Chapter 13
There was caution hidden inside that soft voice.
There was no way I could forget Celine’s voice.
I pushed away the whining Harriet beside me and turned toward Celine.
“Is something wrong?”
“This… you dropped it.”
What she held out to me was the brooch attached to my dress.
It had been bothering me because it kept touching my collarbone, so I had been fiddling with it and must have dropped it without noticing.
‘Looks like she memorized my name and background in the meantime.’
To make it clear that I was different from “Homer,” the person who bought the exploration stones from her trading company, I thanked her while nodding arrogantly in a way I normally wouldn’t.
Somehow I felt like a rude customer and my conscience hurt a little—
But right now, hiding my identity was more important.
“Thank you.”
“No, of course I should pick it up if I find it… But don’t you think it means something that I ended up returning it to you?”
“…Pardon?”
Hearing Celine suddenly say something that sounded like awkward flirting you’d hear outside Exit 9 of Hongdae made my lips part in disbelief.
Did I hear that correctly?
More importantly—
Lana Demierd wasn’t really someone necessary in Celine’s life.
And up to now, this body wasn’t even someone important to befriend in high society.
Above all, Celine wasn’t someone who liked politics or played social games.
She wasn’t the type to act with the goal of gaining favor.
So I asked again as if I must have misunderstood.
“Suddenly?”
“Yes. What I wanted to say is…”
“Lana, I want to go to the garden quickly. You promised to teach me flower names.”
Just as Celine was about to explain—
Harriet interrupted with an obvious excuse.
I was curious what Celine wanted to say.
But right now there was nothing to gain from becoming closer to her.
“Haha, right. We should hurry. What if the flowers wilt while we waste time? Sorry. Let’s talk later.”
Using a terrible excuse, I grabbed Harriet’s hand.
“Wait… the dance will start soon! I’ll write to you! I’ll send letters!”
Apparently she had heard something about the event schedule and shouted after us.
I pretended not to hear.
The part about letters too.
I’d throw them into the fire together with Belthanio’s letters.
Sorry, but if I can avoid dancing too, then that’s two birds with one stone.
Perfect for me.
Walking faster than usual, we left the banquet hall and headed toward the garden.
Not only nobles who had feelings for each other—
Even introverted nobles were wandering around with expressions of freedom.
So there wasn’t really any romantic atmosphere here.
Oddly enough, I felt more comfortable than inside the hall.
“Whew, let’s walk comfortably from here.”
“Why? It rained yesterday, so the ground’s muddy. What if you slip and fall?”
I looked down.
It was a perfectly paved walkway.
‘What is he talking about?’
Sure, people walked here and gardens naturally collected dust—
But even a passing bee would agree Harriet’s logic made no sense in an imperial garden.
“My hands are sweating inside the gloves. It feels uncomfortable. Let go for a little while. And what if people misunderstand? We’re old enough to behave properly now.”
I removed my hand from on top of Harriet’s.
Then I walked two steps ahead of him.
This time he said nothing and quietly followed behind.
Honestly, I felt bad for being so cold.
‘I’ll treat you really well in a few years. But right now… not yet. And the more you act like this, the more complicated my feelings become.’
Even if a close same-gender friend acted like Harriet—
I would probably still feel uncomfortable.
So I told myself not to feel too guilty and tried to focus on the garden I wasn’t interested in.
‘Other than roses, I don’t know anything.’
Trying not to reveal my ignorance, I kept my lips shut and stared at the flowers as if I were enchanted.
Eventually—
We stopped in front of a flower bed filled with pale purple flowers I had never seen before.
‘This one’s kind of pretty.’
The only purple flowers I knew were simple.
Violets.
Lilacs.
That’s it.
‘I’ve never seen this species in Korea. Maybe it only exists in this world?’
Staring harder wouldn’t magically teach me a flower’s name.
Still, I focused all my attention on the flower, trying to identify it.
“Lardeculum.”
Harriet tapped the biggest bloom and told me its name.
Then he started explaining without being asked.
“Isn’t it unfortunate? In the east, these flowers only bloom in midwinter. Unless an imperial gardener uses magic, you can’t see them in the capital. And they smell so nice.”
“…That’s true.”
“So you still regret it. You wanted to grow these so badly.”
…Me?
No.
Lana probably did.
Only then did one of Lana’s hidden memories surface.
About ten years ago—
Receiving these flowers as a gift from the imperial family and carefully planting them with Harriet in House Demierd’s greenhouse.
Of course, Demierd’s gardener couldn’t use magic to care for them.
So they withered quickly.
After uncovering that memory, I nodded and answered as naturally as possible.
“Yeah, that’s really unfortunate. If I ever travel to the east later, I’ll make sure to see lots of them.”
“You like them that much? Is it because they look like you?”
“What? You used to say they looked like elephants.”
Without thinking, I naturally repeated something Harriet once said to Lana when they fought as children.
Remembering that old mistake—
Both of Harriet’s ears turned red.
“I said something that rude? I don’t remember. Weren’t you hurt?”
“You said that because my hair only looked silver to you sometimes. It’s fine. It was a long time ago.”
“Still, I’m sorry. There’s no way you resemble an elephant. I really only said that because I was young.”
Why did talking about someone else’s memories feel so natural?
Seeing Harriet embarrassed was unexpectedly fun.
Before I knew it, I forgot I had been trying to act distant and laughed while holding my stomach.
“Anyway, the stem really is surprisingly pale. You meant it looked like my eyes, right? I understand.”
I reached out and tapped the purple flower again.
The stem looked thin and fragile—
But even when touched, it firmly supported the large blossom.
‘It’s stronger than it looks.’
It wasn’t some poetic comparison like a single lily—
The flower genuinely resembled it.
So his words didn’t make my heart race or feel meaningful.
For the past few days, the weather had been gloomy while I stayed trapped in the mansion—
But tonight even the sky was clear.
Perfect weather for a night walk.
Still—
I thought it was time to go back.
Of course, I meant returning to the mansion.
And Harriet returning to the banquet.
Thankfully, people didn’t come this deep into the garden.
So it was easier to say something I couldn’t say inside.
I finally spoke.
“You know the marriage talks involving me are continuing. But I know this won’t happen. I’ll reject it first, and His Highness Belthanio isn’t interested in me either, so it’ll fall apart. But…”
I pressed my lips together and looked directly into Harriet’s eyes.
“Just in case, think about it. If I can’t change my future…”
Did I just say something ridiculous?
I quickly corrected myself.
“I can say with confidence—even if I somehow become engaged to His Highness, it won’t last long. He also has the right to live with someone he truly likes.”
“You think His Highness’s heart won’t turn toward you?”
“What kind of question is that? Of course.”
Someone who loved another person so deeply it was closer to bereavement than a breakup—
Would suddenly move on?
No way.
Strange question.
“So before I ever have to go through marriage, help me inherit the position of House Demierd’s head.”
Even as I said it, I wondered if this was right.
I thought Harriet would answer gently—
Just like in Lana’s memories.
Like someone who would always help.
But unexpectedly—
Harriet didn’t answer like I expected.
Instead, he asked me—
“I can try. But what if I don’t want to help you? No… what if I can’t?”
Harriet bit his lip and shook his head.
He looked as serious as if I had asked something impossible.
Did that even make sense?
This was the first time Harriet had ever resisted someone called Lana—
Someone tied to him under the name of childhood friend.
