“I heard the Orbetian Count’s family’s love for their daughter is extraordinary. I apologize if my words were impertinent.”

Indeed, they were the ones who came to my wedding and cried their eyes out. It wasn’t entirely wrong to say that.

“It’s alright. Of course, they love me very much. But Father and my older brothers are busy. It can’t be helped, I have to understand that.”

“Then have you ever traveled together?”

Even before I possessed this body and secluded myself in the mansion, there were hardly any memories of that. There’s no way we would have traveled together.

“Not really. To begin with, Father and the eldest brother rarely stayed at the count’s residence. I hardly saw them. When I was young, Mother passed away early, so the atmosphere at home wasn’t good.”

At my answer, the expressions of the maid girls and Ember changed drastically. Realizing my mistake, I quickly added:

“But the nanny at the count’s residence took good care of me. My younger brother also played with me often when he had time. I was happy enough with that.”

To begin with, I wasn’t the real Julieta, so that much was enough for me. But it seemed the real Julieta had an emotional deficit. She was so intoxicated by the kindness directed at her that she was willing to give her heart to a single smile from the current emperor.

“But maybe that’s why I came to like affectionate people…”

In fact, it was true that both Julieta and I had no one to lean on emotionally.

Surprised by my subconscious thoughts, I closed my mouth tightly. I tried to quickly smooth over the situation with a smile.

But a rough yet warm hand firmly grasped mine.

“Madam, don’t worry. From now on, we will take care of you more attentively than anyone else.”

“Huh?”

As if her earlier exhaustion had never existed, Ember straightened her posture and was strengthening her resolute will. Moreover, the eyes of the maid girls behind her were all equally moist.

‘I think I brought up the wrong topic…’

But it was already too late.

‘Sigh. They’ve firmly misunderstood.’

I couldn’t help but sigh. It was because I could easily imagine what image of me they had in their minds.

I had been careful not to make mistakes, thinking she was a precious young lady who grew up receiving all kinds of love.

But it turns out she was practically neglected under her busy family, not receiving much attention, and even in that situation, she endured it, saying it was okay, and grew up to be a delicate young lady!

And there’s even a love story where the young lady’s husband, Count Perhaem, approached and comforted her when she was struggling, and she fell for his kindness and married him.

Yes. This seems like a huge problem.

It was clear that this would spread throughout the mansion as if it were true, as the pieces fit together perfectly.

‘How do I explain this misunderstanding?’

Even if I deny it now, it’s obvious they will look at me with those uniquely warm gazes.

Perhaps it was due to the sudden worries. I couldn’t bring myself to eat the food in front of me. To begin with, I wasn’t the type to have a proper breakfast anyway.

“Is there any food that doesn’t suit your taste?”

As I raised my head at the kind question, I saw Yezar looking at me. I couldn’t bring myself to tell him about what had happened earlier in front of all the servants.

‘Well. Since they’ve already misunderstood. It’s too late to try to deny it.’

I’ll just use this misunderstanding to make us look like a loving couple!

“It’s just… it’s been so long since I had a meal with someone like this. Having breakfast with you, Yezar, makes me so happy.”

I deliberately drew out my words and spoke pitifully. The sound of sniffling could be heard from behind.

Sigh, I don’t even know anymore. I thought this much would be enough.

But he said something I didn’t expect.

“Me too…”

“Pardon?”

“I’m happy to have a meal with you.”

Both his cheeks were slightly flushed as he said he was happy to have a meal with me. His gaze was directed downward, but I could see his softly curved eyes.

For a moment, I almost fell for his natural reaction.

The servants don’t know about the details of our contract.

He must have reacted shyly like that as an ideal husband.

‘I almost foolishly misunderstood.’

Yezar was going along with it for my sake. I was about to react awkwardly, not knowing anything.

‘Stay calm. To the servants, we are a couple who passionately love each other.’

So in this situation, I had to respond in a similar way.

“Let’s eat together next time too. Anytime.”

I smiled brightly, as if anyone could see that I was happy with his words. Then Yezar’s smile deepened.

“Yes, dear.”

At a glance, we would look like a loving couple to anyone, but I felt like cold sweat was running down my back.

‘I didn’t look awkward, right? What if they suspect something?’

With that worry, I glanced at the servants. They were all averting their gazes as if witnessing an embarrassing display of affection.

I didn’t know, but I might have quite a talent for acting.

Along with a sense of pride, a feeling of helplessness about my future life rushed in. Although I managed to avoid it this time, it seemed difficult to continue acting like this even within the duke’s residence.

“Yezar. After the meal, would you like to take a walk in the garden for a bit?”

“Yes, that’s fine. But since the weather is still chilly, I’ll tell the maids…”

“No. I want to walk with just the two of us.”

At those words, Yezar dropped the knife he was holding. The utensil collided with the marble floor, making a loud noise. I tried to approach him in surprise. But before that, Yezar answered.

“I’ll finish my meal quickly then.”

“You can take your time eating…”

I was blinking my eyes, not understanding his reaction, but for some reason, the gazes of the servants looking at us seemed to have become even warmer.

After finishing the meal, I went to the spacious garden of the duke’s residence with him for a while.

“Don’t the other servants come here?”

“They won’t. Besides, didn’t you say you wanted to walk with just the two of us?”

“That’s true. I’m just worried that word might leak out.”

“Do you have something important to discuss?”

I wondered if he was deliberately teasing me by asking casually. But his innocent face didn’t seem to be mocking me.

“Well, of course I do. None of the other servants know about our contract marriage, right?”

“Ah.”

As if he finally realized something, Yezar asked me.

“Is that why you experienced difficulties?”

“Yes. I think they completely misunderstood me as a young lady who grew up neglected in the Orbetian Count’s family. Moreover, I unintentionally said I like affectionate people, so there will definitely be rumors… no, there must already be rumors that I fell in passionate love, drawn to Your Grace’s kindness.”

Of course, I sprinkled a lot of salt on the story they imagined, but I was worried about the future.

“First, calm down. Julieta. Slowly explain what happened.”

I took a deep breath to calm my mind. Then I explained in detail what had happened this morning.

But his reaction was strange.

“I’d like to hear about your past.”

“What? My story?”

Why does he suddenly want to hear about my past? Besides, there’s not much to tell except that I lived in seclusion.

“I thought I should first know your story in order to clear up the misunderstanding.”

“It won’t be that interesting though?”

It was certain to be completely uninteresting. I didn’t understand why he wanted to know such a thing.

However, Yezar seemed curious and led me to a bench in the garden. Then he said this:

“It’s alright. I want to hear your story.”

I had no choice but to sit on the bench and slowly began my story.

“You must have investigated the Orbetian Count’s family, so you probably already know this. When I was young, my mother suffered from complications after giving birth to me and passed away after being ill for a long time.”

It was the fundamental starting point of why Julieta developed an emotional deficit.

“Honestly, I don’t have many close memories with my mother since she was always sick in bed when I was young. Maybe that’s why. I don’t miss her that much.”

Thanks to that, it wasn’t awkward for me to not long for the Countess of Orbetian.

“So maybe that’s why, even after Mother passed away, I wasn’t that sad. Some might call me heartless, but I felt suffocated among my father and older brothers who locked themselves in their rooms and cried every day.”

As the memories remaining in the possessed body were conveyed, I could feel the emotions, although not completely. At that time, Julieta was a child who knew nothing, so she went to find her father and older brothers, asking them to play with her, but she was turned away.

She cried silently, not understanding the rejection, but no one comforted the little child as they were all sunk in despair. Julieta understood that her family rejected her because they were too sad to have the leisure to deal with her, but perhaps at that time, they actually resented Julieta.

Because the Countess of Orbetian passed away due to complications from giving birth to Julieta.

“It must have been very difficult for you.”

“Well…”

I felt guilty receiving that consolation since I didn’t experience it myself.

“But they quickly got back on their feet and treated me well. Although they were very busy…”

Perhaps feeling guilty for being cold to that little child, Julieta’s father and older brothers were affectionate towards her.

However, maybe it was because they tried to overcome their sadness through work. They rarely stayed at the residence. At least young Wizlet stayed at the residence and played with Julieta, but Wizlet had a blunt personality, so he didn’t get along well with Julieta.

Then, when Julieta collapsed with a high fever, she passed away, and I possessed this body.

‘Come to think of it, Julieta’s fate wasn’t so happy either.’

For someone called the villainess extra 1, her upbringing was too lonely.

“I heard you secluded yourself in the middle. Did you have any change of heart?”

He was asking about what happened after I possessed her. A change of heart. I was just struggling to survive. So I answered jokingly. It was a story no one would believe anyway.

“I just wanted to live a long life.”

But this man takes even my playful answer seriously.

“Did something bad happen?”

Not knowing that it warms my heart.