“I’m aware of it too.”

“You’re not just going to watch and do nothing, are you?”

“If I act correctly, the rumor will subside.”

Sephia had already once proven her worth as Empress and quelled rumors, which is why she could say this.

But Roxan seemed to think differently.

“I’m not sure. Rumors tend to grow the more people talk about them.”

He implied that this time, the rumors might not die down so easily. Unlike when Sephia’s legitimacy as Empress was questioned, this time there was nothing she could prove.

In fact, Sephia already knew this.

But enduring seemed to be the only viable option since no one was there to help her.

‘There must be a reason why such a rumor spread so easily.’

The main reason seemed to be that Sephia and the Emperor’s relationship was perceived as distant.

And there’s no way Demios wouldn’t know about the rumors attached to Sephia.

Sephia was engulfed in gloom.

“The smartest way to deal with rumors is to counter them with other rumors.”

“What?”

Roxan suddenly pulled her hand.

“Use me.”

Roxan?

Suddenly, Sephia found herself in an embrace-like posture, close to Roxan.

He lowered his head and whispered in her ear.

Only she could hear the soft voice at the end of his breath.

“I will become the Empress’s actual consort.”

“What do you mean….”

Her cheeks burned red, her senses dizzied by the sudden heat. She thought the absurd proposition was the cause of her sudden fever.

Roxan, as if reading her mind, added with a mischievous smile.

“Precisely, let’s make it seem that way.”

A fake consort? And using Roxan for that?

Seizing the moment of her confusion, he explained his reasoning.

“It’s just a rumor anyway. If I stay by your side, situations like earlier won’t happen.”

In the empire where the strong prey on the weak, having the only Duke with divine blood as a consort would undoubtedly deter other males.

‘But, should I?’

Even though Roxan suggested using him, Sephia hesitated.

As she hesitated to respond, her gaze shifted to Roxan’s side.

Demios and Titie were visible from a distance.

They had been watching her even before she noticed.

‘They saw everything.’

The realization that the Emperor did not come to her aid was even more apparent.

Sephia felt his gaze as a reproach.

As if saying she hadn’t conducted herself properly as Empress, hence the rumors.

A surge of emotion welled up inside her.

‘I didn’t do anything wrong.’

She had only done her best for the empire.

Never deserving of blame.

Sephia’s emotions found words as she faced away from the Emperor.

“Alright.”

Her golden eyes shone brightly at Roxan.

If rumors could be countered by rumors, then anything was acceptable.

Especially if it wasn’t real.

At Sephia’s consent, Roxan stepped back.

“Then we should make it look real.”

He extended his hand to her again.

“Shall we go, Sephia?”

His voice held a pleasant resonance as he said her name.

Sephia lost her words for a moment.

It had been so long since she had heard her name.

It felt like a return to the past.

‘Sephia.’
The last time someone had called her name so tenderly was in her childhood, by Demios.

Sephia placed her hand in his.

Roxan escorted her across the hall.

Surely, the nearby nobles must have heard it too. The Duke calling the Empress by her name.

This was what they wanted, to counter a bigger rumor with another.

But at that moment, she wasn’t thinking about that.

“Where are we going?”

She thought they were heading to the center to dance, but he was actually leaving the banquet hall.

Roxan, with a playful smile, answered without words and guided her further.

They arrived at a garden next to the banquet hall.

Unlike the brightly lit and music-filled banquet hall, the garden bathed in moonlight was submerged in a peaceful blue light.

“The night garden is a secret meeting place for clandestine lovers.”

He laughed with his back to the moon, reminiscent of their first meeting.

Sephia walked with him through the garden, holding his hand.

‘Is this really okay?’

It was a decision already made.

But whether it was the best solution, she was still unsure.

Most of all, it was a situation that necessitated using someone else.

But many nobles had already witnessed Roxan and Sephia leaving the hall.

It was too late to turn back.

Sephia looked up at his profile quietly.

‘Does Roxan have a lover?’

There were plenty of ladies in the banquet hall who coveted him.

Not just during the victory celebration, but always, Roxan was a top marital prospect.

She had seen, not intentionally, women approaching Roxan more than ten times.

However, Roxan had rejected all of them with the same expression – neither cold nor warm, just indifferent.

Sephia guessed that there must be another reason for Roxan’s rejections.

Maybe he already had someone special in mind.

‘Early engagements before leaving for battle are common.’

She hadn’t heard about any betrothal for the Duke.

But only he would know his true feelings.

“What are you thinking about?”

Feeling her gaze, Roxan asked.

His face, turned away from the moonlight, had delicately chiseled features.

Sephia couldn’t hold back and asked.

“I was wondering if Roxan might have a lover. If so, accepting your help now would be a great insult to them.”

Surprised by her unexpected question, Roxan looked astonished.

“It’s not an insult. Just that…”

He turned away from Sephia to look at the garden.

The garden, blooming with various autumn flowers, was barely visible under the moonlight.

His gaze seemed to extend beyond the garden, into a distant past.

“I did have someone special. A precious lover.”

Sephia realized he was reminiscing.

She understood that feeling of reaching out to an unreachable yearning.

As she followed his gaze, Roxan’s eyes met hers again.

“I still love her.”

“But why…”

Why wasn’t he seeking his lover?

If something unfortunate had happened while he was on the battlefield…

Her head swirled with a series of guesses.

Fortunately, Sephia’s assumptions weren’t true.

“We had to part due to unavoidable circumstances. It feels like too much time has passed to go back to her now.”

“……I see.”

Sephia sighed in relief.

If his lover had passed away, even mentioning this topic would have been disrespectful.
But conversely, doesn’t that mean there’s still a chance they could meet again someday?

‘I do understand his feelings.’

If his lover has moved on and is living her life, it would be difficult for him to suddenly reappear.

But if it’s the opposite…

“Your lover might still be waiting for you, Roxan.”

If he still hasn’t forgotten her after all this time, then she might be waiting for him too.

Maybe even desperately so.

Surprised by Sephia’s heartfelt words, his eyes widened slightly.

“Are you trying to comfort me?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

Sephia nodded.

She knew too well how painful an indefinite wait can be.

But it was that pain that allowed her to endure the hard times and keep living.

Even though her wait didn’t end in love.

‘I hope his love is fulfilled.’

She genuinely hoped Roxan and his lover would reunite.

Regardless of the outcome, only the people involved could put an end to their story.

“So, before it’s too late… Wait a minute. If there’s someone like that, and a scandal with me spreads…”

Sephia trailed off, suddenly realizing the implications.

If Roxan found his lover after a scandal with her had already spread, that would be truly regrettable.

Watching her fluster, Roxan burst into laughter.

“It’s alright. She doesn’t know about my status. If we meet again, I’ll have to tell her everything.”

A lover he had to meet in secret, possibly a commoner.

“It’s good then. But you’ll have to explain well if you meet her.”

“That I will.”

He seemed resigned, calm in his response.

Reminiscing about the past and feeling isolated even amidst a crowd.

Sephia realized she and Roxan might have more in common than she thought.

Wanting to know more about his past, she wondered, would that be too presumptuous?