Cecilia felt awkward.

‘It’s heavy. It smells like leather.’

Despite her grumbling, Cecilia tugged the vest closer to herself to keep it from slipping off.

‘This is better.’

The vest was warmer than she expected. Its weight also gave her a sense of stability.

As her chattering teeth calmed down, she started to feel better.

‘What is this? Am I a child again just because I’ve returned to being twenty-one?’

Cecilia found it ridiculous how her emotions swung so wildly in such a short time.

As they walked, she noticed that he was now walking beside her. She glanced at him sideways.

“You weren’t pretending to be absent while you were actually here, were you?”

Russell let out a small laugh.

“Why would I lie about that?”

“It’s strange. How did you know exactly where I was and show up at just the right moment?”

“When I returned, there was chaos. That woman almost grabbed me by the collar while screeching about how you had disappeared.”

Cecilia was about to ask, ‘Who?’ but then sighed softly as a familiar face came to mind.

“If my nanny was rude, I apologize on her behalf.”

After saying it, Cecilia felt strange. She hadn’t expected the word ‘apologize’ to come out of her mouth so easily.

Russell glanced at her briefly, then turned his gaze forward again.

“They said no one saw you leave the castle, so you had to be inside. But with no witnesses, the only option was the restricted area. Then I heard your voice as I came this way.”

Cecilia remembered yelling, ‘Isn’t anyone here?’

“Why is there a restricted area?”

“The main reason is maintenance. You’ve seen how large this castle is.”

She hadn’t. Cecilia hadn’t looked out the window as the carriage entered the castle grounds.

‘I should have looked.’

“I want to know what that hallway with just a door is.”

“It’s a long story.”

Cecilia waited for a moment.

But he said nothing.

She frowned and spoke to him.

“That’s not an answer to my question at all.”

“That’s strange. I was taught this is proper etiquette.”

“What etiquette?”

“That refusals should be phrased indirectly.”

Cecilia was at a loss for words. She felt oddly caught off guard and slightly irritated.

He was right—speaking in circles and hiding true intentions was the hallmark of noble communication.

In the world she had lived in, the line between truth and lies was always blurred.

‘What was I expecting? It’s my fault for being disappointed.’

Even though she had returned after experiencing the harshness of life, it seemed that being back in her twenty-one-year-old body had lowered her mental age.

At this age, she had been naive. It was a time when she believed that the world was filled only with good people.

“Thank you. Hearing that really woke me up.”

Cecilia noticed a flicker of uncertainty in his eyes. For some reason, it felt satisfying to turn the conversation back on him.

Then, the conversation between them stopped.

The sound of their footsteps echoed around them.

Cecilia pretended to look straight ahead, but she was quietly memorizing the surroundings.

Getting lost again would be embarrassing.

Whether this place was restricted for safety or because of hidden secrets, knowing more wouldn’t hurt.

Because of that, Cecilia didn’t notice.

Russell had glanced at her several times with a curious expression.

“Ah.”

Cecilia suddenly had a thought.

“Hoffman couldn’t explain the restricted area because I had been staying in the bedroom due to travel fatigue. Today’s the first time I’ve come out.”

There was no response.

When Cecilia turned her head, she found him staring at her.

‘What’s with this guy? He’s so hard to read.’

“Young Miss!”

A loud voice echoed.

“Oh good gracious, Young Miss.”

From around the corner ahead, Benjamine suddenly appeared.

She rushed toward Cecilia, with a crowd of people following behind her.

There were maids and knights from the Jericho Grand Duchy, Hoffman, the maids of Lagos Castle, and soldiers—more than dozens of people.

“Young Miss. Are you all right? You’re not hurt, are you?”

Benjamine fussed over her, turning Cecilia this way and that to inspect her.

“I’m fine, so calm down, Nanny.”

“But I was so worried…”

“Nanny.”

“Yes?”

“Have you forgotten your manners? The Lord is present.”

Benjamine blinked, then quickly bowed her head toward Russell, who stood next to Cecilia.

Cecilia looked at Russell and spoke.

“I apologize for causing a commotion, Milord.”

“…It’s nothing.”