Chapter 11
“Oh… you have a guest?”
“I do. Come along, dear.”
I followed behind Mrs. Mason, my mind racing as she led the way.
Great. I just got here and I’m already on edge.
The second I heard there was a visitor, I braced myself for whoever might be on the other side of that door. After all, I knew practically everyone in Belhiten. Thanks to that mental preparation, I managed to keep my cool a lot better than I would have otherwise.
As we stepped into the drawing room, a familiar head of blonde hair came into view. Lucian Hessen, who had been sitting on the sofa, stood up gracefully and looked our way. With the sunlight streaming in behind him, he had an imposing, almost ethereal presence.
Mrs. Mason introduced me to him.
“I apologize for leaving you alone for a moment, Count Hessen. This is Yunette Diaz, a young lady I cherish as if she were my own granddaughter. Yunette, come say hello.”
“…I am Yunette Diaz, of Viscounty Diaz.”
“We meet again, Lady Diaz. Do you remember me?”
Surprisingly, Lucian was the one to acknowledge our acquaintance first.
“Count Lucian Hessen. Of course I remember you.”
Instead of giving him a shy, lady-like smile, I gave him a flat, skeptical look.
At this point, Lucian Hessen is basically stalking me, I thought to myself.
Lucian didn’t seem surprised to see me at all; he was perfectly composed, as if he already knew exactly who I was. He took a step closer.
“The Madame just told me you’ve come to the capital for your social debut.”
“Something like that, yeah. And what brings you here, Count?”
“I was passing by when my carriage wheel got stuck in a rain-slicked ditch. Mrs. Mason was kind enough to let me stay here while the carriage is being pulled out and repaired.”
“Oh, how terribly inconvenient for you.”
I narrowed my eyes, scanning him from head to toe. Look at this guy.
As if to prove his story, his hair and shoulders were slightly damp, but I wasn’t buying it for a second. Of all the days to be “passing by” and have a carriage accident, it just happens to be the day I arrive? It was a ridiculous claim.
What is he up to?
There was no way a man as meticulous as Count Hessen would have stepped into a carriage that was in such poor shape it could be taken out by a little rain.
“I take it you two have met before?” Mrs. Mason asked, watching our exchange with interest.
“We ran into each other in Shihern about a month ago,” Lucian replied calmly. He then turned his gaze back to me. “Lady Diaz, I’d like to apologize for my rudeness back then. There were a lot of misunderstandings.”
“…And I take it those misunderstandings have been cleared up?”
“Yes. I’m afraid I was just being overly sensitive at the time. I am sorry.”
“It’s fine,” I said, offering a half-hearted gesture of acceptance.
If the “misunderstandings” were cleared up without me doing a single thing, there was only one logical explanation.
He must have dug into my background already.
His attitude was a complete 180 from the last time we met, when he treated me like a suspicious stalker. Maybe it was because I was a “relative” of Mrs. Mason, or maybe he’d found out more about Yunette Diaz than even I knew.
But did he really come all this way just to apologize?
I wanted to press him on his real motives, but with Mrs. Mason standing right there, I kept my mouth shut. Her eyes were darting between the two of us with a look that felt a bit too loaded for my liking.
“They say that when coincidences keep happening, it’s fate,” she remarked. “Connections like that should be cherished. Dinner is almost ready—Count Hessen, why don’t you join us?”
“I wouldn’t want to intrude on a family gathering.”
“Nonsense, you’re more than welcome. Right, Yunette?”
I forced a soulless smile. I should have come a day later. Why did it have to rain?
After a few more bits of polite small talk, I excused myself, using the excuse that I needed to change out of my traveling clothes before dinner. But as I headed for the stairs, a voice called out from behind me.
“Lady Diaz.”
Lucian had followed me out. I considered pretending I hadn’t heard him, but I sighed and turned around instead.
“Is there something else?”
“…May I have a word?”
Lucian glanced briefly at Daisy, who was waiting quietly by my side. It was a silent, unmistakable request for a private conversation.
What could he possibly want to say that’s so important?
It was likely related to whatever real reason brought him here. I didn’t particularly want to indulge him, but I had a feeling he wouldn’t let it go if I didn’t.
“Daisy, go on up and get my clothes ready, please.”
“…Yes, Milady!” Daisy squeaked, stealing a startled glance at Lucian before scurrying upstairs.
Once we were alone, his voice came through clear and steady.
“Would you mind if I asked you a few questions?”
“Go ahead.”
“Is this your first time in Belhiten?”
“Yes.”
“And you’ve been in the East this whole time?”
“That’s right.”
“Is this also the first time you’ve traveled outside the East?”
“I believe so.” From what Daisy had told me, Yunette had lived her entire life in the East.
“Is it possible…?”
Lucian, who had been questioning me like an interrogator, suddenly trailed off. A flicker of hesitation crossed his face. His gaze, which had been fixed on mine, dropped slightly, and his expression shifted instantly.
“That necklace.”
“What?”
“Where did you get it?”
What necklace? Oh, right.
I looked at him, the realization hitting me. I was still wearing my mother’s necklace. I’d been wearing it every day during the five-day trip to Belhiten, and I’d become so used to it that I’d completely forgotten it was there. I had worn it thinking that if it held some secret, something might happen on the road, but the journey had been entirely uneventful. It had started to feel like just another piece of jewelry.
I wondered if I had been overthinking things. Was the necklace really just a dead end?
“Why? Do you have a problem with my necklace?”
“Not a problem… more like an interest,” he said, his lips curling into a cool smile.
I blinked and casually reached up to touch the gem. It felt cold against my skin, unaffected by the warmth of the room. I doubted Lucian Hessen had suddenly developed a fascination with women’s accessories.
…Don’t tell me he recognizes it.
At a glance, it looked like a common enough piece. It was an antique, but it wasn’t flashy or eye-catching—it was actually quite simple. In my past life, I had worn it almost constantly, but I usually tucked it inside my shirt, so almost no one ever saw it. On the rare occasions I wore a dress that exposed my neck, my maids would nag me to swap it for something more “appropriate,” so I usually did.
I had assumed no one would recognize it as Ignis Rowell’s necklace. That’s why I hadn’t thought twice about wearing it openly. But with Lucian Hessen… things were getting complicated. If I had known I’d run into him the moment I arrived, I would have hidden it in my pocket. I didn’t need this kind of attention.
I leaned back against the staircase railing and crossed my arms.
“I don’t really remember. I’ve had it for a long time. Is this the kind of thing you’re into, Count?”
“It isn’t my taste, no. However, it looks identical to one belonging to someone I know.”
“Oh, really? Well, necklaces all tend to look alike, don’t they?”
“I think you know that this isn’t exactly a common item you’d find in any shop—assuming you’ve actually looked at it closely.”
“…Is that so? I wouldn’t know.”
He definitely recognized it. I really shouldn’t have worn it.
Lucian’s gaze sharpened, filled with blatant suspicion. I felt a twinge of annoyance and frowned. Between the interrogation and this, what was his deal?
“What exactly are you trying to say?”
“Do you happen to know who I’m talking about? The person who owns that necklace?”
“How should I know, Count? What a strange question.”
Of course I knew. He was almost certainly talking about me. But I couldn’t understand why he was pushing this.
“I have a feeling you do know. In fact, I have a feeling you’re hiding something from me.”
“…We’ve barely met. I don’t know how you could possibly come to that conclusion.”
I couldn’t help the defensive tone in my voice. Even if I wasn’t exactly putting my heart and soul into “playing” Yunette Diaz, this guy was way too sharp. I couldn’t even tell what had tipped him off.
If this keeps up, he’s going to figure out who I really am.
I took a small step back.
“Can I go now? I don’t think we’re quite close enough to be standing here having ‘friendly’ chats about nothing.”
“Is that right?”
For a split second, a strange, unreadable spark flickered in Lucian’s eyes as he watched me.
