Today was the day to attend the salon hosted by Shanette.

Originally, the salon meetings were held alternately at the estates of Marianne or Shanette, who co-operated the salon, or at a mansion in the capital prepared for the artists they sponsored.

I initially wanted to follow the usual way the salon operated and head to the capital.

However, going to the capital made me uneasy because of the Emperor, and Shanette and Reus opposed going to the Viscount Ravian’s or Count Failton’s residences as the journey was too long.

In the end, the salon was held in a building on the artists’ street, Ferochel Street, in the Grand Duchy.

Living in the Grand Duke’s castle, I had never been to Ferochel before, so I left the castle a bit early to take a brief look around. And as Reus said, I arrived at Ferochel quickly.

Always being in the quiet Grand Duke’s castle, I thought Ferochel Street in the Grand Duchy would have a similar atmosphere, but it was more chaotic than expected with the sounds of moving carriages and various noises.

Though it was a bit overwhelming, I enjoyed everything about this rare outing. Of course, the man next to me, who had seemed very displeased since waking up today, didn’t seem to feel the same.

“It’s not too late to change the meeting place to the Grand Duke’s castle if you want.”

“That would be no different from me personally inviting the ladies to the Grand Duke’s castle instead of attending the salon.”

“So what if it is?”

“I’m already so grateful that you came all the way to Ferochel.”

Even though he knew I had no intention of changing my mind, Reus kept trying to persuade me. But when I didn’t budge, his expression soon turned to one of disapproval.

“Reus, are you angry?”

“No, I’m not.”

“If you’re not angry, why don’t you soften your expression a bit? People might misunderstand.”

Although they tried not to show it, almost no one failed to recognize us, so we were constantly followed by gazes.

But Reus didn’t care at all.

“You look a bit scary with that expression.”

Though I said it jokingly in a playful tone, Reus was greatly flustered and softened his expression.

“Roel, I’m not angry at you.”

“I know.”

If it weren’t for the Emperor, there wouldn’t have been a need to be so cautious. But Reus’s face, full of discontent, gradually became gloomy.

“It’s still chilly outside for walking around.”

“That’s why I dressed warmly as you wanted.”

Unlike everyone else who was dressed for the cool autumn weather, I was wearing quite thick clothes and was even a bit hot. But this man still seemed unsatisfied, as if even this wasn’t enough.

“Can’t we just let it go for today? It’s a rare outing, after all.”

“What if you get sick again? I’m worried that you’re suddenly increasing your activity too much…”

“I’m happy to be here in Ferochel with you, Reus… but it seems you’re not.”

Only after I noticed Reus visibly tensing up did I realize I had unconsciously blurted out my true feelings.

“I-I’ll tell you right away if I start feeling cold. So… please be a bit lenient today.”

I quickly tried to change the subject, but Reus only moved his hand slightly without answering. Because of that, I also found myself at a loss for words.

I thought we had plenty of time, but after walking around a bit, the time for the meeting was nearly upon us. We regretfully headed to a building where an exhibition was being held.

Knowing that Iris would be attending this meeting, Reus deliberately didn’t enter the building, so I entered the upper floor of the building alone.

There, I was greeted by the ladies who had arrived earlier and a beautiful view overlooking the distant square.

The first person to spot me was Shanette.

“Roel, was it difficult getting here?”

“It’s so close to the Grand Duke’s castle. Those who walked here from the capital are the ones who went through trouble. I’m grateful to all of you.”

The Countess of Failton, who co-operated the salon with Shanette, spoke to me very warmly.

“What trouble? It’s truly an honor to have the opportunity to invite Your Excellency to the salon. Thank you for taking the time to respond to the invitation. But are you sure it’s alright to go out like this when you’re not well?”

“My health has improved a lot now, so there’s no major problem with daily activities.”

“Still… the Grand Duke must be deeply worried.”

I wanted to say that Reus tends to be a bit overdramatic even without that, but not wanting to add fuel to the rumors circulating in social circles, I quietly kept my mouth shut.

Even after taking our seats, the conversation flowed towards concern for my health. Perhaps because they were all a bit older than me, they gave me various advice as if I were their niece.

Only after giving sincere advice for quite some time did they begin to discuss the exhibition being held in this building and various arts.

“I enjoyed the Adello exhibition. Wasn’t that the painter you were sponsoring, Lady Failton?”

“I heard he had difficulty finding a sponsor because of his unique style. You have a remarkable eye.”

Although they were all noble ladies, there was no unnecessary quarreling or tension, making it one of the rare occasions where I didn’t feel uncomfortable.

As the ladies were engrossed in their discussion about paintings, one lady stood up with a pleased expression. Soon, everyone else also stood up and shifted their gaze to one spot.

There stood Iris.

“We greet Your Highness, the Imperial Princess.”

Iris, smiling gently at the ladies’ greetings, looked quite different from her naive appearance at the birthday celebration.

Back then, her royal appearance had caught my eye first, but now it was her calm gestures and speech that stood out.

I know that Iris has also gone through a lot as a protagonist during this time.

Unlike in the original work where she chose love and left the imperial palace as the male lead Casien almost disappeared from the plot, she seemed to have gained power in the imperial palace and established her own position.

“It seems I’m the last to arrive.”

Despite living a life far removed from the original work, the lively energy flowing from Iris’s rose-colored eyes was still the same as ever, completely unrelated to the flow of the original story.

“If I had known, I should have left a bit earlier.”

“Not at all, Your Highness. There’s still time before the salon begins. We were just exchanging light greetings as there’s a new visitor to the salon today. Here, this is Her Excellency of Rochster.”

At those words, Iris’s eyes sparkled and she approached me.

“I’ve heard a lot about you from Shanette, but this is our first time meeting in person. It’s nice to meet you, Grand Duchess.”

“I greet Your Highness, the Imperial Princess.”

“No need to be so formal. You’re the only person around my age in this salon. There’s no one as precious to me as you.”

The other ladies joked that she was going too far at Iris’s words. Then Shanette spoke.

“Then why don’t Your Highness view the exhibition together with Roel? We’ve been keeping Roel here, so she hasn’t been able to appreciate the important exhibits yet.”

“Is that so? I rushed up here and haven’t seen the exhibition either… Would that be alright with you?”

“Of course, Your Highness. It would be an honor if we could.”

Thanks to Iris dismissing even her lady-in-waiting, saying she wanted to converse comfortably with me, it ended up being just the two of us appreciating the exhibition.

“I heard you’ve been through a lot lately. I understand you’ve been quite ill. Is it already alright for you to be out like this?”

I don’t understand why everyone who sees me thinks I’m still not well. Surely Reus hasn’t been spreading strange rumors about this, has he?

He’s such an unpredictable man that I briefly suspected he might have deliberately spread such rumors.

“As you can see, my body has recovered a lot, so there’s no need for concern. The Grand Duke has been very helpful, and there’s no problem at all with going out.”

“That’s a relief then. I was very worried when I first heard the news. Of course, I can’t say we know each other well… but I was sincerely concerned about you.”

“Thank you for your consideration, Your Highness.”

Then Iris spoke in a slightly playful tone.

“But it seems the Grand Duke didn’t come with you. I heard he’s incredibly devoted to you.”

“Ah… the Grand Duke had some business to attend to elsewhere today.”

I was a bit flustered by the sudden mention of Reus, but I couldn’t reveal that he hadn’t even entered the building because of Iris, so I made up a plausible excuse.

“It would have been nice if I could have met the Grand Duke too. In the past, he used to come to the imperial palace often and we’d run into each other a few times, but these days he doesn’t visit at all, so there’s no chance to talk.”

Iris’s words, filled with deep regret, stirred an indescribable emotion within me for a moment.

“As you know, I owe a great debt to the Grand Duke.”

“Yes, that’s true…”

She had only briefly mentioned Reus out of gratitude for what happened at the birthday celebration, but I was the only one showing a strange reaction. I felt a bit embarrassed and found it difficult to look Iris in the eye properly.

“There’s no need to look at me with such worried eyes. It’s all in the past now.”

Despite having faced a major incident without warning, Iris seemed completely unfazed, as if she had forgotten it all.

While watching the original work, I really loved how she bravely overcame any situation, and I was glad to see that she hadn’t lost that aspect.

But when Reus’s name came up again from Iris’s lips, my mood strangely sank once more.

“By the way, why is your husband so difficult to meet? Even when I send invitations wanting to express my gratitude, he stubbornly refuses to meet. Even when I want to bestow a suitable reward, he won’t accept anything. I really want to show my appreciation at least once, but he doesn’t give me any opportunity at all…”

“Is that so? I… had no idea.”

“Could you at least convey my thanks to the Grand Duke on my behalf?”

“…Of course, Your Highness. I’ll make sure to pass on your words to the Grand Duke.”

“Thank you, I appreciate it.”

After that, Reus was frequently mentioned. I know it’s because she wants to repay the debt or because she was so grateful that she keeps showing interest.

But every time Reus’s name came up, a corner of my heart kept aching.