A few more days have passed.

Cersinia struggled to find even a small clue. She went around to check the rumors she heard, but as Verne said, no one knew what happened that time. Cersinia, who was sitting in a peaceful garden with no one around, murmured.

“Now the only hope I have is sir Archen.”

As she thought, she should have asked Archen, but she hadn’t met him for days. According to the butler, Archen and Ben were inspecting the territory. She had heard about Ben’s whereabouts from other people for over a week. In the past, Ben would have told her about his schedule in person. Ben was determined to avoid her.

“There are guests in here, but where is the owner!”

Cersinia grunted, annoyed.But on the other hand, she worried about him.

‘Is he really busy that he can’t even go back to this mansion?’

‘Is he eating well?’

She was curious about his well-being.

“But can’t he show his face just for a second! Don’t he even think about the people who care about him!”

As she complained while pouting, she gradually quieted down. If she thinks about it, Cersinia was only a guest in this mansion. She was neither his wife nor his lover. So, Ben was not obligated to report every his schedule to her. But Ben has always been like that, and he has never wanted to leave her side since they reunited. It was so natural for Cersinia to overreact without realizing it. Cersinia felt the nape of her neck sting at the rushing embarrassment. She couldn’t believe that she complained about Ben when she was just his guest.

“Crazy. I’m really going crazy.”

In the end, her relationship with Ben is still the same. They knew each other’s past and were a bit special. Therefore, it was necessary to draw the line more. It was absolutely forbidden to think of crossing the line just like she did just now. Because she didn’t want to break her relationship with him.

Cersinia got up from her seat, trying to clear her mind. She admired the beautiful garden as she passed by it with slow steps. This garden, which she had been looking at for several days, was beautiful and mysterious as if it was coming from a fairy tale.

The garden was harmonized with well-groomed grass and trees under the clear blue sky. Birds flew and sat on the occasional piles of stones. Flowers with variouscolorswere blooming throughout the garden, which was filled with their fragrance.

Looking at the brilliant garden, Cersinia forgot all her worries. She was very fond of gardens that has dazzling scenery. It was one of herfavoriteplaces in the mansion. Besides, this place was also quiet. It was perfect for organizing her thoughts. Her mind, which was always a mess, felt like it was being cleaned when she was there.

She barely made her way through the large garden and walked towards the mansion. A few days ago, Verner had shown the way to the garden to Cersinia, so she wouldn’t get lost as she did before. As Cersinia walked, the cold wind made her body shiver, so she fixed her shawl over her shoulders.

The passing autumn was quite chilly. As if to announce that winter is coming soon. It is in the winter, that the first half of the novel will start.

‘Soon, the scene where Verne meets the Crown Prince will play out.’

According to the novel, the Crown Prince who disguised himself as an ordinary person, went to the capital for an inspection and rescues Verne from danger. Just like a fairy tale where the Prince riding a white horse rescues the female protagonist from danger.

“It’s a typical, very typical story.”

‘Isn’t that scene appearing regularly in dramas?’Cersinia entered the mansion through the back door while thinking about the scene where Verne would meet the Crown Prince.

“Then, when will he come back?”

“I don’t know about that, so please understand that I can’t tell you exactly, lady Aronia.”

While walking down the hallway, Cersinia accidentally heard the conversation between the two. She wondered where the voiceswere coming from and found the silhouettes of the three people standing in front of the mansion’s main door. One of them was Murchen, the butler she was familiar with, and the other was a woman and a man she had never seen before.

“The Count is hoping to see him too.”

“Yes. When Your Excellency returns, I will tell him that Count Blenzuan hopes to meet him.”

The voice of the woman named Aronia, who appeared to be a guest, was very soft and clear. The closer Cersinia approached, the clearer she could see Aronia’s elegant attire. Her green eyes were shining and framed by light blue hair that complimented her white skin. She had on a light purple dress with light green polka dots on the neck and sleeves, with a small pink ribbon hung from the middle of her chest. The woman who looked younger than Cersinia looked elegant overall. Every little gesture she made was elegant and cultured. Obviously, she was the picture-perfect of how a typical noble lady who grew up well, should act and talk like, unlike Cersinia.

“Greetings, lady Cersinia.”

Murchen noticed the approaching Cersinia and greeted her.

“Yes, butler.”

“…”

Aronia noticed Cersinia’s existence and glanced at her sideways. Her green eyes quickly scanned Cersinia from head to toe. Just like a person who wanted to know how therumoredlover, who was brought by Ben himself and hidden away, looked like. In addition, her gaze scrutinized Cersinia, searching for what Cersinia physically had that was better than her.

Cersinia was contemplating whether to greet Aronia or not. She had to greet her out of courtesy, but she couldn’t easily do that as the woman’s stinging gaze was so hostile.

“Hmph.”

Aronia snorted openly and turned her head away. Aronia’s intention was to clearly disregard Cersinia while ignoring her. She spoke to Murchen.

“Then… goodbye.”

Her disgruntled eyes glared at Cersinia once more, before she turned around.

“Go home safely, lady Aronia Blenzuan.”

At the end of the butler’s words, the servant guarding Aronia opened the main door. Aronia walked elegantly out of the mansion under the escort of her servant.

‘Huh… what the hell!’

Surprised, Cersinia stared intently at Aronia’s back. Her arrogance was visible as she walked like a bird flapping its wings.

“Did you enjoy your walk?” Murchen asked, closing the door.

“Who is she?”Grumpiness coming out of Cersinia’s mouth. In the garden, she swore to herself that she would not be presumptuous, but she was angry right now. She couldn’t understand why she should be ignored by a woman she had never seen before.

‘She looked like Ben’s guest, but did she misunderstand the relationship between Ben and me?’

Even if that was true, she was still very much rude.

“She is lady Aronia Blenzuan. She is also the one and only daughter of Count Blenzuan.”

Murchen looked straight into Cersinia’s eyes. For a moment, there were no emotions in the eyes that contained his age, but a smile was drawn around his mouth.

“And she could be Your Excellency’s fiancée in the future.”

He was smiling, but his eyes were not smiling at all. There was no malice in his smile, but it had thorns in it. Cersinia hardened at Murchen’s unfamiliar attitude, which she was seeing for the first time. The butler, who only treated her with a friendly smile, suddenly revealed his true feelings. Her mind went blank as if she had been hit hard. She felt like someone she trusted had pricked her in the foot.

“Then I have work to do, so I’ll go first.”

Unlike before, Murchen‘s smile reached his eyes and left the room. But you couldn’t find a smile on Cersinia’s face, who was left alone.

Her crimson eyes swept through the large mansion. Cersinia felt like everywhere she went, she was not accepted. Since Ben was not here, she was a nobody. That was her position here. The butler’s attitude made Cersinia realize that she had no place to stay in peace and comfort. No one recognized her or welcomed her except Ben.

She was just an unexpected guest and stranger in this mansion who was not nice to anyone. Just because she spent more than a week in this mansion doesn’t mean she could be the hostess of this mansion.

“I must have been mistaken.”

A laugh broke out.

It was like Murchen wanted to say that the woman who suits Ben had to be a noble lady, just like Aronia, and not herself. There will be no doubt that the noble and dignified lady, who has been nurtured without hardship, will become the hostess of the Grand Duchy. That’s what Cersinia thought too. It was something Cersinia was already aware of, Murchen’s smile was just a reminder. But she couldn’t help but feel upset.

“As expected, I should have stayed quietly by myself…” Her voice resonated.

So far not one place fully welcomed her. Everywhere she went, she was isolated and alone.

Cersinia climbed the stairs, leaving behind her throbbing heart in bitterness.

‘I’ve never felt this way when Ben was around…’

She can’t believe the absence of just one person makes such a big difference. Even she was surprised by it.

“Lady Cersinia, you’re here.”

Verne, who was coming down the stairs, smiled broadly when she found Cersinia.

“Verne.”

Cersinia forced herself to smile at the woman before her. Verne, who was worried about the slightest change in her expression, tried to act as usual.

“Why are you here?”

“I was wondering if the lady lost because you weren’t coming.”

“I already memorized the way now. There is no need for you to worry.”

Cersinia headed to her room while having a conversation with Verne. Somehow, today she missed him more.