‘No matter how I think about it, it’s strange.’

As she was a guest of the master Cabelased, the employees had been consistently polite to Jieselgrante from the beginning.

But recently, it was hard to shake off the feeling that they seemed to have reverence for her beyond mere respect.

Of course, it was better than believing and criticizing the strange rumors surrounding her, but their gazes were somewhat burdensome.

Nevertheless, she greeted the gardeners first.

“It’s quite hot today. You must be working hard.”

The gardeners fidgeted with embarrassed expressions.

“This, this level of heat is nothing to us, isn’t it?”

“Ye, yes!”

Jieselgrante nodded to the gardeners who answered energetically and continued walking.

‘What could it be?’

After pondering and walking for a while, Jieselgrante soon realized.

‘Ah… Is it that?’

Currently, she was staying at this mansion as the fiancée of Duke Kardia.

The real reason was to avoid falling for the schemes of the Crown Prince and Empress, but Cabelased probably hadn’t conveyed such intimate details to the employees.

That meant for the employees of the Kardia ducal house, Jieselgrante was equivalent to the future duchess.

‘Now I understand.’

Jieselgrante nodded and continued her walk, looking at the garden trees trimmed as neatly as if measured with a ruler.

In fact, her guess was half right and half wrong, but Jieselgrante had no way of knowing.

“Have you seen Lady Duke Amaterasu? It seems she went this way.”

A maid cleaning the corridor answered the butler’s question.

“The lady just passed through this corridor and went that way.”

“Thank you. Keep up the good work.”

The butler nodded and turned towards the path Jieselgrante had taken.

Only after he had gone quite far did the maids’ chatter become audible behind him.

The butler pricked up his ears and slowed his pace.

“Did you see? She was so beautiful again today…”

“I know, to think such a person will become the madam of the duke’s house…”

The butler nodded with satisfaction and left the mansion.

Then he asked the gardeners tending to trees on the path to the garden.

“Did you see where the lady went?”

“The lady went towards this garden.”

The butler moved towards the distant garden. This time too, he kept his ears pricked.

“The lady is not only beautiful, but she also seems to have such a kind heart.”

“I thought so too. Seeing how she speaks even to people of our lowly status…”

Hearing these voices, the butler pulled up the corners of his mouth in satisfaction.

Thinking he had done well to follow the Duke’s words.

Recently, there had been various rumors among the Kardia duchy’s employees due to the commotion caused by Duke Amaterasu’s son barging into the mansion.

Although everyone was cautious with their words since Duke Amaterasu’s son was a close friend of their employer, Duke Kardia.

The butler had discreetly hinted to Cabelased about this atmosphere.

Worried that the employees might fear even Lady Duke Amaterasu due to her son’s commotion.

Then Cabelased, who seemed to be thinking for a moment, advised like this:

‘Spread the word that even Mikhail, who goes berserk with rage when angry, is nothing but a docile dog in front of Jiesel.’

The butler immediately dropped a hint to the head maid.

The head maid passed this information to other maids, and soon all the employees in the mansion knew about it.

Afterwards, some strange rumors circulated that Lady Duke Amaterasu could easily subdue even a mad dog, that she was actually hiding tremendous power, but the butler didn’t bother to correct them.

A mistress with some dignity and charisma was needed for the employees, even if they could approach her comfortably.

And she was blending into the Kardia duchy much better than the butler had expected.

As Jieselgrante was continuing her walk with a light heart, she ran right into Cabelased getting out of a carriage.

He was dressed neatly, having been out somewhere.

“Are you going out?”

“I was thinking of taking a short walk in the garden.”

“I’ll join you.”

Although surprised by Cabelased’s offer to accompany her, Jieselgrante didn’t refuse.

The two walked along the path, looking at the neatly trimmed grass and garden trees as if measured, and the colorfully blooming flowers.

‘Didn’t he have something to tell me?’

Jieselgrante glanced at Cabelased while taking steps.

Just then, Cabelased also turned his gaze towards her.

Their eyes met.

Cabelased stared at her face without saying anything.

Somehow, she felt thirsty under his intense gaze.

Gulp. Dry saliva went down her parched throat.

It was because she had recalled his naked body in this awkward situation where they were alone.

“Is there any discomfort in your stay?”

Fortunately, Cabelased spoke first when her tension was rising.

“…No. Everyone is treating me very well.”

She answered with a slight pause to Cabelased’s question.

It was because she recalled the somewhat strange gazes of the duchy’s employees.

And Cabelased didn’t miss this and said:

“Has someone in the mansion made you uncomfortable?”

A faint crease appeared on Cabelased’s handsome brow.

He seemed ready to not let it go, no matter who it was, if someone had mistreated her.

Jieselgrante quickly shook her head.

“Rather, I was a bit embarrassed by the excessive kindness. It’s probably because of the misunderstanding that I’ll become the future mistress of the Kardia duchy.”

As she gave a slight smile, Cabelased immediately asked back.

“…What do you mean by that?”

“Well, you know. My acting as your fiancée is just a play to deceive the Crown Prince and Empress.”

With those words, Jieselgrante took a step.

But after just a few steps, she heard Cabelased’s voice, now lower, from behind her.

“Wait.”

As she turned around with a questioning look, Cabelased strode towards her.

She retreated hesitantly as much as he approached.

But Cabelased’s pace towards her was a bit faster.

“It seems you’ve misunderstood something, so let me make this clear now.”

Jieselgrante blinked rapidly as she looked at Cabelased. Trying to guess what he was going to say.

But it was completely unpredictable.

Cabelased, who had been silent for a moment as if choosing his words, suddenly furrowed his brow and said.

“No, before that… Are you being spiteful to me?”

Naturally, Jieselgrante’s eyes widened slightly.

‘Being spiteful?’

Jieselgrante tilted her head slightly and asked back.

“Pardon? What do you mean…”

“Are you doing this because I didn’t properly propose?”

At that moment, Jieselgrante’s thoughts stopped. Next was doubting her ears.

‘Pro, pose… you say?’

It was undoubtedly a word she had never imagined hearing from Cabelased’s mouth.

“Duke Kardia, you… proposed to me?”

“Ha…”

A dry laugh escaped through Cabelased’s tightly closed lips.

An awkward and heavy air flowed.

The thought that she should quickly resolve this atmosphere was strong. But her mouth wouldn’t open easily.

‘…A proposal?’

Even thinking about it again, it was certainly a word that didn’t suit him.

At that moment, Cabelased took a step closer to her.

“Listen carefully. Jiesel.”

Suddenly with a serious expression, Cabelased stared into her eyes.

“Ye, yes…”

Perhaps because the distance between them was closer than ever before. Somehow, she felt a bit nervous.

“Jiesel, we’re in the same boat now.”

At that part, she nodded involuntarily.

It was rather something to welcome. If they were in the same boat, at least she and her family wouldn’t die like in the diary.

When she lived as Trinity, she had never felt the warmth of family. Even that turned out not to be her real blood.

Anyway, Duke Mikhail and Amaterasu showed her what a family that truly cares for each other is like.

She didn’t want to lose that warmth.

Although the one in this body wasn’t the real Jieselgrante they knew, this situation was undoubtedly something that the real Jieselgrante would be quite happy about.

Isn’t it the future that the original Jieselgrante had wished for? To be in the same boat as Cabelased.

Jieselgrante looked straight into Cabelased’s sun-red eyes.

Somewhat expecting what Cabelased would say next.

“From the moment you learned my secret.”

But it was at the moment she thought his eyes looked somehow different from usual.

Cabelased’s large hands gently cupped her cheeks.

‘What is he… trying to do…’

As she thought this, Cabelased’s face slowly tilted towards her.

And then his soft, moist lips lightly touched her lips and parted.

“Remember that well and don’t forget it.”

Looking at Cabelased’s narrowed eyes that soon curved slightly, Jieselgrante swallowed dry saliva.

Only the sound of turning parchment echoed in the Empress’s quiet office.

The Empress, who had signed the last document, gently pressed her tired eyes, closed them, and opened them again.

And she slightly rolled her eyes to look at the maids.

The Empress’s gaze, which swept over the maids concentrating on their tasks, stopped on Marchioness Ratse.

As if unaware of the Empress’s gaze, Marchioness Ratse was intently looking at the parchment.

The Empress’s eyes narrowed slightly as she looked at Marchioness Ratse.