CH 1

AS the moon rose and the night grew deeper, the ball reached its peak. The laughter of the exuberant nobles continued unabated, but shadows gradually cast over the faces of the servants. The servants could only hope for the joyful and happy event to come to an end.

In the center of the ballroom, where the dances were held, there were hardly any nobles left dancing. It was finally the time for the servants to move.

“I’ll take care of the terrace.”

“Alright. Lari, just clean the terrace and come back. What if the young lady wakes up?”

Lari, the maid with her platinum blonde hair tightly tied, briskly made her way to the terrace. She was the personal maid of the young lady who had yet to make her debut in society, and on this busy day, the entire Duke’s household had come out to the ballroom to assist work.

The spacious first-floor terrace was chilly in the night air. The terrace of Duke Isis’ ballroom was unusually large, designed like a greenhouse. Inside, large tropical trees with lush leaves were scattered around, creating an exotic atmosphere. However, that spectacle didn’t inspire much awe in those who saw it every day. She quickly began clearing the scattered cups and dessert plates.

“There you are.”

A man, who had been hiding behind a large leaf, grasped her wrist tightly.

“You. How much do you earn working here? If you go with me, I could easily give you more.”

The greasy man with an unsettling smile tightened his grip around Lari’s waist. The foul odor of stale sweat mixed with alcohol emanated from him. Lari struggled to break free from the unfamiliar man.

“Why are you doing this? I’ll scream!”

“Scream. I’ll tell them that you tempted me first. Would people believe the words of a mere maid or mine, the heir to Ante County? Will they believe you or me?”

The man, revealing his status as the heir of Ante County, began unbuttoning the buttons on Lari’s maid uniform. Despite her tearful pleas, he feigned ignorance.

As far as she could remember, she had survived countless such predicaments. Being a beautiful widow with a child and a maid required tremendous effort and a stroke of luck to stay alive. However, it seemed her luck had run out today.

“Ah!”

Just as Lari was about to give up, the young lord suddenly groaned and collapsed to the ground. In an instant turn of events, Lari was left bewildered, unsure of the situation unfolding before her.

In front of her stood another man. The unidentified man glanced down at the fallen young lord and let out a sardonic laugh. Soon, the man grabbed him by the collar. With his grip, the young lord’s hefty body effortlessly levitated in the air.

“Stop it!”

As the young lord’s neck was gripped tightly, he gasped for breath.

Feeling that the young lord was on the verge of death, Lari hug the waist of the unfamiliar man, pleading him.

“Lari, I will kill this man.”

“No, please don’t.”

Distracted, she didn’t even notice the unfamiliar man calling her name. Her mind was filled with the desperate urge to stop him from doing such a cruel thing. Perhaps due to her resistance, the man’s strength suddenly vanished from his hand.

“Do you really think you can get away with doing this to me? Do you even know who I am?”

“Why should I bother knowing the name of a lowlife like you? I don’t know, and I don’t want to know.”

Unlike the agitated young lord, the man responded indifferently.

“You’re truly insane. Ah, do you plan on using this maid? Sorry, but wait for your turn. I’m first in line.”

In an instant, the man’s entire body quivered with anger. He took a single step forward, causing the young lord to take several steps back.

“Try putting Lari’s name in that filthy mouth of yours once again. I’ll kill you instantly. Or maybe it would be fun to take each and every bit of flesh from your plump body before killing you.”

Lari couldn’t help but sense something peculiar in the man’s actions as he called her name. Why would a man defend her in such a manner? She was not a noblewoman.

The unfamiliar man was incredibly tall, to the point where one had to look up at him. Moreover, his eyes, as deep and blue as the ocean, appeared moist, evoking an impulse to touch them tenderly.

“Lari? What’s going on?” The man asked.

Suddenly the young lord, who was standing far away, seemed as if he was about to throw a punch at the mysterious man. However, his target wasn’t the man, it was Lari.

Anticipating the direction of the attack, Lari instinctively closed her eyes. However, nothing happened. Instead, she could only hear the chilling sound of bones breaking.

As Lari’s trembling eyelids slowly opened, she saw the unfamiliar man’s face reflected in her eyes. The man approached her, looking down at her as if mesmerized. His face appeared incredibly lonely and filled with sadness, and without realizing it, she almost reached out her hand.

Whether he knew her thoughts or not, the man, who had been smiling, whispered in a low voice to her ear.

“I will follow your orders. Please give me instructions. What should I do with this guy? Should I kill him?”

Upon hearing the man’s words, Lari assessed the situation. The young lord, with his twisted hand held tightly, was in agony and unable to utter a sound.

“No. Please don’t hurt Lord Ante. You’ll be in danger.”

To Lari’s surprise, the man seemed overwhelmed with joy. He was so delighted by her simple words… Lari felt increasingly strange the more she conversed with him.

“Understood. I will follow your words. Will you wait here for a moment?”

The tip of the man’s nose brushed against her cheek as his voice reached her ear. His voice was so sweet that it tickled her ear and neck. Lari struggled to calm her trembling heart and nodded.

Though he behaved like a polite gentleman toward Lari, he treated the young lord like a street thug.

“So, you’re the young lord of Ante… I thought you were a member of the Serren royal family, or perhaps even the Duke of Isis himself.”

“What? Who are you? Who do you think you are, pretending to be important?”

“Would you convey a message to your father, Count Ante? Tell him that from now on, Delacroix won’t engage in any dealings with Ante family. You’d better put aside the idea of trading in Martessen in the future, for example the superior Ante’s fruit liquor. You know which family monopolizes the sale of Martessen’s liquor.”

“What? What did you just say?”

Shocked by the unexpected revelation, the young lord looked at him in disbelief, and the man casually raised his fingers to show him.

He had two rings in his hand. One was a signet ring engraved with the emblem of a well-known noble family on the continent, symbolizing the prestigious Delacroix Duchy of the Martessen Empire. The other was a marriage ring made of gold and silver, commonly worn by nobles on the continent of Cardenia.

The signet ring featured a distinct rose vine, representing the esteemed Delacroix lineage of the Martessen Empire.

‘So, he’s married,’ she thought as her gaze fell on the marriage ring. Unconsciously, she felt a hint of disappointment upon seeing the man’s wedding ring. However, she quickly scolded herself for having such frivolous thoughts without any basis, considering her lowly status and the fact that he was a nobleman.

“So you are a member of the Delacroix Duchy. I have committed a breach of etiquette. Please forgive my rudeness.”

The young lord, who was lascivious and debauched, was influential enough to bring down a family. However, as soon as he saw the emblem of the Delacroix family, his attitude visibly changed.

“My name is Vallec Ante, the eldest son of the Count Ante. I apologize for my audacity,” Vallec said, shamelessly bowing his head and extending his hand for a handshake. However, the man disregarded his hand with a light dismissive gesture and approached Lari, who was sitting at the corner of the terrace.

“Apologize to Lari, not me.”

“I cannot. Apologizing to a servant?”

“She’s not a servant, so it would be better to apologize immediately.”

“She’s not a servant? …What are you talking about? She is a maid of the Isis Duchy. Can’t you see it just by looking at her attire? And who are you in the Delacroix Duchy? If you reveal your true identity, I will decide accordingly.”

“…I am Cain Delacroix, the Duke of Delacroix. If you doubt me, you can confirm it directly with the Duke of Isis,” the man replied, causing both Lari and Vallec Ante to widen their eyes in astonishment.

Ignoring the stares directed at him, he wrapped his coat, which he was wearing, around Lari’s shoulders.

“Miss Lari… I made a mistake,” Vallec said, showing signs of reluctance as he offered an apology to Lari.

“Is that the best apology you can offer as a member of the Ante family?” Cain said, with a tone that surprised Vallec. He deeply bowed down and apologized once again.

“Miss Lari, I am truly sorry. I apologize. Please show me your mercy.”

Lari, who was not concerned about Vallec Ante and more focused on the identity of the man who had saved her, simply nodded her head.

“Lord Ante, will you please leave now?”

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

AS the young lord left, silence fell upon the terrace. The two of them sat side by side on a bench near the flower bed, keeping a slight distance between them.

The sound of a bell chimed, signaling midnight, resonating through the terrace. Upon hearing the bell, Lari hastily stood up. She gave the coat that was draped over her shoulders toward him.

“Duke Delacroix, I will never forget the kindness you showed me today. Thank you. I shall take my leave now.”

His deep blue eyes, resembling the sea, were filled with tears. What could have happened to him that he could cry so openly in front of a servant he had just met? Witnessing the nobleman shedding tears was something she had never seen before. It pained her heart to see him cry so desolately, despite not knowing him. Perhaps he reminded her of someone she know well, and that was why she feel this way.

“Lari, don’t go,” he pleaded.

“Why… why do you keep speaking as if you know me?”

“Then why are you pretending not to know me?” he asked her, his expression deeply wounded.

Why does this person beg as if he knows her, a mere servant? Why does he plead as if he has been rejected by her?