Chapter 8
As expected, it poured rain on the way home yesterday.
Thankfully, she hadn’t gotten too wet thanks to hurrying, but the sudden downpour had continued into today as well.
The sound of raindrops tapping against the window woke her early.
Liette didn’t like rainy days.
Her naturally curly hair would go wild in the damp weather, which made it all the more annoying.
“Well, I’ll be putting my hair up anyway, so maybe it doesn’t matter.”
Today was the Duke of Croyt’s birthday party.
It was also one of the few days when Liette would get completely dressed up from head to toe.
She’d be dragged around by her mother all day, getting dressed like a doll, and to Liette, this was more exhausting than practicing swordsmanship on horseback.
“Ah, right—the birthday present.”
The day before yesterday, she had stopped by the flower market and bought the freshest, fullest dahlia she could find.
Liette glanced over at the red dahlia in the vase.
“I don’t know… Sometimes, when I look at Father, I wonder if he really loves Mother.”
That thing Evan had said kept nagging at her as she stared at the flower.
It wasn’t that Evan didn’t love his father. But if things continued the way they were, there was a risk they could be torn apart irreparably.
Whatever happened to Evan didn’t really matter to her, but the Duke was different.
If his only child ended up misunderstanding everything alone because of something absurd, how heartbroken would he be when he found out?
“Evan, you little jerk.”
Liette, who had been resting her chin on her hand thinking of Evan, suddenly froze.
Now that she thought of it, he had said something strange just before they parted yesterday.
“Liette.”
She turned around at the low voice. Evan’s gaze was fixed gently on her.
“After the party tomorrow, there’s something I want to tell you.”
“What is it? Just say it now.”
Liette was never the patient type. Especially when something piqued her curiosity.
“No.”
His firm answer only made her more curious.
But she knew from experience that once Evan made up his mind to stay quiet, he wouldn’t say anything no matter how much she pressed.
“This better not be something stupid.”
Normally, Evan would’ve responded with a playful smile. But this time was different.
“It’s something important.”
His voice carried tension and sincerity.
Startled by how unlike himself he was, Liette composed her expression and replied,
“Fine, I’ll look forward to it.”
She was curious, but she could wait. Liette waved goodbye and parted ways with Evan.
Just then, there was a knock at the door.
“Liette, are you awake?”
At the voice of the Duchess of Meren, Liette opened the door. Behind the duchess stood a line of maids—
—each holding a lavish dress in her hands.
At the sight, Liette lowered her head.
“Ah, it’s starting.”
Her mother, the Duchess of Meren, was the complete opposite of Liette.
Raised like a delicate flower in a greenhouse, the Duchess loved grooming herself. She had entered into a political marriage with the Duke of Meren and married young.
Because of that, when the duchess looked at Liette, she felt a sense of pity—as if looking at an untamed wildflower.
“With just a little polishing, she’d be as pretty as an angel.”
Still, she loved her daughter and tried to understand her tomboyish ways.
But on days like this, she made no exceptions.
Normally, Liette would protest if anyone tried to touch her hair or clothes, but today, the occasion gave her mother full authority.
The Duchess of Meren looked at Liette with a sly smile.
Liette already wore a weary expression, but the duchess didn’t intend to show any mercy.
“Begin.”
At her signal, the maids formed a neat line.
“Mother… Do we really have to go this far every time?”
“What are you saying, Liette? I only prepared twenty outfits today.”
The duchess proudly emphasized that she’d prepared three fewer than the last party.
Realizing there was no room for negotiation, Liette quietly started changing dresses.
“The color’s too bright.”
“Doesn’t go with her red hair.”
“Too much shoulder showing.”
And finally, under her mother’s meticulous supervision—
“This one will do!”
—the perfect dress was selected.
Next was her hair, which thankfully didn’t take long.
A veteran maid skillfully tied Liette’s curls into a neat updo.
“Let’s finish with this.”
Like the final flourish of a masterpiece, the duchess pulled out a brilliant emerald necklace from the jewelry box.
“You’re old enough now to be entering a noble academy. This much should be fine.”
Liette looked at the expensive-looking green necklace.
“This color… Where have I seen it before?”
A sudden wave of familiarity brushed through her mind.
She was usually indifferent to jewelry and hadn’t paid much attention to it before.
“Ah!”
After a moment of thought, Liette recalled the ugly necklace she’d found in the closet while playing hide-and-seek at the Croyt estate.
Normally, she would have forgotten something from so long ago—but the design had been so unusual it stuck with her.
It was garish, with what looked like a cheap but expensive gemstone.
“That room belonged to Evan’s mother… So was that necklace hers too?”
As Liette pondered this, she heard her mother’s admiring voice behind her.
“Perfect!”
Led by the duchess, Liette stood in front of the mirror.
The reflection in the mirror showed someone entirely unlike the Liette who normally wore pants and shirts.
Her unruly hair was elegantly braided and swept up. The bell-line blue dress complimented her red hair beautifully.
The final touch—the emerald necklace—sat perfectly at her neckline, adding a refined finish.
“Whose daughter could be this beautiful?”
At her mother’s playful comment, Liette gave an awkward smile.
Her dress and accessories were terribly uncomfortable to move in, but for today, she’d decided to obediently become her mother’s doll.
“Shall we go now?”
“Yes.”
Liette wrapped the dahlia from the vase in a soft cloth, tied it with a ribbon, and held it close as she headed to the Croyt estate.
The Croyt mansion was already bustling with noise when she arrived.
As Liette had come to learn over time, the Duke of Croyt was a man of great repute.
With his noble character and exceptional intellect, many followed him, and he held significant political influence.
Naturally, such a man’s birthday party would draw crowds.
“They really went all out today.”
Looking around the lavishly decorated hall, Liette couldn’t help but feel a bit out of place.
This kind of décor only happened twice a year—once for the duke’s birthday and once for Evan’s.
Despite being the empire’s most popular figure, the Duke of Croyt didn’t particularly enjoy parties.
He much preferred the quiet of reading a book, and that was something Liette admired about him.
“Liette.”
Hearing a voice from behind, Liette turned around—and there stood Evan, looking dazzling today.
His neatly styled black hair and tailored formal attire gave him a surprisingly mature air.
“Still Evan, though.”
She pouted slightly and met his eyes. His gaze was gently crinkled.
“You look beautiful today.”
Liette blinked. The word “beautiful” slowly registered in her mind.
“Wh-What did this punk just say…?”
Evan had never said anything like that before.
They had grown up like brother and sister—he’d never had the chance to say anything like that.
It was the kind of thing you’d say to someone you liked. Liette felt a chill run down her arms.
“But I still like the Liette who wears shirts and pants better.”
“I’m not dressing up for your sake, you know!”
Thankfully, she snapped out of her daze quickly.
“What’s the flower for?”
Evan asked, eyeing the dahlia she held.
“It’s for Uncle.”
“Oh, a dahlia.”
“You seriously didn’t prepare anything?”
At her question, Evan nodded.
“Nope. I don’t even know what he likes.”
His indifferent tone made Liette scoff.
“Do you really think I made that bust of him last year because I thought he’d like it?”
“Wait… that was Father?”
Evan asked, looking surprised.
She hated to admit it, but she understood. Even the duke himself still thought that statue was Evan.
“That’s not the point! The most important thing in a gift is love and effort.”
“…”
“Uncle would be happy even if you gave him a random pebble off the ground.”
Evan didn’t reply.
“Fine. Do what you want.”
Just don’t cry later about being a bad son. In the end, it was a matter only he and his father could resolve.
“Liette, do you remember what I said yesterday?”
“Oh, about having something to say?”
When Evan asked, she remembered immediately. She’d been curious.
“So? What is it? You said you’d tell me today.”
“Not now.”
Evan’s gaze lowered for a moment. He seemed slightly tense just bringing it up.
“After the party, when it’s quiet… I’ll tell you then.”
Just what is he planning to say, making it this dramatic?
Evan had never been this serious before, so it was obviously something important—but the way he dragged it out annoyed her a bit.
“No, let’s not ruin a good day.”
Liette calmed her nerves by thinking about the duke.
Still, the guest of honor was very late.
“When’s Uncle getting here?”
“I don’t know. Ever since Uncle Hart arrived, he’s been coming home late. I haven’t seen him much either.”
“I see… Well, I’m sure he’ll be here eventually.”
Leaving her parents chatting with others, Liette sat down in a corner.
Her rarely worn shoes were already hurting her feet.
Soon after, Evan joined her.
“Shouldn’t you be greeting guests?”
“They’re not my guests.”
And with that, silence fell.
Tick-tock, tick-tock.
The clock kept ticking, but the duke still didn’t show.
Worried, Liette stood up.
“Do you think something happened to Uncle?”
“I’ll go ask the butler. Maybe he knows something.”
Apparently, she wasn’t the only one uneasy. Evan, usually calm, stood up quickly.
And just as he was about to leave the hall—
“Evan! There you are!”
A stranger burst through the doors.
As the unfamiliar man approached, Evan asked in shock,
“Uncle…?”
Uncle? Then that must be the duke’s younger brother, Hart.
As her mother had said, he had a forgettable presence.
He looked nothing like the duke—hard to believe they were even related.
“Oh… My poor Evan!”
Hart rushed over, teary-eyed, and hugged Evan. But Evan pushed him away.
“Did something happen to Father?”
Thump-thump.
Liette’s heart pounded anxiously.
This wasn’t a good sign.
“No way… Did he get into an accident? Is he seriously hurt?”
Horrible thoughts floated through her mind.
“Haa…”
Hart let out a deep sigh before speaking.
“Don’t be alarmed, Evan.”
“…”
“Your father, the Duke of Croyt… has just been arrested—on suspicion of murdering his wife.”
Thud.
The dahlia Liette had been holding dropped to the floor.
