40.
[Don’t worry about the medicine cost. I plan to get something else in return.]
Oh, I guessed right.
At least I didn’t have to die of embarrassment. That was a relief.
“Did the Duke really say that?”
“Yeah. I guess he felt sorry. After all, he was the one who brought me to the Hunting Festival.”
“Then he could’ve just said so and helped openly… why do it this way?”
Judging by the tone of his letter, it didn’t seem like he thought too deeply about it.
“But saying he’ll take something else in return later—doesn’t that sound creepy? What if he tries to threaten you or something?”
Julie clutched her gossip paper tightly, clearly worked up.
“Come on, what would the Duke even want from me to bother threatening me?”
I took the gossip paper from her hands and tossed it behind the sofa.
“You really shouldn’t believe everything from those papers, Julie.”
“I know that, but being careful never hurts, right?”
Earlier, I’d seen over her shoulder that the article said something like, ‘A lady met the Duke’s eyes by accident, and that night, misfortune struck.’ It sounded more like a ghost story than gossip.
“He’ll be my superior soon anyway. I’ll just get to know what kind of person he is myself.”
“Hmm…”
“There’s no point guessing now. And besides, it’s true he helped me.”
Julie reluctantly nodded.
“The rain’s finally stopping.”
As if on cue, the rain that had poured all day slowly eased into the night.
So I naturally assumed that would be the end of my day.
When Julie handed me a cup of warm milk before bed, I thought, This would taste amazing with a bit of whiskey… maybe some honey…
Somehow, Julie guessed my thoughts and smacked the back of my hand.
And that night—early at dawn—
“Who’s there?”
“Waaahhhhh!”
I nearly screamed when I saw a strange figure sneaking near the kitchen.
To be precise—a crazy woman with a piece of cloth wrapped all around her head, stumbling and tripping over her own feet because she couldn’t see.
She fell flat on the carpet, and I, watching in disbelief, walked over and pulled the cloth off.
The face that looked up at me, flushed red, was someone I recognized.
What was her name again? Daer…?
“…Daeren?”
“It’s Daena!”
Daena yelped, covered her mouth, and looked around nervously.
“You… what are you doing here?”
She bit her lip hard, then suddenly jumped up and shouted,
“S-s-sorry!”
“…You came here to steal apples?”
“I came to apologize!”
Ah. That apology.
So she sneaked into my mansion in the middle of the night to apologize?
Anyway, if we kept talking there, we’d wake everyone, so I took Daena to the dining room.
“How did you even get in?”
“I… climbed the wall…”
Her face turned red again, even her ears.
“And inside the mansion?”
“The kitchen window… it was open.”
I really had to tell the cook to lock up better at night.
I leaned back and nodded toward her seat.
“All right then. Go ahead.”
“Wh-what?”
“You said you came to apologize.”
Daena’s face stiffened with determination.
“What I mean is… I wanted to say thank you for saving me back then.”
Oh. That was surprisingly normal.
“Are you… feeling better?”
“Uh… as you can see.”
“I should’ve come sooner. Sorry.”
I scratched the back of my head and shrugged.
“Well… it’s not like you were the one who hurt me.”
“…”
“…”
An awkward silence filled the room.
Suddenly, even looking at each other felt weird.
“And… well… I think maybe you didn’t really do it.”
“…Didn’t do what?”
“The Love Potion thing.”
I blinked.
“You believe I didn’t do it?”
“No! I mean—not believe! Just that… you might not have done it!”
“What kind of logic is that?”
“I mean, they never found any proof! So I’m saying I don’t think you’re the culprit anymore… probably.”
“…”
I understood now.
When I stared at her, Daena flinched—but didn’t look away.
“Well… all right.”
I lightly tapped the leg of her chair with my foot.
“Then, can you say that in front of other people too?”
Daena stiffened and raised her hand as if taking an oath.
“No. In front of others, pretend you don’t even know me. Just like before.”
“…Are you sure you just apologized to me?”
“That’s that, and this is this.”
I had expected that answer—but still, it was impressively honest.
Weirdly enough, it made her earlier words sound more genuine.
Of course, one person’s opinion wouldn’t suddenly fix my ruined reputation.
“Anyway, I can’t do that—but I can give you this.”
Daena pulled something out and handed it to me.
It was shiny, black, and fancy—her handwriting elegant across the surface.
“This is… an invitation?”
“Lady Sophie’s engagement party. She’s getting married before the year ends.”
“Who’s Lady Sophie?”
“You don’t even—ugh, never mind. Just come, okay?”
“Why would I go to that?”
“I barely managed to get that invitation! Oh, and don’t you dare tell anyone I gave it to you!”
“For someone here to apologize, you sure have a lot of rules.”
Daena ignored my sarcasm.
“I’m telling you to come and fix your reputation a little!”
“How?”
“Just… just show up looking pretty! That’s all!”
“What if I am the real culprit?”
“That’s why I came secretly so no one would see me!”
I sighed.
Imagine—a noble lady climbing walls in the middle of the night because of gossip.
That’s what reputation does to people.
“And… there are servants who stay up late here. I was going to ask one of them to bring me to you after I got inside…”
So she hadn’t planned to sneak through the halls like a burglar, at least.
“Wait, by the way—do you know how to dance?”
Daena squinted suspiciously at me.
“Yeah.”
“Whew, good. Anyway, make sure you dress beautifully, okay?”
“I haven’t even decided if I’m going—”
She ignored me completely and rummaged through her bag again.
Then she held something up to my face.
“…”
I swallowed.
“You like alcohol, right?”
Inside was a bottle of whiskey—golden, gleaming beautifully under the moonlight.
I nodded, completely mesmerized.
“I kept seeing you with drinks, so… I brought this as a gift. It’s my father’s.”
“Thanks.”
I ignored that last part and took the bottle quickly.
Daena sneaking into my mansion at dawn had suddenly turned into the best idea ever.
“You’re the best.”
Daena looked unimpressed.
“Want to go somewhere quieter to talk? It’s dark and stuffy here. Come on, it’s fine, this way.”
I hid the bottle inside my robe like a pro and led her to an unused guest room.
The mansion had plenty of empty rooms anyway.
And then…
We started drinking together.
At first she refused, but after watching me for a while, she grabbed a glass too.
With the snacks I brought from the kitchen, it was perfect.
After a while, Daena’s cheeks were flushed red, and she suddenly confessed in a tipsy voice:
“You know what?”
“Yeah?”
“I used to like the Count.”
“Which Count?”
“Rohwinas Canesion!”
“Oh.”
“But not anymore!”
“Oh…”
I could already tell she’d regret this when she sobered up.
But, well, I was having fun, so it wasn’t my problem.
“After seeing him hang around with that awful woman, how could I still like him?”
“That awful woman?”
“Who else? Lady Peregrine!”
“Do you even like any noble ladies?”
“My friends!”
“Well, at least you like someone.”
Apparently, I wasn’t the only one Lady Peregrine had looked down on.
Other young ladies had suffered the same fate.
One of them, Daena said, had once accidentally spilled crumbs on Lady Peregrine’s dress—and was completely ignored from that day on.
Like she didn’t exist.
“Just for a few cookie crumbs!” Daena fumed.
“I see.”
When I smiled faintly, Daena narrowed her eyes.
“Why are you smiling? You think it’s funny?”
“No, it’s just…”
Maybe it was the alcohol, but I spoke honestly.
“It’s the first time someone’s come to visit me like this—to talk and laugh. It feels… strange.”
Daena fell silent.
