-There was a misunderstanding. I apologize.
Surprisingly, the note on the card was an apology.
Claisey furrowed her brows. Why apologize so suddenly?
It was true that Kishin had misunderstood the situation, of course, but Claisey hadn’t been able to explain herself at the time.
And yet, for Kishin to offer an apology now—claiming there had been a misunderstanding—made no sense to her. Did he even know what he had misunderstood in the first place?
-You may return this bouquet to the Palace Guards. In order to apologize, and for the sake of Miss Claisey’s honor, I will allow myself to be publicly rejected by you.
* * *
Actually, the situation was this:
Dernic had realized the source of the confusion between himself, Kishin, and Merran through Merran herself. Being a clever man, he had informed Kishin as soon as he grasped what had happened.
As Claisey had guessed, Kishin was stubborn and rarely believed anything unless he saw or heard it himself.
When Dernic explained the misunderstanding, Kishin was already deep in thought, troubled by the version of Claisey he had “seen and heard for himself.” The bias he had formed against her during the bouquet incident did not align with the woman he had actually met on their date.
The Claisey he met in person seemed like a genuine woman. She didn’t appear dim-witted, nor did she strike him as the type to plot behind anyone’s back.
It was right then that Dernic arrived and cleared the air.
“We got it wrong, Kishin. That bouquet wasn’t sent back by the munitions merchant to get revenge on you.”
“What do you mean?”
“Miss Merran sent it back herself. It turns out she thought my name was Kishin. A misunderstanding occurred when she arrived at the guard station.”
“!”
Kishin, who had just finished giving Claisey a harsh piece of his mind, stared at Dernic without even blinking. His head was spinning.
Dernic shrugged, dismissing the matter as if it were nothing.
“It’s not really Merran’s fault, though. She just sent it back because she thought you had sent it, and she didn’t mean to insult you. Things just got tangled up.”
Kishin held his forehead.
“So… Claisey Kalasi… didn’t do a single thing.”
“Yeah. Isn’t that right?”
“But I went to her and…”
Kishin let his voice trail off.
“What did you do when you went to her?”
Dernic asked, his eyes sparkling with curiosity. He didn’t know the details of what Kishin had said or what they had done together, but he had been curious the entire time. His friend was not the type to meet women for private dates, and Dernic knew it well.
Kishin glared fiercely at him.
Dernic claimed it was no one’s fault, but because of this mess, both he and Claisey Kalasi had been dragged through the mud. He had been pulled into a scandal out of the blue, and Claisey had received an incomprehensible, unpleasant insult from him—all because Dernic and Merran had been careless.
Unable to contain his anger, Kishin kicked Dernic out.
However, chasing Dernic away didn’t erase the fact that he had insulted Claisey. Kishin didn’t shy away from that reality. He had agonized over it for hours; the image of Claisey’s round, trembling eyes remained vivid in his mind.
After a sluggish deliberation, Kishin decided to subject himself to the same insult he had dealt to her. The result was the bouquet Claisey had just received.
* * *
No matter how much Claisey thought about it, she couldn’t figure out how Kishin had cleared up the misunderstanding.
Since Merran hadn’t mentioned mixing up the two men’s names, there was no way for Claisey to know, no matter how hard she racked her brain.
“Let me see, too.”
It was then. While Claisey was holding the card, lost in thought, Merran crept up like a flying squirrel and snatched it away.
“Merran Omal. Give it back.”
Claisey said, annoyed, but Merran had already glimpsed the content of the card. The writing was just too short.
“Did Sir Kishin treat you rudely, Aunt?”
Merran shouted in anger. Claisey quickly snatched the card back.
“Aunt, I asked if Sir Kishin was rude to you.”
Merran gave up on the card and continued to press her.
“What does that have to do with you?”
Claisey said sharply. As she was putting the card into her pocket, she looked at Merran and gasped.
“Merran!”
Before anyone could stop her, Merran had grabbed the bouquet and slammed it against the back of a chair. The gorgeous, full arrangement was ruined in an instant.
“Merran!”
Claisey tried to take the flowers away, but Merran wouldn’t let go. While they tussled, even the elegant wrapping paper was crumpled and torn.
Only after the bouquet was in shambles could Claisey shake her off.
“Merran! What do you think you’re doing!”
When Claisey barked at her, Merran brushed off her hands and scoffed.
“That’s the price for insulting you.”
Claisey was dumbfounded. The bouquet had been sent to her. She hadn’t even decided how to handle it yet, and here was Merran ruining someone else’s gift on a whim, acting as if she had taken revenge on Claisey’s behalf.
But it wasn’t ‘on her behalf’ if Claisey felt no relief—this was just Merran venting her own anger.
Merran didn’t stop there.
“Anna, send that bouquet back to Sir Kishin at the Palace Guards just like that.”
Merran gave a sharp order to Anna, who had arrived upon hearing the commotion. Anna looked to Claisey for cues, hesitant.
“Don’t do it, Anna.”
Claisey gave a counter-order with a stern face. Anna broke out in a cold sweat. Being caught between the two ladies was a nightmare.
“Aunt! That man insulted you! Even he knows it and is apologizing. But you’re just going to forgive him?”
Merran asked, her face turning red with rage. She was genuinely furious; her guardian being insulted by some young man was no different than Merran herself being insulted.
There was also a sliver of guilt mixed in. While Claisey didn’t know about the misunderstanding between Merran, Kishin, and Dernic, Merran knew it all too well. She had realized that after she publicly sent back the bouquet meant for Dernic, Kishin had misunderstood and insulted Claisey in his anger.
Merran wanted Claisey to insult Kishin back, coldly and heartlessly. She felt that only then would the humiliation her aunt had received be covered up and her own guilt eased.
“Merran. Just because someone asks for your forgiveness doesn’t mean they’ve given you the right to harass them as much as you want.”
However, to Claisey, who didn’t know about Merran’s ‘guilt,’ the attitude seemed ridiculous. It felt as if Merran were trying to ruin her public reputation. If Claisey had been established in high society, people might have understood if she sent back a ruined bouquet, thinking, ‘She must have her reasons.’ But Claisey hadn’t been in the Capital long, and she knew few people. There was no one to defend her if she caused a scene.
Every action she took would define her reputation; she had to be careful.
Merran crossed her arms and scoffed.
“If you forgive that rude jerk, Aunt, then only rude people will flock to you from now on.”
“One rude person is quite enough for me, thank you.”
Claisey muttered as she gathered up the ruined bouquet, and Merran’s face turned bright red.
“Aunt!”
Anna covered her mouth with her hand to suppress a laugh.
“It’s reassuring to see our young ladies practicing their arguments even inside the house. I’m sure you won’t be pushed around by anyone outside.”
Claisey hugged the bouquet and ran quickly to her room. However, this was just an act to deceive Merran.
Beyond the bedroom door, the angry Merran was stomping…
At the sound of footsteps echoing down the hallway, Claisey quickly grabbed her winter coat and put it on.
She waited for the sound of a closing door before slipping out and calling for the coachman. In her arms, she clutched the ruined bouquet.
“Take me to the Palace Guards.”
As soon as she climbed into the carriage, Claisey urged the coachman on.
The coachman checked with her in surprise.
“At this hour?”
“Yes.”
It was late evening. The number of people on the streets was dwindling. Although the Hod district, where nobles resided, kept its streetlamps lit late into the night, the lamps would be sparse once they reached the Valowal road.
However, Claisey knew the Palace Guards kept their doors open twenty-four hours a day. And considering that the bouquet had been delivered in the evening, Kishin would surely be at the station now.
“Miss, you must not stay too late.”
The coachman warned her with concern as he pulled the carriage to a stop.
“You must stay nearby. I don’t know when I’ll be coming out.”
Claisey urged him, then stepped toward the main gate, clutching the ruined bouquet. She hadn’t even walked three steps before she was intercepted by a guard. The man wore a look of suspicion—wondering if she was insane—as a noble lady appeared before him holding a bouquet that looked like rags.
“I have come to see Sir Kishin.”
Claisey spoke in a more formal tone than usual to avoid being treated like a madwoman. Before the guard could say, “Do you really think Sir Kishin is someone you can meet just because you want to?”, she preempted him.
“Please tell Sir Kishin that Claisey Kalasi is here.”
Claisey covered the card with her hand, revealing only the signature at the bottom.
After confirming the signature, the guard told her to wait and went inside. Not long after, he returned with a confused look on his face.
“He says you may enter.”
The guard instructed a subordinate to escort Claisey inside.
“Sir Kishin actually meets women?”
“She’s incredibly pretty. I guess Sir Kishin just… had high standards.”
Leaving the whispers of the guards behind her, Claisey walked toward Kishin’s office, feeling nervous.