Chapter 18
It was the year we were seven.
‘…Alright, let’s hear it. What are you crying about this time?’
It was back when I hadn’t known Lihi for very long.
He looked at me with a tired expression, his chubby, youthful cheeks all scrunched up. It sounds strange to say now, but he was really cute.
‘…Forget it, I won’t say… Waaah…’
And I, who had been a crybaby and a clingy brat, started to speak in between sobs, only to burst into tears all over again.
‘Haah…’
The little boy who’d been listening to me cry let out a deep sigh.
Though we were just children, there was a weariness on his young face that I had only seen in the adults of the merchant guild.
Then, Lihi suddenly threw something.
Whoosh— thud!
‘Ouch!’
I let out a cry after getting hit square on the head. Tears welled up in my eyes as I glared at Lihi, full of resentment.
But all he did was snort dismissively.
Left with no choice, I fumbled around and picked up what had fallen onto the grass.
‘Huh?’
What I found in my hand was a small figurine shaped like a bird.
‘I know this! It’s an owl!’
Recalling the illustrations from a fairy tale book I’d read, I momentarily forgot the pain and exclaimed with joy.
‘Yeah. And from now on, don’t come into the forest just to cry.’
‘Huh?’
I blinked in surprise at Lihi’s sudden, commanding tone.
His golden eyes shifted away from mine.
‘If you want to cry, write a letter instead. I’ll listen.’
I blinked again, not quite understanding his words.
‘Tsk.’
Lihi jumped down from the tree branch he had been sitting on and approached me with long strides.
Then he pointed at the owl figurine in my hand.
‘That figurine turns into a messenger bird.’
What?
I opened my mouth in disbelief and looked back down at the figurine resting in my hand.
‘Whenever you want to send a letter, stroke the head of the figurine. Then it’ll turn into a real bird and deliver your message to me.’
His clear golden eyes gazed at me with earnest seriousness.
‘…Pfft.’
I couldn’t help but laugh.
Up until then, I’d always thought of Lihi as a strangely mature boy for his age.
But now here he was, saying that the owl figurine would actually turn into a messenger bird?
Even if he pretended otherwise, he was definitely still a kid.
The thought made me laugh out loud.
The sparkle in his big clear eyes quickly turned into a sharp glare.
A moment later, Lihi, holding a grudge, scolded me for a long time. I pouted with a sulky expression all the way home.
‘…I don’t believe it!’
I tossed the figurine onto my bookshelf and completely forgot about it.
A few days later, while pulling out a book, I found the figurine exactly where I had left it.
‘…’
Suddenly, curiosity flared within me.
Could it really turn into a bird? Let’s try stroking its head.
Of course it won’t actually transform. Then I can tease Lihi about it.
With that thought, I lightly stroked the figurine’s head.
Flap—
A sudden gust of wind swirled around the room.
‘Kyaaa!’
My black hair flew wildly in every direction.
I was too shocked to even scream.
And over the chaos, the shrill cry of a bird pierced through the air.
Stupefied, I stared blankly at the owl flapping its wings vigorously above my head.
‘My lady! What in the world is going on?!’
The maid, startled by the commotion, rushed in.
Only after quite some time had passed.
“Pfft.”
Maia smiled faintly.
She had been so foolish as a child.
Back then, she constantly complained without realizing that those moments were the happiest of her life.
She used to yearn for a more glamorous, better life.
But now, as the Duchess of Western—a position as high as one could climb—she found herself longing for those peaceful days, tucked away in a quiet country village, occasionally meeting Lihi.
“—And so I said, you know!”
A loud voice suddenly rang out near the terrace.
Startled, Maia quickly hid the figurine.
But the group didn’t come into the terrace.
They stayed by the door, continuing their conversation.
“Forget about that. Hey, did you hear the news? The Tower Master has resumed his activities.”
“Ah— that? Yeah, it’s intriguing. Didn’t he suddenly cut off all public appearances and hole himself up in the tower? The mages caused a huge fuss, saying he might be dead. So why come back now?”
Judging by their voices, they were young noblemen, but they didn’t seem to be of good character.
One of the less impressive-looking young men grinned with flushed cheeks and added gleefully:
“What, did he fall in love at first sight or something? That’s the kind of story noble ladies love, isn’t it?”
Maia sighed inwardly, wondering why she always attracted the worst kinds of people.
“Then will we get to see just how beautiful the Tower Master’s lover is?”
“Oh, come now. You think the Tower Master will let anyone see her? He’ll probably lock her away where no one can find her.”
Apparently, these young men were quite well-versed in the romance novels favored by noblewomen.
Their sneering laughter and trashy conversation continued.
Maia quietly sighed and waited for them to leave the terrace.
“Ah, Duke of Western!”
Only after quite some time had passed did they finally leave, calling out a familiar name as they went.
Finally.
Maia slowly made her way back to the ballroom.
The Duke of Western was likely among the high-ranking nobles.
But when she returned, an odd scene had formed inside.
Numerous noble ladies and women had gathered in a circle around someone, whispering with sympathetic eyes as though comforting them.
What’s going on?
Maia squinted to see the person hidden behind the layers of colorful dresses—then froze as her heart dropped.
“Your Highness, please don’t cry. It’s not good for the child in your womb…”
The woman being comforted was none other than the Crown Princess.
Wait, why? She was perfectly fine just a moment ago.
Maia stared at the scene, utterly bewildered.
“Ah, there she is!”
A sharp voice rang out, accompanied by piercing green eyes locking onto Maia from across the room.
The speaker was Lady Cesare, standing right beside the tearful Crown Princess.
Suddenly, accusations were hurled toward Maia.
She blinked in surprise, meeting the woman’s glare.
Lady Cesare shouted:
“What sort of vile remark did you make to Her Highness, the Crown Princess carrying the imperial heir?!”
“…What?”
Maia frowned in confusion at the baseless and abrupt accusation.
But no one else seemed to find the words strange.
Almost as if it had been orchestrated, everyone turned to glare at Maia.
Ah. This is bad.
Maia instantly realized that something was seriously wrong.
“Her Highness showed kindness by initiating a conversation with you, even though you were standing alone. And you repaid that kindness by speaking curses against the imperial heir in her womb! How could someone be so wicked?!”
…Not a single part of that was true.
The Crown Princess had never approached Maia kindly.
Curses? Against the child in her womb?
Speechless, Maia stood frozen in disbelief.
And yet, everyone around her seemed to believe Lady Cesare’s lies without question.
The commotion began to draw attention from others in the ballroom, whispers spreading through the crowd.
Maia’s gaze turned cold as she looked at the Crown Princess—who still hid behind the noble ladies, not showing her face.
Until now, she hadn’t even spared Maia a glance, and Maia hadn’t realized—she had another enemy.
Maia bit her lip.
But the situation was bad.
Suddenly, she had become the petty, jealous woman with no child of her own, resenting another’s fortune.
Even if she tried to argue, the opponent was the Crown Princess.
Anything Maia said would be dismissed as lies and excuses.
Once she became the target of public scorn, the outcome had already been decided.
Maia’s gaze turned to the Duke of Western, who stood observing the scene.
Still… there was one way out.
If he stood by her side, if he defended her and said, “My wife would never say such things,” then she wouldn’t be shredded by the crowd’s judgment.
“……”
But he only stood there, trembling, watching the scene unfold.
He didn’t approach her.
He didn’t help her.
Despair washed over Maia again, as if darkness had settled over her eyes.
What did I do wrong?
She lowered her head.
All she had done was marry him and step into the world of the nobility.
And ever since that moment, she had become the target of every jealousy and accusation.
Every time she attended a social gathering, things like this happened.
That was why, for the past six months, she had shut herself away in the duchy, never stepping outside.
Because every time she appeared in public, it was as if a pack of wolves leapt at her, determined to tear her down.
She was exhausted.
She couldn’t keep pretending she was fine. Couldn’t keep saying it didn’t matter how much they tore her apart.
It hurt. It was unbearable.
Her trembling hands curled into fists.
Why did a single marriage warrant this much hatred?
Why did she have to keep enduring it while slowly destroying herself?
Drip, drip.
She clenched her fists so tightly that her hands began to bleed, drops falling onto the floor.
“Stop.”
Then it happened.
A warm presence approached from behind.
A soft voice whispered to her, and a gentle hand stopped her from hurting herself.
“Ah.”
A quiet gasp escaped her lips.
The fingers gently unfolded her clenched fists and intertwined with hers.
Startled by the sudden contact, Maia looked back.
The first thing she saw was a chest covered in dark crimson fabric.
Intricate gold embroidery formed mysterious patterns like ivy across it.
With trembling breath, she slowly looked up.
White-silver hair, shining like snow in the light, met her eyes.
Lips closed tightly in a cold, unfamiliar way.
She had to lift her head slightly more before their eyes met—and Maia stood frozen, as if her soul had been taken.
“…Lihi…?”
The cold golden gaze reflected in the chandelier’s light looked down at her.
The impression he gave was no longer the serene, mysterious boy from the misty forest.
He now radiated a dazzling and dangerous charm.
It was him.
Her friend—Lihi.
