IBHS 9

Chapter : 09

Something felt off.

It wasn’t just a hunch—it went beyond normal intuition.

“Come to think of it, I heard the young lady’s friend visited the mansion.”

“Her friend came here?”

“Yes. Since the young lady left the Count’s house without telling anyone, they insisted on meeting her.”

The start of it was a surprise from Daisy, who helped with her preparations.

Apparently, a young lady, feeling hurt that Lilian had left without a word, came to see her—even though they had no prior acquaintance.

And not just anywhere—she came straight to the Valencia Duke’s residence.

It had only been a day since stepping into the Duke’s mansion. From the sound of it, this was friendship more touching than any love story.

“Do you remember her name?”

“Well… she refused to tell me.”

“What?”

“She said that even just hearing her story, you would figure it out immediately…”

What story? Diana asked again, but Daisy just shook her head.

“She’s just very hurt that you left without saying anything…”

The nameless young lady was behaving rudely, visiting without reason.

Even more surprising was that the Duke’s household had accepted her without so much as a warning.

‘She wouldn’t have guessed anyway.’

Lilian had already held a farewell with her close friends.

If the visitor hadn’t been invited, they probably weren’t as close as she claimed.

Yet even for a shallow acquaintance, no one would dare such audacity—especially at the Valencia Duke’s mansion.

As Diana slowly pieced the situation together, she found herself at the door to the reception room.

This visitor knew Lilian well, but Diana didn’t. It was natural to feel nervous.

Taking a deep breath, Diana knocked on the door.

“Lady Mernard! So nice to see you!”

After a moment, the door opened wide.

A young lady, whom Diana had never seen before, greeted her brightly.

“It’s been so long! How many years has it been? I was planning to visit soon, but I’ve been so busy I couldn’t make it!”

“Oh… well…”

“You left your estate without telling me—you must know I felt so hurt.”

The stranger chattered nonstop, giving Diana no chance to reply.

She had intended to warn the nameless young lady—to say that even if she was close to Lilian, she shouldn’t misuse her name—but facing her now, Diana found it hard to speak.

The girl seemed familiar, as if very close, but maybe they weren’t.

Yet Diana didn’t recognize this face from the noble list the Count had given her.

“Lady, please let my fiancée in.”

Just as the greeting stretched on, someone ushered them inside.

It was Ersivan’s voice.

‘His expression says: Go in.’

The young lady, smiling mischievously, encouraged Diana to follow her into the reception room.

Reluctantly, Diana did.

“I feel bad for both of you,” she said.

Once inside, the young lady apologized again.

Somehow, it felt like she was more affected by Ersivan than Diana herself.

Even the bravest person can struggle against their own fears.

Diana offered an awkward smile and took a seat.

“You’ve been well, right? Oh, were you surprised I came suddenly? I hope I didn’t come too early.”

The young lady bombarded her with questions as soon as she sat down.

“I was a little surprised…”

“You remember me, don’t you?”

Diana bit her lip, stalling. The questions hit a nerve.

‘From the conversation, she seems like a childhood friend of my sister.’

Yet she had never met this young lady in the past year, and the Count never mentioned her.

Lies like that wouldn’t hold if Lilian were present.

Ersivan watched them quietly, eyes faintly glowing red—more unsettling than beautiful, like the look he had shown yesterday afternoon.

“You remember my name, right?”

The unexpected guest impatiently pressed Diana.

Normally, Diana would have noticed something strange, but in this chaotic moment, she couldn’t stay calm.

“So…”

The young lady’s eyes sparkled in expectation, but Diana had no way to answer.

She wasn’t a fortune teller—how could she guess a name she had never seen?

‘Ersivan?’

Diana noticed him moving. His hand, previously supporting his chin, now pointed at a red serviette.

His gaze stayed fixed on her, emphasizing it.

‘What am I supposed to do with a red serviette?’

Looking at the red serviette didn’t trigger any ideas.

Next, Ersivan picked up a red apple from a bucket.

‘Showing me more red things… what am I supposed to do?’

Suddenly, it clicked.

‘Red!’

The visitor, presumed to be Lilian’s friend, also had red hair.

Diana remembered a naming trend in the Empire: naming children based on hair or eye color.

It was a rough guess, but staying silent wouldn’t solve anything.

“Lady Scarlet. Is that correct?”

Diana finally said the name with a confident expression. The young lady’s face lit up.

It was the correct answer.

Believing Diana remembered her, Scarlet excitedly began sharing stories.

It was a shame Diana couldn’t relate to their childhood memories.

“Lunch is almost ready—perhaps we should continue catching up later, Lady Scarlet.”

While listening to Scarlet, Ersivan ended the meeting.

The clock pointed to lunchtime.

Her lively expression turned disappointed.

“Time flew too fast… we barely talked! What a shame.”

“Next time, we should arrange a meal in advance.”

“I will. Next time, I’ll borrow a whole day of my friend’s time—please allow me!”

Scarlet was then escorted out by a knight.

Turning to wave in the corridor, she cheerfully said:

“I’m off, Lady Mernard—or rather, Lilian!”

“Goodbye, Scarlet.”

Even though the name was unfamiliar, it felt natural to say. Scarlet smiled sweetly and left.

“She felt like a lark,” Ersivan commented. Her high, cheerful voice reminded him of a singing bird.

“You must have been flustered—rest during lunch.”

“Yes, I will.”

Back in the reception room, Diana retrieved her spring shawl.

Looking at Scarlet’s seat, it was a mess—hardly noble behavior.

She must have been thrilled to see an old friend. Diana might have done the same if she met someone from her past.

‘If I hadn’t guessed her name, she might have held me there for ages.’

Judging by her personality, she might have cried. Diana shuddered at the thought.

‘She refused to give her name…’

Thanks to Ersivan’s subtle hint, disaster was avoided.

‘But she said she came without revealing her name.’

How did Ersivan know Scarlet’s name?

‘Maybe they exchanged names when they first met.’

True, it was their first meeting, so they likely did.

“She must have been really close. She even said she’ll visit again.”

“Really?”

Diana answered vaguely. She couldn’t truthfully say, “Yes, we were best friends!”

Actually, she couldn’t admit she didn’t know her.

“By the way… she seems rather detached.”

“Huh?”

“You didn’t even remember the childhood friend’s name.”

Diana regretted not saying anything in advance.

She had effectively become someone who didn’t remember her friend’s name.

Ersivan smiled at Diana’s embarrassment—a casual, arrogant smile.

It reminded her he could be charming like a gentleman, making her flinch.

“Well, childhood is best forgotten. What use is clinging to the past?”

“…”

“Follow me. I’ll take you to the dining room.”

Diana had been unsure, but Ersivan treated it lightly.

He guided her to the dining room as it was time for lunch.

‘Just now…’

Diana followed him absentmindedly, recalling his expression.

His mouth had twisted in a sneer—different from his earlier bold, arrogant smile.

He had clearly laughed at her.

The warm midday sun shone lazily, yet Diana felt a chill.

Block quotes for the key lines:

“Lady Mernard! So nice to see you!”
“Lady Scarlet. Is that correct?”
“I’m off, Lady Mernard—or rather, Lilian!”
‘She refused to give her name…’
‘He had clearly laughed at her.’