Goyo looked at Melissy, trying to gauge her intentions, then nodded.
To avoid prying eyes and ears, the two of them headed to the terrace. Annecy, to give them space for their conversation, excused himself, leaving the two sisters alone as they stepped through the terrace door.
Even after they arrived, Melissy lingered by the entrance, hesitating before cautiously approaching Goyo. A faint smell of alcohol drifted in with the breeze.
Goyo thought it odd—Melissy wasn’t one to drink, especially not on the eve of such an important announcement. She must have been very nervous.
Melissy, her eyes hazy, looked up at the woman standing before her, illuminated by the soft moonlight.
As always, but especially tonight. She had shone under the chandeliers inside, but out here under the moon, she was particularly striking.
After a moment of hesitation, Melissy spoke.
“Sister, you look beautiful tonight. You always do, but especially now.”
“Ah, thank you.”
“I asked for some time with you, as you probably guessed, because of my engagement.”
Of course, there could be no other reason. Goyo had already anticipated what Melissy wanted to talk about when she requested this meeting.
“Sister, I’m getting engaged.”
“Yes, I heard the news. When is the ceremony?”
“The engagement is on the 25th of this month. Just two weeks away. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner.”
“It’s fine. I knew it was happening, and I understand why it might have been hard to tell me.”
“Yes, thank you. I’m sorry… There’s actually something else I want to apologize for. You might find it unpleasant… I don’t want to get engaged.”
Goyo was startled by the admission but hid her surprise as she carefully studied Melissy’s face.
Despite the unexpected nature of her words, Melissy showed no obvious signs of distress. Her face was slightly flushed, likely due to the cold or the alcohol, with strands of hair falling messily over her features.
Suppressing her own confusion, Goyo calmly considered possible reasons for Melissy’s reluctance.
“Are you worried about rumors?”
“No, no. I always admired you, sister. It wasn’t just admiration, though. Because of that, I didn’t want to choose a partner in this way. I wanted to apologize… because even though I didn’t choose it, in the end, I followed mother’s wishes. I’m sorry if I’m not making sense. I wanted to explain better, but I’m rambling. I just…”
“Melissy?”
Melissy’s voice began to falter. Her words became more tangled and harder to understand, growing fainter with every passing moment. Even on the quiet terrace, Goyo found it difficult to follow what she was saying.
“Sister, if I asked for your help, if I said I needed it, you’d be at a loss, wouldn’t you? No… no, there’s no reason for that, and no way it could happen.”
“Is there a problem?”
“No. There’s no problem. I’m walking the best possible path, I’m sure of it.”
Melissy smiled, but her contorted expression made it seem more like she was about to cry.
“I’m sorry. With the engagement in a month and the wedding right after, I guess I’m just feeling anxious.”
“…It’s understandable. The date seems rather close.”
“Yes. I suppose they think the longer it’s delayed, the more rumors will spread. I’m glad you seem happy. Anyway, I should be going soon; it’s almost time.”
“All right, Melissy. Congratulations on your engagement.”
“Thank you.”
“Don’t worry. He loves you. That’s certain.”
“…Yes.”
I’ll be going now.
As suddenly as her words had become incoherent, Melissy straightened her posture and left the terrace. Her determined gait, stiff and resolute, struck a chord with Goyo, who felt a strange sense of familiarity.
Is something wrong with her marriage?
It was clear that Terio Alte loved Melissy Rubiette. If it wasn’t love, then he wouldn’t have harbored such resentment toward Goyo for all those years in the past.
His feelings for his lost lover ran deep, a profound and powerful love.
Holding on to a dead shell for years, using it as a whip against me—it was certainly not a feeling that would change in an instant.
So, does Melissy not have feelings for him? It didn’t sit well with her, even as she tried to think about it from the opposite perspective.
Goyo had never directly sensed that Melissy loved Terio, but her younger sister had something she didn’t—a set of devoted, supportive parents who loved her unconditionally.
Even if Melissy were to reject someone as suitable as Terio, it would be something her parents would support. Unlike Goyo, Melissy wouldn’t be forced into a marriage she didn’t want.
And Melissy had mentioned love herself, so guessing that she didn’t want the marriage felt strange.
‘Maybe it’s just pre-wedding jitters.’
It wasn’t uncommon for people to feel emotional before marriage, so it was a plausible explanation.
Even so, Goyo couldn’t shake her unease as she watched Melissy’s figure retreating from the terrace.
But her worry was short-lived when she saw the Rubiette couple approaching Melissy with smiles, as if they had been looking for her.
‘Worrying over nothing.’
A sense of self-mockery rose inside her, heating her from within. Goyo picked up a glass from the table, intending to drink some champagne.
But before she could bring the glass to her lips, Annecy appeared and gently took it from her hand.
“I think you’ve had enough for tonight, my lady. If you’d like more, we can have a drink together when we return home.”
“I feel warm inside. Right now.”
“That’s because the alcohol is kicking in.”
Annecy lowered his gaze to the glass he had taken, and the champagne disappeared, replaced by ice water.
It was the first time Goyo had seen such a trick among Annecy’s many eccentricities, and she accepted the glass with fascination.
Smiling at her reaction, Annecy reached out to brush back the strands of hair that had fallen over her face.
“The conversation didn’t last as long as I expected.”
“It was something I already knew. She’s announcing her engagement soon.”
“Sharing that news right before the announcement seems a bit rushed.”
“Indeed. She should have told me afterward.”
What had been meant as a joke returned as a serious comment, catching Annecy slightly off guard. Still, he understood where Goyo was coming from.
Annecy knew, at least in part, what kind of life his wife had led.
While Terio had changed lovers like someone switching carriages, it wasn’t easy to view her younger sister, who now rushed into an engagement with Goyo’s former lover, in a positive light.
From Goyo’s perspective, it was clearly an unwelcome engagement.
Though Goyo had never openly expressed strong animosity toward either of them, Annecy restrained his own feelings, knowing it wasn’t his place. But even for him, the news didn’t sit well.
For Goyo, the emotions involved must have been even more complex.
“Why are you looking at me like that? It was just a joke.”
“I was just thinking that the second daughter of Rubiette seems to have low standards.”
“Objectively, it’s a good match. He’s probably the most eligible bachelor in the empire right now.”
“Perhaps. If we’re only talking about conditions. But I already married, didn’t I?”
“What?”
“Yes?”
Annecy’s shameless response to her incredulous question was delivered with a playful smile. Then, as if deeply regretful, he shook his head in an exaggerated manner.
“One must see the person beneath the exterior.”
“Then take off your fancy outer garments and talk.”
“If you wish, I’d be happy to oblige, but regrettably, my interior is just as dazzling.”
“What in the world are you talking about…?”
“Sorry? What did you think I was saying…?”
Annecy’s response trailed off, and for a moment, silence settled between them. Amidst the general noise of the ballroom, the quiet between the two was unusually pronounced.
Soon, a flush of red spread from Goyo’s neck to her entire face. Despite her composed expression, she couldn’t hide her embarrassment, and Annecy, trying to suppress a smile, spoke with a more serious tone.
“Hmm, I suppose it could be interpreted that way.”
“No, don’t try to smooth it over. I misunderstood, so don’t be too kind.”
“If you insist… but, my lady, your face is quite red.”
“I know.”
“And it seems your face is heating up.”
“I *know* that too.”
“Why are you so cute?”
“I’m… wait, what?”
Annecy leaned forward and brushed his lips against her cheek.
Startled by the sudden touch, Goyo instinctively stepped back to put some distance between them. But Annecy, having achieved his playful goal, smiled widely.
“I must say, I love seeing your flustered expression.”
“…In front of all these people. You really are just all flash.”
“My interior is quite solid too, but sadly, I have no way to prove it to you.”
“Didn’t you just say earlier that you were the best groom available based on ‘conditions’?”
“I did say that.”
“I’ll give you credit for the appearance part. But let’s stop with the nonsense.”
“Hmm… I believe you’re mistaken, Goyo. It’s a common misconception, though.”
Goyo raised an eyebrow, confused, as Annecy took her glass and sipped the water. After quenching his thirst, he continued.
“Just because someone appears flashy on the outside doesn’t mean they’re hollow on the inside. And just because someone looks modest doesn’t mean they’re full of substance. Assuming someone is ‘genuine’ based on a humble appearance is an illogical conclusion. You can’t really know a person’s true nature, no matter what you base it on.”
“And your point?”
“My point is, the most reliable way to judge a person’s character is through their appearance.”
“That’s complete nonsense.”
Annecy was about to protest with mock indignation, but suddenly, the ballroom fell silent. The Empress, who had stepped back earlier, had now moved to the center of the room.
Beside her stood Melissy and Terio, and anyone who had heard the news could easily guess what was about to happen.
With everyone’s attention now focused on the Empress and the couple, even the orchestra stopped playing. The massive hall became so quiet it was almost unbelievable.
Cutting through the heavy silence, the Empress spoke.
“I bring you joyful news.”
As the Empress continued, Goyo’s gaze shifted to Melissy and Terio, standing side by side.
The two looked quite well-matched on the surface, but while Terio wore a blank expression, Melissy’s smile seemed faintly shadowed.
It didn’t seem like the image of happiness one would expect. Perhaps it was because they were under the watchful eyes of so many. Not that it had anything to do with me, Goyo thought.
Feeling her mood darken slightly, Goyo unconsciously glanced toward Annecy.
He appeared calm, simply holding his glass, but even that simple act eased the tangled emotions inside her.
Then, suddenly, without any particular reason, Goyo remembered that Annecy had once been married to Melissy.
A chill settled over her, leaving her feeling strangely hollow.
It had been something so insignificant that she had buried it deep in her subconscious, but now that it had surfaced, it left her feeling unsettled.
Her thoughts shifted away from the two standing before the crowd and onto the man beside her with the impassive expression. The feelings that had been easing within her started to twist into something more complicated, and her face took on a slightly somber look.
Did Melissy and Annecy interact like this, too?
Did he treat her with the same care?
An unresolved curiosity rose within her, but Goyo knew deep down that she already had the answer, which only made the bitterness settle in more deeply.
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