Chapter 4 – She Was Always Preparing for Goodbye
Senelia had always prepared for a breakup.
So even if the maids’ behavior toward her grew significantly more impolite than it had been seven years ago, she thought it was just something she had to accept.
However, they continued to treat her with courtesy.
And that was something Senelia found both puzzling and strange.
Without Benelucia, she was merely the daughter of a lowly baron in this place.
There were even maids who technically held higher noble ranks than she did.
This was the residence of the Grand Duke, the only member of the imperial family besides the Emperor.
So she was nothing more than a baron’s daughter. She understood her place very well.
In any case, she had no complaints about being treated well by the servants.
Senelia was fully attended to by the Grand Duke’s staff—from bathing to preparing for the tea party, everything was taken care of flawlessly.
“I will escort you today, Lady Dafnen.”
It was Ardanter, the vice-captain of the Grand Duke’s knight order.
This was another thing Senelia found curious.
Six years ago, Benelucia had assigned Ardanter Samuel as her escort. That hadn’t changed even now.
‘Back then, Ben didn’t even consider me that important.’
“As always, I’m in your care, Sir Samuel.”
Senelia took Ardanter’s hand and stepped into the carriage.
As expected of a Grand Duke’s carriage, it glided smoothly over the road without the slightest jolt.
‘Selly.’
The inside of the carriage was quiet.
It was natural—Senelia was riding alone.
There had been times when the carriage hadn’t been so quiet.
Back when she promised not to bother him, Benelucia would often call her by that nickname—Selly.
Lately, Senelia spent much of her time alone.
Since the Dafnen family wasn’t part of the central nobility, she had stayed primarily at the Grand Duke’s mansion since arriving in the capital.
Benelucia would occasionally take her out to explore the capital by carriage.
But those were memories of the past.
For some reason, her memories of those times came flooding back today.
The Grand Duke owned two carriages specially granted by the Emperor. One of them had been given entirely to Senelia.
That was the carriage she always used.
She figured she kept thinking of Benelucia because of that.
It had been six years. It was only natural to think of someone familiar while riding in a familiar carriage.
“Young Lady Dafnen, we’ve arrived at the Count Nominate’s residence.”
The carriage came to a stop, and the coachman’s voice called out.
Senelia brushed aside her distracting thoughts and stepped down.
“Welcome, Lady Dafnen.”
“Thank you for having me, Lady Nominate.”
As Senelia stepped into the garden where the tea party was being held, the young lady of the Count Nominate family greeted her.
Senelia could feel the lady’s eyes flick behind her.
She knew exactly whom she was looking for.
The very fact that a lady of the central noble Nominate family had personally greeted a mere baron’s daughter like Senelia said it all.
Because she was the Grand Duke’s lover.
She sensed the disappointment in the lady’s expression but pretended not to notice. There was nothing she could do about it anyway.
‘I heard the Grand Duke has a new lover…’
Two years ago, a rumor spread that Benelucia was seeing another lady.
Senelia knew full well that many had started watching for their chance ever since.
‘Then what about Lady Dafnen?’
She also knew more people had begun glancing at her slyly, as if gauging the distance between her and Benelucia, and that whispers often followed behind her back.
After the rumors spread, Benelucia never gave any explanation.
Senelia didn’t ask either.
Even when two more scandals erupted afterward, nothing changed.
It didn’t matter.
As long as she was the one he ended up with in the end.
Senelia didn’t care about Benelucia’s love.
What mattered to her was being the one who remained by his side.
Not someone cherished deeply, but someone indispensable.
That was enough.
‘That’s why I endured for eight years.’
It wouldn’t be much longer now.
Senelia pushed aside all other thoughts and held onto only that one.
But as if to mock her attempts to remain composed, the tea party quickly grew noisy.
People had started whispering, all eyes turned toward the garden entrance.
“Ah…”
Senelia murmured involuntarily.
She realized only after the sound escaped her lips that her reaction had been foolish.
She could easily guess who would provoke this kind of stir.
And soon, the very person she expected appeared before her.
It was Benelucia. Beside him stood another woman.
“Your Grace, I’m honored that you’ve graced my party with your presence.”
Lady Nominate approached Benelucia and curtsied deeply.
Her gaze passed him and shifted toward the woman standing at his side.
“And this lady is…?”
“This is my partner, Lumina Erdelda.”
Benelucia introduced his partner.
At that, the crowd began to gather around them.
Though he had been in scandals before, this was the first time in six years that the Grand Duke had officially appeared with another woman in public.
Many people surrounded Lumina Erdelda, curious and excited.
They showered her with compliments, while those who lacked noble rank quietly turned their attention to Senelia.
Senelia calmly watched the scene unfold.
As though she didn’t belong here.
Caught between those showering her lover and his new partner with affection, and those quietly observing her from the shadows.
‘…Our eyes met.’
Her gaze, which had been watching Benelucia and his partner, met his.
As always, he didn’t avoid her eyes.
And as always, he said nothing.
He simply stared.
Senelia, with her sensitive skin, was sitting under a shady tree at a tea table.
Perhaps that’s why she felt so starkly contrasted with Benelucia, who stood brightly in the sun.
He never looked away from her.
So she smiled, just like she always did when he looked at her.
In that moment, Benelucia’s brow furrowed.
He parted his lips as if to say something, but then turned his head away sharply.
For the rest of the tea party, Benelucia didn’t glance at Senelia even once.
Senelia remained in her shaded spot, doing nothing.
As if honoring her promise not to be a bother to him.
The day gradually darkened, and the shade beneath the tree grew chilly.
Even so, she stayed there.
As if that place had always been hers.
Crash.
A loud noise drew everyone’s attention. Benelucia’s chair had toppled over.
Before the party officially ended, he had stormed off.
His footsteps were as rough and forceful as could be.
It was just before sunset.
That day, Senelia didn’t return to the Grand Duke’s estate.
Instead, she went back to the townhouse owned by the Dafnen family on the outskirts of the capital.
Benelucia had brought another lady to an official event.
Now more than ever, she had to be cautious in how she conducted herself.
She couldn’t behave like those ladies who clung desperately when Benelucia broke things off.
Her eight years with him weren’t something so fragile they could be shattered in one moment.
“Young Lady, are you cold?”
“…No.”
“Then why are you trembling like this?”
The maid asked as she met Senelia returning to her room.
Only then did Senelia realize what was happening.
She’d been fine in the carriage, but the moment she entered the house, her body had started to shake.
“…Ah.”
Eight years had trained Senelia to appear unaffected in front of others.
That’s why she often failed to notice her own condition.
The couple standing in the sun, and herself hidden away in the shade.
The bright laughter and cheerful chatter versus the hushed whispers and shadowed stares.
Could all of that really be something she could be okay with?
Bang bang bang.
Suddenly, loud banging erupted outside—so loud it could be heard through the windows of her room on the second floor.
Someone was pounding violently on the townhouse’s front door.
“…It’s urgent…!”
The noise from downstairs grew louder.
It was far too late for any visitor to arrive.
And since the baron and his wife weren’t here, Senelia was the townhouse’s acting mistress.
Yet someone had stormed in without even her permission.
No matter how insignificant her noble family was, there was only one person who could force their way in like this.
“His Grace the Grand Duke!”
The maid’s flustered voice echoed closer.
It seemed Benelucia had come.
As soon as Senelia realized he was at the townhouse, her trembling stopped.
It was a habit by now—to compose herself in front of him.
Senelia was relieved.
“I’ll go down…”
The head maid’s face was filled with concern.
Apparently determined to deal with Benelucia herself if she had to, the older woman spoke with resolve.
Senelia, in the middle of changing clothes, was in no condition to receive a guest.
The head maid had served her since her family home.
The Baron and his wife had sent her along to care for their unmarried daughter living alone in the capital.
If anyone could handle Benelucia for a moment, it would be her.
“No. I’ll handle this.”
But Senelia shook her head.
