ADLG 19

Chapter 19

To become close with someone, the first step was to learn what they liked and share in it.

What kind of memorable conversation could two people have by talking about flower arrangement for five hours when neither of them cared about it?

Fortunately, ever since her days as Livenia, Nadia had been interested in horses and had a fairly good eye for them.

Of course, she had never gambled before, but she was not too worried.

Nadia stared intently at Conrad, who had followed her all the way to the racetrack.

“…Why are you looking at me like that?”

“I’ll trust only you, Conrad.”

At Nadia’s teasing words, Conrad let out a groan.

When Livenia had first saved Conrad, he had been a boy thoroughly immersed in gambling dens.

And not just any boy—a clever one, clever enough for gamblers themselves to fear and target him.

“…There are a lot of people. And a lot of horses.”

Well, it was a racetrack.

Nadia noticed Conrad awkwardly changing the subject, but instead of teasing him further, she only smiled faintly.

“My lady, Boss, Miss Crimson is over there.”

Vivian pointed toward one side of the racetrack.

Thanks to purchasing the most expensive seats, they were seated quite close to Yulia Crimson.

Nadia casually glanced at Yulia, and their eyes met.

The woman’s blue eyes curved warmly, as though greeting her.

What a sociable young lady, Nadia thought, nodding lightly in return.

Since they were close enough to exchange greetings, this place would make it easy to strike up a short conversation with Yulia later.

Nadia carefully observed the horses appearing on the track.

If possible, she wanted to win money first. That would make approaching Yulia much easier…

The horse most favored by the crowd was a gray horse called Steel Scale. Its sleek coat reflected the sunlight so brilliantly that it truly resembled polished steel.

‘But it seems too excited.’

A certain level of excitement could make a horse run faster, but a horse overly worked up would stop listening to its rider.

Nadia calmly examined all ten horses.

“Which horse will you choose? The safest bet is Steel Scale, but that won’t help you get close to the target.”

“I think Golden Rose looks the prettiest.”

She heard Conrad and Vivian talking beside her, but their conversation barely registered.

Nadia’s gaze was fixed on the smallest black horse on the field, Big Raven.

Unlike the others, its coat lacked shine, as though it had not been groomed properly. It also looked as though it had failed to intimidate the other horses before the race.

‘But there’s a strange light near Big Raven’s heart.’

Nadia subtly tested Conrad, but apparently he could not see it.

‘What in the world is that?’

After hesitating until the very end, Nadia finally placed her bet on Big Raven.

As the race began, the horses burst forward all at once, and just as everyone expected, Steel Scale charged ahead wildly.

Golden Rose stayed close behind.

“Rose! You can do it, Rose!”

It seemed Yulia had bet on Golden Rose, because she immediately began cheering loudly.

Nadia’s Big Raven was buried among the ten horses, nearly impossible to see.

‘Maybe I imagined the light because of the sunlight?’

The moment Nadia thought that, the overexcited Steel Scale and Golden Rose crashed hard into each other. The horses behind them panicked and lost their rhythm as well.

“Huh? Huh?!”

“What the hell is that horse?!”

Amid the chaos, a small black horse suddenly shot to the front.

It was Big Raven.

Big Raven sprinted calmly and crossed the finish line first.

It was nothing short of a miracle.

Even Nadia herself widened her eyes in shock.

“Al! How did you know? How did you know Big Raven would come in first?!”

Yulia leapt from her seat and shouted excitedly at the man sitting beside her.

Her voice was not angry—it was filled with exhilaration, disbelief, and joy all at once.

“This is amazing! I’m officially a Big Raven fan starting today! It’s so tiny, but its name has ‘big’ in it! That’s adorable!”

Yulia made an enormous fuss, completely unlike a proper noble lady.

The man sitting beside her grabbed her arm and pulled her back down into her seat.

He seemed to say something to her, but Nadia could not hear him clearly because of the distance and his large hat.

Though honestly, Yulia’s voice alone had been loud enough for the entire racetrack.

After a brief moment of thought, Nadia leaned toward Vivian and whispered something.

Vivian listened carefully, then immediately shouted even louder than Yulia.

“Ahhh! My lady, you bet on Big Raven? How did you know Big Raven would win? That’s incredible! How much money did we win?!”

At once, Yulia’s head snapped toward Nadia.

Nadia felt a slight chill run down her spine, but she was certain her goal had been accomplished.

After the race ended, Nadia sat inside the carriage, waiting for Conrad to collect the winnings.

Or rather, she was pretending to wait.

Her real purpose was to wait for Yulia to approach her.

Not long afterward, Vivian politely greeted someone outside.

“You’ve come to see my lady? May I ask who I should say you are?”

“We’re not acquainted yet. Ah, right! Tell her I’m the girl around her age who exchanged greetings with her before the race started. I’ve never met another noble young lady here besides myself! I’m sure your mistress feels the same way.”

That made sense. Racetracks were usually visited by men, and most women there were older noblewomen.

Vivian slipped into the carriage and whispered excitedly.

“My lady, did you hear that? It’s her!”

“Good. Let’s go.”

“Yes, my lady.”

With Vivian assisting her, Nadia stepped down from the carriage.

Seeing Yulia up close, Nadia realized how hastily her portrait had been painted.

Her jet-black hair contrasted sharply against her pale skin and gleamed with the healthy shine of a fine horse’s mane.

Her blue eyes were as bright and cloudless as a clear summer sky.

Her figure—neither too tall nor too short, slim yet curvaceous—was equally beautiful.

Looking at Yulia, Nadia suddenly found herself doubting all the rumors surrounding her.

After all, with such a lovely beauty, scandalous gossip would spread even if she had never once held a man’s hand.

“You were looking for me?”

“That’s right! Excuse me, but you placed a large bet on Big Raven during the race, didn’t you?”

Pretending to be surprised, Nadia covered her mouth lightly and blinked.

“How did you know?”

“Sorry, I overheard a little. That was amazing! Are you a wizard too, like Al?”

A wizard?

Nadia was about to ask about the unexpected word when a large hand gently wrapped around Yulia’s shoulder.

“Yuri, that’s enough. My apologies, my lady. Yuri becomes overly excited for a while after horse races. She loves horses very much. I hope you can forgive her.”

It was the man who had sat beside Yulia throughout the race.

The man called Al removed his hat and extended a hand toward Nadia. After a brief hesitation, she accepted it, and his soft lips brushed against the back of her hand.

It was a standard greeting exchanged between noblemen and noblewomen in high society, though it felt somewhat intimate. Rather than pointing it out, Nadia only smiled lightly.

“Of course it’s fine. This is a place for leisure, after all. One should enjoy oneself comfortably.”

At Nadia’s gentle response, the man’s eyes curved pleasantly.

He was breathtakingly handsome.

Unlike Yulia’s warm blue eyes, his held a colder shade, though they did not appear cruel.

Rather, there was something sorrowful about him—something that would surely captivate countless women.

His long pale blond hair was loosely tied back, yet instead of looking messy, it only enhanced his beauty.

“Please call me Al, my lady.”

After a moment of consideration, Nadia firmly maintained a line between them.

“You seem to be someone of high standing. How could I possibly do that? I would appreciate it if you told me your full name.”

Nadia’s goal was to become close to Yulia.

If this man truly was Yulia’s lover, becoming overly familiar with him could easily provoke resentment.

“Oh dear, how rude of me. I am Arkis Flang.”

Arkis Flang?

Was he a member of the Flang Ducal House, the leaders of the southern nobility?

Though startled by the appearance of such an influential figure, Nadia forced herself to remain calm and bowed politely before turning toward Yulia.

In the Empire, those of higher rank had the privilege of introducing themselves first.

Thus, when neither party knew the other’s status, allowing the other person to introduce themselves first was considered a courtesy.

Yulia nodded gratefully and greeted her cheerfully.

“I’m Yulia Crimson. I can’t tell you how happy I am to meet another young noble lady in a place like this. I’m always begging Al—that is, Young Duke Flang—to bring me here.”

The Flang Ducal House and the Crimson County were allied through marriage ties.

Yulia and Arkis were probably cousins.

Still, Nadia had not expected them to be close enough to visit the racetrack together.

She was curious about the story behind it, but right now, Yulia was far more important.

According to the information Vivian gathered, Yulia visited the racetrack at least once a week.

Nadia could now understand why Count Crimson had delayed his daughter’s debutante.

No matter how clever Yulia was, her naturally lively personality was impossible to completely hide. He must have been constantly anxious about it.

“I am Nadia of House Hess. It is a pleasure to meet you.”

“Hess?”

Yulia openly looked as though she had never heard of it, while Arkis smoothly covered for her.

“If a lady as beautiful as you resides there, then the Hess territory must surely be a wonderful place indeed.”