“Do you really think so?”

“Yes, I feel like those jewels are an indirect expression of tears.”

“I see. So that’s how you feel.”

The Grand Duchess nodded to herself and then spoke to the murmuring crowd.

“I respect individual interpretations. While the artist’s intent is important, how the viewer perceives it is also important.”

At those words, those who were criticizing Arasila as reckless fell silent. Looking around at the now quiet people, the Grand Duchess added.

“If I explain what kind of painting this is here, I would be denying someone’s interpretation. So let’s just move on from this painting.”

As she followed the Grand Duchess, who continued explaining the paintings while walking, Arasila felt slightly worried.

‘Was I too honest?’

Arasila tried her best to be honest according to her sister’s advice, while also trying not to be too direct or explicit.

However, as she was originally somewhat frank, she wasn’t sure if she had restrained herself enough to be clever.

‘Oh, did I mess up? That shouldn’t happen. But considering the reason for painting the picture, it seems right that it was painted in a generally depressed state…’

Arasila fell into concern as she watched the Grand Duchess, who never glanced her way. It seemed like the first time she had fretted so much about not winning someone’s heart.

Finally, when the explanation time ended, the Grand Duchess left, telling everyone to look around freely.

Arasila thought about following her, but gave up after seeing her firmly reject others’ requests for conversation.

‘I should be satisfied with just having shown my face today.’

How could one achieve satisfactory results right from the start? Even in magic experiments, successful results were only obtained after several failures.

Still, since she was here, Arasila slowly looked around the hall alone, intending to examine the Grand Duchess’s paintings in detail to use as conversation topics later.

It was then that someone suddenly spoke to her from the side.

“Hello, Lady Vandermir.”

“…?”

A middle-aged woman who looked quite elderly greeted her with a friendly smile. Judging by her neat but plain attire, she seemed to be a maid rather than a noble.

Wondering why she had addressed her, Arasila was bewildered, then widened her eyes at the woman’s next words.

“I am Catherine, the Grand Duchess’s lady-in-waiting. Would you follow me for a moment?”

The lady-in-waiting added in a low voice so others wouldn’t hear:

“Her Grace the Grand Duchess is looking for you.”

At those words, Arasila obediently followed the lady-in-waiting.

The maid led her to a reception room on the upper floor of the hall. Inside, the Grand Duchess was sitting upright, waiting for Arasila.

“I greet Your Grace the Grand Duchess. I am Arasila Vandermir.”

“Pleased to meet you, Lady Vandermir. Come, have a seat.”

As Arasila sat down opposite her at the Grand Duchess’s invitation, the maid poured tea into her cup and then retreated to the wall.

“I called you because I wanted to have tea with you. Is that alright with your schedule?”

“Of course, Your Grace.”

Arasila nodded politely, knowing she would have to make time even if she didn’t have any.

The Grand Duchess examined Arasila with a somewhat blatant gaze. Though the look in her eyes mixed with favor was uncomfortable, it wasn’t unpleasant.

Having finished her scrutiny to her satisfaction, the Grand Duchess spoke in a gentle voice.

“Actually, I was quite impressed by your answer earlier. That painting was indeed something I painted when I was depressed. I even cried while coloring it.”

Though the Grand Duchess spoke in a light tone, the content was by no means light, so Arasila listened to her words seriously.

“Besides you, there must have been others who felt the gloom in the painting, but I liked that only you expressed your honest impression. Everyone else tends to try to say only good things because they’re too conscious of my reaction.”

“I understand how the others feel too. I also worried afterwards if I had misspoken.”

“Haha, you really are honest!”

The Grand Duchess laughed heartily. The favor in her eyes grew deeper.

Usually in such situations, one would try to emphasize their own uniqueness. For example, by saying that while others are all liars, they themselves are not.

But Arasila defied expectations by expressing empathy for others’ feelings.

Rather than pretending to be kind, it felt like she was once again honestly expressing her true feelings. After all, she had empathized with words that she didn’t need to empathize with.

“Are you also very interested in art?”

“I wasn’t originally, but I’ve recently become interested because I wanted to build a rapport with Your Grace the Grand Duchess.”

“Oh, to become close with me?”

The Grand Duchess asked with delight at the straightforward answer.

She had grown tired of people who had clear objectives but beat around the bush, so she liked that Arasila had none of that.

Unlike those who expressed one word with a hundred, she just spoke that one word as it was.

“Why do you want to become close to me?”

“I hope Your Grace the Grand Duchess would become my patron in social circles.”

“Why?”

The Grand Duchess simply repeated the word. A smile was still on her lips so far. Arasila swallowed dryly, trying not to show it.

This was where the real main point began, so she had to choose her words carefully. She recalled her sister’s advice. To be honest without pretense, but to act cleverly.

“Until now, I’ve been so focused on magic tower work that I haven’t established any footing in social circles. When I got married, that became a big weakness.”

“Well, it is good for a noble lady to have some connections in social circles.”

“Yes, so that I can counter those who spread false rumors about me and try to drive a wedge between my husband and me.”

The Grand Duchess raised her teacup with a faint smile. Arasila also followed her lead, taking a sip of tea to wet her throat.

In fact, the Grand Duchess had heard rumors about Arasila before. However, as malicious talk had circulated and then died down several times, she hadn’t paid much attention to it.

“Do you want to clarify such false rumors through me?”

“Rather than that, I want to definitively resolve my husband’s woman problem.”

The Grand Duchess’s expression subtly changed. The smile slowly disappeared from her lips.

Her gaze, which had become somewhat sharp, stared intently at Arasila.

“Your husband was Lord Vandermir, wasn’t he? Is the lord having an affair?”

“No, my husband hasn’t developed feelings for someone else. But there’s a person who keeps trying to shake his heart while attacking me, which is the problem.”

In other words, the malicious rumors related to Arasila were caused by a woman who liked her husband.

The Grand Duchess, who had a notoriously unfaithful husband, had experienced such situations a few times herself.

Her husband’s women desperately used every means possible to push her out and take the position of Grand Duchess. Not realizing it was a position given to her for being an imperial princess.

They persistently behaved to a nauseating degree, belittling and finding fault with her.

Those who came at her out of desire for power were somewhat better. They would back down when shown the authority of her status as an imperial princess.

But those who truly loved the Grand Duke and were jealous of her committed fearless acts several times, blinded by love.

Tired of dealing with them every time, the Grand Duchess eventually couldn’t fully attach her heart to the Grand Duchy and returned to her home country to regain a comfortable life.

The Grand Duchess, who had glimpsed her own past in Arasila’s words, opened her mouth after a long while.

“So, do you want me to step forward as your patron and punish the women targeting your husband?”

It was well-known that the Grand Duchess had suffered greatly due to the Grand Duke’s infidelity.

Often, noble ladies who were struggling with their husbands’ affairs would come to her for advice or ask her to punish the other party on their behalf.

Though disappointing, it wasn’t surprising to think Arasila was that kind of person too. Because it was so familiar.

But unexpectedly, Arasila shook her head firmly.

“Why should Your Grace the Grand Duchess do it when it’s my matter? What I want is to build up my own strength so that I can deal with that person directly.”

It was a statement that surprised the Grand Duchess, who had thought she would whine like other noble ladies to take care of her husband’s woman.

The Grand Duchess looked at Arasila with an interested face again.

She had seen many people ask her to take revenge on their behalf, but it was the first time someone asked for help to take revenge themselves.

For some strange reason, people expected the Grand Duchess to solve everything just because they shared the same wound of their husband’s infidelity.

“Well, I understand Lady Vandermir’s situation. But is there a reason why I should help you? One should build up strength on their own.”

However, just because Arasila had given a different answer from others, the Grand Duchess didn’t feel inclined to help her readily.

Well, if someone were to fight with her in front of her eyes, she could take Arasila’s side out of goodwill.

But that was all. She had no intention of rashly showing kindness to someone she had just met today, even if she felt favorable towards them.

“I heard that His Grace the Grand Duke hasn’t officially designated his son as the heir yet.”

Arasila spoke in a calm voice, bringing up an unexpected topic. The Grand Duchess’s eyebrow twitched for a moment.

She tilted her head as if telling her to go on.

“I will help your son become the official heir.”

The Grand Duchess’s eyes widened more than ever at Arasila’s words. To think each answer would surprise her this much.

However, this time, thinking it might be a casual remark because it was a difficult matter, she asked sharply.

“How could you do that?”

“His Grace the Grand Duke recently wanted to make a contract with magic airships due to trade issues with the Kingdom of Yortan. But negotiations with my husband failed, so it wasn’t concluded. If Your Grace helps me, I will make that contract in your son’s name.”

Arasila had heard from her sister that the Grand Duke was delaying officially designating his son as heir because he found him unreliable.

So when she looked into it, she found that rather than the Grand Duchess’s son actually being lacking somewhere, the main reason was that he was trapped in his father’s shadow and unable to achieve notable results.

In this situation, if the son succeeded in a contract that his father couldn’t achieve, it would surely be an opportunity to see him in a new light.

This was especially true because maritime trade with the Kingdom of Yortan, which was related to the airship contract, was a quite important issue for the Grand Duchy of Kiston.

The two countries had been trading resources necessary for each other bilaterally for a very long time. At this point, if relations were to break down, it would be troublesome for both sides.

However, there had been problems with trade in recent years.

It wasn’t that they had fought or grown apart, but exchange became difficult as magical beasts appeared in the sea between the two countries.

Even if they spent a huge sum to eliminate the magical beasts, it was only temporary. New magical beasts would appear again, to the point where there hadn’t been a single trade this year.

But magic airships use the sky, so there’s no risk of being attacked by magical beasts.

As it was a way to solve the trade issue with the Kingdom of Yortan at once, the Grand Duke continued to show interest in the airship contract.

The Grand Duchess quietly calculated in her mind.

If she could conclude the magic airship contract in her son’s name, it would soon be possible for him to become the official heir if she gave just a little support.

Having made her decision, she opened her mouth.

“You just want me to help you establish yourself in social circles?”

“Yes, Your Grace the Grand Duchess.”

“Then we have a deal. Let’s try getting along well.”

The Grand Duchess smiled and held out her hand. Arasila politely took that hand.

With this, she had gained a patron in social circles.