The scent of fragrant tea wafted through the room.

Dalia stood by the window, basking in the sunlight streaming through the glass.

It had become a habit of sorts, starting from standing by the window occasionally for sunbathing since she didn’t go out much.

As Dalia was feeling the warmth of the light covering her face for a while,

A maid entered the room with a trolley.

“My lady. Here are today’s invitations and refreshments.”

At the maid’s words, Dalia opened her eyes and turned around.

Then, seeing the pile of invitations on the tray, she unconsciously gaped.

“Didn’t this many come yesterday too?”

“Yes. It’s probably because it’s the social season.”

The maid’s voice was nonchalant, as if this amount was very common for the Sayer ducal family.

The thought of reading each one of those and replying made her shoulders tense up again after they had just relaxed for a moment.

But what could she do? She had to.

It seemed like just yesterday she was rejoicing that she didn’t have to participate in social activities. The social activities that began unexpectedly were nothing but bothersome.

Clicking her tongue inwardly like that, Dalia sat down and began to examine the invitations one by one.

“Marchioness of Emensher, Baroness Dolce…”

As Dalia read the names written on the letters without much thought, she straightened her back at the name that followed.

“Lady Roman?”

It was a letter from Rachel.

Curious, she opened Rachel’s letter ahead of the others.

Then, neat handwriting came into view.

As I feel the weather getting warmer day by day, I realize spring has come with each passing day.

Are you faring well, Duchess?

I had so much I wanted to say that day, but I felt regretful for not being able to say it all. Though we’ll meet soon at the Imperial Palace, I want to talk with you before that. So, how about coming to our mansion for a cup of tea together? I’ll be waiting for your reply.

– Your friend, Rachel.]

“Hmm…”

Dalia contemplated as she stared at Rachel’s invitation.

Being with Rachel felt like her energy was being drained, you could say. But there was no harm in becoming friends with her, and in the original story, there were no major events until the birthday celebration. Moreover.

‘That person will surely raise the Duke’s broken lower body soon.’

“I’d like to correct some misunderstanding.”

She couldn’t leave such a shameful misunderstanding about the male protagonist of this novel, who was currently her husband.

‘Clayton would be quite upset if he knew about this.’

As the one person who knew his innocence better than anyone else, she couldn’t just let it slide.

Clearing her husband’s name was also part of a wife’s support.

After pondering for a moment, Dalia wrote a reply accepting the invitation.

* * *

The next day, at the Roman ducal mansion.

Rachel’s mansion was a place full of dignity, befitting one of the only five ducal families in the empire.

Past the tall iron gates that seemed to pierce the sky, a massive mansion wrapped in white walls came into view.

Unlike the Sayer ducal mansion, the colorfully blooming flowers exuded a spring-like atmosphere.

The carriage ran along the path leading from the main gate to the mansion and then came to a stop.

As a footman opened the door and she stepped out of the carriage, Rachel appeared as if she had been waiting and embraced her.

“Thank you so much for coming all the way here, Dalia.”

“I should be thanking you for inviting me, Rachel.”

I responded with the brightest smile I could muster, matching her warm welcome.

“This way, please. I’ve prepared a place in the middle of the garden.”

Rachel said it would be a waste to sit in the mansion and drink tea on such a nice day, leading Dalia towards the garden.

“This is our mansion’s pride, the hydrangea garden. Though it’s not time for the hydrangeas to bloom yet, having tea in the middle of this is really pleasant.”

As she guided Dalia to the table, she added that she should definitely come visit in the summer too.

The daintily set tea table amidst the seedlings that hadn’t yet bloomed evoked feelings of playing house as a child.

If the surroundings were indeed hydrangeas as Rachel said, it would surely be very beautiful in the summer.

Following Rachel’s guidance, Dalia sat at the prepared table, and maids brought trolleys to set out refreshments.

Then, Rachel, savoring a sip of the freshly brewed hot tea, spoke.

“Actually, the reason I asked to meet Dalia today is because I have something to say.”

Rachel put down her teacup as if she had something important to say. Then she paused for a moment.

What could she want to say that she’s building up suspense like this?

Just as Dalia was about to ask, unable to contain her curiosity any longer, Rachel spoke.

“My marriage has been decided. Actually, talks of marriage had started long ago, but now even the wedding date has been set. Even the day I leave the capital.”

Rachel’s fingers tracing the teacup betrayed a sense of regret.

Dalia let out a short breath at those words.

‘So she’s marrying Duke Chaser at this time.’

The events from the original story were unfolding.

Come to think of it, meeting Rachel originally happened quite some time from now.

Probably after leaving the capital, Rachel wouldn’t be able to come to the capital for several years.

The North wasn’t close enough to freely travel back and forth to the capital.

“I’ve just found a friend I get along with in the capital… It’s too regrettable.”

“Indeed. I’m very regretful too.”

Though she couldn’t understand what they had met so much to be regretful about, social life meant ignoring such discrepancies to an appropriate degree.

Dalia also pretended to be sad, going along with Rachel’s tone to a suitable extent.

“I felt like I could have gotten a little closer to you.”

This was sincere.

It was just a matter of timing in this world, the two of them were close, and maybe because she knew that fact, among all the nobles she had met so far, no one was as comfortable as Rachel.

But Rachel’s face, which had been dripping with regret, suddenly changed.

“As expected, the Duchess thinks so too! Dalia, you’re also reluctant to part with me like this. Right?”

Rachel’s eyes sparkled uncomfortably.

“Pardon? Yes, it’s regrettable…?”

Ah, this familiar feeling. Something feels uneasy.

“I knew it. I said I’d spend my newlywed days at the townhouse in the capital! Aren’t you pleased?”

“…Pardon?”

I knew it. No wonder I felt uneasy.

Rachel’s voice grew even brighter than before, unaware of Dalia’s inner thoughts, which were half pleased that Rachel wouldn’t leave the capital and half bothered.

“Just when the capital is starting to get interesting, it would be too regrettable to leave like this, wouldn’t it? Dalia, you’ve heard too, right? About Baroness Borsen. They say she hasn’t left her mansion since being humiliated at the cafe a few days ago. I wonder if she’ll be able to show up at His Majesty’s birthday celebration this time.”

I heard there were a lot of people at the cafe that day, so there must have been some nobles among them.

Seeing how quickly the rumors spread like this.

‘I feel a bit sorry.’

Though it wasn’t intentional, I felt a pang of conscience, as I was partly responsible for the Baroness’s humiliation.

So I thought that if that woman picked a fight again, I should let her have her way once, as I lifted my teacup.

‘I need to clear up the misunderstanding about Clayton quickly.’

Just as I was contemplating how to clear Clayton’s false accusations as I had decided earlier,

Rachel, who had put down her teacup first, clapped her hands as if she had remembered something.

“Oh, right! More than that, I have a gift I want to give to Dalia.”

“A gift?”

At the mention of a gift, Dalia forgot about clearing Clayton’s name and looked at Rachel with expectant eyes.

“It will be a gift that the Duchess really needs right now. I got it with great difficulty.”

Hearing her say that made me even more curious. Dalia unconsciously tried to calm her sparkling eyes and maintained her dignity as a duchess.

Then she carefully opened the box Rachel handed her.

“This is…”

Inside the box she handed was a small glass bottle.

The purple liquid contained in the transparent glass bottle somehow emitted an ominous aura.

“It’s Alixium.”

“Alixium?”

“Yes. It’s a fertility treatment.”

“…A what?”

Seeing Dalia stammer in bewilderment, Rachel continued with a slightly mischievous smile.

“When you have nighttime activities with the Duke, you can share it together.”

Share what!

Unlike Rachel’s nonchalant voice, Dalia recoiled in shock and pulled her hands away from the box.

“Did I mention? My cousin had the same worries as the Duchess. But recently, that cousin conceived a child, and gave this to me as a wedding gift, saying it was the secret.”

“Haha… Since you received it as a wedding gift, I can’t carelessly accept…”

“No.”

Rachel cut off Dalia’s words with a firm voice as she tried to indirectly express her intention to refuse.

“I’m not even married yet, so there’s nothing urgent for me. But it’s different for the Duchess.”

“…”

“You’re desperate enough to secretly visit doctors to avoid people’s eyes, aren’t you?”

Rachel’s eyes looked somewhat moist as she continued speaking.

It seemed unwise to try to clear Clayton’s name after all.