Hey, Rick Rey!
You didn't show up no matter how much I begged the heavens for your appearance, but now you suddenly pop out of nowhere? Is this for real?
But the silhouette I'd seen countless times in the salon was too familiar to mistake.
And…
'Why does he look like a stray dog someone abandoned?'
With his broad shoulders slumped, I almost imagined the rainy streets of Seoul as his backdrop.
Well, considering his actual build, he's more of a wolf than a dog, but still.
'I should probably leave him alone, right?'
He's probably had a tough day. Let him rest.
I tried not to spare him another glance, but—
"…Lady Dory?"
Did he hear my footsteps?
Rick called my name. His voice was so quiet that, for a moment, I thought I could just pretend not to have heard it.
But that subdued tone didn't suit Rick at all, and when I turned around, the look on his face—like someone falling and desperately searching for something to grab onto—was just…
"Oh, Rick! Hello!"
I exaggerated my enthusiasm as I approached him.
"Maria told me! You joined as a day laborer today, didn't you? She was raving about how hardworking and reliable you are, not wasting a single day!"
I was squeezing out every ounce of my social skills to say something, but every time I mentioned "Maria", his expression darkened even further.
I could guess why.
He must've seen Maria and Arthur having a moment.
'If things had gone according to the original story, they'd be having a tense and emotional scene at the bottom of a cliff right now…'
"Rick, you don't look well. Is something wrong?"
"…No."
He ran a hand over his face and forced a smile.
"I finally got a break after working nonstop, but now that I'm free, I don't know what to do. The friend I wanted to see is busy, it seems."
"Oh dear. Have you eaten?"
"I drank so much water while working that I don't think I can eat anything."
"You still need to eat something. You must've worked so hard that you lost your appetite."
"Apparently, last year's tasks were much simpler. Maybe because of the rain, His Highness was particularly meticulous about organizing everything this year."
"His Highness?"
"Yes. Lady Dory's fiancé, His Highness Tristan, was the one supervising us most of the time."
"Ah."
As soon as he said that, the puzzle pieces clicked in my head.
The reason Rick couldn't be there when Maria needed help.
'Was this another butterfly effect caused by me?!'
I complained about the slippery paths, which led Tristan to ramp up the maintenance work, which then overworked Rick, leaving him unable to make time for Maria.
Rick Rey, I'm so sorry for being annoyed earlier when you didn't show up!
"Here, have this."
I handed him a florentine I'd kept for later because it was so delicious. It's a pastry that's surprisingly hard to find in Seoul, and I usually save it for special occasions. But right now, it seemed more fitting for someone who's both down and probably starving.
Rick's eyes widened.
"Thank you. Are you sure it's okay for me to have this?"
"Of course! It's better for you to eat it and regain your energy than for me to have it as a snack."
"…Do I really look that exhausted?"
"Just a little."
"That's embarrassing."
Rick didn't eat the florentine right away; he just stared at it for a moment. Was my presence making him uncomfortable?
"Well, I'll leave you to it, then. Thank you so much for everything today."
"Thank me? But this is the first time I'm seeing you today, Lady Dory…"
"Thanks to your hard work, we're able to enjoy a safe hunting tournament."
'I'm so sorry! I'm the reason you were overworked!'
I'll have to tell Tristan tomorrow to give the workers a break.
"Have a good night, then! And don't skip your meals!"
"…Thank you."
Rick seemed a little flustered as he replied. He probably wasn't expecting a word of gratitude.
But just as I turned to leave—
"Lady Dory. May I ask you something?"
"Oh, of course."
"…It's a bit personal, so if it makes you uncomfortable, please forget I asked."
'If you're that worried about it, just don't ask!'
The question that followed was, indeed, very personal.
"What does it feel like to have a fiancé? Do you like it?"
"Uh… That's not what I was expecting you to ask."
'What does it feel like? It feels like the grim remnants of an era when children were treated as their parents' property.'
That was my honest thought, but of course, I gave a proper answer.
"At first, it was scary. But since this engagement was arranged with my parents' love and care, I've tried to focus on the positive aspects. Now, I'm genuinely looking forward to the wedding with a happy heart."
"Haha, that's such a textbook answer. Has anyone else ever asked you this before?"
"The life of high society itself is filled with questions that demand the right answers from a lady."
"…Ha."
"Did that answer your question?"
"Well enough to make it hard for me to argue."
"Then, have a good rest. I hope we meet again."
I offered him a graceful farewell and headed toward the garden. As I walked away, I couldn't help but glance back at Rick a few times. He was just staring blankly at the florentine in his hand.
This was making me feel strangely unsettled.
I didn't need to witness the painful realism of a second male lead's unrequited love like this.
'Though it's still better than watching him sacrifice himself for the female lead in some dramatic scene.'
Not wanting to hear the crunch of the florentine breaking, I quickened my pace.
Soon, I stepped into a small maze garden.
Mother had said that the garden at night would be filled with whispered secrets exchanged between couples.
But despite the number of heads visible above the hedges, there was almost no noise. The atmosphere felt odd.
At first glance, it seemed like pairs of men and women were having a pleasant time together.
But…
'Everyone's distracted by something else.'
It wasn't hard to find the focal point of their distraction.
Deeper inside the maze garden, a small bench served as the stage for the night's quiet spectacle: Arthur Albion and Maria Meyer, sitting side by side with barely a hand's width between them.
They weren't saying much to each other. The occasional exchange was limited to awkward phrases like, "Are you…cold?" and "I'm fine."
Considering their physical distance, it wouldn't be hard to believe they were strangers on their first-ever blind date.
"This is boring."
"Can we even call this a scandal?"
A few onlookers whispered in disappointment.
But I knew better.
The two had already shared countless conversations before. What they needed now was simply to confirm their feelings for each other. And this moment, granting them time alone together, was just that.
I turned away. There was nothing I could do here.
It's not like I could push them off a cliff or anything.
'At least I avoided the clichéd worst-case scenario of the original male lead falling for me! I'll figure it out somehow.'
Time to grab something to eat.
I headed back to the banquet hall. But deep down, I knew that no delicious pastry could fill what I was missing.
'What does it feel like to have a fiancé?'
It feels like suddenly discovering an organ in your body you didn't know existed—one that you're bound to live with forever.
Don't envy something like that.
Being a second male lead usually means you're attractive and capable.
Rick will find someone better suited for him, I'm sure of it.
After Dorys Redfield disappeared from sight, Rick stared at the florentine in his hand.
He considered throwing it into the bushes. What could a small almond cookie like this do to fill a person's stomach? All it would do is leave a sticky sweetness in his mouth.
'And accepting pity from her? No, thanks.'
That damned Redfield woman who stole the Blue Atrium.
But even after Dorys had gone, Rick found himself unable to throw the florentine away.
'This woman…what is she?'
Their brief encounter left him with more questions than answers. Her actions, the more he thought about them, were odd.
A noble lady secretly saving snacks for later? And then casually offering them to someone else without a hint of embarrassment?
'Does she not care about her reputation?'
Even back at the Redfield estate, she had seemed a bit unusual. Staying in the kitchen to ensure the tea and cookies for the guests were just right—there had been something oddly unpretentious about her.
'She doesn't suit the title of "lady" at all.'
And yet, that was the woman engaged to that arrogant, ostentatious prince.
'Ha, they're in for some emotional suffering.'
Not that it mattered to Rick what kind of hardships the daughter of the Redfield family would face. Any struggles she had as a prince's bride would probably involve crying into silk handkerchiefs while wearing luxurious gowns.
As he sarcastically envisioned her future, Rick suddenly realized that, without thinking, he had taken a bite of the florentine.
It was sweet and nutty. Far better than he'd imagined.
'…Not bad. Just this once.'