Chapter – 05
Rona felt dazed for a moment.
Right in front of her was Ileon’s well-shaped chin brushing her forehead, and below it his nicely defined Adam’s apple. Under her hand she could feel his firm chest. Even though he was wearing three layers—a shirt, vest, and jacket—she could still sense his sculpted physique. And beneath that, the thigh she felt between her legs gave her a strange sense of stability, almost like sitting on a vaulting horse.
Ileon’s embrace was pleasant and comfortable.
The faint scent of sandalwood drifting from him, along with the birdsong echoing through the park, almost made Rona close her eyes without realizing it.
“Are you alright?”
Hearing Ileon’s voice finally brought her back to her senses.
“I-I’m sorry!”
“Ugh.”
As she hurriedly tried to get up, her hand pressed against his abdomen, making Ileon wince.
“Are you hurt? Did you bump into something?”
“No. Don’t worry about it.”
Ileon sat up, looking slightly uncomfortable. Otherwise, there would be no reason for him to keep his knees drawn up and sit turned away from her like that for so long. Rona felt discouraged.
“Lord Ileon… should we go back to the estate?”
He must be in a bad mood. She was wondering what to do when—
“We only just got here, and you already want to leave?”
Ileon turned toward her. His face looked normal as usual. Only then did Rona relax.
“There are lots of things you like in the picnic basket too.”
“What is there? The smells are all mixed together, so I can’t tell.”
Rona busily took food out of the basket.
“It’s inconvenient without a table.”
Now that she thought about it, since everything was spread out on the ground, there wasn’t much he could easily eat by himself.
“If you just stay still, I’ll take care of everything.”
Flinch.
Suddenly Ileon’s face turned bright red.
Why is he acting like that?
Rona tilted her head, then quickly realized.
This wasn’t the Grand Duke’s residence. A grown man like Ileon being fed like a baby would surely be embarrassing if others saw.
“Oh, this will work.”
Rona placed roast beef and salad between slices of bread, wrapped it in a napkin, and handed it to him.
“This way you can eat by yourself.”
“What is this?”
“It’s called a sandwich. You put other foods between bread. People where I used to live ate it a lot.”
Rona also made one for herself, putting ham and vegetables between bread. The taste of the sandwich, something she hadn’t eaten in a long time, stirred nostalgia from her previous life.
“So this is the place.”
After asking around, Rona arrived at the Harrington Count’s estate.
The mansion, built with dark antique bricks, looked prosperous at a glance. The Count and Countess Harrington were known to be fairly decent people. That was probably why they had willingly taken in a distant relative’s orphan as their adopted daughter.
But for Karina, who wasn’t used to city life, even such kindness must have felt suffocating. If they had been bad people, she could have simply refused them coldly. But when someone leads you around with good intentions, it’s hard to say you don’t like it.
Rona understood that feeling.
I hated everything my mom told me to eat because it was “good for me.”
She sympathized.
Anyway, since she had come all this way herself, she had hoped to meet Karina today. But seeing the sky already glowing red with sunset made her sigh.
“What if they refuse to let me meet her because it’s late…”
There had been a problem when leaving Trapel Park.
When Rona said they should split up because she had something to do, Ileon had stubbornly insisted on coming with her.
“Please go ahead with the butler.”
“Why?”
“I have something to take care of.”
“Something to do? Then I’ll go with you.”
At times like this, Rona found him difficult to deal with.
“Ah… well… I look like such a mess, so I thought I’d get some clothes made.”
“I’ll escort you there.”
“No, that’s not necessary! If you bring a man to a dressmaker, people will misunderstand and think we’re dating!”
The butler Bernard, who was completely devoted to Ileon, quickly intervened.
“That’s right. And you’ve already gone out two days in a row. You should rest.”
Rona, who wanted to go alone, and the butler, who prioritized his master’s health above all else, found themselves on the same side.
By the time she managed to separate from Ileon, quite a bit of time had passed.
“Honestly… what a hassle.”
This is all for you to open your eyes, Ileon. It’s all for your sake.
And yet he insisted on following her like a stubborn child. Not even six-year-olds acted like that.
Standing before the Count’s gate, Rona straightened her clothes. Since today was a park outing, she wasn’t wearing her maid uniform but her going-out clothes. She had chosen them carefully just in case she might end up visiting the estate.
“Hello. My name is Rona Herapellis. May I see Lady Karina?”
“Lady Karina?”
There had probably never been any visitors asking for Karina before. Soon Rona was guided to a small building near the entrance. Guests with uncertain identities couldn’t go straight to the main reception hall.
After a while, an elderly butler entered.
“What business do you have?”
“I once received help from Lady Karina.”
Actually, she wanted to receive help from her starting now.
“I wanted to repay her kindness, but I heard she lost her parents and is staying with Count Harrington.”
“I see.”
The butler nodded.
“May I meet her?”
“That will be difficult.”
Rona’s eyes widened.
“Why? If she sees me, she’ll definitely be glad to.”
She quickly reviewed whether she had violated any etiquette. She hadn’t made any unreasonable requests.
“Lady Karina is not at the estate right now.”
“What? Then where is she?”
A hint of pride appeared on the butler’s face.
“She is at the Imperial Palace.”
The palace garden at sunset had an especially elegant atmosphere.
A white statue wearing a golden crown and holding a spear was dyed red by the setting sun. Water droplets from the fountain sparkled nearby, and the garden was full of spring flowers.
Standing in the middle of that garden was a beautiful woman.
With her slender figure, flowing silver hair, and vivid green eyes, she looked almost like a mystical fairy.
“It’s so beautiful.”
As Karina admired the garden, Saviel smiled.
“Not as beautiful as you.”
Karina blushed shyly.
The man before her had slightly wavy black hair and blue eyes. His uniform suited him perfectly. His almond-shaped eyes, high nose bridge, and smooth lips curved into a smile as he looked at her.
“Your Highness says such things so easily.”
“Do you dislike it?”
“Do you say that to other ladies too?”
“I used to.”
Karina looked slightly disappointed.
“Back then it was just courtesy. Now I mean it.”
Saviel gently took her hand and kissed the back of it. Karina felt like her heart might burst.
“You’re lying.”
“What must I do to earn your trust?”
When Karina said nothing, Saviel spoke again.
“I will grant you permission to use my name.”
“What?”
“Saviel. You may call me that.”
“T-That’s impossible.”
Granting permission to use his name was a completely different matter. In the Empire, only one’s parents and spouse could call a royal by their given name.
“How could I dare call Your Highness by name…”
“Try it.”
“I can’t.”
“Are you refusing a royal command?”
Saviel teased her playfully and persisted. Karina’s lips trembled.
“…Saviel.”
“It sounds nice.”
Saviel slowly leaned toward her. As if she had been waiting, Karina closed her eyes and accepted his kiss.
“When we’re alone, call me by my name whenever you like.”
Karina nodded, her face red. It was impossible to tell whether it was from the sunset or her embarrassment.
“Your Highness.”
“What is it?”
“Well…”
An aide whispered something to him, and Saviel’s face hardened briefly. Soon he turned back to Karina as if nothing had happened.
“Karina. I have urgent business. I must go.”
Karina looked disappointed, so Saviel kissed her once more.
“Come to the palace again tomorrow.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“If you call me ‘Your Highness’ instead of my name tomorrow, I’ll have to punish you once each time.”
Saviel laughed and left. Karina’s legs gave out and she sank to the ground.
“Ha… haha…”
Karina Drephane.
She was a baron’s daughter in name only. She had grown up in a remote countryside village, living no differently than an ordinary girl. When her parents suddenly died, she felt like her world had collapsed.
But her distant relatives, the Harrington Counts, adopted her and brought her to the capital.
Karina had lived far from high society and hadn’t even had her debutante yet. The Count’s family supported her in every possible way so she could make her delayed debut.
But for Karina, who had lived freely, the rigid aristocratic lifestyle felt suffocating. She kept telling herself to endure it just until her debut.
Then one day—
The Countess took Karina to the palace to meet the Empress. It was meant to introduce Karina to society. The Countess presented expensive jewels to the Empress.
While stepping away to give them privacy, Karina got lost and happened to meet Crown Prince Saviel.
“Haah…”
Remembering their first meeting made her cheeks flush.
She had never seen such a handsome man before.
And…
“That was my first kiss.”
The sound of bells seemed to ring in her ears. The red sky, the sound of the fountain, the fragrance of flowers—everything was perfect.
“Saviel.”
Karina’s face glowed as she repeated her lover’s name. The woman in love left the palace only after night had fallen.
Rona walked slowly along the road.
She had waited until almost ten at night, but Karina never returned from the palace. According to the Harrington family’s old butler, Karina had caught the Crown Prince’s attention and now visited the palace almost daily, returning late.
“The Count’s family had only one heir and no daughters. When they adopted the beautiful Lady Karina, the Countess was very pleased. Now they say it may lead to a royal marriage and consider it a great blessing for the family.”
Rona couldn’t believe what she heard.
“Karina fell in love with the Crown Prince?”
Karina, who should have met Ileon long ago according to the original story, had deviated from the plot.
“Then what about Ileon… what should I do?”
Karina was supposed to make the medicine for Ileon. Would she still make it even without love? Would his blindness still be cured without that key condition?
This was her first time encountering such a twisted version of the original story in her first possession attempt. Rona felt overwhelmed.
Creak. Clank.
Even when she carefully opened and closed the Grand Duke’s large iron gate, it still made noise. Since everyone should have been asleep, Rona quietly slipped inside.
Click.
Just as she closed the door—
A dark figure was sitting on the stairs.
“So you’re finally back.”
