From my earliest days, Julian Finch and I were inseparable. He was even closer to me than my own brothers. The adults would chuckle, calling me his little shadow. Yet, the moment Father hinted at an arranged betrothal between our two families, Julian began to avoid me. Every time I sought him out, he would claim he was unavailable. It wasn't until my elder brother, Arthur, brought me to find him, that I overheard his conversation with a friend: "Lady Eleanor Hastings is as dull as a stone, hardly fit to be a Finch bride." 1. Hearing those words, I stood rooted to the spot. Beside me, Arthur was already fuming, threatening to go in and thrash Julian Finch. Dull as a stone. I savored those words, turning them over in my mind. Dull, I had heard often enough. At grand balls, other young ladies would frequently use that word to insult me. Then my elder sisters at home would loudly retort, even complaining to our parents. So I vaguely knew "dull" was an insult. As for "stone"... I recalled the magnificent marble statue in the Town Square. Julian said it was carved from stone. Thinking of that, I felt tears welling up, threatening to spill from the corners of my mouth. Arthur, outside, was already cursing loudly, disturbing those within. Julian and his friend, Jasper Thorne, opened the door. Seeing us standing there, they exchanged awkward glances. Seeing the fire in Arthur's eyes, Jasper quickly stepped out to mediate. "Lord Hastings, please don't take it to heart. Julian had a bit too much to drink just now, that's why his tongue was… untamed!" "Oh? Drank, did he? So he was speaking his mind, then?" Arthur’s voice was sharp. Sweat beaded on Jasper's forehead. He stammered, unsure what to say. Julian, meanwhile, stood composed, as if this whole farce had nothing to do with him. Arthur grew even angrier. He grabbed Julian by the collar. "Julian Finch, what do you mean by that? Apologize to Eleanor, now!" Jasper, fearing a brawl, fretted anxiously. Julian, hearing Arthur's command, seemed to finally notice me standing beside him. He pulled a corner of his lip into a cruel smile. "Eleanor Hastings, not only are you dull, but do you lack all sense of decorum? So desperate to marry into the Finch family?" 2. That day concluded with Arthur landing a punch on Julian Finch. Back home, I hid in my boudoir, refusing to see anyone. When Julian called me "dull" that day, I wasn't particularly hurt. After all, countless people had insulted me with that word since childhood. But he had dared to call me "shameless." Mother had always taught me that one must possess honor and decorum. Without decorum, one was like a person without clothes. So Julian had basically called me naked. I was truly hurt. But I didn't understand what had happened to him. He used to be so kind to me; how could he change so suddenly? Julian used to be genuinely good to me. He would never mock me. Instead, he would take me to the market square to see the lantern displays, or to the tavern for roast boar. Even when he occasionally called me "little simpleton," his tone was always affectionate, unlike others who spoke with undisguised malice. But what had changed now? I pondered deeply. I recalled his shift in demeanor began when Father informed me of the proposed betrothal. Did he not wish to be betrothed to me? If he didn't want it, he should have just said so, shouldn't he? Why must he insult me like this? I pouted, deciding to approach my parents and break off this engagement. 3. Before I even reached my parents' study door, I heard Father's booming voice, thick with anger. "That rogue, Julian Finch! How dare he insult my daughter so! Does he truly think the Hastings family has no honor?!" I hesitated, not daring to enter. Father was usually so gentle, but when he lost his temper, he was terrifying. I remembered one year, I secretly snuck out to play with Julian, and when Father found out, he made me copy three hundred lines of scripture. My wrist still twinged, as if those three hundred lines were calling to me. But Mother had already heard the commotion at the door. The moment she saw me, she cried out and clutched me, wailing. "My darling, my poor, sweet child! How can you be so unfortunate!" She then cried to Father, "My Lord, you must avenge our daughter!" Father's beard practically bristled with indignation. "Broken! This betrothal must be broken!" 4. Father took me to the Finch estate. The Finch estate was right next door to ours. So I thought it was completely unnecessary to walk those few steps. Couldn't we just shout across the garden wall? I used to call out to Julian that way all the time. Upon arriving at the Finch estate, Lord and Lady Finch were both present. They relentlessly grasped my father's hands. Lord Finch's face was filled with remorse. "Lord Hastings, I am deeply sorry! I never imagined that scoundrel would dare to go so far!" Father scoffed. "Lord Finch, your family first proposed this match, speaking of our children as childhood companions, and our families knowing each other's true character. So, what? Is my daughter to chase after yours?" "Yes, yes, you are absolutely right. I have failed in raising my son. When that boy returns, I shall truly teach him a lesson!" Father sighed deeply. "Let it be. Given Julian Finch's behavior, we cannot possibly seek such a union. It would be ill-fated if a betrothal turned into an enmity. This betrothal, I believe, should be broken." Lord Finch's expression grew frantic. He clutched my father's hand, unwilling to let go. "No, you cannot break it! Under no circumstances can you break it!" Just then, a loud shout echoed from the great hall. "What cannot be broken?!" 5. It was Julian Finch himself. The moment Julian arrived, the air in the room seemed to chill. Lord Finch was so enraged by his son's outburst that he called him a defiant wretch. Julian walked directly to me. "Well, well, you've even followed me home now. Eleanor Hastings, do you have no shame left as a young lady?" There it was again. That same accusation. Why did Julian always have to insult me like this? Why had he changed so completely overnight? I despised this betrothal. I despised Julian Finch. Father, seeing Julian so audacious even in his presence, stepped forward and slapped him. Lady Finch gasped, trying to intervene, but Lord Finch restrained her. "That's what this defiant son deserves!" Julian, his face stinging from the slap, dropped to his knees before my father. His expression was calm. "Lord Hastings, I wish to break this betrothal." Father’s face flushed crimson. "Break it! Why wouldn't I break it! Do you think the Hastings family is clinging to you?!" With that, he pulled out the betrothal contract and a jade pendant from his sleeve. The jade pendant was familiar; Mother said it was our betrothal token. I snatched the pendant. Father, thinking I didn't want to break the engagement, looked at me with a hesitant expression. My eyes red-rimmed, I hurled the jade pendant directly at Julian's face. "I don't care for it! Julian Finch, I don't want you anymore!" "What did you say?" Julian abruptly looked up, his eyes bloodshot, staring directly at me. I was startled, stepping back. But then I thought, Father is here; he wouldn't dare strike me, would he? So I straightened my back, looking at him fiercely, and repeated. "Julian Finch, I don't want you anymore! I am the one who doesn't want you!" 6. In the end, the betrothal was broken. That day, I declared before our elders that I did not want Julian Finch. He was so furious his eyes turned red. I was terrified he might hit me, so I hid behind Father. I truly didn't understand him. He clearly didn't want the engagement. I was fulfilling his wish, wasn't I? Instead of being grateful, why was he so aggressive? Mother was disheartened. She stroked my head, saying, "I thought that Finch boy genuinely cared for our Eleanor, but... Alas, what will become of our Eleanor now!" Father scoffed. "What do you mean, 'what now'? My daughter can live at home for her entire life if she wishes. Do you know why that old man, Lord Finch, agreed to this betrothal in the first place? I heard that His Majesty intended to betroth Julian Finch to Princess Rosamund. The royal family and noble houses have been at odds for too long, and Lord Finch simply didn't want to get involved in that mess." ... 7. Truth be told, I was also quite disheartened. Without Julian, no one else wanted to play with me anymore. Arthur, my elder brother, studied diligently all day, and Mother forbade me from disturbing him. Most of my cousins had married into other families, and could no longer look after me as they once did. Where would I find another playmate? I was so worried I squatted in the corner of the garden, pretending to grow mushrooms. Just as my legs began to ache from squatting, I heard a rustling sound nearby. What was that? A large rat? All the hairs on my body stood on end. I looked around, my gaze locking onto a patch of tall grass not far away. Faintly, a large dark shape was visible. Whoa, a rat that big! I picked up a wooden stick nearby and cautiously crept closer. Just as the stick, as thick as my wrist, was about to come down, the dark shadow in the grass suddenly leaped out. "Mercy, kind stranger! I won't steal any more food!" I was so startled that the wooden stick fell from my hand. Looking closer, a young man with bright lips and teeth stood before me! What a handsome large rat! No! What a handsome young man! The man before me wore a large black cloak, his features refined. Even with some dirt smudges on his face, it didn't detract from his handsomeness. He held a half-eaten chicken leg in his hand, and a blush crept beneath the grime on his face. He bowed his head. "I apologize, I didn't mean to steal your family's chicken! Ah, why are you drooling? Are you hungry too?" Drooling? I wiped the corner of my mouth. Hungry? That was easy enough to fix! I, Eleanor Hastings, was never short on food! 8. The handsome young man told me his name was Leo Kent. He had run away from home after an argument with his family. Unfortunately, his coin purse had also been stolen, leaving him without food for three days. I hid him in the guest room in our courtyard and secretly brought him plenty of food. Leo ravenously devoured the food. He ate with such gusto that it made me happy to watch. Although my family wouldn't scold me, they always ate in a very refined manner. Even Julian Finch, he only took a few bites at each meal, making me constantly worry he would starve to death. Julian, in turn, would lecture me for not being like a proper noble lady. "To eat little is polite; to eat much is ill-mannered." But I never listened to him. Mother said not eating enough would make me ill. And I should never imitate the delicate, willowy demeanor of other young ladies. Noticing me watching him, Leo awkwardly wiped his mouth. "I'm not usually like this. I'm just extremely hungry today." "It's alright. You look very handsome when you eat." Leo was startled by my bluntness. He hugged his bowl and turned away, continuing to eat noisily. I kept Leo hidden in the guest room. For every meal, I would ask for an extra portion. Mother, seeing my suddenly increased appetite, looked at me with concern. I blinked innocently. "Mother, I've just been very hungry lately." Mother wrung her handkerchief, hesitating to speak. "Eleanor, there are many good young gentlemen in the world. Please, don't think ill-advised thoughts and resort to overeating!" I vaguely understood Mother's meaning. Was she worried I was heartbroken after breaking off the engagement with Julian? Nonsense! I had a new playmate now. He was a million times more handsome than Julian! When I told Leo this, he stopped gnawing on the chicken leg, and the corners of his mouth visibly drooped. "Julian Finch? Who's that? So you have other good friends besides me!" Mentioning Julian, my own mood also dampened. "He used to be the kindest person to me, besides Father, Mother, Arthur, and my sisters." Leo’s mouth twitched. "Ranked so far down, he can't have been that important, then! Hey, tell me about your past with him!" 9. Our past? The Hastings and Finch families were ancient noble houses, for centuries. My father and Lord Finch were even lifelong friends. Mother said I had a high fever when I was three, and since then, I had been a bit slow-witted. Once, at a ball, I secretly ran off to the lakeside. I was pushed to the ground by several children. "It's that little simpleton from the Hastings family!" they jeered. "Let's not play with her, or we'll catch her simpleton's disease!" With that, they gathered handfuls of snow from the ground and threw them at me. Julian Finch was already a tall boy then. Seeing the children bullying me, his face hardened, and he beat them soundly. Then he picked me up and carried me to the hearth to warm by the fire. I remembered the fierce heat of that fire. And I remembered the sharp, angular profile of the young boy's face. Later, I learned that Julian had also gone to each of the children's homes, complaining to their parents about what they had done. That winter, the grand estates in the capital rang with the cries of disciplined children. My family was aghast when they learned of it. Father and Mother never imagined anyone would dare to bully a Hastings daughter. From then on, no matter where I went, they would send someone to protect me. My cousins in the family would also stay by my side at balls, never leaving me. Father and Mother were grateful to Julian, and the two families became even closer. Julian felt I was too lonely at home. So, he often took me out to play. My family trusted him completely. Thus, unlike other young ladies, I grew up exploring every corner of the capital with Julian. He was the most important person to me, besides my family. So when Father asked if I wanted to spend my life with Julian, I wholeheartedly agreed. 10. "So what now? You broke off your friendship?" Leo, his mouth full of grease from gnawing on the chicken leg, didn't forget to twist the knife in my heart. "Yes," I admitted. "It's alright! You have me now, don't you? I'll play with you from now on!" "Can you also take me to new places to play?" My eyes lit up, my mind already envisioning where we could go. Leo gave an awkward laugh. "Well, you see, although I grew up in the capital, I haven't really been anywhere." Seeing my expression dim, he hastily added, "But you can take me! Once we've played all over the capital, we can explore other places too!" Me, leading Leo? I thought about it. The idea was brilliant! Before, Julian had always led me. Now, I could lead Leo. I wasn't inferior to Julian, was I? I wasn't a little simpleton! I thought, delighted. Just then, my lady-in-waiting, Lily, called out from outside. "My Lady, where are you? Princess! Princess Rosamund wishes to see you!"
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