Chapter 21

“Lady Royne has arrived.”

Derek relayed Cecia’s arrival.

“Tell her I’ll be there soon. And use the tea I have asked them to prepare.”

“Yes, milady.”

Derek left the room as Mindy put the finishing touches on Prillance’s hair. Prillance looked at her reflection in the mirror. On her face was a determined expression.

“Milady, it’s done.”

“Alright. Thank you.”

Mindy left the room as Prillance stared at the mirror. Prillance heard her mutter ‘it should be fine’ to herself before leaving the room.

Prillance soon arrived in the reception room. There sat Cecia. Cecia, who saw her, rose from her seat and greeted Prillance.

“I am Cecia from the Royne family.”

“Lady Royne. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Prillance gave a warm smile as she greeted her.

“Please be seated.”

Prillance and Cecia sat facing each other. Prillance observed her. Unable to hide her expression, Prillance could tell Cecia was nervous.

“Lady Royne, please do not worry. I will not harm you.”

Cecia was truly a person who showed all her emotions on her face. Cecia carefully turned her eyes to Prillance. It was the first time the two had met, but Prillance smiled as she felt a sense of familiarity. Cecia was exactly as described in the novel.

“You must think I’m going to eat you or something.”

Cecia did not relax even after Prillance spoke playfully. It was because she had heard many stories about her.

As Cecia gave a small glance, Prillance continued to study her. As depicted in the novel, she had long ebony black hair, long eyelashes, a small but tall nose, lips with pretty lines, and unique emerald eyes, which gazed at her. She was quite stunning.

In addition, her eyes, absent of any malice, were reminiscent of a small, slender animal. She was someone who stimulated one’s protective instincts, even if they were women. She shook her head with a small sigh.

On the other side, Cecia was surprised by the figure in front of her. Whenever she saw Prillance at social events, she looked rather flamboyant and sharp, but sitting face to face, Prillance looked rather poised and fragile.

She also possessed a certain elegance. As the two observed each other, a maid brought out their tea.

“Jasmine……”

Cecia unconsciously blurted out. The tea brought by the maid was Jasmine tea. Moreover, they chose high-quality, fragrant Jasmine tea.

The scent reminded her of the days when she dreamed of happiness.

“Some time ago, I heard an interesting story. Would you like to hear it?”

Prillance commented as she saw Cecia immediately recognize the scent.

“In the East, they diffuse the scent of Jasmine flowers in the rooms of newlyweds.”

Prillance lightly tilted the cup which contained the Jasmine tea. The scent deepened, filling the room. Perhaps it was a nostalgic aroma for Cecia.

But for Prillance, it sent painful memories.

“Do you know why that is?”

“Ah……”

“Since Viscount Royne has business in many places, I was wondering if Lady Royne would know.”

Prillance smiled nonchalantly and sipped her tea. Cecia showed signs of hesitation. Cecia’s expression seemed to express wonder at the purpose of her sudden question.

If only Cecia had been just a little bit malicious, perhaps Prillance could have acted more selfishly. Prillance gave a forlorn smile.

Prillance unconsciously observed Cecia once more. Perhaps there was an unsightly part somewhere. She tried to find something that would be contrary to her loveliness. But in the end, she couldn’t find any.

How could such a lovely and beautiful lady have such a thing?

“……I saw a field of Jasmine flowers planted by a man.”

Though she briefly hesitated, ultimately, this was her choice. Rather than her own happiness, with this, she hoped for Ver’s happiness.

Not wanting her expression to be seen, Prillance hung her head. It was because she knew exactly what type of face she would be wearing.

“He planted them for his fiancée.”

She recalled Ver, who said he planted them himself in order to show them to Cecia.

“Isn’t that such a romantic confession? As expected of someone like Viscount Grant.”

Cecia’s eyes widened while her hands went to her mouth. Prillance soothed her heart by drinking another sip of Jasmine tea.

She tasted the deep fragrance in her mouth and her nose. Her head seemed to have settled down. Yet her heart was heavy.

“There isn’t anyone who doesn’t know that Lady Royne and Viscount Grant were once lovers.”

She set the cup down.

“So I want to give the Lady a chance. Not for your family’s sake, but a chance to live a life that you truly want with the person you truly love.”

It was a chance Prillance could never have, as there was little chance someone she liked would ever return her feelings.

Cecia ruminated over the words of Prillance, who sat in front of her and drank her tea at ease. Prillance seemed to be saying that Ver still remembered his promise to her and still liked her.

“Why are you telling me this?”

Even with the obvious facts, Cecia could not help but doubt the pleasant story that came out of her mouth.

“Is it because of Duke Tonz?”

She suspected that through Ver, Prillance would be able to find fault in Cecia and break their current engagement.

“Is my reason for doing this even important?”

Prillance’s voice rose sharply. It reflected how she felt at the moment. For her, Cecia’s question wasn’t pleasant to hear.

“Naturally……”

“What does your heart truly want? That is what I am asking.”

Cecia was about to add a passive admission when she ran into Prillance’s sharp eyes. Her gaze was filled with reproach. Because of the strong will contained in her eyes, Cecia’s body shrunk unconsciously.

“If this had nothing to do with Duke Tonz, would you believe my words?”

As Cecia did not answer and instead avoided her gaze, Prillance sensed her mistrust. Perhaps from Cecia’s standpoint, her actions may not make sense.

“Can I ask you what kind of relationship you have with Ver?”

The Ver that Cecia knew, though he was a kind man, he was not a man who was warm to just anyone. Hidden behind his polite demeanor was a line one could not easily cross.

Ver’s conduct toward Prillance was different from those of other women. As someone who had watched him for a long time, it was subtle, but she could tell the difference.

“He’s just a friend.”

That is, until recently. Prillance swallowed the end of her words. Then, she smiled, pretending to be composed. Cecia had a hard time gauging whether or not she was telling the truth.

“Whether or not you believe me, it is your choice. But If you don’t believe it, you can always verify it with your own eyes. That’s all I can say.”

Prillance left the reception room. If Cecia didn’t believe her, there was nothing more she could do. It wasn’t that she couldn’t understand Cecia’s concerns. From her point of view, Prillance wasn’t a person who would be so kind-hearted.

Left alone in the reception room after Prillance left, Cecia thought of Ver and touched her heart which began to run wild. She wished she could say that she had already forgotten him, but her heart said otherwise.

‘Wouldn’t it be alright to just to go and have a look?’

If her words were true. Ver was the only one who would do such a gesture. After the day Cecia talked about Jasmine flowers, Ver had asked her not to go there for a while.

If the Jasmine flowers which didn’t exist there before were now blooming at that place, he must have been planted them for her. Cecia wanted to confirm his heart for herself.

“He planted them for his fiancée. That man.”

“Isn’t that such a romantic confession? As expected of someone like Viscount Grant.”

Cecia mulled over Prillance’s words. The thoughts that resonated in her head told her to go there right away and confirm his heart. Cecia hastened to leave the reception room.

After Ver, without word, sent a letter calling off their engagement, Cecia had been hurt and disappointed. Even though she knew what type of person he was, she couldn’t erase the doubts in her heart. Ver – who had been concealing himself all this time. After seeing the Jasmine flowers for herself, this time, Cecia was going to find him first.