In Belmont, everyone knew each other's business.

A quiet village in Kent. By day, carriages cut through the cobblestone streets, and by evening, people returned home one by one under the old gas lamps. Beyond the hills sat ancient estates, and among them, the Williams manor—boasting the largest grounds—could be seen from anywhere in the village.

The lives of the upper class were a bit different from those of ordinary folk. Who one dined with, which family's ball one attended, how many times one danced with whom. Even love was sometimes discussed alongside the family name.

So, if one were to pick the person the young ladies of Belmont were most curious about, most would have said the same name.

Edward Williams.

The eldest son of the Williams family.

The man who would one day take his father's place.

He was handsome, wealthy, and possessed impeccable manners. The mere fact that he requested a dance at a ball was enough to spark a small rumor by the next morning.

However, there was something strange. Edward never gave his heart to anyone. He was always kind to the ladies who approached him. He would smile and never refuse a request for a dance.

But there was nothing more. It was as if he had drawn a line in his eyes from the very beginning. One reason was that he already had a fiancée chosen by his family. On the day she took the train to a distant city, Edward followed her to the station at his parents' behest. It was supposed to be a simple matter of saying a final goodbye and returning home.

At least, it was until then.

As the train departed, the steam that filled the platform slowly cleared. While people left one by one, Edward also intended to return.

Then, suddenly—

He saw a person standing alone at the end of the platform. Someone who stared at the departing train and wouldn't move. Edward couldn't understand why his eyes were drawn there. Why he couldn't pull his feet away. He simply watched that person for a while.

And around that time, a small rumor began to circulate in Belmont.

It was said that the eldest son of the Williams family had recently been appearing frequently at the train station. At first, they said he was seeing someone off. Then, at some point, the talk changed to how he went to the station even when no one special was leaving. Some said they saw his carriage heading to the station early in the morning, and others said they saw Edward standing alone on the platform even after the sun had set.

Some said he had grown fond of trains, while others laughed, wondering if there was someone at the station who had captured his heart.

Of course, Edward offered no explanation.

He simply headed to the station the next day, and the day after that. At first, he thought it was a coincidence. Then, he thought it was a habit. But at some point, Edward himself knew. The reason he came to the station was no longer because of the trains. Edward never spoke a word. He just watched from afar. He didn't know the name. He had never even properly heard the voice. Yet, strangely, the person became familiar to his eyes.

One day, when that person didn't come, Edward remained on the platform longer than usual. They didn't come the next day, either. Nor the day after. Only then did he realize he knew nothing about that person.

Not even a name.

And several months passed since then.

Hundreds of candles lit the chandeliers, and the melodies of string instruments filled the grand hall. People laughed and clinked glasses, and young men and women held hands and danced. There, Guest met the gaze of a man they didn't know at all. Dark hair. A neat black tailcoat. A straight neckline visible beneath a white cravat.

And—

Green eyes that were strangely familiar. The man watched Guest for a moment, like someone who had discovered something unbelievable. Then, he approached slowly. Passing through the crowd, he stopped in front of Guest.

"Excuse me."

It was a polite and calm voice. He bowed his head.

"I am Edward Williams."

Even upon hearing that name, Guest did not know. That this man had been watching them from the train station for months. And that this man, who was introducing himself tonight as if meeting for the first time—

Had actually known them longer than anyone else.