The carriage rolled to a stop right in front of Count West's grand mansion.
As Rose stepped off the carriage, her gaze fixated on the towering structure before her. It wasn't as exquisite as Honeywell Manor. Rather, it boasted a rather simple exterior, much akin to other grand estates, yet for Rose, it felt like a forbidden castle.
"Am I the first one here?"
She mused aloud, a hint of uncertainty in her voice.
Today marks the occasion of Nina's tea party, a chance for all the candidates for Gloria of Tristan to mingle and chat.
Like a brave warrior venturing behind enemy lines, Rose scanned her surroundings.
She wasn't running late, nor was she early, but something seemed off.
...The carriages meant for the other young ladies are nowhere in sight.
"Or did I mess up the time?"
Rose muttered as she was about to fish out her invitation card from her bag. Just then, Nina appeared at her side.
"Welcome, Lady Rose."
Nina greeted with a small smile.
"Long time no see, Young Lady West,"
Rose replied. Their greetings were exchanged in a casual manner, and as they spoke, Nina subtly shifted her posture.
"We're in luck with the weather today. I've set up tea in the garden, so follow me," Nina offered as she turned in her spot.
"Hold on, Young Lady West."
Rose interjected, stopping Nina in her tracks, who then turned to her with a quizzical look on her face.
"Are the others here?"
Rose felt the need to query.
"Others?"
Nina echoed Rose, brows furrowing slightly, thinking back, when a realization seemed to dawn on her.
"Ah yes, the other three---well, I suppose you're right---they won't be making an appearance."
"Huh? What, why? What do you mean they won't be coming...?"
Rose appeared to be visibly puzzled by the turn of events.
"Yes, it seems you were the only one who was invited to the West Mansion today."
Nina confirmed, a smile gracing her lips.
Though it was a smile, something about it sent a shiver down Rose's spine.
Rose instinctively loosened her grip on Nina's sleeve, but before she could react, Nina grabbed her hand, gently but firmly.
"Don't be too disheartened. I figured you might not show up if you knew you were the sole guest. Let's both enjoy ourselves today, together."
Nina reassured Rose, but Rose felt that, though her voice sounded pleasant to the ears, it left an eerie feeling deep in her bones.
Struggling to maintain her footing, Rose attempted to resist, her legs tensing against the pull.
However, Nina's determination overpowered her, and Rose found herself being led along reluctantly.
The garden of Count West's mansion was rather sparse in terms of flowers, but there was evidence of meticulous care that was clearly visible in its maintenance, giving it an orderly and polished appearance.
A green fence enclosed the spot chosen for the tea time shared by Rose and Nina.
At their arrival, attendants from the West Mansion quickly arranged a chair for them.
Sitting across from each other at a round table, the attendants proceeded to pour the tea.
There was a quiet pause as Rose and Nina waited for the attendants to step back.
A gentle spring breeze rustled the air, and it was Nina who eventually broke the silence.
Using a spoon, she scooped up a spoonful of tea leaves from the steaming cup and brought the teacup to her lips.
"I really like the aroma of tea. Lady Rose, you should try it before it cools."
Nina suggested, her voice warm, but despite the advice, Rose hesitated, showing no inclination to make a move.
Nina took a sip of tea, her eyes fixed on Rose as she drank.
It was Rose who finally spoke, her voice slightly hesitant.
"Why did you lie?"
"I mentioned it before, didn't I? You said I lied, but that's because I thought you wouldn't come here alone. So why are you avoiding me?"
"I'm not avoiding you."
"Are you sure?"
Nina questioned, her green eyes widening with curiosity.
Rose remained silent, her hands lightly clasped on her lap.
Nina, this time, reached for a well-baked cookie, almost as if she was hoping Rose's answer would accompany it.
"Lady Rose, do you know why I invited you?"
Rose didn't respond, averting her gaze from Nina's pleading eyes.
"I want us to be friends, Rose. That's why I went to all this trouble of setting up this little tea gathering through a white lie. Can't we be friends?"
Nina rested her elbows on the table and clasped her hands together, speaking with a touch of urgency.
In response, Rose turned her head away from the girl's gaze.
"Tell me where Ilya Titonsser is."
From across the table, she could hear the soft sound of Nina clicking her tongue.
"Don't worry. Ilya Titonsser is safely hidden away where nobody can easily find her."
"I don't understand why you're pursuing this connection with me while keeping Ilya Titonsser hidden."
"Ugh! Well, isn't it obvious? I'm trying to befriend you."
"Stop with the lies. It's obviously about something else!"
At that point, Rose turned to face Nina directly, sensing that the conversation was spinning in circles like a mouse on a wheel.
Nina's green eyes locked onto Rose's red ones in an intense clash of gazes.
Nina West curved her lips into a smile, but her eyes betrayed a different emotion. They were devoid of any warmth, like empty voids.
Rose, gazing into those unsettling green eyes, felt a sharp pang in her stomach.
Memories of their first meeting in the Imperial Palace flooded back, filled with a mix of familiarity and unease.
Without hesitation, she pushed her chair back and stood up.
"Excuse me, I'll be taking my leave."
Rose declared, her voice resolute.
"Wait, we just sat down!"
Nina protested.
"I've got no reason to stick around unless you're willing to tell me everything about Ilya Titonsser's whereabouts. So, as you've made it clear that you are unwilling to part with this knowledge, I have no reason to sit here for another moment longer."
Rose asserted herself firmly.
"But you better keep your word, Young Lady Nina. When I become the Gloria of Tristan, you will tell me exactly where Ilya Titonsser's location is."
"Absolutely, I'll never go back on my word. I'll keep my end of the deal."
Nina replied, locking eyes with Rose.
With that, Rose turned and left the tea table behind.
Or at least she was about to.
Just as she was making her exit, Nina's voice stopped her in her tracks.
"Lady Rose."
Nina's sudden approach startled Rose.
Before she could react, Nina wrapped her arms around Rose's shoulders in a hug.
Rose tried to push her away, but her hands seemed uncooperative, causing panic to well up inside her.
Nina's voice was a whisper in her ear.
"Lady Rose, you've got what it takes to become Tristan's Gloria, and when you do, I'll reveal everything I know. I mean it."
Nina's grip on Rose's shoulder loosened, and that's when Rose spun around and dashed away from Nina's grasp. The urgency in her heart forced her to put as much distance as she could between them.
She thought she heard Nina saying something behind her, but in her frenzied escape, it was just an indistinguishable blur.
"Lady Rose, are you here already?"
The coachman of Honeywell Manor asked, surprised to see her back so soon.
Rose hadn't been in the garden for tea time for long, yet here she was, back again. Without a word, she opened the carriage door herself and climbed inside.
"Please let us leave immediately."
Rose's voice, weak and trembling, wafted through the slightly open window.
The coachman swiftly took his seat and set the carriage in motion.
As the carriage started to move, Rose finally allowed herself to release the tension she'd been holding onto.
Sitting on the carriage floor, she leaned heavily against the seat and clutched her racing heart.
Her chest felt constricted, and the speed of the ride induced dizziness, like she'd been spun around too much.
"Ugh!"
Rose let out a heavy sigh, her face buried in her arms. She took deep breaths to calm herself, riding out the discomfort.
As the carriage came to a smooth halt, the door creaked open.
"Lady Rose. You've been... Lady Rose?!"
It was Honeywell Manor's butler who came to greet Rose as he opened the carriage door.
Rose lifted her head to see the concerned butler, then struggled to rise from her spot on the carriage floor.
"I'm heading in now. Don't worry."
Rose spoke, her voice feeble.
"Give me your hand, my lady. Let me assist you. May I inquire as to what happened?"
The butler asked, reaching out to help her down.
Rose shook her head, using the butler's hand to steady herself.
"Nothing happened."
With her foot back on solid ground, Rose suddenly felt an intense constriction in her chest.
The pain hit her like a tidal wave, and she collapsed onto the ground, unable to muster a scream.
"Young Lady!!!"
The butler, the coachman, Anne, and a group of attendants from the manor rushed to her side.
They all witnessed her fall and ran to her, calling out her name in alarm.
Rose blinked her eyes open. She could feel a gentle touch brushing through her hair.
Through her blurred vision, she made out the sight of a blond man, an image of whose features were identical to her own.
"Brother."
"How are you feeling, sister?"
Wells, still wearing his work attire, sat on the edge of Rose's bed. She shook her head.
"Are you okay?"
Wells, who had been fixing her hair, suddenly withdrew his hands and let out a deep sigh.
"Rose, the coachman mentioned something. He said that when you left Count West's mansion earlier, your expression seemed off."
"The coachman said that?"
"Yeah, and he also found it strange that tea time ended so abruptly. What really happened over there?"
"Nothing, really. I just suddenly didn't feel well, so I came back. Maybe I should send Young Lady Nina West a little gift as an apology for cutting our tea time short."
Wells was silent, his gaze obviously revealing some doubt.
He didn't appear fully convinced by Rose's explanation, yet he refrained from pressing further, likely due to her recent fainting spell.
"Alright. Rose, it's a good thing you're back safely. I'll go ahead and notify the physician regardless and give you a checkup."
"You don't have to, brother. I'm starting to feel drowsy, so I think I'll turn in."
With those words, Rose buried her face in the pillow.
Wells nodded dotingly and glanced out the window, where the sun was still hanging low.
"Alright, if you get hungry later, just ask Anne to bring you something light to eat."
"Hmm."
Wells left the room without another word.
Rose waited for a moment before mustering the energy to rise from the bed.
She took unsteady steps to reach the front of the dressing table. Her body, which had been stumbling and swaying, managed to steady itself against the mirror's frame.
Rose lowered her head, observing the meticulously arranged cosmetics on the dressing table, then gradually lifted her gaze to her reflection.
In the mirror, her reflection met her eyes, also looking back at her.
"Is it you? Is it you who's causing this to tighten my chest and blur my thoughts?"
She uttered her words, directed at her mirrored self.
The mirror image of Rose had no reply for her, just echoing the same words and raising questions in response.
Engaged in this unyielding stare with her reflection, she slumped into the chair in front of the dressing table, as if giving up the fight with the soul that lay within the glass.
"I won't let the seal break. Even if this monster's body is so close..."
The night was deep, and in the emperor's bedroom, the lights still illuminated the surroundings.
Russell was seated at the desk, meticulously arranging something.
He wrote with a pen, inspecting the item as if searching for any anomalies.
What he handled so carefully in his hand was an album.
Instead of photographs, the album was filled with postcards, each adorned with intricate drawings of the sea.
Placing the album into a box, Russell lightly tapped the lid with his finger.
"At long last, you'll find your rightful owner. It's been a very long time since I've begun to fill you with objects during my search for this gift for your master."
He murmured to the box, pushing it deep into the drawer.
With the drawer shut, Russell stood and stretched.
"The hour is already nearing midnight."
Leaving the desk behind, he moved across the room, passing the bed, he made his way to the terrace.
"Hmm, you can't see the sea from here either."
His gaze stretched far ahead, as he noted.
Resting his chin on the terrace railing, Russell gazed upward.
Stars adorned the night sky, their twinkling resembling the remnants of fireworks bursting in the celestial expanse.
Looking up at the night sky, he spoke with a small smile.
"I must fulfill my promise to take you to the sea and show it to you... But when will I be able to do that? I don't want you to forget the promise I made all those years ago."
With that, Russell leaned against the terrace railing, his eyes fixated on the expansive night sky.