Chapter 1 - Straight to the highest peak of romance

She was a full-grown woman who had graduated from her teen years. However, not in the eyes of those who raised her with such excessive affection that she became an arrogant, spoiled snot-nosed when she was younger, perhaps still.

"She's still young!"

Count Fernando rubbed his glabella, sweat beading on his face and inside his sleeves. The reason was that in front of him was a woman fuming with invisible flames surrounding her entire body, including her almost identical to one tresses, Countess Alegra, his wife.

"I won't allow this! She just turned of age last week!"

The countess' nose and words were filled with rage. Count Fernando simply sighed, unsure what to do or say to his wife and to the situation. He sighed along with the breeze that blew in from the outside, concealing the sweat that had formed on his face.

The couple, oblivious to the fact that someone was listening—from outside the window, which was slightly pushed open with its curtains swept from the sides—continued their inevitably loud conversation.

"You said that you'll grant any request she asked, as your gift."

"I am taking that back!"

The countess, who couldn't hold back her feelings for another second, cried in anguish. The Count only stood there, calm but deeply nervous. He watched as his wife stomp her heels inside the office, making a loud irritating noise.

"My only daughter wanted to marry an old man, that's.... I can't. Don't tell me that you'll allow this!"

The count was taken aback, not by his wife's unbefitting outbursts about her daughter wanting to marry, but by the fact that she was insulting not just any other man on the street, but non-other than the empire's only and well-respected Grand Duke.

He covered his wife's mouth that she immediately threw.

"Be quiet! Someone will hear you."

"I don't care!"

'I am hearing you though.'

A woman with fiery red hair, similar to the countess, pressed her lips with the same tint. She jumped from where she was and landed on the ground without a hitch. The room her parents were in was just in the corner of the first floor, but it was built higher, so she had to step on the building's trims in able to spy on her parents' conversation. She had never wanted to do anything unsuitable for a lady, but she was compelled to do so since her parents appeared to agree with her request, but the truth was quite the opposite. Therefore, when she saw her mother flying with fire towards her father's office for a known reason, she dashed outside and climbed a gardening ladder to step on the building's thin edges. Nothing could burn her mother except the talk of her request.

'He isn't that old. He's just older than me.'

The lady whose face was contorted, Pepper Louisa Rivelo, the only and adored daughter of the Rivelo Countship, who had just turned 18. She was a fearless young woman who was unconcerned about the world yet shaken for the first time in her life.

Pepper didn't know much about love, but she found it amusing how simple it could be to learn when she fell in love with the man she only saw from afar once during her visit to the temple for her coming-of-age blessings.

She arrived at the temple expecting wonderful blessings from the Empire's Goddess Anivia, but was instead blessed with the Grand Duke's heavenly appearance and built. He towered over hundreds of other visitors to the temple that day, making him stand out from the crowd.

Pepper's crystal-clear vision could see how delighted the old and young priests and temple maidens around the man were. They didn't seem to want to take their smiles off for even a second. They appeared to be having a good time conversing that Pepper was captivated by the sight and thought that it was...no, he was...

'Beautiful.'

"What's the matter, my dear?"

Countess Alegra unfolded her luxurious fan and began fanning Pepper. The plain white gown that Pepper wore to the ceremony was stuffy and made her sweat through her inside skin. However, she didn't mind or care at all about that because what she wanted and needed at that time was to satiate her curiosity.

"Mother, who is that gentleman?"

As soon as the countess saw where Pepper's eyes were, her lips formed an 'O' then she gently pushed Pepper away from Count Fernando and Jefferson's—Pepper's older brother—ears.

Except for the Grand Duke, with his exquisite looks, elegance, manners and more, no other man could snare someone's attention at the temple that day.

"It's the Grand Duke of Hellisi, he lost her wife three years ago. I heard he visits the temple often since it was her late wife's avocation."

The countess, a natural personal life intruder, further said, speaking to her as if she were one of her amigas.

Pepper nodded, her gaze fixed on the man whose smile was as gentle as the morning dew and could halt a passerby in its tracks. She only knew the Grand Duke by name, never by face. Even his visible life was unknown to her. She was never interested. However, after seeing the Grand Duke, even from afar, something inside her felt new, so new that it was hard to relax. She felt that she wanted and needed more but was also pained by the most unwanted feeling, which was joy after hearing her mother's words about the Grand Duchess' death.

Even so, her heart skipped a beat.

'What the..'

Pepper averted her gaze away from the man, she found herself needing air. She knew that the stuffy gown was only half at fault, but she wanted to put the whole blame on it for some reason.

The countess, on the other hand, noticed Pepper's flushed cheeks and ears, concerned, she began to panic at the side.

"Oh my goodness, do you feel sick Pepper?"

"Please, mother, you're going to ruin my hearing."

The Count and Jefferson were distracted by the commotion and gazed at Pepper, worried.

"What's wrong?"

"No, it's nothing. It's just that... it's hot in here. Please don't mind me."

"Tell us if you need something or when you're feeling unwell."

Pepper nodded at her brother's concerned words and smiled at his alarmed father.

"All right."

After a few moments of checking and confirming that everything was all right, the count and Jefferson returned to their business with the other nobles. At the same time, the countess simply smiled in embarrassment as some family of commoners and unknown nobles—perhaps from further cardinals—who had also come to receive their coming-of-age blessings turned their gaze on them that eventually receded.

"Anyway.... mother....how come I didn't hear about his wife's death?"

To pretend that she recovered from her embarrassment, Countess Alegra cleared her throat. She fanned herself and looked at her daughter with cat-like eyes.

"You were too young at the time, and you've never had an interest in stuff like this, have you?"

The countess' eyebrows furrowed at Pepper, unable to believe her daughter was asking unusual questions when all she could ask back then was 'How are babies made?' non-stop when she saw a relative visiting with their year-old child.

"Besides, the news about His Grace's wife's death was kept under control so it did not reach the ears of the entire empire, although it was a big deal. "

Pepper narrowed her gaze on her mother, who spoke quietly so as not to be overheard by those around them.

"Then why did you know?"

Countess Alegra hid her face behind her fan and giggled awkwardly, then looked away.

"I...I just know."

Pepper only shook her head, returning her gaze to the man for the final time since a young priest announced that they were about to enter the temple.

'They're leaving, he's leaving!'

Her head rang as she turned away as fast as the speed of light. She felt suffocated when she saw the man step down the stairway from the other side of the vast temple, followed by a few men in dark blue uniform. It was hard for Pepper to look.

Something seemed to get stuck in her throat, parching her mouth. She felt as if she wanted him to stay for some reason, and looked at her—a mere stranger who was asking for too much from another stranger—even for a second and buried her distinct hair color that was hard to forget, in his mind.

The flowers were still in their bud stages, the weather was pleasant and windy, and there were still traces of winter remaining. Yet, Pepper, on the other hand, was perplexed as to why the temperature seemed torrid like never before.

Pepper's face turned crimson red, like a ripe tomato about to be harvested. She fought the urge to not look back and kept her very focus on the temple's entrance. Her heartbeat was deafening, as loud as her every step towards the massive door in front of her.

Something was wrong with her as she muttered the same line to herself.

'What's the matter with me?'