Juliet drank more alcohol, and Yezar thought that if she continued, there might be big trouble the next day. He stood up with the wine and told the waiting head maid outside to bring warm water mixed with honey.

During that short time, Juliet seemed to have fallen asleep, resting her face on the table.

“Madam, let’s go to the bed. It’s cold and windy here.”

“Mmm. I’ll go…”

Perhaps because she was drunk, her words were slurred and she was blinking tiredly. Yezar gently sat her on the edge of the bed and handed her the glass of water he received from the head maid.

Juliet gazed blankly for a moment, then unhesitatingly gulped it down.

“Ah, it feels good.”

“Are you feeling alright?”

“I’m fine, but… Is it honey? It’s so sweet…”

“Is that so?”

She said it feels good. She doesn’t seem to dislike it. Yezar was contemplating whether he should ask to have more honey water brought when Juliet asked,

“Are you curious?”

“Pardon?”

“I was wondering if you’re curious whether it’s sweet or not. If you’re curious, would you like to come closer?”

Yezar wasn’t that curious, but he wanted to obediently follow her words, so he drew closer to Juliet. Then, instead of the glass, something else softly touched his lips.

A sweet taste flowed into the mouth of the startled Yezar who flinched. His mind was in confusion, and both his ears turned red.

Soon, the lips gently parted and Juliet calmly asked,

“Hmm. Is it sweet…?”

“W-Why, with your mouth…”

“Ah. I drank all the honey water in the glass…”

Her eyes slowly blinked as she shakily pointed to the glass.

“But your lips are sweet.”

“……”

“Did you also eat honey, Yezar?”

Innocent eyes were fixed on him. Yezar shook his head with a flushed face.

“I didn’t…”

“Then, I guess your lips are just sweet.”

Seeing the woman smiling brightly like that, Yezar pondered what to do with her. It seemed he had no choice but to tuck her in to sleep. But as he tried to lay her down,

She chattered like a little bird.

“Speaking of that knight’s story, it reminds me. I don’t believe in love at first sight.”

Come to think of it, among the conditions she was looking for in a husband, there was one that he shouldn’t talk about fateful love.

And at the tavern, she had also told him that love at first sight wasn’t true love.

“What is the reason?”

“Because at first impression, all you can see is appearance, and it’s not truly falling in love with me. You know what, I believe in a love that falls for my little habits one by one, my personality, the small everyday moments we share through conversations like this.”

Even though he had to put the endlessly drunk person to sleep, he wanted to hear more of what she was saying.

“So, if I meet that knight again, I wanted to tell him this. Rather than chasing after someone who doesn’t even look at you because they fell in love at first sight, be happy with a woman who looks at you with a smile, slowly melting you like a drizzle as you spend everyday life together.”

It was a concern he couldn’t confide in anyone else, so Yezar was busy embracing his pain alone. But listening to Juliet’s words, he strangely felt comforted.

Yezar hesitantly asked Juliet,

“Do you think that knight can meet such a woman?”

“It may be difficult, but as you live, such a person may appear. Someone who makes you smile, think of them, and feel fluttered when they’re by your side… Falling deeply into that kind of love may be harder to escape from. A love that slowly permeates your heart is usually more daunting than a love you fall into at first sight.”

At first, it was just a simple coincidental meeting. But as the encounters lasted two, three times, having a drink with her became a comfort in his daily life. Then at some point, he started to become curious about her and even looked into which family she was from.

However, he thought it wasn’t right to pry into the other person’s information unilaterally when they didn’t know his identity. So he intended to tell her the truth. But when he imagined the disappointment that would overshadow that brightly smiling face upon hearing the truth, he became scared for some reason. The thought of facing her being let down by him was frightening. That’s why, like a coward, he abruptly cut off his visits.

But even in the moment when he was alone in his room, swallowing the pain upon hearing the news of Bertisha’s marriage, the memory of that encounter kept lingering in his mind.

Then, when he heard that Juliet was looking for a husband, his body moved on its own as if he had never been afraid. At that moment, Yezar realized that he had feelings for Juliet that could be called fondness.

But he was cautious, thinking that the feelings he had for her might just be simple curiosity. It could be that he was unknowingly thinking of her because she filled his heart in that empty moment.

So he set a contract period. He wanted to get to know her more, but he was worried that she might end up in a prolonged marriage due to his mere curiosity…

Fortunately, the Empire was more lenient about divorce compared to other countries.

However, as he talked with her and opened up his heart, this thought occurred to him. Would he be able to not truly love this kind and lovely person during the 2 years?

“If, Madam, even though we are in a contract relationship, I genuinely fall in love with you… Then could I stay by your side as a real married couple?”

Even in her hazy state, she was quite resolute.

“Mmm. No can do. ‘Contract relationships should be clean and without loose ends!’ is my principle.”

Just as she said they would become complete strangers after divorce, she was firm. At that, his mood sank like a dejected puppy.

How could he keep her by his side? As he was pondering, Juliet smiled brightly.

“But you know what, if I fall for Yezar, who knows… You are a kind and gentle person, so I might be tempted…”

As if she had reached her limit, her body slowly collapsed onto the bed. Hearing her soft breathing, Yezar whispered as he warmly covered her with the blanket,

“I will try my best, Madam.”

And as soon as she woke up, an embarrassing incident occurred that made him avoid Juliet. But how her eyes sparkled as she chased after him and grabbed him.

Perhaps it was because he had been gazing at her and stroking her head, reminded of the memory of their first night. Juliet turned her body, tossing and turning.

As if seeking warmth, Juliet wriggled and nestled close to him. It was a cute sleeping habit. He slowly lay down on the bed.

Then the fidgeting Juliet tightly embraced him. Juliet’s soft breathing, the corners of her mouth lifted in satisfaction – they were all so precious to Yezar.

“Sleep well, Madam.”

Although the sleeping Juliet couldn’t hear him, the voice that filled the bedroom was extremely gentle.

Enjoying a leisurely breakfast on a refreshing morning, I examined the tea party invitations. The butler had already classified the gatherings I must attend and those I didn’t need to, so I just had to choose one place to go first while looking at the schedule.

While looking at various tea party invitations, I noticed one with a particularly ornate pattern and asked,

“This invitation catches my eye.”

“Ah, that’s from the Viscount Yekert family.”

“What is Viscountess Yekert’s disposition like?”

For an ordinary noble young lady, it’s common to know at least a little about the dispositions of noble madams through social activities.

‘But I must have lived in seclusion for so long.’

Although I did go here and there as the original story was nearing its end, I never attended social gatherings since I didn’t.

At times like this, staying away from social life became a bane. I couldn’t grasp the dispositions of the madams.

“The Viscount Yekert family maintains an amicable relationship with the Duke Perhaem family, and the Viscountess herself is highly praised for her gentle disposition.”

“Is that the rumor going around?”

When I pointedly asked, the butler, understanding my intention, replied,

“Yes, Madam. That’s the circulating rumor. But in reality, who knows? As someone who is practically a power figure in high society, it wouldn’t be difficult for her to manage such a rumor.”

I pondered. If I, who had virtually no experience in high society, showed even the slightest naivety to a seasoned noblewoman, I would easily be looked down upon. Moreover, I was on the younger side.

“Usually, madams familiar with high society are bound to manage their reputations to some extent. But as you know, I have almost no experience in high society.”

In high society, even a kind person can instantly become the subject of finger-pointing due to a single rumor. In such a place, people who manage their reputations so spotlessly that there’s not a speck of dirt are actually more frightening.

“Has there never been a single bad rumor about Viscountess Yekert?”

“That’s correct. She may be a difficult person for Madam to deal with.”

At least the relationship between the families was said to be amicable. She probably wouldn’t attack me first, but it remained to be seen how my words at the tea party would spread.

Next to the invitation with the ornate pattern, I noticed an extremely plain invitation.

“Whose invitation is this?”

As I examined the invitation, the butler informed me first.

“That is an invitation sent by Viscountess Stemun. Recently, the Stemun family has been establishing a good business relationship with the Duke Perhaem family. However, the rumors about the Viscountess are not very favorable.”

“What are the rumors like?”

When I looked at him with curious eyes, the butler answered,

“There are rumors that she enjoys luxury beyond her means and is somewhat ill-tempered.”

“But this invitation is plain compared to the others?”

I fell into thought for a moment. Then, a sudden guess came to me and I asked,

“What is the relationship between Viscountess Stemun and Viscountess Yekert like?”