~Chapter 86~
One early morning, Amel woke up.
Her maid, who had risen even earlier, helped her wash and dress, and then handed over the mail that had arrived at dawn.
Thus began the day of Amelie Winterfall.
“Hm…”
Amel looked down gloomily at the letters. There were only two, but both were important enough not to ignore.
One was sealed with the wax mark of Creta’s Dress Shop, and the other was a plain white envelope that looked hastily bought from a store—but the seal on it was of unusually high quality.
She decided to open the letter from Madam Creta first.
“Let’s see…”
**[To Lady Winterfall,
Hello, Miss Winterfall. This is Madam Creta of Creta’s Dress Shop.
This is my first letter since the imperial banquet.
I carefully observed your appearance that day. Even though I saw it during the fitting, the dress I designed suited you perfectly.
I was truly happy to design such a gown for you. The silvery-blue color came out beautifully.
As a token of gratitude, I would like to design a dress for Lady Winterfall’s mother next time. If you could send me a lock of the Countess’s platinum-blonde hair, I will create the most suitable dress for her.
I look forward to your reply. May you have a wonderful day.
– Madam Creta]**
“…Huh?”
Amel rubbed her eyes, thinking she had misread. But no—the letter clearly said Madam Creta wanted a lock of Rosaria’s hair.
…Well, it’s for design purposes, like last time. No problem.
She thought she would gather some fallen strands later and set the letter aside. The reply could wait.
The important one was inside the white envelope.
Amel flipped it over, checked the sender, then carefully broke the seal and unfolded the letter.
**[To Miss Amelie Winterfall,
Hello, Miss Amelie. This is Gerard.
I kept telling my lord to write to you, but he stubbornly refused—so I decided to write myself.
Ah! Please don’t misunderstand. It’s not because he dislikes you. It’s just that the current situation is very dangerous.
My lord fears that what happened to the former Viscount must never be repeated. So do I.
Our last meeting was coincidence and luck. Now, my lord says we must truly be cautious. For that reason, he told me it may not be possible for him to meet you again.
Also, my lord wishes that you do not get involved with his “family.” He says he will resolve matters himself.
I agree with him. Lady Amelie, please continue to live happily with your family, as you always have.
Lastly, my lord wishes to send you a gift in return for all that has happened.
I will visit your residence with this gift tomorrow.
If you need to contact me or my lord, send letters to the return address written here. Please make sure to write Gerard as the recipient. But you must never come in person.
Wishing you a good day,
– Gerard]**
“…”
Amel read the letter again and again.
Of course, the “lord” Gerard referred to was Christan. Yet—what? She couldn’t see him anymore? If she had business, she had to write to Gerard?
Her insides boiled. Anger and frustration surged within her. Then suddenly, she realized—
She was angry at Christan.
“Have I ever… gotten angry at him before?”
Yes, she had scolded him at the banquet. But compared to the past, she was feeling anger toward him more often. Then again, in the past she barely interacted with him at all, so there had been no reason to be angry.
Still… was this really a bad change?
“….”
If she had felt anger toward Christan back when she had first met him, her sudden affection might have burned out quickly. After all, she hadn’t known much about him then. But now…
Even if she was angry, it didn’t mean she no longer loved him. On the contrary—if anything, not being able to meet him only deepened her longing, as though she had fallen into a lovesick fever.
Her heart would never grow cold.
And she still hadn’t received an answer to the question she had asked at the banquet:
“Do you… like me?”
In truth, she already knew the answer. If Christan didn’t like her, he wouldn’t be going through such elaborate efforts to avoid her.
“…Though, there was the matter with the nanny.”
Her thoughts tangled again. At last, Amel grabbed her head in frustration. If only he had given her a clear “no,” she wouldn’t be suffering like this. But the way things had cut off halfway only left her circling endlessly in doubt.
“Ha… but since this reply is to Gerard, I can’t exactly write back asking, ‘Do you like me?’”
Still undecided, she set everything down on the desk. She would let her head cool before picking up her pen again.
By then, morning had fully arrived, and Amel went downstairs.
“Our daughter, did you sleep well? Good morning.”
At the dining table, the Count and Countess were already seated. As always, they greeted her warmly.
“…Yes. Did you sleep well, Father, Mother?”
Amel smiled brightly, as though nothing was troubling her. But inside, she made a firm resolution.
Even if she wanted to be with Christan, she would never let her parents get dragged into danger.
Truthfully, she understood Christan’s feelings. The Emperor’s constant interest in her was frightening. But Amel believed she could protect herself to some extent. What worried her most was that her parents traveled with too few guards.
If only she could ensure their safety, she would be fine.
…That’s why it would be best for them to return to Winterfall Castle.
She was about to suggest it when Conrad spoke first.
“So, we’ve decided to return to the estate.”
“…Huh?”
Amel almost clapped her hand over her mouth. Had she just spoken her thought out loud?
“So suddenly?”
“We were planning to go around this time anyway. The attendants deserve a vacation, and with the rainy season approaching, we must prepare for heavy storms.”
“Ah… I see. Then, when will you leave?”
“In two weeks.”
Two weeks.
Amel chewed silently, glancing out the window at the Winterfall knights training. They were competent enough for maintaining order in the territory, but compared to the Emperor’s forces, they were like a candle before the wind. That thought unsettled her.
Two weeks… he said two weeks.
Climbing the stairs back to her room, Amel resolved:
First, write a reply letter. Then, for the next two weeks, I’ll focus entirely on potion-making.
Letting her parents go alone still worried her, but with her potions, she could give them some protection. Unlike weapons, potions were simple enough for even beginners to use.
I’ll brew as many as I can and send them with armfuls. Oh, and I’ll hire mercenaries too.
Determined to protect her beloved family, Amel began planning thoroughly.
Meanwhile, Christan was still staying at the hotel.
He had entrusted Bellerophon’s territory to his subordinates, but he himself had plenty of work left—such as writing letters to allied houses.
To break the mysterious magic circle at White Rock Mountain, he needed magicians. Since Bellerophon had none, he had to request them from allied houses, as discussed at the banquet. So Christan was busy drafting letters of request.
He was so absorbed in his writing that he might not have noticed if the world around him collapsed.
Even when Gerard returned from his outing, Christan kept moving his pen.
Finally, Gerard spoke.
“You must be busy. Lady Amelie’s reply has arrived.”
At that instant, Christan’s head snapped up.
