Prologue
The ending of that cliché romance novel—“And so the two lived happily ever after”—always felt dull no matter how many times I saw it.
A noble lady who marries but is not loved by her husband, and a commoner knight serving the family she married into. The story was about two people of different social ranks who fall in love at first sight, abandon their families, and run away together for love. I honestly couldn’t understand why such a thing was popular in the capital, especially among nobles.
No matter how you looked at it—straight on or upside down—it was so unrealistic that it felt completely detached from reality. To be blunt, it was adultery, and in real terms it would certainly be punished as a criminal act of infidelity.
“Brin really hasn’t changed. Still stuck in her delusions… huh?”
I let out a small scoff as I roughly understood why my childhood friend Evryn had sent me this book with such a mischievous intention. But when I turned to the final page, there was a blank sheet… and on it, Evryn’s handwriting in her ever-cute script.
My precious friend, Lueshua.
You definitely forced yourself to read this book to the end and laughed at it, didn’t you? I can tell what kind of expression you’re making without even seeing you! You always underestimate romance—that’s your problem!
I believe in destiny. I’m sure that someday, you too will meet someone you fall for at first sight. I always pray for it whenever I go to the temple.
I’ll be waiting for that day. I’m sure a very special encounter will greet us. Life only comes once, so don’t you think you should sparkle at least once like a star in the sky so you can say you lived without regrets?
“…Good grief. Brin, what am I supposed to do with you.”
Evryn firmly believed in fated encounters, yet in all her life she had fallen in love at first sight more than ten times already. I chuckled softly as I recalled her shameless expression, insisting that she simply hadn’t met her “true love” yet—that mutual affection was what made it truly fated.
“If you can experience both the sweet and bitter sides of life like that, you won’t have regrets,” Mother used to say.
I closed the book, set it on the table, and stared at my already cold tea, wondering whether I should still drink it.
Then—
“Lady! Lady!!”
The maid’s voice calling for me echoed through the quiet hallway leading to the study. I jumped at the urgency in her tone. It was rare for such loud voices to be heard inside the manor.
“What is it?”
I had barely stood up when the door burst open without a knock. Seeing the tearful face of the maid who rushed inside, I immediately realized something serious had happened.
“There’s a letter from the capital… The countess…!”
Unable to finish her words, she handed me the letter. Suppressing the cold dread rising in my chest, I took it with trembling hands and quickly scanned its contents.
With every line I read, I felt as though the sky itself was collapsing.
“Mother…!”
