Chapter 19
“Here is the guest list for the party.”
Ethan took the list from the butler and glanced over it.
The names were arranged alphabetically, and the handwriting was so neat that it was easy to read, as if it had been measured with a ruler.
His expression tightened slightly as his eyes swept over the names with casual interest.
“The princess insisted on celebrating the hero who saved the kingdom and starting anew, so I had no choice but to include her name.”
The butler, sensing Ethan’s unspoken understanding, bowed deeply and added,
“If you prefer, I can remove her name from the list.”
Camilla von Martinez.
No matter how many times Ethan saw the name, it never sat well with him.
He sighed quietly and shook his head.
“No, it’s fine.”
Removing her name wouldn’t stop the princess from coming.
Camilla had faithfully sent letters even during the war, but recently, her letters had stopped.
Ethan thought she might have finally given up.
With the royal wedding approaching, that seemed fitting.
Yet this troublesome matter still gnawed at him.
Ethan found it incomprehensible that a princess of such high status would choose someone with his lowly origins.
It would make sense if there had been a unique connection.
But there was none.
The only time the princess had visited his unit was to boost morale, and then all he had done was catch a hat that was blown away by the wind.
Even that wasn’t a deliberate gesture to impress her—it was simply a natural reflex when the hat came his way.
Still, out of respect for her rank, he had treated her with courtesy.
However, Camilla insisted that she had fallen in love with him right away and begged him to take her heart.
Of course, Ethan had firmly rejected her advances.
Even Prince Howard and other royals advised her to desist, but Camilla paid no heed.
She clung to him like a tragic heroine in a novel, tearfully begging him.
She even said she would renounce her royal status and run away with him—an absurd, outrageous proposition.
“Ethan, let’s run away together. I only need you.”
Come to think of it, Elisa had said something similar.
Ethan had been startled then, but he hadn’t felt upset.
How could he feel bad when someone loved him enough to risk everything?
He had wanted to hold her close and laugh loudly, as if the whole world would disappear. He wanted to say, “Yes, I only need you too.”
But he couldn’t.
He knew better than anyone how harsh reality was and what price the world would demand from those who threw everything away for love.
He couldn’t cast his beloved into a cruel reality without the promise of happiness, so he stayed silent.
Draping a short sigh over the painful memories stirring anew, Ethan finished scanning the guest list.
There were names of those uninvited—but not the one person he most wanted to see.
“Add Elisa Leslie to the party list as well.”
“Yes, sir.”
The butler bowed politely and withdrew after his task was complete, leaving the room enveloped in a heavy silence.
Ethan gazed up at the ceiling, patterned with intricate designs as tangled as his thoughts.
Rising, he opened the window, and the scent of roses poured in.
In the modest garden outside bloomed a profusion of yellow roses—the perfect flowers for this season.
It was the only part of the mansion that bore Ethan’s touch.
When Howard had asked him what flowers he liked—what he’d want planted—Ethan hadn’t hesitated.
Yellow roses.
Yellow roses—the very ones Elisa had said she wanted for her birthday.
At the time, he couldn’t afford even a single bloom.
A bouquet was beyond impossible. He hadn’t been able to give her the gift she desired.
But now? Now he had a whole garden to offer her.
A sea of yellow roses, just for her.
“Yet you’re not here by my side.”
Ethan muttered bitterly to himself.
She had left without a word and, worse, never told him why.
Of course, Elisa was angry—it was not her fault.
Ethan was ready to endure whatever curses Elisa might unleash on him, even if she struck him with every insult in the world.
He had steeled himself for that.
But then…
“My fiancée isn’t she beautiful?”
The brazen, shameless face of Derek, parading Elisa as if she belonged to him, flashed through Ethan’s mind.
His fist clenched so tightly his knuckles seemed to protrude sharply.
“This time, I’ll make it clear.”
that he couldn’t claim her.
Resolute, Ethan gazed down at the garden bursting with yellow roses.
The petals fluttering in the breeze seemed to cheer on his determination.
***
Elisa stared blankly at her reflection in the mirror.
The ivory dress made her fair skin glow even more, while the gold embroidery and pearl accents added an elegant, refined touch.
Overall, it wasn’t bad—but it felt awkward, unfamiliar.
This wasn’t the style she usually wore.
The reason she insisted on a new outfit was to show Ethan one thing:
The Elisa Leslie you knew no longer exists.
When she first chose the dress, it had been with that thought in mind, but now, wearing it, she wondered if she’d made a foolish mistake.
It felt unnatural, and she worried she was making it too obvious how much she cared about Ethan.
Should I change now?
As she hesitated, Elisa checked the time and gave up the idea.
Changing would mean redoing her makeup and hair—there simply wasn’t enough time.
She’d have to go as she was.
Swallowing a sigh, a knock sounded at the door.
The maid who went to check let out a soft exclamation.
“Oh my, young master.”
In this household, the only person the servants called “young master” was Noah Leslie.
“Noah’s here?”
Noah, lingering shyly by the door, brightened at Elisa’s warm greeting and approached her with a radiant smile.
“Did you come to see me?”
The child nodded, her plump cheeks flushed pink.
Grasping the embroidered skirt, Noah moved her lips as if speaking—but no sound came out.
The silent gesture struck Elisa deeply, tightening her lips to hold back tears.
If she cried now, people would wonder why.
Instead, she smiled brightly and asked,
“Were you telling me I look pretty?”
Noah nodded again.
Forcing a bright smile, Elisa asked, and Noah nodded emphatically.
“Really? How pretty am I?”
He paused for a moment, thinking… Then he stood up on his toes and made a victory pose with both arms extended straight up into the air.
Even though he’s my child, he is beautiful.
Elisa had never before understood why parents would brag about their kids, but now she did.
She wanted to let everyone know how cute Noah was.
“Miss, the carriage is ready.”
“Noah, I’ll be back soon.”
Elisa exchanged a reluctant farewell with Noah before stepping out of her bedroom.
As she made her way down the central staircase through the corridor touched by twilight, Elisa froze when she spotted Derek talking with her mother in the hall.
Why is he here…?
“Elisa.”
Derek spotted her too and called out warmly.
Yet the Countess couldn’t bring herself to look Elisa in the eye.
Mom called him here.
Elisa caught on immediately and let out a bitter smile.
When her mother found out that the “K” in the rumours was actually Ethan, she collapsed in shock.
Elisa’s assurance that Ethan knew nothing about Noah was the only thing that brought back some colour to her face, which had gone as white as paper.
Elisa shook her head at the Countess’s insistence that she not go to the Martinez party.
“Avoiding him won’t solve anything. If I keep running, he’ll keep chasing. I think it’s time I found out exactly what he wants.”
She hadn’t mentioned that Ethan had all but threatened her to come.
If she told her mother that, there was no doubt she’d insist on coming along, causing a scene.
Don’t worry, Mom. Ethan has always listened to me.
And Elisa knew that excuse wouldn’t hold for long.
In the end, Countess Leslie had reluctantly agreed—but only after Elisa promised to tell her everything that happened once she returned. For Elisa, that was the end of it.
However, she had no idea that her mother would call Derek Grenville.
Deep inside, she let out a sigh.
“Mom, can we talk for a moment?”
Elisa took her mother aside to a quiet corner of the hall.
“Why did you call Sir Grenville?”
“No matter how much I think about it, I was worried about sending you alone. If your fiancé is by your side, that guy won’t dare think any bad thoughts.”
“What if Sir Grenville ends up knowing everything?”
“Don’t worry. Derek will understand everything, I’m sure.”
Understand what, exactly?
Elisa closed her eyes tightly.
She was aware that her parents did not have this much faith in Derek.
It felt like jumping into the fire and grabbing a ticking time bomb when you went with Derek.
She tried to persuade her mother, but the Countess was resolute.
“If you can’t bring Derek, it might be better if you don’t go at all.”
With those words, Elisa had no choice but to climb into the carriage alongside Derek.
