episode_0034

During the time when Eleonore was still in a man’s body.

At that time, the campus where Seo Juha attended was a university boasting a campus so large that it could fit within five fingers even in Seoul, known for its high land prices.

It wasn’t just the size of the campus that was large.

From the exterior of the buildings to the landscaping and structures inside, the school was as famous for its beauty among freshmen as it was for its name.

Thanks to this, friends who had been together for a long time used to joke about how jealous they were of the spacious campus, or how it was a social waste for someone like you to wander around such a wide and beautiful campus. They exchanged such jokes.

Each time, Juha would laugh it off.

In reality, for Juha, the large and beautiful campus was just a cumbersome element that elongated the paths she had to walk.

Back then, Juha’s perspective was that of a practical engineering student with no sentimentality whatsoever.

And now.

Under the cloudless, warm spring sky, with not a single cloud in sight, a platinum-haired lady holding a white umbrella walked through the townhouse, reminiscing about her alma mater and smiling inexplicably.

The Town House of Beorn Ga brought back memories of Juha’s past that had been darkened for a while, as it was both spacious and incredibly beautiful.

Watching two ladies walking side by side in the glass garden, Eleonore suddenly had a thought.

If I were to walk around the campus now, wouldn’t it be like a photoshoot?

As I stroll chicly across the campus, men approaching me asking for my number—

“Lady! What’s so amusing?”

“Ah! You startled me.”

At the voice that interrupted her private reverie, Eleonore let out a surprised cry.

Within less than a week, Ojessney had become inseparable from Eleonore, but her mysterious laughter followed by a strange cry left Eleonore tilting her ivory hair to the side.

However, becoming inseparable was solely Ojessney’s doing.

To Eleonore, her new maid still felt unfamiliar, still appeared incredibly beautiful.

So, trying to calm her startled heart, Eleonore’s voice, even to herself, sounded quite pitiful beyond her pink lips.

“Oh, no. It’s nothing. Just… the Town House is so spacious…”

Stuttering her words, even using honorifics towards herself, Ojessney smiled broadly, finding Eleonore’s appearance quite cute.

“The Town House of Beorn Ga is not just a mansion, you see.”

Ojessney’s soft, warm, and incredibly smooth skin clung to Eleonore’s empty left arm.

Startled by the sudden intimacy, Eleonore pushed Ojessney, who wrapped her arms around Eleonore’s left arm, cautiously away.

“W-what are you saying? Not just a mansion?”

As she asked, feeling the soft skin under Ojessney’s shortened sleeve, Eleonore knew she would have to blush again today.

“Well… How should I put it? Lady, you might not remember, but Beorn Ga is not just a local lordship controlling and governing themselves in the west.”

As usual, feeling Ojessney’s soft skin beneath her shortened sleeves, Eleonore knew she would have to blush again today.

“Beorn Ga is the pride of the west, and the Town House can be considered the embodiment of the pride that westerners uphold.”

“Pride?”

“Yes, pride.”

A familiar floral scent wafted from Ojessney’s ivory-colored hair, swaying gently up and down.

“Since agriculture mainly developed in the west, people from other regions always refer to westerners as country bumpkins, hillbillies, and such. It’s a kind of backlash against that, you see.”

In the large eyes, the sparkling purple irises soon began to faintly shine.

Like a young girl showing off a beautiful doll, Eojeni’s voice was somewhat excited.

“Yes. You are just like that, Miss.”

“Me, too?”

“Yes! You emerged as a beautiful and dignified lady from such a rural corner. In reality, there is no woman in the capital who can match your beauty. Such talk is circulating in the west now.”

“E… Eojeni is pretty too?”

“Oh my! At least appreciate the words, Miss. But compared to you, I am just an ordinary woman commonly seen on the streets.”

Whether she was very pleased with those words or not.

Eojeni chuckled and moved even closer, leaning towards the lady.

“Miss, I heard from Madam that there seems to be something between you and His Grace?”

Suddenly attacked, Eleanor’s white parasol swayed from side to side.

“Oh, no. What are you talking about!”

Trying to pull away from the encroaching arms.

The slender lady who had just gotten out of bed found it not easy to resist the strength of the woman who grew up in the rural west.

“You seem to have something going on. Our Miss has always been easy to read since she was young.”

“No! That’s not true…”

“Oh, look at your blushing face. You’re cute.”

“Really! Stop teasing me, Eojeni.”

“Hehe.”

With a mischievous smile and sticking out her tongue, Eojeni appeared refreshed.

“So, Miss. What do you think of His Grace?”

“We are not like that!”

“Yes, yes. I understand. So, what do you think?”

Facing Eojeni’s insistent questioning.

With her arms tightening even more.

Her sky-blue eyes began to swirl from the scent that stimulated her nostrils.

“I-I don’t know… My father just told me about the things His Grace did in the north. He always praised them to you. You know, my father. I just asked if those actions were real.”

Eojeni gently tilted her head at Eleanor’s prolonged explanation.

“Hmm… Seems like your taste in men has changed a lot, Miss? You used to like men with thin lines, didn’t you?”

Eleanor wanted to refute Eojeni’s words.

His Grace is not my type, let alone men with thin lines.

But because the outcome seemed clear.

“Well, Eojeni. How was I when I was in Yeongji?”

“Well, you and the young girls of that age were innocent. You used to sneak a peek at the knights’ muscles. And you would sneak into the cathedral to eavesdrop on the prayers of the newly ordained priests.”

Wait a minute… Wait a minute, Miss Eojeni. Is that really considered innocent?

Unaware of her thoughts, Eojeni smiled broadly, looking at Eleanor’s bewildered expression.

“But it’s still there, Miss. I actually prefer you now over the Eleanor who had a head full of flowers back then.”

#.

Since then, sharing memories of their past, mainly Eleanor’s embarrassing moments, the two ladies strolled hand in hand across the vast grassy lawn filled with freshness.

The path leading to the detached building was quite far.

As Eleanor’s face turned red a few times due to past embarrassments she hadn’t even committed, the two ladies finally reached the entrance of the detached building.

“Phew… Isn’t this far enough to warrant a carriage ride?”

Her voice revealed a hint of exhaustion.

The scorching sun shone fiercely, and beads of sweat gathered on her fair forehead.

Eleanor, feeling the tickle of the sweat droplets, attempted to wipe her forehead with the back of her hand.

Standing beside her, the foreigner gently caught Eleanor’s wrist as she reached for her forehead.

“No, Miss. It will ruin your makeup. Come here for a moment,” he said softly but firmly, leading Eleanor to a nearby bench.

From a small pouch tied around his waist, he took out a handkerchief and lightly dabbed Eleanor’s sweaty forehead.

“Oh, I can do that myself,” Eleanor said, turning her gaze away from her old friend standing before her.

“Hush. I insist! Miss, please don’t turn your head,” he continued, using his gentle touch to wipe away the sweat on her forehead.

“You see, when the ball takes place in the evening, a carriage will come to pick you up. You’ve dressed up so beautifully; we can’t have you all sweaty before even entering,” he explained.

Eleanor’s expression darkened at the mention of the farewell party of the Changbaek couple happening that day.

It was also the day of the ball organized by Etienne under the pretext of the farewell party.

Thanks to this, the mansion’s servants had been bustling since morning, and the entrance to the annex in front of them was no different.

Once he was done, the foreigner looked at Eleanor, nodding satisfactorily, and then wiped his own sweaty forehead with the handkerchief.

“This place is incredibly huge too. It reminds me of the debutante balls.”

“Right! Miss, you’ve been to the palace’s ballroom, right? How was it there?” he asked.

“It was nothing special. It felt similar in size to here,” Eleanor replied.

“As expected of the Baron von Beauren. Even the palace didn’t impress you much, huh,” he chuckled.

Seeing the twinkle in his eyes, Eleanor couldn’t help but smile.

“So, who will be escorting you, Miss? The Grand Duke? Count Valatier? Or someone else?” he inquired.

The answer was already decided, much to her disappointment—a dull and unexpected one.

In a subdued voice, Eleanor revealed the chosen escort, “My father.”

The foreigner, filled with doubt, repeated the question to confirm if what he heard was true.

“Your father? Baron von Beauren? Your father?” he asked, disbelief clouding his once sparkling eyes.

“Yes. My father will accompany me.”

It was inevitable. Despite her mother suggesting an escort from the Duke Dmitri and Oberth insisting on making a scene, her father, embarrassing even to introduce to a friend standing right next to her, was the chosen one.