At the uncomfortable dining table, Caella tried her best to do her job properly. Thanks to Peon, she was wide awake and able to focus on discussing the schedule for the Kerujan delegation’s visit instead of being distracted by hunger.

However, Peon’s casual remark at the end of several discussions caught Caella off guard again.

“If the Duchess of Monde comes at you the same way again over today’s incident, tell her I sent my regards.”

Peon’s eyes were directed at Caella.

Caella used the distinctive aristocratic speech of Crain, the capital of Crania. It was an elegant, roundabout way of speaking that Peon found quite irritating.

He always preferred to speak directly. Caella knew this well, but this time Peon was using the same meaningful aristocratic speech as her.

When she encounters the Duchess of Monde again later, it surely won’t elicit a good reaction.

Conveying Peon’s regards at that time meant for Caella not to confront her, but to send her to Peon. In the end, it also meant that Peon would resolve any issues related to that family that troubled Caella.

Count Ostaine, Adeo de Chasseur, also showed considerable interest.

“Why, did something happen?”

Before Caella could answer, Peon told Count Ostaine exactly what the Duchess of Monde had said and cut in sharply.

“It’s not something you need to concern yourself with.”

“Ah, I’m sorry.”

The immediate apology and quickly averted gaze made Peon regret it right away.

He knew his tone and expression were quite difficult for Caella, a nobly raised princess, to deal with. Before his regression, his wife had always tried to engage him in conversation despite this.

It always ended with him giving only short answers or dismissing her with “That’s not something for you to be involved in,” leaving only her embarrassed. It had been that way his whole life since childhood.

Even now, Caella would likely see him as a very uncomfortable presence, interpreting his curt refusal. He used to think that was how their relationship should be, but not anymore. Peon had no intention of repeating such foolish behavior.

“What I mean is, it’s not an issue worth you worrying about.”

Those clear, icy blue eyes turned to him again. Just having Caella look at him again filled Peon with infinite satisfaction.

Given how much he cared for her, was it really okay to end things on bad terms? He wanted them to have a good relationship, at the very least.

“Honestly, you should have gotten angry, Caella.”

Of course, Caella was too kind to do that. She was someone who endured for a very long time while gradually changing situations bit by bit.

If they had been given more time, or if Caella had infinite patience and strength to endure, she would have eventually taken control of Lucenford Castle as the Grand Duchess.

But they didn’t have time. Four years was too short, and they ended up losing everything.

“The Duchess of Monde really crossed a line by saying that.”

Adeo muttered politely.

“A duchess and a grand duchess are different after all.”

Caella smiled slightly, echoing what Peon had said to the Duchess of Monde.

It was closer to a slight upward curl of her lips for formality’s sake, but Peon realized how long it had been since he’d seen that smile. She was someone who knew how to smile. Even with just a small smile, a gentle light seemed to surround her, as if the sunlight followed only her.

“It’s nonsense, considering that even under imperial law, the Ostaine Duchy approved by the late emperor is different from the ordinary Monde Duchy,” Peon said flatly. At the same time, the precious Ostaine princess had no reason to be further entangled with the empress’s illegitimate child.

“It shouldn’t happen again, but if it does, don’t just let it go. Tell me about it, Caella.”

“Thank you.”

Caella’s formal smile and response showed she was no longer someone connected to him. Peon knew this reply was also just a formality.

*

The three of them were extremely busy for several days. While Adeo and Peon conferred with the Foreign Ministry ministers about Kerujan affairs, Caella ran through the palace holding up her dress skirts.

“If there was a Grand Duchess of Lucenford, she could have overseen this.”

The Duchess of Monde pouted, but with the current empress unable to act, the Ostaine princess was the highest-ranking lady, above the emperor’s unacknowledged illegitimate children.

The Duchess of Monde firmly believed her daughter would become the Grand Duchess. That had been the prevailing opinion in society so far.

“Oh Mother, why say such things? Peon isn’t married yet after all.”

Of course, Beatrice Lavalle, who was restraining her mother, likely had different thoughts.

Honestly, Caella was a bit curious about when exactly she had become close enough to call the emperor by name so casually, but now was not the time to figure that out.

“There’s so much work!”

Even the high-ranking princess was on the verge of screaming. The Great Cranian Empire couldn’t treat the Kerujan Kingdom’s delegation shabbily.

A schedule showcasing Crania’s dazzling wealth and influence, diverse food culture, and elegant banquets was prepared through the efforts of the three.

Ah, how long had it been since she’d worked properly like this? Caella thought as she collapsed exhaustedly.

She chose the food and dance music for the banquet, selected the colors for napkins and curtains, tablecloths and flowers, reviewed the guest list of nobles to invite several times, and thoroughly grasped all the subtle political issues they would discuss.

All of this was what Caella did best. She had done it admirably as Grand Duchess too, but at Lucenford, no one had appreciated her efforts.

No, in fact, there was no one to cooperate, making it difficult to do a proper job, and when the results were a mess due to lack of proper cooperation, she was often ridiculed. A Grand Duchess without backing had such a hard time.

Caella’s expression was radiant after smoothly carrying out work she enjoyed with experts for the first time in a while.

“Wow, that was fun…”

She couldn’t be happier that there was still a mountain of work to do tomorrow. Feeling useful, Caella sat alone on the sofa in the half-prepared conference room and kicked off her shoes.

“Ouch…”

Everything was good except her feet hurt too much. One shoe was tossed aside. Thinking it would be fine to place the other right next to it, Caella flung the remaining shoe.

The shoe flew further than expected in an arc. Then it hit the leg of someone just entering and fell with a thud. Caella startled and sat up. As soon as those purple eyes turned her way, an apology reflexively burst out.

“Ah, I’m sorry!”

She quickly picked up the closer shoe first, stepping on the polished floor covered with carpet.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t know someone was coming in… I’m really sorry.”

She had made a mistake. Her heart pounded and cold sweat broke out. What should she do? She would receive that icy Lucenford gaze again, colder than before.

That indifferent gaze mixed with contempt, filled with disdain, stripping a person bare. Apologies poured endlessly from her mouth, and her small hands trembled as they frantically felt around the carpet.

It was unbecoming of a ‘Grand Duchess.’ The Grand Duke’s dignity had been greatly offended, and he would be terribly ashamed of her. Shame washed over her along with it.

Before Caella could retrieve the shoe that had struck just above the large man’s ankle and rolled away, the man picked it up first. Caella, sitting on the floor, followed his hand with her gaze, her face pale.

“Caella, it’s okay.”

Peon smiled slightly, bending down with her instead of looking down while standing straight. Caella stared at him with wide eyes, her shoulders hunched tightly like a squirrel or cat facing a predator.

“Why are you so startled when it’s fine? Did I scare you?”

Only after seeing that handsome face smiling calmly did she snap back to her senses. A breath escaped between her slightly parted pink lips.

“I’m sorry for startling you. Can you stand up?”

Unlike the Lucenford people with their booming voices, Peon asked very softly and quietly. If he didn’t lower his voice for Caella with her small chest rising and falling in surprise and her wide eyes, it felt like she might faint from shock.

Caella, sitting in the massive conference room that no one would use until the Kerujan delegation arrived, had pale platinum blonde hair sparkling in the sunlight, skin clear and unblemished, and a very small build.

It seemed like she would be easily hurt if handled roughly, or disappear into the light pouring through the floor-to-ceiling windows.

Caella was always like that. Just looking at her made him uneasy. If he got any closer, it felt like something would break.

Either her, or something hanging over him would break. So the foolish Peon who chose not to look at all, thinking it was easier, reached out his hand before she could gather her wits.

“Let me help you.”

He easily lifted Caella, who couldn’t even properly say she was fine, and sat her on the large sofa where she had been originally. The weight of her heavy dress was nothing to him.

“…Thank you.”

Only after barely managing to express her gratitude did Caella realize she had used formal speech again. The language habit forcibly changed because of Peon over 4 years and ingrained in her bones couldn’t change so easily.

“You’re welcome.”

But Peon didn’t bother to point that out.

He gently took the shoe Caella was gripping tightly and neatly placed it under the sofa along with the other one he had picked up. Then, instead of sitting with Caella, he sat on the sofa behind her.

With his body devoid of fat and filled with solid muscle, along with his enormous height, Peon had a weighty presence to match his imposing figure. So when he sat diagonally on the sofa behind her, Caella felt like her body was naturally tilting towards him.

“This room is the only one empty right now.”

Whether he had read Caella’s thoughts of looking for an escape route, Peon spoke matter-of-factly. He tilted his head back, looking at Caella’s neat and clean profile.

“The second floor grand ballroom, first floor hall, not to mention every small room is packed with people. You and I both came here to avoid people, right?”

In other words, there was nowhere to run and be alone. Caella swallowed a groan and lowered her slightly raised bottom back down.

As winter faded and spring began to signal its arrival, the sunlight that had grown a bit warmer stretched across the soon-to-be-changed curtains, carpet, and tablecloth, reaching Caella’s dress.

Caella gazed at the conference room with its high ceiling and classic decorations, each finish and ornament clearly displaying the emperor’s ancient authority.

Her mind was complicated, yet at the same time, she didn’t want to think about anything. Only, every nerve in her body seemed to be focused on Peon.

Caella lowered her head and clenched her fists on her knees.

Her left cheek facing him felt hot, but even if she turned her head, Peon wouldn’t be looking at her. So this was just a strange habit born from the stupid, intense one-sided love that had started since childhood.

‘How could I maintain such a habit even after receiving that treatment for 4 years?’

Somehow it felt like he was looking at her, somehow it seemed like he was listening to her words with interest, somehow it felt like he had eventually granted her requests.

So Caella kept having hope. Even that hope was completely forgotten as she entered her third year as Grand Duchess.

‘It’s because I’m stupid.’

Caella stopped her thoughts. A fool shouldn’t think at all.

*

The light remained the same. No, the sun seemed to have shifted slightly westward.

The blue eyes that opened beneath thick lashes gauged the direction of the shadows. In the tower where she had been confined, nothing changed except the shadows, so she became more sensitive to their direction.

Had she fallen asleep for a moment? Thinking it fortunate that people hadn’t discovered her yet, Caella moved and realized she was lying on the sofa.

Moreover, like last time, she was covered with a heavy black cloak.

She reflexively looked at the sofa behind her, back-to-back with the one she had been lying on.

Peon, who had been sitting there, was gone. Instead, she saw long legs stretched out over the armrest. Peon too was lying down with his eyes closed. Caella gripped the cloak tightly, feeling a surge of annoyance. This man was always like this.

‘Even if I died and came back to life, this man wouldn’t change.’

It was because of this occasional small kindness and consideration shown by the brusque man that Caella couldn’t let go of him. That’s how it used to be. Because she liked him so much before, even being annoyed by this consideration now was tremendous progress.

In the past, she really fluttered and didn’t know what to do because she liked it so much. Even when she was treated as if old memories didn’t exist at all in Lucenford, as if she were a non-person.

Caella glared at Peon’s handsome face with delicate eyes and long lashes resembling the empress’s.

“…You should do this for Beatrice instead.”

Now that she had given up on everything, such words came out easily without hesitation.

Since Peon acted this way with Caella too, maybe Beatrice became involved with the emperor instead of Peon. Recalling how Beatrice called the emperor “our Vincent,” she felt somewhat unwell.

Still, the stupidest of all was Caella herself. She threw the cloak over Peon as if flinging it.

His face was covered and no longer visible. Caella felt a bit triumphant before quickly putting on her shoes with a blank expression. She had to leave quickly before Peon woke up.

Her footsteps were very light on the soft carpet. Even if she stumbled slightly from hurrying too much, she eventually made it out the door and closed the heavy door behind her. Then she walked down the corridor with her original graceful gait.

When she had gone too far, turning the corner and her presence disappeared, Peon chuckled while still covered by the cloak.

“You’re right.”

The cloak that Caella had practically thrown at him had a soft, sweet scent. Orange, no, lemon? To the juicy, sweet, and fragrant fruit was added a bright summer flower.

The faint fragrance that one wished would last forever but would soon disappear, having only lingered briefly before fading, resembled its owner.

Though buried and hidden by the too-dazzling flowers of high society, she was a presence that, when you turned away, kept coming to mind and remained in your heart longer.

Being so wealthy and of bloodline recognized by the late emperor, all the gentlemen of high society only gazed at Caella from afar.

In reality, Caella had only followed Peon around since she was very young and had no interest in any other men, but Peon was aware of the gazes from other males.

The gentlemen who admired Caella were somewhat worthy of the term “gentleman.” Unlike Peon, who was tainted from birth.

The men who liked her – who would bring instruments to cold, dark, and quiet places, and who smiled brightly when music played – all had a certain level of insight and culture.

They had the leisure to enjoy music with her. Someone like Prince Elkanan coming from Kerujan, for instance.

“Ah, Your Grace. You were here? Count Ostaine has arrived at the Foreign Ministry. They say there are some new changes.”

Peon casually draped the cloak over himself and went to where Count Ostaine and Caella were sitting.

Caella, sitting quietly, glanced at him with her blue eyes before naturally averting her gaze. She had sneaked a look since he had come after throwing the cloak. He smiled slightly and deliberately sat in front of Caella.

He needed to observe her a lot, as this would be the image he’d draw for a lifetime.