Chapter 02
When Elisa Lesley was ten years old, Ethan came into her life.
Her nanny had been caring for Elisa when she was born, but she had to leave for personal reasons.
Lady Grace, Ethan’s mother, was the new nanny they hired.
“Miss Elisa, nice to meet you. I’m Ethan.
Elisa’s first impression of Ethan was still very clear in her mind.
His shoes were worn but clean, his pants were a bit short, showing his ankles, and his vest looked neat, but the stitches were coming loose.
He seemed to try dressing up but ironically looked shabby.
His hair was messy, covering his eyes.
A poor, plain-looking boy.
If she had to rate him, it would be zero.
But her opinion changed when she saw his grey eyes—they looked exactly like the eyes of a wolf she had seen at the zoo a few days earlier.
“Nice to meet you, Ethan.”
Under the warm sunlight, Elisa smiled brightly and held Ethan’s hand.
His fair skin came out after he had changed into nicer clothes and combed his untidy hair.
Elisa was certain that Ethan was the most attractive boy she had ever laid eyes on.
With pride, the young Elisa thought, I made a good decision.
They were the same age and had similar interests, so they quickly became close friends.
After one year, they were inseparable best friends.
Except when bathing or sleeping, they were always together.
“Miss!”
One day, Ethan bravely risked himself to save Elisa from a mad dog.
He almost died but never blamed her.
“Are you okay, Miss?”
Even after almost dying and waking up barely conscious, the first thing he said was to check on her.
He was worried about the one bandage on Elisa, even though he had bandages all over his arms and legs.
Since then, Ethan has changed from being Elisa’s friend or playmate to starting to resemble a man.
Although Elisa was aware of her feelings for Ethan, she also knew that they would never be able to be together.
A noble’s daughter and a nanny’s son—it was impossible.
She tried to give up her feelings, but it was not easy.
Instead, her feelings only grew stronger, making her feel crazy.
“I like you, Ethan.”
One day, after drinking a lot at the suggestion that they should marry since they were adults, Elisa confessed.
“I’ve liked you as a man for a long time.”
If it had ended there, it would have been an embarrassing memory to forget, but the problem was that Ethan confessed to her, too.
“I like you too, Elisa.”
After hiding their feelings for so long, it was natural that they fell for each other.
They spent the night together, exhausted and breathless, and when Elisa woke up, Ethan’s side of the bed was empty.
She felt a bit sad but understood.
If others found out about them being together, it would be difficult for both Ethan and her.
She planned to talk to him later to decide what to do.
Now that they knew their feelings were mutual, Elisa didn’t want to end things there.
She was determined to persuade her parents to allow her relationship with Ethan.
But Ethan had different thoughts and suddenly disappeared.
He left the mansion without telling Elisa, the butler, the head maid, or anyone else close to her.
“No. That can’t be. Ethan wouldn’t leave me.”
They had confirmed their feelings.
So Elisa firmly believed he hadn’t left her.
Maybe he was just out for a while.
But as time passed and he didn’t return, her belief began to fade.
“How could he abandon me… and leave?”
Her sadness turned into anger.
The more she liked Ethan, the more her anger boiled.
At the same time, she understood his worries about their difference in social status, and that made her feel even more hurt.
She cried so much that her pillow was soaked with tears.
She cried and got angry repeatedly.
Her chest felt tight, and her stomach was upset, so she could barely eat.
Being betrayed by someone you love is so painful and hard.
Elisa thought her emotional breakdown was only because of that.
She realised two months later it wasn’t the only reason.
***
“…Elisa?”
A strong shake on her shoulder brought Elisa’s mind back to the present from the vivid memory she was lost in.
She blinked slowly and turned her head.
She slowly blinked and turned her head.
“Are you alright? You don’t look well.”
Derek Grenville, her fiancé, inquired worriedly.
Elisa nodded and smiled bitterly.
“I’m all right.”
She was just surprised by the unexpected reunion, not feeling sick or hurt.
It was very surprising that Ethan was the rumoured ‘K.’.
After all, the Ethan she knew had never learned swordsmanship.
He was too tender to injure a chicken at all.
However, according to rumors, “K” was a skilled swordsman who terrified prisoners with cruel torture and routed the imperial army.
“Is it Ethan?”
Though he looked the same, the stories about him were so different that she couldn’t believe it.
Maybe it was someone else who looked exactly like him.
They say there are about three people in the world who look exactly like you.
“I should have asked when our eyes met earlier.”
She sighed deeply, frustrated that she had missed the chance.
Still, her eyes kept following the man who looked like Ethan.
“You’re also very interested in the rumoured ‘K.’”
Her sudden words made Elisa’s gaze shift to her fiancé.
She wanted to correct him and let him know that things weren’t like that, but she was unable to do so after noticing his innocuous smile.
His parents were nobles, but he had no noble title.
He was attractive, had a good heart, and had great business sense.
Derek Grenville was a perfect fiancé in every way.
They said the Leslie family would become even wealthier if he married Elisa.
Elisa agreed with them.
In addition, she thought Derek would make a good father and husband, but that was all.
Elisa found it impossible to see herself as his wife.
Just thinking about sharing a bed with Derek made her stomach turn.
Not because it was Derek, but because it was disgusting to be physically close to a man she didn’t love.
Every time she thought of that, she remembered the nights with Ethan, his hands on her body, as gentle and warm as playing the piano.
She couldn’t forget the man who abandoned her.
“I am so pitiful.” Even though I’m flawed, I’m going to marry such a nice guy?
She glanced at her fiancé, her blue eyes quivering.
When Derek’s eyes met hers, they curved exquisitely like a crescent moon.
“You seem to be very interested in me as well.”
Once more, Elisa merely smiled awkwardly without saying anything, even though that wasn’t the reason she had been staring at him.
“When is Count Lesley returning?”
Noticing Elisa’s discomfort, Derek changed the subject.
She realized again how kind he was, and the thought pressed heavily on her chest.
She clenched her hands tightly.
“He said he would return next month. Seems like things aren’t going well.”
At the current count, Lesley was abroad for business.
Elisa had attended the victory party in place of her father.
“Oh, I heard the Count went to the Kingdom of Angora. I should contact him sometime.”
Derek added that he hoped he could help.
His confident tone wasn’t empty—Elisa knew he really could help, so she nodded firmly.
The soft music in the banquet hall stopped then.
The signal was to get ready for the waltz that would soon be performed.
It would be awkward for both of them if she declined Derek’s invitation to dance first.
“Well…”
As she attempted to explain to him that she didn’t want to dance, the audience started muttering before she could finish.
Elisa looked around.
A man was walking steadily through the parted crowd.
A man who resembled the rumored “K,” Ethan.
As his shadow moved closer to her, Elisa stood motionless and let out a quiet gasp.
He looked like Ethan, but there was a pressure in the air she had never felt from Ethan before.
Elisa didn’t back down or turn away from him, though.
Instead, she calmly turned to face him and straightened her back.
A slight smile gradually formed on the man’s lips.
“Miss Elisa Lesley.”
With one hand on his chest, he extended the other toward her.
“My lady, would you honor me with a dance?”
