Chapter 18
“……Miss Ries! Miss Ries!”
I opened my eyes and took a sharp breath. My breathing was fast, like I had been pulled up from the deep sea to land.
Under the unfamiliar ceiling and canopy cloth, Millie peeked her face in.
“Are you okay? You must have had a nightmare.”
Millie wiped the corner of my eyes with a handkerchief. It seemed she wiped away the tears that had flowed down my eyes.
“A nightmare? No, it wasn’t a nightmare….”
Someone had grabbed my hand tightly and asked me for something.
Who was it? I was sure it was someone I knew. Their hand was warm, gentle, and familiar. And when I heard that request, my heart hurt and tears came out.
This dream… I think I had it a few times before.
A blurred figure, smiling faintly inside the mist, tried to appear but disappeared.
The more I tried to reach it, the dream memory slipped away like sand between my fingers.
After sitting up at the edge of the bed, I accepted a glass of water from Millie. Slowly drinking it, the dream memory was washed away clean.
“I can’t remember.”
“Are you not feeling sick anywhere?”
Millie checked my forehead while asking.
“No. Millie, I think it was an important dream, but I can’t remember it. What should I do?”
“Well, dreams are usually like that. I’ll prepare washing water and breakfast for you.”
Even after Millie left, I sat blankly and thought about the faint remaining image.
Even though I had seen the dream several times, I forgot it quickly every time. Was it a dream belonging to the body of Ries Brant? If so, I had no way of knowing the person who appeared in that dream.
While thinking deeply, Millie came in pushing a trolley and prepared breakfast for me.
I put aside the mirage of last night, which was useless to think about, and started a busy day.
After dressing up and taking lessons from the private tutor, the clock pointed to noon.
After lunch, I practiced piano.
This was a class I started last week to build some cultural refinement since my afternoon time became empty.
After coloring all ten grape circles that the teacher drew as homework at once, I placed my forehead on the keyboard.
‘This is really boring….’
The dull sound of the pressed keys echoed loudly.
“Haah.”
Ten days had passed since I became estranged from Kyle Dierne.
Meeting my favorite character had given me intense happiness. Now that the connection with him was gone, it felt like returning home on a plane after an overseas trip — empty and powerless.
My determination to save Darius Dierne remained unchanged.
But I had to make a different plan instead of trying to reform Kyle.
Maybe fighting and living with that rude brat was somewhat enjoyable.
Even though it was a short relationship, late regret slowly rose in my heart.
Maybe it was because I hadn’t had many friends in my past life except when I was very young.
‘So I lived a very lonely life.’
When I closed the piano lid while sighing, there was a knock on the door.
“Yes, come in.”
The person who opened the door was Count Brant.
“Dad.”
“Ries. I’m thinking of starting preparation for your birthday party today. It’s time to distribute invitations. I selected noble young ladies around your age in the capital.”
Huh. Come to think of it, my birthday was coming soon. I had completely forgotten.
Seeing the stack of invitation cards in the count’s hand, I held my head and groaned softly.
“Dad. About the party… can we cancel it?”
“What? Why?”
The count asked in shock, like someone struck by lightning.
The birthday party was just a part of my scheme to get close to Kyle. If he didn’t come, it had no meaning.
But if I said, “I fought with the friend I wanted to invite,” it would break the count’s heart supporting my social relationships, so I used another excuse.
“Just… lately my energy is low and I have no appetite. I want to spend this birthday quietly with just family and cut a cake.”
The count’s pupils, which had been drooping sadly, suddenly widened.
“You remember?!”
“Excuse me?”
“Ries, you remember now!”
The count grabbed both my shoulders while sitting on the piano chair and shouted. His trembling hands transmitted agitation.
I had seen this strange reaction from the count before when talking about the birthday party.
“No, I still don’t remember….”
The widely opened eyes blinked and returned to normal. The count regained his calm and shook his head lightly.
“…Hmm. I see. You’re not sick, right?”
“Yes.”
“So you want to cancel the birthday party?”
“I’m sorry. I know you must have been looking forward to it.”
“Your birthday is yours. What could I expect? Don’t worry about it. Tell me if there is any gift you want.”
The count erased his complicated expression and formed a gentle curve with his lips.
If I said I didn’t want anything, he would probably feel more disappointed.
‘Hmm… but I don’t really want anything.’
If it were my previous life, I could have filled an A4 paper with a list of things I wanted.
Living as a noble young lady now, I lacked nothing materially.
Ah! I thought of one!
“Then I want to raise a young horse.”
It was something I remembered after thinking about what I wanted most after real estate in my past life.
A car.
Since I was living in a K-romance fantasy world, I should learn horse riding for mobility instead of driving.
If I got a horse instead of a car, I could run across the fields.
It would feel good to relieve stress by racing with my own horse. It would be even better if I could feel a connection with my riding horse.
I also wanted to raise a pet, so it was killing two birds with one stone.
But I was slightly worried about the cost.
“If it’s expensive, it’s okay. There are many horses in the stable.”
I quickly added since I thought the count’s family horse might be enough.
“No, no. I was thinking of buying one when you learn horse riding later, but a young horse would be fine. We can start riding lessons too.”
The count agreed happily. His thin mustache lifted cheerfully like it was pleased to have something to give.
“Wow! Thank you, Dad. I want to learn horse riding!”
My gloomy mood became a little better thinking about raising a pet horse and learning riding.
Piano probably wasn’t my talent anyway.
After the count left satisfied, I felt the need to clear one lingering question.
Going upstairs, I pulled Millie and made her sit facing me. I wanted to interrogate her because she knew more about this house and about “Ries” than I did.
“What is it, my lady?”
“Millie, I talked about my birthday party with Dad today.”
“Yes.”
“But Dad’s reaction was strange. Can you tell me what kind of birthday I had before I lost my memory?”
Millie’s pupils trembled slightly after hearing me. It was similar to the count’s reaction earlier.
“You know, Millie.”
“Well….”
“Tell me honestly. I don’t want to act clueless just because I lost my memory.”
Pressing strength into Millie’s hand while she lowered her head in hesitation, she closed her eyes tightly and spoke.
“Lady’s birthday is two days before the madam’s memorial day.”
Millie’s answer made me quickly grab the calendar on the desk.
I checked my birthday written as May 31, and when I turned one page, there was a small blue circle drawn on June 2.
“After the madam passed away, the lady didn’t want to celebrate her birthday. You didn’t even allow people to say the word ‘congratulations’. For the past three years, the whole count’s house passed your birthday quietly in a mourning atmosphere without cake.”
Ah. So that was why the count’s unnatural reaction made sense.
‘So Ries must have loved her mother very much.’
Judging from the story that mother and daughter were close bookworms, I could guess they were intimate. But to the point of skipping her own birthday and longing for her mother…
Was the person in the dream I had this morning Ries’s mother?
“Millie. I have a request.”
“Yes, my lady.”
“Can you write down everything you know about the original me? My growth process, likes, dislikes — everything from beginning to end.”
