Chapter – 01
The day Rafine decided to break off her engagement was her birthday.
It was a rather cold winter morning, but Rafine felt very happy. For once, her fiancé had contacted her first and asked her out on a date.
She thought Cedric must know it was her birthday and wanted to spend the day with her to celebrate.
“Should I wear this dress…?”
She woke up early and carefully prepared herself.
She took out the light yellow dress Cedric liked, put it on, and spun around once with satisfaction, humming softly.
“Miss, you look really happy today!”
Ellen, who was helping her, smiled brightly as she spoke.
“I’m meeting Cedric today. On the street where all the salons are.”
“Oh! The place that’s really famous these days?”
On Roysha Street, the place every successful noble had to visit at least once, famous salons and restaurants stood in long rows.
Recently, many young nobles liked to go there. Today would be Rafine’s first time visiting.
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Come to think of it, Miss Elizabeth went there last week too.”
“Elizabeth?”
“Yes.”
Ellen nodded while fixing Rafine’s hair.
“That’s surprising. Beth doesn’t like crowded places.”
“I was surprised too. She rarely goes outside. But it seemed like she had a lot of fun that day.”
“Really?”
“Yes. Even the Marquis was happy for once.”
Rafine only nodded while listening to this unfamiliar story about her sister.
She should have been happy that her weak sister, who usually stayed inside the house, had gone out. But somehow, Rafine felt a strange uneasiness.
Thinking she was overthinking, she shook her head and focused on getting ready.
“When are you meeting him?”
“We’re having an early dinner.”
“Oh my, but you’re getting ready already?”
Ellen teased her playfully.
“Of course. There’s a lot to prepare.”
“I’ll fix your hair again before you leave. But… shouldn’t we prepare another dress for tonight?”
Ellen asked carefully.
She was indirectly asking if Rafine would celebrate her birthday with her family.
Usually, noble ladies held grand birthday parties.
Rafine remembered what her father had said and answered quietly.
“…No. Beth isn’t feeling well today. When she gets better, we’ll celebrate together later.”
Ellen looked sad when she heard that.
Rafine’s younger sister, Elizabeth, had been sick since birth.
Because of that, everything in the household revolved around Elizabeth.
Even so, Rafine had never complained. She believed it was more important to understand someone who was suffering.
But on a day like today, she couldn’t help feeling a little hurt.
That was why Cedric saying he would spend the day with her meant so much.
“Still, it’s nice that you’ll spend your birthday with Lord Playton.”
“Well… when he does something, he really does it properly.”
Rafine spoke excitedly with the face of a girl filled with happiness.
Just thinking about Cedric made her cheeks turn red.
“Yes. He’s usually so cold, but he’s taking care of you on your birthday. What kind of present did you ask for?”
“A present?”
Rafine realized she had never even mentioned a birthday gift.
But Cedric was always busy. Spending time with him itself felt like a great gift.
“Spending time together is the present, isn’t it?”
“Of course! That’s so romantic!”
Ellen said happily.
Just then, the door suddenly burst open without a knock.
“Oh! Marquis!”
Ellen quickly bowed.
The Marquis barely acknowledged her greeting and spoke immediately.
“Rafi, it seems Beth is very sick. She said she would feel better if you took care of her. Go see her right now.”
“……”
Rafine hesitated.
The Marquis frowned.
“Why are you standing there? Go.”
Rafine spoke with difficulty.
“F-Father… I have plans today.”
The Marquis’s face instantly hardened.
Anger filled his expression.
“You’re thinking about going out while your sister is sick?!”
Rafine shrank back.
“M-My Lord! Today is Miss’s birthday. I will take care of Miss Elizabeth instead.”
Ellen quickly stepped forward.
But the Marquis cut her off immediately.
“Don’t talk nonsense. Rafi, go to Beth’s room. Act like a proper older sister.”
Because of those words, Rafine had to stop everything she was doing and go to Elizabeth’s room.
A wave of sadness rose inside her.
* * *
When she entered the room, Elizabeth was sitting on the bed playing with a puzzle. She looked much better than expected.
“Beth, I heard you were sick.”
“Ah… yes.”
Elizabeth quickly stopped playing and lay down on the bed as if nothing had happened.
“I want my sister to stay beside me…”
“Alright. I’ll stay with you.”
Rafine forced a smile and adjusted the blanket for her.
In truth, Rafine being there didn’t help much.
A skilled doctor stayed in the mansion all day, and six servants attended Elizabeth.
But Elizabeth often liked to keep one family member beside her when she acted spoiled.
Most of the time, that person was Rafine.
And Rafine always cared for her sincerely.
Today too, she tried not to show her bad feelings.
“I’m glad your fever went down, Beth.”
“Yes! I think it’s because you’re here, Sister.”
Her younger sister smiled sweetly.
“Not long ago, Brother Cedric took me to Roysha Street.”
“Cedric… what?”
Rafine froze.
She had been about to give Elizabeth a piece of fruit with a fork.
“Oh? Didn’t I tell you?”
“…No, no. I knew. Did you have fun?”
Rafine actually didn’t know that Elizabeth had gone there with Cedric.
But she didn’t want to show that she knew less about her fiancé than her sister did.
Still, she couldn’t stop the hurt she felt.
She had always understood Cedric’s busy life. Yet he always seemed to make time for Elizabeth.
“Yes! It was really fun!”
“I’m glad.”
Rafine hid her bitterness and gently patted Elizabeth until she fell asleep.
Elizabeth soon drifted off.
Rafine stared at her for a long time.
A strange feeling grew inside her.
Misery slowly spread through her heart.
‘Elizabeth…’
She quietly called her sister’s name in her mind.
Once, it had been a name filled with love.
But now she wasn’t sure how she felt.
‘Taking care of a sick sister is natural.’
The Marquis always emphasized the duty of the older sister.
So Rafine had devoted her time and effort to Elizabeth.
She thought it was a sacrifice she could make.
Because they were family.
But recently, Rafine began to wonder something.
Did they truly value her as family?
The more she devoted herself, the more they demanded from her.
It happened again and again.
Anything that only gives and never receives will eventually run dry.
Rafine was starting to feel tired of this life.
While lost in thought, she realized it was almost time to meet Cedric.
She believed she had done her duty.
So she quickly prepared and left the house.
While riding the carriage to the meeting place, her mood slowly sank.
“No… I have to smile.”
She shook her head.
They had been engaged for three years, but meeting Cedric was as difficult as reaching the stars.
Still, she was grateful that he made time for her today.
“I should greet him with a smile… He must have taken time from his busy schedule.”
Soon she arrived.
It was a luxurious restaurant on Roysha Street.
“I have a reservation under Cedric Playton.”
“Yes, I will guide you.”
A neatly dressed man led her to the table.
It was by the window, with a beautiful view of the Serinne River.
Her mood improved a little.
“I will bring you a drink before the meal while you wait for your companion.”
Rafine nodded.
But even after finishing her drink, and after the guests at another table had changed twice, Cedric still had not arrived.
Her heart felt heavy.
She wanted to cry, but she held it in because she was in public.
“…Something must have come up again.”
She swallowed her disappointment.
If they made three appointments, they were lucky to meet once.
Still, she thought today would be different.
Because it was her birthday.
But she had to return home with the same miserable feeling.
The bright weather had disappeared, and rain began to fall.
Her reflection in the carriage window looked pitiful.
Her carefully styled hair had fallen flat.
Her makeup was smudged.
The shaking carriage felt like a reflection of her life.
She closed her eyes as the carriage rattled forward.
It was the end of winter.
Like a sprout that never managed to bloom.
When Rafine arrived at the Marquis’s mansion, she immediately sensed something was wrong.
Servants were running around in panic.
She grabbed one of them.
“What happened?”
“M-Miss Elizabeth collapsed!”
“What?!”
Rafine hurried upstairs.
She burst into the room.
The Marquis stood there with crossed arms, furious.
“Rafi! Can’t you even take care of your sister properly?!”
He shouted angrily.
His face was full of disappointment.
Rafine was about to apologize—
But at that moment, she saw something unbelievable.
The person carefully taking care of Elizabeth, who lay unconscious in bed, was none other than her fiancé.
Cedric.
“Why… is he here?”
“Your fiancé is better than you,” the Marquis said coldly.
“…What?”
Tears filled Rafine’s eyes.
She had always known Cedric treated Elizabeth more gently than he treated her.
But she never imagined he would abandon his promise to her and rush here.
Memories began to connect like puzzle pieces.
Cedric had always reacted more strongly to Elizabeth than to her.
When Elizabeth was sick, he looked truly worried.
He even showed expressions he never showed Rafine.
‘Why didn’t I realize it sooner?’
The fragile thread holding her heart finally snapped.
Something had gone terribly wrong.
At that moment, Rafine decided to let go of what she could never have.
She no longer wanted to recognize Cedric, who always placed her second, as her fiancé.
Perhaps their relationship had already ended long ago, and she was the only one still holding onto it.
‘Then I should let it go.’
Rafine accepted the truth surrounding her.
Strangely, once she faced reality, the anxiety in her heart disappeared.
She walked past the Marquis, who was still scolding her, and approached Cedric.
She finally decided to break off the engagement.
