“You were inconvenienced in many ways because of me. Yet, you caught me when I fell from the window and even carried me to my room. I am truly grateful. If it is alright with you, I would like to treat you to a meal as a gesture of thanks. Would it be possible to meet at Rochez on Driblu Street tomorrow? I am a woman of leisure, but as you are a busy man, Sir Kishin, I would like to accommodate your schedule. Please come whenever it is convenient for you.”
Kishin did not show the letter to anyone. However, as Dernic kept prying, he had no choice but to provide a brief summary.
“She wants to meet tomorrow.”
Dernic whistled, teasing him.
“Impressive. You offered a little help and captured the heart of a beautiful lady in one go.”
Kishin silently folded the letter and tucked it into his wallet. He didn’t say whether he intended to go or not.
Dernic didn’t ask, either. He was a long-time friend of Kishin’s; he knew him well enough. Kishin wouldn’t go.
The handbag merchant clearly hadn’t heard the rumors about Kishin, not being a noble who lived in the Capital.
Kishin Hiard had rejected every woman who had courted him—a number that exceeded seventy, at least to Dernic’s knowledge.
***
After bathing in warm water, Claisey was able to move her legs again, though she couldn’t walk as lightly as usual.
Anna teared up as she brought an indoor cane to Claisey.
The accident nine years ago had left such a deep mark on Claisey. Yet, people only curiously branded her an oddity. Whenever Anna looked at those legs, her heart ached.
Seeing Anna tearing up, Claisey deliberately changed the subject with a cheerful voice.
“Anna, that man who carried me earlier—wasn’t he incredibly handsome?”
Fortunately, it worked. Anna’s tears vanished, and she judged him coldly.
“What good is a handsome face? They say there isn’t a decent human being in the Palace Guards. Don’t pay him any mind, Miss.”
*I already wrote and sent the letter,* Claisey thought, feeling awkward as she fiddled with her cane.
Earlier, inside the secret room, Claisey had held Kishin’s black wallet and pondered for quite a long time. It had taken less than three minutes to find the wallet, write the letter, and tuck it inside. She had spent over fifteen minutes agonizing over the decision.
Claisey knew the truth, too: Kishin had no particular interest in her. He had carried her, but not out of attraction; he had simply helped as a knight because her legs looked uncomfortable.
It was highly likely her letter would be ignored, just like all the other men Claisey had taken an interest in thus far.
But in the end, she had written it. She liked him.
It wasn’t just because he was handsome. She liked that he seemed to possess a firm sense of self.
That slovenly silver-haired man had tried to frame her as if she had intentionally taken the ID, but Kishin Hiard hadn’t wavered in the slightest.
That had made a deep impression on Claisey.
Since Meren had returned, Claisey couldn’t dwell on Kishin any further.
“Anna, don’t talk about that man in front of Meren.”
Claisey held onto Anna, who was heading out to attend to Meren, and pleaded urgently.
“Oh my, Miss. Of course I must tell her. You two ladies went through so much because of that man. And yet, here you are saying he’s handsome or whatnot; I have to tell her.”
“Anna, please!”
Only after Claisey begged her earnestly did Anna sullenly agree.
“Fine. I’ll just say that some Palace Guards stopped by.”
Claisey felt relieved.
She didn’t know yet if she would be rejected by Kishin Hiard. However, she would rather be rejected by him than have Meren interfere and snatch him away.
When she went downstairs with Anna, Meren was taking off her outer coat and draping it over her arm.
“What on earth happened?”
As soon as Meren saw Claisey and Anna, she grumbled in annoyance. Meren still didn’t seem to know the full situation.
“Some Palace Guards stopped by here as well. You wouldn’t believe how startled I was.”
Anna replied immediately and with a tone of discontent.
Claisey’s heart pounded, and she glanced at Anna.
Fortunately, Anna did not mention that one of the guards who visited was very handsome, nor that Claisey had shown interest in him.
“And Aunt? Are you alright?”
Only after Meren had finished complaining about the guards and changed her clothes did she ask about Claisey.
“Yes.”
Meren scrutinized Claisey’s face carefully, and deciding she looked fine, she started nagging.
“Why would you go to a party alone? That’s why this happened. Next time, take me with you from the start. Then you wouldn’t have gotten sick.”
It was as if her own actions were never wrong, and only Claisey going out without her was the mistake.
“That’s right. Next time, please be sure to take Miss Meren.”
Anna, oblivious to Claisey’s inner thoughts, chimed in.
Meren’s maid, Karen, also nodded silently from behind.
Claisey felt a lump in her throat.
Claisey had told Anna several times that Meren was hindering her romantic pursuits, but Anna never took it seriously.
Once, she had even said: *Meren wants to protect you, Aunt. She loves you like a mother. Please look at it kindly. In a way, it’s quite lovely.*
Claisey hadn’t answered then, and she didn’t answer now.
“I’ll tell them to bring you something to eat, Meren.”
***
The next day, Claisey woke up earlier than usual, at a time when both Meren and Anna were surely still asleep.
When Claisey went down to the kitchen, only one servant on duty was sitting at the table, nodding off.
Claisey rummaged through the cupboard by herself.
The servant was startled by the clattering sound and asked, “Miss, what are you looking for?”
After eating a simple snack and returning to her room, Claisey washed up alone without calling a maid.
Her legs were now completely fine; she could even dance.
Claisey put on a yellow dress and draped a very thin but beautiful cape over it. When she looked in the mirror, she looked pretty enough to satisfy herself.
When she left the house, the cold dawn wind made her cape flutter. Claisey got goosebumps, but she didn’t go back in to put on more clothes.
The coachman, awakened at the crack of dawn, asked while still heavy with sleep, “Miss? Are you going somewhere to freeze to death?”
When Claisey glared at him, the coachman shut his mouth and brought the horses out from the stable.
Inside the carriage, Claisey was so cold that she brought her hands to her mouth and blew on them repeatedly. It was early winter, and the pre-dawn air was biting.
When she arrived at Driblu Street, it was no longer quite dawn, but even with the sun up, it remained cold.
Moreover, the famous restaurant where Claisey had asked Kishin Hiard to meet her was still closed.
Claisey waited for the shop doors to open for about 30 minutes in the carriage, and when the employee finally arrived, she got out and urged the coachman.
“You may tell people that I went out. But you must never tell anyone that I came here. Do you understand?”
“Even to Miss Meren?”
“Yes. Even to Anna.”
“Understood. I must follow your orders, Miss. At what time should I return?”
“You don’t have to come back. I’ll take a rental carriage.”
Once the coachman left, Claisey entered the shop.
There were no customers inside. The employee looked surprised to see a noble lady visiting so early in the morning.
Claisey chose a seat that was clearly visible from the entrance and sat down. She intended to wait there for Kishin Hiard, not knowing when he would arrive.
Kishin hadn’t outright rejected the request via messenger. Therefore, she reasoned he would show up at least for a moment sometime today.
***
When rejecting a suitor, Kishin Hiard was not a gentleman. In his experience, polite and courteous rejections didn’t work on those in love; it was more effective to reject them once in a cold and heartless manner.
Thus, Kishin Hiard did not send a messenger to the Kalasi mansion. The next day, he went about his duties, having completely forgotten about Claisey.
It was actually Dernic who remembered Claisey’s appointment.
Five o’clock in the afternoon. When it was time for dinner, Dernic went to find Kishin himself to remind him.
“Aren’t you going to see the arms dealer?”
Kishin belatedly recalled the shy letter he had received the day before. But it was useless.
“I’m not going.”
He answered firmly.
“Why don’t you go anyway?”
Dernic tried to sound him out subtly, but Kishin wouldn’t budge.
“If you want to go, you go.”
Kishin said coldly, returning his gaze to the documents he was reading.
“Shall I?”
Unexpectedly, Dernic accepted the offer as if he had been waiting for it.
Kishin, who had been staring only at his documents even while Dernic was talking, finally furrowed his brows and looked up.
“You’re going?”
Kishin hadn’t truly meant to invite Dernic to go in his place. He had just tossed out the words because he thought Dernic was bothering him again.
Dernic grinned and held up his necklace. It was a necklace made by threading a ring that Marie had given him ten years ago.
“Actually, the arms dealer is Marie noona’s younger sibling. And the Miss Merran who was mistakenly caught yesterday is Marie noona’s daughter.”
“Ah. The one you said was your benefactor. So, you’re going to pay her back for her kindness?”
Dernic just shrugged his shoulders and confirmed once more.
“Anyway, if you’re not going, I can go, right?”
Kishin thought for a moment before answering.
“Do as you like.”
Dernic caused trouble wherever he went. However, that strange fellow also had enough principle to cherish the help he received ten years ago for his entire life.
So, he wouldn’t cause trouble for his benefactor’s family, at the very least. Even if he didn’t help them.
***
After hearing about the meeting place and time from Kishin, Dernic was a bit surprised. Kishin said that Claisey hadn’t mentioned a specific time—only that she would be waiting.
Dernic thought that perhaps Claisey had already left after waiting for a while during the day.
Nobles usually did that. Even if she had lingering regrets, wouldn’t she have left a messenger behind?
Just in case, he bought a large flower basket and headed to the restaurant, but Dernic was almost certain of it.
However, she was still inside the restaurant. As soon as Dernic opened the door and entered, he spotted Claisey.
It was impossible not to. It wasn’t just because she was eating cake in a highly visible seat; it was because the thirty plates piled up in front of her were far too intense.
“Since when has that glutton been here?”
Dernic asked a passing waiter, hiding his face with the flower basket.
“She’s been there ever since we opened. She said she had an appointment. But if you ask me… I think she got stood up.”
Dernic was startled.
“Does that mean she’s been ordering and eating food every few minutes?”
The waiter looked at Dernic with a sour expression. Was that the important part? Wasn’t it more surprising that she had been there since opening?
Actually, neither mattered to Dernic.
Dernic lowered the flower basket and approached Claisey.