Chapter #9
“Good heavens, Ellie! My wonderful daughter.”
With that, Stella suddenly pulled Elizabeth into a tight embrace. Elizabeth couldn’t understand Stella’s reaction at all.
It felt strangely misaligned, as if something was off. Elizabeth hadn’t said a single thing, yet Stella had already assumed something had happened between her and Kieren at the banquet, which was puzzling.
“Stella told me. That you came here to find a lover.”
Elizabeth, recalling Kieren’s words from the banquet only belatedly, finally spoke.
“Did you bring Kieren to the banquet, Mom? It wasn’t a place someone like him would normally attend.”
“What do you mean, ‘bring him’? I only told him where you were when he asked. It was that young master who came looking for you with red eyes—don’t go blaming innocent people.”
Stella tried to sound calm, though she looked slightly flustered. Seeing that Elizabeth still wasn’t convinced, she continued.
“Anyway, ever since you came back from the banquet, you’ve been out of it. I just guessed maybe something happened between you and Kieren.”
“That’s not it.”
“Isn’t it? More than that… honestly, Kieren too. I didn’t think he was that kind of person. To kiss you and still proceed with the engagement as if nothing happened.”
“That was just a mistake—”
“Don’t tell me you actually accepted that as a mistake, Elizabeth?”
Stella’s eyes sharpened. Elizabeth froze, and Stella went on.
“You need to take responsibility. Tell him clearly that he absolutely cannot go through with the engagement.”
“…What right do I have to say that?”
He doesn’t even like me anyway.
That kiss had clearly been something done in the heat of the moment, swept up in the atmosphere. After that day, Kieren hadn’t said a single word about it.
Seeing Elizabeth’s face darken, Stella softened her tone—though her words still felt strangely unsettling.
“Be firm. There’s still a chance. I don’t want my daughter living as someone’s mistress.”
“…What are you talking about, Mom?”
Elizabeth was startled by the word mistress and looked at Stella. Stella quickly glanced away, flustered.
“I got carried away! I just mean I can’t let my daughter live like that!”
“That’s not going to happen. That would be wrong.”
“Not necessarily—”
“What did you say, Mom?”
“Nothing! Nothing at all! Ah, goodness, I completely lost track of time. I need to take this over there.”
Clapping her hands, Stella quickly grabbed a basket of half-folded towels and rushed out of the room.
Elizabeth stared blankly in the direction she had disappeared.
Then, suddenly, Kieren’s words resurfaced in her mind—the ones he had said about Stella and the Duke’s rumored affair.
“Too vulgar a rumor for innocent Ellie to hear, wasn’t it?”
Why had that sentence suddenly come back to her?
Elizabeth clasped her hands tightly, overwhelmed by unease.
But even that made her think of Kieren again, so she shook her head harshly, trying to drive the thoughts away.
* * *
By late afternoon on the weekend, Elizabeth had no energy at all.
Kieren had left the castle earlier in the day. Knowing he had headed toward the Prairie estate made it hard for her to steady her emotions.
He was probably watching an opera with Abigail by now.
At that thought, the memory of their kiss resurfaced again.
Unlike her, who had been excited and flustered, his expression—cold and emotionless—floated before her eyes, blurring her vision once more.
As if reflecting her feelings, the sky outside had turned heavy with clouds, as though it might rain at any moment.
It had been bright and clear just yesterday.
Elizabeth wished the sky would cry for her instead, and she stood in the garden in a daze for a long while.
How long had she stood there? Suddenly, a raindrop fell onto her cheek. Looking up, she saw the drops growing heavier.
The sky darkened in an instant, and rain began to pour without mercy—as if granting her wish.
It seemed like a passing shower, so she took shelter beneath a large tree.
Under its wide branches, the ground remained dry, as if the rain could not penetrate there. Even heavy raindrops were blocked by the dense leaves.
Leaning against the tree, Elizabeth sighed. She looked utterly miserable, soaked to the bone beneath the rain.
It was pathetic—more than pathetic, really. She had gotten her hopes up alone, only to be rejected, yet she was acting like someone who had been heartbroken.
Nothing had even begun, and yet her chest ached as though they had truly been in love.
The rain continued, showing no sign of stopping. Eventually, Elizabeth decided she might as well walk back in it.
She was already soaked—getting wetter wouldn’t change anything.
If anything, she wished the rain would wash her feelings away too.
With that resolve, she grabbed her skirt and started running. Running didn’t help her avoid the rain, but she ran anyway—again and again.
Her heart pounding violently, she finally reached the lobby, only to run straight into Kieren and Abigail, who had just returned together.
Elizabeth froze.
Of all people, she had run into the two she least wanted to see.
Abigail seemed surprised by Elizabeth’s drenched appearance. Beside her, Kieren looked at Elizabeth expressionlessly.
His gaze slowly moved from her wet hair down to her soaked dress.
Feeling as though she had been stripped bare, Elizabeth turned away without greeting them.
“Oh my, Lady Lua. It looks like you were caught in the rain.”
But before she could escape, Abigail spoke, forcing her to stop.
Elizabeth stood still as Abigail approached her.
A puddle had already formed around her feet—water dripping from her soaked clothes.
Glancing between the floor and Elizabeth, Abigail said,
“It’s pouring so suddenly, like the sky has opened up. You didn’t have an umbrella? You might catch a cold like this.”
She then pulled a handkerchief from her reticule and offered it.
Elizabeth’s eyes fell on it.
It was Kieren’s handkerchief.
When Elizabeth looked at her questioningly, Abigail added,
“Oh, silly me. Not this one—use this instead.”
She casually replaced it with another handkerchief and placed it in Elizabeth’s hand.
At that moment, something tightened inside Elizabeth’s chest.
Kieren was not someone who lent his belongings to others. He was possessive of his things and rarely allowed anyone to use them.
So why did Abigail have his handkerchief?
And why did Kieren say nothing about it?
Elizabeth didn’t want to accept the conclusion that Abigail was his, so it was fine.
But she couldn’t find any other explanation.
A flicker of resentment toward Abigail began to grow. Who asked for such condescending kindness? It would have been better if they had just let her go.
Elizabeth forced a smile.
“Thank you.”
She turned to leave, but something was draped over her shoulders.
A warm coat, still carrying body heat, with a familiar scent. The smell of healthy earth and cypress mixed with the scent of rain.
She hated how casually kind Kieren could be while still rejecting her feelings.
Elizabeth removed the coat and handed it back.
“You’ll only get your clothes dirty too. I’ll change anyway.”
“Wear it. I was going to have it cleaned anyway.”
Kieren’s gaze swept over her soaked hair and clothes. Wherever his blue eyes landed, she felt strange.
“Stop being stubborn. Unless you want to walk around with everything visible.”
Her face flushed instantly.
Only then did she realize her indoor dress had become almost transparent from the rain, revealing her undergarments.
She could no longer refuse.
“…Thank you.”
She murmured quietly, pulling the coat around herself, then quickly left.
Behind her, she heard Abigail say, impressed,
“Sir Kieren is so kind. I didn’t even think of that.”
Kieren seemed to say something in response, but she couldn’t hear it.
She just wanted to run away—from both of them.
She ran and ran, ignoring the servants asking if she was alright, rushing all the way to her room.
The image of Abigail’s gaze when Kieren had given her the coat made her entire body tremble.
It felt like she was being blamed. Or perhaps she only felt that way because she already feared what the kiss meant.
Either way, guilt weighed on her.
Why did he show such kindness to her in front of Abigail?
Abigail, who knew nothing, praising Kieren so innocently—she almost pitied her.
Why was she the one made to feel like a sinner?
Why did he keep making her hope, only to crush her again?
Wherever Elizabeth ran, water splashed beneath her feet. Her dress clung to her body as if trying to restrain her.
No matter how much she tried to push it away, it clung stubbornly—just like her feelings for Kieren.
When she finally entered her room, she locked the door and collapsed to the floor.
At least it was fortunate she had been caught in the rain.
Because now no one could tell whether the water on her face was rain or tears.
Buried in her knees, Elizabeth began to sob.
She didn’t want to stay in Agapel Castle anymore.
She couldn’t stay by his side and smile anymore.
