Chapter 45
“That must be the culprit’s pocket watch.”
“Yes!”
Unlike the excited Haon, Prince Si’s voice remained calm.
Haon had thought she had discovered a major clue, yet Prince Si showed no change in expression. If anything, he seemed even more indifferent, his demeanor cool and unshaken.
“You really are…”
Haon beamed, anticipating the praise that would follow. What compliment would he give? What exclamation of admiration might come next?
“You’re slow-witted.”
“…Excuse me?”
That didn’t exactly sound like praise.
Haon stared at Prince Si in bewilderment.
“If a pattern is engraved on an object, wouldn’t your first thought naturally be the family crest?”
He said it so nonchalantly, as if even explaining it was tiresome.
Haon was struck by shock and disappointment.
“You already knew?”
Prince Si shook his head, without answering.
“It’s more surprising that you only just noticed it now.”
“Ugh…”
Haon glared down at the teacup saucer in embarrassment. Her proud posture slumped, and her upper body leaned forward weakly.
At that moment, something settled onto Haon’s head.
It was Prince Si’s hand.
“Still, you’ve put in some effort.”
It was barely praise—so light it was almost embarrassing. The hand that patted her head withdrew quickly.
Even in that brief moment, though, Prince Si’s action made Haon’s heart race.
“Of course, Your Highness. It’s your matter, after all.”
“Exactly. Since it’s for Prince V, you can’t let it go even for a moment.”
“What I meant was…”
‘Since it’s Prince Si’s matter…’
Haon swallowed her words. Even though they were running together, their gazes subtly diverged. Somehow, it felt wrong to point out that gap.
“Unfortunately, the pocket watch’s pattern does not belong to any family. There is no matching house.”
“Oh…”
Perhaps it would have been too easy if they had discovered a match.
Feeling a little disappointed, Haon asked again,
“What did the pattern look like? I didn’t get a good look at it.”
“Hold out your hand.”
Haon extended her palm toward Prince Si. She had expected him to take the pocket watch from his pocket and show her.
Prince Si would surely carry any item related to Prince V with him at all times.
But contrary to expectations, Prince Si grasped her hand. Using the index finger of his other hand, he slowly drew a pattern on her palm.
Her palm twitched, but it was from the ticklish sensation. Haon tried to ignore the heat rising in her face and focused on the drawing.
A large circle. A smaller circle within it. A straight line through the two circles, and wavy patterns around the smaller circle.
Prince Si’s finger slowly traced her palm. The sensation through his fingertip was sharp, distinct.
‘His fingers are long. And his nails are neatly trimmed.’
Haon could not take her eyes off Prince Si’s fingers.
Just as the ticklish sensation began to feel strangely intimate,
“This is the pattern.”
Prince Si looked up after finishing the drawing. Haon stared blankly at her palm.
He shook her hand gently in front of her eyes.
“Haon?”
Startled, Haon snapped back to her senses.
“Wow… you memorized it.”
She awkwardly withdrew her hand. Her wrist, which had been held moments ago, burned.
“I’ve been staring at it every day since that day.”
Unfortunately, Prince Si’s attention was entirely on the pocket watch’s pattern.
“I see. That makes sense, I suppose.”
Haon agreed hurriedly. Her hands hidden behind her back felt oddly shameful.
“Then! I’ll go inside now.”
Haon abruptly stood up. Looking at Prince Si again felt strangely embarrassing.
Without waiting for his response, she dashed toward the reception room, her neck prickling from a sudden awareness.
She quickly opened and closed the glass door, catching her breath.
“I can’t get immune to this.”
Her palm still felt ticklish. She clenched and opened her hand several times.
“Lady Haon.”
“Oh!”
Prince Di’s voice came from behind.
In her flustered attempt to escape, Haon had forgotten that she was hiding from both Princess Pireone and Prince Di.
Haon squeezed her eyes shut and turned. When she opened them with a heavy heart, only Prince Di stood there.
“Hmm? Where’s Princess Pireone?”
“She’s been claimed by the star of the tea party.”
Prince Di gestured to a spot.
Near the center of the reception room, Princess Pireone was held tightly by Trillinia, almost clinging to her arm.
Haon observed Trillinia curiously.
“I never imagined such a scene would unfold.”
Unlike Haon, Prince Di didn’t seem very interested in them. He spoke casually to Haon.
“By the way, Lady Haon, which family’s daughter are you?”
“Me?”
Haon asked in surprise.
She had met Prince Di a few times before, and even made a cheeky remark once.
Yet, surprisingly, he didn’t recognize her.
“Well, you’re a lady, yes. But calling you a daughter of a noble house… I’m not sure how to put it.”
Haon glossed over it. Better to avoid complicating things. Now wasn’t the time to talk too long with Prince Di.
“Ah, I have some business to attend to.”
Haon quickly turned away, clutching her dress hem and moving her feet just in case Prince Di tried to stop her.
As she scurried away, Prince Di’s gaze lingered on her for a moment.
“That lady…”
Prince Di’s lips pressed slightly.
“Prince Di!”
“You’re here?”
But the approaching commotion of other ladies soon absorbed his attention. Smiling brightly as always, he attended to them.
“I doubt Trillinia would cause a scene at a party she’s hosting.”
Although Haon was slightly concerned about Princess Pireone being held by Trillinia, she couldn’t miss the chance to move freely.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, Haon decided to examine the reception room, checking each tea table carefully.
“Prince Si said there’s no matching family, but I can’t just take his word for it.”
Of course. Haon nodded.
“Even Prince Si would have a hard time memorizing every family crest, right?”
Not all noble families were invited, but this was a tea party hosted by Count Sis. Any major family or politically ambitious house would surely be present.
Haon started from the corner, scrutinizing the name cards on each tea table.
“I need to cross-check, just to be safe.”
Haon was meticulous, needing to verify things herself.
No one paid attention to her as a social newcomer. Occasionally, overzealous young men would attempt to approach her, but she politely declined.
The name cards displayed various family crests, often based on initials or symbolic animals. Some featured strange, unrecognizable designs.
“Seems like there really isn’t one.”
Haon’s pace slowed. Her scanning eyes became mechanical.
After checking roughly 80% of the tables, she paused at a table near the front of the reception room.
She turned back to the name card she had just passed.
“This…?”
Her heart pounded heavily.
Slowly, she reached out. Her fingertips trembled slightly as she picked up the card.
A mostly circular design.
A geometric cluster of intersecting circles.
“Overlapping circles, a line piercing through, and floral patterns decorating the second largest circle.”
Small circles formed a ring, resembling round petals.
Haon recalled the pattern Prince Si had drawn on her palm.
“Circles, a line, and the pattern on the second circle.”
It matched.
A rush of blood drained from the top of Haon’s head.
Whether it was identical to the pocket watch’s pattern would need a direct comparison, but it was certainly similar.
At that moment, someone approached Haon.
“Is there a problem?”
Startled, Haon turned to see who it was. Her expression relaxed slightly upon recognition.
“Oh, hello, Marchioness Panna.”
Haon immediately recognized her, having seen her before. The circumstances had not been ideal then, but she remembered her.
The fact that even the highest-ranking noble—secretly the emperor’s lover—was invited underscored Count Sis’s influence.
“Oh my, you know me,” the Marchioness smiled graciously, radiating both elegance and humility.
“And you are?”
“I came with Princess Pireone,” Haon answered.
Haon’s previous maid attire prevented her from being recognized.
“Oh, so you are Princess Pireone’s guest.”
The Marchioness’s voice was gentle. Despite a potentially awkward first encounter, Haon sensed genuine goodwill.
“Um, may I ask you something?”
Feeling at ease, Haon decided to request her help.
“Of course.”
“Do you know which family this pattern belongs to?”
The Marchioness leaned slightly to examine the card closely. She straightened and smiled.
“Of course I do.”
“So, this family—”
Haon’s question caught in her throat when the Marchioness reached for the chain of her necklace. A pendant, previously hidden in the dress, was pulled forward.
Haon’s pupils contracted.
The thin metallic lines of the pendant formed a pattern identical to the one on the name card.
“It is our family’s crest,” the Marchioness said.
Her lips curved elegantly, a dark, berry-red color reminiscent of ripe fruit.
