheep, a rabbit, and then a wolf—
“Young Master!”
“Young Master, where are you?!”
Voices of servants searching for someone called out from afar.
“I have to go now.”
“Oh—take your ball.”
The boy turned back as he stood up.
“You made me happy, so that’s a gift.”
“What?”
The ball was wrapped in firm leather with gold detailing. Roxana shook her head in surprise. It was clearly expensive.
“No, I can’t accept that. Take it.”
“Then tell me your name.”
“My name is…”
After a brief hesitation, Roxana gave her alias.
“Melanie.”
—
The person the boy was led to by the servants was none other than his uncle—the Duke Ferenc, with silver-blonde hair and piercing blue eyes.
“Uncle!”
Startled, the man turned. He looked visibly on edge. Being forced to attend a party he didn’t want, now with a child in tow—it was all too much.
“Where were you, Theo?”
“Hug me!”
“Tsk.”
Enoch clicked his tongue and picked up the boy. Despite his high status, this little troublemaker treated him without formality—his nephew.
The only son of his sister, who had married into foreign royalty. Since her husband couldn’t attend, Enoch had to escort her to her homeland. Theo had insisted on coming because he didn’t want to be away from his mother.
“Where were you? We looked everywhere.”
“I got bored, so I wandered around the hall. I played with a pretty lady.”
“A pretty lady?”
Just moments ago, the kid had been whining about not wanting to be away from his mom, and now he had moved on to someone else? Enoch felt ridiculous for having looked all over while ignoring all the women throwing themselves at him. He set Theo down. The boy pulled something from his pocket.
“Oh, right. Look, Uncle!”
“What’s this?”
“I made it myself.”
Theo proudly showed the wolf he had folded. Enoch stared at it, and a faint female voice echoed in his mind.
“Do you know how to do origami?”
“…Uncle? What are you thinking about?”
“Nothing. Anyway, go find your mother. I’m tired of chickens and raccoons, time to go.”
The woman was long dead. He’d barely seen her face a few times. Why would she suddenly come to mind? Enoch pushed away the memory of that voice and took Theo’s hand.
“By the way, Uncle, are you sleeping well these days?”
Caught off guard by the random question, Enoch simply nodded.
“Before bed, light the candle I mentioned and warm your hands and feet. Then, relax your muscles starting from your fingertips and count sheep in your head.”
Looking back, that moment had felt almost like a spell. A calm-voiced woman with no pretense or arrogance—like a fairy from a story, who always repaid kindness with kindness.
“What was the name of your kind lady?”
“Melanie.”
“What?”
Theo froze.
“The pretty lady who played with me was named Melanie too!”
—
Contrary to worries, Frey mingled well with others. Most people were eager to win favor with the Marquis of Russell, after all. Curtis watched closely as people approached her, scanning each of them. His silent pressure made people even more polite and cautious.
“Your pinned-up hair is so lovely, Lady Russell. And the embellishment on your dress—who is your seamstress? The lacework is exquisite!”
“What kind of books do you enjoy? Do you support any musicians?”
“Lord Russell, will you attend the next nobles’ assembly?”
“You’re much more reserved than the rumors say…”
Curtis ignored the people talking to him and kept his focus on Frey.
Though she responded with a smile, she looked increasingly tired from the attention. Eventually, Curtis stepped in at just the right moment.
“Excuse us, but my sister seems a little tired. This is her first event like this.”
“Oh, I didn’t mean to overwhelm her.”
“Not at all. Let’s go get some fresh air.”
He smiled and placed a hand on Frey’s shoulder, leading her out. She leaned on him, clearly exhausted. Once they were outside and away from prying eyes, they spoke.
“Why do you look so tired? Weren’t you the one who wanted to come?”
“They weren’t looking at me. They were all trying to impress you. Ugh, my feet hurt.”
“Sit here.”
Following Curtis’s lead, Frey sat on a bench and took off her shoes. She pulled her shawl tighter against the chilly breeze and suddenly asked,
“By the way, where’s Roxana?”
“I saw her going outside with some kid.”
Though his tone was mocking, Frey knew his mind had been on her all along.
Curtis Russell—her brother—was someone who’d ignore women entirely if he had no interest. Many tried to approach him, but he remained stubbornly single, with no intention of marrying.
But recently, he had begun paying subtle attention to one woman in particular. Pretending not to notice, Frey asked again.
“Really? In all that crowd, you happened to notice? And what kid was that?”
“Probably Young Master Theo.”
You couldn’t miss him—blonde hair and green eyes that stood out even from afar.
Different hair and eye color, but he looked so much like his maternal uncle that you’d think he took entirely after his mother’s side.
Enoch Ferenc—Roxana’s former fiancé. As that thought surfaced, Curtis clenched his fists.
No way…
“I’ll go find her. Stay here. If anyone bothers you, mention my name.”
“Don’t worry and just bring her back.”
Fed up with people, Frey waved him off.
