I must have heard something wrong.

Hertian has a woman he likes?

“Don’t joke around.”

For him to like a woman, when he’s asexual and has been advocating celibacy all his life, it’s ridiculous.

“I didn’t want to say anything. But it’s hard to watch you put so much effort into our family and me, so I’m telling you.”

Liri spat out venomous words with her cute face. Clearly, she was spreading rumors because she didn’t like me. It was a sort of warning, telling me I don’t belong here.

“Even if that’s true, it’s not your place to say. Just be upfront if you dislike me. You want to obstruct my role here, don’t you? To show that I’m beneath you in the castle, right?”

As I shot back in a low, coarse voice, Liri answered more seriously.

“You might find it hard to believe, but I’m not stupid enough to joke about Hertian. Make your own judgment.”

I stared at her intently.

The story about Hertian didn’t seem like a lie.

Yet, it was clear she disliked me and wanted to put me in my place. Having lived here for years as if I owned the place, I wouldn’t want an outsider nagging at me either.

I sighed and placed my hand on my hip.

“Fine. Let’s bury the talk about Duke having someone else in mind. Don’t bring it up again.”

I was worried she might spread unnecessary rumors, let alone belittling me.

“Aren’t you curious who it is?”

Should I pretend to be curious here?

While acting like a loving newlywed couple, should I let myself get swept up in rumors like this?

I was a little curious if it were true.

“Will you tell me if I say I’m curious?”

“Of course.”

Surprisingly, Liri readily agreed.

I looked at her with surprise. She crossed her arms and confidently took a step toward me.

“Apologize for last time, siding with the subjects who returned from Cursia. Then I’ll tell you who it is.”

I knew it.

I shouldn’t have expected anything from Liri.

“You were the one who was wrong. Why would I apologize to you? Especially after what you did to the birthday cake and gift I gave you. Don’t you feel guilty demanding an apology?”

I had no expectation she would apologize.

“If you tell me who it is, I might let this slide.”

I raised my chin and looked down at her.

Liri, who was a head shorter than me, looked up and bit her lip. Then she stuck out her tongue.

Meh.

“I’m not telling.”

She whisked the hem of her dress and exited the room.

I shrugged as I watched her retreating figure. I guess befriending Liri is off the table.

(This is a time separator.)

Suddenly, a thought crossed my mind.

‘What was the original Hertian like?’

I sat in the warm bath, staring blankly at the water, lost in thought.

It hadn’t bothered me while talking to Liri, but alone, it got me thinking.

All I knew was that Hertian was asexual and chose not to marry.

In the end, he never married.

“Is that really true?”

I had never thought about it.

I had accepted it at face value because that’s how he was portrayed in the novel.

Why he became asexual, or whether he really was, wasn’t elaborately covered. Like me, Hertian was just a supporting role for the main characters’ romance. That’s why I applied the frame of the original work to Hertian without any doubt.

“Could he really have someone he liked?”

I don’t fully trust Liri’s words. It’s just bothering me that he might have someone else in mind even though he married me.

“It’s strange.”

Why didn’t he marry her in the book either?
A whirlwind of thoughts swirled in my head.

“Madam, you’re taking longer than usual today. His Grace has already gone to the bedroom.”

Bonisa entered the bathroom with a towel in hand.

I swiftly grabbed Bonisa’s hand as she reached to dry my hair.

“Bonisa, I have a question.”

She chuckled softly and responded.

“Are you asking about the clothes you gifted me? I was going to mention it. Life in the ducal estate has been so comfortable thanks to the clothes you made. Even the other maids are wearing them as if they’re dresses.”

Ah, yes, that was a thing.

Recently, I noticed the maids’ expressions softening when they looked at me.

I had almost forgotten due to being busy with other matters.

“It’s good that everyone likes them.”

“Thanks to you, Madam. And they say the ducal estate is getting renovated? Everyone’s so excited.”

“Oh? Oh.”

Bonisa seemed more interested in speaking her mind than listening to my questions.

She continued to heap praises on me.

The conversation lasted until I donned a thick, furry robe. Afraid that I wouldn’t get another chance to ask, I interrupted her.

“Bonisa, there’s someone I know.”

Unable to openly talk about Hertian, I disguised my question.

“Violet the Princess?”

“No, a different friend.”

“Did you have friends, Madam?”

Ah, right. I didn’t have friends.

In the Academy, other than Casian, my only interactions were with the professors.

Caught up in researching diseases, I had no friends, let alone acquaintances.

“It’s about a professor I know.”

I circumvented the topic.

“The professor had a strategic marriage but was in love with another woman. Why marry someone else then?”

That was strange even as I asked it.