Chapter 22

“A deal?”

“Yes.”

A rare sense of satisfaction appeared on Lennox’s lips. It may have looked elegant, but Juliet knew.

That’s a smirk.

However, Juliet wasn’t disappointed.

“I have something useful for Your Highness.”

Taking a cautious step forward, Juliet approached him.

Sitting on the couch, Lennox’s gaze was lower than Juliet’s.

Since Juliet’s standing position was higher, she could look down at Lennox.

“Useful?”

“Yes, as you can see.”

As soon as Juliet finished speaking, Juliet’s butterflies twinkled their wings in the darkness.

Unbelievably, the key of the Count, which no one seemed to know the purpose of, was an artifact that the high nobles in the first life competed to possess.

However, Lennox still responded coldly.

“I don’t need an inferior spirit mage.”

Even in the face of his cold words, Juliet didn’t back down. She took another step closer to the chair where Lennox was seated.

“I will learn so that I won’t be inferior anymore. If you teach me…”

“Teach you?”

Lennox openly sneered.

“I don’t have a hobby of teaching women who can’t even ride properly.”

“…”

Instead of answering, Juliet took another step. The distance between them narrowed, to the point where their knees almost touched.

“But you haven’t heard my condition yet.”

“It doesn’t seem like it will make a difference even if I do.”

“What about what you mentioned yesterday, closing off the magic… what is that?”

Juliet’s left hand grabbed the back of the couch where Lennox was sitting.

Juliet asked quietly.

“Will you teach me?”

* * *

Four days later.

Juliet was sitting on one side of the palace’s banquet hall.

“Oh God, Lady Monad!”

Is there anything as fast as the rumors in the capital?

Kind-hearted members of high society came to find the pitiful young Countess who had been left alone and consoled her enthusiastically.

“I’ve heard all about it.”

“How heartbroken you must be.”

Cheap sympathy and light interest poured in. And inevitably, whispers followed.

[Everyone is very worried about you.

You will attend the final day’s party, won’t you?]

A few days ago, Fatima sent a letter to the Monad mansion.

Naturally, in Fatima’s letter, in addition to the question whether Juliet would come to the banquet on the last day or not, there were also a few rather banal words of sympathy, although not too sincere.

However, Juliet didn’t even have a chance to talk to Fatima after arriving at the party hall. She wondered who Fatima was referring to when she said, ‘I’m curious about who they are’.

“It’s hard to bear. You lost your parents, and yet you came to the party in your right mind.”

Because after offering conventional words of comfort and turning away, people began gossiping fearfully, one after another.

Today was the last day of the bells ball.

In the end, Juliet only attended the first and last days of the week-long party.

Usually, the biggest concern on the final day would be who would receive the Bluebell tiara, but today was different.

No one cared about the Bluebell.

Since the main topic of conversation was, of course, Juliet Monad, who was sitting alone in the corner, who, instead of dancing, received condolences from the guests.

Six days ago, was the first day of the Bluebells banquet that had begun.

However, she felt that the day when she left this place with her parents was already in the distant past. Although she was surrounded by all the same people in luxurious clothes like then, and the place was the same.

With the exception of Lennox, Juliet also told the head of the capital guard what had happened.

“We can’’t arrest Baron Gaspar based solely on your testimonies.”

However, the guards said so.

Baron Gaspar naturally denied the allegations against him. He provided an alibi, just like in the past.

In the end, there was no evidence linking Juliet to the murderers who killed the Count couple and kidnapped her or to Baron Gaspar.

“Oh, I heard it. It was the murderers.”

“Right.”

“Yes, they said the Count couple’s bodies were in such a condition that they couldn’t bear to look at them.”

“But she returned alone, didn’t she?”

“It is possible that something happened there that we don’t know about.”

The people around her didn’t even make any effort to keep their voices down.

“Oh, this is just terrible. Who are these murderers?”

“They were supposedly found by the guards in the back alley…”

Officially, Juliet was found in front of her house. The Duke’s knights brought her there.

But the rumors were maliciously inflated.

“If that’s not the case, how could she have come back alive?”

“Surely she wouldn’t have gone that far.”

“No, wouldn’t it. What do you think, Miss Glenfield?”

The people who were chattering away now pointed directly at Fatima Glenfield, who had kept her mouth shut like a clam.

“Oh, you know, this…”

Fatima, who suddenly attracted everyone’s attention, was at a loss not knowing what to say.

Since the people around her constantly asked her to talk with Juliet, she wrote a letter to a friend and invited her to today’s banquet.

However, she became very embarrassed when she had to talk about Juliet.

“Don’t worry and tell us about her. I heard you were close to the daughter of the Monad family.”

“Well, I wouldn’t say that we were very close with her!”

Her voice sounded so loud that Juliet involuntarily glanced at her.

And then, she saw Fatima hurriedly hide behind a pillar when their eyes met.

But Juliet was no longer the same as before, so she didn’t feel anything.

She even felt that that part of her soul that was responsible for feelings had broken somewhere.

And now it didn’t matter whether these people were spreading malicious gossip right next to her or not. She didn’t even feel angry.

Juliet glanced furtively at the large clock that hung on the other wall of the banquet hall.

The party officially ends when the clock strikes twelve.

The clock’s hands pointed to eleven thirty.

Juliet’s sole concern now was one thing. Did Duke Carlyle send someone or not?

It had been four days since Juliet returned from the Duke’s mansion, but she hadn’t received any contact from him.

“If you have any intention of joining hands with me, please send someone on the last day of the ball.”

Juliet had clearly stated that.

‘Maybe it’s better if he doesn’t come.’

If Lennox Carlyle refused her request and didn’t show up here.

‘But there’s no need to worry. Just keep going like this.’

It was as if she had desperately tried to avoid him and not get entangled, just like in her previous life.

‘Let’s find a way. And then…’

What should she do next?

She felt lost.

No matter how hard she struggled, if she couldn’t escape from the miserable life of her previous life, what should she do in the future?

Lost in deep thoughts, Juliet didn’t notice that her surroundings had suddenly become quiet.

Tak, tak.

The footsteps that leisurely crossed the silent banquet hall stopped right in front of her.

And Juliet was unaware that the throbbing headache that had been bothering her suddenly disappeared.

“Excuse me, miss.”

She casually raised her head at the unfamiliar voice and was taken aback.

“…Your Highness?”

A man with red eyes kneeled before her, bringing their eyes to the same level.

“May I offer my wishes to the merciful lady?”

Juliet was momentarily taken aback, as she hadn’t expected to hear these words from him. It was an absurd situation in which Duke Carlyle uttered a childish greeting in accordance with the rules of the ‘blue bells’ banquet.

Then her lips echoed those words.

“…Let the splendor of the forest shine for you only.”

Then the red-eyed man smiled broadly.

“Well hello, Juliet.”

This man had an incredible ability to control the atmosphere around him just because of his appearance.

And Juliet, without even looking back, already knew that all the eyes of the guests in the banquet hall, where now there was deathly silence, were directed at her.

Because from these views, her skin seemed to tingle.

“Why…?”

Feeling a lot of pressure, Juliet was somehow able to open her lips, but she didn’t know where to start. Meanwhile, Lennox grabbed her wrist in the blink of an eye while she was still.

His lips touched the back of Juliet’s hand lightly, and then he pulled away, but before he moved away, there was a loud sigh from the guests.

Juliet looked at her wrist. It wore a wreath of bright blue flowers, neatly tied like a bracelet.

“That’s how it’s done, isn’t it?” Lennox muttered softly.

None of his actions were wrong, he performed the entire ritual according to the rules of etiquette for this ball.

Upon entering the banquet hall, the first thing he must have snatched from the hands of a servant was a wreath of bluebell flowers.

In fact, few of the guests observed the rules of etiquette for this banquet. And in most cases, even just knowing the words of greeting was already considered a great achievement.

Words reflexively flowed from her lips as she fidgeted with the flower on her wrist.

“I thought you would refuse.”

“Why?”

“Because you don’t like troublesome matters.”

In an instant, Lennox’s expression narrowed. Juliet, who had bowed her head deeply, didn’t see it, but Lennox extended his hand.

“We’ve had enough of this performance. Let’s leave now.”

But Juliet looked at his hand and shook her head.

“I can’t walk. Because of my ankle.”

“How did you come in then?”

“Well, the servant…”

When Juliet pointed to the receptionist who stood to the side, Lennox’s eyebrows twitched in surprise.

He muttered something that sounded like a curse, interpreting her words in some way.

The next moment, Juliet found herself embraced by him as they smoothly exited the party hall.

‘I meant he supported me.’

It seemed a bit late now to correct it.

Juliet could vividly see the astonished expressions of the people behind his shoulder. In that moment, she caught a glimpse of Fatima’s flustered face, who was watching her at that moment.

Slowly blinking her eyes, Juliet had a premonition.

Her childhood and this life had bid each other a permanent farewell.