After the rain had just stopped, droplets of water still clung to the road, and beads of rain hung heavily from the leaves. Under the sunlight, those droplets shimmered like scattered diamonds, sparkling with a quiet brilliance. A Pajero slowly drove through the glistening street, moving gently toward the dormitory entrance, passing through the fading traces of rain.
Julian had escorted Rosalie all the way to her dorm before bidding farewell to his beloved and returning home. When Rosalie arrived upstairs, she found Erika and Lily already sitting together, eating noodles. Steam rose continuously from the bowl placed between them, the warm aroma filling the room. In the cold weather, there was nothing more comforting than a hot bowl of noodles.
Seeing Rosalie enter, Lily waved at her with her mouth still full. Rosalie washed her hands and quietly joined them. The noodles were filled with assorted seafood and fresh vegetables, making them look extremely appetizing. She took a bowl, gently stirred the noodles with her chopsticks, and lifted a few strands. The fragrant steam rising from the bowl was irresistibly tempting.
At that moment, Mia returned from outside, bringing another girl into the room. That girl was none other than Elara. Everyone welcomed her joyfully, treating it like a reunion of friends. Lily, being the wine lover she always was, immediately pulled out a bottle of wine, insisting that no gathering was complete without it.
The five of them—Mia, Lily, Elara, Erika, and Rosalie—sat and talked late into the night. Rosalie felt genuinely happy to be surrounded by her friends again. However, beneath that happiness, she also felt a quiet uneasiness. Certain events were beginning to change compared to the past. They were not drastic changes, but they were no longer small enough to ignore. It felt like the butterfly effect—tiny differences slowly altering the course of fate.
...…
While everyone rested in silence, Rosalie and Mia remained seated near the table, continuing their studies. Mia sat reading a thick theory book while biting into an apple, occasionally writing notes on the pages. Inside the book were many annotations written in Rosalie's handwriting. Suddenly, Lily woke up and moved beside Mia, collapsing onto her lap with sleepy heaviness.
"Hey… Lily, go sleep on the bed,"
Mia complained.
"I'm still studying and taking notes."
But Lily ignored her completely, covering Mia's mouth with her hand and placing a pillow over her head, as if silencing her on purpose. Then, without warning, she suddenly sprang up again, sat upright, and grabbed Rosalie's arm tightly.
"Rosie… I need to tell you something vey important,"
She said seriously, her eyes wide open.
Her appearance looked disheveled, her hair messy like a burst straw nest. Rosalie looked at her and smiled faintly before nodding.
"Okay… go ahead, Lily."
"Don't smile like that. You're ruining the mood. Listen carefully—this is very important."
Lily leaned closer, slightly pulling the curtain aside and peeking outside cautiously, as if checking whether someone was listening. Then she turned back and whispered,
"Rosie… you need to be more careful with your relationship with Julian from now on. I'm serious. If you're not careful, trouble will come on its own."
She stared at Rosalie intensely before leaning closer again.
"I overheard something the other day. Ethan was on the phone. He said he's going to assign someone to keep an eye on your relationship."
After saying that, Lily sat back down on the sofa. Rosalie remained silent for a long time, simply staring at her without speaking. Then she gave a faint, almost helpless smile.
"I'll be careful, Lily…"
From a distance, Erika lay on the bed quietly observing everything. After listening for a while, she closed her eyes again, placing a hand over her forehead, and drifted back to sleep.
...…
The next morning, sunlight poured gently over the wet grass, illuminating every droplet still clinging to the green blades. Wearing a white night robe buttoned tightly at the chest, Isabella stood on the balcony holding a cup of hot coffee. She took a slow sip, then turned and walked back into the room.
She sat on the edge of the bed and picked up her phone.
"…Hello…"
"Ethan… are you feeling better? Do you need anything?"
"…No, I'm fine. Please take care of your health, Mom."
"Did you do what I told you? Are you behaving properly?"
"..."
"Ethan… I'm saying this for your future. Don't waste your time on things that bring no benefit."
"Mom… what benefit does it bring when you compare me with Julian and try to make me surpass him? I don't want wealth or status."
"Whether you want it or not, money is necessary to survive in this world."
"Then keep enjoying your wealth, Mom. I don't need it. Julian can handle the business. I don't want his riches or his glory… I only want the flower he is holding. That alone is enough for me. No matter what it takes…"
Isabella sighed deeply and stood up, walking toward the window. She folded her arms and stared outside before speaking again.
"Ethan… will you promise me something?"
"Tell me, Mom. Is it something I can promise?"
"If you manage to get Rosalie Violet… will you really leave that organization?"
Ethan stayed silent for a moment before replying in a calm, cold voice.
"If you can make it happen, I will keep that promise. No matter if I have to reach the sky or cross the ocean…"
"Alright… then keep your word. For now, stay away from trouble, Ethan. You're going to give me high blood pressure at this rate."
Without saying another word, Ethan ended the call.