I was eventually forced to give the rude response of "I'm going to join the hunt, so see you there" to all the requests to visit the mansion.
Of course, for those whose purpose is to visit, this answer may seem out of the blue, so no one will bother to contact the Count and attend.
It was practically a rejection. Moreover, I had to send a direct letter to someone I'd never met before, without any introduction, saying I wanted to go with my sister.
It was a very rude act, in many ways, from a social standpoint, but I didn't pay much attention. Neither Celine nor the admiral could have expected me to follow so closely.
“You’re so shameless. Aren’t you ashamed?”
Celine, who was riding in the car with me to the hunting grounds, scolded me in a disbelieving voice.
“What? You were discriminated against and couldn’t even make it to your debutante?”
When I asked her, covering my mouth and barely holding back a laugh, she licked her lips, then sighed as if she'd forgotten what to say, turned her head, and stared out the car window. After a long silence, Celine finally spoke.
"Why don't you tell the Colonel? Isn't your goal to separate me and the Colonel?"
I didn't answer. Just looking at her with indifferent eyes, I could see fear in her expression. Nothing is more confusing and frightening than not knowing someone's intentions. You can't even think of a way to respond in advance. I learned a good lesson from Noah.
Arriving at the hunting grounds, the first thing I saw was men in riding gear, hunting dogs, and beautifully dressed women. My clothes were still quite plain.
In contrast, Celine wore a stylish dress, a feathered hat, and warm fur.
“Are you here?”
“Yes, Colonel. Hello.”
Lieutenant Colonel Groenendaal, dressed in riding attire, approached me and made a show of recognition. After my awkward greeting, he smiled faintly and then gestured toward the Count, who had hosted the hunt, introducing me.
"This is Lady Diana Clare of Count Clare House. I suddenly asked Lady Diana to join me, and I was rude to you, Count."
"No, Lieutenant Colonel Groenendaal. I'm delighted. Please give His Excellency my regards. Good morning, Miss Diana Claire."
“Thank you for the invitation, Count.”
The Count didn't seem particularly bothered by the situation. While the Count and the Lieutenant Colonel were talking, I raised one corner of my mouth and gave Celine, who stood there with a blank expression, a mocking smirk. Celine stared at me blankly, then casually approached the Count and the Lieutenant Colonel and greeted them. The Lieutenant Colonel nodded briefly at Celine's greeting and continued speaking to me.
“Aren’t you cold? It might be cold in the forest.”
"Yes."
He looked at my bare hands with the same pity in his eyes. I wish he didn't have to worry, since it wasn't cold.
People of high society, including the Count who hosted the hunt, asked me how I was doing in a friendly tone. I maintained a fake smile and acted as politely as possible. I was hoping to build connections, but secretly, I wished no one would talk to me.
"Woof!"
The slender hunting dogs people had brought with them also approached me, wagging their tails in a friendly manner. "You little cuties are always welcome," I said, greeting them warmly as I greeted them one by one. Among them, one dog, which was incredibly friendly, stuck its belly out in front of me and twisted its body this way and that, acting cute. Its floppy ears were so cute. It would be disappointing for its owner to see it flipped over to just anyone.
“Oh my, you’re so pretty! And you’re so kind. What’s your name?”
“This is Jason.”
Instead of the unprincipled dog, it was Lieutenant Colonel Groenendaal who answered. Apparently, I'd asked the dog's name. Embarrassed by my own unintentional enthusiastic stroking, I coughed in vain.
“Oh, Colonel, is that your dog?”
"This is my brother's dog. He was away on business for a while, so he brought it back with him. He seems to have loved it so much that he named it after himself, Jace."
“He didn’t come today?”
“He tends to dislike this kind of active work.”
I nodded, drooling and scratching my favorite dog's belly. Brothers... They seem to have opposite personalities, but perhaps they resemble each other? The lieutenant colonel whistled, and Jason, who had been lying face down with his tongue out, sat up abruptly.
"It's time to leave. The hunting grounds are quite vast, so please follow us carefully so you don't get lost."
The men, including the lieutenant colonel, rode their horses first and led the way as guides, while the women each rode their horses and followed their lovers or husbands who had joined the hunt.
The sound of dogs running and barking and the clatter of horses' hooves gradually faded away, and I was left alone.
Am I the only one who doesn't speak? Everyone else is talking, and I'm the only one who doesn't.
I didn't want to follow them on foot, so I decided to sit alone on a chair under a tent set up as a waiting room and drink tea.
Celine, who was leading her own slender white horse, smiled kindly at me.
"There's a horse my father prepared for you. Are you not coming because you don't know how to ride? Horseback riding is a basic skill, and for a younger sister to not even know how to ride a horse is a disgrace to the family."
Celine giggled, mounted her horse, and with the sound of her hooves, she disappeared along with the hunting party. My father, who had kept me in the stable instead of a horse, must have taught her how to ride.
But I'm different. It was forced, but I've always been involved in everything from horseback riding to golf. How dare you ignore me? I approached the old horse tied up alone nearby.
The horse's mane was matted and tangled, its dull brown fur showing signs of neglect, and its hooves were tattered and on the verge of falling off. The emaciated horse, its head bowed pitifully, didn't even grunt, but simply munched on dry grass with its drooping mouth.
“You say good things too, don’t you?”
I fed the horse a sugar stick for tea and stroked its face. Only then did the old horse raise its head and slightly raise and lower one of its front legs.
“I will call you Celine from now on.”
I hopped aboard the horse I'd named Celine. Experienced and skilled horses are always superior to young ones. With just a slight tug on the reins, they know where to go, and they're quite adept at interacting with people.
I cautiously followed the path, walking towards the vanished hunting party, then slightly increased my pace. However, the horse's condition was somewhat unusual.
The horse, which had been groaning as if broken, suddenly seemed to be brimming with energy, neighing, raising its forelegs high, and galloping madly. The shock of its body lifting and then falling back sent my vision spinning, but I calmly held the reins. A novice might have fallen.
“Whoa, whoa! This speed is too much for an old man like you!”
I tried to calm him by pulling on the reins, but he seemed to be driven only by his instinct to keep going straight, and he wouldn't slow down. And he was running in the opposite direction from the hunting group.
As it is the hunting ground of a wealthy Count, it is quite vast, and the forest is so dense that it is very likely that you will get lost.
“Hey! Calm down, Celine!”
It's my fault for giving it the wrong name. I should have called it Choco or Yeppi. With my single scream, the horse ran aimlessly over the hill.
The sun was setting, and the twilight was spreading across the hillside. The men returning from the hunt proudly displayed the foxes they had hunted.
“I will make you fur from the fox I catch.”
“I can’t even make a scarf?”
A man and a woman stand facing each other, smiling awkwardly. The more they catch, the more they can make furs, hats, and scarves for their women, so hunting is akin to competition between men.
Lieutenant Colonel Groenendaal, who was tall and visible from afar, was looking around as if searching for something.
Celine approached him and smiled, thinking he would give her the foxes he had hunted as a gift, but the words that came out of his mouth were different from what she had expected.
“Where is Miss Diana?”
“Yes? Where would she be...?”
Celine's eyes widened, and she turned her head to look around. Diana was gone. And so was the sick, old horse. Only then did Celine grasp the situation, covering her mouth in shock.
“What should I do? My sister is not used to horseback riding, so I think she got lost and got separated from the group.”
The lieutenant colonel, his mouth tightly shut, watched Celine, who was sobbing and rubbing her eyes. Celine's face, which briefly met his gaze, was visibly embarrassed.
The usually blunt but polite and well-mannered lieutenant colonel's eyes glared fiercely.
It was a basic courtesy for a gentleman who valued manners to take out a handkerchief when seeing a woman's tears, but instead of taking out a handkerchief, he was glaring at her with his cold blue eyes.
The man's fierce gaze, honed by his long military service, was revealed without filter.
“What were you doing while your sister was gone?”
Celine felt intimidated by the heavy, low-pitched words, each and every one of them.
I brought a sick horse because I thought she wouldn't be able to ride it anyway. Did she really ride it? A kid who doesn't even know how to ride.
“I was in front... so I didn’t know.”
Lieutenant Colonel Groenendaal gathered the men who had joined the hunt, explained the situation, and then jumped on his horse.
"It's bitterly cold, and if it gets late at night, Miss Diana will be in danger. Search quickly."
The soldiers mounted their horses and dispersed, some of the men following along.
Molly came into Noah's room and placed the newspaper she'd brought on the sofa table with a regretful expression. Noah, who had been leaning back on the sofa, stood up as if in repulsion and picked up the newspaper.
"There haven't been any special submissions to this issue either. It's been quite some time since the order was issued."
Noah's gaze was fixed on a drawing among the winning entries from a drawing contest on one page of the newspaper, depicting the moon goddess of ancient mythology holding a yellow tulip. It was drawn in charcoal, with only the flower portion painted in yellow pastel.
His lips, once closed, parted slightly. Dark blue eyes stared at the spot where the painting's title was written.
"< Rest, I ask you sincerely. >
-Belford Newspaper Contest Painting Category Winner "
“Molly. Do you know what my name means?”
“I don’t know.”
In response to Noah's question, Molly shook her head, pretending not to know, without even thinking. He couldn't take his eyes off the picture of Diana that adorned one side of the newspaper.
Artemis, the goddess of the moon in the painting, is also known as Diana.
He looked out the window at the large moon in the night sky and opened his eyes loosely.
“Diana contacted me.”
The voice was both exhilarating and calming.
The name 'Noah' means rest, comfort, and peace.
Diana is asking him the truth.
Of course, for those whose purpose is to visit, this answer may seem out of the blue, so no one will bother to contact the Count and attend.
It was practically a rejection. Moreover, I had to send a direct letter to someone I'd never met before, without any introduction, saying I wanted to go with my sister.
It was a very rude act, in many ways, from a social standpoint, but I didn't pay much attention. Neither Celine nor the admiral could have expected me to follow so closely.
“You’re so shameless. Aren’t you ashamed?”
Celine, who was riding in the car with me to the hunting grounds, scolded me in a disbelieving voice.
“What? You were discriminated against and couldn’t even make it to your debutante?”
When I asked her, covering my mouth and barely holding back a laugh, she licked her lips, then sighed as if she'd forgotten what to say, turned her head, and stared out the car window. After a long silence, Celine finally spoke.
"Why don't you tell the Colonel? Isn't your goal to separate me and the Colonel?"
I didn't answer. Just looking at her with indifferent eyes, I could see fear in her expression. Nothing is more confusing and frightening than not knowing someone's intentions. You can't even think of a way to respond in advance. I learned a good lesson from Noah.
Arriving at the hunting grounds, the first thing I saw was men in riding gear, hunting dogs, and beautifully dressed women. My clothes were still quite plain.
In contrast, Celine wore a stylish dress, a feathered hat, and warm fur.
“Are you here?”
“Yes, Colonel. Hello.”
Lieutenant Colonel Groenendaal, dressed in riding attire, approached me and made a show of recognition. After my awkward greeting, he smiled faintly and then gestured toward the Count, who had hosted the hunt, introducing me.
"This is Lady Diana Clare of Count Clare House. I suddenly asked Lady Diana to join me, and I was rude to you, Count."
"No, Lieutenant Colonel Groenendaal. I'm delighted. Please give His Excellency my regards. Good morning, Miss Diana Claire."
“Thank you for the invitation, Count.”
The Count didn't seem particularly bothered by the situation. While the Count and the Lieutenant Colonel were talking, I raised one corner of my mouth and gave Celine, who stood there with a blank expression, a mocking smirk. Celine stared at me blankly, then casually approached the Count and the Lieutenant Colonel and greeted them. The Lieutenant Colonel nodded briefly at Celine's greeting and continued speaking to me.
“Aren’t you cold? It might be cold in the forest.”
"Yes."
He looked at my bare hands with the same pity in his eyes. I wish he didn't have to worry, since it wasn't cold.
People of high society, including the Count who hosted the hunt, asked me how I was doing in a friendly tone. I maintained a fake smile and acted as politely as possible. I was hoping to build connections, but secretly, I wished no one would talk to me.
"Woof!"
The slender hunting dogs people had brought with them also approached me, wagging their tails in a friendly manner. "You little cuties are always welcome," I said, greeting them warmly as I greeted them one by one. Among them, one dog, which was incredibly friendly, stuck its belly out in front of me and twisted its body this way and that, acting cute. Its floppy ears were so cute. It would be disappointing for its owner to see it flipped over to just anyone.
“Oh my, you’re so pretty! And you’re so kind. What’s your name?”
“This is Jason.”
Instead of the unprincipled dog, it was Lieutenant Colonel Groenendaal who answered. Apparently, I'd asked the dog's name. Embarrassed by my own unintentional enthusiastic stroking, I coughed in vain.
“Oh, Colonel, is that your dog?”
"This is my brother's dog. He was away on business for a while, so he brought it back with him. He seems to have loved it so much that he named it after himself, Jace."
“He didn’t come today?”
“He tends to dislike this kind of active work.”
I nodded, drooling and scratching my favorite dog's belly. Brothers... They seem to have opposite personalities, but perhaps they resemble each other? The lieutenant colonel whistled, and Jason, who had been lying face down with his tongue out, sat up abruptly.
"It's time to leave. The hunting grounds are quite vast, so please follow us carefully so you don't get lost."
The men, including the lieutenant colonel, rode their horses first and led the way as guides, while the women each rode their horses and followed their lovers or husbands who had joined the hunt.
The sound of dogs running and barking and the clatter of horses' hooves gradually faded away, and I was left alone.
Am I the only one who doesn't speak? Everyone else is talking, and I'm the only one who doesn't.
I didn't want to follow them on foot, so I decided to sit alone on a chair under a tent set up as a waiting room and drink tea.
Celine, who was leading her own slender white horse, smiled kindly at me.
"There's a horse my father prepared for you. Are you not coming because you don't know how to ride? Horseback riding is a basic skill, and for a younger sister to not even know how to ride a horse is a disgrace to the family."
Celine giggled, mounted her horse, and with the sound of her hooves, she disappeared along with the hunting party. My father, who had kept me in the stable instead of a horse, must have taught her how to ride.
But I'm different. It was forced, but I've always been involved in everything from horseback riding to golf. How dare you ignore me? I approached the old horse tied up alone nearby.
The horse's mane was matted and tangled, its dull brown fur showing signs of neglect, and its hooves were tattered and on the verge of falling off. The emaciated horse, its head bowed pitifully, didn't even grunt, but simply munched on dry grass with its drooping mouth.
“You say good things too, don’t you?”
I fed the horse a sugar stick for tea and stroked its face. Only then did the old horse raise its head and slightly raise and lower one of its front legs.
“I will call you Celine from now on.”
I hopped aboard the horse I'd named Celine. Experienced and skilled horses are always superior to young ones. With just a slight tug on the reins, they know where to go, and they're quite adept at interacting with people.
I cautiously followed the path, walking towards the vanished hunting party, then slightly increased my pace. However, the horse's condition was somewhat unusual.
The horse, which had been groaning as if broken, suddenly seemed to be brimming with energy, neighing, raising its forelegs high, and galloping madly. The shock of its body lifting and then falling back sent my vision spinning, but I calmly held the reins. A novice might have fallen.
“Whoa, whoa! This speed is too much for an old man like you!”
I tried to calm him by pulling on the reins, but he seemed to be driven only by his instinct to keep going straight, and he wouldn't slow down. And he was running in the opposite direction from the hunting group.
As it is the hunting ground of a wealthy Count, it is quite vast, and the forest is so dense that it is very likely that you will get lost.
“Hey! Calm down, Celine!”
It's my fault for giving it the wrong name. I should have called it Choco or Yeppi. With my single scream, the horse ran aimlessly over the hill.
***
The sun was setting, and the twilight was spreading across the hillside. The men returning from the hunt proudly displayed the foxes they had hunted.
“I will make you fur from the fox I catch.”
“I can’t even make a scarf?”
A man and a woman stand facing each other, smiling awkwardly. The more they catch, the more they can make furs, hats, and scarves for their women, so hunting is akin to competition between men.
Lieutenant Colonel Groenendaal, who was tall and visible from afar, was looking around as if searching for something.
Celine approached him and smiled, thinking he would give her the foxes he had hunted as a gift, but the words that came out of his mouth were different from what she had expected.
“Where is Miss Diana?”
“Yes? Where would she be...?”
Celine's eyes widened, and she turned her head to look around. Diana was gone. And so was the sick, old horse. Only then did Celine grasp the situation, covering her mouth in shock.
“What should I do? My sister is not used to horseback riding, so I think she got lost and got separated from the group.”
The lieutenant colonel, his mouth tightly shut, watched Celine, who was sobbing and rubbing her eyes. Celine's face, which briefly met his gaze, was visibly embarrassed.
The usually blunt but polite and well-mannered lieutenant colonel's eyes glared fiercely.
It was a basic courtesy for a gentleman who valued manners to take out a handkerchief when seeing a woman's tears, but instead of taking out a handkerchief, he was glaring at her with his cold blue eyes.
The man's fierce gaze, honed by his long military service, was revealed without filter.
“What were you doing while your sister was gone?”
Celine felt intimidated by the heavy, low-pitched words, each and every one of them.
I brought a sick horse because I thought she wouldn't be able to ride it anyway. Did she really ride it? A kid who doesn't even know how to ride.
“I was in front... so I didn’t know.”
Lieutenant Colonel Groenendaal gathered the men who had joined the hunt, explained the situation, and then jumped on his horse.
"It's bitterly cold, and if it gets late at night, Miss Diana will be in danger. Search quickly."
The soldiers mounted their horses and dispersed, some of the men following along.
***
Molly came into Noah's room and placed the newspaper she'd brought on the sofa table with a regretful expression. Noah, who had been leaning back on the sofa, stood up as if in repulsion and picked up the newspaper.
"There haven't been any special submissions to this issue either. It's been quite some time since the order was issued."
Noah's gaze was fixed on a drawing among the winning entries from a drawing contest on one page of the newspaper, depicting the moon goddess of ancient mythology holding a yellow tulip. It was drawn in charcoal, with only the flower portion painted in yellow pastel.
His lips, once closed, parted slightly. Dark blue eyes stared at the spot where the painting's title was written.
"< Rest, I ask you sincerely. >
-Belford Newspaper Contest Painting Category Winner "
“Molly. Do you know what my name means?”
“I don’t know.”
In response to Noah's question, Molly shook her head, pretending not to know, without even thinking. He couldn't take his eyes off the picture of Diana that adorned one side of the newspaper.
Artemis, the goddess of the moon in the painting, is also known as Diana.
He looked out the window at the large moon in the night sky and opened his eyes loosely.
“Diana contacted me.”
The voice was both exhilarating and calming.
The name 'Noah' means rest, comfort, and peace.
Diana is asking him the truth.
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