Lea recovered her strength two days after taking the decoction. At first, she often vomited it out as it didn’t suit her taste.

[Miss, do you know how precious this medicine is!]

Pauline stomped her feet and whimpered.

Not to mention it was the only medicine that could cure Lea’s illness, Terran had obtained it with great difficulty.

[I’ll feed you one spoonful at a time, so try to swallow it down.]

While the decoction was effective, it seemed Lea had overcome a major crisis thanks to Pauline’s dedication.

Lea was now well enough to sit up in bed.

“Is the decoction perhaps medicine from the Eastern Continent?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

Lea had also heard about medicines from the Eastern Continent.

Although Hamilton Trading Company didn’t deal with Eastern medicines, she had seen rare items from all over the world whenever merchant ships docked.

“Do you know how the Duke obtained this medicine?”

Pauline recounted the story of Terran and Rapha’s fight that she had heard from Luke.

Before raiding Rapha’s organization, Terran had Luke plant bombs around the organization’s base, intending to blow up the entire building.

“Is that true?”

Lea’s eyes widened in surprise. She never imagined Terran could be so aggressive.

‘I thought he only knew how to glare coldly at everything.’

Terran was someone who claimed to have no interest in the world, his face always full of boredom. It was surprising to learn he had such passion and desperation for something.

‘Well, it would be troublesome for the Duke if Grace died.’

Since Terran felt guilty towards Aiden, Grace’s brother. So he must have wanted to prevent Grace’s death at all costs.

He had revealed his war-induced trauma in the cabin. There seemed to be a sense of responsibility to protect Grace in place of Aiden.

On the other hand, Lea felt sorry for Terran. With his own wounds festering, unable to properly manage them, he seemed to have no time to care for others.

Still, he would do his best to take responsibility for his people.

He himself would be in trouble if he easily died from illness in Grace’s body. Selfishly, she thought it best to endure somehow while receiving Terran’s worry and protection.

“Pauline, thank you. For nursing me with such devotion.”

Lea took Pauline’s hand and thanked her. Pauline’s face turned bright red, and she reacted busily.

‘Does she become a different person every time I’m sick?’

She had never received thanks from Grace before. Rather, when things didn’t go well with Terran, she would scold her and use her as an outlet for her anger.

‘I guess people only mature when they get sick.’

Although Grace’s kindness was still uncomfortable, it didn’t feel bad. She worried that Grace might suddenly turn back to her old self.

Just then, there was a knock. Pauline knew very well who it was and quickly opened the door.

“Grace, you’re awake.”

Terran felt relieved seeing Grace sitting up in bed. Pauline quickly excused herself.

“Duke Courtois, I’m sorry for causing you worry.”

Seeing Terran, Lea’s mind became complicated, unsure of what to say first.

Having already heard from Pauline about how Terran had obtained the precious decoction with difficulty, it was hard to just pretend not to know.

“I heard from Pauline. That you obtained this precious medicine with great difficulty.”

“It wasn’t difficult.”

“Pardon?”

“Do you know what’s most important in a fight?”

Terran asked an unexpected question.

Lea found it difficult to answer. She had never fought with others in her life. Of course, there was still the war with Allen.

“Technique?”

“No, it’s the first strike.”

“The first strike?”

“Hitting hard enough that your opponent can’t even resist.”

‘So that was the bomb.’

It was a notion only Terran could come up with.

Lea wanted to continue the conversation with appropriate words. But the words just swirled in her mouth, difficult to actually speak out.

That’s because Terran was looking at her as if he would devour her. She felt like her face might burn up under his fiery gaze.

“Don’t get sick.”

“!?”

Lea looked up at him in surprise.

It was something that could be said easily, but somehow it felt different.

The single phrase “don’t get sick” contained sincere concern for the other person, rather than just a guardian’s sense of responsibility.

“Duke Courtois, may I ask you a question?”

Lea felt guilty about his sincere concern.

After all, Grace’s body was illegally occupied by another’s soul. If Terran knew the truth, he would feel greatly betrayed.

“Go ahead.”

“Um, do you believe in God?”

“What?”

You said you had something to ask, but suddenly you’re talking like heretics……?

While it was understandable that Terran was bewildered, it was an important question for Lea. From now on, she would show more of Lea’s traits rather than Grace’s.

Then his confusion would grow, and the situation would become very complicated.

“You know, like magic – being possessed by a character in a book, or going back in time before death. Um… do you believe in such mysterious phenomena as souls switching between people?”

Lea blinked her eyes, waiting for Terran’s answer.

Meanwhile, Terran was momentarily speechless, seeing how Lea’s blue-violet eyes sparkled like jewels every time she blinked.

‘Her eyes were… pretty.’

He had seen her for years, but it was the first time he felt this way.

Terran lowered his head briefly to control the bewilderment that had come over him. He was more surprised by his heart racing at her eyes than by Grace’s question.

“I know it’s a strange question, but I’m curious.”

“I only believe in verified facts. I believe in science, not God.”

When Terran raised his head and answered firmly, Lea’s tense face brightened.

“Me too. I believe in new knowledge discovered by scientists through long research.”

‘I used to believe that. Not anymore.’

“Grace, you don’t seem to have fully recovered yet.”

Terran lay Grace down on the bed, covered her with the blanket up to her neck, and then left the room.

‘Ha! Magic, possession by another person, time travel… A side effect of the decoction?’

He shook his head as he walked down the corridor. Suddenly he stopped, turned around, and stared at Grace’s door.

‘Souls switched?’

Wasn’t that what he himself had thought when seeing the changed Grace just recently? He had quickly dismissed it as a ridiculous and absurd imagination.

Grace had become a completely different person from before.

But he was a young generation who had received modern education.

It wasn’t a believable logic in this era where electricity, telegraphs, steam locomotives and cruise ships had been invented, and mass production in factories had become possible.

‘That can’t be.’

Terran shook his head, shaking off the thoughts in his mind.

* * *

The June weather in the Rubeck Empire was most suitable for activities. Lea’s pneumonia was fully cured, and Terran’s gunshot wound had healed, so both were able to live normally.

Today, being the weekend, everyone enjoyed refreshments in the rear garden.

Whenever Terran saw Grace drinking tea across from him, those memories kept popping up.

The moment when Grace’s hand wiped away the tears in his eyes, soothing the old, rotten, and stinking wounds of his heart.

Just by touching…

The sensation from that time was vivid. And ordinary words that anyone could say sounded like truth.

[Duke Courtois fought with his whole body and restored peace. So, don’t blame yourself.]

The image of her trying to warm his cold body with her small frame.

[I know it’s rude, but I have no choice if I want to survive tonight. Please bear with the discomfort.]

The feeling when her small head touched his chest, it was as if a white dove had flown to his blackened heart and nuzzled against it.

“!?”

Terran was startled by his own rapidly beating heart.

‘How unseemly.’

To be flustered with such strange imaginations.

He turned his gaze elsewhere. Just then, his eyes met James, who was walking urgently towards him.

“Your Grace, a letter has arrived from abroad.”

“A letter?”

“It seems to be from the Turkish royal family.”

Terran examined the envelope of the letter. Only the recipient’s address was written in the common language, with no information about the sender.

However, it was possible to guess where it came from because a stamp with the face of the Turkish Sultan was attached.

Terran’s face hardened as he read the contents of the letter after opening the envelope.

“I can’t understand what it says at all.”

“What shall we do if you don’t understand, Your Grace?”

James asked with a troubled face. He thought Terran was on close terms with the Turkish Sultan.

“I can speak a little Turkish, but I can’t read or write it. Their language isn’t that easy.”

“Then, we should look for a translator or interpreter.”

“We should.”

Lea, who had been quietly observing the situation, hesitated.

‘I can read and write Turkish.’

The Hamilton Trading Company had many books related to Muslim trade, as they had done a lot of business with them.

Also, she had naturally met their merchants since childhood, so she could speak their language quite well.

‘Would it be unlike Grace if I said I could do it?’

Surely everyone would find it strange. But to get her hands on the necklace, she needed Terran’s trust.

‘No, the Duke said it himself. He only believes in science.’

So he wouldn’t even imagine that she wasn’t Grace.

“I’m curious too, about what Turkish looks like.”

Lea showed interest. It was important to gauge Terran’s reaction first.

Terran then casually handed the letter to Lea. Finally, Lea was able to read the contents of the letter.

‘He says he’ll send five camels as a gift?’

Most of the words were familiar, but there were a few unfamiliar ones here and there.

“You won’t understand even if you look at it.”

Terran’s voice held no expectations. He spoke indifferently while drinking tea.

“James, do we have a Turkish dictionary in the library?”

“Unfortunately, we don’t have a Turkish dictionary.”

Only then did Terran put down his teacup on the saucer and observe Grace’s reaction.

Surely Grace couldn’t know Turkish in addition to Landes?

Still, he was curious. How would she surprise him this time?

“What does it say?”

“I’m not certain, but it seems to say that the Sultan of Turkey is sending five camels as a gift to Duke Courtois.”

Terran, James, and even Pauline, who was serving tea, all froze in unison.