The sender of the letter was a small independent publisher.

Rowena looked up at the building excitedly. She stood on Harlem Street, it was not a wealthy neighborhood lined with magnificent mansions. 

In fact, the building in front of her was also an old building where paint was flaking off in places, and the gray walls underneath were exposed. It didn’t even have a proper sign on it.

The unexpected appearance made her a little nervous, but she was all right.

It was the only one of the publishers, to whom she had sent the manuscript, that had sent her a reply.

“My lady…”

At that time, a frightened voice caught the attention of Rowena, who was excited, and she turned her head. 

Her gaze fell on Melissa who was looking around anxiously. 

“My lady, where are you? You said you were shopping at the department store.” 

“That’s …”

Feeling guilty about the innocent look on her face, Rowena averted her gaze.

The fact that she’d submitted a novel under a man’s name was a secret, and she shouldn’t have known that this was a publishing company. The Duke wished for her to remain a puppet that would stay at home quietly.

An attendant always followed behind her whenever she left the house, however, after three years, she found that when Melissa accompanied her, there was no additional attendant. So, she took advantage of Melissa, who knew nothing about it. 

Melissa looked suspiciously at Rowena, who avoided answering, and glanced at the bag she was carrying.

“Isn’t that men’s clothing? What on earth are you doing with this?”

“That’s …….”

Hesitantly, Rowena raised her index finger and placed it to her lips.

“I’ll tell you if you keep my secret.”

Rowena remembered the last day she saw her parents.

 It was when she was five years old.

 ―we will be back soon Rowena.

 ―You’ll just have to wait five nights.

Her parents, who ran a small store, were the kindest people she’d ever met. They loved each other more than anyone else, and they showed it off when other people were out of their sight. 

Rowena, their only daughter, was no exception to this…

Even as a child, Rowena knew… She knew that she always came in second place to them.

―Listen to your nanny and wait.

When the store was thriving and they could afford to relax, her parents went on the honeymoon that they had been putting off. They never looked back at Rowena, who was held in her nanny’s arms…

Then they left and never came back. On their trip they had caught a contagious disease and died fighting the disease. 

As soon as the news reached her, her relatives crowded around the orphaned Rowena. They divided up her father’s property as if they had been waiting for her parent’s death.

However, no one wanted to take Rowena with them.

―We’re too poor to take such a young girl. 

―Do you think it’s just you? We are also busy because of our newborn baby. 

―But that doesn’t mean we can send her to an orphanage……

Rowena remembers clearly what she saw and heard on that day. In the end, they agreed to pay a small amount of money and leave her to a foster family, when a stranger showed up at their door.

It was a young man.

―Then I’ll take care of Rowena.