"...I don't know what you mean, Jade."
"I'm sick of it. Stop pretending you don't know and tell me why people are spouting nonsense like 'the Grand Duke offered his oath to you.'"
I bit my lip reflexively.
It had been a year and a half.
A year and a half since Jade left for the war against Heferti and never came back—until now.
I had so much to say.
I wanted to complain: Why didn't you reply to my letters? Why did you return all the relief goods I sent in my name?
I wanted to say: I'm glad you came back safely.
If I said that, I hoped he would smile at least once.
But reality was cruel.
Jade hadn't changed at all from a year and a half ago—when he'd always ignored me.
Jade's eyes softened, just slightly.
"...You're lying, right? I knew it. Who would reject a knight's oath, especially from a beauty like the Grand Duke?"
"It's true."
"...What?"
Jade looked at me in disbelief, then snorted.
I slowly opened my mouth, used to him always accusing me of lying.
"His Highness the Grand Duke gave his oath to me. As you know, Jade, it was a knight's oath—to a lady."
"No way!"
"Why do you talk like that...?"
"What?!"
Jade suddenly screamed at my mutter.
His temper is boiling—it's going to explode.
Clearly, the oath was supposed to be for the Princess, so why... Olivia?
Does that idiot even know what that means?
After fuming for a while, he suddenly went quiet.
Jade stared at me, forgetting to even breathe.
Come to think of it... what did I just say?
Moonlight shone on me through the window above the door.
Under the cold, pale light, I quietly lowered my head.
My silver hair—just like Jade's—sparkled as if it would disappear at any moment.
Jade's heart sank.
Olivia never lowers her head.
While Jade was speechless, I lifted my head.
My face was smiling, as always.
"Why? Are you talking as if no one would ever swear an oath to me?"
"...That's not—"
"I can receive one too. I'm an adult now—I've made my debut."
As if joking, I smiled, rolled up the hem of my dress, and pretended to curtsey politely.
Jade's eyes narrowed as he stared at the scene.
"...Those. Those are Heferti gloves."
"Huh?"
I unconsciously hid my hands behind my back.
Jade let out a suppressed growl between his teeth.
"Did you get them from the Grand Duke?"
"...Yes."
"Did you know him before you saw him at the banquet?"
"...Yes?"
"You idiot!"
His voice fell like a thunderclap.
While I flinched, Jade glared at me, shouted again, and ran up the stairs.
Soon, a door slammed shut.
I glared up toward the top of the stairs.
His harsh words usually went to Conrad. But after coming back from the battlefield, he's even worse.
How does he always find exactly the words that hurt me most?
I clenched my fists—the words of disgust, his immediate denial of the oath—all seared into me.
Only then did I remember the fingernail marks on my palms beneath the gloves.
My feet started to ache again, as if they were on fire.
I climbed the stairs with a limping step.
Had the road to my room always been this long?
As soon as I reached the end of the long hallway and entered my room, I made sure to close and lock the door—before collapsing on the floor.
My smile disappeared, leaving only a bruised expression.
It's been a while since I've had one of these—such a messy reunion.
Bad Jade. Naughty Jade. Nasty Jade.
Nevertheless—Jade, whom I'd waited for so long.
With a mix of joy, regret, affection, and just a little bit of disappointment, I barely managed one sentence:
"...I'm glad you came back safely, Jade. I really waited."
The words I so badly wanted to say to Jade swept through the room where I was alone—and disappeared.
---
When I finally fell asleep, exhausted, I dreamed of the day Jade gave me a doll.
Eight years ago—during the festival at the Madeleine estate.
I was twelve, awakened by a presence outside my room.
I wondered if Jade had come to sneak more frogs or something into my room. If he was going to be grumpy, he'd be better off as a gutter rat.
The same Jade who couldn't even touch a mouse always went out of his way to harass me.
No one would have guessed that Jade—the boy who made me flower crowns, made me laugh, and gave me puzzles from age eight to ten—would become such a mean fourteen-year-old.
Even when I tried my best, Jade never noticed, only stayed grumpy at me—as if he hated me so much he could die from it.
Swallowing bitterness, I waited for him to be grumpy again.
Still, I thought it was better for him to torment me like that, rather than be like Father—who didn't look at me at all, as if I didn't exist.
But no matter how long I waited, Jade didn't come in.
After a while, holding my breath, I cracked open the door and peeked out.
Jade was in the dimly lit hallway.
The smell of alcohol was strong—as if he'd secretly stolen Father's liquor.
With a blank face, Jade slowly turned toward me.
For a moment, I became nervous.
Jade was already three spans taller than me. As he trained with the sword, his build more resembled an adult than a boy.
I've never been hit, but I've seen many drunk adults turn violent back in Bell Street.
But Jade did nothing.
He just stood there, holding a large rabbit doll in one hand and a small rabbit doll in the other.
Slowly, he seemed to fully register my presence. His young face gradually twisted.
After a moment, I heard him mumbling.
I strained to listen—and unconsciously took a step closer.
Then, for a moment, I couldn't breathe.
"You're my sister... so why aren't you my sister...?"
"..."
"I thought you were my sister."
"..."
"Why aren't you my sister."
Tears filled his eyes as he stared at me.
For a moment, I saw a younger Jade layered over him—a boy younger than I was now.
Jade, who'd always made flower crowns and fought over puzzles, only to give me the puzzle in the end.
Jade, who'd smiled so brightly when the Duchess showered him with kisses.
Back then, Father and Conrad had treated me roughly. Jade had secretly brought me bread and a doll, trying to comfort me without knowing why Father and Conrad acted that way.
"Was it because of you? Because of you, my mom!!"
That was the ten-year-old Jade who'd learned the truth and turned cruel.
I bit my lip.
I had always stubbornly declared that I was his sister too—but right then, I couldn't say anything to him.
With unsteady steps, Jade walked to Ethella's door and set down the large rabbit.
Then he tossed the small rabbit doll toward me and disappeared into his room.
Only then did I slowly walk toward the doll.
A pretty rabbit doll—the one I held tightly felt cozy. Just like the doll Jade had brought me when I was little.
That night, I couldn't fall asleep easily.
Something about him pricked at my chest.
The brief happiness I'd experienced in my childhood came back to me.
Maybe Jade also thought of me as his younger sister.
If only I'd tried a little harder...
"Olivia is the Emerald Princess."
I had believed that happiness would return to me someday.
---
---
The first floor of the Madeleine mansion.
I watched the sunrise.
The green vegetable juice I'd prepared for Father was thrown away again.
I'd been waiting since dawn—foolishly thinking someone would come ask me something.
Whether it was Father or Conrad. Whether it was about the Grand Duke's oath, or my relationship with Leopold—anything.
But morning was the same as always.
"Miss, breakfast is ready. Let me take that and you should eat."
Sally spoke as she took the juice away.
She added that Jade had gone out since dawn.
There was only one person eating in the empty dining room.
Eating alone wasn't enjoyable.
When would Ethella—who'd gone to her mother's family, the Marquis of Haelquin—return?
I tried to focus on thinking about other things. It was the only escape I had.
Sally, who'd been standing behind me, came closer and asked carefully as she poured juice into an empty glass:
"My lady, may I ask you a question?"
"What is it?"
"Did you really receive a lady's oath from His Highness the Grand Duke yesterday?"
"...How do you know that?"
Sally smiled brightly, her cheeks flushed:
"So it was true! I thought so too! You were so beautiful yesterday, Miss! You're in the newspaper—how beautiful you were!"
"...The newspaper?"
"Yes! You're all over them!"
My fingertips went cold and stiff.
Newspaper? Who dared to publish what happened in the imperial palace?
"Shall I bring them?"
I nodded, and Sally quickly left the dining room.
I closed my eyes for a moment.
Everything that happened in the imperial palace—especially at banquets—was treated as "unofficial."
At most, there might be gossip about who Leopold's partner had been that evening.
For me to be on the front page, there could only be two explanations.
"Someone intentionally leaked this."
I murmured under my breath and opened my eyes.
For the time being, I'll live a quiet, unplanned life.
I calmly thought about what I should do.
Stay at home except when summoned to the palace. Call someone to handle the finances of the Crown Princess's palace.
While I was organizing my thoughts, Leopold came to mind.
Did Leopold see these articles? What does he think?
I'm sure it caught his attention.
I smiled bitterly and flipped through the newspaper.
"We received a lot of letters for you this morning, Miss. I left everything else in your room and brought just this one."
Sally held out a letter with shining eyes.
I'd wondered if it might be from Ethella—or Leopold.
But when I took the letter and saw the seal, I blinked.
The emblem stamped on the luxurious envelope was unmistakable.
"Someone came directly from the Grand Duchy!"
Vikander.
A sword entwined with roses and sharp thorns.
I carefully opened the letter, recognizing the crest I'd only ever seen in noble almanacs.
Is that really all?
I read and reread the letter—over and over again.
At some point, laughter spilled from my lips.
Oh my. Why are there people like this?
I'd heard clearly that the Grand Duke was dangerous and cruel.
But this letter told a different story from all those noisy rumors.
What a strange person.
As the depression that had wrapped around me since early dawn seemed to wash away, I suddenly regained my appetite.
Strangely enough, everything felt like it might be okay.
"Sally."
"Yes, Miss?"
"Let's go out for a bit this afternoon."
I also had a stack of letters I'd written to Ethella.
It would be okay to send at least one of them.
If time permits, I suppose I could even send a reply to the Grand Duke.
For some reason, the sunlight streaming through the window felt warm.
---
At the same time—Ethella's carriage left her maternal home, the Marquis of Haelquin.
Her destination was the Crown Princess's palace in the imperial palace.