“This is an invitation from the imperial family. It says they are hosting a banquet to celebrate the marriage of the Grand Duke’s family.”

Inside the Grand Duke’s office, Gregory had just finished reporting on the accumulated work. Lastly, he added news about the banquet being prepared by the imperial family.

“They also say it’s to celebrate the safe return of His Majesty the Former Emperor after completing his journey.”

At Gregory’s words, Caeron’s hand, which had been flipping through documents, paused momentarily. Seeing his subtly stiffened expression, Shade opened his mouth.

“The Former Emperor returned not long after you left for your honeymoon. This must be an event arranged for His Majesty who couldn’t attend the Grand Duke’s wedding.”

“He’s still timing things well as always.”

It was the same back then too. He had only arrived after the woman who gazed at the distant sea every day waiting for him had closed her eyes.

Caeron’s brows furrowed.

“And Duchess Katrina has started matchmaking again.”

“She never tires, does she? Which family is it this time?”

“…Fluor.”

“…Ha!”

At Shade’s words, Caeron let out a scornful laugh. Soon, a sharp light flickered in his eyes.

“They chose this hand quite carefully.”

After the Former Emperor stepped down from the throne, Katrina had endlessly tried to plant her own people in the position of empress to maintain power.

Despite the continuous matchmaking attempts, Pascal only pretended to go along halfheartedly. Katrina must have been anxious that he didn’t get close to any daughter from the families she had pushed forward.

This time it’s the family of the Grand Duchess…

“Was it Roselyn?”

Caeron coldly asked, recalling the woman who had constantly directed sharp thorns towards her elder sister.

“That’s right. I hear she’s been dominating the social circles lately, backed by Duchess Katrina.”

Duchess Katrina and Roselyn Fluor…

They must have been perfectly matched partners with aligned interests.

The clever Pascal would surely be aware of their intentions, so there wasn’t much to worry about. However…

“Keep a close eye on the social circles. Nothing is as sharp as the blades women hold in their mouths.”

Caeron cautioned, thinking of Aidel who was just stepping into social circles as the Grand Duchess. Shade nodded at his words.

“Of course. You who just rested on your honeymoon don’t know how hard I’ve been working attending salons and parties lately.”

At Shade’s words that sounded like whining, Gregory, who was standing next to him, also added in agreement:

“That’s right. You don’t know how much I’ve been struggling with the Grand Duke’s duties while you were away!”

As if he couldn’t hear the consecutive complaints coming from both sides, Caeron expressionlessly continued flipping through documents.

“So, was it enjoyable? Now that the work report is over, tell us about your honeymoon.”

At Shade’s question, Gregory’s eyes also sparkled with curiosity from the side.

“I was amazed by your thoroughness! Going to an island of all places! And a private island with no one else there at that.”

Shade whispered intimately with a meaningful smile.

“You must have had plenty of time alone together.”

At Shade’s words, Caeron’s eyes, which had been moving over the documents, momentarily paused.

Time alone together…

Indeed, that was true. In a place with only the two of them, he had indulged in her scent and explored her thoroughly as he had long desired.

But… it was strange.

This feeling of not being filled no matter how much he filled himself…

“Did Her Grace enjoy Meriel Island? It was difficult to keep quiet when she asked about the destination.”

At Gregory’s mention of Meriel Island, Caeron’s gaze deepened further. The image of two women overlapping against the backdrop of the blue sea circled in his mind.

Seeing Caeron’s hardened face, Shade and Gregory exchanged glances.

‘It seems that way, doesn’t it?’

‘Yes. It seems so.’

The two nodded slightly in agreement with each other’s thoughts. Shade carefully opened his mouth while observing Caeron’s complexion.

“Did you perhaps have a fight?”

“…A fight?”

Caeron’s lowered gaze fell on Shade.

“Her Grace didn’t look well earlier. Did you have a marital dispute on the way back?”

Seeing Caeron’s face harden even more at the mention of Aidel’s poor complexion, Shade continued speaking.

“I guess I’m right. It’s common for newlyweds to fight, but don’t put off making up for too long.”

Shade lightly patted Caeron’s shoulder.

“Being honest is always best. Pride is the most useless thing in the face of love.”

Love…?

For a moment, Caeron’s hand tightened, crumpling the document he was holding. His expression, which had been crumpled like that paper, briefly relaxed as a cold sneer hung on Caeron’s lips.

“You’re talking nonsense.”

“This is sincere advice born from experience.”

“Shade Hilburn.”

Shade’s pupils trembled slightly at the Grand Duke’s low voice calling his full name, as if pressing down on him.

“I’m sure I told you from the beginning. Don’t pay attention.”

“But…”

Shade’s purple eyes were filled with doubt. The Grand Duke’s gaze was different from that of a man jealously telling others not to be interested in the Grand Duchess.

“My relationship with the Grand Duchess is my business. Stop your unnecessary concern and focus only on your own duties.”

His gaze, which seemed to no longer tolerate any meddling, was like he had donned cold and hard armor.

“…Understood.”

As Shade left the Grand Duke’s office with a hardened expression, Gregory, who had been fidgeting, finally opened his mouth after hesitation.

“Sir Shade spoke with good intentions. He doesn’t know about the contract between Your Grace and Her Grace.”

“I know.”

He knew that Shade had said those things for his sake.

“That’s why it’s pointless.”

To speak of love in such a contractual relationship. It’s just about giving and taking what each other wants, nothing more.

Caeron, having regained his usual unwavering poker face, began flipping through the documents he was holding again.

‘Your Grace…’

Gregory looked at him with worried eyes. Unable to utter the words lingering in his mouth, he only opened and closed it before finally shutting it.

On the table in front of the window in the Grand Duchess’s office. The flower buds in the vase sparkled in the afternoon sunlight.

The lisianthus that Shade had given as a welcome back gift had fully bloomed, seeming to brighten the room.

− I included the wish for your ‘unchanging love’.

Looking at the flowers, Shade’s words echoed in her mind. Aidel’s gaze, lost in thought, rested on the vase for a long time.

How much time had passed? The wind blew in through the open window curtains, causing a few flower petals to fall.

In that moment, Aidel slightly furrowed her brow and bit her inner lip. The fallen pale pink petals felt as poignant as the wound left in her heart.

Aidel’s faintly trembling eyes soon disappeared behind tightly closed eyelids. As she closed her eyes, scenes from the recent trip flashed through her mind.

The lovely people of the territory, the vast sea, the beautiful island…

And even his appearance, existing before her not as the Grand Duke but simply as a man…

Each time she recalled a happy scene, it felt as if a corner of her heart was throbbing, and Aidel pressed her chest gently.

The flowing memories stopped at their last night on the island, with his somewhat different appearance.

Unfamiliar, and sharp gaze and expression… Recalling his inexplicably cold tenderness, Aidel’s closed eyelids trembled as much as her felt confusion.

After some time had passed, Aidel reopened her eyes and lowered her gaze to look at the document placed on the desk. It was the marriage contract between the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess.

Her eyes scanned down the marriage contract clauses, which she had already read and memorized several times. Then they stopped at the last clause.

‘Article 20, Clause 1 of the Marriage Contract. The fulfillment of all the above contract terms is valid only for 3 years from the date of agreement to the contract.’

The recent trip was as happy as a dream. And now that she had returned to reality… it was time to wake up from the dream.

‘He must have woken up from the dream before me…’

She too needed to face reality and wake up.

She tried to steel her heart by reading the marriage contract over and over, but… an undeniable shadow was cast over her face.

Just then, Marlin’s knock was heard from outside the office.

“Your Grace, it’s Marlin.”

“Come in.”

Aidel answered as she put the marriage contract in the drawer. Fortunately, she was able to smile as usual when she saw Marlin’s face entering through the door.

“Madame Pomfenu has just arrived. She says she’s finished the final fitting for the outfit you’ll wear at tomorrow’s entrance ceremony.”

“That’s good. Let’s go to the dressing room right away.”

It was just when she needed a distraction to shake off her complicated feelings. Aidel stood up and headed to the dressing room.

“Your Grace, did you enjoy your trip?”

As they entered the dressing room, Madame Pomfenu greeted Aidel with a welcoming face.

“Thanks to you. And I wore the bathing suit well.”

“Did you like it? Actually, I newly designed that bathing suit especially for Your Grace.”

So it was indeed different from ordinary bathing suits. Aidel nodded with an awkward smile as she looked at Madame Pomfenu whose eyes were sparkling.

“The outfit you’ll wear today will also be a piece that Your Grace will be the first to wear in the empire.”

At Madame Pomfenu’s gesture, her assistant brought out a tailored suit. The formal wear consisted of a double-collared jacket, a shirt-waist blouse, and an ankle-length long skirt.

“The blouse follows a similar form to existing men’s shirts. The cuff buttons are engraved with the Grand Duke’s family emblem.”

The shirt blouse, modified to fit a woman’s body structure, accentuated soft curves.

“For the bottom, I considered tapered pants, but since this is the first time introducing a women’s tailored suit, I prepared a skirt to give a similar feel to a dress.”

The ankle-length long skirt revealed a slim silhouette. A small slit at the bottom also ensured mobility.

“Lastly, the jacket. While maintaining a masculine feel with a classic double-collar shape, I also emphasized femininity by accentuating the waistline curve.”

Madame Pomfenu covered her mouth due to her uncontrollable smile. Her eyes sparkled with emotion as she saw the Grand Duchess perfectly embodying her work.

“It suits you so well! Your Grace always expresses my clothes beyond what I imagined.”

“I like the outfit much more than I imagined too. It’s also less uncomfortable to wear than a dress.”

Standing in front of the mirror, Aidel also nodded with a satisfied smile.

“Your Grace is my eternal muse. I believe that through your future actions, you will show that women are no longer flowers in a greenhouse.”

At Madame Pomfenu’s words, Aidel’s gaze, looking at herself in the mirror, deepened with contemplation.

‘A flower in a greenhouse…’

The Grand Duke’s family was like a cozy greenhouse for her, who had been exhausted by the wind and rain.

However…

Aidel’s hand, smoothing the collar of the tailored jacket as if having made some decision, tensed with strength.

‘I must stand alone.’

When the time came, she would have to leave the Grand Duke’s family through complete independence.

She had decided to become a real flower instead of an artificial one, but that didn’t mean she wanted to be a greenhouse flower.

As if awakened from a dream, Aidel’s light green eyes, looking at herself, began to shine more clearly than ever before.