She seemed to have thought of someone. She had a slight frown on her face, as if the memory she recalled of the person she was thinking of from that day was blurry. Lane had a wide smile on his face.

Its hard to meet him because hes a little busy right now, but youll be able to meet him soon. And youll soon find out if you see him again.

Then, I have to wait.

Yes, Im sorry that I cant reveal more.

No, thats fine, Mielle answered with a honey-like smile, just like her name.

However, unlike Mielle, who took his rudeness for affection, a big question was still in Arias mind, Is he in line for something since you cant even say his name? Who the hell are you talking about?

Aria glanced back at the maid-in-waiting. It was Annie, of course, who was on standby, not Jessie. She hadnt brought the hourglass because Aria had felt there wouldnt have been a need for it.

She couldnt help it. She didnt know who he was, so she had to ask her question without antagonizing the guest. According to her own reasoning, at least, she could only think that someone extraordinary was in the shadows.

Oh, isnt he a noble of another country?

Lane, who hadnt even looked at Aria, turned his head. Unlike when he was dealing with Mielle, he had a hard, cold demeanor. It had been a long time since she had seen a stare like that. Lane just raised one side of his mouth and asked why she thought so.

Well, Im sorry, but I cant think of anyone else in the empire who has this much wealth. Moreover, he doesnt know much about Mielle.

What is it that he doesnt know?

He asked the same question again, as if provoking her.

Why do you look at me so coldly?

It was as if he were telling her he was wasting his time listening to her, and she was offended by that.

What makes you change your attitude like this?

Nevertheless, she could to the core of the question, bringing it up in a way that wouldnt show her knowledge completely.

Mielle is soon to be engaged to someone, and everyone in the empire knows that, but your master doesnt seem to know it. Or, he knows it, but doesnt care about. Considering the gift you brought today, both options are possible.

Lane, who had turned just his head to Aria, turned his whole body to face her this time. She guessed he had finally become interested in her, but the way he raised his eyebrows at her with his cold stare still offended her.

Wow! What kind of being does the lady think he is, for example?

the former would be a great noble from a foreign country, someone who is not familiar with the affairs of the nobles of the empire, and the latter

What if its the latter?

The chance was close to zero, but there was only one person in the empire whom she could choose for that. Marquis Vincent was crazy about Sarah, so

Im certain he has to be the Crown Prince.

Immediately, Lanes face became visibly frozen. It was for just a moment, but Aria, who had been facing him, clearly saw his expression.

Before the countess and Mielle noticed, his face changed, and suddenly, he began to laugh wildly. Arias brow furrowed at Lanes incomprehensible behavior.

Thats a cute idea. I almost got persuaded by that plausible theory.

So, youre saying its neither?

Well, I cant answer anything. If I say yes, youll figure out who my master is, and if I say no, I will help the intelligent young lady, you, narrow down your reasoning.

Lane eventually slipped out like a squirrel without answering any questions. He was a real nuisance. Because of the age difference, the honey trap that was her beauty seemed not to work on him, and he had not given her any hints after hearing her plausible reasoning. He wasnt someone ordinary to be able to keep his secrets like he wanted to or otherwise shut his mouth when he couldnt.

Based on her experience, Aria classified Lane as a cause for alarm. She also had a hunch that if he and his master stuck to Mielle, she would have difficulty attaining her goal.

Now that I dont have the hourglass, I have to stay calm.

She could no longer keep playing into Lanes hands. Aria gently eased her face to create a lovely smile that was more appropriate for a girl her age. She had to aim for the next time.

I must have been rude.

Not really. It was a pretty good conversation.

Lanes gaze ran deep through Aria, as if he was telling the truth. It was a little bit of an interesting look, but now that Aria was not willing to talk anymore, she ignored the look in his eyes and drank her tea. So, Lanes gaze also disappeared and went back to Mielle.

* * *

A few days had passed since then, and the coming-of-age ceremony had passed too. Aria hadnt slept well for two days, wondering if Sarah had had as good a relationship with Marquis Vincent, as she had had in the past. She could answer that question right away at tomorrows meeting, but at the same time, she felt uneasy and overwhelmed, so she stayed up all night, her eyes wide until dawn.

Aria, who had not slept for hours, was busy preparing to go out. She massaged her swollen eyes with a cold towel and took out the newly-ordered light yellow dress. Unlike the simple one she had worn before, the fabric was luxurious, and the woven laces on the sleeves and bottoms were tight and beautiful. The dress added a sparkle to the rare decorations she had adorned herself with. After combing her hair finely, she stretched out a red ribbon for a while, adding to the cuteness of a girl her age.

Well Miss, can I really go like this? Annie, who had makeup on her face and braided hair, asked. Her dusky maids uniform remained the same.

Aria thought Annie seemed very happy. She noticed her flushed ears, so she wondered, Why would she say that?

Yes, it looks great. Whats wrong with you?

Ive never actually followed Miss Mielle to a meeting or anything, so I was wondering if I could do this.

The rules to a womans dress dont matter, do they? Whats more, yours is not dirty. Its very prettily decorated, so who wouldnt like it?

Besides, it was pretty spectacular to decorate Annie. Everyone would prefer the decorated to the unadorned, but Annie, who nobody paid attention to because of her freckles, had made a great change. Her skin was smooth, and her dead features had been brought to life in a way that was worth seeing.

Im glad to hear that, but

It was not like her to blur her words, so Aria let out a little airy laugh.

You dont know what the world is like.

The maids who attended parties with their masters were often dressed up. They did so to seek a rise in status. The lower-class nobles, with whom other higher-class nobles did not deal, were their targets. After being pushed out of power anyway, lower-class nobles fell in love with people regardless of status, as long as they were pretty.

There were also those foolish maids who said being a secret lover would be good enough if becoming the wife was too difficult. That was what those who trusted only their appearance did. They were idiots who would be abandoned when their youth was over.

Maybe that was Aria in the past, and she smiled at that thought. Aria left the mansion with her, hoping that Annie would enchant an idiot.

Oh, dear Lady Aria. Youve grown so tall while we were apart.

Thats what Im saying. Not long ago, she was so small!

It looks like shes been through a growth spurt, doesnt it? I also grew taller all of a sudden.

You look very good. You even filled out a little more than before.

You seem a little bit more mature than your age.

You look so pretty today too. Did you buy a new dress?

The young ladies, who hadnt seen her in a while, talked like birds chirping in the morning.

In the past, she had grown taller and gained weight at around this time, so she would be changing constantly. You dont mean to be this loud every time, right?

Aria smiled brightly and responded to their praise, I guess its because Ive had a lot of fun lately and Ive had great appetite. Meeting with all of you is one of those highlights. You dont know how long Ive been waiting for today.