Pavel took a slow breath, diverting his gaze from Keith, who was still staring blankly out the window.  Beyond the large glass pane, moonlight reflected onto the surface of the table, illuminating the weary side of the man's face.

 

"I will prepare you some warm tea as usual," Pavel finally said, bowing respectfully before leaving the room.

 

After Pavel said that, Keith didn't utter a word. He merely closed his eyes for a moment, silently trying to calm the turmoil within him. But the harder he tried, the stronger the woman's image clung to his mind.

 

Her face, her smile, even her voice… everything danced in his thoughts, refusing to be forgotten.  As if the world conspired to constantly remind him of a wound that hadn't fully healed.

 

Keith sighed deeply, slowly rising from his chair. He straightened his jacket and stepped out of the study, now dimly lit only by the desk lamp and the moonlight streaming through the window.

 

The long hallway in the Hale mansion stretched silently before him. As usual, the moonlight reflected off the marble walls, penetrating from the tall glass windows. His footsteps echoed softly as he walked through the magnificent residence.

 

Keith stopped when his eyes caught something unusual – an open door along the mansion's hallway. It was rare for a door in his residence to be open unintentionally, especially at night. His brow furrowed slightly, and he approached slowly.

 

Upon reaching the doorway, Keith immediately recognized the room. The main guest room in the east wing, now the residence of Lady Celestia Edeviene, the woman who officially became his wife today.

 

He entered silently, allowing the moonlight filtering through the window to be the only illumination. His gaze immediately fell upon the woman lying on the large bed, a blanket covering part of her body. Her long, wavy hair cascaded freely beside the pillow, creating a subtle contrast with the pale bedsheets.

 

Keith stood there for a long time, silently gazing at the figure. Celestia Edeviene… the name wasn't unfamiliar to him. He had known her for quite some time, even since he was still in a relationship with Isabelle. This woman always looked at him when they passed each other, and Keith often felt that Celestia regarded him with something difficult to explain, like pity and a hint of envy? Or something more complex than that?

 

Keith wasn't sure.

 

He stared at the sleeping woman, silently clenching his own hands at his sides. His gaze lowered slightly, a hesitation and a faint emotion churning beneath his calm face. In silence, his heart acknowledged one thing: he felt sorry for her.

 

From the circulating rumors, Keith knew the reason Celestia proposed this marriage wasn't entirely of her own volition. She did it at the request of Count Edeviene, her father and an old friend of Keith's father. Their relationship was more like an exchange of interests between noble families than an agreement born of love.

 

"You shouldn't have done that, Lady," Keith murmured softly, his voice almost swallowed by the night wind. "I might be able to simply respect you… but I can't accept you."

 

At that moment, a gust of cold night air slipped into the room, making his skin tingle momentarily. Keith glanced towards the window and saw it was open, the curtains dancing lightly in the breeze.  With slow steps, he approached and closed the window.

 

"Really…" he muttered, glancing towards the bed. "No matter how tired you are, you shouldn't forget such a trivial thing, Lady."

 

Keith sighed softly, then slowly shook his head as if laughing at himself. A short, bitter laugh escaped his lips. He truly didn't understand what compelled him to come to this room.

 

His gaze returned to the figure lying on the bed. He raised an eyebrow, his forehead slightly furrowed as he stared at the woman. Whatever he was thinking, his eyes held a mixture of unpredictable feelings.

 

After a few seconds of silence, Keith finally diverted his gaze and continued his steps. He turned and left the room without saying a word, letting the door close softly behind him.

 

The next day, morning sunlight streamed into the room where Lyra was sleeping. The chirping of birds in the distance seemed to welcome the new day. She furrowed her brow slightly, then stretched before slowly opening her eyes.

 

An unfamiliar ceiling met her gaze. For a moment, she was silent, as if adjusting to the reality that had just greeted her. She slowly sat up on the edge of the bed, her long hair falling to her shoulders, her eyes still slightly heavy.

 

Lyra looked out the window. The morning air seemed clear, but beneath it, a chill crept in. She sighed softly, then whispered as if speaking to herself.

 

"Ah yes… I just did that yesterday." She murmured, holding her head down.

 

She then moved, slowly lowering her legs from the bed.  Both hands gripped the edge of the mattress, as if trying to restrain the emotions that were starting to surface within her. Her gaze was vacant, but in her mind, various unanswered questions swirled.

 

Even this morning, the man hadn't met her. No knock on the door, no greeting, not the slightest sign that Keith Hale considered the recently concluded marriage to be meaningful. If he didn't intend to go through with this marriage, why did he accept it in the first place?

 

Lyra gritted her teeth softly; she felt annoyed. She might be able to accept being treated like this, but what about Celestia's true feelings? Was she used to being treated this way?

 

That thought hung in the morning air, which was slowly beginning to warm the room. But none of those questions could be answered at this time. All Lyra could do was stare at the cold floor beneath her feet, trying to strengthen herself for the new day.

 

A soft knock on the door roused her from her reverie. Lyra raised her face, as if hoping for something unreasonable. She quickly got out of bed and walked slowly towards the door, her heartbeat changing rhythm slightly. Was it Keith Hale? But when the door opened, that hope immediately vanished. She almost laughed at herself for thinking the man would come to see her.

 

Standing before her was not her husband, but a strange woman she had never seen before. The woman appeared to be in her late thirties, wearing a simple but neat plain black dress. Her demeanor was graceful and formal, quite different from the servants Lyra had seen in this mansion.

 

"Hello, Madam. I'm Maddie," the woman said in a calm and professional voice. "For the time being, I will be attending to you in this mansion until your personal maid arrives." She continued, then lifted her skirt slightly and curtsied politely.

 

Lyra looked at the woman named Maddie for a moment. Her gaze sharpened, a flash of recognition crossing her mind. The name Maddie felt familiar. She closed her eyes for a split second, trying to recall details from the novel that was now her reality.

 

Maddie Vernelle. Yes, that was her full name. Someone who could be said to be frequently mentioned in the novel; she was the wife of Count Vernelle, the previous Marquiss Hale's sisters, and also known as the woman who had been Keith's wet nurse since childhood.

 

In the original storyline, Maddie strongly disliked Isabelle, the woman who had abandoned Keith mercilessly. She didn't hide her anger, even openly warning Isabelle for hurting the man she considered like her own son.

 

Seeing the woman now standing before her, she quickly curtsied, clutching her nightgown tightly, trying to suppress the sudden nervousness.

 

"Hello, Madam Vernelle," she said respectfully but warmly. "I didn't expect you to serve me directly. I feel very honored." A small smile spread across her lips, although in her heart she felt awkward.

 

Maddie looked at Lyra sharply, "There's no need for that, Madam," she replied calmly, raising her chin slightly, "Your status is higher than mine, so don't demean yourself like that. You are now the Young Master's wife; that's enough to put you above me."

 

Lyra furrowed her brow slightly at Maddie's words.

 

"Young Master...?" she asked softly, a hint of confusion in her voice.

 

"Oh, I apologize," Maddie replied quickly, her smile widening slightly but sincerely. "I'm used to calling that child 'Young Master.' Since childhood, I helped raise him… old habits die hard, especially when it comes to a child I dearly love."

 

Lyra felt awkward with the current situation. Maddie's presence felt strange, not only because she had just met the woman in person, but because of her memories as a novel reader. In the original novel, Celestia and Maddie were never mentioned as having a close relationship; she only considered Celestia as someone who held the status of a companion to her foster child.

 

Suddenly, the voice and blue board that had been instructing her since she first entered this world reappeared.

 

[Notification: Strategy to alter the original plot has been received.]

 

[Notification: Approach Maddie Vernelle and win her over as the first step to prevent the tragic ending.]

 

[Notification: Character Maddie has high affection for Keith Hale. Gaining her trust will unlock hidden plot options.]

 

Lyra stared at the blue board, her eyebrows trembling slightly. The blue board clearly gave instructions that couldn't be ignored, and even though she was just starting to get used to Celestia's role, this situation felt increasingly complicated. She had to approach Maddie, who seemed to be an important part of the storyline that needed to be changed.

 

Maddie looked at Lyra with a sharper gaze than before. Her eyebrows furrowed slightly, her eyes containing a subtle hint of caution.

 

"Madam...?" she finally said, her voice sounding slightly hesitant and confused.