“Yes, please come back safely.”

Today, it was not an abandoned palace but the guest room in the main palace.

The place was adorned with gold on the walls, dazzling to the point of making my eyes water.

Outside the window, there was a fountain for entertainment purposes.

The sofa was so soft that it seemed like I could fall asleep straight away if I leaned my head.

‘Should I close my eyes for a moment?’

My body was tired, and the desire to close my eyes was intense.

Just as I was about to lean my head slightly, I found myself dozing off.

“Huh?”

When I felt time passing, I blinked my eyes in an instant.

Fortunately, Hertian hadn’t returned yet. But I couldn’t keep sleeping.

“Let’s wake up now.”

I tidied my disheveled hair and gulped down a glass of cool water in front of me.

My body felt much lighter.

The chronic pain that pressed on my shoulders as if a gnat had vanished.

In cases like this, there was only one reason.

“Did you sleep well?”

As expected. Serdis was here.

“You looked unwell. Shall I call the physician?”

It felt like my body had improved as if by his ability.

“No, I just briefly dozed off because I was tired.”

The ghost-like fellow.

He always found me wherever and whenever.

Serdis naturally took a seat in front of me.

“Annette, you look much better when viewed from the capital than when seen from the North. Especially, you look the most beautiful when seen from the palace.”

“Really? I thought I looked the best when I was in the North.”

“Ugh. It’s too cold there, and I have to watch you shivering.”
I decided to keep my mouth shut. There was no way the conversation could proceed.

“But lately, I heard you’re getting along well with Violet. Were you originally close?”

“We had no acquaintance before meeting Your Grace.”

And then, I changed into a dress at our first meeting.

“Did we become friends because of me?”

“One could see it that way.”

“Hmm.”

Serdice, while stroking his smooth chin, seemed to be contemplating something.

“You’re not trying to connect Violet and me, are you?”

My eyes widened slightly.

Of course, that wasn’t the intention at all.

The fact that I should give that kind Violet to such a trashy person was painfully ironic!

Still, I didn’t say it casually because Violet liked him.

“No? It’s not my place to intervene between the lady and Your Grace.”

If she wanted it, I was willing to connect her with Serdice.

If that was the kind of love Violet desired.

“I would have been upset if you had. Knowing that I have feelings for you, and yet giving yourself to another woman.”

Serdice, who spoke frankly, looked at me intently.

‘After pretending not to care for so long, why confess openly now?’

He had been skillfully avoiding the topic by calling me family. There must be another reason for suddenly revealing his true feelings.

“Did you have feelings for me?”

I shrugged my shoulders as if I didn’t know. I had no intention of sincerely giving myself to him, who had tried to forcibly make me his own.

“You knew, too.”

“I’m naturally quite insensitive to this side of things, so I didn’t know because you didn’t tell me.”

I pretended not to know until the end, expressing a pitiful heart.

“But the one I love is only Your Grace. Unfortunately, it seems you need to recognize another noble lady. Still, among other ladies, Lady Violet, with her firm character and the reliable Duke Sharpen, seems to be the best fit for the Crown Princess, I suppose.”

Pushing Violet away with excuses, he continued, “I don’t really understand why you have feelings for me, but I hope you consider the current situation and think carefully. Let’s get along with smiles.”

Of course, he didn’t say those words with any expectations.

Since I wasn’t a convincing opponent.

I was just trying to naturally drive him away after a back-and-forth.

“Annette, how about we stop playing around and have a serious conversation?”

But it seemed that Serdice wasn’t just going to leave it at that.