CH 10

Blake hated seeing the maids hugging Lily.

How could he let himself get caught there?

“You seem to be the Lady’ people, go play on your own and be done with it.”

The maids teased Blake, “Yes, it’s been a long time since we’ve seen a Lady.”

It was a wonderful breakfast for everyone.

Lily was still hugging everyone and mumbling.

“Maybe I’ll really like it here.”

“I like you already Miss Lily. These guys, they all do.”

‘In the afternoon I will introduce you to some of the other people who live in the castle. The butler, the maids, even the gardener. Everyone in the Winter Castle will welcome you.”

Blake added.

“I’m out.”

“Did a person live in a castle with a voice like that?”

There was a burst of laughter, except for Blake. Everyone felt awkward with Lily at first, but they had soon opened up to her. And Lily was happy in it, too.

It meant that Lily’s people were created.

***

Meanwhile, it was an ordinary brown mansion in the capital of the empire.

“It’s these dirty people who only want to get paid! The rats crawling in the sewers deserve better than you!”

Count Fox’s shout made all the servants in the mansion tremble.

As his last name implied, the fox-like man was not that intimidating.

However, the glass bottles and fountain pens he actually threw at them had a murderous intent.

“It’s already been a week since Lily ran away!”

“I’m sorry, Master.”

“Should I have given you more time? Should I have given you a month to find Lily? So that you can relax and enjoy your snack time.”

Just then, the butler came back to the mansion after running some errands.

“You. What did you find out?”

The butler had just visited Lily’s closest friend, a Young Lady. He shook his head in denial.

“The lady said they hadn’t even seen each other for the past year.”

“Really? How is that even possible?”

It was a normal routine for the upper class to spend a luxurious day meeting other upper class people.

Count Fox, himself, met his friends every day.

Along with that, he also bragged about various things. His beautiful wife and a business that everyone envied. Or his political connections that were strengthened thanks to Lily’s family.

He lived for the pleasure of showing them off.

But lately, he couldn’t raise his head.

All the nobles were in the mood to mock him.

“I heard that Countess Fox disappeared, leaving only her divorce papers.”

“She couldn’t even have children, but maybe there was something wrong with the Count.”

Count Fox was in a terrible mood.

“Maybe that woman is hiding Lily from me? Have you looked around her house? It’s a perfect lie that she hasn’t interacted with Lily in a year!”

“I’m sorry..… It was the Count who prevented Lady Lily from meeting anyone after marriage.”

“….”

“And her friend is not even very close to Lady Lily.”

“Hmph. Anyway, did you send in all the missing persons notices? Not only the other families, but also the doctors’ offices, and places like the monastery.”

“Yes, even the Duke of Upus knows.”

The Duke of Upus was a word used as if it were an idiom. It meant that Lily had contacted everywhere she could possibly escape to.

“The Duke?”

Count Fox stopped for a moment and shook his head.

“I’d rather go to hell than go to that place. He’s a barbarian who thinks that more money will get him into the upper social classes. Then why do you think there is a word for middle class?”

Count Fox, perhaps annoyed by his servants standing there dumbfounded, finally scolded them.

“It’s outrageous that no one in this mansion knew about it until she was gone!”

Because no one in the mansion cared about the meek Lily. They were not on Lily’s side. They were assigned the task of keeping an eye on Lily and forcing her to stay only inside the house.

In short, no one was Lily’s person.

That was why Lily could introduce herself without hesitation as Lily Hedwick and not Lily Fox.

“Anyway, make sure to find Lily Fox. Bring her in front of me. I will firmly correct my wife’s bad habits the way a husband should.”

***

Lily had adapted quite well to the winter season in a few days.

She didn’t even have to make an effort to actually get used to it.

She didn’t hide the fact that she loved it here. The people here were happy too.

Lily Hedwick was like a sprout on the snowfield.

At first, the people in the winter castle looked awkwardly blue. However, later, they stamp their feet and pour out their sincerity.

“It’s snowing, Gianna.”

It was morning.

Lily looked out the window, only her upper body was raised up in bed.

It was a mountain range covered in heavy snow, so naturally it snowed often.

But it was very strange to Lily, who had only lived in the capital.

Of course, it snowed in the capital in the winter. But in the morning, It was already trampled underfoot and covered in black.

Lily ran out in her pajamas.

“Miss Lily!”

The outside of the castle has turned white without a trace.

“It’s heaven. I swear to the heavens, Gianna!”

The winter castle employees realized at some point. Lily liked to leave footprints in the snow. 

As such, recently people would use the side road to go in and out the castle.

So, a pure white snowfield was preserved for Lily.

They were happy to see Lily’s happy face. They hid here and there watching Lily.

There were two more behind the pile of firewood. One person was hanging on the cliff behind the castle.

On the way out of the castle, there were three maids disguised by covering themselves with dirt………..

If Lily had known, she would have laughed in a very perplexed way.

Lily found the man while she was walking and playing in the snow.

“Mister IIDexter? Oh, I’m so glad to see you.”

IIDexter was coming down from the second floor.

The bespectacled aide greeted Lilly happily.

“Good morning, Miss Lilly. You’ve finally taken off the bandages I put on you.”

“You still have to walk carefully, though.”

“It needs a little more time to heal. By the way, what are you doing?”

Just then, Gianna caught Lily and put the jacket on her.

“As you can see, I’m forcing myself to wear a hat. Where are you going, Mr. IIDexter?”

“I’m leaving for a few days. I’m going to get a list of names from a village down the mountain. I have to figure out how many people will attend the banquet. His Excellency won’t even give me a promotion, but leave the tricky stuff to me.”

There was someone staring at Lily and IIDexter.

It was in an office on a fairly high floor of the Winter Castle.

Blake’s dark, piercing eyes were staring at them.

‘The way they talk is so affectionate. People might think they’re lovers.’

He would never admit to the fact that he was jealous.

Instead, he used various words to sarcasm them.

‘What’s good about IlDexter?’

He was a man who only glowed at promotions.

Blake thought that Lily would fit in with the pure imperialists so well…then he banged his head against the wall.

‘Oh no, Blake Upus, that was such a silly idea just now.’

Lily does not discriminate against the Upus people. He couldn’t help but notice her these past few days.

It was just that man……It bothered him.

He knew it was inevitable. He didn’t think it was his problem.

Lily Hedwick was fragile, as if she was about to shatter if touched.

And she was objectively adorable. The pure white skin, the flush that blooms on it….

‘I didn’t mean to imply that I thought so!’

‘No wonder people follow you around.’

Actually, IIDexter and Lily had only met by chance just now, but Blake thought it was arbitrary.

Blake placed his red eyes on the window once more.

Lily and IIDexter were conversing so friendly.

The footprints behind them were also very friendly.

In fact, Lily and IIDexter were from the same capital city, so they could sympathize.

No one in Winter Castle suspected that there was something between them.

Only Blake was disturbed by it.

Lily didn’t know what was going on and asked IIDexter.

“A regular banquet? The Duchy has banquets?”

“It is not something like you imagine. It’s a party where all the people belonging to Winter Castle gather. For example, the knights, the subordinates who work outside…”

“Wow! It must be lively.”

“It’s a time to get drunk with an entire oak barrel of alcohol. I have to admit that the Upus’ ability to break down alcohol is also a form of witchcraft.”

“It’s a pity I can’t see it in person.” 

IIDexter paused for a moment, thinking that Lily’s words were strange. He raised his eyes behind his glasses.

“Why can’t you see it in person?”

“Well, because I can’t attend.”

“Oh, I’ll need a longer explanation.”

Why can’t someone residing in Winter Castle attend the regular banquet in Winter Castle?

“I don’t want to attract other people’s attention.”

Lily had been living in hiding.

It was only then that IIDexter finally understood Lily’s words.

However, he saw the maids discussing Lily’s banquet dress earlier.

They looked more serious than when they had caught a wild boar.