As sunset approached, Lady Merhin hurried her steps towards Esika.

Each day was as joyful as when she had first come to the capital with high hopes.

Her business was thriving day by day, and her husband recognized her abilities.

At first, she had worried if she had made the wrong choice, but all the results from collaborating with Esika made her forget such concerns.

Her Imperial Highness the Crown Princess is truly remarkable!

Lady Merhin truly wished to maintain a lifelong friendship with her.

In her hands was a cake box filled with pastries made with the utmost effort by the bakers at the workshop.

It was a green tea cake made with tea leaves from the East, set to lead the new dessert trend in the Empire.

“…Follow me, let’s go to my room.”

Yes, if only she hadn’t accidentally overheard that familiar voice.

That voice undoubtedly belonged to Crown Prince Resban Deon Lucein.

Lady Merhin stopped in her tracks and hastily hid behind a pillar at the sight beyond.

The imposing Crown Prince Resban stood face to face with a woman.

And on top of his hand, an unfamiliar woman had placed her own.

The woman’s golden hair seemed to shimmer in the sunset, and her thin dress fluttered gently in the breeze.

“…”

They appeared to be gazing at each other.

Being too far away to read the emotion in Resban’s eyes, it was still shocking enough that he allowed a woman to place her hand on his.

And the words she had just heard echoed in Lady Merhin’s ears.

“Let’s go to my room.”

Her heart was pounding loudly.

Suddenly, a gust of wind blew, causing the woman’s dress hem to flutter, revealing her shoes with exposed little toes.

Lady Merhin’s eyes wavered.

The woman invited by the Crown Prince was undoubtedly a courtesan.

A high-class prostitute who sold her body to noblemen.

She had even heard of gatherings where male nobles enjoyed such prostitution parties.

But… even if everyone else in the world lived immorally, she thought the Crown Prince chosen by Esika’s discerning eye would be an exception.

“…!”

Finally, anger boiling over, Lady Merhin forgot her fear and emerged from behind the pillar to confront the Crown Prince.

But unfortunately, she tripped on the hem of her dress and fell forward.

The impact struck her body, and the cake box she was holding fell to the ground.

But more painful than the physical shock was the pain in her heart.

‘What kind of wound must she be carrying… How could you do this?’

There was no one in the Empire who didn’t know about Esika’s divorce circumstances.

Callian Klaus, who had an affair with Esika’s friend.

The pain Esika must have endured through that process was indescribable.

Though she always appeared strong, Merhin, as a fellow woman, was enraged by the injustice Esika faced and supported her.

“…Sob…”

Lady Merhin stood up limping, but the Crown Prince and that woman from earlier were nowhere to be seen.

Hurriedly looking around, she spotted the two of them walking away in the distance.

The two walking side by side looked just like lovers.

Lady Merhin felt as if her heart was being torn apart.

“…What should I do about this.”

**

“So that’s why you had such an anxious expression.”

A smile lingered on Esika’s lips as she listened to Lady Merhin’s account.

“Well… it’s certainly a situation that would cause worry.”

The dilemma of whether to tell a friend about suspicious behavior witnessed from their spouse is one that troubles women.

It is right to tell them.

But there are truths in the world better left unknown, and telling might lead to resentment.

Consider a case where someone knows their husband is cheating but can’t divorce him.

If they didn’t know, they could be happy without any thoughts, but once they learn the truth, they have to face an unwanted reality.

“They might deny it, or resent the person who made them aware of the fact.”

Esika recalled Aria Heinz, who had come to her angrily.

Esika calmly used her fork to eat a piece of the green tea cake.

Lady Merhin still wore a deathly expression.

“It may be something someone doesn’t want to hear, but I’d like to say this.”

Lady Merhin slowly raised her gaze to look at Esika.

“Thank you.”

At Esika’s words, her eyes wavered.

And soon, as if overcome by complex emotions, tears welled up in her eyes.

Esika smiled gently as she spoke to Lady Merhin.

“The truth doesn’t disappear just because you try to cover it up. People’s true nature doesn’t change, and if someone is truly a bad person, it will come to light one way or another. Especially between spouses who are meant to grow old together.”

“…You’re right. Your Highness’s words… are correct.”

Lady Merhin nodded.

When Lady Merhin’s husband first fell for her, he stuffed his shoes with insoles. He didn’t want to reveal his weakness of being short.

But one can’t live a married life with insoles forever.

At the very least, you have to take off your shoes to get into bed.

“And… I cherish our friendship as much as my married life with the Crown Prince.”

Esika said, looking at Lady Merhin.

Her eyes were glistening.

“If you had seen something like that and not told me, I would have felt betrayed by Lady Merhin instead.”

“Your Highness…”

“You said you’d be my little sister, but if you hide my husband’s suspicious behavior, that wouldn’t be right.”

“…Yes.”

Lady Merhin nodded as she looked at Esika, who was addressing the very part she had been agonizing over.

Indeed, Esika was wise.

But why would the Crown Prince… when such a beautiful and wise person was here!

“I can see what you’re thinking.”

Esika continued, looking at Merhin.

“But I believe in both Lady Merhin’s good intentions and the vows His Highness the Crown Prince made to me.”

“…Ah…”

“Of course, now that I’ve heard this report, a proper verification process will be necessary.”

Esika put another piece of green tea cake in her mouth.

Merhin was amazed at Esika’s unwavering demeanor.

If she had learned her own husband was behaving that way, she would have been crying and unable to collect herself.

But Esika’s expression was so calm and composed that it even inspired respect.

Esika, in other words, shone brightly just by being herself.

Love seemed to be just one part of Esika’s life, not her entire being.

Merhin stared at Esika for a long while before nodding.

Though she could never be like Esika herself, she felt she could understand Esika’s confidence.

“Your Highness, how do you find the taste of the green tea cake?”

And she asked about today’s business.

After taking a sip of tea, Esika spoke.

“The flavor is good. But I think it would be better if it were a bit sweeter. Perhaps add more cream.”

“Yes, I’ll order it to be made that way, Your Highness.”

**

When Resban entered the room, there was clearly the scent of a woman’s perfume on him.

It was the kind that occasionally clung to Callian when she got close to him.

With her keen sense of smell, Esika could tell as soon as he came in.

But she calmly greeted Resban.

“Did you have etiquette lessons with that Eril Fuse fellow again today?”

He glanced at the Tameron scripture on Esika’s desk as he unbuttoned his shirt.

Pop, pop, with each touch of his long fingers, the buttons easily came undone, revealing Resban’s collarbone.

Esika was watching him with a faint smile on her lips.

“…Yes.”

It was a curt answer, unlike usual.

Resban’s eyebrow twitched as he met Esika’s eyes.

And then he reached out to her.

“Today…”

His outstretched hand cupped Esika’s cheek.

The cold sensation of his palm flowed through her skin to her nerves.

A low whisper, or perhaps a coaxing voice, was heard.

“You seem to have something to say to me.”

“I do, but don’t you have something to tell me first?”

“…”

“How was your day, Your Highness? I’m curious if anything special happened.”

Resban stared intently at Esika as she countered.

Then he opened his lips.

“Well, something special. Not particularly.”

Certainly, Resban wasn’t one for many words.

He was far from the type of man who would recount every detail of his daily life.

But he was quite sensitive about Esika’s affairs.

He knew intimately about things that might make her uncomfortable and took preemptive measures, even handling things that might concern her… perhaps a bit excessively.

“It was the same as any other day. How about you?”

Resban whispered to Esika as he caressed her cheek.

Though his voice was tinged with affection, Esika felt an old scar in the corner of her heart begin to throb.

It was a pain she had not wished to feel again.