Was this his own way of offering comfort? Or were there other intentions behind his words? Either way, my gloomy mood had noticeably improved.

“Yes, that might have been true. As people not married to each other, we would have lived our separate lives. We might have met by chance at a banquet and exchanged only brief greetings, nothing more.”

Thinking about it made me uncomfortable. How enjoyable it was to spar with him. The small talks we shared before sleep had become the most anticipated moment of my day.

“I might not like that. If this moment disappears, it would feel too lonely. So I don’t regret anything.”

I rested my head on his shoulder. It had become so natural after doing it a few times—it was almost a problem.

“I understand how precious it is to have someone with whom I can share worries, enjoy things together, and spend time. Thank you. For always listening seriously to my stories. All my pointless thoughts have completely vanished!”

What use was there in endless hypotheticals? What mattered was the present.

‘Still, if I could meet younger Julietta even once, I’d definitely want to hug her. She must have been so lonely by herself.’

There were many things I wanted to say to her. The most important thing would probably be that she is incredibly happy now.

“Was I of any help?”

Hearing his cautious voice, I answered without hesitation.

“Yes! Very much so. So shall we head back now? You said you’d prepare a place to wash up. Yezar, you’re drenched in sweat after sparring. It must feel unpleasant.”

“I’m fine. But I shouldn’t let the lady be exposed to body odor, so I’ll go clean myself properly.”

Yezar might not know it, but he didn’t smell of sweat at all. His natural scent simply grew stronger, always carrying a pleasant fragrance. Was this some kind of sub-male lead buff from the original story? Why don’t I have such a buff?

Thinking this, I picked up a damp cloth and wiped the sweat off him. I lightly ignored Yezar’s protests that it wasn’t necessary.

***

“Now I finally feel refreshed.”

After washing and changing clothes, I returned to my usual clean, fresh state. My body also felt considerably lighter, probably from the intense sparring session.

I headed toward where the ladies should be, but only Sina remained seated—Katrin and Berry had gone somewhere.

“Julietta, are you feeling better now?”

“Yes. I must have overexerted myself by moving too suddenly. But where are the others?”

“Well, my husband is still deeply absorbed in chess. Berry went to watch, and Katrin left because her child woke up and she went to calm them.”

I recalled her saying earlier that she couldn’t leave the child alone at the villa because the child kept crying without their mother.

Katrin’s child was definitely six, right? An age when they constantly seek their mother.

“So I’ve just been quietly waiting here for Julietta.”

“Wasn’t it boring waiting?”

“Not at all. Actually, I had something I wanted to talk about.”

Something to discuss just between the two of us? Judging by her cheerful smile, it didn’t seem serious.

“What is it?”

“It’s about Marchioness Yekert. Haven’t there been unpleasant rumors about you spreading since you returned from her recent tea gathering?”

We hadn’t mentioned this in our letters. She must have been privately concerned.

“Yes, there were. I heard from my steward that Marchioness Yekert seemed to be spreading those rumors.”

“So it really was her. I brought this up because I was worried that Julietta might have fallen out of her favor due to me, causing those rumors.”

Marchioness Stemun’s voice was cautious. But really, it was fine.

“It’s okay. I don’t even care about such rumors.”

“Really? But I still feel so guilty. I tried to take action to stop Marchioness Yekert from doing such things again, but for some reason, the Yekert marquisate is in a difficult situation and extremely busy.”

That was probably because of me. Pelanne handled things neatly. The rumors about me seemed to have stopped spreading, and among the nobles, cutting off trade with Pelanne Trading House was too risky, so they avoided associating with the Yekert marquisate.

“You were worried about me and even considered taking direct action? That’s touching.”

“Of course. You came to visit me first. I couldn’t tolerate someone not only insulting me over my origins but also targeting someone close to me.”

My steward had also mentioned that some people occasionally looked down on Marchioness Stemun for being mixed-race. Her appearance wasn’t notably different, yet they scorned her simply because she had foreign blood—it was incomprehensible.

“Julietta, if you ever face something unpleasant like what happened with Marchioness Yekert, please tell me immediately.”

“Yes, I will. Sina.”

She was Cortina, the painter protected by the royal family. She was trustworthy.

“And if we grow even closer, someday tell me the secrets you’re hiding.”

“Huh? Secrets? I don’t have any.”

I lied calmly. I had many secrets hidden from her, of course. But Sina seemed to have noticed my lie.

“Actually, I already know. It was Julietta who took action behind the scenes to trouble Marchioness Yekert, wasn’t it?”

“How did you know…?”

Even if she, as painter Cortina, gathered information discreetly, she shouldn’t have known I was a co-manager of Pelanne Trading House.

“I’m acquainted with Pelanne. So I happened to hear. The reason they severed ties with the Yekert marquisate was actually at the request of Duchess Ferhaem.”

Neatly handled? I should have remembered that Pelanne was the one who first showed me painter Cortina’s artwork.

Still, she didn’t seem to know I was a co-manager. I should be relieved she kept that secret.

“Yes, that’s right. The rumors about me were tolerable, but when they proudly reported that a servant I requested to be sent was beaten in front of them and threatened to act as a spy, they only sent the servant after that. I couldn’t stay silent. I truly despise those who torment the weak.”

Even recalling it now, it pained my heart. The thought of someone being beaten because of me was horrifying.

“That’s a knightly thing to say. I noticed calluses on Julietta’s hands and was curious about what you’d been doing. I’m glad I’ve finally solved that mystery.”

“Learning swordsmanship isn’t a secret. If you’d asked, I would’ve told you. Now that I think of it, Sina, you also have calluses on your hands. Most noble ladies wouldn’t.”

I subtly hinted at something related to her identity. I wasn’t the only one keeping secrets.

“Yes, working has naturally caused calluses to form. But I can’t tell you what I do—it’s a secret. I’m sorry. Though it’s contradictory of me to ask Julietta to share secrets when even Katrin and Berry don’t know.”

Even Empress Bertisha didn’t know painter Cortina’s true identity. Of course she couldn’t tell me.

“Everyone naturally has their own secrets. As long as we enjoy our time together, does it really matter whether we know each other’s secrets or not?”

“Pfft. You’re right. But still, take these.”

She handed me two exhibition invitation cards.

“It’s an art exhibition featuring painter Cortina’s collected works. I’ll only tell you this, Julietta—there will be one truly special painting at this exhibition.”

“A special painting?”

Her words from earlier naturally came to mind.

“But seeing Duke Ferhaem looking at Julietta, I remembered again. The brilliant feelings I once had.”

She had said then that she wanted to capture those feelings from that era in some way.

“Yes. It’s a masterpiece worthy of being called painter Cortina’s greatest work. It’s also the first new piece since Cortina took a long break.”

“I’m curious. I once gathered and viewed painter Cortina’s works.”

“Really?”

It was clearly a secret known only to a few in the royal family. Was it really okay for her to look at me with such sparkling eyes, as if revealing she herself was Cortina?

But I also wanted to honestly share my impressions with her.

“Yes. I loved the radiant brilliance of the colors. The dazzling light effects, the delicate brushwork when depicting rippling waves—all were wonderful. But ultimately, I kept returning to painter Cortina’s works because there was something in them that warmed my heart instinctively.”

“Then you’ll surely love the new piece. It expresses emotions more brilliantly than any of his other works.”

What kind of emotions from that era was she referring to? I already felt excited.

“You gave me two tickets. Are you suggesting I go with my husband?”

“Yes. I truly hope you both see that piece together. Though the exhibition will be held during the hottest season when the sun shines brightly, so it’s still far off.”

“I’ll definitely go.”

When the painter herself personally invites you to see her work, how could you possibly refuse? Of course, I couldn’t resist teasing her a little.

“But Sina, how do you know so much about a painting that painter Cortina hasn’t revealed yet?”

“We’re connected. I can’t say more. If I get caught, I’ll be in trouble.”

She lied smoothly, without a trace of embarrassment. If I hadn’t read the original novel, I might have been completely fooled.

“If you happen to know any other stories about painter Cortina, please tell me. I’m a fan, after all.”

But the way Sina’s face instantly brightened at the word “fan” was too sincere—it was almost a flaw.