Angela dropped her head down. Then, Rubica saw the gold ribbon she had tied for her this morning. As Angela liked to run around, the ribbon fixed lightly with the pin would have gotten loose. But today, the ribbon was still hanging onto her hair quite well.

‘She really likes it. She is even restraining herself from running…’

Suddenly, Rubica thought about how lovely Angela was. She was rude, but it wasn’t her fault. Rubica lightly patted on her bed, on the empty spot right next to herself. Angela smiled and sat down next to her. She was a cute girl, anyway.

Rubica changed the subject as kindly as possible.

“It is Duke Claymore.”

“I know, mama was angry about it, saying I couldn’t even dream of marrying such a man. But she said I would be able to get introduced to a marquis after you become a duchess.”

Mrs. Berner had told this to Angela?

Rubica tried to stop her glance from getting cold and looked at Angela as warmly as possible.

“But why has such great man asked your hand in marriage? You don’t even have dowry!”

“Yes, Angela. I wish I knew why. He is even using his private money,” Rubica answered remotely.

Angela’s lips quivered, and she was about to cry at any moment, then the child asked Rubica, “Are you going to marry him? Are you going to get married and leave this mansion?”

Rubica was not going to marry at all, but she was planning to leave in secret. Rubica decided to speak vaguely to Angela instead of being honest.

“I will probably leave.”

Then, the blue eyes started to shake. Angela quickly looked down to hide her tears. Rubica looked at her trembling shoulders with surprise. She couldn’t understand why Angela was acting in such a way.

“These, these are yours.”

Angela calmed down and took out something wrapped in a handkerchief from her pocket. When Rubica unfolded it, she found pretty ruby earrings, ring, and necklaces. Those were her mother’s accessories that she had given to Angela a long time ago.

“… these are…”

She couldn’t finish the sentence. Her mother’s accessories which she hadn’t seen in the past decade. Rubica could recall her mother wearing them as if it had been only yesterday.

“I was keeping them to give them to you when you get married.”

Rubica recalled the days where Angela would cry as if there was no end until she gave them to her. Therefore, she looked at Angela confusedly.

“Mama is always taking your things and selling them.”

Rubica couldn’t hold it anymore and hugged Angela tightly. Indescribable emotions swelled up.

“Angela, you are a really good girl.”

Because of her parents, who loved her like a doll but didn’t teach her properly, she was a little rude and impatient, but at least her heart was warmer than anyone else’s in the mansion.

“Of, of course.” Angela didn’t know what to do at Rubica’s compliment, so she pouted, “I was going to keep that ring for you this morning so that mother wouldn’t take it away.”

Then, she hesitated and handed a small silver brooch to Rubica.

“Congratulations, Rubica.”

Rubica wondered if she should tell her that she wasn’t going to marry the duke. However, she decided there was no need to make the child handle such worries.

“Thank you, Angela.”

Rubica smiled bitterly at Angela who brightened up at this. She thought for a moment and asked with a little stammer, “Rubica, you will… come visit me sometimes, right?”

“… I don’t know.”

“Rubica,” Angela took Rubica’s sleeve and hesitated for a long time. Then she exhaled shortly, “Who is going to scold me after you’re gone?”

“… Angela.”

“Who’s going to read me books?”

Rubica had to hold back her tears. This rude but kindhearted cousin knew who truly cared about her, after all.

***

Now, the night, which Rubica had been waiting for, had arrived. She put on a shabby grey dress instead of her pajamas. Next, she wore Arman’s ring under the dress and hid her dark brown hair under a grey hat. She was going to put on a black veil to cover her face after daybreak.

She had put only some clothes and things to sell in her bag. She hadn’t forgotten to pack her mother’s things. However, she didn’t pack the silver brooch Angela had given her. She couldn’t bring herself to sell it, so she just left a short letter to Angela on the desk.

She ripped the bed sheet and made a rope long enough to get her down to the ground. Then, she tied it to a pole and threw it out the window.

“Okay, as there is grass on the ground, I won’t get hurt if I fall lightly.”

She took a deep breath. This was nothing. She had survived worse situations. She had even jumped from the third floor without anything in order to run away from the bombs. As she now had a strong rope to rely on, this was easy.

She lightly tapped her feet to check if her shoes were fine and picked up the bag.

As she was still young and hadn’t done much hard labor yet, her hands were not that strong. However, it seemed like they would hold long enough for her to reach the ground. She put the bag on her left arm and slowly went down the rope.

Thankfully, everyone in the mansion, including the servants, was making merry and drinking to celebrate Rubica’s engagement, so no one realized Rubica was running away in secret.

‘I will most certainly get busted if I leave through the front gate, and they will be receiving things for the feast right now from the back door.’

Rubica had no choice but to decide to go over the wall, even though it was a little, no, very unbefitting for a lady.

As the walls that surrounded the mansion were not tall, it wasn’t that hard. Rubica, fortunately, knew the place of a wooden crate that would make for a good foothold. She threw her bag over the wall first.

Then, it was Rubica’s turn.

She used the crate for the potatoes and went over the wall. She didn’t land well and fell. Fortunately, she landed on the grass, so only her knees were a little scratched.

She wiped off the dust on her dress and got up. The fresh air of the night went past her cheeks, and excitement came over her. She had spent less than a day at the Berner Mansion as a 22 years old, but she was already sick of everything.

‘Where should I go? Should I go to the capital to make money? I should work as a maid to get money for about three years and then run to the south. There are many monsters there, but… I will be able to get a protection device if I save enough money. I should write to Angela to tell her to run away in the meanwhile.’

She worked on a short plan and turned to the road that led to the capital. And as she was about to run, someone tightly grabbed her wrist.

“Who are you?”

“Ahhh! Who are you?”

Rubica instinctively yelled at seeing the man holding her wrist. Then, she covered her mouth in surprise as her shriek could have reached the mansion. She looked around herself and that looked suspicious enough to the man.

“Let me go.”

“First, give me a good reason why you came over the wall at this hour.”

Rubica looked troubled for a second, and the man didn’t miss that change. He quickly looked at Rubica up and down. A shabby dress fit for a maid. It was fine. The problem was that she was holding a leather bag that was old but made for a noble.

Soon, he started to drag Rubica as if there was no need to ask more questions.

“Ak! Let me, let me go. I can explain,” Rubica yelled in fear while looking at the sword shining under the moonlight. Why was there an armed man near the Berner Mansion at night? She didn’t know why.

As she didn’t know who he was, she feared she was being dragged to the den of a gang.

“I am Rubica living at the Berner Mansion…”

However, the man angrily stopped her before she could finish speaking while saying, “Now you dare to call yourself the lady who will become the duchess?”

That made Rubica’s mind go blank. Although she couldn’t be sure, if she was right, she had never seen this man in the neighborhood. Then, how did he know about the duke’s proposal? However, she didn’t have the time to find an answer to her question.

The man dragged her to the main gate of the Berner Mansion in no time.

It was still silent there as if they hadn’t found out that Rubica was gone.

“Please, let me go.”

Rubica couldn’t afford to be heard from the people in the mansion, so she pleaded quietly. However, the man didn’t even flinch. He was so strong that although he was only holding Rubica’s wrist, she couldn’t get away from him. Eventually, she decided to do what was against her usual belief.

“I was leaving in a hurry because I heard my brother was sick.”

Lying was a huge sin, but now she had no other option. She used the most plausible excuse she could think of.

“By climbing over the wall?”

However, the man just scolded her as if he wasn’t going to buy Rubica’s excuse.

“Everyone is working hard to prepare for Duke Claymore’s visit, so they were not going to let me go. But if I don’t go now… I don’t know what will happen to my brother.”