HEAD 10

~Chapter 10~

Blake made a face when he saw the maids hugging Lily.

Why should he join in that?

“Looks like you found your own people. Go have fun without me,” he said.

The maids teased him. “That’s right! We’ve been on Miss Lily’s side for a while now!”

It was a good breakfast for everyone.

Lily, still hugging everyone, whispered,

“I really think I’ll love this place.”

“I already love you, Miss Lily. Everyone else here will feel the same!”

“This afternoon, we’ll introduce you to the others: the head butler, more maids, even the gardener. Everyone in the winter castle will welcome you.”

Blake added,

“Don’t count me in.”

“Does someone with that voice even live in this castle?” someone joked.

Everyone except Blake laughed.

At first, people might feel awkward around Lily,
but soon they would all open their hearts to her.

Lily would be happy here too.

It meant Lily had finally found her own people.

Meanwhile, in a normal brown house in the capital—

“You useless people! Even sewer rats are better than you!”

Count Fox yelled so loudly that all his servants trembled.

His name was Fox, and he really was like a fox—no presence, but when he threw bottles or pens, you could feel the danger.

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

“Sorry, sir…”

“Should I have given you a month to find her? So you could have more snack breaks?”

Just then, the butler came back from his errands.

“You. Where were you?”

The butler had just come from visiting Lily’s closest friend. He shook his head.

“She said they haven’t met alone in a whole year.”

“Are you sure? How is that possible?”

Upper-class people always met with other nobles for fun.

Count Fox himself met friends every day.
He loved showing off—his beautiful wife, his business, and even his political connections thanks to Lily’s family.

But lately, he couldn’t even show his face.

He felt like all the nobles were laughing at him:

—“Did you hear? Count Fox’s wife left a divorce letter and disappeared.”

—“They didn’t even have a child. Maybe the problem was the count himself?”

Count Fox was furious.

“Isn’t her friend hiding Lily? Did you check the house well? It’s a lie to say they didn’t see each other for a year!”

“Sorry, sir, but… You’re the one who banned her from seeing anyone after marriage.”

“…”

“Also, her friend said she wasn’t very close to the countess.”

“Ahem. Anyway, did you send missing person notices? To other families, the council, even churches?”

“Yes. Even to the Uffus duke’s family.”

‘The Duke’s Family’ was used like a saying—it meant they’d contacted everywhere Lily might go.

“The Duke’s Family?”

Count Fox hesitated, then shook his head.

“She’d rather go to hell than go there. Those barbarians think they can join high society just by getting rich. If that’s so, why do we have the middle class?”

He shouted at his staff again.

“How can you be Lily Fox’s people and not know she’s gone?”

Because none of the servants cared about quiet Lily.

They weren’t on her side.
Their only job was to watch her and keep her inside.

Lily didn’t have a single person on her side.

That’s why she could call herself Lily Hedwick now, not Lily Fox.

“Anyway, find Lily Fox. Bring her to me. As her husband, I’ll fix all her bad habits.”

Lily had adjusted well to the winter castle in just a few days.

Actually, she didn’t even have to try.

She just stopped hiding that she liked this place,
and the people loved her for it.

Lily Hedwick was like a new sprout on the snow.

At first, the people in the winter castle acted shy around her,
but then they did everything they could to make her happy.

“It’s snowing, Giana.”

It was morning.

Lily sat up in bed and looked out the window.

Of course it snowed a lot in the snowy mountains, but to Lily—who only lived in the capital—it was amazing.

‘It snowed in the capital too, but by morning it was all trampled and dirty.’

Before Giana could stop her, Lily ran outside in her pajamas.

“Miss Lily!”

Outside the castle was perfectly white.

“It’s heaven! I swear, it’s heaven, Giana!”

The workers at the winter castle realized Lily loved making the first footprints in the snow.

So now, they all used side paths to keep the yard clean just for her.

Some even hid and watched her happily.

Two people hid behind the woodpile,
one hung off a cliff behind the castle,
and three more disguised themselves in the dirt on the road outside.

If Lily knew, she’d probably laugh in surprise.

Lily was walking and playing in the snow when she saw a man.

“Mr. Il? Oh, nice to see you!”

Il Dexter was coming down from the second floor.

The assistant with glasses greeted Lily happily.

“Good morning, Miss Lily! I see you’ve taken off your bandages.”

“I still have to walk carefully, though.”

“It’ll take a bit more time to heal. What are you doing out here?”

Right then, Giana caught Lily and wrapped a coat around her.

“As you can see, she’s making me wear a hat. Where are you going, Mr. Il?”

“I’ll be gone a few days. I have to get a list from the village below the mountain. We need to count who’s coming to the annual party. The master gives me annoying jobs but never gives me a promotion!”

They left the castle together.
Someone was watching them.

In an office high up in the castle,
Blake’s sharp eyes stared out the window at them.

‘They look so friendly. People might think they’re a couple.’

He would never admit he was jealous.

Instead, he just made fun of them in his mind.

‘What’s so great about Il Dexter anyway?’

He thought Lily only liked pure Imperials even here…

Then he knocked his head on the wall.

‘No, Blake Uffus. That’s a stupid thought.’

He knew Lily wasn’t someone who judged by race.
He’d seen that already.

He just… worried about her.

He told himself it didn’t matter—it wasn’t his problem.

Lily Hedwick looked so fragile, like she might break at any moment.

And, honestly, she was lovable. Her white skin, her blush…

Not that he thought so!

‘No wonder Il follows her around.’

Actually, they’d only met by accident, but Blake thought what he wanted.

He looked out the window again.

Lily and Il looked so comfortable talking together.

Even their footsteps in the snow looked friendly.

In truth, they just shared the same hometown—so they understood each other.

No one in the castle thought there was anything between them.

Only Blake felt upset.

Not knowing any of this, Lily smiled and listened to Il.

“There’s going to be an annual party here? Even the dukedom has parties?”

“It’s not what you’re imagining. It’s just a big party for everyone in the winter castle—knights, workers, anyone who serves the duke.”

“Wow, it must get wild!”

“It’s when people hug barrels of wine and drink themselves silly. Really, the Uffus people’s drinking skills should be counted as magic!”

“Too bad I won’t see it myself.”

Il thought that was odd and stopped, peering at her over his glasses.

“Why not?”

“Because I can’t let people notice me.”

Lily was still hiding.

Then Il understood.

But earlier, he’d seen the maids talking seriously about Lily’s party dress.

They looked more serious than when hunting wild boars.

So Il never imagined Lily would skip the party.

“But do you really think those maids will give up?”

Il spoke quietly, seriously.

The winter castle people were like bulldozers.
Once they made up their mind, nothing could change it.