"Lisa, do you know a knight by the name Joel?" I asked my maid, who was busy doing my hair. She shook her head.
"What about a Joseph or Joe?" I pressed.
She yanked my hair roughly, and I let out a scream. She mumbled an apology, then said, "Lady Iris, I've spent most of my time in the kitchen. I don't know many of the knights here."
I stood up from the vanity and walked to the door. It had been a week since I arrived. I'd been trying to find the knight Iris was assigned to according to the book, but I was unsuccessful. The servants here—except the head maid and my assigned knight—made sure to show their discontent toward me, in the most passive of ways.
Sir William Lotting, according to the book, was in the royal order of knights. He was the crown prince's favorite. Iris had falsely accused him of inappropriately touching her. The accusation was denied, and she was sent to a monastery. But that happened twenty chapters later. Their meeting wasn't supposed to happen yet, and certainly not as lady and knight.
So where was Yousef?
As always, Sir William accompanied me to the gardens. He maintained his usual cold demeanor, which made me too nervous to ask how he had ended up serving the duchy.
I walked to the gazebo where I usually had lunch. My in-laws had made their escape two days after my arrival. The Grand Duchess had invited me for tea once, where we sat awkwardly in silence. She never mentioned her son again after briefly announcing his absence.
I sat down and began eating. The food here was exquisite—thankfully, no one had tried to poison me. Still, the quiet animosity from everyone frightened me. But a girl had to eat. My days were mostly spent lounging and eating. I couldn't tour the estate freely—many rooms and areas were off-limits to me.
The garden and gazebo had become my sanctuary. Beyond the garden gates, a path curved into the orchard, where twisted apples grew. I sometimes wandered there, picking a few. The library was my other refuge—it had always felt like home, even when I was Star.
"My lady, Lord Truster is here to see you," William announced, walking over with a man in his thirties. He had a warm smile and a neatly trimmed goatee.
"It's an honor to finally meet you," he greeted, his smile never fading.
Finally—a genuine smile.
"Please join me. Let's talk over lunch, Lord Truster," I nearly begged. A week of being avoided and treated like I didn't exist had worn me thin.
He happily accepted. He was a baron who worked for the Imperial Family, managing their country estates. A family man, he had three children—a son and two daughters.
"Lady Iris, will you be attending the Imperial Autumn Ball?" he asked. At that moment, a servant dropped something—a plate, perhaps—and earned a sharp scowl from William. The servant quickly apologized and began cleaning up the mess.
"You should really attend. You need to gain some influence in society, and being an outsider, this would be a great start," Lord Truster added.
I noticed the guilty look on William's face—and the way the surrounding servants were watching us.
"Who is hosting the ball?" I asked cautiously.
"The Empress, my lady. Everyone will be there—even the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess," he replied.
I looked at William. He averted his gaze.
They all knew.
This past week—the rude, curt attitudes, the silence…
Everyone had known. Everyone had been laughing behind my back.
I'd been abandoned by my in-laws, who had gone off to enjoy festivities in the capital. To them, I was nothing more than a nuisance. An unwanted burden who got what she deserved.
"His Imperial Highness must have mentioned this to you," Lord Truster said.
"No, he didn't. He has no reason to tell me these things," I replied.
"But… aren't you engaged to him?" he asked.
I looked at him and laughed. He knew how to break the tension, but this—this wasn't funny.
Iris was supposed to be engaged to the Grand Duke's heir. That I remembered very clearly.
"No, Lord Truster. You're mistaken," I said, wiping the tears that had begun to pour.
I was scared.
Their looks of disbelief made my tears fall harder.
No… no, it couldn't be.
How did this happen?
Was this not the book I wrote?