At Lilith’s absurd claim, Carmen looked as if her eyes would pop out of her head. It was something no sane person would say.
“What? You gave something that important to your boyfriend?”
“If you want that ring so badly, why don’t you ask my boyfriend for it yourself? He said he’s picking me up tomorrow for a date.”
Lilith dragged the stunned Carmen out of her room. She was practically throwing her out, but Carmen was too flustered to even protest.
“Try asking him then. Whether he gives it to you or not is up to him.”
With that final jab, Lilith slammed the door shut. Carmen finally came back to her senses and muttered in disbelief,
“…She really has a boyfriend?”
“Did she really say he’s coming today?”
“How many times do I have to say it? That’s what she said.”
Carmen and her two daughters were pressed against the second-floor window, which had the best view of the front gate.
Lilith had been humming and getting dolled up since morning—clearly waiting for a date—but they still couldn’t believe it was real.
“How on earth did they even meet?”
“Probably someone who flirted with her on the street.”
Aria snapped irritably. She had been convinced Lilith was lying, and now that her assumption seemed wrong, she was annoyed and frustrated. She had always believed Lilith was someone she had wrapped around her finger.
“He’s probably some shady loser.”
“Right? You can tell just by imagining it. He probably got close because she’s pretty. But there’s no way a guy like that is decent.”
Their assumptions were more like curses, but they had reason to believe them. Lilith had no real chance of meeting decent men.
In the past, she was practically part of the furniture at home, and the only time she went out was to run errands.
Even though her routines had changed lately, Aria had followed her once and reported that the only men who approached her were strangers on the street.
To think she’d give her heart—and even a seal of ownership—to a guy like that. Carmen shook her head in disbelief.
“She’s so reckless. I don’t know how she’ll survive.”
“If she ends up pregnant before marrying the baron, it’ll be a disaster.”
Carmen flinched. Aria’s words were the worst-case scenario she could imagine.
“Don’t say things like that. What if you jinx it?”
“Come on, Mom, if he’s no good, you can just hunt him down. You can totally handle it.”
“Ah, someone’s coming!”
At Aria’s words, all three of them pressed their faces to the window. From afar, a tall man was walking toward the estate holding something.
“Well, he’s tall.”
“What does that matter? Let’s go see.”
Melody rushed down the stairs with Carmen, but Aria remained by the window.
The man looked familiar. She couldn’t place it, but something about his silhouette struck a chord.
She flung the window open and leaned out. That’s when she saw Lilith run out to greet the man with open arms.
He spun her around once before handing her a bouquet with a bright smile.
So that’s what he was holding—flowers.
Probably cheap ones picked off the side of the road. He had more sense than she expected, which annoyed Aria even more. She couldn’t stand the idea of not being able to put him down.
But as the couple walked closer, still hand-in-hand, Aria’s expression twisted in shock.
“Francis?!”
Her legs trembling, she hurried down the stairs. If her eyes weren’t deceiving her, that man was none other than Francis—one of the academy’s most famous figures.
The bouquet, arranged in soft pastel colors, was beautiful and fragrant. Lilith exaggeratedly took in the scent.
She was being watched by Carmen and her daughters, so the show had begun.
“Do you like it?”
“Yeah. It’s so pretty. It’s been ages since someone gave me flowers.”
The act was exaggerated, but the joy was real. People say flowers are useless, but Lilith disagreed.
Pretty things make people feel good. That’s enough reason to give them.
And considering the message flowers send, Francis had made a perfect choice. Anyone watching would naturally assume they were lovers.
Well, maybe it wasn’t that natural—his dramatic flair was a bit much—but Lilith appreciated the effort.
“You really did a good job overall.”
“Does that mean you found some parts lacking?”
Francis was quick to catch even subtle shifts in her wording. Lilith nodded and pointed out the one thing that had bothered her.
“Spinning me around was a bit too much.”
“Well, I had to give them something to look at.”
He whispered this with a mischievous smile. Lilith laughed, biting back a playful scold.
“It made me dizzy, you know.”
“My apologies. I’ll correct that, since my client wasn’t satisfied.”
While speaking, he gently laced his fingers with hers. As naturally as flowing water, they walked toward the mansion hand-in-hand.
Why does this feel so natural?
Had he always been like this? Lilith didn’t really know much about him.
She had read the book focused only on herself. But from what she remembered, Francis didn’t meet any women before Sylvia, the heroine. Curious, she asked directly.
“You know you’re acting like a player, right?”
“Me? I’ve never heard that before.”
“No girl’s ever told you that?”
Francis smiled faintly and replied,
“They say once you start digging into someone’s past, the relationship is doomed.”
“Where’d you hear that?”
“A book.”
Hmm. She looked at him skeptically, but he just shrugged. Judging by his expression, he wasn’t lying.
He learned about dating from books, not experience? And yet he’s this good at it?
Frankly, she found that hard to believe.
“Come on, we’re not really dating. You can tell me.”
Her suspicions didn’t let up. For some reason, she really wanted to know.
When she kept pestering him, Francis eventually gave in.
“I don’t have the kind of past you’re imagining.”
“I see.”
“You’re believing me that easily?”
Whenever he said he’d never dated, people always thought he was joking.
And after they finally believed him, they always said something like, “You look like the type who’s dated a hundred girls.” It was never clear whether that was a compliment or an insult.
But she was the first to accept his words at face value. Francis tilted his head slightly. It was nice to be believed, but he wasn’t sure how to feel about it.
“Well, why wouldn’t I believe you? You said it yourself. But why didn’t you date anyone? Isn’t the academy more for romance than studying?”
“Hmm. Why didn’t I?”
The academy was full of young nobles. Romance bloomed daily.
For someone like Francis, with good looks and excellent status, to have no experience was strange.
“…Honestly, I don’t know. I just didn’t feel like it. I guess that’s a half-hearted answer, huh? But it’s the truth.”
“I see.”
It was a lackluster answer, but Lilith thought she understood something even he didn’t.
If he had dated before, the emotional impact of falling for Sylvia at first sight wouldn’t have been as strong. That first love had to hit like lightning.
So his lack of interest in romance was just a setup for the dramatic impact later.
This version of Francis, charming and composed, would soon disappear.
Love messes people up, Lilith sighed. That included herself.
“…But really, you thought I seemed like a player?”
“Yeah. You held my hand so naturally.”
“There’s a perfect phrase for that. Want me to tell you?”
He gestured for her to lean in.
As she tilted her head, he whispered against her ear,
“Gifted.”
And with that outrageously cheeky remark, their conversation was cut short—they had gotten close enough to be overheard by Carmen and her daughters.
“Good morning, Mother.”
With an icy smile, Lilith clung to Francis and introduced him.
“This is the Marquess of Carnelian. …Aren’t you going to say hello?”
She wasn’t even being particularly sharp, but Carmen flinched and grabbed her skirt with trembling hands.
“Hello, Marquess Carnelian. I’m the Countess of Delphi.”
The noble greeting she had practiced countless times fell flat today.
After Carmen, her daughters bowed too. Francis returned their greeting flawlessly.
“Countess of Delphi, thank you for welcoming an uninvited guest.”
Despite the polite words, his face was full of arrogance. It was clear: You couldn’t refuse me even if you wanted to.
“I know this is sudden, but I’ve come because there’s something I need to discuss.”
“I see…”
They couldn’t exactly tell him to leave.
A marquess was second only to a duke. In the Kingdom of Veloa, only two families—royalty and the founders—held dukedoms. For everyone else, a marquess was the highest rank.
But Francis was special even beyond that. The Carnelian family was known for its wealth and political influence. The family head held a permanent seat in the Council of Eight, the nation’s ruling power.
Francis had temporarily left the council to attend the academy, but he could rejoin anytime.
He was only 19, but Carmen knew better than to underestimate him.
Not to mention… he didn’t look like someone to underestimate.
He was breathtakingly handsome but gave off a dangerous aura—like a hyena facing a lion.
Forcing her lips into a smile, Carmen said,
“It’s a humble home, but please come in.”
She wasn’t exaggerating. The mansion was a mess. The main hall hadn’t been cleaned in three days, dust was everywhere, and shoes were scattered about.
Francis surveyed the entrance briefly.
“Truly humble, just as you said.”
“…We’ve been trying to hire a new maid, so things are a bit out of order. I apologize for the untidiness, Marquess.”
“Then I suggest you find one quickly. Just imagining Lily living in a place like this makes me want to flip it upside down.”
