The dazzling sunlight flooded through the windows in the morning. As always, I woke up to the chirping of birds. Upon opening my eyes, the first thing I saw was the luxurious bedroom, and looking out the window, I saw the beautiful garden filled with flowers sparkling in the sunlight…

If you heard the description up to this point, it might seem like a peaceful and beautiful morning, but the reality was different.

These days, I was spending busy days without a moment to spare, and most of it stemmed from wedding preparations.

You might think, with so many people attending to me, what preparations would a Viscount have to do personally? But the problem was that I wasn’t the complete aristocratic Celeste Aisha Louisette, but “Celeste without memories.” Actually, it wasn’t that I lost my memories, but that I never knew from the beginning, but no one knew that.

The Viscount household’s top servants began special education for me, who had lost most of the knowledge Celeste possessed as a noble lady. Namely, special education to become an impeccable Grand Duchess.

I tried to run away, asking what it was and if the name wasn’t too cheesy, but it was impossible to escape from the hands of the five who were seized by the determination to make our lord into an excellent Grand Duchess.

Caught inescapably, I had been living a life of studying from the moment I woke up in the morning until before going to sleep, except for meal times and minimal rest, for several days.

It seems I had never been so immersed in studying even before becoming Celeste.

Lady Margaret’s etiquette education, Cecil’s history education, Hannah’s comprehensive education for social life, Kendrick’s basic physical training to produce a healthy royal offspring, and even a secret sex education conducted by inviting an external instructor.

A day was really too busy. Especially the sex education class was the biggest hardship for me.

Perhaps it was because I had never been particularly interested in romance between men and women. All kinds of knowledge that I had to learn in order to have a happy time with my husband just felt uncomfortable.

I had forgotten in the midst of too many hectic things, but of course, getting married also meant engaging in those intimate acts shared between a man and a woman. When I became aware of that fact in the first sex education class, I began to plot to leave this mansion and run away again.

However, the situation was very different from half a year ago when I first became Celeste. First of all, the surveillance had become too strict, and there were no alternatives to just running away.

Half a year ago, I didn’t have a child to take responsibility for, nor was I scheduled to get married, so I could leave anywhere under the pretext of a brief recuperation, but now all of that had become impossible.

If I ran away, what would happen to Valerie, and what would happen to Lady Pulcheria, who was helping her nephew’s marriage in every way possible?

After much deliberation, I had to withdraw all my plans to run away within an hour of making them.

“How can I do this kind of thing?”

When I couldn’t understand the verbal explanation well, the instructor even took out pictures and showed them to continue the sex education. My impression of the pictures can be summed up in one word: “Oh my God.” Doing such things… with a man I’ve only seen a few times now?

“You already have a child with His Highness Albrecht, don’t you?”

Leaving me in shock, Margaret, Cecil, Hannah, Kendrick, and Liv all showed the same reaction. Since you’ve already given birth to a child, what are you hesitating about, what are you embarrassed about? Since you said you don’t remember, didn’t we call the sex education teacher?

They said to recall the memories well, that one of the most important duties to fulfill as a member of the royal family was to produce a royal heir, and they were eager to teach me about nighttime activities.

“No, that’s…!”

Just imagining it made me feel like my head would explode. Do I really have to do this if I get married? With Carl, too? Without any love or anything? Just because we got married?

Of course, looking at Valerie, Celeste and Carl must have already been intimate, but that’s not me, is it?

Let me say it again, I have never been in a romantic relationship and have lived a boring life without even a single male friend. But now I have to marry and share a bed with my husband, isn’t it like forcing calculus on a child who is just learning addition and subtraction?

“It’s okay, Viscount. I fully understand that you’re confused because you don’t have memories. If you don’t know, you can learn, and if you’ve forgotten, you can recall.”

Cecil’s words of comfort were not helpful at all. Not even 1 percent! The sex education classes, which became more and more explicit and intense with each session, only instilled fear in me.

Especially today’s class was truly shocking. Perhaps it was when I had thought about running away about a hundred times. A savior who could truly help me escape the moment appeared.

“Viscount. Lady Pulcheria sent another gift.”

“Really? We should go check it out quickly!”

It was Layla, who came to the Viscount’s residence every three days with gifts from Pulcheria.

I pretended to be disappointed, telling the instructor that a guest had arrived and there was no choice but to continue the lesson next time, and quickly ran downstairs to the first floor.

I heard Lady Margaret shouting something about how a chaste lady of the royal family shouldn’t run around so indecently, but I had no mind to care about such things.

“Miss Tauper!”

This pretty face is so welcome again! I feel like hugging her and even giving her a kiss. Suppressing my somewhat agitated feelings, I faced Layla.

“Greetings to the Viscount.”

“Miss Tauper is like a refreshing sunshine as always today.”

“Oh my, it is you who are like dazzling sunshine, Viscount.”

Haha, hoho. When I’m with kind-hearted Layla, a smile blooms on my face like this. Especially today, a more sincere smile was in full bloom on my face. Please come find me at this time in the future as well. Every single day…

Unaware of my inner cry, Layla began to explain the gift Lady Pulcheria had sent.

“Did the lady send a gift today as well?”

“Yes. The dressmaker today is a place where it takes at least a year to receive clothes even if you make a reservation right away. It’s the most popular place in Rahat’s social circles these days. The lady put in a special effort.”

Layla pointed with her hand to the dresses that the servants were bringing in one after another.

The colorful various dresses exuded elegance at a glance. Beautiful but not too flashy, elegant but not too plain. In a word, they appeared to be dresses that achieved something difficult, like being modern yet classic.

“Then I will take my leave now.”

“Oh my, you’re leaving just like that? You’ve come all this way, and you’re leaving just like that?”

“No. My job is to deliver the dresses to the Viscount. Since I’ve completed my task, I’m trying to go back.”

“No. Still, you’re a guest, and if I keep sending you off like this every time, I don’t feel at ease.”

“No. It’s really alright, Viscount. I’m just running an errand, not a guest. I’m satisfied that you happily accepted the lady’s gift.”

“Then should I send a letter to the lady asking if I can have tea time with Miss Tauper in the future because I want to become friends with her? Don’t do that and come inside.”

I didn’t want to go back to that uncomfortable sex education scene. Kind-hearted Layla eventually couldn’t refuse my invitation and stepped inside the mansion.

A faint fragrance filled the interior. Not allowing even a handful of sunlight, this place where all the windows were covered was always dark even in broad daylight.

Thud, thud. Franz’s footsteps echoed loudly on the stone floor.

Turning the corridor and reaching the destination, Franz blew out the candle he was holding in his hand. As he extinguished the light that barely illuminated a step ahead, the space before his eyes seemed to be submerged in darkness, pitch-black.

“Mother.”

Creak. The sound of the door opening felt eerily still in the space enveloped in silence and darkness. Franz called out to his mother aloud.

“Mother, I’m here.”

It was a reunion after about two months.

“Is it you, Franz?”

“Yes, Mother.”

Even though she knew there was only one person who would call her mother, Marina asked several times if it was Franz. Only after repeating it three times did Marina seem to be convinced that the person who came to see her was her son, and she moved her body slowly.

“Why did you come after such a long time? Your mother waited so long.”

Now, as if she couldn’t see well, Marina repeatedly walked in the wrong direction and came back. Unable to watch any longer, Franz approached first and grabbed her, and Marina sat down on the bed with a start as if collapsing.

“Now even walking is difficult.”

Marina breathed heavily as if short of breath even from a brief movement. Just exhaling, there was a sound like metal scraping. Franz’s brows furrowed.

“I heard the news. The funeral ended safely.”

“Yes, Mother.”

“Are there no words about Maximilian’s death?”

“Yes, it seems so far.”

“Then, that’s how it should be. There will be no evidence. Franz, come closer to me.”

As if wanting to hold her son’s hand, Marina groped and pulled Franz.