After reading the letter from Nate, Melissa rushed towards the carriage stop, trying to catch up with Amelia’s carriage. She had completely forgotten about her plan to hide her blonde hair from Amelia and about her plan to become a pianist in the Empire, but because calm Josh prevented the carriage from leaving, she couldn’t chase after it.

As Melissa stood there, stunned, a servant, who had started working this spring and was slightly older than Nate, approached her. He bowed to Melissa.

“Miss, it was my fault that Nate was taken away. Amelia-sama asked me to tell her about you while in Lawton, and I spoke of many things, except for the blonde hair. I even ended up mentioning that Nate’s long bangs revealed a handsome face when I caught a glimpse. I believe it was because of my actions that Amelia became interested in Nate. I knew that you came to Lawton because of Amelia-sama, and I was told not to speak of the blonde hair, and I truly apologize.”

It was not his fault. The order had only been “Do not speak to Amelia or Duke Johnston about Melissa’s blonde hair.” Amelia was, after all, Melissa’s younger sister. Beautiful, calculating, lying effortlessly, skilled in words, and capable of easily entrapping others, if the determined Amelia asked to know about her sister, anyone would have spoken. She likely chose this young male apprentice cook, more easily manipulated than Josh or Josh’s sons. In fact, Melissa was surprised that the secret about the blonde hair had been kept at all.

Melissa thought this in her mind, but she remained silent and stunned. When she came to, the cook had disappeared—likely dismissed by Josh.

Melissa was torn between telling Rose and Josh about her suspicions regarding Nate. She didn’t know whether it was right to involve them further when they were already burdened by her own disappearance. Then she realized that Nate had likely been tormented by similar worries and had left without saying anything to her.

The first half of the letter was probably written at Amelia’s behest, while the hastily written part revealed Nate’s true feelings. When Nate wrote “as planned,” Melissa could only think of the plan to become a pianist in the Empire as a commoner. Melissa, who had not been told Nate’s situation, had been left behind.

It felt as if something had fallen from inside her body, and tears began to fall. Once the tears started, they didn’t stop, and Melissa cried bitterly.

Josh and Rose could only watch as Melissa cried. Rose immediately went to explain the situation to Nate’s aunt in the frontier baron’s territory. A week later, Josh hurried to the Johnston household in the capital, carrying the pink pearl necklace that Amelia had ordered.

At the Johnston family home, Josh saw Nate hiding his face under long bangs, working as Amelia’s attendant just like any other servant. There were no signs of injury or malnutrition, and he wasn’t being restrained, but Nate didn’t approach Josh or acknowledge him, and there was no interaction between them.

From Rose’s meeting with Nate’s aunt, Melissa learned about Nate’s mother, and she started to understand, vaguely, what Nate had meant when he said, “If you accept me.”

It was likely a coincidence that Amelia had taken Nate, but she had definitely brought him closer to what he wanted. Nate would not return to Lawton. While Melissa was anxious not knowing Amelia’s intentions, she decided to accept Nate and wait for him in the Empire once everything had ended.

In truth, Melissa wanted to go to the capital immediately and stop Nate, but without hearing Nate’s purpose from him, she couldn’t stop him.

———————————-

Six months after Nate left for the capital, it was the day of the entrance ceremony for the Imperial Academy for Nobles.

Melissa had been ordered by her father to attend the Imperial Academy for Nobles. Though it should have been a sad occasion, she, along with Josh and Rose, felt happiness at the result she had hoped for.

Rose had left her position as a servant at the Johnston family and now worked at the Lord’s mansion in Lawton while preparing to live as a commoner in the Empire.

Though Rose wasn’t there, Melissa felt she could manage living in the dormitory. She had practiced with Rose before school, which helped.

Although there were a few noble children from her own country at the Imperial Academy, Melissa wore a wig of brown hair, with a teal ribbon that Nate had given her on it, as a memory. The ribbon wasn’t something a noble would wear, but it didn’t matter, since it was already strange for her to be attending an academy in a foreign country.

While waiting for the entrance ceremony to begin, surrounded by families, Melissa, who had no acquaintances, was approached by a new student who was also alone.

“Are you from the Kingdom of Wainwright?”

The Kingdom of Wainwright was Melissa’s homeland. The girl who spoke to her, with a rose-shaped artificial flower pin as part of her uniform, was an incredibly beautiful girl, so elegant that the flower seemed to pale in comparison. Though she was likely the same age as Melissa, she appeared much more mature.

“Yes. I’m Melissa Johnston from the Kingdom of Wainwright.”

“I’m Aubrey Creighton from Wainwright. We’re both cast out from the Wainwright social circle to this Empire, so let’s take it easy, shall we?”

The Creightons were an old family with a title of Count, famous for their wine and fruits. When Melissa nodded in agreement, Aubrey began talking excitedly.

“I knew you were from Wainwright! You can just call me Bray. Can I call you Melissa-sama?”

“You can call me Mel.”

A little surprised at Bray’s informal language, Melissa wasn’t bothered, since she was used to Nate’s way of speaking.

“Mel, I think the young man over there and the young lady under that tree are from Wainwright too. They seem lost and shadowed, I’m sure of it. Let’s go talk to them! And we can all share our misfortunes together! …For me, it’s like ‘The young lady who was cast out of her house by her stepmother and half-sister is now loved by the crown prince of the Empire. Even if they tell me to come back, it’s too late!’”

Although Aubrey had initially seemed noble and distant, she quickly became warm and friendly. Melissa, seeing how she was labeled as “lost and shadowed,” couldn’t help but laugh wryly.

“The crown prince isn’t decided yet, and the first prince is only three years old…”

“I know! I was just saying it in the style of the romantic novels that are trending in the Empire. Mel, you didn’t know? They say if you keep up with the trends, you’ll make friends…”

“I don’t know about the trending romance novels, but I’d be happy if you’d be my friend.”

And so, Melissa met Bray. Bray had already identified the young man and lady from Wainwright, and together, they entered the entrance ceremony, huddling close.

Melissa’s life in the Empire began without ever meeting Nate, who had been taken to the capital.