Chapter 71

Rebecca woke up unusually early today.

The reason was obvious—it was her birthday, a once-a-year event.

“*Yawn*…”

She stretched lazily, letting out a yawn she’d never want anyone, especially her fiancé, to see. Still in her pajamas, she opened the window.

*Whoosh—*

A cool breeze rushed in as soon as she opened the window.

It was as if the wind knew what day it was, swirling more vigorously than usual and playfully tousling her beautiful red hair.

“Oh, it’s the Young Lady!”

“Young Lady! Happy birthday!”

As she leaned on the windowsill, enjoying the breeze, the servants of the Valencia Duchy Mansion greeted her.

She could’ve shouted, “Thank you!” to let everyone know how she felt, but…

“…”

Instead, she gave a small nod to acknowledge their greetings.

There were specific people she wanted to save her gratitude for.

She didn’t want to waste all her thank-yous too early.

*Creak—*

“Are you awake?”

As soon as she stepped out of her room, she heard the voice of Dorothy, her personal maid.

Normally, she would’ve just nodded and moved on, but today felt different.

“Yeah, what about you, Dorothy?”

“I’m the same as always. But why are you asking about me, Young Lady…?”

“…”

Maybe she shouldn’t have asked.

Dorothy’s curious expression didn’t sit well with her.

“Anyway, happy birthday, Young Lady.”

“…Thank you.”

The first person to receive her gratitude today was Dorothy, her personal maid.

Even though Dorothy’s earlier expression had annoyed her, she was still someone who worked tirelessly for her.

There was every reason to sincerely express her thanks.

“…Young Lady?”

Dorothy, momentarily flustered by her employer’s rare show of gratitude, quickly regained her composure.

“Oh, I also prepared a gift for you, Young Lady!”

“A gift?”

“Yes! It’s not just any day—it’s your birthday!”

“…Thank you.”

“Eh, you don’t seem excited…”

Dorothy seemed to think she’d upset her.

“No, I haven’t received it yet, but thank you.”

In truth, Dorothy hadn’t done anything wrong. If anything, she’d touched Rebecca’s heart.

It just didn’t resonate as deeply as she’d expected.

The phrase “our Young Lady” didn’t hit as hard as she thought it would.

It wasn’t that she doubted Dorothy’s loyalty. Dorothy was as trustworthy as her own parents.

But the reason for her lukewarm reaction was…

“…I’ve been hearing that a lot lately.”

“…”

It was something her fiancé, Albert, often said.

Albert would frequently say things like, “I’m only your fiancé,” or “How could I forget something my fiancée said?”

Hearing similar words from someone else felt strange, even if it had been a while.

It had become so familiar that it didn’t stir much emotion anymore.

“If you’ve been hearing it a lot lately… is it Prince Zernias?”

“…”

Rebecca neither confirmed nor denied Dorothy’s question.

Denying it would be a blatant lie, and confirming it would mean admitting how often she’d been hearing such embarrassing things.

She trusted Dorothy, but she couldn’t trust her loose lips.

“Well, it can’t be helped. You can’t beat someone you love, after all.”

“…”

Dorothy nodded to herself, as if her assumption was fact.

Rebecca felt like people were increasingly misunderstanding her relationship with her fiancé, but…

“…I’ll head down now.”

“Alright! Enjoy your breakfast!”

She decided not to clear up the misunderstanding and slowly made her way downstairs for breakfast.

There wasn’t a big reason for not correcting the obvious misunderstanding.

Mainly, she still hadn’t fully figured out what her relationship with her fiancé even was.

What exactly should she call their relationship?

Calling it a simple engagement didn’t feel right—they’d spent too much time together.

Fun memories, sad memories, angry memories.

All these emotions were woven into their shared history, making it feel like they were far beyond just an engagement.

So, what should she call it?

It felt closer than friendship, but calling it a romantic relationship didn’t fit either, given how often they fought.

Her relationship with Albert was perhaps the most ambiguous in the world.

Her fiancé probably realized this too—that they were stuck in a neither-here-nor-there situation.

This was the first reason she didn’t bother correcting the misunderstanding that might spread throughout the Valencia Duchy Mansion.

The second reason was her mood.

When Dorothy said, “You can’t beat someone you love,” Rebecca didn’t feel bad at all.

In fact, she realized how much she’d changed.

The old her would’ve gotten angry at the mere suggestion that she loved her annoying fiancé.

But now, instead of getting mad, she just blushed in embarrassment.

It was almost scary how deeply she’d fallen for him.

“…I can’t let him find out.”

She reaffirmed her resolve.

This secret feeling she harbored—her fiancé must never find out.

He should only realize it after she’d confessed and he’d accepted her feelings.

If things didn’t go that way, she’d end up flustered by every word he said.

That couldn’t happen.

“Rebecca, are you up?”

As she descended to the dining hall where the Valencia family meals were held, her mother, the Duchess of Valencia, greeted her warmly.

“Yes.”

“How are you feeling today?”

“…Good.”

“Hmm… Your delayed response tells me something’s bothering you.”

“…”

Her mother, the queen of social circles, could read her like a book.

Rebecca couldn’t help but feel a sense of awe.

“Is it because of your fiancé?”

“…”

“Thought so.”

Her mother had pinpointed the source of her unease in one go.

It was as if she had some kind of mind-reading ability.

“If you’re wondering how I knew, just stop. The only thing that could trouble you is your fiancé.”

“…”

Rebecca wanted to argue that it wasn’t just her fiancé she was concerned about, but…

Unfortunately, she couldn’t.

It was true that lately, her fiancé was the only thing on her mind.

During her lessons as the future Duchess, during swordsmanship training, during meals, even during showers.

Even before bed, the person dominating her thoughts wasn’t herself—it was her fiancé.

So much so that even when she closed her eyes, his face was all she could see.

It was a serious condition.

“…I’m both surprised and proud, my daughter.”

“Huh?”

“Back when you two first met, you were at each other’s throats.”

“…”

“Now, even when you’re apart, you’re still thinking of each other.”

Her mother looked genuinely moved.

While Rebecca wasn’t one for such theatrics, she couldn’t deny her mother’s accurate judgment.

She quietly listened, hoping for some helpful advice.

“Are you looking forward to it?”

“To what…?”

“To the gift Prince Zernias will give you today. Are you excited?”

“…It’d be a lie if I said I wasn’t.”

This wasn’t a lie, but it wasn’t the whole truth either.

Ever since her fiancé hinted at a special birthday gift, she’d been eagerly awaiting this day.

She was so excited that she’d barely slept last night.

But as the saying goes, excessive expectations often lead to disappointment.

“Prince Albert called. He’s running late today.”

“…”

The news from her mother deflated her excitement.

Her fiancé was going to be late.