“My goodness, you. I’m not quite ‘that’ young, you know.”
“What? You’re not in your late twenties?”
“‘Hoho,’ late twenties! I have a fully grown son, my dear. And a little one beneath him.”
“Oh! I never would have guessed. I would have put you at thirty-two at the most! You look remarkably young for your age!”
“‘Ohoho!'”
“Wait — truly? I genuinely thought you were in your early thirties. I’m so terribly sorry — how dreadfully rude of me!”
The sheer beauty of her had momentarily short-circuited my better judgment.
It hadn’t been intentional, but the effect was much the same as delivering a running commentary on a stranger’s appearance. And then to discover she was older than I had guessed—
‘That was completely unforgivable.’
The woman waved a long, slender hand in dismissal. Not a wrinkle on the back of it. Her age was truly impossible to determine.
“Unforgivable — not at all.”
“Thank you for being so gracious. Then… what shall I call you?”
“Simply call me ‘Madame.’ Whatever you’re comfortable with.”
“Yes, Madame! I’m Ivelina Florence. Please feel free to use my first name.”
I had gotten at least one thing right. I had sensed from the first that she carried herself like a woman of high birth — and the way she referred to herself as ‘Madame’ confirmed it.
“A pleasure to meet you, Ivelina. My name is Katherine.”
“Even your name suits you perfectly!”
‘That’ level of compliment should be fine, at least.
She was the sort of person who made praise pour out of one involuntarily — there was no helping it.
“And the neat, bright-eyed young lady beside you — what should I call her?”
“I’m Emily. Lady Ivelina’s maid.”
“Oh, very good. What clear diction. I like it.”
Emily gave an exemplary greeting. Katherine responded with a compliment on her articulation.
“Well then. Can the two of you spare me a little time?”
“Of course. We were looking for something to do with ourselves anyway.”
“How fortunate.” A soft, pleased laugh. “Hoho.”
Emily didn’t seem uncomfortable with Katherine either. I felt something warm settle in my chest — the feeling of an unexpected new acquaintance.
Katherine made a light gesture to summon a server and ordered three cups of herbal tea.
The tea arrived. She lifted her cup with an elegance so natural it might have been painted.
‘Goodness, even drinking tea looks like a portrait. And her skin — it’s like white jade. She looks like a living illustration of a vampire.’
I was quietly marveling to myself when Katherine set her cup down and spoke.
“Thank you so much for taking care of Poppy that day. I was beside myself — I thought I had lost her entirely.”
“Not at all. I’m glad we could be of even a small help. Is Poppy doing well?”
“Thanks to you, yes. She was a street cat, so she’s quite fragile, truth be told.”
“Oh, you poor dear. How kind of you to take in a stray! You must be a truly wonderful person.”
“I found her at a place where I do volunteer work. The abbess there was feeding her — and once I saw her, I couldn’t forget her. So I took her home.”
“What a beautiful heart you have! Poppy is so lucky!”
“I hope she feels that way.”
‘Hoho,’ Katherine laughed warmly. Her eyes curved into a smile as she looked between me and Emily in turn.
“The two of you seem quite close.”
“Yes! She’s the person I treasure most.”
I said it brightly and without hesitation. Emily gave a small nod of agreement.
“How lovely. It’s rare to find a mistress who thinks of her maid as a friend. Ah — that wasn’t intended as any slight to Emily.”
“I understand completely, Madame. I’m grateful every day to the master and mistress who took me in. Serving my lady is my joy.”
‘Oh. Emily.’
‘Look at her.’
When had she learned to speak like that? In modern-day Korea, she’d have sailed through any job interview with ease.
I gazed at Emily — whose social graces appeared to be entirely detachable and reattachable at will — with something bordering on reverence.
Katherine pointed toward the whole cakes with one fingertip.
“I thought those looked like the kinds of cake you’d enjoy. I hope it wasn’t presumptuous.”
“Not at all! We love cake! We’ll finish every bite. Please help yourself too, Madame.”
I distributed forks to Katherine and Emily. Then I picked one up myself.
“Then let’s eat and talk at our leisure. Florence… you’d be the daughter of Count Florence, would you?”
“Yes. My father is Count Florence.”
“So you’re living at the Florence estate at the moment?”
“No. I’m currently staying at an acquaintance’s house for a while, for certain reasons.”
“An acquaintance? Not someone special?”
There was no need to lay out the whole story for someone I had only just met, was there?
‘I am the betrothed of Duke Hardeion!’ — that would just be strange to announce.
“Yes. Just a… fairly close acquaintance.”
“May I ask who this acquaintance is?”
“Do you know Duke Hardeion?”
“Quite well. Ah — so my suspicion was right.”
“I beg your pardon?”
“Never mind. So — how exactly are you acquainted with Duke Hardeion?”
‘Now how was I supposed to answer that.’
Saying ‘friend’ felt dishonest somehow…
I moved my lips carefully.
“We became close through a chance encounter…”
“A chance encounter. How charming. That’s how all the best things happen. My husband and I met much the same way.”
‘By a one-night encounter?’
‘That can’t be it.’
“Is that so!”
“And after becoming close through this chance encounter — what happened next?”
The question was a little more persistent than I’d expected, and I faltered.
‘She’s a titled lady. If I’m evasive now and it comes out later, it’ll be more awkward. I’ll just say it as it is.’
“He’s my… boyfriend. My partner.”
“Oh my — ‘ohoho!’ Goodness! So that’s how it is!”
Katherine reacted with what seemed like excessive delight, even reaching out to clasp both my hands in hers.
I was a little taken aback. She reminded me of myself — the version of me that, upon witnessing friends fall into romance, simply could not contain the enthusiasm.
“Duke Hardeion, of all people. He does have an eye for things, I’ll give him that.”
‘Oh goodness.’ So she knows Kael?
“Of course — we’re still in the process of getting to know each other. It’s not a deeply established relationship by any means. We’re… we feel well toward each other and we’re spending time together.”
“Yes, yes. Whatever the case — it’s lovely. Very lovely indeed.”
I was caught off guard again by the vigor of her reaction.
‘Does she have a particular fondness for hearing about other people’s love lives…?’
I watched her carefully and nibbled at my cake. She didn’t seem particularly interested in eating it — she was too busy looking at Emily and me with a warmly contented expression.
Just then, a young woman in a knight’s uniform leaned down and murmured something in Katherine’s ear.
“Oh dear. I’m afraid I’ll have to head back to the hotel for now.”
She had luggage to sort out, Katherine explained, and gave a small, conspiratorial wink.
That captivating expression had me nodding along before I even registered what I was agreeing to.
“Of course! Such a pity, but what can one do!”
“I’d love to meet again, if the opportunity arises. What do you think?”
“I’d love that too!”
How fortunate.
I had been hoping to know her a little better, and she seemed to feel the same way.
“Then until next time! Um — Sis— no. Madame!”
“Until then. Finish every bite before you leave, you two. Both of you.”
Katherine smiled, the corners of her lips curving into a gentle arc. Those vivid, deep crimson eyes curved along with them.
And then she was gone, departing with the young woman who appeared to be her escort knight.
“What a wonderful person. Volunteering at the almshouse, taking in a stray cat…”
“She is. She seemed a bit cool and sharp at first glance. I suppose you really can’t judge someone by appearances.”
I nodded in agreement.
That’s right. You really couldn’t.
“But my lady — there is one thing I find a little puzzling.”
“Hmm? What is it?”
“The Madame, I mean. Doesn’t she seem oddly familiar?”
“Mm?”
“There’s something about her — the whole impression she gives. Her looks too. Don’t you feel like you’ve seen it all somewhere before?”
* * *
