Yezar’s eyes curved beautifully. He tapped my hand that was holding his fingertips, as if playing piano keys.

When I loosened my grip, his long fingers gently grasped my palm, tracing it smoothly. The warm body temperature slowly heated my palm.

“That’s not true. I’m honestly expressing my feelings in front of you. You’re perceptive enough to notice if I were forcing a smile, and I don’t want to worry you further by doing that.”

“What’s wrong with worrying me? I’m Yezar’s wife after all. Anything is fine.”

If he was suffering from lingering feelings for Bertisha, I wished he would confide in me instead. Suppressed emotions only fester and rot over time, becoming a burden one must carry.

I hoped those feelings would be shaken off, and any lingering attachment to Bertisha would disappear along with them.

A clear, refreshing laugh like morning dew on grass leaves softly echoed in my ears.

“That’s right. Julieta is my wife. But I don’t want to be a husband who helplessly hides behind his wife’s back.”

Incongruously, I imagined a golden retriever hiding behind my back with its tail and ears drooping.

‘That would be quite cute.’

As I was having this impolite imagination about Yezar, I was startled by his next words.

“I have caused you trouble.”

“What? You’ve caused me trouble?”

If anyone was at fault, it was me, not him.

“If I had properly conveyed my intentions instead of ignoring her letter, you wouldn’t have had to encounter her today. You wouldn’t have had to leave the tea time early out of concern for me, and you wouldn’t have had that unpleasant experience.”

Even if Yezar had properly conveyed his intentions to Bertisha, she would have still come to see me. The fact that the man who always gazed at her like a sunflower had turned his attention elsewhere remained unchanged.

I didn’t want to think ill of her, but it seemed right to assume Bertisha was angry because she felt I had taken something she thought was rightfully hers.

That’s why I didn’t want to give Bertisha anything. Whether it was his longing, sadness, or pain, there was nothing to give to someone who didn’t cherish him.

“It’s alright! I would have encountered her at some official event eventually. Besides, I left the tea time early because it wasn’t as enjoyable as I thought. As the Duchess, I need to do my duties well. Social activities are still difficult for me, it seems.”

I smiled brightly, lest Yezar worry that I might have felt out of place at the tea time. When I smiled brightly, he usually smiled along with me.

He noticed my smile and soon smiled back.

“It’s okay to take it slow, one step at a time. If social activities are difficult, you don’t have to attend them. Or like at the Stemun Viscount’s, just talk and laugh with people you get along with.”

“Yes, I’ll do that. So Yezar, I didn’t have any unpleasant experiences. You haven’t caused me any trouble.”

“But, my lady…”

His hand trembled slightly. His wavering eyes and reddened eyelids looked anxious.

“I don’t know if you brushed it off thinking this is a contract marriage, but I think it was wrong to have you hear requests related to me from an opposite-sex friend. If we were an intimate couple, it would be unpleasant if a former close friend of the opposite sex came to ask for favors to become close with the husband again.”

Ah! So the unpleasant experience he mentioned was about a former female friend approaching the wife to make requests related to the husband.

‘So, in other words, what they call jealousy?’

The natural jealousy a wife feels towards her husband, or a husband towards his wife. Honestly, hearing about Yezar from Bertisha wasn’t exactly a pleasant situation.

I had some feelings for him, and even though it was a contract, I was his wife.

“Of course, we’re in a contract marriage… So it might not have been an unpleasant experience for you, but if it were me, I would have found it unpleasant.”

His hesitant tone at the beginning became clear by the end. He was saying that if it were him, he would have been displeased. In other words, he would have been jealous.

‘…Not a good attitude for a clean contract relationship.’

But what he wanted was a couple who cared for and thought of each other, even if it was just a short-term contract. With a bit of self-interest, I answered him.

“Yezar, aren’t you curious about Her Majesty the Empress’s well-being?”

“No, I’m not particularly curious.”

“But you were quite close, weren’t you? Close enough to spend most of your daily life together at one point.”

He then carefully chose his words.

“The person closest to me now is you, my lady. Not Her Majesty the Empress.”

It was an answer typical of him. Not calling her by her familiar name and drawing a line by referring to her as ‘Her Majesty the Empress’ was probably out of consideration for me, his wife.

“Still, haven’t you spent much more time with Her Majesty than with me? You must have unique memories together.”

As I persisted unusually, Yezar looked at me, not knowing what to do. Unable to hold back, a chuckle escaped me.

As I started laughing out loud, Yezar quietly watched me, seemingly not understanding what was happening.

“Hehe. I’m sorry. Was I being too whiny?”

“Whiny?”

“Yes, I was being whiny about the unpleasant experience I had.”

Understanding my intention, he smiled happily but then wondered if it was right to be happy about this. Noticing his lips moving as if to apologize, I said to Yezar.

“Let’s stop with the apologies. I’ve heard enough and don’t want to hear more. Instead, smile for me. You know I like seeing you smile.”

His cheeks turned peach-colored. He seemed embarrassed. His voice was shy as he spoke to me gently.

“…I always feel like I’m being cared for.”

Getting flushed so quickly, then becoming gloomy just as fast. There probably isn’t anyone else whose emotions show so clearly on their face.

“It’s because you care for and respect me, Yezar. I’m just doing the same.”

I received comfort from him that I couldn’t get even from my family. So it was only natural for me to care for and respect him. I was holding his hand and smiling continuously when he asked me a question.

“May I ask you something, my lady?”

“Yes, go ahead.”

‘What could he want to ask with such a serious expression?’

As I waited curiously for the question, its content was unexpected, making me blink for a moment.

“Before marrying me… did you have anyone you were interested in…?”

If I did, would that expression turn into a frown? Would he feel guilty, blaming himself for making me enter an unwanted marriage? Knowing Yezar, he might do both.

“I was in seclusion at the mansion, so I didn’t even have any close male acquaintances. You’re the only man in my life, Yezar.”

“Is that so?”

He seemed relieved. Somehow, I felt mischievous.

“Of course, who knows what the future holds.”

There might have been a bit of spite in it. After all, he had someone closer to him than me – Bertisha. And he had even given her his heart.

He froze for a moment, then whispered to me softly.

“But right now, I am your husband.”

Looking into his serious blue eyes, my spiteful feelings melted away. Maybe I had played that trick because I wanted to hear these words.

“Yes, and I’m Yezar’s wife.”

I might start wanting to play this childlike game of house for a long time. The more he treated me well, the more such thoughts bloomed hazily.

A few days passed after attending Viscountess Eckert’s tea time. I was surprised anew by the news my butler brought me.

“These days, unfavorable rumors about you are spreading among the noble ladies, my lady.”

“Already? I knew it would happen, but how diligent is Viscountess Eckert?”

Even if rumors were to spread, I thought it would take about a week. I didn’t expect unfavorable rumors about me to spread so quickly.

The butler, who had been listening, asked me in surprise.

“What do you mean you knew it would happen, my lady?”

“Well… I left early because I wasn’t feeling well.”

Of course, the circumstances were long, but I couldn’t explain in detail.

“I see. Viscountess Eckert has a fastidious nature, so she might not have liked that.”

But it couldn’t be helped. I couldn’t let Yezar and Bertisha meet either.

“Can you tell me exactly what the unfavorable rumors about me are?”

“They say there was a reason you didn’t fit into high society, that you associate with commoners inappropriately and are even proud of it without knowing to be ashamed.”

“That’s a rumor that would shock the conservative noble ladies.”

I never got used to people dividing themselves by status. Nobles and commoners alike drew lines between themselves and tried not to cross them.

That’s why I felt lonely even at the Orbetian Count’s residence. Although the place was full of people, they drew a line, seeing me as the young lady they had to serve, and didn’t act too friendly beyond a certain level.

“Are you alright, my lady?”

“I’m fine. I don’t really care about rumors about me. However, if it brings harm to the Duke’s residence, I won’t stand idle.”

It was fine if they slandered me. But I had no intention of tolerating any harm to the people here who cared for me.

Just then, there was a knock at the door. When I said to come in, a child entered.

“Thank you for employing me, my lady.”

It was Lofi, the maid I had decided to hire from Viscount Eckert’s residence.