It was a few years before Cecilia’s death.

Rumors spread that Grand Duke Heggen had acquired an extraordinary treasure.

It was said he spun thread from gold to make a cloak.

The golden, shimmering cloak was astonishingly light despite being long enough to drag on the ground, and its value equaled the same volume in gold.

Had Cecilia heard the rumor years earlier, she would have immediately gone to see the treasure for herself.

If it were true, she would have devised a way to obtain it.

But at that time, Cecilia was utterly sick of gold.

Her golden hair and yellow-gold eyes felt like a curse that bound her.

‘The rumors said golden thread, but they must have done something to make it look gold.’

Grand Duke Heggen was obsessed with gold.

He obsessively collected all sorts of gold-made items.

Since this wool gleamed naturally, dyeing it a yellowish color would make it look like fabric woven from gold.

Cecilia frowned, recalling unpleasant memories.

Grand Duke Heggen always looked at her with a gleaming, obsessive gaze.

She could sense his madness, as though he wanted to add her to his collection.

‘Golden wool…’

This wool was far more extraordinary than Cecilia had initially thought.

‘Why did he give it to me?’

She was puzzled.

 

⌜ It seems only golden wool is enough to please you. ⌟

 

‘He must have some idea of its value, which is why he said that.’

If he had any ulterior motive, trying to win Cecilia over, he would have given her the same gift in her past life.

But in her previous life, she hadn’t even had proper conversations with him, let alone received any gifts.

‘The gardenia berries… They might have been secretly traded on the continent too, and I just didn’t know about it.’

Cecilia sighed deeply.

‘I should have at least said thank you. He probably thinks I’m incredibly shameless.’

When she received the wool and when he told her to use the gardenia berries, she had simply taken them without a word of gratitude.

To be fair, Cecilia was used to receiving things from others.

But she rarely felt truly thankful.

People who offered her favors always expected more than double in return.

She felt strange.

He hadn’t mentioned profit-sharing if the cosmetics made from the berries sold well.

He gave her the wool without demanding anything in return.

Cecilia spent the entire afternoon running her hands over the wool, lost in thought.

 

❖ ❖ ❖

 

In the evening, Russell came to fetch her.

The moment she opened the door to the sitting room, she froze.

His attire was more polished than usual.

Though not a luxurious tailcoat, it was a decently formal outfit.

His previously untidy hair was neatly combed back.

Startled, Cecilia instinctively looked him up and down, a rude gesture.

She thought Russell might look decent if properly dressed, but now that she saw him, he looked even better than she imagined.

‘What the… Why does he look so dashing?’

The sight of him made her heart race, and in her flustered state, she blurted out,

“You should have told me!”

“…Told you what?”

“I thought it was a casual gathering… If you’d told me it was a formal occasion, I wouldn’t have dressed like this.”

Russell, taken aback by her sudden outburst, chuckled.

“You look fine as you are.”

“What do you mean, fine?”

“I can’t imagine what more you’d need to wear. It’s a casual gathering, really. Not the kind of banquet you’re familiar with.”

“Then why are you dressed like that? You don’t usually wear clothes like this.”

“Of course I don’t. They’re uncomfortable. But today is… Well, you could say it’s a Lagos holiday.”

Russell extended his hand to her.

Cecilia glanced at him coolly before placing her hand in his.

As they walked down the corridor, Russell continued,

“The continent has plenty of commemorative days—founding festivals, harvest festivals, hunting festivals, seasonal celebrations… But Lagos only has two. The day of the first snowfall, marking the start of winter, and the day a month later when the snow stops.”

‘A holiday…’

Cecilia felt pity for her past self, who had been so foolish.

After spending more than two years here, all she remembered was watching the snow fall outside her window.

She had only stepped out of her room, but in just a month, she was experiencing a whole new world.