Chapter 30
She felt the weight that had been pressing on her chest slowly lift. For a moment, Lilien wondered—was Cairn feeling the same sense of freedom she was? She didn’t want to go back to Baltan, but forced herself to speak.
“Should we head back before it gets too late? Thanks for today, Cairn. I had a great time.”
It was an afternoon so peaceful, she couldn’t have imagined the trouble that was soon to come.
* * *
The café inside the garden, famous for its daffodils, was filled with a fresh, fragrant scent. Cairn sat there peacefully enjoying a warm cup of tea, while Lilien shifted in her seat, visibly uncomfortable.
“Do you think this café is too tucked away? Maybe it’s hard to find if you’re not familiar with the place.”
“Maybe so.”
By this point, even someone oblivious would have noticed—there was clearly another guest Lilien was waiting for.
“How did you like the boat ride?”
“I enjoyed it.”
She answered, though she barely seemed focused on the moment.
“Your legs aren’t sore, are they?”
“No, I’m fine.”
She replied, sounding less than convincing. The whole time, Lilien kept glancing around, craning her neck whenever she saw a woman in the distance.
“Lily.”
Cairn’s voice was suddenly low and serious, making Lilien flinch. She looked so suspicious it was almost funny.
“It’s getting late. Why did you want to come to a café instead of going straight to dinner?”
“Well, um, you see…”
She hesitated, unable to be honest with him.
‘The truth was, I planned to slip away and leave you and the other guest alone in the cafe together.’
It was almost time, but the other woman, Miss Frederick, still hadn’t arrived. Lilien found herself wishing she’d hurry up.
“Lily, I’ll forgive you if you tell me now.”
His gentle coaxing almost made her blurt everything out, but she bit her lip to keep herself in check.
“This is your last chance.”
If she told him, he’d probably bolt—no, not bolt, but definitely leave the scene on purpose. Only now did she realize for certain that Cairn wouldn’t be pleased about this.
Torn between her promise to the Grand Duchess and her loyalty to Cairn, Lilien hesitated, feeling guilty.
“Um, actually…”
Just as she was about to confess, a new voice chimed in.
“Hello, Miss de Bermore.”
“…We’ve been waiting for you, Miss Frederick.”
Miss Eisen Frederick, wearing a light bell-shaped dress, greeted Lilien with lively green eyes that seemed to mirror the garden’s leaves.
“And Lord Headington.”
Lilien couldn’t have imagined a worse moment.
“Ah—”
Cairn let out a quiet sigh of realization, his eyes turning sharply to Lilien even as he gave a polite greeting to Miss Frederick.
Despite the formalities, his gaze remained locked on Lilien. Unbothered by the awkwardness, Eisen sat down between them. After a heavy pause, she was the first to speak.
“Miss de Bermore, as a thank you for arranging this meeting, I’d like to invite you to Frushburn. Would that be all right?”
“Yes, I’d love to visit anytime.”
Lilien replied, though things were clearly moving ahead of her.
Eisen, sensing this, remained relaxed. She’d expected this—seeing the awkward tension in person was oddly amusing, almost enjoyable.
“Why don’t we set a date? How about the day of the knight tournament next month in the duchy?”
She figured she wouldn’t get what she wanted today, so she might as well have a bit of fun at Cairn’s expense. After all, there’s nothing more entertaining than a failed love triangle.
“Ah, that day…”
According to her deal with Victor, Eisen knew.
“I’m sorry, Miss Frederick, but I already have plans that day.”
Lilien had a plan she’d be hard-pressed to explain to Cairn.
“What sort of plans?”
“Well, uh…”
Eisen locked eyes with her, determined to get an answer.
“I promised to visit Boltman Lake with Lord Regid.”
“I see. In that case, maybe another day—”
Before she could finish, Cairn abruptly stood up.
“That’s too bad. I was delighted to see you, Miss Frederick, but I’m afraid something urgent just came up.”
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