In Belmont, everyone knew each other's business.

A quiet country village in Kent. By day, carriages rattled over cobblestone streets; by evening, people returned home one by one under the old gaslights. Beyond the hills sat ancient manors, and among them, the Williams estate—boasting the largest grounds—could be seen from anywhere in the village.

The lives of the upper class were a world apart from those of ordinary folk. Who dined with whom, which family's ball one attended, how many times one danced with a certain partner. Even love was often discussed in the context of the family name.

So, if one were to ask the young ladies of Belmont who they were most curious about, most would have spoken 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 rumor by the next morning.

Yet, 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 it went no further than that. It was as if he had drawn a line in his eyes from the very beginning. One reason was the fiancée already chosen by his family. On the day she boarded a train for a distant city, Edward followed his parents' wishes and saw her to the station. It should have been a simple matter of saying a final goodbye and returning home.

At least, it was until then.

The train departed, and the steam that filled the platform slowly cleared. As people began to leave one by one, Edward also prepared to depart.

Then, suddenly—

He saw someone standing alone at the end of the platform. A person who gazed at the departing train and seemed unable to move. Edward couldn't understand why his eyes were drawn there, or why his feet felt heavy. He simply watched that person for a long time.

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 at the train station quite often. 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 claimed to have seen Edward standing alone on the platform even after sunset.

Some said he had developed a fondness for trains, while others laughed, wondering if there was someone at the station who had stolen 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 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. And yet, the face became strangely familiar.

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

Not even a name.

And then, several months passed.

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 as they 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, hauntingly familiar. The man gazed at 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, 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.