“Raoul! Why are you doing this!”

Despite Diana blocking him, Raoul couldn’t take back his fierce glare.

“Faisar, you stop too. What are you suddenly saying? You fell for her?”

In truth, Diana was in no position to talk either.

‘I also have a record of suddenly confessing to Raoul….’

Still, she couldn’t help but feel flustered.

Above all, Raoul had considerable attachment to Diana. There was no need to deliberately provoke him.

Faisar finally came to his senses and bowed deeply.

“I’m sorry if I offended you…! This is the first time I’ve had such an inspiring experience, so I guess I got too excited….”

“…It’s alright. It’s good that you’re feeling inspired… I’m honored to be called a muse.”

The words felt unfamiliar and strange in her mouth.

‘A muse, he says.’

Above all, it was the first time in her life that she had received a formal confession from someone.

Before the possession, before the regression, and after the regression, Diana was always alone.

Perhaps because she was used to giving love, Faisar’s confession came as quite a shock.

Of course, he was Fenice’s lover, so Diana had no reason to covet him.

Above all, his statement about falling for Diana was just admiration for his subject, nothing more.

Still, it didn’t feel bad.

“If it’s alright with you, young lady, I’d like to work consistently. Would that be okay?”

“Of course, just let me know anytime. I have permission to use the studio as much as I want.”

“…”

Diana had been watching Raoul’s fiercely hardened expression since earlier.

“Let’s end it here for today. It’s gotten too late.”

“Ah, I see. I should be heading back then…!”

“Take a carriage back.”

“Oh, yes. Thank you…!”

Diana felt cold sweat running down her back from the stinging gaze she felt behind her.

‘I need to send Faisar away first.’

She left the studio, leaving behind the jealousy-blinded puppy.

“Then take care.”

Diana said goodbye to Faisar and quickly climbed the stairs again. Raoul’s expression was still bothering her.

‘He’s been overly sharp lately. Like when we talked about Hugo too.’

Raoul extremely disliked anyone hovering around Diana.

Perhaps due to his considerable misanthropy, he believed that everyone in the world except Diana harbored a snake coiled in their hearts.

Sometimes Raoul would hold Diana’s hand and mutter anxiously. Whenever he did, Diana would feel ticklish inside and grumble for no reason.

“I’m not as kind as you think.”

When she pouted and rolled up the blanket, Raoul would tap the tip of his nose with his finger and smile.

He treated Diana’s words as a joke.

‘It’s not a joke. I’m much worse than you think.’

She was thoroughly focused on her own life.

She planned to cut ties completely with her father, who was bound by blood relations, shake off her guilt and send Raoul to the female protagonist, and Faisar was merely a means for her to make money.

‘If circumstances allow, I’ll help the abbey children as much as I can. But even this is just kindness I can afford because I’m well-fed.’

In the end, there was nothing Diana did solely for the sake of others.

She was worried about Raoul, who regarded her like a precious snowflake.

Later, Diana would have to leave for a faraway place where she could never see him again, but Raoul was anxious just from her talking to other people.

If she said she was leaving for an unknown place, he might fall ill with worry.

‘Should I distance myself a bit? He’s affectionate, but I may have spoiled him too much and his social skills seem lacking… Should I force him to talk to other people besides me? Maybe I should ask Faisar…’

She flung open the door to the studio.

The red glow of the setting sun seeped through the windows, casting long shadows across the spacious studio.

“Raoul?”

However, Raoul was nowhere to be seen.

Diana carefully checked behind the marble statues and in the corners, but he had already vanished.

“Did he already go back? Usually he would have followed me or waited.”

She felt uneasy about raising her voice earlier.

She had never gotten angry at Raoul in her life. At most, it was only when she worried about him.

‘Is he hurt…?’

She considered going to comfort him now, but soon gave up.

‘No. Raoul needs to stand on his own now too…’

She couldn’t keep looking after him forever.

‘His knighting ceremony is just around the corner. We’ll part in winter, and when I return I’ll have to leave soon to find Ayla, but he still doesn’t want to leave my embrace…’

Diana was more of a problem than Raoul. Whenever Raoul approached, her heart wavered.

‘What am I doing? I’m not some lovesick girl… If Raoul leaves according to the original story someday, will I be able to handle it then? What if an emotional narrative is being written without me realizing, like a handkerchief accidentally discovered? What if Raoul just hasn’t realized it yet? I shouldn’t covet him. I’ll just end up hurt again.’

Above all, Diana had nothing more she could do for Raoul.

‘When our family is destroyed, I’ll have no power or authority… Raoul seeks greater recognition, but can I give that to him? I’d just ask him to run away together.’

Thinking coldly, the moment she lost her status as a princess, Diana’s existence would be nothing more than a burden.

‘He might be sad for a while when I leave for the Eastern Continent, but he’ll be fine since Ayla is there.’

Diana closed the door to the studio and headed to her room.

She felt sorry for Raoul, but it was better for both of them if he left Diana’s embrace.

Angela prepared Diana’s bed.

She marveled as she dressed the suddenly grown girl in a slightly more mature negligee.

“Now I have to look up at you, young lady.”

Diana buried her face in Angela’s chest with a deflated laugh.

“No. I’m still a baby…”

Now she had to lower her head to be held by Angela. The once mountain-like Angela now looked like a very delicate woman.

‘How did you think you could protect me with this small body? How did you think you could fight armed men…?’

The only eternal love Diana knew was the comfort Angela gave.

She whined like a child, clinging to Angela.

“These days, I’m spending less and less time with Angela…”

“That can’t be. I’m always with you, young lady.”

Diana knew it was nonsense, but she complained anyway.

She was the one who had drastically reduced Angela’s work hours, telling her to spend time with Vincent.

“I still need Angela even though I have Biche…”

“Use me as much as you want. What else do I have besides strength to spare?”

Diana buried her face in Angela’s stomach and groaned.

She had decided to wait for Raoul to sort out his feelings on his own, but somehow it didn’t feel good.

Several days passed after that. A heavy rain fell for the first time in a while, washing away the flowers, leaving only scattered flower graves on the ground and pale green buds starting to sprout.

Today again, she sat in the studio, posing demurely as usual.

Faisar was scrutinizing Diana’s face intently when he suddenly noticed her sad eyes and stopped his hand.

As the sound of the brush stroking the canvas ceased, a calm stillness settled.

Faisar waited, hoping some words would come from the dazed-looking Diana.

But Diana didn’t snap out of it.

He awkwardly clenched and unclenched his hand, following Diana’s gaze.

Her empty pupils seemed to be chasing dust particles floating in the sunlight.

“Young lady. Are you alright?”

Only then did Diana startle, blinking her drooping eyelids rapidly.

“…I’m sorry. What did you say?”

“You look so drained. I must have asked too much of you, having you sit in the same position repeatedly.”

“No, it’s not that. I just didn’t sleep well, so drowsiness hit me. I’m sorry.”

Diana straightened her back, resuming her pose.

Faisar couldn’t bring himself to say they should stop, and just moved his lips guiltily.

Then he picked up his brush again. As the sound of slightly thick oil paint brushing against canvas was heard, Diana once again sank into her own thoughts.

‘Was I too harsh…?’

Since then, Diana hadn’t seen Raoul. Or more precisely, she hadn’t even tried to find him.

It was the first time this had happened since meeting Raoul.

‘Is he feeling lonely?’

Knights who participated in battles for more than two weeks received extended leave as a reward.

Although a slave, Raoul was under the jurisdiction of his direct superior Vincent in terms of work assignments.

It was obvious he would be staying at the castle, focusing on training. Nevertheless, the two were avoiding each other.

After Faisar’s confession, Raoul hadn’t come to Diana’s bedroom. Diana was the same.

Being busy with portrait work every day, she had no reason to visit the library either.

With even the only space they shared empty, there was no chance for them to run into each other.

‘What if we really grow apart like this…?’

Diana suddenly felt afraid. With not much time left, she didn’t want to spend summer and autumn in this awkward relationship with Raoul.

What Diana wanted was Raoul’s independence, not cutting ties.

“Young lady, could you raise your chin just a little…?”

“Oh. I’m sorry.”

For the first time, Diana resented the sulking Raoul.

‘What did I do so wrong? It was just one scolding. Can’t you approach me first, pretending nothing happened? Are you really okay with growing distant from me like this…?’