Elizabeth

In the long corridor, surrounded by grand pillars with red cloth draped over them, the curtains swayed momentarily as a gust of wind rushed in from the open balcony. The polished floor gleamed under the golden sunlight.

Becky walked through the center of the corridor, adjusting her stiff back—wearing a corset for the first time had been a terrible experience.

She took a step forward before a voice from behind made her stop.

"What are you up to?" Alex asked, his voice cracking with hesitation.

"What do you mean?" she replied, turning to look at him.

Alex stared at her for a moment before his gaze shifted downward. Taking a deep breath, he lifted his eyes back to hers and took a few short steps toward her.

"Don't you know what I mean?" His brows furrowed slightly.

Becky's gaze flickered between his eyes. Sensing hesitation, her voice softened. "I wouldn't have asked if I knew."

"You… you do know," he muttered. Then, as if contradicting himself, he let out a small chuckle. "Yeah, how would you know…" His lips curled into a faint grin as he whispered, "You are the mighty Elizabeth Augustine… right?" His voice lowered into an almost inaudible murmur, "Elizabeth Augustine…"

Becky watched him in silence as he turned and walked away. The shifting sunlight from the window cast alternating patterns of light and shadow on him as he disappeared down the corridor.

She stood there, a strange unease settling in her chest. Something was wrong—she could feel it—but she had no idea what. Having no real knowledge of Elizabeth's family or personal life, she couldn't grasp why Alex had looked at her like that.

She remained lost in thought until Din's voice snapped her out of it.

"Milady?"

Becky blinked, gasping softly. "Oh… I was just lost in thought."

"I can see that," Din replied.

_____

"Milady! Are you really going to wear such a simple dress to meet the emperor?" Din asked, staring at Becky's reflection in the mirror.

"There's no need to be flashy."

"I see…" Din bowed slightly while continuing to fix Becky's hair.

Elizabeth was not a woman just anyone could talk to. Even for Din, her personal maid, this was the first time she had exchanged so many words with her.

"It seems like she's changed," Din whispered under her breath.

"Did you say something?"

"Nothing." A small smile tugged at Din's lips. The stoic woman, often compared to a lifeless stone, was smiling—for the first time.

Din had become Elizabeth's maid when the latter's relationship with her family had started to fall apart. One after another, the maids hired by the Duke had run away, unable to bear the oppressive atmosphere around Elizabeth.

The chaos had only settled when Din arrived. She never did more than she was asked, never overstepped her bounds, never argued with Elizabeth's actions—she merely cleaned up after her, staying in the shadows.

But today…

"Is something wrong?" Becky asked, catching Din's reflection in the mirror.

"Oh… no, it's nothing." Din hesitated.

She should stop. She was already on the verge of breaking the rule she had followed for over ten years—the rule of never doing more than what was required. And yet, here she was… standing on the edge of that very boundary.

"I just wanted to ask…" she gulped softly, "why do you want to attend the ministerial meeting?"

"What do you think?" Becky's gaze fixed on her.

"Um… I…" Din's fingers curled into her dress.

"I'm just trying to undo it."

Din's eyes widened. "Wha—what?"

"Hmm… how should I explain it…" Becky tapped her chin lightly. "Something like… I'm afraid of my karma. If I don't take care of it now, it'll come back to bite me later."

Din was speechless.

The girl everyone called 'cruel as a demon' was talking about karma?

For Din, it felt like she was witnessing something remarkable—the girl she had silently watched over all these years… had finally grown up.

"…Is that all?" Din asked softly, still in shock.

Becky paused for a few seconds before a small smirk curled on her lips.

"Well… I have a special reason."

But instead of looking like a normal smile, it held an ominous edge.

Din's face paled. "Am I sure there's nothing bad about this?" she muttered under her breath, letting out a long sigh.

Becky raised an eyebrow at her. "What's with that face?"

_____

Alexander Augustine, the second son of the Augustine family, had always been an understanding child.

He understood when his parents focused all their attention on his elder sister.

He understood when his sister never spared him a glance.

He understood that they didn't have the kind of sibling relationship others did.

It had always been him, understanding everything—acting mature, as if he needed nothing.

At the training grounds, Alex was sparring with a soldier. With one hand tucked behind his back, his movements were swift and steady, his sword flashing through the air as he effortlessly dodged incoming strikes. But his mind was elsewhere.

Nearby, a hushed conversation caught his attention.

"Do you know what I saw today?" one soldier whispered to another.

Alex continued sparring, but his ears sharpened.

"I saw Lady Elizabeth standing on the terrace. My god, you wouldn't believe it! I've always heard rumors about her beauty, but seeing her in person… it was like heaven. Whoever marries her will be the luckiest man in the world."

The other soldier snorted. "Ah! You clearly don't know her attitude. If she found out you were talking about her like this, she'd probably cut out your tongue."

"Argh, don't say it like that," the first soldier grumbled. "Anyway, I heard she's madly in love with the Crown Prince. They say the Augustine family has already discussed the matter with the emperor, and there's a high chance he'll agree to the marriage. You know, no one can refuse the Augustines."

Alex's grip on his sword tightened as their words sank in.

He told himself it didn't matter.

Elizabeth was exactly as everyone described her.

So there was no reason for him to be annoyed by it.

No reason at all.

Lost in thought, his focus wavered, and a low grunt snapped him back to reality.

His sword had pierced through his opponent's thigh.

Alex quickly pulled back his weapon, a flicker of concern crossing his face. "Get treated," he ordered.

But even as the soldier limped away, Alex's mind remained stuck on that conversation.

And no matter how much he told himself otherwise—

The irritation refused to fade.