《My Villain Husband》 Chapter 1 - The Reversal Chapter 1 ¨C The Reversal With deliberate steadiness, Lucius pulls out his sword while Tiana stares blankly at him, clearly trying to understand what just happened. Her eyes dart back and forth between Lucius and the dark outline of the blood on her shirt. She coughs out a mouthful of blood and groans. ¡°What¡­ Why!¡± she screams in disbelief. With a sheepish smile, Lucius goes down on his knees and holds her hand, wrapping it around the hilt of his sword. Without hesitation, he pulls her hands towards himself, burying the blade in his heart. ¡°Ah!¡± He lets out a whisper of pain. ¡°Why!¡± Tiana¡¯s eyes grow wide in shock. Behind Lucius, a bewildered Rael and Angelica watch helplessly as blood drops from the crook of their joined hands. Lucius pulls Tiana into the warmth of a cold-blooded embrace with the little strength left in him. Having already lost most of her strength, she falls heavily into his arms. ¡°You never loved me until the end,¡± he sighs. ¡°I wanted to see that smile again.¡± Tiana allows herself to fall into oblivion as she listens to his fading voice, relaxing all her weight on Lucius as he too closes his eyes when he feels her breath begin to cease. ¡°I am still¡­ happy¡­¡± His last words did not reach anyone. * ¡°Oh, Lucius.¡± She takes her eyes off the laptop screen and sighs. Even after seeing it a few times, the shock and sadness feel fresh. In almost every other novel, the author eliminates the villain with a tragic end. She just never thought that it would be with suicide. The one good thing about Lucius¡¯s death is that it was together with Tiana, his foil. What ending was more stimulating than this? She becomes enveloped with emotions she is unable to understand. ¡°If my beloved die this way, I¡±m screwed!¡± For recompense, the story was not ending there. She sighs continuously thinking about what she was supposed to expect. ¡®The Dangerous Situation of The Emperor¡¯ is a popular web novel serialized on a paid platform accumulating a wide fan-base within a short period. The story is a common narrative. A story centered on a contract marriage between a cold tyrant, Emperor Rael, and his only weakness, a Count¡¯s daughter, Angelica. Their dangerous, yet sweet marriage appeals to many readers. Of all the characters in the novel, the most popular are the protagonists, Rael and Angelica, although not as popular among readers as Lucius, the greatest villain in the novel, who is also her personal favorite. Lucius Eyal Roderick seeks to overthrow his stepbrother, Rael, with the support of the aristocrats who oppose the Emperor. He openly displays a twisted desire for Rael¡¯s lover, Angelica despite being married to Tiana. However, this did nothing to diminish the love readers have for him. His physical attributes are utterly attractive, leaving readers wishing he was not the villain. ¡°Ah, yes. The book!¡± She grabs one of the two books sitting beside her laptop. It is volume two of the novel, wrapped in plain black and embellished with gold letters. Lucius¡¯ face fills the front cover of the book with his smooth black hair which contrasts his pale white skin and his golden eyes are reminiscent of melting gold. She is captivated by the ethereal reflection of his strange glowing golden eyes and cold emotionless gaze. She sighs with longing, tracing the outline of his face before looking back at the screen. Lucius is a villain, but it wouldn¡¯t be so strange to have a side story about him, because he was just as important as Rael. There seem to be many readers like her who wanted the same thing and soon enough, comments began to flood in like a volcano about to erupt. [It¡¯s already been a month, why hasn¡¯t the next chapter been released? Give us a side story at least!] [That¡¯s weird. It¡¯s a month already, so why isn¡¯t the next chapter up?] Readers had been put on hold since the deaths of Lucius and Tiana. [Is the author thinking about a perfect ending? I mean, what is there to worry about¡­ Now that the biggest villain is dead, there could only be a happy ending for the protagonists.] Lucius had taken care of the aristocrats in support of him before killing himself, so there was no one getting in the way of Rael and Angelica. The happy ending everyone hoped for was close, but she couldn¡¯t hide her bitterness towards Lucius¡¯s dismal end. ¡°Happy endings are good, but this one is so sad.¡± Despite being the villain, there was so much more to him that it wasn¡¯t fair that he had been killed off. It made his death seem meaningless. ¡°I hope it¡¯s completed soon with a side story. Then, I can stop feeling this way.¡± Chapter 2 - Treacherous Ending Chapter 2 ¨C Treacherous Ending The most demanded side story came at midnight the next day and only further aggravated the readers¡¯ feelings of frustration. ¡°I will never love you. The only person I love is Rael.¡± ¡°¡­Tiana.¡± ¡°I hate you, Lucius.¡± A pair of eyes, filled with disgust, stared at Tiana. His resolve cracked with those words filled with so much hate. ¡°I never asked you to kill her. I said that she was in the way. And you messed with her. I didn¡¯t do anything.¡± ¡°But you did put a scorpion in her room.¡± ¡°Oh please, that was only a prank. How could that possibly kill her? Also, it wasn¡¯t me, but you who released the scorpion.¡± ¡°Right, but at your request.¡± ¡°That is not true, Lucius and you know it. I did not ask you to do anything of the sort. I told you that a scorpion would be enough to give a little scare. I never asked you to put a scorpion in her room! And the things that happened before. The poison in her tea made her send assassins after you. You did all that, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Tiana¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t drag me into the things you did single-handedly.¡± Turning her head away in annoyance, Tiana sips from her cup, repeating that she had nothing to do with it. Even now, she did not give him attention. When will she ever look in my direction? I wonder if that day will even come. His palms burned from the sting of the venomous scorpion. * ¡°What¡­ Why!¡± Tiana¡¯s eyes stare at him, filling with him a sense of satisfaction. She had refused Lucius until the very end. I wanted her to remember me. I waited for her to look at me. All those expectations were nothing more than dreams. ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± ¡°What¡­ what are you doing?¡± Warm blood trickles from their intertwined hands to the hilt of the sword. He thinks himself fortunate to be able to be with her in the end. Lucius, with the little strength left in him, pulls Tiana into his embrace. Having already lost most of her strength, she falls heavily into his arms. Lucius mutters, ¡°You never loved me until the end. I wanted to see that smile again, and I really thought I would see it. That was my mistake.¡± Allowing herself to fall into a forever slumber, she closes her eyes slowly as she listens to Lucius¡¯ fading voice. Lucius too closes his eyes as he feels her become still against him. ¡°Regardless, I am happy to die with you by my side.¡± His last words did not reach her. * ¡°What? What the heck is this? Lucius loved Tiana, but Tiana loves Rael, not Lucius?¡± My god! What can be more shocking than this? Things were beginning to make sense now. Her heart beat violently against her ribs. The site was raving mad with comments. [I can¡¯t believe this was a misunderstanding all along.] ¡°A misunderstanding? You have got to be kidding me!¡± Readers express their disdain for Tiana and the author. Her fingers move in haste across her keyboard as she expresses her anger along with the thousands of comments already there. She throws her laptop on her bed in frustration, but hits its edge against the desk and sends a sharp pain through the inside of her palm. She shrugs it, still seething in anger. Her beloved character had been misunderstood! I knew there was more to the story, but I never dreamed of this. Lucius was never the villain. The real villain was Tiana. ¡°I can¡¯t believe this.¡± She reaches out to grab the book again and is overwhelmed by a certain kind of sadness when her eyes fall on Lucius¡¯ face. Bang! ¡°Eh? What is that?¡± She turns her head in the direction of the sound. There was black smoke rising from it. ¡°Nooo! My 1.5 million won!¡± Her mind darts to the time she threw her laptop. ¡°Oh no, the installments are not completely paid yet!¡± She still had ten months of installments to pay for the laptop. The smoke begins to make its way into her airways, making her cough violently. She gasps as she struggles to catch her breath, considering then that she would have to leave the room. A little spark erupts from the laptop and it looked like it was about to explode. Her cell phone begins to ring. Her legs lose their strength and she collapses to the ground, desperately fighting against the smoke. Her hands frantically pulled at the doorknob. The last thing she sees is her screen coming on with one comment spread across its surface. [Thank you for loving The Dangerous Situation of The Emperor all the time. We will return quickly with another project soon.] Chapter 3 - Awoken To A Mystery Chapter 3 ¨C Awoken to a Mystery Her eyes flutters open to a strange, vibrant room. The bed is strangely soft too, and the air smells like the freshness of dawn, gently tickling her senses. It does not smell like her room engulfed in fumes from the exploded laptop. She puts a hand on her head, ¡°Where am I?¡± Her voice is barely a whisper. She stiffens as she begins to assess her surroundings, mildly hyperventilating. Her eyes move in crazed motion, and she grabs a blanket out of fear. She does not remember the smell of the blanket; it doesn¡±t smell like her. She remembers being deluged in the smoke from her laptop. ¡°Where am I?¡± she repeats. This is not my room. Everything about this place feels so unfamiliar. She begins to rise and feels the touch of something soft slowly kissing her shoulders. She turns to face the creature, but she sees only hair. It is long, dark, and its texture mimics silk. It is different from her plain hair with a lighter shade of brown. ¡°Oh my!¡± she says a little loudly now. She clasps her hands to her mouth. My voice! It was thinner and high-pitched, like a songbird¡¯s. She glimpses around her and begins to feel her body. Under the silk nightdress, it does not feel like her. The dress was not hers either. She could never afford such luxury. ¡°What is happening?¡± She holds her face tightly and desperately. Her mind begins to race in directions. ¡°How did this happen?¡± ¡°Maybe I was sold off to someone for an experiment. Did those people finally do the deed? They did complain recently that the money was short and maybe decided to just sell me off.¡± She slaps herself severally hoping to wake up from the dream. ¡°They changed my hair and body, changed my vocal cords. They decided to go all the way, huh?¡± She looks around her for some sort of clue. It is a beautiful, tidy room. It looks nothing like a human trafficking lab but feels more like a rich lady¡¯s room just as she had seen in many Korean dramas. ¡°Was I shipped off to a foreign country?¡± Human trafficking is dangerous within the country, so they must have sold me to someone in a foreign country that would pay handsomely. Is this probably the United States? Europe? Some third-world country? ¡°But I don¡¯t know any English.¡± One can survive anywhere in the world if he knows how to speak English. Unfortunately, she has a very limited collection of English vocabulary. She begins to wonder how she will communicate in the future to escape her current predicament. She fervently hoped that she would not be tortured. Putting aside every thought of escape for a while, she prayed to be able to survive what would come next. She can feel anxiety slowly creeping up her sleeves as she hears footsteps approach. She turns to face the door when the footsteps stop. She starts to contemplate different kinds of kicks and boxing styles but stops when the face of a woman slowly materializes with a creak behind the door. With a clatter, the woman moves meekly towards her. Besides her demeanor, it is her strange attire that holds her attention. She is dressed like a maid and had her head bowed like she had perfected it with years of practice. She stares blankly at the woman, letting her eyes meet the woman¡¯s pale brown ones. ¡°My lady!¡± What! Why am I being called a lady? Her thoughts are paid no heed. She watches in amazement as the woman drops her tray, the glitter of silver cutlery momentarily seizing her sight as they travel to the ground with the most percussive noise. Water splatters to the ground as the woman scurries out of her room. Maybe I was sold to a rich man who lost his daughter. These sorts of things happen in novels. There¡¯s a housekeeper, and there¡¯ll likely be a butler. Should I be excited? ¡°I think I have read too many novels, but in this situation, it is quite possible,¡± she says aloud. She had woken up in a strange place after losing consciousness in an accident, and she had too many concerns about her current position. Will they wash me up now and then prepare me like a flower to be presented to my buyer? I just really hope it¡¯s not some pervert. Just then, the maid from before and a man who looks like the butler rush in. They seem very surprised to see her. Shocked would be a more appropriate word. Two more maids rush in too and watch on as the first maid approaches her cautiously. ¡°You¡¯ve woken up, my lady.¡± Chapter 4 - Reborn Chapter 4 ¨C Reborn ¡°Oh, uh¡­¡± She wants to ask the thrilled housekeeper what was going on, but feeling a little strange about it, she dismisses the idea. At that moment, she realizes they have been speaking Korean which would mean she was not in a foreign country. The first maids eyes were, however green, a strange eye color for a Korean. ¡°I¡¯m so glad you are awake, Lady Tiana.¡± The first maid thrilled and excited grabs her hand tenderly. She is shocked by the sudden contact, ¡°Who?¡± Did my owner already give me a name? Or is that his dead daughter¡¯s name? Wait¡­ She just said she is glad I am awake as if I have been gone for a while. What kind of household is this? She opens her mouth to speak to the housekeeper who is looking at her. ¡°What did you just call me?¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°My name is¡­ Tiana?¡± ¡°Oh, my lady!¡± The maid¡¯s face goes pale. Astonished, she turns to the butler. The butler makes eye contact and approaches with a stern face. ¡°My lady, do you not remember the housekeeper, Roena?¡± ¡°Uh, umm, I¡­¡± ¡°Do you, do you not recognize me?¡± ¡°No¡­¡± The butler goes pale like the housekeeper. The two exchange a glance, and the butler shouts hurriedly, ¡°Bring the emergency contact stone! We must let the Duke know immediately!¡± ¡°Yes, yes!¡± The butler follows the running maids. The housekeeper, who is holding her hand, cautions the remaining servants who had begun to murmur. ¡°Quiet now. Everyone except Inabelle.¡± ¡°But, Ms. Roena¡­¡± ¡°Hush please!¡± The servants bow their heads once and leave the room. ¡°Housekeeper¡­¡± Inabelle calls in a trembling voice, looking like she is about to cry. She looks just the same age as her. ¡°Don¡¯t cry, Inabelle. You are going to scare the lady.¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± But her words seem to have only made it worse, because then, Inabelle breaks down completely and begins to weep uncontrollably. When she notices Roena and her lady watching her, she tries her best to quell her tears. The housekeeper sighs gently when she sees Inabelle and turns around to look into her eyes. Roena¡¯s hands against hers feel warm and comforting. Her green eyes stare at her sadly. ¡°My Lady. Do you really not remember me?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t. I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m not sure what¡¯s going on right now.¡± She was feeling confused and just needed answers. ¡°So my name is Tiana. Is that right?¡± ¡°Yes¡± ¡°Then, the butler from earlier, the duke he said he needed to contact is¡­¡± ¡°Your father, my lady.¡± ¡°My father?¡± Oh my god, my father is a duke? Do Dukes still exist in Korea? Dukes are only found in foreign countries or novels like The Dangerous Situation of the Emperor or¡­ ¡°Wait¡­ No way.¡± ¡°My lady?¡± If I sit to think about it, that would mean¡­ She holds her breath and turns to Roena. ¡°What is my father¡¯s name?¡± ¡°Your Grace, Duke Edwin Quinn Celeste.¡± ¡°Then, I would be¡­¡± ¡°You are Tiana Quinn Celeste, daughter of the Duke, my lady.¡± ¡°Goodness!¡± She could not help but exclaim. She is stunned with realization, then in flashes, she remembers what had happened to her. It was like being hit in the head with a sledgehammer. ¡°What¡­¡± She says and for the first time, she notices the big mirror sitting elegantly in a corner. She stares at her reflection, bewildered and astounded. Those unique silver-gray eyes. The dark hair. The expensive clothing. Everything was beginning to piece together sensibly. ¡°I was reborn as Tiana?¡± Why hadn¡¯t she thought of it earlier? She had read the book many times before losing consciousness. She had reacted to the story and was emotionally involved with its progression. She had commented about Tiana Quinn Celeste, the poor woman who was killed by her beloved villain husband, but who turned out to be the real villain. I am Tiana? Am I really in The Dangerous Situation of the Emperor, reborn as a character? She bites the inside of her mouth, deliberately avoiding the curious gaze of Roena and Inabelle. This was way too vivid to be considered a dream. This sort of thing only happens in dreams. She remembers holding onto volume two of the book in her arms before she blacked out, Lucius¡¯ face decorating its front cover. Having read the side story that concentrated on Lucius, she wondered why she had been reborn as Tiana of all the characters. While she is gazing into space, the bedroom door opens with a loud noise introducing a tall man with the butler by his side. Roena and Inabelle by her side quickly take a step back and bow. They looked bewildered at the sudden appearance, and she could not take her eyes off them. As he cautiously approaches her, she realizes fast that he is Tiana¡¯s father. Like Tiana, he sported dark indigo hair and blue eyes like the sky. He comes close to her bed, ¡°Tiana.¡± Chapter 5 - Warmth And Compassion Chapter 5 ¨C Warmth and Compassion Not knowing what to say, she looks around in panic and flinches as the large hand reaches towards her face. He lowered his hand and with a serious expression, said, ¡°They tell me you remember nothing. Do you remember me?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°You do not remember your accident then.¡± ¡°An accident?¡± She realizes this must be the reason why they had been taken aback by her awakening. Something was definitely amiss. Had Tiana gotten into an accident? She tried to figure out the timeline. Being called ¡®my lady¡¯ would suggest this was sometime before Tiana got married. The tall man, her father, carefully puts her hands in hers, ¡°It was a horse accident. You fell off a running horse. You collapsed and have been unconscious for two weeks since then.¡± ¡°Two weeks?¡± ¡°Yes. Does it hurt anywhere?¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s¡­¡± She sees him looking anxiously at her so her mouth opens slightly. Truly, her body was throbbing in certain places. Looking closely, there are a lot of scratches on her arms, legs, and her shoulders. There are scars on her body but they did not hurt. The treatment had gone well, and though her body ached, it wasn¡¯t so bad that it rendered her immobile. She wants to let him know she doesn¡¯t hurt anywhere when their eyes meet, and his eyes travel down the length of her body, eyeing the visible scars. He looked like he had been more hurt than she had been. ¡°Of course, it¡¯s going to hurt. There is no way it wouldn¡¯t hurt falling from a running horse like that.¡± His hands hold her weak trembling ones. As he looks at her silently, he pulls her towards himself and embraces her. She is surprised by this sudden action but surrenders into the warmth of the embrace. This man seems genuinely concerned. It is natural and ordinary for a parent to worry, but she had to know, is this man always so concerned about his daughter? Edwin Quinn Celeste is Tiana¡¯s father and one of only three dukes in the Empire. Nothing much was said about him in the main novel. Because the beginning of the novel was a year after Lucius and Tiana¡¯s marriage, he did not appear too many times. Details about him are blurry, but he sounds like someone with strong character. His relationship with Tiana doesn¡¯t look very good in the main and supplemental story, but his present actions clearly show that he cares about Tiana more than anyone else. Is this the difference between fiction and reality? It was very different when she was the one reading about them. ¡°I¡¯m so glad you are okay. I thought I was going to lose you again.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± ¡°I know you can¡¯t remember anything and that¡¯s okay. We can start all over on a clean slate. You are always going to be my daughter anyway, memories, or no memories. You are my precious daughter.¡± The tremors have stopped and held in a tight embrace; she is unable to speak a word. She wants to escape this strange feeling, but she cannot push him away. It would feel wrong to do that. She knew just little about this man but knew that she could not bear to break his heart. She hadn¡¯t felt such warmth in a long while, and she feels a tinge of envy seeing how much he seemed to love his daughter. Shortly after, Edwin slowly pulls away. She feels awkward looking at him. ¡°You must still be confused about all this,¡± he says, ¡°I am sorry.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± ¡°Get some rest for now. All of this must be a lot to take in so suddenly, so getting some sleep should help. I¡¯ll call the doctor when you wake up.¡± He meticulously pulls the blanket up to her neck and strokes her hair tenderly. The feeling is unfamiliar, yet pleasant. ¡°Don¡¯t think too much. Just close your eyes and have a good dream.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Good night, Tiana.¡± His hands are gentle and reassuring, but his slightly shaky voice sounds like he is nervous. Her heart sinks when she sees the worry in his eyes. She knows he is thinking of the possibility of her never waking again. It must be exhausting. She sees Roena and Inabelle crying. Next to them, the butler stands silently looking at Edwin and her with soft eyes. No one in the room, including those outside the room, blamed her for losing her memories. These are things she never knew by just reading the novel; the compassion and love. She can tell that Tiana was very loved growing up. How did their relationships turn sour? As soon as she realized that she was reborn, she felt like she just got more questions than answers. This was a lot to think about, but feeling sleepy, she slowly closed her eyes. Chapter 6 - Becoming Her Favorite Character Chapter 6 ¨C Becoming her Favorite Character When she wakes up, Edwin calls a doctor for her. ¡°Fortunately, there is nothing much to worry about.¡± ¡°Is that so? I am glad.¡± ¡°However, the after effects of the accident are still there. She has been unable to move for a long time, so her physical ability and immunity have weakened a lot, she shouldn¡¯t overdo it for the time being.¡± The doctor leaves after giving a firm warning. From then on, she is given intensive care. On the third day, she spends time lying down. Her condition gradually improves, she starts walking around a little bit by day five. After dining in the room, she asks Inabelle as she sipped on a cup of hot tea she had brought. ¡°Inabelle. What is the date today?¡± ¡°Today? Today is March 16th, my lady.¡± ¡°Really?¡± It is a week after the transformation. The ¡®date¡¯ and the fact that she was being called ¡®my lady¡¯ indicated that it was just before the start of the novel. In the novel, Tiana was already married. Checking with the maid who is always around her, Inabelle, she finds out that she is currently twenty-two years old and that it has been a month since her last birthday. It was the spring of the year Tiana turned twenty-two years old when Tiana and Lucius got married in the supplemental story. The wedding of the duo as she remembered it happened in May. This would mean that there are about two months left before the wedding with Lucius. I was reborn before the start of the story. She had figured out the basic details, but she was still a little unsure about what she had to do to move forward. Luckily, Tiana¡¯s memory remained before the rebirth, so there was no problem with the knowledge of living here. The problem is that she couldn¡¯t remember anything other than basic life common sense. She also could not remember anything about the accident nor did she retain the memories of Tiana before her becoming Tiana. She did not know the reason why she became Tiana and she did not know the way to find out what had happened to her original body. Only her soul was transmigrated, not the body, but she didn¡¯t know if her body was okay because of the explosion. Is my being in that explosion and Tiana¡¯s accident related somehow? She lost consciousness after her laptop exploded, and Tiana lost consciousness after the accident. That was the only common thing between the two. Both had an accident and were unconscious. She didn¡¯t know if it was common sense that real people and fictional characters could be woven together, but it seemed like a big deal because it happened somehow. She has no choice but to accept that it has happened. The good news was that she had read the story several times before the rebirth and remembered the whole story well enough. She wondered what she had to do in this situation; becoming a character in a novel. She had to find a way to get back to her original body. She didn¡¯t know how, so that would not be easy. I should try to find a way to live first before trying to find a way back. It was the most valid thing to do. She thought it appropriate to be aware of reality and find a way to live as Tiana. Honestly, she didn¡¯t want to go back from living as Tiana because she was so excited about this. For her, the only other thing she did in her life except when she worked was reading web novels, and being reborn as a character in her favorite novel seemed like a dream. It was a dream she didn¡¯t want to wake up from. Could this be a miracle? It is something that won¡¯t happen again. She was pleased with the situation, although people would say she is being carefree ¨C being Tiana out of all people, but she thought it was a good thing. She enjoyed it. Because Tiana was the wife of her favorite character, it would mean she would become the wife of Lucius. What could be luckier? It was so unrealistic that she couldn¡¯t tell if it was real or just a dream. The pain at least felt real. Convinced that it wasn¡¯t a dream, she couldn¡¯t help but smile. About two months before the wedding, she didn¡¯t know how much of the preparations were complete, but she thought maybe she would get to see Lucius, before the wedding. To be able to see the character she loved in real life, her heart trembled with excitement. She couldn¡¯t see him right away because she was still recovering, but since it wouldn¡¯t be long, she didn¡¯t mind waiting. Chapter 7 - The Unexpected Visitor Chapter 7 ¨C The Unexpected Visitor The consequences of the accident are fading. Daily life has become much better. She meets Edwin at the restaurant, where he sits at a lavish table. As she sits down, he smiles at her, ¡°I hope you enjoy it.¡± Because she needs to eat healthily, no greasy food is served on the platter. The duke¡¯s head chef exerted his utmost best to prepare a good meal for her because she was coming to the restaurant to eat for the first time since the accident, allowing her to delight in scrumptious appetizers. It has been a very long time since she had had a meal that was prepared just for her. After the meal, she has tea with Edwin. She takes a sip of the tea and studies Edwin from across the table. During her recuperation, he had come to see her every morning, always leaving as abruptly as he came and giving no chance for a chat. He must be really busy being a Duke of the empire, but he always makes time and comes by to greet me every morning. He never says much, only checks to see that her condition is getting better. He did not want to be a bother. He wanted to allow her time to adapt and recover. She was beginning to adjust to life here faster than she had thought. Edwin puts down his teacup and asks her in a soft voice as if he felt her gaze. ¡°Are you feeling better now?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m feeling a lot better now after getting a lot of rest.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad. Still, the after-effects are going to last a while because it was a major accident. Don¡¯t push yourself too much.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t. Thank you for your concern,¡± she paused, ¡°father.¡± It still feels so strange to utter the word. She couldn¡¯t call him ¡®Edwin¡¯ like the others. He wears a look of surprise as if he did not expect her to call him ¡®father.¡¯ She smiles awkwardly and looks away from him. Why is he looking at me that way? Even if she had lost her memory, she was still his daughter, Tiana. There should be nothing wrong with calling him ¡®father.¡¯ She asks herself, Was their relationship so bad that she didn¡¯t call him father? He has been really sweet to me. There was never enough time to see him. However, she could see that despite his being unable to express himself properly, he was a kind and loving father. She did not have a father to call her own and because of that, she was happy to be able to call someone father. She hoped she was not getting ahead of herself. ¡°I¡­ Am I not supposed to call your father? Should I rather call you by your name?¡± ¡°Oh no. Why would you ask such a thing? You are my daughter, so of course, you should call me father.¡± ¡®I was wondering, because of how you reacted to it.¡¯ ¡°I¡¯m just really happy and I think it¡¯s fortunate that you woke up. I am glad I can talk to you like this again.¡± She nods her head with a smile. He really has a way with words. There was something wrong and she knew it. His expression earlier did not match his words. He must be hiding something. Feeling it wasn¡¯t the right time to start digging, she shrugs it off her mind. Breakfast continued with a tinge of awkward silence. She is thinking of what to say when a knock on the door breaks the silence and Alfred, the butler, came in. He seems in a hurry, unease evident in his eyes. When he sees her, he hesitates but he speaks up anyway. ¡°Your Grace, there¡­¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°There is a guest for the lady, but¡­¡± ¡°A guest?¡± Who is this unscheduled visitor? She is not the only one bewildered by the sudden visit. Edwin¡¯s face sports a frown, ¡°Who is it?¡± ¡°It is the Grand Duke, Your Grace.¡± ¡°What?¡± His Grace the Grand Duke? As far as she knew, there was only one grand duke in the empire. That would be Lucius, the man who was to be her husband. Oh goodness, he is here to see me? She knew they would be meeting someday, but didn¡¯t think it would be so soon. She is taken back by the sudden turn of events; however, she feels gladness sweep her heart. She is able to see him in person. She desperately tries to stop her lips curling into a smile. She would have to contain herself. They didn¡¯t know that she knew who Lucius was, because of her supposed memory loss. It would be strange to see her become excited. She tries to hide her smile from them. Alfred sees this and quickly assumes she is trying to hide her bewilderedness and proceeds to explain about Lucius. ¡°His Grace, the Grand Duke is my lady¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°Alfred.¡± Edwin rises from his seat and regards the butler with a threatening stare, shaking his head at him. ¡°Tiana, go up to your room.¡± ¡°Why?¡± She wonders what had prompted the action. He was ruining her chance to meet Lucius. She stands up, follows Edwin, waiting for an answer. His eyes have softened now, but she can still glimpse the hard lines of a frown on his forehead. ¡°I think it¡¯s still too early for you to meet guests. I¡¯ll tell His Grace to excuse you, so you can go to your room now.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll explain it to you later, just please go up now.¡± ¡°Yes¡­ I¡¯ll do as you say.¡± A myriad of questions swirled in her head. She watches the backs of Edwin and Alfred hurriedly strut to the parlor. She follows Inabelle who was there to wait on her into her room. Outside her room, Inabelle is waiting for her. She feels uncomfortable not knowing what is going on but enters her room with Inabelle. Chapter 8 - Grand Duke Lucius Eyal Roderick Chapter 8 ¨C Grand Duke Lucius Eyal Roderick Duke Celeste is tense because of the sudden visit. The servants, who are working, as usual, bow when they see the man walking along with the butler, Alfred. ¡°It is such an honor to meet you, Grand Duke Roderick.¡± He moves his feet lightly as he glances at the servants with dead eyes. His soft glossy dark hair moves with every step he takes. A handsome face sits proudly against pale white skin. His presence alone is of charismatic appeal, affecting those around him. A maid unable to take her eyes off him murmurs involuntarily. ¡°He is that¡­¡± The only grand duke of the Hartman Empire, Lucius Eyal Roderick, and the owner of the golden eyes. Anyone in the empire would recognize the regal combination of black hair and golden eyes. His face is thinner and weaker than most men. Despite this, his presence is intimidating, and has a unique expressionless face that makes it quite difficult to approach him. His gold eyes are like sunlight. He has an epaulet nestled on a sturdy shoulder past his thin neck. There is a gorgeous golden twin sword brooch on his chest that makes the black epaulets colorless. A sword resembling the brooch of the little twin sword hangs from his waist. The maid¡¯s gaze inadvertently turns to Lucius¡¯s left hand, holding the handle of the sword. ¡°Blood, bloodstains¡­?¡± There are bloodstains on his fingers. The maid swallows her breath with a shudder. If she looks closely, she can see countless wounds and calluses in his hands. He is in charge of the small countries of the east and west, single-handedly taking charge of land wars that were happening in the south. He has the authority and power to threaten the emperor. A senior maid next to her gave a warning to the maid who was staring at the back of him who had passed by. ¡°Stop being rude. Bow!¡± ¡°S¡­sorry!¡± The young maid hurriedly bows her head at the order of the senior maid. She hadn¡¯t worked there long, so she was still slow on some things. The senior maid feels cold sweat running down her back and looks sideways at the young maids around her. They all knew that Grand Duke Roderick was an unusual guest, so they were nervous and stiff. Why is Grand Duke Roderick an important guest to Duke Celeste? He was the only Grand Duke of the empire and the fianc¨¦e of the Duke¡¯s only treasure, Lady Tiana. The fact that her fianc¨¦e had simply visited was not a problem. The problem was his being the Grand Duke. It¡¯s been three weeks since the accident. He must have been pulled here by the numerous rumors that had begun to fly about. The accident had happened just two months after the marriage between Lucius and Tiana was decided. It is quite unfortunate that the young lady has lost her memories and caused a rift to occur with the marriage between the two. If this kept going, the marriage could be canceled. It was an important marriage between the two families. ¡°This way, Your Grace.¡± Alfred guides Lucius to the parlor. Lucius enters, followed by Alfred. When the door closed, the servants who had been holding their breaths, relaxed and heaved a sigh of relief. * ¡°Welcome, Your Grace. It has been a long time.¡± Edwin bows his head when he speaks to Lucius. Lucius raises his eyebrows at the manner of greeting and bows his head as well. ¡°Duke Celeste. I apologize for visiting without contacting you first.¡± ¡®No, Your Grace. It is I who should have contacted you first. Please have a seat,¡¯ Edwin guides Lucius to his seat. They sit face-to-face on the couch, while Alfred waits in a far corner of the room. After a maid has served tea, heavy silence fills the large space. The scent of the tea spreads amidst the quietness, but neither of them takes the tea. Lucius looks at the steam from the cup as if studying it. ¡°I heard about the accident. Your letter arrived a little late.¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t get in touch more quickly because I was flustered with the sudden accident. Please accept my apology, Your Grace.¡± ¡°Are the rumors true? Has she really lost her memories because of the accident?¡± Edwin flinches at the directness of Lucius. He tells himself there is no point hiding the truth from him. He had come with knowing. Drawing in a deep breath, Edwin says with a sad face, ¡°It is true.¡± ¡°I see. To think something like that would happen to the young lady¡­ Is she okay?¡± His low voice is filled with concern making Edwin and Alfred ease up a little. ¡°How is she? I heard it was a horse accident. It must have been serious for her to lose her memories.¡± His face void of emotion did not fit with his voice that rang with worry for Tiana. ¡°No, it¡¯s not. Fortunately, the trauma was not too much. She lost her memories, but thankfully her body is in good condition.¡± ¡°I¡¯m really¡­ I¡¯m glad.¡± With his bent head, all that is seen are his long eyelashes and the glint of his gleaming golden eyes. Only his trembling hands are visible. Chapter 9 - Postponing The Wedding Chapter 9 ¨C Postponing the Wedding Edwin, who has known Lucius for a long time, knew he was an unusual man. He knew he had come because he was concerned for Tiana. Many people have lost their lives falling from a horse. It could have been worse for Tiana. There are rumors that Lucius is scary, but Edwin and his family know that there is no truth to the claim. Of course, dealing with him is not very easy. He was different compared to many people. His stature and demeanor account for the rumors. To the public, he is a hard man. To an observer¡¯s eye, he seems like an emotionless person. However, for Edwin who has known him since his days being a prince, he knew the true Lucius. The only person to whom he reveals his emotions is Tiana. The marriage between the two had been proposed mainly because of the circumstances of the two families but was encouraged by the relationship between them. Edwin would never admit it openly, but he was grateful that Lucius cared about his daughter, even if he was yet to get used to the idea. No matter how much he and Tiana cared about each other, it was still a contract marriage. He thought it good that Lucius was sincerely in love with his daughter. Despite what had happened before, his actions towards Tiana was proof that he seriously cared about her. Lucius is now sporting a frown again. ¡°I was thinking about what to do if it was a serious injury. But if that¡¯s not the case, there should be no problems.¡± ¡°Are you saying to proceed with the wedding as planned?¡± ¡°Yes. If there¡¯s nothing wrong, I think we should proceed with the wedding.¡± Edwin stares at him. The accident took place just after the marriage was proposed between two families. Whatever the circumstances of the case, the duke¡¯s family was responsible for this incident. In a contract situation, it was a duty and courtesy to the other party and their family for the party to remain in good health until the wedding date, as long as the marriage had been decided. It was force majeure that Tiana lost her memory, but it was true that she failed to fulfill her responsibility. With Lucius¡¯s firm position, the marriage would most likely not be canceled, but Edwin had not yet fully accepted it. This was going to be a problem. There was work to be done. There were things to figure out before the wedding. This marriage is important, but Edwin knew he needed some time because of Tiana¡¯s condition. ¡°I¡¯m very sorry, but I think the wedding should be delayed a little.¡± Lucius is taken back by Edwin¡¯s words. ¡°Is it because she has lost her memory? That is not a problem for me, so I don¡¯t think there is any reason to postpone it.¡± ¡°As your Majesty said, Tiana has only lost her memory. She is fine physically. But that itself is a problem.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Lucious arched his eyebrow. ¡°It has only been three weeks since the accident. I don¡¯t know if she will ever get her memories back. I don¡¯t think she should leave here to live in another place.¡± ¡°Her condition is unstable, huh?¡± ¡°At this point, we cannot tell if she will be able to cope with her lost memories. Should something go wrong after the marriage, it would just end up hurting our families¡¯ reputation. I am grateful that you are willing to not make this a problem, but I would like to take more responsibility.¡± Even if she looks fine, the consequences of such an accident last a long time. Her memory is unstable. He wouldn¡¯t want any problems to occur after the wedding. If anything happened, it was possible that the Grand Duke¡¯s reputation could be hurt as well. There were good reasons to postpone the wedding. Edwin has a responsibility to the marriage but felt a hint of guilt because of Tiana. She was his only daughter. He knew it was however selfish and contradictory to make her a political scapegoat. The wedding has to be postponed until Tiana is recovered enough. If Lucius truly cared for Tiana, he would consider Edwin¡¯s suggestion. He waited for Lucius¡¯ answer. ¡°Certainly, the Duke¡¯s words make a lot of sense. You must however remember who led this marriage proposal. He hates having to wait. What you have just said could be very disastrous for you. I don¡¯t understand why you want us to do this the hard way.¡± The tea was now cold. Chapter 10 - A Blessing In Disguise Chapter 10 ¨C A Blessing in Disguise Lucius¡¯s gaze made him thirsty, but Edwin could not think of reaching for a cup. He knew who he was referring to. He swallowed saliva thinking about it. He had thought that he might bring him up. It was Marquis Calvino, his maternal grandfather and head of the aristocracy. Although they were of the same aristocratic group, Marquis Calvino was the head of the hard-liners, and Edwin, the head of the moderate. They have confronted each other since the days when the current emperor was a prince. The marquis would never hesitate to use any means as long as he got the result he desired. The relationship between the two was not good, it was obvious. If Edwin, who hates conflict, hadn¡¯t intervened, it would have been a mess already. This marriage had been Marquis Calvino¡¯s method to repair the rift, and take control. The marquis, who was usually keeping an eye on Edwin, saw him moving back and forth between the emperor and Lucius and decided to make the first move. As the marriage between the two families became known, the goal was already half achieved. Edwin, noticing the marquis¡¯ intentions, could not easily refuse the marriage. If he had refused the marriage, Emperor Rael would have been pressured by the marquis. It was a difficult task for Rael, who was still weak, to handle the marquis alone. He would rather be a shield. How could he have known an accident would happen and take away Tiana¡¯s memories? He had never thought things would get this way. Lucius was not convinced of Edwin¡¯s decision to delay the wedding. If he tried to postpone the wedding, Marquis Calvino wouldn¡¯t stand still. He would be pressured, so he had to close the deal on the marriage as soon as possible. But even then, Edwin did not care about the marquis. For him, Tiana¡¯s comfort came first. It was possible that her condition would deteriorate after the wedding. For this reason, Tiana¡¯s recovery was necessary to prevent any problems. After a moment of silence between the two, Lucius speaks when he sees Edwin¡¯s dark face. ¡°I understand. Duke Celeste. First of all, I will inform my grandfather about the news of her accident. I think it will be good to make clear the facts. And I will share your opinions with him as well.¡± Surprised, Edwin hurriedly raises his head. Lucius gets up from his seat and says to a nervous Edwin, ¡°We cannot overlook what you have said, especially since we are looking towards marriage without any problems. I can¡¯t predict the outcome, but I will pass on your opinion.¡± He waves a hand in the air, ¡°After that, you must solve this problem.¡± ¡°Of course, Your Grace.¡± He had thought he would say it was impossible, but he had accepted the delay of the wedding and promised to deliver it to the marquis as well. He was surprised and happy. This was for him a big win. He had almost given up. ¡°I wish for her quick recovery. I will get back to you soon.¡± Lucius shakes his head at Edwin who is trying to follow him outside the living room. Alfred, who had been tense during the conversation lets out a sigh and Edwin sinks heavily into a chair. ¡°Are you alright, Your Grace?¡± ¡°I¡¯m alright. I can take all the responsibility. Didn¡¯t you feel it too? That I can¡¯t send that child, Tiana, like this now.¡± ¡°Yes, but as His Grace has said, Marquis Calvino will not accept this easily.¡± ¡°Of course, but I had to try my best.¡± He didn¡¯t know what Lucius had been thinking when he decided to take his side, but anyway, he had a reason to do business with the marquis now. That alone was enough. Edwin looks at the cold tea on the table and pours himself a cup. After taking a sip, he places the cup down and asks, ¡°How is Tiana¡¯s condition these days?¡± ¡°From observance, she is doing much better than she was before the accident.¡± ¡°Before she lost her memory?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Then, how about the Tiana two years ago?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°Different than she was a child?¡± ¡°She is now as she was when she was a child.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Slowly reaching out and drinking a sip of fresh tea, he closes his eyes for a moment. ¡°She might have¡­ come back to normal.¡± Two accidents inflicted pain toward Tiana. The first accident two years ago brought misfortune to the duke, but this accident might be different. This accident must be a miracle. Chapter 11 - Troubled Hearts (I) Chapter 11 ¨C Troubled Hearts (I) Outside, Lucius stares at the closed door and inhales deeply. Alone in the hallway, he begins to relax, allowing himself to feel. With a sigh and a troubled heart, he curls up his slightly trembling hand and mutters a little. ¡°I was nervous. I couldn¡¯t have made a mistake with the Duke.¡± He looked pathetic with sorrow etched across his face. Visiting the Duke of Celeste after a long time, he had been nervous even before entering the living room. It has been a while since he spoke with him. When he heard about Tiana¡¯s condition, he was hit with anxiety, but he knew he had to see the Duke before getting to her. He was to be his father-in-law. He could not afford to come off as disrespectful. Lucius rids himself of his nervousness and leans against the wall very close to the door for a moment. He feels a little warmth as if the tree swaying by the window represented his mind. ¡°You put off the wedding¡­¡± he murmurs. He pretended to be fine, but when the Duke said he wanted to postpone the wedding, his heart was pounding. It was a one-sided arrangement between the maternal grandparents, but he did not oppose it. No, Lucius was rather happy because it was Tiana, not anyone else. There was trouble between both of them, but it was good apart from that because he¡¯s been waiting so long. When he saw Tiana after the marriage was decided, she coldly rejected him. ¡°I am to get married to you?¡± ¡°Your grandfather has decided. I heard that the Duke approved it.¡± ¡°Really? I don¡¯t like any of this. I¡¯m especially sick of you.¡± He vividly remembers her cold glare. It was the first lengthy conversation they had had, but he was not moved by her contempt. He watches petals and leaves flying in the wind. The breeze is gentle. He straightens his body against the wall, smoothens his slightly rumpled clothes, and walks regally towards the entrance. Lucius puts on a hard face when he is greeted by his driver just outside the mansion. Although the Grand Duke was himself a knight, he was shy of strangers, and could not help but look stiff. When will I get over this timidity? Earlier, he failed to respond properly to the courtesy of the polite peasant personnel. He was going to say hello first to the Duke of Celeste, but he had been beaten to it. It was pathetic that he couldn¡¯t act properly as Grand Duke. Sighing, he looks around before climbing onto the carriage. He is suddenly moved towards the scenery then asks the coachman to stop. ¡°Please wait.¡± ¡°Yes, your Majesty.¡± Turning as it was, Lucius walks to the left of the mansion along the trees swaying along with the rhythm of the wind. It is not until the driver and the coachman are out of sight that he relaxes his face. Passing through the splendid and tidy structure, he turns at the left corner and enters the back of the mansion, where he can see trees planted and a wide garden. Colorful flowers are blooming and he seems intoxicated by the scent that fills his nostrils. A place he has visited countless times to meet her. It¡¯s been three years since he got to know her. Lucius had met Tiana and together they crafted unforgettable memories. They have not met in the past two years, but he still holds dear all the time he has spent with her. She was the only one who truly knew him, around whom he could be himself. He still hasn¡¯t forgotten the moment when he first met Tiana. How much strength he received from her tender smile. How happy he was when he found out that their hearts were connected. ¡°But from that day on¡­¡± A little over a year after their first meeting, Tiana collapsed and was unconscious for a week. When she woke up, she had changed into an entirely different person. Her words, her actions, and her memories were different. She had forgotten all about him, and her friendly smile was gone as if it had never been. He was affected by it more than anyone else. He was frustrated that he could no longer see her affectionate, but he couldn¡¯t leave her. He couldn¡¯t give up. Chapter 12 - Troubled Hearts (II) Chapter 12 ¨C Troubled Hearts (II) Lately, Lucius has been busy, so he couldn¡¯t come often. He had been here a month ago to see her. Every time he came, her hair was the first thing that caught his attention. She has the best view of the center of the garden, from the window in her room. He stares vacantly at her closed window, hoping she would open it and see him. He would be so happy to see her, but he knew he would be sad if she looked away immediately. Tiana had become a completely different person in that accident two years ago. This time, she had lost her memory again. Lucius does not know what he would do if he is once again rejected by Tiana. Will she scream that she doesn¡¯t want to see me? Maybe she will once again look at me with contempt. He remembers her indifferent eyes and it breaks his heart. Even if she kept rejecting him, Lucius couldn¡¯t leave. He didn¡¯t want to leave. Lucius did not want to abandon hope. He wanted to believe in the hope of that little smile that she shows him. * ¡°My Lady, would you like some tea?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m fine.¡± Leaving Inabelle, who tries to read her countenance, she sits in her bed thinking about what had happened in the living room. First of all, what were they hiding? Is it possible that the marriage has been decided? She didn¡¯t think so, but what else would make Lucius visit? A lot was going on that she did not know. If the wedding was close, they would have mentioned it. They were probably trying not to bother her. It was however too obvious that everyone was hiding something. Why? She beckons to Inabelle at the door. ¡°Nabel. Can I ask you something?¡± ¡°Yes, my lady.¡± ¡°The Grand Duke has come to see me and I do not know him. Do you have any idea why he came to me?¡± ¡°About that¡­¡± ¡°My father did not let me see him. Do you know why?¡± ¡°Eeer¡­¡± Inabelle feels she is trapped and avoids her gaze. She is Tiana¡¯s personal maid. She would know better than anyone what had happened to Tiana. ¡°Do you think he did that so I would not make a mistake because of my lost memories? It is so annoying that I do not know what is going on. The Grand Duke is a respectable man, but I¡¯m worried that I have put my father in a difficult position.¡± ¡°My lady¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m so sorry that everyone seems to be in trouble because of me. This is why I need to know what is going on.¡± She tries to keep tears from clouding her sight. Without her memories, she wants to try her best and not be a bother. Fortunately, Inabelle replies, ¡°You and Your Majesty are engaged.¡± ¡°Engaged? So, are there any wedding plans?¡± ¡°Yes. Originally, you are to be wedded in mid-May, in two months. But the lady was in an accident. Perhaps the reason the Grand Duke visited is because of the wedding date.¡± Soon, their conversation would end well. She was satisfied with her maid¡¯s reply. The date fits with what she had read in the novel. The wedding would have been the same if she hadn¡¯t been in an accident. Why will they discuss the date of the wedding without me? No matter how much of my memories I have lost, it isn¡¯t right. The family of the Duke of Celeste was famous, and Tiana, the young Celeste, was also widely known. The news that she suffered an accident from a fall would have been known to the empire by now. Perhaps the fact that she lost her memories had spread. In the novel, the wedding was magnificent. Lucius and Tiana¡¯s marriage was such that no one would not know of the empire. However, the news that Young Lady, who is about to marry, has lost her memory, would count as a fault. Is he hiding something about the marriage from me? It is right that he explains the situation clearly to Lucius. Even though she did not have Tiana¡¯s memories, she knew she had to let the Duke know that there was nothing wrong with getting married to him. She knows there is more to it. The reason why she wasn¡¯t allowed to meet Lucius. The reason why he had to postpone the marriage. Chapter 13 - Creating A Twist Chapter 13 ¨C Creating a Twist She could feel everyone watching her. Even if she pretended not to notice, she could feel their eyes settle on every move she made. She thought it was because she was much different from the Tiana they all knew, but it was different. They seemed to be reassuring her, with their almost pitiful expressions, nudging her to be hopeful. Their faces were encouraging. Her memories were gone and she was a different person. She had accepted her fate. According to what she had read in the novel, Tiana was not a very nice person. She was different now. ¡®She must have been possessed after the wreck¡¯ is what people thought. There was no other explanation that would fit into the scheme. There was no accident in the novel. If Tiana did not have one, then this is not supposed to happen. There must be a mistake somewhere, she thought, patting her greasy head. If the marriage is postponed, or the marriage itself goes wrong, it will be quite a problem fitting with the original story. Tiana and Lucius have to get married without any conflict, and a year later, the two main characters will meet. Lucius is a threat to the male protagonist, Rael. Rael was emperor, but he had very little support. Since there was no empress and he had no children from his loins, the imperial power was unstable and wavering. However, when Lucius got married and established power, it was natural that his strength was concentrated on him. The Duke of Celeste was one of the leading nobles standing against the emperor, making things easy for Lucius. Rael decided to marry to counter Lucius¡¯ growing power. To stabilize his power, he weds Angelica, the heroine. Tiana and Lucius¡¯ marriage provided the cause for the two protagonists to meet. She sighs deeply and feels Inabelle staring at her. She stands at the door and stops to hear anything. They were trying to stop me from meeting him. Even if she didn¡¯t plan to leave her room and meet him, now would be a great opportunity, but she didn¡¯t think she would see him. They will meet each other someday anyway. ¡°My lady.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± While she stared out the window, frustrated, Inabelle called her with intent in her face. She said, stepping a little in front of the stationary door, ¡°Go outside. I think it is right that you meet him.¡± ¡°Why all of a sudden? You won¡¯t try to stop me?¡± ¡°I was given an order, so I couldn¡¯t help it earlier. I think you should meet the Grand Duke.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°It is you who gets married. I know that the butler and the maid are worried, but I think when there is a problem like this one, the parties should meet more in person.¡± She was surprised at Inabelle¡¯s unexpected words. She was thinking of her more than she thought. Inabelle glances at the door, ¡°There is a maid outside, but I¡¯ll try to persuade her. I¡¯m sure she will not allow you to meet the Grand Duke like this. But you know your relationship better than anyone else.¡± ¡°The relationship between me and the Grand Duke? We are not just engaged?¡± ¡°Yes. You don¡¯t remember now, but¡­ Before the engagement, you were lovers.¡± ¡°What?¡± Lucius and I were lovers? No, Tiana and Lucius? In the novel, the two were only involved because of the contract arrangement between both families. It turned out that Lucius loved Tiana, but it wasn¡¯t the same for Tiana, because she loved Rael, not Lucius. So, they were lovers? This does not tally with the contents of the novel. What the hell just happened? ¡°You mean me and the Grand Duke were lovers?¡± ¡°Yes, my lady.¡± Inabelle did not sound as though she was lying. If her words were indeed true, she had to confirm it. To stay idle would be unwise. She passed Inabelle by the door and tried to open it, but it was unbudging. Outside the room, Roena was guarding. Convincing her was not going to be easy. If she appealed, Roena might grant her access, but there wasn¡¯t enough time. Her eyes dart between the door and the large window and she turns away from the door. The windows are large enough for one or two people. She opens the window and balances on the wide railings. If the door is locked, you can always find a different route. She sets her feet on the frame of the window while Inabelle stands on the lookout. ¡°My lady, be careful.¡± Her room is on the third floor, and there is a terrace next to it. The structure on the wall is wide enough to walk on, so she can safely climb over to the terrace. She carefully climbs away from her room and finds an emergency ladder sitting on a side of the terrace. At the foot of the ladder is a road that leads directly to the garden. She looks up at Inabelle¡¯s astonished face with her eyes slightly leaning out of their sockets. Was I too hasty? If I don¡¯t move fast, Lucius might leave. She had just learned something new about Lucius¡¯ and Tiana¡¯s relationship and she was going to test it. He was her favorite character from the novel, this foreign truth sparked a delight in her heart. If she did not do this now, there would be no other opportunity. Their two families were no ordinary family and the marriage would not be broken so easily. Tiana must have been possessed to pass on an opportunity to marry her best friend and have a blissful life, she thought. Why would anyone not want that? Isn¡¯t it the destiny of a person who has an instinct to create a twist in the story? * Standing alone at the entrance to the garden, Lucius hesitates. Will I be able to see her shadow on the window again today? ¡°Be careful, my lady!¡± An urgent voice calls from above. Following the maid¡¯s gaze, he sees Tiana walking on the railing and passing over to the terrace. Without fear, Tiana climbs down the emergency ladder connected to the balcony. As soon as her feet touch the ground, she runs toward the garden. Why did she use the window? She looks like a very skilled thief. Lucius goes to meet her. * ¡°I¡¯m out, so what now?¡± She raises her hands in the air in exasperation. She is overwhelmed by the vast garden. The Duke sure has a wonderful garden. She wipes sweat off her face and takes a deep breath, feeling faint. ¡°Goodness!¡± The flowers in full bloom seem to be enjoying the fragrant spring as they move with the breeze. The petals flying in the air captivate her attention. She reaches out and catches one. Under the dazzling sun, the pale yellow petals change their color. Is there a flower with such petals? she wondered. Forsythia? No, it was a little rounder and smaller than this. Was there such a flower that changes its color with sunlight? Looking around, there were many similar flowers. Forsythia, Rhododendron, Tulip, Dandelion¡­ Red pansy and peony were also there, but she didn¡¯t know the name of this one. However, she was used to the strange yellow shimmering in the sunlight. Where have I seen this color? It isn¡¯t a common shade, though it is similar to yellow, and when exposed to the sun¡¯s rays, it glimmers. ¡°Gold¡­¡± Debris of sunlight passes through the thin petals like a generous sprinkle of gold. Looking at the thin, gold leaf-like petals, she thought about where she saw this color. The more she looked at it, the more familiar it seemed. The wind came then and blew the petals in her hands, making them swirl all around her. As she stares at the hovering petals, she suddenly hears a man¡¯s voice. ¡°Tiana.¡± Amid the flying petals, she sees first his dark hair and eyes as golden as the sun. The gold shines brightly in the sunlight. They were eyes like a lake of melted gold, deep as if without impurities. She began to feel a warmth creep up within her. The minute her eyes lock with those familiar eyes, she can tell just who it is. Chapter 14 - Surreal Encounter Chapter 14 ¨C Surreal Encounter There was only one person in the entire world who had those eyes. It had been on the cover of the Hwangwisa¡¯s main volume, which she had read countless times before the transmigration, and on the cover of another specially published paperback. The man she had hoped to meet was finally right here¡­ How could she forget? ¡°Lucius¡­¡± she says softly as if his name is something sacred. Lucius Eyal Rederick is a villain and the man she was destined to marry. Her heart swells with a feeling of fulfillment and she is sated. Her escape through the terrace had been a worthwhile idea. Luck was on her side and she was allowed to meet him before he had left. A feeling of embarrassment warms her as she looks at him. She would have preferred if he hadn¡¯t seen her like this; he should have seen her when she was perfect, not injured. He must have thought it was weird that someone is stretching their arm into the air though. Lucius opened his eyes wider and clicked his tongue when he saw her. A look of surprise painted his face. His expression was familiar to her seeing that she had read both the main book and the special edition. Lucius, whose eyes were still open wide, was still startled. Did I really shock him that much though? It was a bit difficult to make sense of his reaction. ¡°Do you¡­ Do you remember me?¡± he questions as he approaches her. ¡°Pardon?¡± Her face is screwed in confusion. ¡°I heard you lost your memory,¡± he says softly. She makes a sound of recognition and softly bows her head. I see, she thinks, he wasn¡¯t surprised at what I did. He was just surprised because I called out his name. They had been a couple once but they aren¡¯t anymore. She should be suffering from amnesia. It must be weird for him. She called out without thinking. She hadn¡¯t expected to meet him. She should have been more careful but there was nothing to be done. She smiles awkwardly while he stares. ¡°I heard we had a guest and I heard someone say it was you,¡± she explains. She berates herself in her mind because people still wouldn¡¯t address him in such manner. He was mostly known as Duke Rederick or Grand Duke, her excuse was lacking. Lucius regards her with a suspicious frown and panic seizes her heart. I need to put on a front, she thinks. I need to act like that poor girl with amnesia. She tries to ignore his peering gaze as she moves her dress to curtsy. ¡°Pardon my late introduction, Your Highness. My name is Tiana Quinn Celeste and I am pleased to make your acquaintance.¡± Their eyes connect once more as she raises her head, and she feels as if her heart is ready to leap from her chest. ¡°Would you like to speak with me some time?¡± He makes a weird expression as if to prevent himself from speaking and she mentally frowns at that. The face that she had only read about in books was now right there in front of her and it was as if she knew him. Lucius was the exact replica of the picture on the book cover of the second volume that she had devoured. She swallows with difficulty because something so perfect was infront of her. He stares at her with unblinking eyes and speaks with a curious tone. ¡°Are you not going to ignore me?¡± ¡°What?¡± she feigns confusion, ¡°What do you¡­¡± An embarrassed look dominates his face and it seems so out of place. It was like he had never been in such a situation and he had no idea how to act. She watches as he looks over her head and she breathes easily. She thinks back to the Tiana and Lucius she had seen on the cover of the special edition and she can¡¯t help but wonder why she hated him. No, Tiana despised him. It was Tiana¡¯s own fault that she hated Lucius that much. She used him and then threw him away like he was nothing because he didn¡¯t conform to her unreasonable expectations. Who would have thought that sweet Tiana could be someone so wicked? And then she turned Lucius into this. She turned him into the villain in the story. Why was his destiny so hideous? ¡°Do you mind if I stay with you?¡± he questions softly. She stays silent and stares at him in contemplation. All she can think is that Tiana was a terrible woman. She treated poor Lucius so terribly and that broke him down until he was insecure. It didn¡¯t matter that she had lost her memory now, how much did she break him back when she could remember? What unkind words did she whisper in his ear? Were they really lovers? She mentally shakes her head to clear her thoughts. No, they never had a good conversation until now. Her thoughts from a pit in her belly and guilt consumes her. The person that she is seeing doesn¡¯t fit who Tiana described. How can a man like this who can barely even look people in the eyes be a villain? The original story got many things wrong. She watches from her peripheral vision as his finger twitches. Maybe he couldn¡¯t approach her easily because he was conflicted between wanting to talk and avoiding her. He just winced and shuffled his legs. Lucius had lost his composure and it was evident that he was confused about her behavior. Relax, her mind whispers. Neither of them speak for a moment and it was as if time had frozen. Tiana watches as yellow petals dance in the wind as she waits for him to speak. She looks away from the petals and looks upon Lucius¡¯ frozen figure. Embarrassment consumes her as she wonders if she has pushed him. ¡°Lucis? Are you alright?¡± His silence was the only response given. Chapter 15 - Happily Ever Afters Chapter 15 ¨C Happily Ever Afters ¡°Lucius? Can you hear me? Lucius?¡± She calls out to him. He looked as if he was cut from stone. She reaches out to touch him and he flinches back as he comes back to reality. His eyes lose the glassy sheen and he stares at Tiana. ¡°Lucius?¡± She calls out, concerned. He looks at her and blinks slowly. ¡°My name¡­¡± Although he had regained his composure, he was clearly holding back a smile, as if he wasn¡¯t still fully back to his senses. This was the real image of the man she knew. A timid and shy person, not an expressionless and cruel man like in the novel. What is the deal with me calling his name? Tiana wonders curiously. From his reactions, Tiana could see the type of woman she had been before. She watches on in slight horror as he covers his mouth as if he wasn¡¯t supposed to speak. Thank you very much, ¡®Tiana¡¯. I¡¯m glad I don¡¯t know where you have disappeared to. I can¡¯t believe you were treating such a lovely man like this. I¡¯ll remember your misdeeds forever, Tiana. Remember, I¡¯ll be very nice to Lucius, who will be my husband from now on. Please never come back. For now, all she has to do is play Tiana, who lost her memory, and make Lucius let his guard down. She has to show him that she is different from the Tiana he knows. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry. It was too rude of me to call your name, right? I lost my memory, so I didn¡¯t know how to act properly. It was a bit unbecoming and assuming of me. Please forgive me.¡± His silence surrounds them in a soft cocoon. Lucius seemed to always be quiet. ¡°I should address you as Grand Duke, right?¡± she asks. ¡°Oh, no! It¡¯s just¡­¡± he was surprised. He relaxes and lowers his hand with a sigh. He was only a few steps away so she could clearly see him. He was obviously still alarmed and he looked almost dizzy. He must have been thinking about how to treat me¡­ she thinks quietly. ¡°¡­Just call me Lucius, please.¡± He spoke in a low voice once he had stringed his thoughts. His voice was weak but his eyes which had been wandering around all along, settled on her face and looked straight into her eyes. She felt lightheaded when she met his beautiful, golden eyes. She straightens her posture to make it seem as if everything is normal while happiness floods her body. ¡°Yes, I will. Lucius.¡± He hesitates as he smiles at her timidly and says, ¡°Tiana.¡± His smile is so beautiful that it could kill. It¡¯s amazing. This is really¡­ real. This is actually happening and her mind can¡¯t seem to process it. She just can¡¯t seem to comprehend that she is in the world, where the character she loves more than anything lives. She can still remember how sad she had been when he had chosen to die on his own. No one had been able to heal his pain because only the writer knew about the lies and heartache he had been an unwilling victim to. After giving everything to his wife, Tiana, the woman she is now, he chose to die with her even though she had continued to reject him. It was hard for her to even imagine how much pain he would have felt in the process leading to those choices. The original story was of course important, but the most important thing to her right now was the Lucius she was seeing now. She wanted to treat her husband well and ensure that he didn¡¯t become a villain. She would save her husband with everything she had. The main characters in the original book hadn¡¯t had many difficulties so she should be able to fix everything while possessing the shell of Tiana. She would be able to support Lucius and warrant that he turned out fine. She would fix everything. She would make them get along. If she could just lay the foundations for a good marriage with Lucius, and between Laurel and Angelica also, the main characters of the original story would be able to conclude the story without any major conflicts. She couldn¡¯t exactly control if the relationship between Tiana and Lucius would affect and improve theirs along with Angelica, Reir, and their other friends, but she was prepared to do anything to try. She was stuck in this world and she was prepared to overcome any and all variables to make ¡®happily ever afters¡¯ a thing in this world. It would not be an easy task to persuade the main villain of the story to become an ally of the protagonist¡¯s side, but Lucius had not entered the original work¡¯s plot and had not done anything yet. Lucius was kind and gentle; he did not deserve to be a villain. If he did nothing wrong from his moment on then saving him would be easy. He would never be the villain. First, she needed to eliminate the shadow crowding this world. She needed to erase the terrifying atmosphere and the feeling of intimidation that people felt around him. She needed to fix it. Everyone knew him as a cold and heartless tyrant, and she had to destroy that prejudice if she was intending to give him a happy ending. Because of his personality, he doesn¡¯t express his feelings well and he is easy to manipulate, easy to mold. She must guarantee that he isn¡¯t broken down and mend their relationship. She needed to save him. There is a lot she ought to do. Chapter 16 - As Beautiful As They Are Fleeting Chapter 16 ¨C As Beautiful As They Are Fleeting Now that she has resolved to cultivate their love story, she carved in her mind the dreams and aspirations of her heart that needed fulfillment. Once she continues to act as Tiana who has no recollection of the past, then the trail she would embark on would be as smooth as glass, and the man she would soon marry would not harbor even a faint suspicion. ¡°Why are you here?¡± she questions him. ¡°I wanted to see you before I returned,¡± he replies, looking into the distance. Her peering eyes observe this timid man before her as she asks, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you inform the butler or one of the servants?¡± He answers bashfully, a chuckle leaving his lips, ¡°I didn¡¯t think that far ahead. After my meeting with the Duke, I naturally found myself here. I can see your bedroom clearly from the garden so I was hoping to catch a glimpse of you.¡± She stares at him silently and contemplates his words. My goodness, she thinks. So all this time he was rejected at the door, left alone and cold? Was it not of significance that they were engaged and lovers? She couldn¡¯t help but believe that perhaps Inabelle had the wrong impression of what went on between Tiana and Lucius; she couldn¡¯t help but wonder if their relationship was merely a performance, a front. Even if Tiana could be likened to a terrible witch, she should not have had the ability to ignore Lucius. How could the mere daughter of a Duke ignore the Grand Duke? Having read the novel, she was not ignorant of Tiana¡¯s grim personality. But its severity took her by surprise. Maybe that¡¯s why Edwin, Alfred ¡ª the butler, Inabelle and the other servants were acting weird, she surmised. Tiana ¡®losing¡¯ her memory put forth a different person; she acted differently from the real Tiana. It was why Lucius, the people on the estate, and even her father reacted strangely. This Tiana seemed a stranger, absent of the familiar brutality they have grown accepting and accustomed to without a choice. But even so, was she such a horrible person who ignored her own family and lover? She and Edwin sported the same dark hair, smooth as silk; she couldn¡¯t have been adopted, so what could justify her hostility? She contemplates Tiana¡¯s repulsive personality, which arouses wonder in her thoughts. Why does she act the way she does? She harassed her mind for plausible reasons, but to no avail¡ªshe found it unfathomable. She would never reject a family like the one Tiana had. Not when she was someone with nothing. If she had met Tiana herself, she would have, without a doubt, slapped her across the face. Frustration and anger courses through her as she snaps her jaw shut. Lucius looks at her with a curious gaze and she bows her head slightly before speaking, ¡°I am so sorry. No one informed me about you so I was not aware¡­¡± ¡°They did not inform you?¡± Lucius questions, a peculiar expression twisting the corners of his mouth. ¡°No. Even so, it is my fault on the account of my memory loss so I take responsibility for it. I hope you accept my apology.¡± He stares into her eyes and paints his lips a soft smile. ¡°It is¡­ okay. I am happy to just be able to speak to you right now. You¡¯ve been through a lot and it was not your intention to lose your memories.¡± ¡°Even if it is not, I can¡¯t help but feel apologetic. Plus it¡¯s not like apologising will undo my past actions.¡± Lucius observes her for a moment before reaching out towards her; he plucks the golden flower sitting on her shoulder and presents it to her in the palm of his hand with a sheepish smile. He says, his voice as gentle as the fresh breeze, ¡°I will close my eyes to all the things that have happened until this moment and pretend they never happened. I will think that all the things from this moment onwards are real. To you, this will probably be the first time we have met so I will pretend to do the same. Let¡¯s do it like this.¡± She stares silently into his eyes, acknowledging the pounding of her heart. He continues, ¡°I will reintroduce myself. I am Lucius Eyal Rederick and I am pleased to meet you.¡± The petal resting on his palm flutters with the wind as though in a dance. She shifts her eyes from the petal and to the man in front of her, and thought: how beautiful these two are, but they are only as beautiful as they are fleeting¡ªready to fly away at any given moment if pushed too much. Chapter 17 - To Be A Bride Of May Chapter 17 ¨C To be a Bride of May It was a shame, truly, how this man was such an angel, save for the white wings and golden halo, yet only received harsh comments from the readers. She couldn¡¯t help but mentally thank the dreadful Tiana for switching bodies. She quickly reaches out and grasps onto the petal as it flies in the air. ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you, Lucius. My name is Tiana Quinn Celeste and it is quite lovely to meet you,¡± she curtsies. Let¡¯s make our relationship end on a happy note, she promises herself, I will make sure it has one because I am forever captured by you. Thank you author, she whispers in her mind. Thank you for making such a man my husband. I can¡¯t wait to become his wife. When exactly does that happen though, she wonders as a smile creeps to her lips. At that thought, she was reminded of one of the significant obstacles she must overcome before her dream to wed this man is realized: her father¡ªEdwin; he needed to be convinced to let the wedding happen. He has disapproved of Lucius meeting his daughter today so he must have no intention of furthering the wedding plans. Perhaps he was even considering cancelling the entire thing. Lucius looks onto her blankly as she asks, ¡°I guess you came to see me but my father stopped you right? He has been so worried about me since the incident so I am sorry that you were denied.¡± ¡°It is alright,¡± he replies, ¡°it hasn¡¯t been long since the accident so his reaction is understandable.¡± ¡°Did your conversation go well?¡± ¡°Yes. I could tell that the Duke is deeply concerned about your wellbeing. I came with the intention of asking after you and also to speak about our marriage. I was taken aback when he gave me the most unexpected reply.¡± ¡°What did father say¡­?¡± ¡°He wishes to postpone the marriage for a little while,¡± Lucius says softly. I knew it, she thinks. It was within her expectations that her father would cease the coming marriage; gladly, he only resorted to a delay. Even then, such news didn¡¯t ring sweet to her ears. She must find a way for the wedding to come into being, maybe not on the same date but some time around then. Only after she accomplishes such feat would Angelica and Rael be able to proceed with their wedding. Since dates and seasons in the book resembled that of the real world, May would be the better choice, if not best, to tie the knot in this world as well. There is the saying, ¡°bride of May,¡± and since Angelica and Rael consciously choose the same date as Tiana and Lucius¡¯ wedding in spring a year later, the date mustn¡¯t pass May. The critical motivation behind the wedding¡¯s postponement was the condition of her body; thus, the strings rest around her fingers. Once the two are married, they will have moved to Lucius¡¯ main estate in the emperor¡¯s territory. However, consequent to the accident which caused the loss of her memory, her father became distressed over her security if she leaves his side¡ªa reasonable fear. ¡°I can fully relate to how the Duke must be feeling. Since his one and only daughter has been through such a terrible thing, he must be worried,¡± expresses Lucius. ¡°It¡¯s alright!¡± She exclaims before he can say anything else, but earned a raised brow from Lucius. He questions, bewildered at her sudden outburst, ¡°Sorry?¡± But her confidence unwavered. She states boldly, ¡°I will convince my father.¡± If his reason for delaying the wedding was out of concern for her wellbeing, there exists a way to convince him otherwise. In fact, there were plenty. Lucius looked rather worried at her optimism; it was as if she was full of certainty. ¡°But I doubt the Duke will change his mind so easily¡­¡± ¡°Do not worry. My body is healed, I am able to move around now, and my condition isn¡¯t as bad. If the problem is regarding my memory, time will fix that. Also, I have a proposal.¡± Confusion knits his eyebrows together as a frown marrs his face. ¡°A proposal?¡± ¡°Father is worried that I would have to leave home and move far away to the Emperor¡¯s territory and spend my time alone there. Didn¡¯t you get that impression during your conversation?¡± ¡°I definitely sensed that he was worried about your condition and how it may change,¡± Lucius replies as he digests her words. ¡°So as long as I don¡¯t move far away, we can proceed with the marriage without any issue.¡± ¡°That would provide a solution to the problem.¡± ¡°Of course, I would require your help and approval.¡± ¡°My help?¡± Once more, confusion swathed his gorgeous features. He seemed to have a difficult time comprehending this unexpected conversation. Chapter 18 - A Remedy For The Scars Of The Past Chapter 18 ¨C A Remedy for the Scars of the Past ¡°Yes. Your help is absolutely crucial to this plot,¡± she nods. His eyes widened in prominent surprise. He must have thought his help would not be needed; however, the person who could proceed the wedding was none other than Lucius¡¯ own maternal grandfather, Marqui Calbino. In the main novel he becomes Lucius¡¯ official supporter in his quest to usurp the throne. Even though he was a royal of the same rank, he found Edwin to be an eyesore; hence, he would hasten Tiana and Lucius¡¯ marriage in order to hold something against Edwin¡ªlike a tip of a dagger threatening to pierce his neck. Once he finds out about the postponement, he is bound to start pressuring the Duke. And there is only one solution: to offer a proposal that he would find satisfactory, one that would reassure Edwin and satisfy Marqui Calbino. But to do that, it would require Lucius¡¯ help. She continues with eagerness, ¡°I will do my best to convince father. It¡¯s not a reckless alternative so I¡¯m sure he won¡¯t object.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°Why would you go this far to marry me? I¡¯m not trying to blame you or anything but if I think of you from the past, you wouldn¡¯t even talk to me and you definitely didn¡¯t want to get married so¡­ why?¡± She stares at him blankly as her brain short circuits. He had asked a sensible query inspired by his own confusion and it rendered her speechless, frozen as she ransacked her mind for a reasonable excuse that would explain her peculiar fervor. But luckily, he retracts his words as he apologizes, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s not right to ask you when you¡¯ve lost your memory but it¡¯s just even talking to you right now feels so unreal, and here I am bringing this up right after I said I would pretend it never happened¡­¡± He looks tormented as his frown deepens and he turns his head away slowly to avoid her blank gaze. She found it difficult to speak when he exhibited hints of doubt. Even if he had decided to forget the past, this situation must feel so foreign and so strange to him. Transforming words into actions were harder than it seemed and a miracle wasn¡¯t going to suddenly happen either. A memory forged in the mind cannot be easily forgotten; the behaviours and actions of the previous Tiana would need to be overridden, or else Lucius could never move on, daunted by the past. Cursing her would not be enough¡ªher feelings of hostility had inked his being. Perhaps after their marriage, things were a little less sour, but that was not set in stone. The shadow of the previous Tiana still lingers, and her best attempt to remedy the trauma is to outweigh her existence with hers, the present ¡®Tiana,¡¯ gradually burying the bitter past with fresh, painless memories. She approaches him slowly, mustering enough courage, and opens her hand to show him the petal that lay peacefully on her palm. ¡°I want to be with you Lucius,¡± she says softly while a smile ghosts over her lips. He stares at her silently as she gazes upon the petal. ¡°Isn¡¯t it amazing?¡± she questions, ¡°I have no memory and this is the first time I have met you. But you feel very close to me.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± he responds, a bit skeptical. ¡°I want to marry you.¡± He takes a step back in surprise and a breeze begins to whisper from behind him. She quickly covers her palm lest the petal sways along with the wind, and steps towards him. ¡°You might think it¡¯s crazy, but it¡¯s true,¡± she says. ¡°Why?¡± Genuine confusion colours his voice. ¡°I remembered how happy I felt when I met you before. I¡¯m not sure when the memory is from, but even right now, I¡¯m very glad that I met you.¡± A faint memory from the previous Tiana flashed across her mind. An odd deja vu hit her: it must have been the previous encounter between Lucius and the other Tiana. The surprise on Lucius¡¯ face makes the memory even clearer¡ªthe memory of their first rendezvous. Lucius had offered the same petal. ¡°Nice to meet you, I am Tiana Quinn Celeste.¡± ¡°¡­Lucius Eyal Rederick.¡± The memory, almost faded, reveals Tiana with a wide smile gracing her lips as she greets Lucius, who accepts her curtsy with a warm gaze. Chapter 19 - Beginning Chapter 19 ¨C Beginning Confusion shrouded her mind. How could it be? Tiana hated Lucius; why was she so happy to meet him? She only caught a glimpse of the blurred memory, the details obscured by ambiguity. But at least then, Tiana was not as hostile to Lucius. It was strange, but it could not be mistaken that she was rather excited to meet him. How could she have felt deep, burning hatred for him when she didn¡¯t really have anything against him? Even more, Lucius had been a good husband. Though she could only remember fragments of Tiana¡¯s memory, she felt like Tiana had considered him a good spouse¡­ at least at the beginning. I need to research more thoroughly, she thought. Given the good memories of their first meeting, there must have been a reason for Tiana¡¯s relationship with Lucius to go downhill in the middle¡ªan event which would be the catalyst of Tiana¡¯s change in attitude towards her husband. But that was something she would discover as her relationship with Lucius progresses. Until then, the priority was to make the marriage a success. She plasters a proud smile on her face as she places a few petals on his palm. ¡°I¡¯m really glad to have you as my husband. It¡¯s good to be in a marriage with you, but more than anything, it¡¯s an honor to become part of your family.¡± Lucius was bewildered, ¡°Tiana¡­¡± ¡°Moreover, don¡¯t worry and leave it to me. The situation has changed a bit, but as you said, we¡¯re learning each other again. Well¡­ today is the first time we¡¯re meeting to talk about our families¡¯ ties.¡± ¡°However-¡± ¡°When I first saw you, I was happy as if it was not the first time I had seen you.¡± Lucius¡¯ silence greets her. ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s a good hope for the future if I was so happy from the beginning?¡± she questions as she gazes at him with softness around her eyes. ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right,¡± he states hesitantly, ¡°I was very happy as well when I first saw you, Tiana.¡± ¡°Our hearts are indeed the same,¡± she says with a delicate smile, ¡°It looks like we are a good match, Lucius. I¡¯m happy.¡± ¡°I¡¯m happy too, Tiana.¡± He was reluctant, but his words harmonized with her boldness. She was doing well: establishing a deal beneficial for the family with their marriage, and leaving a good impression during their first official meeting. It¡¯s not uncommon for people to develop a crush on someone they met for the first time, right? It¡¯s not like she fell in love at first sight anyway. Her actions were only to guarantee their relationship, building a strong foundation¡ªit was a test. Was he really a good person as she had always believed? She must know, because Tiana wasn¡¯t affected by the lies about Lucius. She knew better than anyone else what kind of person he was. Even if she wasn¡¯t yet certain of the reason why she had decided to become a good person, she had no time to ponder over it. Time was impossible to rewind. ¡°Miss!¡± A shout resounded behind her and she saw Inabelle running to her, a ghostly timing. The fleeting moment between her and Lucius which she forced to create ends with the shadows of Roana, Alfred, and Edwin drawing near. Yet, she was thankful for that momentary chance. Recalling her father¡¯s terrifying semblance, she thought he wouldn¡¯t let her do it, at first. She laughed pleasantly at Lucius, who was turning white at the sight of the incoming four people. * She left a perplexed Lucius, retreating to the dining room with her father. Alfred, who was keeping an eye on both, ordered the maid to prepare tea. She stares at his father as she sips on the sweet drink and begins to speak, ¡°I¡¯m sorry I went out without asking you first.¡± Edwin¡¯s expression was solemn; he opens his mouth and replies, ¡°Why did you do something so dangerous?¡± ¡°He was a guest who came to see me. It doesn¡¯t matter if I lost my memory, I can still meet guests.¡± ¡°Then, you should have met with him properly. You could have been badly injured,¡± he replies slowly in an effort to get her to understand. ¡°I did so because you stopped me from seeing him in person. I thought you wouldn¡¯t have allowed us to meet if I asked you. And the railing in the mansion is wide, so it wasn¡¯t that dangerous. I didn¡¯t run, and I went down the ladder properly.¡± ¡°Tiana,¡± he pleads in exasperation. She exposed her reasons proudly but flinched and bowed her head at his severe voice. Right, she had done all of that, but they must have been surprised. Even if she had recovered to a certain degree, she still didn¡¯t know if there would be other side effects, yet she went out on the terrace from the window. She suddenly understood she had done something wrong, but it couldn¡¯t be helped now. She stands up and bows more deeply to show her remorse, and then says, ¡°I understand I did something dangerous. I¡¯m sorry for making you worry. I started to act before realizing the consequences of my actions.¡± ¡°You¡¯re always the same¡­¡± he says softly. ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°Nothing. I understand. Sit down Tiana.¡± He gestures with a helpless sigh. Watching his face unclench, she sits down and takes another sip of her drink. Across her, Edwin picks up his cup and takes a sip as well. She felt apologetic for causing worry and panic among them, but it was too early to relax. She still had a mission to complete. As soon as she placed her teacup on the table, staggering words left her lips. ¡°I will marry the Grand Duke, so please don¡¯t retrieve your marriage proposal.¡± ¡°What?¡± Edwin bursts out incredulously. He probably thought he heard wrong, certain that she would never utter such words. His gaze lingered on his daughter, complete surprise tainting his features. ¡°Why¡­ How do you know about the marriage offer?¡± He questions with confusion. Chapter 20 - Make Haste Chapter 20 ¨C Make Haste ¡°Inabelle told me. Please don¡¯t punish her for what I said,¡± she tacked on hurriedly. ¡°But why did you hide it from me? Is it because I lost my memory?¡± He just stared at her, unsure on how to reply. He sighed deeply without averting his eyes, then blinked and simply replied, ¡°Exactly.¡± Color returned to his pale face. She had spoken so straightforwardly that he couldn¡¯t hide anything, and just kept talking. ¡°I was worried that you might be burdened by that accident seeing as it took your memory. I thought it would be too much, even if you have already recovered considerably.¡± ¡°But that still is about me. Even if I have lost my memory, I would have been able to cope with it if you had told me.¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t talk about it easily because there were so many rumors about your condition. And he¡¯s no one else but the Grand Duke¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I should have stepped out. The rumors about me will die out if I show there is nothing wrong with me. Who would call the Duke a liar, after all?¡± Since the rumors about her had already spread like a wildfire, she could only douse the fire with crystal-clear facts. The best way to do so was through the words of the most reliable person, claiming that she had indeed lost her memory but was otherwise fine. Her memory didn¡¯t change her into a strange person, it merely disappeared; it couldn¡¯t be seen as a problem. After all, it didn¡¯t affect her daily routine. And who wouldn¡¯t believe Lucius if he said he saw his fianc¨¦e without any complications? To hide in the shadows was not the best choice, but to march forward without hesitation. That was how to ensure success. Edwin nodded as he listened to her daughter¡¯s words, contemplating. ¡°Right, I see. I rushed the decision too much. And I should have been more considerate of you¡­¡± he said, feeling a little apologetic. She curled her lips into a warm smile, looking at her father. ¡°You did it because you were worried about me. You didn¡¯t do anything wrong, father. I understand you did it for my best. It¡¯s all happening because I lost my memory.¡± ¡°You lost it because of an unexpected accident, it¡¯s not your fault either,¡± he said firmly. ¡°Then there is nothing me or you did wrong. No one is to be considered responsible.¡± ¡°Do you really want to go ahead with the marriage?¡± Curiosity littered his voice. ¡°Yes, of course.¡± There was no reason to avoid it, so there was also no need to delay it. Moreover, she wanted to marry Lucius as soon as possible; she couldn¡¯t afford delays. Then, she would become a lovely wife. ¡°You wanted to postpone my marriage because of my physical condition, right? It looks like I will suffer from the after effects for a long time.¡± ¡°Exactly. It was a big accident, we don¡¯t know what kind of side effects can appear and when. You might look fine now, but they might show later on¡­¡± ¡°We don¡¯t even know if my memory will be back.¡± ¡°Right. It may take a long time before your memory comes back, and we don¡¯t know when it will happen. And even if it will never come back¡­ I wanted to spend together some of the time we hadn¡¯t before.¡± ¡°¡­I see.¡± She didn¡¯t think about that. Since his relationship with Tiana wasn¡¯t that good, she didn¡¯t expect him to worry that much about the whole situation. Maybe he wanted to heal his relationship with Tiana, using the opportunity made by her memory loss. Tiana had no remembrance of her and of the people around her, so many people, like Edwin and the Duke, might have wanted to start anew with her. If the original Tiana had ever regained her memory, she would have gone back to her past life, but seeing the situation she was involved in, she had a strong feeling that it was never going to happen. As long as she was possessing her, the old Tiana would not return. Everyone could bury the old memories and start making new ones. She remembered the words he told her when she first opened her eyes in that body. ¡°No matter what memory you have, you¡¯re my precious daughter.¡± This man was just accepting her as she was, not forcing her to do anything. She was deeply moved back then, because no one before had cared for her as a daughter. She was jealous of such a father; she wanted to thank him. But it would never be enough, no matter how many times she¡¯d thank him. She looked at him gently and opened her mouth again. ¡°But wouldn¡¯t refusing the marriage proposal be a source of trouble for you, father? I heard there¡¯s only two months left before the marriage.¡± ¡°I asked for the Grand Duke¡¯s understanding. He took it better than expected and accepted my apologies, but¡­ the real problem is, the Grand Duke isn¡¯t the only host of the wedding.¡± ¡°Who else will be there?¡± ¡°Marquis Calvino, the maternal grandfather of the Great Duke. He¡¯s the one who proposed this marriage.¡± Ah, of course he¡¯ll be there. She nodded and pretended it was something she didn¡¯t know about. If they could persuade the most problematic person, this marriage could move forward without much trouble. ¡°If that person has a valid alternative, we can proceed with the marriage. It will not be a bother to me, to you, nor to our families.¡± Chapter 21 - Killing Two Birds With One Stone Chapter 21 ¨C Killing Two Birds with One Stone ¡°What do you mean?¡± Tiana was able to present her suggestion as effortlessly as the panel gave their full attention; unexpected to say the least. It was a proposal that would deem to satisfy both Edwin Celeste and Marquis Calvino. Edwin, who had been listening attentively, proceeded to nod his head and spoke. ¡°Yes¡­ your suggestion will put me at ease.¡± ¡°Right?¡± ¡°But I¡¯m not so sure Marquis Calvino will accept it so doubtlessly, he is a rather stubborn man. Your confidence is all the same¡ª as I thought it would be.¡± ¡°Then I shall meet with him myself. I¡¯m sure it¡¯d be harder to refuse in my presence, all while asking for his understanding, as opposed to you relaying it for me.¡± ¡°Very well. Let us proceed as such, and I will go with you. If we tell him that this is the most responsible alternative offered by the head of a family, I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be quite difficult to refuse.¡± He declared. ¡°More than anything even, the reasons for value, and how you managed to portray things are exceptional.¡± Edwin continued, frowning at the memory of Marquis at the same time. This reaction made her laugh in return, as it spoke volumes of what kind of person Marquis Calvino ought to be. ¡°He must be meticulous.¡± ¡°Not only that. He is from a long-established household; as powerful as its age. I¡¯m sure he carries himself well like royalty. But still, I wouldn¡¯t address him as a good man.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Simply put, he was an authoritative blue-blood. This was a common trait and there had always been individuals with characteristics like him existing throughout. It was particularly easy to speculate who Marquis Calvino was. These people were best-faced and head-on; fast in their calculations. He¡¯d certainly know the proposal would be of great benefit. ¡°Since he came to visit us first, maybe it¡¯s just as appropriate to return the favor and visit him ourselves this time.¡± Tiana encouraged. ¡°I agree. It should¡¯ve been us visiting him the first instance. But to be fair, I never guessed he¡¯d come unannounced anyway.¡± ¡°Father, you were busy at the time so it¡¯s understandable. But I¡¯m sure the word would spread like wildfire.¡± She smiled lightly, and it was contagious enough to have the same effect on him as well. Tiana finished her milk tea, sensing that the conversation was finally coming to an end. Talking for too long in one go had made her ready to settle. As she placed down her teacup, looking longingly at the handle, Edwin rang the bell situated on the table. Alerted by the clear, alarming sound, Alfred, who had been outside, entered shortly in an instant. ¡°Yes, your highness?¡± He remarked. ¡°Will you please bring us more tea? And accompany some papers along with, I need to send an important letter.¡± ¡°Certainly, your highness.¡± Alfred returned very soon after, accompanied by a housemaid who looked to be carrying freshly-steeped tea. He carefully placed a tray of stationeries and writing materials on the table, and stepped back. The paper possessed an elegant feel; aromatic and ornamented with blue flowers. The Duke dipped the nip of the pen and started to write his calligraphy with usual flourish. ¡°I will send a letter to Marquis Calvino.¡± ¡°Do you think it¡¯s right to visit them?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± He paused at the unexpected question with a confused look, swiftly placing the pen down before its ink starts to drip, spoiling the clean slate. ¡°It is definite to visit the Calvinos and suggest my proposal. I¡¯m sure the Grand Duke will be present as well?¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± Came the keen retort. ¡°Then should the meeting location be at the Grand Duke¡¯s instead?¡± She pointed out, although unsure. This insinuation was influenced by a small, greedy part of her, but it wasn¡¯t entirely nonsensical. Lucius was of a higher rank compared to the Calvinos. Even if it was them who exhorted the marriage, the Grand Duke¡¯s opinion was well prioritized still. And to be frank, Tiana wanted to see Lucius again. She considered it a good opportunity to look in on the Grand Duke¡¯s family who¡¯d soon be her in-laws; familiarizing herself with their faces, while earning some good impressions at the same time. For a second, she thought her covetous intentions were too obvious; spewing from her mouth like a self-serve. Although there was no way they¡¯d be able to know. If one took a minute to think, the choice was sensibly logical, and it caused Edwin a while to ponder on it before eventually nodding his head. ¡°Well, that is true. If the Grand Duke is present, then it is only fitting to meet at his place. Despite it being under Marquis Calvino¡¯s hand, the final decision ultimately lies with his highness.¡± ¡°Exactly. And since I may end up staying there someday, I believe it¡¯d be a good opportunity to visit the place beforehand and socialize with them.¡± This was how you killed two birds with one stone. It was an absolute catch; showing herself off at the Grand Duke¡¯s for a change of image, and it¡¯s especially beneficial to the housemaids who served importance in these places too. Hopefully, they weren¡¯t as familiar with the previous Tiana¡ª or more so, dislike her for treating Lucius quite harshly. Chapter 22 - The Anticipated Chapter 22 ¨C The Anticipated Two individual letters were sent to both the Grand Duke and Marquis Calvino¡¯s residences to inform them of the intended visit. Fortunately, a reply shortly arrived; Marquis Calvino didn¡¯t seem to sound eager, but he accepted the invite nonetheless, however reluctantly. They agreed to meet at the Grand Duke¡¯s in two days and it wasn¡¯t long before the anticipated had arrived. ¡°You¡¯re all ready to go, my lady.¡± ¡°Thank you, Inabelle.¡± Once her hair was done, Tiana stood up and took the parasol from Inabelle. Her half-tied, long hair was still an unfamiliar sight, but upon looking at the mirror, the ornament adorning it caught her eye very well. It was butterfly-shaped, sitting on the locks with ample little flowers in surrounding, looking as if it¡¯d fly away anytime soon. The combination of yellow and blue suited Tiana¡¯s liking. She opened her door, and daintily went to the ground floor where Edwin and Alfred were waiting along with a carriage. Alfred, who had been busily instructing the other servants at the moment, paused as their eyes met and smiled in greeting. ¡°The carriage is ready, young lady. And oh my¡­you look extremely beautiful.¡± He commented with an astonished regard. ¡°Thank you, Alfred.¡± She gently perked, confidently. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I¡¯m late, father. Did you wait long?¡± All that met her words was shocked silence; an eerie stretch across the room. ¡°Father?¡± She walked a little hastily towards Edwin. He looked somehow frozen, and she tilted her head in confusion as a response. From behind, a thunderous laugh from Alfred erupted. ¡°It must be because the Duke hasn¡¯t seen you like this in a while, my lady. There wasn¡¯t much of a chance to when you fell ill.¡± ¡°Oh¡­is that so?¡± Tiana had been bedridden for two weeks. Dressing-up wasn¡¯t largely required in case it stressed her condition, so it definitely had been a long time since. Though, she wasn¡¯t much familiar with the previous Tiana¡¯s habits, and it occurred like a mental breakthrough that encounters like these must¡¯ve been rare, as the woman didn¡¯t even find it necessary to meet Lucius. Nevertheless, Tiana was excited. It had been quite some time since she¡¯d gone out in the company of someone else. After enchantedly waking up in her new body, she was appalled at most seeing Edwin the first time around. For her to go out with a ¡®father¡¯ when she formerly had none, was something Tiana and her dreams never even stumbled upon. She felt beyond blessed, thinking of this man as her father; middle-aged yet dazzling, dressed in a modest and crisp black suit. To say he was astounded was an understatement. Edwin continued to stare in surprise, and the gaze left her embarrassed. Still, she smiled shyly even as her face reddened from the attention. ¡°You look very pretty. I nearly didn¡¯t recognize you¡ª no, you were always pretty. But seeing you now in this splendor, you¡¯ve become beautiful.¡± Edwin said finally, all with a proud smile. ¡°Thank you, father. You flatter me.¡± ¡°No, Truly. Especially that hairpiece, it looks dazzling on you, my dear.¡± ¡°Right? I loved it the moment it captured my eye. Do I look okay?¡± She asked consciously. ¡°Yes¡­very pretty.¡± Edwin responded lovingly, though his gaze seemed slightly sorrowful as it lingered on her butterfly pin. It seemed like he had more to say but defiance triumphed, so he turned away instead, shaking his head lightly. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Yes, father.¡± With Alfred¡¯s assistance, Tiana entered the carriage and sat opposite of Edwin. ¡°Please, have a safe trip.¡± Alfred noted before closing the carriage door. The father and daughter soon departed as the servants gave the last of their greetings. Chapter 23 - Unfortunate Soul Chapter 23 ¨C Unfortunate Soul Thick and saturnine silence enveloped the carriage while Tiana sat confused. It had been 10 minutes since the departure, yet not a single word has been uttered all throughout. At the moment, she could only wish for even the slightest bit of experience with talking to a father. What type of conversations did daughters normally have with their fathers anyway? She could ask if he had eaten, but they did exactly that together this morning. She could comment on the weather, but it was clearly a beautiful, bright day with not a single, gloomy cloud in sight; that would seem insincere. Tiana ached for a casual conversation, but had absolutely no idea on how and where to start. The uncomfortable silence persisted, and just as she was about to open her mouth in an attempt to break the stillness, the carriage suddenly came to a halt, disorienting the pair for a second or two. Edwin, who had been looking at Tiana, instantly turned his gaze to the window. One of the coachmen approached them, quickly rushing over. Edwin opened the window and asked, utterly vexed. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°The road ahead is blocked, sir. An accident seemed to have happened in the area. The man replied cautiously. ¡°An accident?¡± ¡°Yes. A carriage had overturned trying to avoid a commoner girl, but she took the wrong step and fell into the river¡­unfortunately, she passed on immediately.¡± Tiana swiveled to face her own window in an instant, curiosity looming over her entirety upon hearing the news. A crowd could be seen gathered on the bridge above the water. From a glance, she could tell the bridge had been too narrow for the girl to have gotten out of, resulting in her demise. ¡°The current does not look to be strong, but there are many large rocks¡­it¡¯s very untimely.¡± ¡°I agree. Was the girl very young?¡± Edwin questioned. ¡°Yes. I didn¡¯t see the corpse up-close, but she looked to have a small build. I could guess the girl was no more than 10 years old.¡± ¡°Oh, dear. She was just a child.¡± Even in this world accidents were unavoidable. It wasn¡¯t a far cry from the modern car accident, for the forlorn remained, seeing as the victim was very young. ¡°Are you alright?¡± Edwin asked with sympathy as Tiana couldn¡¯t take her gape away from the bridge. She replied with a reaffirming nod, daintily smiling. ¡°Is it impossible to pass through?¡± ¡°They are clearing away the broken parts disassembled from the carriage, so it will probably take some time, my lady. At the moment, some are trying to deal with the victims.¡± Edwin grew astute and said. ¡°The 2nd Police Department should be in charge of this area. Proceed to the magistrate immediately and relay the news. Tell them not to deal with this situation sloppily just because it is a commoner¡¯s life at hand.¡± He instructed sharply. ¡°Did the people inside the carriage pass as well?¡± ¡°No, sir. Only boxes of heavy items occupied the carriage. But the coachman was woefully crushed underneath.¡± ¡°I see.¡± He said, thoughtful and solemn. ¡°Inform them to raise a report on the deceased child and coachman. If both or any of the two had a family, quickly delineate to them the same way.¡± ¡°Yes sir.¡± The coachman hurriedly walked towards the frontline after receiving his detailed order. All the while, Tiana directed her stare back to Edwin intently. On a strict note, Edwin did not have to take on the responsibility for this accident. Granted it was unfortunate, but wholly unforeseen still; she had thought praying for them was the best honor she could give. But seeing how Edwin had cared for the scenario and its casualties, she couldn¡¯t help but be stunned at this unexpected side to him. Edwin may have done so in the pursuit of giving justice to the cmmoners. Tiana admired him for this unwarranted supervision. He looked to be willing to pay for the damages, as well as provide compensations to the ill-fated families in connection to the deaths. He may be what they call a Noblesse Oblige. Deep in thought, she thinks that it¡¯s likely not the first time Edwin handled things this way. Even their own coachman seemed accustomed to taking care of things out of their instantaneous authority. He was a one sophisticated father. Unfamiliar with his daughter¡¯s look of esteem, Edwin looked away, while Tiana swallowed down words harder to express than they are said. Recognizing how his ears turned red in embarrassment, she failed to hold back a faint grin. He coughed in response. ¡°We might take a little while longer, but I suppose it¡¯s best to take another route. This isn¡¯t a problem as we are still good on time.¡± ¡°Yes, okay.¡± She replied in agreement, nodding along. Edwin commanded another one of their coachmen to start the tread on, and they were off abruptly. The group changed their direction, going through a side road; where for a long time, Tiana affixed her eyes at the dreary bridge and the water beneath as they passed through densely growing trees. She could see the lifeless little girl¡¯s body being lifted and moved between the structure and the people huddling around the river. In a final glimpse, she caught sight of small, shoe-cladded feet peeking through the yellow cloth used to cover the cold corpse. Chapter 24 - Marquis Egon De Calvino Chapter 24 ¨C Marquis Egon De Calvino Since they had left for the Grand Duke¡¯s Mansion early enough, the pair were fortunate to arrive on time despite taking a circuitous route. After passing through the giant main gate and a splendid, spacious garden, Edwin and Tiana arrived at the magnificent manor where many people, belonging only from that of high nobility, were gathered; dressed opulently. ¡°Welcome, Duke Celeste and Princess Celeste.¡± The Grand Duke greets with grace as soon as they both got off the wagon. Behind him, a row of servants on either side line-up, leading through another threshold where they soon meet the respective family members¡ª Lucius and¡­ Marquis Calvino. Duke Lucius reverberated elegance and handsomeness on sight, but he looked to be more determined than the last time she saw the man. It wouldn¡¯t be a wild guess to say that it was the effect of his current mood, as there was widespread tension between the Grand Duke¡¯s family and Lucius himself, soaking the atmosphere. And there was only one to blame for this traction: Marquis Calvino, standing beside on his left. Marquis Calvino looked at Edwin and Tiana with eyes wide open. She could easily tell what kind of person Marquis was, even as if she never conversed with him before. With his sculpted cheekbones, and slim lower-jaw, Tiana could perceive a deep, baritone voice coming out of those thick lips. Tiana stared back at the sluggish-looking Lucius, who was leaving behind an intense gaze. His bright, golden eyes were remarkably gleaming today; enough to rival the blazing sun. What type of husband will he act to be? He¡¯s beautiful. You, Lucius, look like an absolute angel to my eyes. However, you don¡¯t resemble your maternal grandfather well at all. From the hair color, to your eyes, and down the facial features¡­I am caught between guessing whether you take in more from the former emperor, or from your mother. Tiana did a mental comparison, and from the originality, she knew that the former emperor had black hair and red eyes. On the other hand, Lucius¡¯ brother Rael, who was also their current monarch, had black hair. Not to mention that he too possessed red eyes; reflecting that of the grandfather¡¯s. That could only mean that Lucius¡¯ bright pair of golden eyes were inherited from his mother. Although, Tiana had never seen the woman, so there was no way to verify the claim. Anyway, my husband is unreservedly pretty. That is enough. ¡°Welcome, Duke and¡­ Miss Celeste.¡± I find it difficult to breathe in lungfuls as you welcome me with those tender, sparkling eyes, my dear husband. Despite herself, Tiana regrets not being able to legally call Lucius her husband yet, for a marriage has not happened. As Lucius gazed at Tiana, the wonder in his orbs were obvious on whether or not calling upon her by name was allowed; the circumstances didn¡¯t seem to favor it. He spoke in such a soft and gentle voice, and it was more than enough for Tiana. There was nothing else to be desired anyway, as she was already beaming in delight upon seeing him again. The pair would have more opportunities to call each other by name in the near future. ¡°It¡¯s an honor to see you again, your highness. It¡¯s very nice to meet you. This is Tiana Quin Celeste.¡± Edwin addressed, interrupting her deep thought. ¡°Although this is not our first time, it¡¯s nice to meet you too, Miss Celeste. This is Marquis Egon De Calvino.¡± Marquis, who had caught Edwin at a glance, extended his welcome. His gaze was rather intensive, as if serving to burn holes. You set my cheeks ablaze, Marquis. Tiana continued to inspect Marquis, not avoiding the vigor of his watch. Just then, he shook his head and turned around. ¡°Don¡¯t stand here, let us move for now. It seems the procedure will take a generous amount of time.¡± You¡¯re the oldest, the lowest-ranking member in here besides myself. Though Lucius stood still, he was the first to step forward all the same. This is not good. If he just weren¡¯t her grandfather-in-law, or Lucius¡¯ maternal grandfather at all, Tiana would¡¯ve gotten him out of definite sight. Though you¡¯re his grandfather, how can you concretely ignore Lucius? After all, he has the higher position. Marquis was more of a contradicting personality than Tiana had thought. She could see the man acting only at his convenience. The attitude made her ponder on how Marquis normally treated Lucius. The number of times Marquis may have scolded his lone grandson clouded her mind. It was also the way Lucius grew conscious around him that she wondered how much of this influence had passed on. Tiana clicked her tongue as they proceeded to enter the mansion, later guided into a spacious drawing room by Marquis Calvino. Marquis sat on a palatial sofa right next to Lucius, abiding the main seat. He appeared to know what was appropriate for himself. This may be an implication that he was Lucius¡¯ right-hand man. It was difficult for Tiana to at least maintain her composure, as Marquis had begun to put on airs. On the main seat sat Lucius, while Edwin took the one opposite of Marquis. The very soon Tiana settled on her father¡¯s right-side, Marquis Calvino interrupted. ¡°Miss Celeste, for someone involved in such a huge accident, you look better than I initially expected. Not to mention, wasn¡¯t it said that you¡¯ve lost your memory? This isn¡¯t normal, per se. But you look well, so I guess my worries are cut down.¡± He sized Tiana up as he spoke. It was becoming clear that Marquis wasn¡¯t satisfied with the situation. If you wanted to start a fight as soon as you met me, you could¡¯ve said that. He was such a man, rebuking someone face-to-face. Tiana¡¯s expression, which she had been working to maintain in serene, hardened at once upon hearing the remark. However, she eventually decided it best to stay calm. It was a risk to let go and lose the game; future negotiations would cease to occur. Chapter 25 - Curbing The Rumors Chapter 25 ¨C Curbing the Rumors I am a woman who¡¯s been through a lot, especially facing individuals like yourself. Do you think I¡¯m going to blink at something like this? Never. This is only the beginning, get prepared. Tiana grinned, and Marquis Calvino¡¯s eyebrows twitched in return. The corners of his lips spasmed, itching to sound something out. However, Tiana was quick to intone. ¡°Thanks to heaven¡¯s blessing, I wasn¡¯t scathed so badly. If you were so worried about me, I think it¡¯s a relief to mention that I was able to keep myself safe. I appreciate the concern, but I¡¯m sorry to bother.¡± This was all an attitude, of course. Tiana was kept safe by bestowed luck and familial care. Marquis Calvino¡¯s worries didn¡¯t even bypass. Your concern didn¡¯t serve anything to me at all. She wanted to say, but in the scenario, it was impossible. Instead, Tiana chose to swallow those words all while gently saying: ¡°I¡¯m sure you were drastically worried, and I can¡¯t help but admire that effort. It must¡¯ve been the unease of thinking the wedlock would halt to continue.¡± Although the implication wasn¡¯t as obvious at face-value, Marquis seemed to be at high anxiety. His lips were sewn, tightly shut as though he had not expected her spouting answer. Marquis looked at Tiana gently and managed to reply in a barely audible voice. ¡°You seem to be getting better, I was perturbed by the news regarding your memory. You do look nothing like you did before.¡± ¡°That must¡¯ve been some incomplete gossip you¡¯ve heard. I¡¯ve indeed lost my memory, but it was only partial; distant like the past. It doesn¡¯t affect anything within my scope now.¡± ¡°¡­That is what you have, contrary to rumors.¡± ¡°Such baseless rumor as that is bound to circulate against the truth.¡± ¡°That meant I was quick to believe in gossip?¡± ¡°You immediately accepted the gossip as part of the possibility. I understand having limited time to do anything with late information.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± ¡°Our Duke¡¯s territory has not been able to stop the rumors from spreading quickly because of exactly that; the lack of time. I am not hesitant to take responsibility for it.¡± ¡°Is there any other way?¡± At this point, he had changed his posture as though intently listening to the story that was carefully unfolding. Confronted with the sharp look, Tiana turned to give Edwin a slight glance. Edwin nodded in response and smiled softly. She took that as a ticket to talk to Marquis all the same. ¡°I would like to discuss that. There is an existing alternative to safe marriage.¡± ¡°Alternative? There¡¯s already been a rumor in the general society that this marriage is arduous in truth. Are you implying there¡¯s a way to reverse the situation?¡± ¡°Definitely. This misfortune will turn into a blessing.¡± ¡°Well, I am all-ears for your alternative then.¡± All throughout the exchange, Tiana exuded confidence the same time Marquis looked to her in interest. It was time to get to the point. Everyone¡¯s gaze was focused on her inside the overawe of the drawing room. She initially felt nervous by the surrounding intensity of the stares, but quickly calmed down upon catching Lucius¡¯ undisturbed one; gentle and soothing. Tiana straightened her back and slowly began. ¡°If we prioritized to abate this rumor, it may be promising to spread another, more powerful one; deemed to overwhelm the previous. This time of course, it¡¯s credible.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the rumor?¡± Tiana began reading her account as if it had already spread. ¡°Miss Celeste, who had been involved in such a sizable accident, is fortunately, completely fine. Although she had lost a part of her memory, she¡¯s gotten a lot better nonetheless. Even better than before, at most.¡± ¡°Do you think this will solve the problem? Rumors are nothing but¡ª rumors. Cover them poorly once, and the repercussions will only get bigger. It¡¯s a large price to pay.¡± Marquis plastered a suspicious look, disappointment was all that etched his front. It pressed Tiana, who professionally answered with a grin. ¡°I don¡¯t ultimately mean solving the case with baseless rumors, that¡¯d only serve ignorance. I need to create reasons to support the claims, and those can only be constructed by everyone else in here.¡± ¡°¡­What do you mean?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a direct indication of the circumstances that may be connected to the rumors. If we deliver vivid information, people will have to believe these rumors as nothing but valid.¡± ¡°Go on.¡± As Tiana explained her proposal in all seriousness, the board grew more attentive by the second. She radiated a smile at Marquis, all while taking a sip of the cold tea situated on the table. It was a bit bland. Her eyebrows furrowed unconsciously at the taste¡ª or lack thereof. Tiana eyed a jar of honey, and tried to reach out. In a sudden, the jar slid towards her for an easy grasp; done by Lucius of all people. It was thoughtful of him. ¡°Thank you, your highness,¡± she said. ¡°¡­It¡¯s nothing.¡± He smiled back in gratitude, though shyly. Tiana caught his ears turning red. She carried on pouring some honey into her teacup, stirred the liquor with a fine spoon, and took another sip. This time, it tasted just right. Unbeknownst to them, Edwin and Marquis looked at the pair and their odd trade a tad strangely. Chapter 26 - Resolution (I) Chapter 26 ¨C Resolution (I) ¡°Why are you acting like this?¡± Edwin queried, rather astounded. Even the butlers and servants encircling the mansion looked to him uncomfortably. And as the attention was solely focused towards the Duke, he sat consciously, taken aback. ¡°No. It¡¯s nothing.¡± ¡°Miss, I see you¡¯re enjoying the black tea.¡± Marquis Calvino declared, cutting in. ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°You look like you¡¯re used to drinking it with honey alongside.¡± Marquis, who had been staring at her blankly all the while, commented. Did the previous Tiana shun drinking tea? Did she ever act too comfortably? Tiana always preferred drinking black tea, and since they often served much of it at their own manor, she drank without much thought. It dawned on her that she should¡¯ve been more cautious about the action now. ¡­Isn¡¯t it pretty common for people to have a change of taste after an accident? It is too late to act like I dislike it now. What¡¯s done is done. Following the presentation, she had already decided to put her foot down and grow thick-skinned. Therefore, it wasn¡¯t necessary to act like the previous Tiana. After all, getting back memory wasn¡¯t the objective. It was simply good to know about how the former Tiana used to act; all for her own reference, of course. With the clever excuse of misplaced recollections at hand, she could now change things her way. At this moment, Edwin, the people in the mansion, and even Lucius, seemed to like the new Tiana more. However, it was better to stay safe than sorry in front of Marquis Calvino, as he was slightly suspicious of the drastic change. It¡¯d be more convenient to not to cross the imaginary, yet intimidating line. As Tiana contemplated on how to carry on the conversation despite the persistent, lingering awkwardness growing within the already tensed environment, Marquis waved his hand and spoke passively. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I saw Miss Celeste drink black tea. I wasn¡¯t criticizing you in any way. Please spend no heed and continue. I¡¯d like to hear your take on the situation¡ª especially paying mind to put the rumor at final rest.¡± ¡°Yes, I understand.¡± As Marquis summarized the situation, the stocky, rigid air encompassing the drawing room for too long, gently dissipated. It felt as though Tiana owed him a favor, but she nevertheless pursued on, yet to make her point. ¡°On behalf of our household, my father wished to postpone the wedding due to my own health conditions. However, I heard that you desire to proceed with the event as quickly as possible.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. To stop this rumor from spreading any further, it¡¯s best to hold the wedding in the soonest.¡± ¡°But even that will not resolve the main problem. With time, the rumor may die down though that doesn¡¯t mean it completely wouldn¡¯t be around. This only serves detriment to both our households.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°Then we simply need to improve our impressions on people¡ª the public. We can start with setting the planned wedding. On top of that, the Grand Duke and I will remain in the city.¡± Tiana declared enthusiastically. ¡°The city?¡± Marquis Calvino glowered at the unexpected answer. Tiana continued to explain the case with perseverance. Marquis didn¡¯t seem content. ¡°If the Grand Duke and I remained in the city, I¡¯d be able to easily visit my household, which would put my father¡¯s worries to rest. By then, regular as clockwork, I could spend the year here and show the people my ordinary routine.¡± Originally, the family would¡¯ve chosen to go down the territory and socialize in order to gain a foothold. Due to the current circumstances however, all they could manage was reverse the order. The Duke¡¯s colony was distant from the city; rumors from herein would not have bound to reach theirs. If the pair could remain near and stop the gossip from unfurling here on out, then going all the way down for prevention was irrelevant. By extinguishing the more urgent flames, the chances of spread would drastically reduce. ¡°Very well, what kind of activities do you have in mind?¡± ¡°The house can hold balls and social activities, anything to keep in touch. If we showcase the lack of feud between his highness and myself, and that this wedding is in fact a clear case of success,¡± Tiana paused to glance at Lucius. ¡°Then the number of suspecting eyes should decrease.¡± ¡°¡­I see.¡± ¡°Furthermore, it would allow us a stronger influence in the city. Possibly put the rumors to final rest.¡± ¡°¡­Hmm.¡± Lucius glanced at a contemplating Marquis, and interjected. ¡°She has a point. There is nothing as effective as this to put the rumors to rest. It would be best showing the community a great sight of us in harmony.¡± Tiana was surprised by Lucius¡¯ sudden interception, gaping at him shockingly. He retorted with a soft smile. She never expected a helping hand, much less, from him. It was encouraging to notice Lucius¡¯ quick pick-up at Tiana¡¯s intention; a marvelous show of support. His words had clearly worked, as the crease between Marquis¡¯ forehead flattened in ease. Tiana couldn¡¯t resist to add on: ¡°If we are to wed successfully, I¡¯m certain you will gain the most credit for a good reputation, especially with us living in the city.¡± ¡°Staying in the city¡¯s estate and being actively involved in social activities to suppress the rumor¡­¡± She swiftly interspersed. ¡°Yes. So please allow us to stay at the Grand Duke¡¯s mansion for one year. I¡¯m sure the final decision will depend on his highness, but I do value your opinion.¡± If things really went as Tiana suggested, the rumors would be entirely suppressed. Moreover, it did serve to support the Marquis¡¯ intention, thus, it should be satisfactory for him all the same. Marquis fell into deep reasoning before finally nodding along; the slight scowl on his appearance dissolving completely. Chapter 27 - Resolution (II) Chapter 27 ¨C Resolution (II) ¡°Listening to your suggestion, it doesn¡¯t exactly sound bad. In fact, it¡¯s very good. If the young lady ought to stay in the city, the Duke will exceptionally feel relieved, and it¡¯ll be easier to receive news then. His highness will also find it convenient.¡± Marquis announced. ¡°I believe this is a good way to solve the problem. I am fully onboard.¡± Tiana beamed, ¡°Thank you for your generous support.¡± ¡°But if that¡¯s the case, then you surely will have a lot of things on your plate, Miss. I am worried that it may put you under immense pressure. Especially with social activities¡­there are many things you will need to beware of.¡± ¡°Oh my, please don¡¯t worry about me. I have his highness by my side, the support of my father, and you, so I have nothing to be afraid of. In fact, after losing my memory, I feel refreshed and ready to take on anything.¡± She replied confidently, in a glow that was as fresh as her declaration. Marquis looked on with barely-hidden bewilderment. ¡°If so, then that¡¯s a relief.¡± ¡°Since everyone else is expected to support me, all I have to do is work hard. Please, don¡¯t worry. It is my duty to prove how perfectly I can carry out the role as lady of the house.¡± ¡°And I look forward to it.¡± Marquis nodded indifferently, smiling softly. As the conversation approached the inevitable end, Marquis Calvino melted into his chair gradually, visibly relaxed. ¡°Let¡¯s proceed with the date we had set on before. If there are any costs incurred for the preparation of the wedding, we shall pay. All you need to do is take care of your health.¡± ¡°Yes, I understand.¡± ¡°I am aware that this is a wedding confined to happen once in a lifetime, therefore, I will pay special attention to make sure it¡¯s a great one.¡± ¡°Thank you for your consideration, Marquis. We too will do our part with immense responsibility.¡± As both sides resolved in agreement, the atmosphere lightened down into a more slackened feel. Meticulous event-planning is all that¡¯s left, treading on to continue with the fixed date. Delighted with overcoming her largest hurdle yet, Tiana sipped her tea happily. Her schedule afterwards would be hectic; with the wedding preparations and everything in between. But for now, she had convinced Marquis, and that was one victory reserved for today. She couldn¡¯t help but feel smug for rushing-up things to meet the original date as mentioned in the story. Tiana felt an extreme sense of glee envisioning herself and Lucius sauntering down the aisle. She was proud of herself for finding a husband here once and for all. Especially so as she couldn¡¯t find one in the real world. Marquis Calvino glanced her way as she continued to indulge on the freshly-brewed tea. ¡°I am excited for your wedding dress. I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll serve beauty and elegance as expected. Don¡¯t you agree, Duke?¡± ¡°Yes, I am sure. I too am looking forward to it.¡± ¡°Have you inquired about the designs for the dress yet?¡± ¡°We have done that a long time ago. In fact, there is a list brought by the salon.¡± Edwin relayed proudly. ¡°Oh, is that so? I hope the day comes sooner.¡± Marquis lightly grinned, in a way that was quite difficult to tell whether genuine or pretentious. She was surprised at the fact that there existed lists of designs from previous enquiries, which meant she only needed to choose amongst them. As expected of a noble family¡¯s daughter, they hand-picked and ordered the dresses themselves. Not that she was complaining. Wait a second, if I¡¯m having my dress made, will Lucius also have his suit the same way? My dress is of importance, but so is Lucius¡¯s suit. Seeing my husband in a snappy suit will be the perfect finale for such an astounding wedding. Tiana thought with her heart throbbing in admiration, picturing Lucius in a well-made suit. My husband in a tuxedo. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll have any regrets dying upon seeing him in it¡­But now that we¡¯re about to wed, I don¡¯t want to die at all. This will definitely be a happily, ever after. A series of positive thoughts ran through her head like a carriage race. In this light, Tiana couldn¡¯t help but look at Lucius, demurely smiling. A smile only known to the two of them, but alighting enough to melt her heart. Tiana fell dazed, gazing at him in fascination. He continued to stare back just as intently, golden eyes shining brightly like a carefully-kept heirloom. It only served to enclasp Tiana, absorbing her into the wonderful feeling. Lucius spoke suddenly, interrupting her thoughts. ¡°I shall escort the lady around the mansion.¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± Tiana looked at him, astonished by this offer. Marquis nodded his head in approval. ¡°Alright. I guess it¡¯ll be appropriate for both of you to have a look around all before the wedding day. Please, spend some time alone.¡± ¡°Have a look around, Tiana. And I shall be leaving her in your care, your highness.¡± Edwin said, agreeing. She was thankful that the men were letting her follow along, but wondered why it was done so abruptly. Tiana did initially want to look around the manor herself, as she didn¡¯t think Lucius would recommend so. She couldn¡¯t help feeling floored. Lucius got up from his seat, walking towards the door, a butler in waiting immediately welcomed the action. He turned to look at Tiana before leaving the room with what seemed to be a familiar gaze. She understood the signal and followed him out briskly. With a last glance to the drawing-room behind her, Tiana sensed a lurking strangeness in the ambiance between Edwin Celeste and Marquis Calvino. Chapter 28 - Familiar Warmth Chapter 28 ¨C Familiar Warmth A comforting energy settled in the living room after Tiana and Lucius left. Such vibrancy warmed Edwin¡¯s heart as he gazed upon the door from which the two had stepped out. ¡°I must say, your daughter has changed a lot. It¡¯s as if, losing her memory turned her into a completely different character, so much unlike her old self.¡± Marquis Calvino, who was equally mesmerized while looking at the door, broke both their reveries. ¡°I can only account it to the accident that happened. I¡¯m just grateful that she didn¡¯t become worse because of it.¡± ¡°Worse? Oh¡­¡± Marquis Calvino understood the undertone in Edwin¡¯s words. ¡°No. On the contrary, she looks better now than she did before. In the past, she used to be very¡­¡± Edwin could see as Marquis Calvino grappled to find words to best describe his daughter. He could not blame him though. To describe Tiana before the accident is quite difficult for him to do so as well. ¡°I can¡¯t think of anything good to say about her personality.¡± The marquis gave up regrettably. ¡°I understand. My apology. She had so much to bear in the past and it did not help that I failed in my duty to take good care of her too.¡± ¡°No, your apology is unfounded. Your daughter is in an age where she worries her parents and make things complicated for everybody. I understand that something happened to the duchess around that time too?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Edwin¡¯s expression twisted when he heard the marquis¡¯ last remark about his wife. It is as if a sharp knife stabbed his heart and settled there to dig deeper into his wound. He shifted his attention back to the thoughts of his daughter. Yes, being quite young and of prime age, Tiana was very sensitive and quite strange back then. She preferred to be with herself and became extremely wary of having people around, even her own relatives and closest family. She was anxious and melancholic that to make her smile is a tumultuous task, even to the best jester in the palace. The longer time she spent home in isolation stifled any remaining desire she had to participate in outdoor social activities. Although she tried putting in effort to open her heart somehow, attempts made by Edwin and others to have a conversation with her were received and acknowledged coldly, prompting him to surrender, leaving Tiana to her own thoughts and company. He wanted to say Diana was the cause, but¡­ Edwin, who couldn¡¯t see his wife in her final moments, understood the grudge and bitterness that Tiana might have in losing her mother who was very dear to her. Diana passed away two years ago from a disease, while her own daughter sat beside her deathbed. Tiana endured alone and in agony as she watched her mother suffer silently until the disease consumed her slowly. Such an ordeal should not have been passed on to the burden of such a child, as delicate and sensitive as Tiana. Edwin knew his own transgressions and will never put it upon his daughter to take the blame that is all his to carry in his heart forever. Of course, Tiana has every right to hold resentment against him; he accepted this defeatedly. ¡°It¡¯s already been two years since the duchess has passed away.¡± Marquis Calvino broke the long silence when Edwin, who was deep in thoughts, grew very quiet. Sensing the darkening mood in the air, he stopped tapping his fingers on the armrest of his chair and made himself sound encouraging. ¡°Looking at it now¡­ it¡¯s a relief that she was able to walk away from the capsizing carriage, unharmed and with no permanent injuries, considering that it happened not long after the duchess¡¯ death.¡± ¡°It sure is.¡± Edwin is comforted somehow. ¡°With everything that happened, her mother¡¯s death and the accident that you, yourself had witnessed. It is quite understandable why she had too much emotions hiding in the fibers of her heart, unacknowledged and unexpressed. She must have wanted to deny what happened to her mother, with whom she took so much after for.¡± Marquis Calvino remembered the uncanny resemblance of the inseparable mother and daughter who were very close companions of each other. ¡°Maybe that¡¯s how the accident affected and changed her heart for the better. Didn¡¯t she initially try to deny everything and insisted that someone else¡¯s died?¡± The marquis looked at Edwin, who was again out of words and seemed to be content with the consolation he has been hearing. Suddenly, having an epiphany, the marquis, opened his hand, that was tucked under his chin, and made a sound. Edwin glanced at him strangely, curious as to what he has in mind, so he continued slowly. ¡°Now that I have contemplated it, your daughter, who I just saw leaving today, wasn¡¯t the same as before.¡± Chapter 29 - The Girl From Two Years Ago Chapter 29 ¨C The Girl From Two Years Ago The marquis seemed to be very pleased with his discovery. ¡°She is actually who she was two years ago before what happened. What I¡¯m trying to say is¡­ she¡¯s just back to her normal self after all these years.¡± The revelation sent chills in Edwin¡¯s spine that his body flinched involuntarily. The marquis who was watching his reaction keenly, just continued. ¡°Her bright smile always reaches her frisky eyes then¡­ just like today. The regal way she carries herself is fascinating as she exudes so much confidence. At that time, the duchess was alive and well and the accident hadn¡¯t happened.¡± The marquis recalled the past as if he was exactly standing in the time and space that the events transpired. ¡°Well, maybe the part of her that forgets the past two years is what the accident brought forward. If someone loses their memory, doesn¡¯t that mean they lose all of the bad, hurtful, and horrible ones?¡± ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right.¡± ¡°Usually, they can¡¯t remember everything, good or bad, but after seeing her now and who she used to be two years ago, could it be that she lost only the bad memories and made a full recovery? What do you make of that, Duke?¡± Edwin managed to calm himself as he met the marquis¡¯ inquisitive eyes. Indeed, a distinct character for the marquis to make him see through his insights the details of her daughter¡¯s traits that he has not paid much attention to before. Such an amazing and admirable perception. Everything he said made sense to him. When Tiana woke up with no memory of what had happened, he was lost in despair at the beginning. Time went on and as their conversations deepened, Edwin felt a sense of deja vu, a familiar sweet tasting warmth in his soul that he couldn¡¯t fathom. Now, in between visiting the grand duke¡¯s residence and listening to the Marquis enlightening discernment, he was convinced. The girl from two years ago has returned. Tiana, her daughter, was a pretty child with a bright smile and contagious sparkle in her eyes. Her lips were always filled with silent laughter even when she¡¯s trying to hide her childish mischief with a straight face. She has Diana¡¯s silver-gray eyes that seemed to dance in the glow of the morning light and make the rest of the day special in so many ways. People just couldn¡¯t take their eyes off the mother and daughter tandem. They couldn¡¯t help but to gravitate towards that joy the two emanate. ¡°Edwin.¡± ¡°Father.¡± There was never a happier moment for him than when he listens to his two angels singing together. Their identical voices always leave an echo that vibrates with the beating of his happy heart. He has never loved anyone in the world more than his wife and child. ¡®Maybe, she wanted to forget everything in order to get back from who she was¡­If that¡¯s so¡­¡¯ To grasp the level of pain and shock that Tiana went through in dealing with her mother¡¯s death, is beyond comprehension. When she denied everything after the wagon capsizing accident¡­ it was her inner struggle trying to find solace and refuge within herself. As her body slowly healed and recovered, her mind did the same by ignoring the past, that¡¯s what she did in order to survive. ¡°If she could come back¡­ If she came back¡­ I sure wish she could.¡± After all, there seemed to be a silver lining after the accident. Tiana¡¯s tortured mind became at peace somehow after enduring for two years. It is a much welcome favor for him to see his child in her normal self again. If she truly forgot everything, those awful memories of two years of her life were not a great loss and are best left forgotten. To not recover them permanently gave Edwin a wishful thinking that his failure as a father also drowned in oblivion of Tiana¡¯s bad thoughts forever. ¡°Okay. Well, it¡¯s good for you or me anyway, now that she¡¯s back in her true self again. Two years have gone and passed, the moment has come for everybody to forget them and start over. ¡°¡­Yes.¡± ¡°I think she has made a rather fine recovery. I¡¯m relieved to see your daughter¡¯s confident side which is befitting for her as the grand duchess. I can¡¯t wait to see it happening soon.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s her, she¡¯ll do well.¡± Edwin¡¯s greed got the best of him for he intended to seize this new opportunity to rebuild his relationship with his daughter. He can fulfill his true responsibilities to her as her father and finally account for his shortcomings. It may be unjust and wrong for him to take advantage of her daughters unfortunate condition but he is determined to make things right this time. A second chance¡ªthat is all he wished and hoped for. Chapter 30 - Consuming Greed Chapter 30 ¨C Consuming Greed The silence between them heightened Tiana¡¯s awareness of the heavy air hovering around, adding to her anxiety. The suddenness of her situation being with Lucius alone, together, this way, made her unable to render words to convey what she¡¯s feeling at the moment or even make a simple remark that can make the mood lighter. She wandered where her confidence awhile back went. She sighed as she continued walking behind him, silently matching his steps. She settled into taking joy staring at Lucius¡¯ fine swaying hair as he walked. Her eyes then settled along his white neck, there she noticed the grand duke¡¯s twin sword crest that embellished Lucius¡¯ collar. The crest, embroidered in the middle of the expensive fabric, proudly revealed its presence in silence. Looking at its intricately stitchings in golden yarn, Tiana felt a sense of awe and wonder. ¡®It¡¯s a crest I¡¯ve only seen in illustrations¡­ It¡¯s nice and clear now.¡¯ The twin swords in the crest were those held by Lucius and his brother, Rael respectively. Rael, who ascended to the throne as emperor, forged them, one of which was awarded to Lucius. The crest symbolizes the heart of Rael, who didn¡¯t want to lose his only brother. The twin swords are an embodiment of loyalty between brothers. Lucius was precious to Rael as his younger brother; he wanted to walk beside each other as equals. He never wanted to look at his brother as a rival to eliminate and be resentful with. So, when Lucius stepped down from his position as a duke, Rael made the twin swords seen on the crest. This was Rael¡¯s way of supporting his brother Lucius as a loyal subject and to be an older brother to him for the rest of their lives together. Though born by different mothers, Lucius highly respected Rael and followed in his footsteps. They may differ in disposition and personality at times, Lucius prided himself as Rael¡¯s younger brother with a much bigger heart. Unlike those around him, Lucius had no interest in rising to the throne. His support and allegiance to his brother was unflawed. As such, he continued his efforts to unite the aristocracy and the emperors in hopes of helping Rael in the future. But everything turned upside down because of one woman. As Tiana loved Rael, Lucius harbored an unrequited feelings for Tiana which grew stronger as days passed by. Such feelings of longing and defeat made Lucius betray his brother, the brother that he pledged his faithfulness and loyalty with. For the sake of his feelings for Tiana, he had done numerous evil deeds with no remorse nor hesitation against his beloved brother. His love for Tiana made him turn a blind eye against his brother whom he promised to respect and honor. In the end, he died with Tiana, along with his greed. What happened to him was due to his own culpable acts of treachery against his very own brother, Rael. He made himself believe that dedicating everything to others and not himself was an act unworthy of committing, so he changed for the worst. His choice though, brought about by his own selfishness and greed, fueled the fire of his ending. He devoted everything in the service of others and the woman he loved but in the end, everything just came to naught. Not even a single reward was bestowed upon him. Tiana was sad but she was also happy that in the end, Lucius made a better choice for himself. He managed to relieve himself off his mental drudgery and do what he wanted the most. That¡¯s why this time she wants to keep him from making anymore sacrifices. Lucius deserves to be happy. Yes, she will make him happy and make sure to prevent him from choosing to die a painful death. ¡®I need to get rid of the misunderstanding quickly.¡¯ The anxiety she was feeling ebbed down a bit as her firm decision sets forth calmness within her. She then noticed how nice it felt to be touched by the sunlight seeping through the hallway window. It seemed that her entire body was being kissed by the warmth of such great weather. She couldn¡¯t help but smile in spite of herself. Chapter 31 - Over The Moon Chapter 31 ¨C Over the Moon As their synchronous footsteps became the only sound to be heard in the hallway for quite some time, Lucius, who had been ahead, suddenly stopped. Tiana, while enjoying herself tremendously as she watched the sun shining through the windows, noticed the strange way Lucius paused and looked at her. With a dark expression on his face, he met her eyes. She wondered what changed and thought with little confidence in herself that she did something wrong. Lucius looked at her with such eyes that can make her heart skip a bit and said in a low voice, ¡°I apologize for bringing you here so suddenly. I wanted to show you around the residence, but¡­ you didn¡¯t like it?¡± ¡°Huh? I did. I never said I didn¡¯t like it. What made you think that?¡± Tiana was quick to correct his observation. She had been enjoying herself immensely; there¡¯s no truth in what he was saying to her right now. ¡°This whole time you haven¡¯t said a word, so it seems like you are upset at me for forcing you out like this.¡± Never! That¡¯s not true. I was so caught up watching you that I couldn¡¯t say a word. My love, you have no idea how even your backside takes my breath away that I can be lost in my own thoughts just thinking of you. It is true that she was distracted by the crest on his collar and began to wander with dark thoughts in her head that made her forget her surroundings for a bit. She willed herself against it though and her thoughts were back with nothing but Lucius in it. He didn¡¯t drag her out of the house; he is a perfect escort all throughout their pleasant walk, so there¡¯s no way that she could be upset. She shook her head with such insistence that Lucius¡¯ observation of her was wrong. She even looked intently in his unsure eyes and as frustration engulfed her. She decided that she needed to do something more to convince him. She wouldn¡¯t allow him to think strangely of the way she¡¯s acting. ¡°No way, Lucius. Rather, I thank you for being with me.¡± The thickness of sincerity in her voice is very evident. Lucius must believe him. ¡°I was honestly surprised and pleased when you said that you¡¯d tour me around.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Lucius felt relieved somehow. ¡°Of course! I was just admiring how the weather seems to be agreeing with our outing today. Look and feel the sunlight, so warm and great.¡± Tiana was happy that she could see him believing her. ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to upset you, seeing that I must have looked foolish in front of Your Highness. My naive behavior caused you trouble.¡± Tiana smiled nervously. ¡°Your apology is unnecessary.¡± Lucius smiled back. ¡°Now that you mention it, you are right. The weather is splendid today. The sun is marvelous as its ray brings more color in your skin.¡± Lucius¡¯ desire was to reach out for Tiana¡¯s cheek and feel if the warmth that he felt inside matches the softness of her touch, but instead he contents himself by reaching out to the sunlight beaming through the window. He smiled gently, feeling a warm glow that does not only come from outside but within him as well. How could someone¡¯s smile be genuinely joyful that it made Tiana¡¯s heart race with happiness that equals his. Her only hope is that the pounding of her heart will not betray her in revealing the feeling of ecstasy that she couldn¡¯t escape from any more. They spent a lot of time together until it¡¯s time to go back home. All smiles on their faces, she committed Lucius twinkling eyes in her memory and decided that time is not to be wasted. ¡°That garden I saw earlier was really nice, could you show me around the mansion?¡± ¡°Of course, Tiana. It¡¯s a place we¡¯re going to spend a lot of time together, so I hope you¡¯ll enjoy it.¡± ¡°I will. Thank you, Lucius.¡± They faced each other briefly, with smiles reaching the very depths of their eyes. Lucius, then, slowly walked ahead of her again as she followed joyfully. She could drown with such overflowing feeling of euphoria just simply having the idea that they will be living their post wedding life here. Oh, she¡¯s looking forward until such a day comes. Chapter 32 - Grandeur Places Chapter 32 ¨C Grandeur Places To tour the entire dukes¡¯ estate is nothing for the fainted heart. It will take months, possibly years before a person can have a grasp of how huge the mansion is and the neighboring structures built around it. Tiana has already seen the living room, dining room, public library, even Lucius¡¯ office, study, and bedroom. The enormous interior of the mansion makes one feel miniature and insignificant. Even the way out of it is quite an adventure to do with the endless corridor interconnecting countless rooms where dozens of servants can be seen busying themselves in their endless daily chores. Outside, there were several structures behind the mansion where knights gather themselves while on the side are premises assigned as servants¡¯ residence. Yet, the space in between seems to be infinite in its vastness. Lucius, seeing Tiana¡¯s eagerness in their excursion, assured his companion that she can have all the time she needs in the future to see more of the place. Tiana appreciated his consideration and sensibility to understand her excitement yet refused to indulge in it. He just ushered her instead to go around the mansion for a little bit more of sightseeing before taking a breather. Soon, they ended up in their final destination for the day, the garden. ¡°Oh¡­! What in the world!¡± Tiana exclaimed, unable to control herself. It isn¡¯t like the garden is just a part of duke¡¯s mansion. It¡¯s more of, the garden is the highlight of the whole estate and the mansion was just placed there as an afterthought. The garden is not merely spacious and beautiful, it is breathtaking. Tiana was so overwhelmed for nothing compared to it, not even those she had seen in illustrations and her imagination. The flowers, greens, and even the inessential bushes are thoughtfully planted and arranged in between the elegant sculptures and landscapes. The burst of colors is subtle to the eyes but has the power to bring out bright colors of emotions to those who come and see. Even the trees stood in confidence between the fences with not a single leaf wilting under the heat of scorching sun. They stood there, like knights ready to defend the garden¡¯s visitors of vibrant-colored butterflies and carefree bees that are roaming around their place of refuge. Tiana was captivated by such mesmerizing beauty that she couldn¡¯t take her eyes off such a picturesque sanctuary. She never thought that she could find such well kept and managed treasure in the duke¡¯s mansion considering there isn¡¯t any lady of the house. It was so unlike the duke¡¯s personality to have one such enchanting hideaway. It was disappointing that she cannot add anything anymore to such grandeur of a garden but having one made her feel great nonetheless. Yes, she would be given full authority as the lady of the house on how to manage this garden in the future, but she didn¡¯t want to touch it anymore as it was already perfect. To think of the duke as the gardener was absurd but the atmosphere of the garden suited the grand duke¡¯s mansion to a tee that she would be very pleased to meet with the gardeners later on. For now, she contented herself into not rushing out of such wonderful display of enchanting vision. Tiana smiled brightly as she saw Lucius looking at her gazing upon the garden. He must be having the time of his life knowing that he has made such grand impression on her with such magnificent charm. ¡°It¡¯s beautiful, Lucius.¡± The weather seemed to be cooperating with them, allowing them to circle around the path to take a closer look and even enjoy the scents of the flowers. Holding her hair fluttering in the wind, Tiana was looking at a cloud in the blue sky when a shadow fell over her head. ¡°The weather is nice, but the sunlight is pretty hot.¡± Before she knew it, he carefully held a parasol over her head; the one he had received from a maid. Touched by the warm look in his eyes, she accepted it and smiled shyly. ¡°I apologize. I was a bit overly excited about all this. Let¡¯s just stop here since the weather and sunlight feel good¡­ And thanks for the parasol.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing. You look amazing. When you¡¯re happy, I¡¯m happy, Tiana.¡± ¡°Do you like the sun, Lucius? For me, when the weather is nice like this I want to walk around without a parasol, but the maids don¡¯t usually allow me to. Oh, but I¡¯m not complaining about you, Lucius. I really thank you for bringing it.¡± ¡°I already knew that,¡± he said hurriedly, frantically nodding his head. He turned his eyes away, angling himself far from Tiana¡¯s face as it hides behind the parasol. He shields himself against her soft eyes while feeling the heat that crept up his face and made him turn bright red. Tiana, oblivious of how much impact she¡¯s making with the duke, walked slowly while twirling the handle of the parasol. Several steps in, she felt the absence of a companion following her so she turned around. She found him just standing several feet away from her, watching her intently. Even from a distance, his golden eyes glistened under the sunlight, shining more than usual. It felt as though he was right in front of her, showering her with adoration that sends inexplicable pleasure in her spine. Tiana smiled unwittingly. Chapter 33 - Will You Marry Me? Chapter 33 ¨C Will You Marry Me? ¡°Lucius, your eyes. They shine so brightly whether it¡¯s day or night. They¡¯re wonderful.¡± He was silent. ¡°Lucius?¡± ¡°¡­Tiana.¡± Somehow, her heart felt suddenly heavy when she heard his voice called out on her with such sorrow. Concerned, she shifted her steps back to him but Lucius began walking toward her and continued speaking. ¡°The first time¡­ we met, you didn¡¯t use the parasol. No matter how many times the maid tried handing it back to you, you just kept standing in the sun.¡± Tiana stopped walking midway, blinded by the intense look of his golden eyes moving closer and closer to her. She has no choice but to wait for him as she couldn¡¯t move a muscle. ¡°A while later, you, who had been reluctant to take the parasol, looked up at the sky, and I couldn¡¯t take my eyes off you. It felt like I had lost all my senses watching how your eyes sparkle with pure joy of just simply looking up in the sky. Today I feel like I did then¡­ How can such a mundane act of yours disarm a man such as myself, is beyond me.¡± As Tiana¡¯s feet were glued to the ground, the beating of her heart suddenly depended on Lucius¡¯ every word as if her life was hanging on each thread of emotions he was ready to confess. But he stopped. Tiana sighed abruptly in protest; he was so near yet so far from her. Then, Lucius carefully pulled something out of his breast pocket. As Lucius took hold of the luxurious black box in his hand, he took a deep breath for a moment and then approached her again slowly. ¡°I still remember the day when, looking at the same sky, you gazed upon me with your sorrowful eyes. I¡¯ll never forget how you made me feel, I couldn¡¯t understand it but¡­ Even then, you said the same thing. That my one-of-a-kind eyes are wonderful.¡± ¡°¡­Lucius¡± ¡°At that moment, I finally recognize what I want through your eyes. You are the one. If you are, wouldn¡¯t you look past all of my transgressions? If you are, wouldn¡¯t you stay by my side smiling just like you are now? Someone with such eyes drowning me towards the purity of your soul¡­ I wanted you by my side.¡± Taking two steps in stride, Lucius then carefully opened the lid of the black box with a slightly nervous expression on his face but a very determined heart. With no more words to utter, he stared at her fervently, anticipating for what was to come. Inside the box is a ring with an enormous and brilliantly sparkling jewel, reminiscent of a diamond but with a bit of gray and bluish tinge. Tiana has never seen such preciousness in her life. She stood there, beautifully frozen, starkly comparable with the unexpected ring in front of her. She blinked several times before staring back at those golden eyes that she loves so much. Then, the gracious man speaks again with so much sincerity in his voice. ¡°¡°Tiana, will you¡­ marry me?¡± Tiana drew a sharp breath. She hasn¡¯t been breathing well throughout the time he approached her. She felt her heart was about to explode with so much emotion she was feeling all at once. She found her hand covering the gape of her mouth. The unpredictability of the situation surprised her to the core, in a very good way. How could he? A ring? A proposal? It was like a fantasy: the way Lucius, in his striking pose, held the box in front of her with such softness and resolve in his eyes. ¡®Am I dreaming? My love has proposed to me¡­ He¡¯s holding a ring¡­¡¯ Her hands trembled uncontrollably, as the pounding of her heart and the suddenness of the duke¡¯s action made her unable to process what transpired. Of course, she wanted to scream ¡®yes,¡¯ and allow him to put on that marvelous ring on her finger, but how could she? Astonished, shaking, and overwhelmed¡ªthe mixed emotions were making it impossible to compose herself. ¡°Oh¡­ is this too much? Is the ring unnecessary?¡± Unable to read the meaning of Tiana¡¯s stillness, Lucius¡¯ face turned blue and he lowered the box slowly, thinking perhaps Tiana had rejected him. ¡®Hey! No! Never!¡¯ ¡°I want it! Give it! Please give it to me!¡± Atlas, Tiana found her voice again after much inner struggle. ¡°What?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I meant. You¡¯re right. The ring is perfect. Uh, sorry! I¡¯m a bit shocked, so¡­¡± Failing to keep her exhilaration at bay, she spoke too fast that she didn¡¯t even know what she¡¯d said. She felt a burning heat concentrating on her cheeks that she placed her still shaking hands on them. ¡°Oh, I¡¯ll take the ring, but this proposal is way too exciting!¡± She said, embarrassed that her greediness might show amidst such intoxicating feelings. Lucius looked at Tiana, with his hopes up even though he couldn¡¯t make out what she was saying. The color on her face that she futilely attempted to hide said it all though, so he concentrated on that and ignored all the gibberish she uttered. Realizing that she was not making any sense and to talk more would be fruitless, Tiana finally shut up. She then mustered her courage to bring forth what was truly in her heart through her eyes as she gazed upon him with sincerity, and nodded. Finally understanding and confirming Tiana¡¯s feelings, Lucius eagerly removed the ring from the box. He took another step forward, gently lifted Tiana¡¯s left hand, and lovingly slid the ring onto her wedding finger. Chapter 34 - Bittersweet Euphoria Chapter 34 ¨C Bittersweet Euphoria ¡°It¡¯s beautiful¡­¡± The stone glistened brilliantly under the sun. When moved at certain angles, the jewel¡¯s light blue color sparkled against the light at a glance. More than the weight of the ring on her finger, it was Lucius¡¯ touch, as he held her still trembling hand, that made her heart pound all the more. ¡®So this is what it felt like to receive a ring during a proposal!¡¯ Thanks to him, she was able to experience such unforgettable moment in any woman¡¯s life. A proposal solidified with a ring from her one and only love, nothing can be more perfect than this. She¡¯s again speechless and unable to move, mesmerized by the ring and that loving hand on hers. As she lifted her head to look at Lucius, she found him staring passionately at her. She was grateful for his patience and consideration of her feelings that he waited for her to pacify herself and take a moment. She took a deep breath of satisfaction and glee as she spoke calmly this time. ¡°Really¡­ Thank you so much. I didn¡¯t know you would do this, so I was¡­ quite surprised.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Tiana. I wanted to do this the right way but I must have upset you instead.¡± ¡°No, no. your penitence is unnecessary. It¡¯s just that I was shocked¡­ I wasn¡¯t expecting you to have this ring for me.¡± ¡°The wedding band will come later, but I personally wanted to give this to you. Though there are only two months left until the ceremony, in the meantime¡­ I wanted to affirm you as my wife.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± ¡°As you¡¯re my fianc¨¦e I want to give you this engagement ring. I¡¯m pretty late, but¡­¡± Tiana¡¯s face radiated as he spoke. ¡®Any surprise event like this is welcome. Solidify my status as your wife¡­ Thank you very much for showing me such possessiveness of my love, my husband.¡¯ Still, Tiana could not shake off all the excitement that had happened. She never thought that he¡¯d give her a ring. She may never be able to get over herself looking at such magnificence of a ring again and again. ¡®So this is why women like rings so much.¡¯ It doesn¡¯t look quite like a diamond for an engagement ring but regardless, the gem is absolutely unique. ¡°Thank you so much for this. I¡¯m so happy. I¡¯ll treasure it forever.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad you like it.¡± ¡°It looks like a diamond, but it¡¯s quite different; what is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a jewel called sillimanite. It possesses diamond-like transparency, but it¡¯s from a rare collection of jewels that have pleochroism properties.¡± ¡°Pleochroism?¡± ¡°Yep. If you look closely, you¡¯ll see that the colors change at different angles.¡± She looked closely, understood his point; the ring did change its colors. Angling from the front, it was a clear silver-gray with a light blue color, slightly yellowish pale green from the left, dark green from the right, and dark blue from the top and bottom. ¡°Wow, you¡¯re right. That¡¯s fascinating.¡± ¡°I thought it would match the mood of your eyes¡­ I¡¯m glad you like it.¡± ¡°Of course! I love it! It¡¯s my first time seeing such an entrancing jewel that is now mine. It¡¯s amazing! Thank you so much. Oh¡­¡±. Tiana, from being happy, suddenly let out a small shriek. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Lucius looked at her closely, alarmed. With the ring and the excitement in the atmosphere, she forgot. She should repay him for such a nice gift. A little self-conscious, but determined, it was her turn to take hold of Lucius¡¯ left hand. She then raised it to her lips and planted a kiss on his ring finger, smiling lovingly after. She lifted her face to gaze at his blushing cheeks this time. It was his turn to stare at her blankly, speechless, and unable to move. Tiana smiled brightly, dominating the power to make him feel exhilarated and even confused. ¡°Since I couldn¡¯t give you a ring, I will give my love to you¡­ and gladly accept your proposal. And¡­¡± Lucius was left in silence. ¡°Please marry me. I¡¯ll be your wife.¡± ¡°¡­Tiana!¡± Unable to control his feelings anymore, he pulled her closely and tightly in his arms. Tiana was pleasantly surprised by his uncalculating move but felt reassured in his warm embrace. Finally allowing themselves to feel each other¡¯s heartbeat in equal rhythm, she wrapped her hands around Lucius¡¯ waist and held him lovingly. She didn¡¯t know their first embrace would be like this. Now that she felt his arms around her, hugging her tightly, nothing seemed to matter. He has given her a ring and declared herself to be his wife. Finally, Lucius will become her husband. The only thing to worry about is the fact that he would be the ¡®real¡¯ Tiana¡¯s husband, not hers, for she only has Tiana¡¯s body. Yes, she has decided to live as Tiana but since she was not her, there was a bitterness in her heart knowing that she was not the one being truly loved by Lucius after all. ¡®When should I tell him that I¡¯m not ¡®Tiana¡¯? When he finds out the truth, can he truly say that he loves ¡®me¡¯?¡¯ The joy she was feeling through his arms gave her temporary strength to dismiss the inevitable dread she was feeling underneath her happiness. For now, their intertwined bodies were all that mattered. Chapter 35 - After The Sweet Proposal Chapter 35 ¨C After the Sweet Proposal The sweet proposal that happened in the garden, although short-lived, still lingered in Tiana¡¯s heart as they proceeded quickly in discussing the preparation for the wedding as soon as they returned to the duke¡¯s mansion. They barely have two months left to prepare for the ceremony and there¡¯s so much to do. The lovers¡¯ busy schedule temporarily halted their moments of courtship and romance for they have barely any time to rest. In consideration of the emperor, it was decided that the ceremony will be held at the temple inside the palace, and the reception is to be held at the banquet hall. Since Lucius was the former emperor who stepped down and became a grand duke for the sake of his older brother, who is now the current emperor, it wouldn¡¯t be strange to have his wedding in the palace. Lucius¡¯ mother, the reigning queen, will have much influence in ensuring the fulfillment of such arrangement. She¡¯s also very confident that Rael, with his fondness toward his younger brother, will give his blessing to such plan. Above all, the marquis was very satisfied, since he put in a lot of work in the union that is to come. He cares very little as to where the ceremony will be held, but if it¡¯s to be done in the palace then the preparation must be extraordinarily grand, for Tiana will never have a fancy wedding such as this, ever again. Such fairy tale wedding is only possible with Tiana¡¯s body. If it were her in real life, it would¡¯ve been impossible. ¡°Here are designs sent from each dress shop. There¡¯s also a dress design plan, so please take your time.¡± ¡°Thank you, Alfred.¡± The plans for the ceremony and reception are completed to a tee. The last remaining step is to decide on the bride and groom¡¯s attire. After all, they are the center of the celebration and all eyes will be on the lovely couple. As such, choosing the wedding gown and tuxedo is extremely important and materials to be used must be scrutinized delicately. As Tiana was checking out the designs that Alfred had given her, with hawk¡¯s eyes, Inabel, came in with the tea, set the teacup down on one side of the table and said, ¡°Oh my goodness! They¡¯re all famous shops in the capital. There seems to be a lot. Can you finish it all, ma¡¯am?¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be alright, I already have our preferred design in mind. I will just go through them quickly and choose the few that will fit our taste.¡± ¡°Is that¡­ Are you sure you could skim and go through this much?¡± ¡°Sure. It won¡¯t take too long. I don¡¯t really need to spend too much on the details of each and every design. I¡¯ve known what I want for years, this will be an easy breezy task for me. Tiana, having reviewed the first pile twice, pushed the thick stack of designs and grabbed the other pile. Enticed by the fragrant aroma of black tea, she took a small sip to moisten her throat and began to scan through the rest. Fixated by how Tiana¡¯s hands are moving too fast through the stack of designs, Inabel pointed at the discarded pile and asked in a strange voice, ¡°Did you already look at the ones here?¡± ¡°I did. Unfortunately, they are not the ones I prefer. I find them superfluous and don¡¯t adhere to my own personal standards.¡± ¡°Huh? Did you look at all of them? That fast?¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t that much. The most important thing is to find the perfect style among the ones I¡¯ve initially chosen.¡± ¡°Right¡­¡± Tiana dismissed Inabel¡¯s interference, though the latter looks like she has more to say on the matter, and focus on what she¡¯s doing. This one looks too old-fashioned; this is overkill. I guess I tossed out all the trendy styles. Why is this still here? Oh wait, never mind, I¡¯ll keep this one. She dog-eared a paper and placed it on top of the elimination pile. Inabel, who glanced at the dress designs, exclaimed in surprise, ¡°Excuse me, ma¡¯am. The designer of this one is quite famous. Artenara Salon is one of the best dress shops in the capital. Elohim Heronara¡­ She¡¯s the head designer there!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not after the famous designer or a great dress shop. It¡¯s the style that suits me best that I¡¯m looking for. If I¡¯m not offered that, then I¡¯m afraid I have to discard their designs.¡± Chapter 36 - Looking For The Perfect Dress Chapter 36 ¨C Looking for the Perfect Dress ¡°Yes, but it¡¯s so beautiful and modern¡­ Nowadays it¡¯s a fashionable look.¡± ¡°You may be right that it is fashionable, pretty, and in-style but if it will not make the persons wearing it look their best, then it is pointless. I do admit that it is a trendy style these days, but it¡¯s too ostentatious for my taste.¡± ¡°Is that so? Oh, it certainly does look a little distracting¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid that it¡¯s not the right style that matches my husband and I. The important thing is for the design to make a statement of who we are. It has to be our style.¡± Tiana and Lucius decided to have a quieter and relaxed mood during the wedding ceremony instead of the usual fancy and splendid event filled with ribbons and lace decorations. Tiana needed something perfect for Lucius, unique to both their image, style, and mood. This way, Lucius¡¯ strengths, and not his weaknesses, are highlighted to his advantage. They decided for something modern yet relaxing to create an atmosphere of ultimate beauty, that she wanted, without being too flashy. Amidst the stacks of unsuitable styles and designs that Tiana rejected, she finally found the perfect one at the very last file she¡¯s looking at. ¡°¡­Found it.¡± The design is unlike any other that Tiana has seen. The silhouette was drawn and shaped perfectly in the combination of fine and thick lines. The shining silver dress and a golden robe suitably express the perfect image that Tiana is looking for. Mesmerized by the excellent color design and pallet combination, she traces the work of art with her fingers. She can see her and Lucius donning the garments and can feel her figure being one with such dress. She never expected such sophisticated design. Who in the world drew this? She excitedly checked where the design came from. Drieta Salon, head designer¡­ she read written at the bottom of the design. ¡°Alexandra Louisa?¡± ¡®Wait, why is this name here?¡¯ Alexandra Louisa. Alexandra Louisa Hartmann, to be exact. She is Rael and Lucius¡¯s younger sister and the only imperial princess. Why did she send a design? ¡°Ma¡¯am, is there a problem?¡± Inabel asked, obviously concerned as she noticed Tiana¡¯s serious expression while looking at one particular design. Alfred felt that something is also amiss, so he came closer to assist. ¡°Is everything alright?¡± ¡°¡­Alfred. By any chance did Lucius¡¯ younger sister put in a request?¡± ¡°Excuse me? You mean the imperial princess?¡± Alfred started fidgeting, unable to look at Tiana¡¯s curious eyes. Tiana nodded and handed the design over to Alfred so he could take a closer look. Alfred¡¯s face contorted, obviously in discomfort. ¡°Oh¡­¡± ¡°I think she sent this. Did she put in a separate request?¡± ¡°No. We haven¡¯t received any request from her, so she couldn¡¯t have.¡± ¡°¡­So does that mean she sent it herself?¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid so¡­ It looks like she put it among the designs sent from different dress shops. I¡¯m sure most of the shops in the capital have been commissioned, so the talk has spread. If it got around to you¡­¡± Tiana knew from the original story that the imperial princess was running a shop known as Drieta Salon. It was operating in secret for it was a place containing Alexandra¡¯s dreams. Only few and carefully selected nobles of the highest ranks knew of it and could request for its services. Alexandra was very particular in catering important requests. Everything depends on her mood and the people she wanted to design for. The number of nobles requesting her services are multiplying each day but for those lucky enough to be indulged are personally handpicked by the princess herself. It is known that Rael and Lucius¡¯ clothes are Alexandra¡¯s favorite designs to make, especially when she¡¯s in the mood. Likewise, only Angelica, the heroine of the original story, passed her strict standards among the female nobles. That¡¯s why in the original story, she made Angelica and Rael¡¯s wedding dress and tuxedo. Then does that mean she will also design Tiana and Lucius¡¯ wedding dress and tuxedo? Tiana knew that Lucius has an amicable relationship with his sister but she didn¡¯t think that the imperial princess was going to make an appearance for him. Besides, Tiana doesn¡¯t see any point for them to get in touch with the imperial princess soon. Is there something I don¡¯t know? Chapter 37 - Broken Friendship Chapter 37 ¨C Broken Friendship She sat in contemplation while staring at the design that the imperial princess seems to have made perfectly for her and Lucius. It is incomparably sophisticated and flashy, but also impeccably elegant. Above all, the silver and gold color combination design is a perfect match with Tiana¡¯s silver-gray eyes and Lucius¡¯ gold eyes. If you¡¯ve designed such look that perfectly fits us, it means you know Lucius and I quite well. There¡¯s no doubt in her relationship with Lucius, but what about me? Have we met before? Tiana suddenly became aware of how Inabel and Alfred were trying hard to appear nonchalant while glancing at the design she handed them. They must have known something about the relationship between Tiana and the imperial princess. ¡°Alfred. If you know something, tell me now. We don¡¯t keep any secrets here.¡± Silence. ¡°Have Alexandra and I ever met?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± he said nodding his head nervously. He returned the design to her and continued. ¡°You two have met before. Two years ago¡­¡± ¡°Two years ago?¡± ¡°Correct. At the palace where she visited with the duke, you got to know her and often invited her to the palace.¡± ¡°Is that the truth? So, she and I were¡­ really close to each other?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right¡­¡± What is going on? Tiana and the imperial princess have been close friends this whole time? They already knew one another? But it was different in the original book.. Hold on¡­ Alfred said two years ago? ¡°If so¡­ then this whole time? She hasn¡¯t even been around recently.¡± ¡°About that¡­ you and she have been out of touch for the past two years for no particular reason. You had exchanged letters a lot, but for the last two years¡­ nothing.¡± ¡°Why is that? Why haven¡¯t we been in contact for two years? What happened?¡± ¡°Well, that¡­¡± What the hell happened to make them cut their contact with one another for two years? The imperial princess indeed had a unique personality, but if they used to exchange letters, it meant that they weren¡¯t just close friends. Their relationship could have been more, deeper somehow, so there was no way they would cut ties with each other out of the blue. Did she ignore Tiana like she ignored her family? With what nerve did an imperial princess ignore the royal princess? If they were that close, what could have been the reason behind the demise of such beautiful friendship? Tiana looked at Alfred expectantly, she wanted to know more. She must know more! Yet Alfred just kept his mouth shut and resolved to dismiss her further inquiry. So she shifted her gaze upon Inabel who jumped up in surprise and avoided eye contact. What the hell happened that no one can tell me? ¡°What are you hiding from me? Was it that bad that you can¡¯t say it out loud?¡± ¡°About that¡­¡± ¡°Did my father forbid you to disclose the truth from me?¡± ¡°Umm¡­¡± ¡°Is that it? Why in the world would he do that?¡± Edwin disallowed them to speak the truth? Tiana cannot fathom the reason behind such action. There¡¯s an inner voice within her that she couldn¡¯t silence. What else is there to hide? Is it more serious than what Lucius had done? What the hell happened two years ago? Tiana suddenly felt anxious and confused as her head seemed to twirl around the new information that she learned of or the lack of it. She wanted to find out the answers to the questions piling up her thoughts. She must know everything in the soonest time before she couldn¡¯t tolerate the rushing headache anymore, but Alfred and Inabel remained mute about the matter. Tiana traces her throbbing temples with her fingers. She could see that her two companions are agitated and aware of the tension that is building up in the air. If they¡¯re going to put this much stress on Tiana they might as well just tell her¡­ Unable to tolerate it much further, she decided to find out the truth for herself. This is nothing that she could merely dismiss. She shook her head at her two wary companions and got up from where she¡¯s seated. ¡°Where is my father at right now?¡± ¡°Ma¡¯am, please¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll find out on my own.¡± She felt sorry for the two who were trying desperately to stop her, but she couldn¡¯t seem to move past this incident and just continue forward as if nothing happened. She stormed past them with design in her hand, as the two tried to block her way, but right when she was about to grab hold of the doorknob, the door flew open from the outside. Chapter 38 - Curious Past Chapter 38 ¨C Curious Past Tiana came face to face with her father, Edwin, as the door opened from outside right before she even touched the doorknob. It¡¯s as if her father knew she was looking for her and came right away. Edwin shifted his gaze from Tiana¡¯s eyes to the design drawing she had in hand. About to speak, he suddenly became aware of his daughter¡¯s companions. ¡°Alfred, could you please go get us some tea?¡± ¡°Your Highness¡­¡± ¡°Did you hear what I said? Just leave.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Alfred nodded, sent Inabelle out the door, and followed suit to prepare the tea. Edwin and Tiana, left on their own in the living room, shared a long silence. ¡°Let¡¯s sit down and let¡¯s talk.¡± Edwin spoke first. He sat down in front of the table where Tiana¡¯s stacks of garment designs were scattered. Tiana, after giving her father a short nod, sat on the opposite side, facing him. Edwin eyed the piles of papers, both those organized neatly and those who are about to be sorted. ¡°I see you¡¯ve been organizing these quite diligently. I had a chance of seeing some of them. Is it hard to choose the good ones?¡± ¡°I only selected the few that suited my fancy. There isn¡¯t much, so it was easy.¡± ¡°I see. This is the¡­ design you chose?¡± Edwin pointed out to the one Tiana was still holding, the design of the Royal Empress. ¡°I¡¯m thinking about it. But¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll say, if it¡¯s me, I¡¯ll choose that one for you too. I can¡¯t wait to see you in that dress.¡± ¡°You think it looks alright? It¡¯s¡­¡± There was none more perfect than the design sent by the imperial princess. Though Edwin felt that the design alone was not enough for him to do what he could not. Nonetheless, the relationship between the two women should not bear any significance in the way the public¡¯s attention should be more focused on Tiana during the wedding. To do this, she must choose the design by the princess. No matter how close she said she is to Lucius, princess Alexandra wasn¡¯t his blood sister. She was the reincarnation of the former empress who died with Rael. Because of that, there was room for misunderstanding that her behavior could be misunderstood as empowering Lucius, not Rael. Edwin didn¡¯t know exactly what her intentions were, but it was obvious that there was a hidden meaning to her actions. He wondered, though, if it would be acceptable to Tiana and Lucius. In his heart, he wanted to disregard what happened to Tiana and Alexandra¡¯s relationship in the past with respect to choosing the dress for Tiana. Alexandra¡¯s design was the best, the most obvious choice. Edwin was still contemplating what thoughts lingered in Tiana¡¯s mind. He watched in anticipation as Tiana took a sip of the tea that Alfred set before them, watching him carefully. ¡°Do you know why the princess and I lost contact over the last two years? Can¡¯t you tell me¡­ what happened two years ago?¡± Finally, Tiana asked after the tea made her feel better. No more headaches at bay, for now. Edwin grew silent. ¡°Father.¡± Tiana¡¯s patience was running out. She hated it when people hid something from her, especially the truth. On the other hand, Edwin agonized over how to best speak with her daughter. He slowly set his teacup down and finally said in a low voice: ¡°Now¡­ I think it¡¯ll still be a sensitive subject to bring up with you,¡± he paused. ¡°Just give it a little bit more time; when you become more stable, then I¡¯ll tell you everything. So I¡¯m appealing with you to just wait for a while.¡± ¡°Why can¡¯t you tell me now?¡± Tiana couldn¡¯t contain her curiosity the more things were being hidden from her. ¡°You haven¡¯t fully recovered yet, you might not be able to handle the shock for it can be too much. I just don¡¯t want to put you under more stress. And¡­¡± Edwin stressed, genuinely concerned. As he was unable to finish his sentence, Edwin placed his clasped hands on his knees, and looked deeply in his daughter¡¯s questioning eyes. But soon he retreated from her gaze. As he dropped his eyes and turned his head slightly, he spoke in a trembling voice. ¡°It has to do with me also, so¡­ it may disappoint you. I still don¡¯t feel confident in telling you¡­¡± ¡°Father.¡± Tiana watched as her father¡¯s twisted face couldn¡¯t hide the anguish she could feel from within him. With faintly trembling fingertips, it was obvious that her father struggled to speak. Tiana wondered what in the world could make him feel defeated this way, but she couldn¡¯t ask him anymore in such reaction. Oh well. There will be lots more opportunities to find out, Tiana thought. Chapter 39 - Clueless Chapter 39 ¨C Clueless One thing was certain: Edwin was clearly hiding something from her. It was frustrating not to know, but she could let go for now. There would be many opportunities to find out, for sure. If not from her father, with whom she would wait patiently to reveal the truth, she would lure Inabelle into telling her, though she was ordered concealment as well. When Edwin felt that the atmosphere changed and Tiana conceded to his request for time, he took a deep breath and smiled. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll wait until you¡¯re ready. By the way, I think I¡¯ll go with this design; do you like it?¡± Relief washed over Edwin¡¯s face. He encouraged, ¡°Go ahead with it. It will look really beautiful on you. Just as I expected from the imperial princess, she always knows what looks best on you.¡± ¡°Just as you expected?¡± Tiana couldn¡¯t conceal a wave of curiosity in her voice again. ¡°Um¡­ What I meant was, she¡¯s very skillful.¡± Edwin grappled for words. ¡°Oh, so you¡¯re not saying she knows me well? Her skills are just immaculate?¡± Tiana helped her father explain himself. ¡°That¡ªthat¡¯s right. She knows¡­ what you like, but, uh, she¡¯s very skillful¡­ Even though you can¡¯t tell, it stands out among the others.¡± At her father¡¯s stutter, Tiana burst out a laugh. ¡°Wow, father, you¡¯re such a horrible liar.¡± She could see how hard her father was trying to hide the backstory of her relationship with the imperial princess, but Edwin just couldn¡¯t do it well enough, so she saw how her father was struggling sheepishly. He must admit, her daughter¡¯s presence always made him want to indulge in her every whim. Was it because it was his first time in this situation? Tiana¡¯s mind, on the other hand, felt at ease at her father¡¯s soft smile. *** ¡°I know you¡¯re busy; I apologize.¡± Tiana did not regret calling on Lucius to discuss the wedding ceremony and their attire. It always delighted her to find an excuse to see him. ¡°No, it¡¯s alright, Tiana.¡± Lucius hurried to finish his governmental duties when he learned of Tiana¡¯s intention to meet with him; he knew it had something to do with their coming wedding. ¡°You said that Alexandra designed our clothing?¡± ¡°Yes. She designed and sent it herself.¡± Tiana ushered Lucius into her living room and handed him Alexandra¡¯s design as he sat down. As he looked closely, he said, ¡°This is amazing, what a great design.¡± ¡°I know, right? I really like it too. Since we both like it, can we go ahead and use it at the wedding?¡± ¡°Sure, let¡¯s do it. Alexandra will be very happy.¡± ¡°Really? I¡¯ve never met her before, so I¡¯m anxious about what type of person she is.¡± When Lucius heard her say that, he smiled softly and said, ¡°How about writing her a letter?¡± ¡°A letter? To the imperial princess?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll like it if you send a handwritten letter for a formal request.¡± ¡°So you also know about our relationship in the past¡­¡± Tiana was confident that Lucius knew what kind of relationship she had with the imperial princess. He frequented the imperial palace and seemed to have a close relationship with Alexandra. ¡°The situation is strange to me since I haven¡¯t heard anything about it.¡± Lucius¡¯ face grew dim. Feeling slightly uneasy, he grabbed Tiana¡¯s hand. ¡°About the situation with you and Alexandra¡­ you haven¡¯t heard a thing?¡± ¡°Not a word. I do know that a couple of years ago we had a falling out because of something, but I haven¡¯t heard what it was about. My father hasn¡¯t even told me.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± Lucius finally understood where the curiosity was coming from. ¡°Do you know about it too, Lucius? About what happened two years ago?¡± She wasn¡¯t sure how long they¡¯d known each other, but if they were lovers, he would know about what happened two years ago. Lucius¡¯ disturbed expression as he stared at her confirmed her suspicion. ¡°Well if your father didn¡¯t tell you, then I don¡¯t think I¡¯m in the position to.¡± Tiana felt a wave of disappointment washing over her. ¡°I knew it¡­¡± ¡°Sorry, Tiana.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. It¡¯s okay.¡± Tiana comforted herself. She promised to wait for the truth, so she will. She also didn¡¯t have the heart to bother Lucius over it. For now, preparing for the wedding was their number one priority. They decided to go with Alexandra¡¯s design. After which, Tiana did what Lucius suggested and wrote a letter to send to the imperial palace. Chapter 40 - Spontaneous Visit Chapter 40 ¨C Spontaneous Visit ¡°Here you are, ma¡¯am.¡± Alfred handed her some letter papers when she told him she wanted to write a letter to Alexandra. ¡°Thank you.¡± She looked down at the rolled-up papers from when the two women exchanged letters, as far as two years ago, and carefully took one out. It was a simple white sheet of paper adorned with tiny birds of light green, reminiscent of Alexandra¡¯s green orbs. Alfred seemed to have prepared it to fit the image of the princess, whose name best suited her as well. Lifting the pen and dipping it in ink, Tiana gripped it to begin writing the first line. Her grip was tight enough, but the act of writing was still new to her. Thinking about it now, it was her first time to write since she woke up after the accident; though she could remember the alphabet, thankfully. She could write, but her brain seems to not know how to start. Should she go straight to the main topic without saying a friendly salutation first? Wouldn¡¯t it be a bit unconventional to just write her a letter after stopping to do so for two years? Alexandra would know about Tiana¡¯s accident, so she would also know that she lost her memory. If so, would it be okay to start with ¡®It¡¯s a great pleasure¡¯? ¡°Um¡­¡± Tiana didn¡¯t think writing a letter would be this difficult. It was already hard enough that the receiver was Lucius¡¯ sister. As she was staring at the letter paper for a long time, Lucius, who was watching from the side, asked, ¡°Is writing difficult?¡± Tianna nodded softly. ¡°No matter what I do, I¡¯m not sure how to start,¡± she admitted. ¡°Don¡¯t make it difficult; just write what¡¯s on your mind.¡± ¡°Can I do that? I don¡¯t remember a thing about her¡­ I don¡¯t even know if I can write since I lost my memory. If we were in fact close friends, wouldn¡¯t she be disappointed at me for not knowing anything about her?¡± ¡°She already knows what happened to you, so it¡¯ll be fine. Also, honestly, it would be nice if you would start the letter about your situation. For sure, she has been waiting to hear from you, more than anybody else.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡®Would it be more effective to write whatever I want and convey my sincerity than to be uselessly formal?¡¯ The more she thought about it, the more doubts began to overwhelm herself. ¡®Forget it. I¡¯ll just write.¡¯ Just like Lucius suggested, it felt much more comfortable when she loosened her grip on the pen. When she tilted her fingers, which she held close to the pen point, words started flowing smoothly as she wrote them. As if the pen is handpicking words from her brain without obstructions, she was able to concentrate until she dotted the final period on the paper, after her last sentence. *** Tiana was assured that her letter to the imperial princess was sent and properly received. Not long after, the reply that she had been waiting for came. She carefully removed the seal from princess Alexandra¡¯s dark green envelope. She felt anxious as she took out the folded letter and read what was written on it. [I¡¯ll be there.] The message was simply too short, only those three simple words are all she could read. Tiana reread the colorful handwriting, thinking she could have misread it. ¡°So that means she¡¯s coming, right? Right?¡± She looked at the letter again, bewildered and doubtful. She couldn¡¯t make out what those three words really mean. ¡°How am I supposed to interpret this? Is she coming to talk in-person, or helping out? Wait. If she says she¡¯s coming, when will that be? Will it be during the wedding or¡­¡± Tiana could sense what type of person Alexandra was by merely looking at her bold and commanding handwriting. The imperial princess obviously possesses a strong command of action. After much contemplation, Tiana just settled with letting everyone know that the imperial princess will be visiting, as to when, she hadn¡¯t the faintest idea. She rang the table bell to call for Alfred. Slam! ¡°Ma¡¯am!¡± Right then, Alfred bursted through the door and hurriedly entered the room. Flustered by Alfred¡¯s sudden belligerence, Tiana glared right at his disturbed expression. Then, Alfred spoke in a hoarse voice. ¡°The¡­ the imperial princess has arrived!¡± ¡°Excuse me? Now? She really came?!¡± Chapter 41 - Strange Sputter Chapter 41 ¨C Strange Sputter The announcement of Alexandra¡¯s arrival sent a shocking wave of astonishing and confusing thoughts to Tiana. It hadn¡¯t been long since the royal empress¡¯ letter arrived. She must have prepared for her visit as soon as she sent it. Tiana, still perplexed, jumped up from where she was seated to greet Alexandra outside the door, but as she turned toward the entrance, she came face to face with the princess, who was already inside the living room. Her rich red hair fluttered down to her chest and her big green eyes glistened spotlessly like jewels while looking at her intently. As the two royals eyed each other warily, Tiana could see the surprised look on her servants¡¯ faces as Alexandra barged in with the court ladies following behind. Time seemed to freeze along with everybody in the room. The stillness of both their beauty and the regal way they assess each other couldn¡¯t hide the turmoil that was wreaking havoc in Tiana¡¯s heart. She wasn¡¯t prepared for this meeting and it was driving her crazy. Why? Why? Why did she have to come right away unexpectedly? Alfred was the first to regain his composure and address the imperial princess. ¡°I¡¯ll¡­ bring some tea. Please have a seat, Her Royal Highness.¡± Calming the chaotic mood of the room, he sent away the servants and court ladies who were crowded at the door and politely led the princess into the inner living room. Tiana stoled a quick glance at Alfred as she slowly shuffled her way inside. Alfred, in turn, winked at her, in assurance, from an unclamped distance, before quietly closing the door. Not knowing what to do, the two ladies sat down awkwardly, making very small movements so as not to make attention to themselves. With only the wiggling of their fingers, Tiana couldn¡¯t gauge when was the right moment to say her greeting, so she merely contented herself into sitting quietly. ¡°Would you like to sit here, Your Highness?¡± Alfred, tasting the grave discomfort in the air, guided Alexandra to a better seat. Stepping back to where Alfred was ushering her, her lips remained sealed; her eyes glued to Tiana. Tiana could feel those probing eyes on her like a sharp laser beam cutting through the hardest diamond. Trying hard not to break under pressure, instead of avoiding Alexandra¡¯s gaze, she meets it head on, only to regret it. It definitely felt like a collision was brewing in the horizon, and she was on the losing end of it. ¡®It¡¯s like she¡¯s reading me¡­ What do I do now?¡¯ Her thoughts were racing; she must think fast. Alexandra knew about Tiana¡¯s accident and that she has lost her memory because of it. Now that she introduced herself, Alexandra has the advantage over her. The princess knew the ¡®Tiana¡¯ from two years ago and the Tiana she was facing right now. Nonetheless, this could still work to give her an upper hand, since Alexandra could tell her about Tiana that she has no knowledge of. And the best place to start for now was to figure out how to initiate a conversation. Knock, knock. ¡°Come in.¡± Thankfully, Alfred returned with the tea¡ªa much needed distraction. She noticed the green teacups that she had never seen before. Even the smell of black tea was deeper and stronger than usual. Puzzled, she stared at Alfred, looking for an answer to her unasked question. Alfred seemed to understand, as he spoke carefully after glancing at Alexandra. ¡°It¡¯s been such a long time since Her Royal Highness has visited us, so I brought the black tea that you two like. This tea set, on the other hand, is a gift from me.¡± After ensuring that everything was in order, Alfred signaled the maids to leave the living room so that the two ladies could enjoy their time together, alone. Without acknowledging Alfred after he had spoken, Tiana only concentrated into inspecting the fine green teacup and the strong-scented reddish-black tea. ¡®I see, he chose these on purpose. I knew it; he is so meticulous. I wonder though why he just brought these out only now? Did he also receive them as a gift?¡¯ She noticed how the teacups are delicately yet luxurious designed. It was perfectly suitable for the exquisite tea poured into it. She even liked the deep aroma of the reddish black tea that seemed to tickle her nose, which she scratched unconsciously as her mouth watered with such earthy fragrant. She grew thirsty, yet she fought the urge to reach for it and drink the tea in front of her. Just like Tiana, Alexandra retreated from gazing upon her host as now her eyes are glued to the teacup. Tiana noticed the slight surprise in the princess¡¯ expression as her green eyes seemed to shake in disgust for being presented with such beverage. ¡®What¡¯s wrong with her? Does she hate black tea? But earlier Alfred had said the tea that ¡®you two¡¯ like¡­¡¯ Tiana continued to observe Alexandra¡¯s reaction, wondering if Alfred¡ªmeticulous Alfred¡ª made a mistake this time and served them the wrong kind of tea. Then, Alexandra, without looking up to meet her curious stare, slowly opened her lips. ¡°This¡­ isn¡¯t coffee.¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± Tiana was perplexed, clueless of what she meant. Chapter 42 - Unspoken Accident Chapter 42 ¨C Unspoken Accident Alexandra lowered her head slightly with her eyes still wide opened and said, ¡°You don¡¯t drink coffee?¡± ¡°Huh? No¡­ not that often. Why do you ask? That, uh¡­ I like black tea more.¡± ¡°Liar,¡± the princess said in a stern voice. ¡°No¡­ I¡¯m not lying.¡± Tiana wanted to refute Alexandra¡¯s claim but she couldn¡¯t find the words. Unconvinced, Alexandra looked at Tiana and the teacup containing black tea, back and forth several times, until she finally bit her lip. ¡®Did the old Tiana like coffee? Not black tea?¡¯ After the accident, she had been served nothing but black tea that it never crossed her mind to drink or even request for coffee. If Alexandra gave black tea as a gift, she must have enjoyed drinking it herself. Seeing her bizarre reaction though, Tiana concluded that the princess preferred coffee. At least she learned new knowledge about the old Tiana: she enjoyed drinking coffee. ¡®I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡¯ As the steamy tea cooled down, Tiana looked down at the teacup pitifully until Alexandra, when their eyes met, suddenly blurted out: ¡°Do you feel okay when you wake up?¡± ¡°What? I just feel normal when I do¡­¡± ¡°Which do you like better: sandwiches or bagels?¡± ¡°I like them both¡­?¡± ¡°Do you often take walks?¡± ¡°Once in the morning, at lunch, and in the evening¡­¡± ¡°How many sugar cubes do you put in your tea!¡± ¡°Just one¡­¡± Tiana felt like she was being interrogated profusely with the twenty questions that were being thrown her way rapidly. The more she answered, the more Alexandra¡¯s eyes became watery and red as if she was about to cry, until she finally burst into tears and said, ¡°So heartless¡­ to me¡­ I said I wanted an iced americano¡­ even if I freeze to death¡­¡± ¡®Um¡­ what?¡¯ ¡°I know I¡¯m talking strangely, but I¡¯ve waited so long. Why just now¡­ Why did you come back so late?¡± Tiana stared blankly at Alexandra who was now sobbing, torn between the sorrow that she could hear in the princess¡¯ cry and the part when she heard or misheard her say, iced americano and freezing to death. In this world, which is far from being similar to modern times, there are cold drinks or coffee with ice, but there is no such thing as ¡®iced americano¡¯. What¡¯s more peculiar is the princess¡¯ knowledge of such drink that only modern people know about? Wait, did the old Tiana use that word? Tiana had her suspicions but didn¡¯t really know if there was a possibility that maybe she was not the only one possessed in this story. What if she was the one who didn¡¯t know the original story? She couldn¡¯t believe Alexandra had exposed modern knowledge so carelessly. Even those who didn¡¯t know anything would have suspicions that they were different from modern times, but could they have acted so recklessly? What kind of person would do that? Tiana¡¯s heart raced; she needed more information. If Alexandra was the one who could give her answers, she would not miss this chance. She has doubts, and with that, she must act with caution but she is sure to seize the opportunity. Tiana began to speak in a comforting voice. She must make sure that Alexandra calms down before she continues with the conversation. Also, it was disheartening to watch the princess in so much tears. ¡°Her Royal Highness¡­¡± As the princess seemed to be inconsolable, Tiana got up from her seat and approached her carefully. She then pulled out a handkerchief, took a seat next to Alexandra, and wiped her tears away. ¡°I¡­ Was I too harsh?¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± ¡°In what way?¡± ¡°Just the way you spoke and¡­ It was strange.¡± Alexandra was grateful for having her tears wiped away but this made her even cry harder. Tiana wanted to get closer and even reach out to Alexandra to give her a comforting hug but she couldn¡¯t. All the princess could do was cry. Still, she was determined to continue the conversation as she wiped Alexandra¡¯s tears away. ¡°What was it that I said?¡± The princess was touched by Tiana¡¯s concern; she liked that Tiana seemed to be genuinely perturbed about her. ¡°You¡¯re the same¡­ You told me to get out of here and you said you couldn¡¯t understand why I was here¡­¡± ¡°¡­And?¡± ¡°I sat here¡­ drinking the black tea¡­. and you said you¡¯ve never drunk black tea before, and¡­¡± ¡°Oh.¡± ¡°You told me you were dead¡­¡± Her eyes grew wide. Preposterous! Did the previous Tiana really say such things? It only meant she knew this place was in a novel. In such situation, who could retain their own sanity? Tiana understood that she may have wanted to deny the reality she was caught in, but how could she act so severe towards the characters in the novel? As a myriad of thoughts spiraled in her head, she took a deep breath. The fact that Tiana had been possessed by another person may have been true, but whoever that was, was already gone. Nonetheless, the damage has been done and now she didn¡¯t know what to do to fix the mess it left behind. However, she was left with no choice but to understand, carry the burdens. But at this point, she was starting to get a little scared of meeting new people¡­ What if she behaved the same way to others besides Alexandra? Thinking of such possibility, she felt a headache coming, but her trail of thoughts were interrupted by a sniffle. She returned to her senses and looked at the princess. ¡°Don¡¯t cry. I guess my mind was wandering off for a bit.¡± ¡°I heard¡­ that you had knocked your head¡­ And I understood that, but¡­¡± ¡°My head?¡± ¡°Two years ago, your carriage rolled over and you hit your head¡­ That¡¯s what happened.¡± An accident two years ago? Chapter 43 - Deep Bonds Chapter 43 ¨C Deep Bonds It seemed that Alexandra was intending to talk about the incident that occurred two years ago, about which Edwin was adamant to keep silent. Tiana didn¡¯t much expect her questions to be answered here. She had no memory from before the accident. Tiana didn¡¯t know the details, but if somebody had indeed decided to enter her body, she thought nothing good would have come out if she had refused the entity. That must be why Edwin had reacted so violently. He had been involved with whatever happened with the person who had possessed her. She had already been in two accidents and had lost her memories in both cases. Since Edwin had been there during the first, it couldn¡¯t have been easy for him. He was either a foe or a writer. Tiana wouldn¡¯t have thought of ever going back; the possession came as a blessing in disguise. If she hadn¡¯t been possessed, all hell would have broken loose. ¡°You did a terrible thing to Lucius, too!¡± said Alexandra, wiping her eyes. So, that¡¯s what it is! thought Tiana. It was all connected. It made sense that he was intimidated from the first time they met. What on earth did Edwin say to him? Tiana wondered. If he had already told Alexandra, he must have twisted the words and said something worse to Lucius. How dare he? Tiana seemed absolutely fine from the outside, but it was possible that someone had possessed her, and the personality that she exuded was entirely different from who she was before. She herself didn¡¯t know who she was before; she was a mess at this point. She wanted to know who would do something like that to her. If they were a foe, she would grab them by the collar and demand an answer. And if they were an author, she would make sure their books went to waste. She decided on the greatest revenge and looked at the princess. Fortunately, she had stopped crying and was dabbing away at the tears. She grabbed Tiana¡¯s hand and sniffled. ¡°Forgive me,¡± she said, ¡°for losing my composure like this.¡± ¡°No, no¡­¡± said Tiana, ¡°It¡¯s perfectly alright.¡± Alexandra nodded and smiled gratefully. She had looked at Tiana square on the face with confidence, now she turned away coyly. She didn¡¯t let go of Tiana¡¯s hand. Tiana noticed that the tea on the table had already turned cold. She rang the bell and Alfred entered the living room. ¡°At your service,¡± he said, a little startled at the scene there. He quickly composed himself. Tiana smiled and indicated towards the teacups. ¡°I am afraid the tea is cold. Could you bring us some more?¡± She asked, ¡°Please bring the same kind of tea in the same cups.¡± ¡°Understood,¡± said Alfred, ¡°I¡¯ll fetch them right away. Will only be a moment.¡± Alfred bowed and left the room with a smile to refill the teacups. If he felt any unease, it was nowhere to be seen. ¡°Your Royal Highness,¡± said Tiana, addressing Alexandra. She had finally stopped crying and turned to her. Tian held her hands. ¡°When the tea comes back up,¡± she said, ¡°I want to have a proper conversation with you. Not as a royal, but as Alexandra. Is that okay?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± said Alexandra, ¡°Let¡¯s do that.¡± Their clasped hands provided some form of comfort that soothed them both. Alexandra directed her emerald-green eyes towards Tiana and smiled, looking so beautiful that she shone vividly before Tiana. *** ¡°It tastes absolutely divine,¡± said Alexandra, sipping the tea from the teacup held in her delicate hands. ¡°Indeed, it does,¡± agreed Tiana, relishing every sip. The two nodded in satisfaction. The deep, rich taste was different from the ones she had tasted in the past. She slightly resented Alfred for not introducing the tea earlier to her. Alexandra seemed to have loved it as well. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the lingering taste with her cheeks flushed. Tiana was relieved to see that she was finally okay. She opened her eyes and pouted a little when she saw Tiana looking at her. Tiana smiled. ¡°I am glad you liked it,¡± she said, ¡°Alfred has good taste. This is my first time drinking this.¡± ¡°No, it isn¡¯t,¡± said Alexandra. ¡°Pardon?¡± asked Tiana, eyebrows raised. ¡°This is your second time drinking this tea,¡± Alexandra said, ¡°The first was when I presented it to you. We drank some together before.¡± ¡°Really?¡± asked Tiana, confused. ¡°Then too, you said the same thing,¡± said Alexandra, ¡°I guess you really are back.¡± Tiana smiled awkwardly, while Alexandra stared at her in earnest as though making sure it was really her. She keeps saying I have returned, thought Tiana, is my personality akin to the old me then? Even with Lucius, there had been so many overlapping incidents. It seemed the people who knew the old Tiana before the possession felt relieved to see her now. If she showed a similar personality to the old Tiana, people could believe that she was in her normal state again. She wondered if it was a coincidence, her likes and her nature being so similar to the old Tiana. She was relieved that it would help her blend in. There were plenty of advantages for her if the old Tiana and the Tiana now appeared similar. She wouldn¡¯t need to be concerned about so many things. ¡°Anyway,¡± said Alexandra gratefully, ¡°thank you for returning to me. I really missed you, Tiana.¡± ¡°I, um¡­¡± responded Tiana, ¡°I still don¡¯t have my memories.¡± ¡°I know,¡± said Alexandra, ¡°people talk. And I got your letter as well. But it¡¯s alright. You can take it slow. You will get them back.¡± Chapter 44 - The Wedding Dress Chapter 44 ¨C The Wedding Dress ¡°I recall you saying I am similar to the old Tiana,¡± she said, ¡°but I might be different. It¡¯s also possible that my memories may never fully recover.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that,¡± Alexandra said, ¡°you will be okay. As your oldest friend, I can sense that you are really you. Maybe you aren¡¯t aware now, but that will change. I have never been wrong in these instances; my senses are perfect.¡± Perfect? thought Tiana. Alexandra came across as rather arrogant to her. No matter how good her senses were, nobody knew anything for sure. But Tiana held her tongue to not spoil the mood. ¡°People are talking about you,¡± said Alexandra, ¡°I was just worried whether it was all true. In any case, Marquess Calvino was right.¡± ¡°Why?¡± asked Tiana, ¡°What did he say?¡± ¡°He said that Duke Celeste¡¯s daughter had recovered from the accident,¡± said Alexandra, ¡°He also goes around saying that you are going to become a grand duchess.¡± ¡°Mm,¡± murmured Tiana. Tiana had told Marquess Calvino to let people know about her recovery. He had indeed acted fast. If Alexandra knew about it, perhaps the entire palace knew about it as well. But letting people know was one thing, bragging about his granddaughter-in-law becoming a grand duchess was¡­ unexpected. His behaviour, so different from that of the image of the Marquess he tried hard to put up, felt a bit strange to Tiana. ¡°I heard you didn¡¯t go down to the estate,¡± continued Alexandra, ¡°you stayed in the capital. Is that true?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± said Tiana, ¡°I knew rumours had spread about me, so I thought keeping a low profile was the best course of action.¡± ¡°Are you alright now?¡± asked Alexandra with worry. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m fine,¡± said Tiana, smiling at Alexandra. ¡°I have recovered enough to move around without worry.¡± It wasn¡¯t really a serious injury at that; she only felt a little pain from lying down for so long. Alexandra¡¯s face flooded with relief. She smiled and nodded. ¡°That¡¯s great!¡± she exclaimed, practically jumping in joy. ¡°Shall we move to the next point?¡± ¡°Next point?¡± asked Tiana, curiously. She clapped her hands. ¡°About the wedding dress!¡± she said, as the living room door burst open and the maids, who apparently had been waiting outside, rushed in. They brought in several fabrics, hangers, designs. While Tiana watched them thunderstruck, Alexandra reached for a paper, which had a design drawn on it, and a measuring tape, and approached her. ¡°I was uncertain after hearing the Marquess,¡± she said, ¡°but I couldn¡¯t stand it any longer and designed the dresses.¡± ¡°What?¡± asked Tiana, surprised. ¡°We have got more hands on deck this time,¡± said Alexandra excitedly. ¡°Let¡¯s check the dresses one by one.¡± She looked at the design on her hand and handed it to the maid. She pulled at the measuring tape and closed the distance between her and Tiana. Her glittering eyes were that of a predator examining its prey. Tiana wanted to run away, but every direction was barred. She sat down on a chair in defeat and Alexandra rushed in. ¡°Stand up,¡± she instructed, ¡°spread your arms. Hold still.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± Tiana conceded and stood up, spreading her arms wide. ¡°Hold still just like that,¡± Alexandra said and indicated to the maid to hand her a paper. While Tiana stood there with her arms wide open and taking care to hold very still, Alexandra began to measure every inch of her body. She scribbled something on the paper and repeated the process. The measuring tape whipped around, sometimes from her head to toe, sometimes from one side to another. After the last measurement, she called out to a maid. ¡°Move that chair and push that table over there,¡± she said, pointing towards a corner in the room. ¡°Bring that dress over here,¡± she instructed another maid, ¡°Careful! Don¡¯t step on the hem.¡± Alexandra seemed to be in so many places at once. ¡°Is the corset ready?¡± she asked yet another maid, ¡°Bring the smallest size here.¡± After the measurements were done, she led the maid to work on the dress. Tiana was dragged from one corner to another and measured. She obediently obliged. She was shoved in a corset and a dress, while three maids hovered around her shaping the dress to Tiana¡¯s body on Alexandra¡¯s strict instructions. She, herself, had lots of pins and was fixing a part of the dress on Tiana and frowning a little. ¡°You have lost so much weight,¡± she said, after a while. ¡°Really?¡± asked Tiana, having no recollection of how she was before, ¡°I didn¡¯t realize.¡± Alexandra nodded. ¡°You are slimmer than before,¡± she said, ¡°Even more so than the last time I saw you. You have returned close to your original body shape, I think.¡± ¡°Before¡­¡± Tiana wondered, ¡°That¡¯s why it felt a little strange. Had I gained some weight the last time you saw me?¡± ¡°Not very much,¡± said Alexandra, ¡°But a little, for sure. Because¡­ you locked yourself in your room and didn¡¯t want to come out for anything at all, not even for walks with me. So, you ate in your room and remained there.¡± ¡°I see,¡± said Tiana. ¡°Can you come a little closer to the light?¡± asked Alexandra, apparently satisfied with having adjusted the dress. With Alexandra ushering her at the elbows, Tiana walked over to the mirror near the window. Although much work needed to be done, the silver dress with blue embroidery, held together by pins in many places, enveloping her body was breathtakingly beautiful! Chapter 45 - Sparkles And Glitters Chapter 45 ¨C Sparkles and Glitters Tiana was mystified. Every time she moved, the sparkles at the hem of the dress glittered brilliantly; perhaps Alexandra had instructed for the highest quality silk fabric to be used because the rest of the dress cascaded down like water flowing serenely. Alexandra smiled at Tiana. ¡°I still have much to do on this dress,¡± she said eagerly, ¡°but you already look marvelous. Imagine how gorgeous you will be once I finish it.¡± Tiana was still awe-struck by the silvery dress. ¡°It¡¯s so beautiful,¡± she managed to utter, ¡°I love the way it drapes over my body. It feels so comfortable and just right!¡± ¡°Feels good?¡± Alexandra asked, pleased, ¡°It covers you without making you feel trapped. It¡¯s a very rare fabric, made from silk extracted from the silkworms. Do you know the silkworms are fed silver?¡± ¡°Really?!¡± asked Tiana, astonished, turning towards Alexandra. ¡°To be exact,¡± said Alexandra, smiling, ¡°the silkworms are fed a herbal medicine called Silvering.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± said Tiana. That made more sense. Otherwise, Tiana was questioning how such small worms could eat metals like silver. There was no way their tiny mouth could manage that. But it still amazed her that there was such a herb called silvering. She thought it rather sounded like those cure-for-all gibberish. She wondered if there was something called ¡®goldering¡¯ as well. If one was a cure-for-all, the other would be the poison, she mused. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me there is a ¡®goldering¡¯ as well,¡± she said smiling. ¡°Whoa!¡± Alexandra looked surprised. ¡°How did you know?¡± Is this for real? Or is she just pulling my leg? Tiana thought. She had asked meaning to be funny and hadn¡¯t expected for such a thing to exist. The writers of this world must have felt smart setting things up in this way. How clich¨¦, she thought. Normally, gold would be the cure-for-all and silver would be the poison. It was interesting that the concepts were flipped around. ¡°Even Rael wears robes made from silk produced by the silkworms that ate goldering,¡± explained Alexandra, ¡°Both herbs are rare. The silks are extracted only twice a year.¡± ¡°Is it really alright to use such a rarity on me?¡± asked Tiana. ¡°Definitely!¡± said Alexandra with conviction, ¡°His Majesty made it clear that I can use whatever I want. So I will use whatever passes my fancy.¡± ¡°Right,¡± agreed Tiana, not intending to cross her. Even when the former Emperor was alive, there was no one who could stop Alexandra from doing whatever she wished. Being an only daughter, Alexandra grew up in freedom and luxury. Emperor Rael, who currently was in power, doted on her, as did Lucius because she was their only sister. So it was natural for Alexandra to be stubborn, albeit a little self-centered. ¡°I desperately wanted to use this silk as soon as possible,¡± said Alexandra fondly, ¡°It is in a much better condition than the one last year! I found a perfect color for you and Lucius and got right to work.¡± She added enthusiastically, ¡°Do you want to see how glamorous Lucius¡¯ robe is?¡± ¡°Sure,¡± Tiana obliged. Tiana didn¡¯t dislike Alexandra for being self-centered, though. Sometimes, she was annoyed, but she liked Alexandra¡¯s confidence. Despite everything, Alexandra was meticulous in her work, caring and surprisingly soft-hearted. She had come all the way to see Tiana and cried when she finally saw her, which showed how much she cared for her. Tiana thought she was blessed in more ways than one. She had a good husband, a good family, and a good friend. All these things were something she never had before. Perhaps that¡¯s why Tiana felt a bitterness in her heart. ¡°Wait here a moment,¡± said Alexandra as she placed a mannequin near her. She brought out something wrapped in black cloth from the piled-up garments and other bric-a-brac. She unwrapped the black covering and held a brilliant gold robe, which she draped over the mannequin. It was so resplendent that Tiana stared at it with reverence and admiration. Tiana didn¡¯t have the words to describe the beauty that was before her. She wondered how Alexandra managed to design something so beautiful from a bundle of silk. Was she possessed as well? But she had graduated from Fashion Design School with the highest honor. It made sense for her to be so talented. The border from the collar to the arms and to the legs were embroidered colourfully. ¡°Could you stand here for a second?¡± asked Alexandra as she pulled Tiana to stand next to the mannequin. She stared at the two robes for a length of time and nodded heaving a deep sigh. ¡°Just what I expected,¡± she said, exasperated, ¡°I have to see you both in person wearing the robe. It¡¯s just not the same staring at a mannequin. Can you two come by my place next time?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°There isn¡¯t much time,¡± said Alexandra hurriedly, ¡°I need to fix your dress first. Trim it a bit more. But I need to modify his robe too. It is convenient and quicker for me if you both come to my place.¡± Chapter 46 - Sweet Excuse Chapter 46 ¨C Sweet Excuse ¡°Uh, alright,¡± said Tiana, uncertainly. ¡°You must!¡± exclaimed Alexandra, ¡°And come holding hands! I will be watching.¡± She teased. ¡°Okay,¡± smiled Tiana. Alexandra, who was still holding Tiana¡¯s hands, smiled teasingly. Tiana bemused on receiving such a mission. Holding hands with Lucius¡­ They had hugged so holding hands sounded like a simple thing to do, but it still awoke butterflies in her stomach. Holding his hand was that easy but just as difficult. Thinking about it made her fluttery and nervous. What if her hands were sweaty? What if he thought her hands were ugly and became disappointed? To her, who had never held hands with him, it seemed like the biggest obstacle. Tiana felt the sweat already in her clammy hands and an awkward smile formed on her lips in answer to Alexandra¡¯s excitement. *** ¡°That¡¯s all that happened¡­¡± Tiana was narrating the meeting with Alexandra to Lucius, who was attentively listening to her every word. ¡°I see,¡± he said with a difficult expression on his face. He exhaled slowly. ¡°I apologize on behalf of Alexandra giving you a hard time,¡± he said. ¡°No, no,¡± began Tiana, ¡°She was such a pleasure to meet. But the last thing that she mentioned¡­ I don¡¯t know what to do about that.¡± A letter had arrived the day after Alexandra left. She had written just one line: Come holding hands in three days. What a character! Tiana thought. Thankfully, she had given a date for them to visit her. It was urgent for her to inform Lucius about this, so she had asked Lucius to take a walk with her. It was so refreshing to take a stroll while relaying the events with Alexandra to Lucius. She was embarrassed, but he smiled and held her hand. ¡°She¡¯s a little mischievous but I am thankful she did me a favor,¡± he said, ¡°I now have an excuse to hold your hand.¡± Tiana blushed. His fingers wrapped around hers; it felt gentle and warm. Seeing him happy made her heart melt. ¡°In three days, right?¡± said Lucius, ¡°Just in time. My older brother and dear mother want to meet you as well.¡± ¡°What?!¡± Tiana asked, surprised, ¡°The Emperor and the Empress dowager want to meet me?¡± She had turned so suddenly towards him that her feet twisted and she stumbled. He nodded as he caught her. ¡°Sure,¡± he said, ¡°They wanted to meet you before the wedding. It¡¯s too sudden, I know. Is it okay?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± said Tiana, ¡°I am just a bit surprised, that¡¯s all. Am I going to see them both together?¡± ¡°No,¡± said Lucius, ¡°First we will go see my brother, then we will meet dear mother. After that, we can go to Alexandra¡¯s place.¡± ¡°Yes, that will be fine,¡± she said, flustered, ¡°I am nervous.¡± Thinking about meeting both the Emperor and the Empress dowager together was nerve-wracking. It seemed achievable to meet them one at a time, but no less intimidating. Tiana had expected to meet the male lead of this story who was Lucius¡¯ elder brother Rael. But meeting the Empress Dowager was different. Tiana didn¡¯t know much about her. She had made a few appearances in the original book, but not very much for Tiana to be able to know her. She was uncertain on how to approach the situation. The Empress dowager was also Tiana¡¯s soon to be mother-in-law. The thought made her shudder. All the mother-in-laws in her world had seemed strict and mean. Ugh, I don¡¯t fancy the world of in-laws, thought Tiana. Suddenly, a splitting pain in her head stopped her in her tracks. ¡°Are you alright?¡± Lucius asked, concerned, ¡°You don¡¯t look too good.¡± He gently touched her forehead to see if she had a fever. Then, he held her by the shoulders with a worried expression. ¡°I am fine¡ª¡± said Tiana, but before she could finish her sentence, she cried out in pain again, holding her head. ¡°Danger!¡± she shouted as a force was released from her body, which left her weak. She leaned against Lucius and tilted her head to look at him, but the agonizing pain left her reeling and she doubled over forwards. Lucius tried to hold her upright, one of his arms around her waist. But he tripped over the bush and slipped. The two of them fell through the fence. As he tried to shield Tiana, they fell below with him on top of her. Lucius, who had just realized the awkward position they were in, scurried off her. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I am so sorry. I¡¯ll get out of your way,¡± he said, trying to help her up. There was a clicking sound as the cold water sprayed all over them. Perhaps his hand had brushed the switch at the bottom of the fence. They were quickly drenched in cold, freezing water. Chapter 47 - Drenched Lovers (I) Chapter 47 ¨C Drenched Lovers (I) Tiana¡¯s gaze met Lucius¡¯ as she felt the cold water running down her hair. She felt a sense of wonder seeing herself reflected in his golden eyes. She stared blankly as a blurry afterimage nudged into her mind. Did this happen before? The memory of that day overlapped with clear skies, like today. ¡°Danger, Tiana!¡± she recalled a voice. ¡°Sorry, Lucius,¡± she stammered and tried to get up. But a flood of water erupted from the pipes again, and she fell on his stomach. There was something about this occurrence that Tiana couldn¡¯t brush off as nothing. She could feel that something similar happened before. The thought nagged at her. She wondered if the splitting headache had been a memory surfacing from the past. Their first meeting had been the same, she recalled. It seemed that when a similar situation occurred in her life; the memories associated with it resurfaced. She was confused, because this only happened when she was with Lucius. She couldn¡¯t understand why. It had never occurred when she was with Edwin, or any other person from Grand Duchy. Is it because he is special to Tiana? She wondered. She resolved to be more careful when she was with him, for something like this in the future. She finally noticed her still wet situation and felt embarrassed. With Lucius¡¯ clothes getting wetter and wetter and sticking to his skin, she tried to look everywhere but at him. She could see that his thin shirt was completely soaked, and it exposed his bare skin. As much as she avoided it, her eyes fell on him and she could feel desire stirring within her heart. Tiana wanted the time to freeze so she could enjoy looking at his sculpted body as long as she wanted. She shook herself out of her reverie. She tried to think of something else, anything else! ¡°Are you okay, Tiana?¡± asked Lucius, worry etching his face. ¡°Are you able to stand?¡± She tried to lift herself, shaking off her disappointment in having to do so. He tried to shield her from the water as best he could. Tiana slowly got up. ¡°You might catch a cold,¡± she said, seeing him drenched. Lucius smiled; his cheeks were slightly flushed. While still not being able to take her eyes off him, she smiled affectionately when she saw him shielding her from the water with his hands above her head, trying to make a makeshift umbrella which made him get more drenched from the spraying water. Although she didn¡¯t really want the moment to end, she didn¡¯t want them both to catch a cold. She leaned down to turn off the sprinkler at the bottom of the fence. She reached up to take his hands and rubbed them to warm them. ¡°At this rate, you will catch a cold,¡± she said, ¡°You should go in and take off your clothes.¡± She corrected hurriedly, ¡°Because your clothes are wet, not because of any other reason.¡± She blushed. ¡°You are soaked too, Tiana,¡± said Lucius smiling, mischievously. ¡°I am not as soaked as you,¡± she said flustered, ¡°Only my top is wet, and my hair. Yours is all drenched.¡± ¡°Well, then,¡± he said, still looking at her, ¡°Let¡¯s go together.¡± He took hold of her hand and ushered her with him. Tiana followed him without complaint, his hand felt warm and nice in hers. When they reached the mansion, the maids were shocked to see them so drenched. They hurried off to fetch some towels. As the maids helped to dry her, the butler came down from the second floor. ¡°What happened, my lord?¡± asked Warren, perplexed. ¡°I accidentally hit the sprinkler switch in the garden,¡± explained Tiana, laughing awkwardly, ¡°I am not that wet, but Lucius is soaked, sir. Hopefully, he doesn¡¯t catch a cold. Could you kindly draw him a warm bath?¡± ¡°I will get to it right away, ma¡¯am,¡± obliged Warren, ¡°I will have some change of clothes sent to you as well.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine, sir,¡± said Tiana, ¡°It¡¯s just my hair that¡¯s wet. My clothes, not so much. They will dry in no time.¡± ¡°Warren,¡± said Lucius in a low voice. He looked at Warren. ¡°Draw her a bath first.¡± ¡°Yes, sir,¡± said Warren, bowing. He turned to the maids and gave them instructions. Tiana was embarrassed to trouble them so. ¡°Lucius,¡± she called. ¡°Yes?¡± he responded. ¡°You should wash up first!¡± insisted Tiana, ¡°I am not that wet. But you are soaked, you will get sick. I am fine¡ª¡± ¡°Tiana,¡± Lucius interrupted her. He approached her. They were standing so close together, only a hand¡¯s width apart. He was looking at her with concern. Tiana felt nervous because of the closeness. ¡°No matter how fine you say you are,¡± he said in a low, gentle voice, ¡°being drenched in cold water might make you sick.¡± Chapter 48 - Drenched Lovers (II) Chapter 48 ¨C Drenched Lovers (II) ¡°What if you fall sick?¡± asked Tiana, ¡°You are more soaked than I am.¡± ¡°I will live,¡± he said, smiling, ¡°It¡¯s just cold water. But it¡¯s a different matter for you. It hasn¡¯t been long since your recovery. You almost fainted during the walk too.¡± ¡°I only stumbled a little,¡± retorted Tiana, ¡°It¡¯s just some aftereffects from the recovery, not very serious.¡± She pouted. ¡°Of course,¡± said Lucius gently, but firmly, ¡°But still you need to be warm. What if it happens again?¡± Tiana thought about it for a little while. ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± she said, ¡°But I am worried about you. You are soaked, and it¡¯s my fault¡­¡± She lowered her head. She was touched that he cared about her so much, but he needed to care for himself as well. His kindness and niceness would harm him someday. ¡°Tiana¡­¡± he called. She couldn¡¯t look up at him, her eyes were burning. She felt sad because she didn¡¯t want to see him harmed. ¡°Alright, I will go bathe first,¡± he said tenderly, ¡°Just look at me, please.¡± She raised her head to look at him, unable to deny his gentle, desperate voice. He was smiling fondly at her. It warmed her heart and she was smiling in turn, too. His honey-gold eyes held hers warmly. Warren, standing a few steps away, cleared his throat. ¡°Ahem,¡± he announced, ¡°Both of your baths are ready. If you could follow me, I can usher you to the respective washrooms.¡± Tiana felt even more embarrassed. Obviously, the Grand Duchy¡¯s mansion will have plenty of washrooms, so arguing about who would take a bath first was pointless. Tiana felt like a complete idiot. It wasn¡¯t as if they would be taking a bath together. Tiana had been worried about Lucius that it had completely escaped her logic, apparently so did Lucius. His face was red as he looked at Warren. Tiana covered her face self-consciously. They had perhaps become a very silly source of amusement for the maids. ¡°This way, please,¡± said Warren with a soft smile. They followed him up to the second floor. Walking along the long, wide corridor, Tiana let go of Lucius¡¯ hand to fan her blazing face. He looked at her and walked to her other side, taking her free hand. Holding hands with him was a source of comfort for her, but she still felt shy doing it in front of the servants. There was a need to maintain the image that their relationship was good, which wasn¡¯t difficult to show as they both felt fond of each other. And Lucius seemed to have no qualms in showcasing it as it was. It was so different knowing him like this, rather than from the book. His character hadn¡¯t been described in detail in the book. ¡°Here you are, Miss Tiana,¡± said Warren, stopping in front of a wide door. She thanked him. ¡°See you later,¡± she said to Lucius, ¡°Make sure you soak in warm water for at least thirty minutes, or even more than that.¡± ¡°That¡¯s too long,¡± said Lucius with a playful smile. ¡°I will take my own sweet time,¡± she said, rolling her eyes, ¡°I expect you to be snug in the warm water when I am out. You better not be out.¡± ¡°Okay, ma¡¯am,¡± he said with the same smile. He bowed and followed Warren, putting on a mock disappointed face. Tiana laughed as he walked away. A maid opened the door and guided her inside. The washroom was huge and flashy, in a very literal sense. The walls and the stands were decorated with so many jewels that the whole washroom glittered. A large bathtub was placed in the middle with steam rising off the surface. The maid helped her untie her dress at the back and it fell away. She stepped into the steamy tub. She leaned back and relaxed. The warm water engulfing her body soothed her. One of the maids helped scrub her back, while another one fetched more heated water to keep the temperature warm. Yet another, standing a few steps away, asked, ¡°Are you hurt anywhere?¡± Tiana didn¡¯t know what to call her, so she responded with anything that came into her mind at the moment. ¡°Not at all, ma¡¯am,¡± she said, ¡°Thank you so much for your hospitality. The water feels great!¡± The maid was confused, having been addressed so formally. Tiana noticed this and quickly assured her. ¡°I am so sorry,¡± she said, ¡°I have lost my memory, so I am not familiar with the proper etiquette, yet.¡± The maid seemed to relax. ¡°Oh, right,¡± she said comfortingly, ¡°Please take your own time to get accustomed to things.¡± Tiana nodded and looked at the maid. The maid stared back at her strangely, her dark brown eyes trembling slightly. Chapter 49 - Earning Trust (I) Chapter 49 ¨C Earning Trust (I) ¡°Have we met before?¡± asked Tiana. The maid seemed oddly familiar. ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am,¡± said the maid. Tiana tried to hide her own trembling face, but it was in vain. The maid¡¯s hands were shaking as well. These little tremors were the symptoms of the possessed. The woman was also possessed. The tension in the room was evident as she searched the faces of other maids in the room. The possessed one was a target of their hatred. Tiana bathed quickly. She rose from the tub and walked to the adjacent small room in the washroom. The maids had laid out a new dress for her. The light blue gown fitted perfectly on her. She turned to them, smiling pleasantly. ¡°Thank you so much for this,¡± she said, ¡°Please forgive me if I have behaved strangely.¡± She wanted to keep the servants on her good side. If she became the lady of the household, it would be to her advantage to keep a good relationship with the servants. In the Grand Duchy, they managed the household in Lucius¡¯ absence. With their help, Tiana would be able to learn to manage the household and gain power. However, she had to work a way to earn their trust given her condition after she had been possessed. She had worked hard to show off that she had changed. She had deliberately chosen the Grand Duke¡¯s mansion as the most frequent place to meet the marquess and visit regularly. According to recent rumours, the servants were relieved to see Tiana and Lucius together again. But they still felt that something was missing in her. Seeing as the servants¡¯ gossips spread like wildfire, she needed to showcase that she was perfectly alright now. The previous possession might have been traumatic to Lucius, Edwin, the Dukes, and Empress Alexandra. She needed to change that. The maids looked at her in utter confusion. The maid who was tensed and fidgety eyed her with a blank expression. ¡°It must be hard for you to see me and remember whatever I had been like,¡± she continued, ¡°But I want you to be able to look at me and see the real me.¡± She turned to the fidgety one, ¡°It is clear you met me before. Whatever happened then, please forget about it. I am different from before.¡± She addressed them all, looking from one to another. ¡°As the future wife of Grand Duke, and mistress of the household, I want to lead this family well. For that to happen, I will need your immense help. I want us to get along well.¡± She delivered her message with sincerity. Perhaps it might not work right away, but it was good to at least make an attempt. It was important to lay the groundwork, to sow the idea first. It was important to erase the image of the possessed Tiana and introduce them to the new Tiana, giving them a sense of familiarity that the original Tiana was returning. She would then have to work to gain their trust. ¡°Madame¡­¡± rang out a small voice. The other maids looked at the one who had spoken. Tiana could see the maid¡¯s indecision and doubt on her face. She could see her internal crisis on whether she could trust her. Tiana waited. ¡°I am Jane Filler, Madame,¡± said the maid, ¡°It¡¯s an honour to welcome you. I look forward to serving you.¡± Jane bowed. ¡°I look forward to working with you as well, Jane,¡± Tiana said delightedly. The others, following Jane, bowed respectfully. Tiana was relieved. She met their eyes with a pleasant smile. *** Tiana was alone in the living room, leaning comfortably on the sofa. She had been nervous during the conversation with the servants. But now, she was exhausted. Her body became stiff, the warmth from the bath was long gone. The reaction from the servants had been fruitful. Tiana was glad to see any kind of result, no matter how minimal. She leaned on the sofa, staring at the ceiling and around the room, admiring the deep indigo wallpaper with simple, elegant decorations. Just when her drowsy eyes began to shut, there was a knock at the door. ¡°Ahem,¡± someone cleared their throat. ¡°Come in,¡± said Tiana, straightening her dress, and sitting upright. Jane had said that she would bring in some tea. To her surprise, it wasn¡¯t Jane but Warren. He was pushing the tray holding a tea set. He flashed her a smile and carefully set the teacups on the table. ¡°His Highness may take a little longer,¡± he said, noticing her confused stare, ¡°My apologies.¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright. I will wait,¡± she said. Chapter 50 - Earning Trust (II) Chapter 50 ¨C Earning Trust (II) ¡°I had heard that you love black tea, so I prepared Este¡¯s tea,¡± he said, pouring some in one of the cups. ¡°It has a bit of a strong taste. Is that okay?¡± ¡°Yes. I quite like that brand,¡± she said thankfully, ¡°Thank you, Warren.¡± ¡°Please take your time to enjoy it,¡± he said, handing her a steaming cup of tea. She took it gratefully. ¡°Thank you.¡± Tiana stared at his smiling face. She felt a little odd. His overly polite attitude towards her confused her. She wondered if he was possessed, too. He had seen the ¡®Old Tiana¡¯ but his reaction was so much more different from the other servants. She couldn¡¯t figure him out. She raised the cup to her lips and took a sip. The tea was splendid! It was pleasantly different from the tea she had tasted in the past. The aroma and the taste lingered on her tongue long after she had swallowed. Tiana was staring at the teacup in surprise. ¡°Is it to your liking?¡± asked Warren, attentively. ¡°It tastes amazing!¡± exclaimed Tiana. ¡°A relief!¡± said Warren with a smile, ¡°I remember you used to enjoy it before. So, I brought the same one. It does have a nice aroma.¡± Tiana was surprised. So, he had met the original Tiana before all the possessions. Or perhaps he had met the one who was possessed previously. She couldn¡¯t be sure. She placed the teacup down on the saucer and looked at him. ¡°I heard what Marquess Calvino said about you, ma¡¯am,¡± said Warren in a serious face, ¡°I, too, was utterly confused. But with all due respect, ma¡¯am, I have been keeping an eye on you. It has been a very short time, and I am still not very sure. However, seeing that you are so much alike to how you were back when I knew you¡­ I thought you might be relieved.¡± Tiana didn¡¯t respond. She was glad that he thought she was indeed the original Tiana. It would help her much more than her working alone to maintain her image. ¡°I know I might have crossed a line. I heard what the maids said earlier,¡± he said, ¡°I apologize for eavesdropping, ma¡¯am.¡± ¡°No need for an apology, Warren,¡± she said, ¡°It¡¯s quite alright.¡± ¡°I can vouch that they felt the sincerity of your words, ma¡¯am,¡± said Warren gratefully, ¡°It must not have been easy, but I thank you deeply for coming forward with it. I will try my best to maintain the sincerity that they showed you. And I shall do my very best to serve you as well. I am Warren Hasper, ma¡¯am.¡± Tiana was moved by his words, and grateful that they had accepted her so readily. Sincerity, perhaps, was the right answer to all her troubles. She stood up from her seat and bowed slightly. ¡°Thank you for your kind words, Warren,¡± she said. She felt better knowing someone would have her back. They smiled at each other, and Tiana sat back down to enjoy her tea, that took her breath away yet another time. She was relishing every sip of the tea, when Warren glanced at the clock and walked to her. He handed her a white towel. ¡°What is this for?¡± asked Tiana, confused. ¡°You will need it shortly, ma¡¯am,¡± said Warren. Warren smiled at her confused face. She was still trying to make sense of the towel when the door to the living room opened. It was Lucius, with dripping wet hair. He was all washed and cleaned and dressed in fresh clothes. But the water from his hair trickled down and wet his shirt. Tiana looked at the towel in some clarity. Warren looked at her and nodded. He pushed the tray out and left the living room in haste. Lucius had walked to the sofa and sat across from her. Water dripped incessantly from his soaked hair, wetting his neck, collar and shoulders. She wondered why he hadn¡¯t dried himself before coming here. And of course, he had to wear a thin white shirt which showed his skin the moment it touched water! Tiana followed the drip of water to his now see-through shirt, completely caught off-guard. She quickly looked back up to his face. When she met his gaze, he had been staring back at her. She smiled awkwardly. ¡°Your hair is still wet,¡± she said, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you dry off?¡± ¡°I was worried you would be waiting too long,¡± he said with a dazzling smile. ¡°Hmm, still you should dry your hair,¡± she said sternly, ¡°you might catch a cold. Go get yourself dry and come back.¡± He leaned towards her. They were so very close. ¡°Well then,¡± he said softly, ¡°Are you going to dry it for me?¡± Chapter 51 - Roses With A Hint Of Lavender Chapter 51 ¨C Roses with a Hint of Lavender ¡°You look like you can do a good job drying me off.¡± Lucius said, quietly staring as Tiana handed him the towel. When she looked embarrassed by the sudden remark, he blushed and turned his head away. ¡°I apologize. It was a joke.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Tiana was surprised by Lucius¡¯ behaviour. She felt as though her heart was going to burst out of her chest. Did he know how to tell jokes like that? Who taught him how to tell such jokes? Alexandra? She laughed at how cute he looked with his head hanging down and his ears a delicate shade of red. She wondered who she was going to deal with in the future, if this is who she responded to a simple joke. She wanted to get married and live happily ever after. Was that possible? Seeing his still flustered face, she pushed that thought to the back of her mind and nodded to the towel in his hand. ¡°Come on, dry your hair off. You¡¯ll catch a cold otherwise.¡± Lucius dried his hair with slightly trembling hands. Looking at how slowly dried his hair, Tiana¡¯s urges to take over grew stronger. At the rate his hands were moving, his hair would never be dry. Tiana approached Lucius, and gently took the towel away. ¡°Tiana?¡± Lucius looked down at her, confused. ¡°Take a seat.¡± Tiana stood behind a chair. ¡°It won¡¯t dry if you do it like that.¡± Taken aback, he flinched and stepped back, but she cupped his face and wrapped the towel around his head so he couldn¡¯t run away. As her hand swept through his hair, each lock caressed her fingers. Tiana began carefully rubbing his hair, marvelling at the scent that wafted up towards her nostrils. ¡°Your hair is quite soft. Better than mine¡­ I¡¯m jealous.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not.¡± Lucius gently grabbed the tip of Tiana¡¯s hair. ¡°Your hair is much more beautiful¡­ It¡¯s better.¡± Tiana looked into his eyes as he smiled gently, embarrassment reddening her cheeks. She averted her gaze and fixed her eyes on Lucius¡¯ head instead. Its fragrance came up and tickled the tip of her nose. The light smell of flowers along with the refreshing feeling made her feel like her clouded mind was becoming clear. She draped the towel around his shoulders and began combing her fingers through the black strands. Lucius took good care of his hair, that was for certain. ¡°What products do you use? It smells like¡­¡± Tiana gave her hand a quick sniff, ¡°Roses with a hint of lavender.¡± ¡°I am not sure.¡± Lucius reached out to run a hand lightly through her hair. ¡°Why, do you wish for your hair to smell the same?¡± He hesitated for a moment, a faint blush tainting his ears. ¡°After we get married¡­ Your hair will smell the same way.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Same¡­ W-w-we¡¯ll use the same one.¡± At that moment, Lucius¡¯ pupils mirrored an embarrassed Tiana. Somehow, she was suffocated by the appearance of his deep golden eyes that held a calm heat, much different than earlier. Fazed, Tiana¡¯s hands unconsciously froze, dropping the towel on the floor. She gasped; she felt as though she was running out of breath, but Lucius wouldn¡¯t let go of her. His quiet breathing touched her neck, and suddenly, she felt something strange ignite within her body. The way he looked at her from a distance¡ªthe tip of their noses almost brushing against each other¡ªfelt different from before. He was no longer timid. If back then he had been an innocent sheep, now he felt like one who has been completely sheared. Realizing she had been staring at Lucius¡¯ mesmerizing orbs all this time, Tiana turned her gaze and cleared her throat. ¡°Oh¡­ Is that so? They make it for ladies, too, so I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll use the same kind.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± It was not common for men and women to share the same products. Those for men tended to have a stronger scent of herbs and spices, whilst those for women were softer and more floral. She couldn¡¯t help but wonder if Lucius was, in fact, using something designed for women. Perhaps he hadn¡¯t thought that far as his face showed slight disappointment when he heard her words. Chapter 52 - Destiny’s Choice Chapter 52 ¨C Destiny¡¯s Choice His expression, as if his brazenness has dissipated into thin air, seemed to imply that the timid Lucius had returned. Tiana barely suppressed a laugh; she cleared her throat once more and picked up the towel. But when she saw his face slowly darken as his hands fell, she laughed and said, ¡°There might be a product with the same scent for ladies.¡± At her words, Lucius¡¯ grim expression unfolded, and Tiana couldn¡¯t help but chuckle at the way he gradually regained his complexion. It looked like he was about to run out this instant and buy the product with the same scent as his. ¡°I¡¯ll style it for you, if you want.¡± She dropped the towel onto the table next to her as Lucius sat back down on the chair. The silk-like hair didn¡¯t once get caught in her fingers as she combed through. Her current hair, the hair that didn¡¯t belong to her, was also soft and hung down towards her waist. Her real hair was nothing like this. No matter how time and effort she put into taming her hair, the bizarre texture had remained the same. It never grew properly, so it had been hard to get it down to her shoulders. ¡°This texture is amazing,¡± she complimented. ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Yes. It looks much better than mine.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not. Yours is better,¡± Lucius insisted. ¡°Yours is better, Lucius.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not.¡± ¡°Alright, alright. So we both have good hair.¡± Tiana laughed at his unyielding attitude. If she hadn¡¯t been possessed, would she be as confident as she was now in front of Lucius? Her body, too, was different. She had more curves, her elbows and knees did not stick out, and she was taller. Not that she had any issues with her real-life appearance, but she would not have the confidence to face Lucius when it came to them sharing a bed together. Though, Tiana also knew that if she had crossed over with her body, she would have likely landed on her feet elsewhere. Whilst she would have likely never met Lucius, there were other people she could meet. And if she fell in love with someone else, maybe she would not have felt such immense pressure to look good in front of a noble. Maybe she might not have met anyone at all but would go on to live a full life as an independent woman. For her to land in this body and be with Lucius, it was pure luck. Given the choice between staying there and going home, she knew that she would stay behind. Because though it was greedy, she had no thoughts of going back to her normal life. The original Tiana and the current Tiana seemed to have a lot in common, but she had to work hard on her behalf, especially now that she was a noble with responsibilities. Tiana once again breathed in the floral scent of Lucius¡¯ hair, bringing her out of her thoughts and grounding her back into the reality she found herself in. Lucius spun round in his chair, reached his hand out. He cupped Tiana¡¯s cheek and smiled softly at her, ¡°I really like the way your hair smells.¡± At the unexpected gesture, Tiana¡¯s body involuntarily flinched. When she withdrew in surprise, Lucius grabbed her waist and slowly kissed the top of her head. Tiana¡¯s cheeks instantly turned crimson. When her eyes met Lucius¡¯ tantalizing orbs, she melted under his gaze. Tiana wondered where he had learned all these tricks. Her feeble heart couldn¡¯t take too much. Where was his sudden change in attitude coming from? It was only a few minutes ago he was blushing after making a joke. Was he gradually coming out of his shell? Tiana had no idea. When Tiana reached to cover her blushing face, he grabbed her hand and clasped it with his. With a gentle smile that hung on his lips, he said, ¡°Next time¡­ we can use the same scent.¡± He must be out of his mind, Tiana thought. Tiana may not be married yet, and she may be trying to stop this version of Lucius from becoming the villain, but that did not mean she could not enjoy these little moments between them. Chapter 53 - The Meeting Chapter 53 ¨C The Meeting Three days later, the day arrived for Tiana to visit the royal palace. She woke a little earlier than usual, so she had more time to make herself presentable. Some of the skilled maids prepped her from head to toe, taking care of every little detail of her appearance. Tiana was happy for them, as they were so proud of their work. And, she felt, they had ever right to be. The style of dress and her accessories she was wearing was different than what she usually wore, but as this was a special occasion, it didn¡¯t hurt to dress up a little. It dawned on her how this would be a regular occurrence after she got married, as she would have to take a more socially active role alongside her husband. Tiana thanked her maids for all their hard work, and left her dressing room to head to the ground floor. There, standing by the main entrance, was her father. He smiled at her as soon as reached the bottom of the stairs. ¡°You look beautiful, Tiana.¡± Edwin tucked a loose strand of Tiana¡¯s hair behind her ears. ¡°Thank you, father.¡± Tiana smoothed out the creases in her dress. ¡°The entire Imperial Royal family will be there, so I need to look my best.¡± ¡°You must be really busy. Be careful on your way.¡± ¡°Yes, I will. By the way, Where are you going, father?¡± she asked, nodding at his uniform. ¡°I have a meeting with some members of the aristocracy. I was right in the middle of leaving so I can set everything up early.¡± Edwin took some papers from Alfred. He was turning to leave when Tiana had a brilliant idea. ¡°Then let¡¯s go together. Lucius will be here soon.¡± She said, hoping to give Lucius and her father some time to get to know each other. ¡°No, no. It¡¯ll be awkward. I don¡¯t mind leaving first.¡± Refusing his daughter¡¯s offer, he hugged her and went out the door. As she was following him out to see him off, Lucius had just arrived in his carriage. The bewildered Edwin hurriedly greeted him with a quick bow. ¡°Welcome, Your Grace. I hope you and Tiana have a safe journey.¡± He rushed towards his own carriage. ¡°I would love to talk, but I have to get to the Imperial Palace. ¡°Then let us all go together, My Lord.¡± Lucius called out after him. ¡°I don¡¯t really see a reason why we should go separately. After all, you¡¯re going to be my father-in-law soon. I¡¯d like to go together, My Lord.¡± Not knowing what to do, Edwin eventually agreed to travel with them and climbed into Lucius¡¯ carriage. ¡°You¡¯re really beautiful today. Have you been waiting long?¡± Lucius asked Tiana as he held out a hand for her to take. ¡°No, not at all. I was just seeing father off when you arrived.¡± Tiana nestled down in her seat with Lucius climbing in after her and closing the door. And with that, the carriage set off down the north road towards the Imperial Palace. Tiana looked at the scenery passing through her window, not sure what to do. Her father and fianc¨¦ were refusing to make eye contact, despite her best hopes. Lucius appeared as though he wanted to talk, but Edwin was having none of it. She knew that she had to be the one to break the silence between them. ¡°What kind of person is the emperor?¡± She asked, before turning to Lucius. ¡°He¡¯s your step-brother, is he not?¡± ¡°Yes, and I respect him deeply.¡± Lucius replied, with Edwin commenting on how he was a strong man. ¡°He¡¯s a man who sticks to his beliefs. He doesn¡¯t change once he decides on something.¡± Edwin continued, avoiding Lucius¡¯ eyes. As he is in a position to take charge, he draws his lines clearly and thoroughly rejects what he doesn¡¯t believe is the right thing to do.¡± Edwin closed his mouth at that point. He was aware of Lucius and was hesitant to carry on, but Lucius nodded as if giving him consent. ¡°However, he has a warm heart.¡± ¡°Yes, he does. He¡¯s full of affection for those he holds dear.¡± Lucius smiled and stared at Edwin. And it warmed Tiana¡¯s heart to see the two of them interacting. ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much. His Majesty will like Tiana.¡± Lucius placed one hand over his heart, and his other hand on Tiana¡¯s shoulder. Tiana nodded at him and linked their fingers together. She roughly knew Rael¡¯s personality because of the original story, but the thought of meeting the living emperor made her nervous. She was going to see the protagonist of the world, one in which she was the antagonist. The carriage came to a halt at the palace gates as the driver announced their arrival. The gates opened, and the carriage rolled into the courtyard and gave Tiana her first spectacular view of the palace. Chapter 54 - The Emperor’s Personal Garden Chapter 54 ¨C The Emperor¡¯s Personal Garden Inside the palace, Tiana and Lucius parted ways with Edwin and were guided to the audience chamber by a servant. As they walked down a long corridor, Tiana¡¯s anxiety didn¡¯t subdue. There was something off about the palace. She could only hear hers, Lucius¡¯, the servant¡¯s footsteps, and nothing else. Aside from their guide, not a single maid or servant walked past them. She wondered how could there not be a single person around, and if she was really in the Imperial Palace? Perhaps Lucius also felt the same, his face twisted with unease. When they arrived at the door leading to the audience chamber, the servant bowed to Tiana and asked her to wait outside, as the Emperor had asked to speak to Lucius first. ¡°I never heard anything about meeting separately,¡± Lucius muttered under his breath. The servant bowed deeper and said, contemplating, ¡°I¡¯m just delivering what His Majesty ordered. Your Highness, please enter first as you will be called soon.¡± Lucius frowned and glared at him with a stern face. Tiana saw that the servant didn¡¯t know what to do at Lucius¡¯ attitude, so she gently tapped him on the arm. ¡°Hey, I¡¯ll be alright. Just go.¡± She said, giving him a reassuring smile. When Lucius tried to complain, Tiana held up her hand to silence him. ¡°It¡¯s probably just the way he does things. He said His Majesty will call you soon. Don¡¯t worry Lucius, I¡¯ll be fine. ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°I said I¡¯ll be alright. Just go wait inside. Go.¡± Tiana didn¡¯t know Rael¡¯s reason for seeing them one at a time, but it was an order from him and they couldn¡¯t reject that. She saw Lucius hesitating to go in and, smiling gently, pushed him from behind to force him in. ¡°If you say so¡­¡± ¡°See you in a little bit.¡± She waved at him as he glanced behind him a worried expression on his face. He barely made it inside before the wide-opened door slammed shut. The noise echoed throughout the empty corridor. Tiana lowered her hand and tapped at the floor with her foot and fiddled with her dress. It was strange that she had been summoned to the palace because he wanted to meet her, and now this was unfolding before her. She was unsatisfied with the strange turn of events, but all she could do was pace back and forth and wait for her turn to be called forward. ¡°Lady Tiana.¡± It hadn¡¯t even been five minutes when someone called to her from behind. She turned to see a servant addressing her. His uniform, and the manner in which he carried himself, were too refined for him to be a mere servant, though. ¡°I¡¯m Terrance Albeur, grand chamberlain of our Emperor Rael.¡± The man bowed to Tiana. ¡°His Majesty says you may enter now. Please follow me.¡± ¡°Huh? But¡­¡± Tiana gestured to the door to the audience chamber. Lucius still had not reappeared. ¡°His Majesty did it on purpose because he wanted to meet you separately, Lady Tiana. Don¡¯t worry, this news was delivered to His Grace the Duke as well.¡± Terrance turned away from Tiana. ¡°Follow me, please.¡± He began leading her back down the hallway, Tiana having to take longer steps to keep up with him. Together, they walked to the back of the palace to a vast garden. Terrance guided Tiana through a small path where she felt a strange sense of d¨¦j¨¢ vu. At the end of the path, she could see a small garden at the end of the path. If the garden they just passed through was the ¡®emperor¡¯s garden,¡¯ full of dense trees and colorful sculptures, then the place inside had a completely different atmosphere: Full bloom of flowers, flying butterflies, and smaller trees. Tiana realised what the d¨¦j¨¢ vu she had felt earlier was: A depiction of the original novel. The side road in the emperor¡¯s garden was the entrance to the garden inside the garden, to Rael¡¯s secret garden, and the scene from when Angelica first visited this place. ¡°If you wait here for a moment, His Majesty will be right out.¡± Terrance bowed once more and left Tiana alone. Tiana sat down on a bench, confused about everything. Only those who were invited could enter Rael¡¯s personal garden. Furthermore, it was a place that not even the closest aides knew about. Her thoughts were all over the place, Why did he have to meet her there? To confirm that she was worthy of becoming Lucius¡¯ wife? Then did he really have to do it there? Or was the emperor also a victim of being possessed? Did he call her over to check out the ¡®new¡¯ her? Questions fell one after another inside Tiana¡¯s head. Amid Rael¡¯s baffling intentions, she nervously flinched at a shadow moving behind the tree and leapt to her feet. She anxiously waited for someone to jump out, but it wasn¡¯t Rael who came out from behind the tree. A cat emerged, stretching and yawning in the sun. It purred happily as it rubbed around Tiana¡¯s legs. ¡°What..?¡± Tiana stared down at the cat in disbelief. Where did this cat come from? Chapter 55 - Rosemary II ¡°Meow,¡± purred the cat. The beautiful white cat walked out from behind the tree gracefully and approached Tiana. Its fur was smooth and shiny; a red ribbon and beads adorned its neck. Curiously, it had pink eyes. Tiana recognized it at once. This particular cat was one of the Emperor¡¯s weaknesses. His dearly beloved pet: Rosemary II. She hadn¡¯t expected to see the cat at all. It had a particularly important role in the original story: the cat had played a major part as a link between Angelica and Rael. Predictably, the cat was a favourite among readers. Pink-eyed and sly, it never left Angelica¡¯s side. Ever so obediently, it always rubbed against her legs whenever she was called. ¡®Rose¡¯ she would say, and the white cat never failed to appear before her, like magic. In the chapter when Rose had first appeared illustrated, she had instantly become a hit with readers, including Tiana. Seeing the cat approach, right in front of her eyes, Tiana was filled with delight. It was her second most loved character from the book. ¡°Meow,¡± it purred again, with its tail elegantly up in the air. ¡°So cute!¡± exclaimed Tiana, both hands on her mouth, as though she couldn¡¯t believe the cat was really there. Rosemary was so much more beautiful in person. I want to touch her fur, she thought, but Rael could see me! Tiana felt conflicted. She looked at the cat, unable to act. The cat, in turn, looked at her, tail in the air, and wriggled her nose. Just one pat, she decided. Tiana looked around to see if anyone was present and scooted down slowly, so as to not startle the cat. The cat retreated, seeing her sit and reach out a hand. ¡°Wait,¡± Tiana cried. ¡°Meow?¡± purred the cat. ¡°Rose,¡± she called. She extended her hands, unthreateningly. Rose had gone a few steps back. Now, it looked at her with curious eyes and took a step forward. It sniffed her hand and rubbed its head against her palm. Tiana squealed in delight. Rose didn¡¯t intend to run just yet. It brushed itself against her legs in friendliness. Tiana played with the cat. Rose didn¡¯t mind. She was accustomed to being petted. She always roamed the castle and people couldn¡¯t help but coddle her. While Tiana indulged Rose, and Rose obliged, a figure walked from behind the same tree towards her, slowly. Tiana only caught herself and looked up when she noticed the shadow fall across her. The man blocked the sun above and stared at the cat. He resembled Lucius, uncannily, except for the jet-black hair and deep red eyes. He wore a radiant golden robe. Tiana realised a moment later that it was Rael, ruler of the Empire, brother to Lucius. Shocked into momentary stillness, Tiana quickly stood up and greeted him. ¡°Your Imperial Majesty!¡± she said, flustered. ¡°I am Tiana Quinn Celeste. I, uh, was just admiring your cat.¡± ¡°Meow,¡± said Rose, in cat language, still brushing against her legs. Tiana looked down and felt a cold sweat run down her neck. She hadn¡¯t met Rael before; she didn¡¯t know his personality. She didn¡¯t know if he would take offense at her fondling his cat, being the Emperor and all. ¡°Hey Rose,¡± he said in a deep voice, ¡°That¡¯s cute and all, but daddy¡¯s here. It¡¯s kinda starting to hurt my feelings that you aren¡¯t jumping in joy after seeing me.¡± He looked down at the cat fondly. Tiana was nervous. Rose seemed to like her legs by now. The cat was brushing against her like there was no tomorrow. Tiana hadn¡¯t expected to meet Rael under such circumstances, she would have wanted to make a good first impression. Now, it seemed he would think she was trying to steal his cat. Goddamn, Rose was so cheeky. She didn¡¯t get friendly with just about anyone, and certainly not with humans she just met. But the cat was now stuck to Tiana as though they were long-lost friends. Rael crossed his arms, looking thoughtful. He looked directly at Tiana now. ¡°Rose likes you,¡± she said, seriously. ¡°I, uh,¡± mumbled Tiana, ¡°I have never been liked by a cat so much before.¡± She felt like an idiot. She could have said anything at all, anything else in the world but this half-assed reasoning. Chapter 56 - Resemblance Chapter 56 ¨C Resemblance ¡°Hm, do you like cats?¡± he asked solemnly. ¡°Yes,¡± said Tiana, resolving to not sound daft yet again. ¡°I love them!¡± She felt trapped in Rael¡¯s piercing gaze. After a heartbeat, he nodded. Tiana felt released from his gaze, finally. He looked down at Rose. She felt as though she had passed a very stressful test. She looked down at the cat, who was still meowing and brushing against her. Her meow somehow sounded congratulatory, if that was even possible. ¡°Come here, Rose,¡± said Rael, all elegant and grave. Rose looked at her owner and meowed once. Although it acknowledged him, it made no move to leave Tiana¡¯s side. Rose now tried to climb her skirt up to her. Rose, your daddy will kill me, she tried to communicate telepathically, I can¡¯t pick you right now. The cat looked up at her miserably. ¡°Well, that¡¯s a first,¡± said Rael, pondering. He uncrossed his arms and put a hand on his chin, thoughtfully. ¡°It seems Rose really likes you,¡± he said, tilting his head and looking at her carefully with narrowed eyes. ¡°Oh, I¡­¡± stammered Tiana, at a loss for words. She couldn¡¯t figure out if he was pleased or offended. ¡°Rose never does that,¡± he said, ¡°She only lets people pet her, nothing beyond that.¡± ¡°Meow,¡± said Rose, in answer, still tugging the hem of her dress in all earnestness. Tiana wanted to pick the poor thing up and hug her. But she was petrified of Rael. Also, because the cat seemed unwavering in its pursuit, even if it meant tearing her dress. As Tiana raked her brain, thinking of something to get out of the situation. Rael looked at her cautiously. ¡°She didn¡¯t do that when you two first met,¡± he said. Rose meowed and tapped Tiana on her foot and brushed against her legs again. Rael looked at the cat and smiled tenderly. Rose purred once more. ¡°That¡¯s her?¡± Rael asked. ¡°You said that the last time as well.¡± Tiana was confused. Who was he talking to? ¡°Meow, meow!¡± ¡°Okay, okay,¡± said Rael, ¡°I don¡¯t know what happened, but there are so many things in the world outside the jurisdiction of my understanding. Like you, for example.¡± He smiled so warmly at the cat that he seemed a different person. ¡°Meow,¡± Rose purred an affirmative. Could a cat meow so affectionately? Countless questions arose in Tiana¡¯s mind. Was Rael really talking to the cat? Is the cat really responding? But the most important question was: Had Rael met the person who had possessed Tiana before her? Or was he talking about Rose reacting to the original unpossessed Tiana? If Rael and Rose had met both the Tianas before her, they must already know others who were possessed as well. If Rael was talking about the original, unpossessed Tiana and Rose¡¯s reaction to her, then she was a tad bit glad. It meant that the original Tiana and she were somehow very similar. They had similar personalities, similar taste for food, and similar likings. She was thankful for such a coincidence. ¡°Meow!¡± said Rose, making a last attempt at jumping into her arms. The cat hung on Tiana¡¯s sleeves and she couldn¡¯t help but catch the poor thing and wrap her arms around it. The cat relaxed and made itself comfortable in the crook of her arm and purred in satisfaction. Tiana smiled and stroked Rose¡¯s fur. The cat rubbed its face against her hand and closed its eyes. All the while, Rael stood there, his gaze fixated on Tiana. ¡°I am sorry, Your Highness,¡± said Tiana, mustering all the confidence that she didn¡¯t have, ¡°But can I hold Rose for just a moment?¡± ¡°Be my guest,¡± he said, ¡°It¡¯s very rare to see her in this way. I am enjoying it as well.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± mumbled Tiana, ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°You are going to get fur all over your dress, though,¡± he said, ¡°She sheds too much.¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± Tiana assured him, ¡°I don¡¯t mind.¡± She couldn¡¯t care less about fur getting on her dress. She was just happy that she got to hold the white, fluffy cat to her heart¡¯s content. Besides, her dress was white, so the fur would be practically invisible. She smiled as she stroked the cat and heard her purr in pleasure. Chapter 57 - Tea And Questions Chapter 57 ¨C Tea and Questions ¡°Meow,¡± said Rose. The cat stuck its tongue out and gave Tiana¡¯s cheek a lick. Tiana¡¯s heart overflowed with joy. Did I just receive a kiss? Tiana wondered, amazed. She looked at the adorable feet on her arm and stroked Rose with affection. Tiana felt that her day couldn¡¯t get any better than this. She could give anything to make this cat happy. Rael, still amused with the two of them, asked, ¡°Are you well now? I heard you had recovered to some extent.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Highness,¡± she replied, ¡°I feel loads better.¡± She didn¡¯t know if he met her just to ask that. It somehow made her feel odd. ¡°Stay here in the Capital, for now, don¡¯t go down to the estate,¡± he said, ¡°And take care of your health. You will be socializing anyway after your marriage.¡± ¡°I thought that being socially active would put the rumours to rest, Your Majesty,¡± said Tiana, confused. Why did he care whether she went down to the estates or not? ¡°People are more inclined to believe what they see themselves, with their own eyes.¡± Rael walked forward slowly and patted Rose¡¯s head. The cat recognized its owner¡¯s caress and looked at him for a moment. It then closed its eyes and buried its head in the crook of Tiana¡¯s arms. Feeling rejected, Rael smirked at Rose¡¯s newfound behaviour and shook his head. ¡°Have you eaten?¡± he asked Tiana. ¡°Yes, Your Majesty,¡± she said, ¡°I ate shortly before coming here.¡± ¡°Well then, let¡¯s talk over some tea,¡± he said and walked past her. He headed to the small table on the other side of the garden. Tiana followed cautiously. ¡°How many sugar cubes do you like in your tea?¡± he asked, glancing back at her. ¡°Just one, please,¡± she said nervously. ¡°How many times do you drink tea in a day?¡± asked Rael. ¡°Probably three times, at the least,¡± said Tiana. This was beginning to sound like an interrogation. ¡°What do you like with your tea?¡± he asked again. ¡°Mostly Macaroons or chocolate,¡± she said, ¡°But I also eat cookies sometimes.¡± ¡°I see,¡± he said with a nod. He poured the tea for both of them and sat down. Tiana arrived at the table. She couldn¡¯t help feeling that all his questions seemed to be double edged. Perhaps he was making sure that she was indeed the real Tiana. Thankfully, he seemed satisfied with her answers. Why did it always have to feel like a test with Rael? ¡°Please have a seat,¡± he offered. ¡°Thank you,¡± said Tiana and sat down with Rose on her lap. She had been so intent on answering his questions that she hadn¡¯t noticed the delicacies splayed out on the table. It was full of delicious-looking macaroons, chocolates and cookies. She saw a pot of black tea and two steaming teacups. She wondered when the table had been prepared. Rael picked up his teacup delicately and took a sip. Tiana followed suit. She never failed to be amazed at the taste of the black tea. The refreshing taste spread in her mouth, prompting her to take another sip. The aroma filled her head with calmness. The tea was extraordinary. She wondered how they knew what she liked. Had the original Tiana been a fanatic for good black tea? Warren and Alexandrea knew about it, even Rael. It made her feel strange. It made sense that Rael had perhaps met the original Tiana, but had they been so close as to talk over tea? She had no recollection of it. Her mind was blank. ¡°I guess you like the tea,¡± he said. Tiana realized that she had almost finished the tea. She did so love it. ¡°The tea is amazing!¡± she conceded, ¡°The aroma is perfectly marvellous.¡± ¡°I tried to have them prepare what you liked best,¡± he said, ¡°Have some snacks as well. I especially requested them to be fetched from that bakery you so loved.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± she said gratefully. She picked up a macaroon and took a small bite. The sweetness was perfect. In no time, she devoured the rest and picked another up. Rael couldn¡¯t help but smile. This was perhaps the first time she saw him smile at her comfortably. After tea, they left the garden and walked to the palace. Rael led the way. They passed through corridors where servants stood, ever so vigilant. Tiana followed him to the audience chamber at the end of the long corridor. The guards stationed on either side of the door bowed their heads in respect and pushed the door open. Lucius, who was seated in one of the chairs, looked up as the door opened and shot to his feet. ¡°Your Majesty,¡± he said, and bowed his head respectfully, ¡°Tiana¡­¡± His voice seemed to trail off. His face was frozen in anxiety. He approached her in a hurry. She could tell he had spent the entire time worrying. His cold hands slipped into hers. He looked at her expectantly. She smiled and gave a nod, to indicate that everything was well. He smiled back, relieved. ¡°Meow,¡± purred Rose, who had followed them. The cat looked at Lucius and brushed against his legs affectionately. ¡°Rose,¡± called Rael, scooting down to pick the cat up. The cat jumped into his hands. Rael straightened up and looked at them both. ¡°Let¡¯s meet again next time, shall we?¡± he said to both Lucius and Tiana, and walked past them through the door. Chapter 58 - She Has Returned Chapter 58 ¨C She Has Returned ¡°They really can¡¯t wait until the wedding, it seems,¡± he mumbled, stroking the cat tenderly. ¡°Meow,¡± said Rose in reply. ¡°My predictions were correct,¡± he said, ¡°I am certain she has returned.¡± ¡°Meow,¡± said the cat. ¡°I know,¡± he said, ¡°It cannot be any other way.¡± He had waited patiently, and it now seemed that his wait had finally been fruitful. The things he had planned were falling into place, like puzzle pieces. ¡°All that¡¯s left is to return things to how they were before,¡± he said, stroking Rose¡¯s soft fur. He looked distant in thought. He didn¡¯t need to suffer the sorrow and despair he had lived with, anymore. This was his only chance, and he would make the most of it. He looked at Rose in his arms and caressed the cat lovingly for bringing him the best of news. *** Tiana and Lucius finally breathed in a sigh of relief. They left the audience chamber and left the palace. A carriage was waiting for them at the entrance. They boarded it and took off. As they drove off from the palace grounds, Lucius couldn¡¯t hold in his thoughts anymore. ¡°Are you alright?¡± he asked worriedly, looking at her with concern. ¡°Yes,¡± she said, holding his hand, ¡°Nothing really happened. We drank tea, he asked about simple things and we walked to the palace.¡± ¡°Tea?¡± asked Lucius, surprised. ¡°Yes,¡± she said, ¡°His Majesty had a table set in the garden loaded with snacks and tea. He even poured it for me himself. The tea was delicious.¡± ¡°I see,¡± said Lucius, ¡°I am glad you enjoyed yourself.¡± Lucius was deep in thought and looked very serious. Tiana couldn¡¯t figure out why. Meeting Rael hadn¡¯t been as bad as they had anticipated. So, what was he worried about? The carriage drove on, and sunlight streamed through the window. ¡°Are we going to the Empress dowager¡¯s palace?¡± she asked. ¡°No,¡± said Lucius, still solemn, ¡°We are headed to Alexandra¡¯s.¡± ¡°What?¡± she asked, confused, ¡°I thought our next stop was there. Did something happen?¡± ¡°She sent a message,¡± he said, now seemingly composed, ¡°She isn¡¯t feeling very well. She requested to meet next time.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± she said, ¡°Is she terribly ill?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± he assured her, ¡°Perhaps a slight cold. Her body is usually weak nowadays. It might not be very serious.¡± ¡°I hope she gets well soon,¡± said Tiana, in good faith. Tiana had been looking forward to meet the Empress dowager the most, but it couldn¡¯t be helped. There would always be next time. She squeezed his hands in hers, trying to comfort him. He looked at her and smiled softly. *** ¡°Tiana!¡± exclaimed Alexandra, ¡°Welcome! Thank you for coming, brother.¡± She greeted them with open arms and an eager smile. ¡°Holding hands, I see,¡± she teased, looking at them and nodding, satisfied. ¡°Can we let go now?¡± asked Tiana jokingly, ¡°We were so focused on getting here that we came holding hands all the way.¡± ¡°Oh my god, really?¡± she squealed in delight, ¡°You look so good together!¡± Tiana didn¡¯t really mind holding hands with Lucius, it felt comforting. However, being the subject of scrutiny at the palace with servants and guards stealing glances at them made her embarrassed. Alexandra burst into laughter when Tiana relayed this to her. ¡°Alright,¡± she chuckled, ¡°You can let go for now. Go get changed into your new clothes and return here.¡± The maids appeared to escort them to the inner room. Alexandra had a mischievous smile on her lips, which didn¡¯t make Tiana feel all too good. She changed into the resplendent gown that Alexandra had created and came out of the inner room. Lucius had come out sooner than her and stood there with arms spread wide, as Alexandra made adjustments to the robe he wore. When Tiana came out of the inner room, he turned around and stared at her in awe. ¡°Brother, I told you not to move,¡± said Alexandra sternly, ¡°Why are you turning¡­ Oh!¡± Alexandra followed his gaze to Tiana, with a grin. Her dress had exceeded her expectations. Meanwhile, Lucius and Tiana looked at one another, as though frozen in time. He looks so beautiful, thought Tiana, unaware that Lucius was probably thinking the same. The robe and the dress looked so much more extraordinary in person than when they were draped across the mannequins. Tiana looked at Lucius in his robe of gold. The gilded flowers formed sophisticated and intricate designs across the fabric. The petals were in full bloom at his shoulders and he, himself, looked like a regal painting. Him, standing so pearlescent in front of her made her sentimental and teary-eyed. Her heartbeat raced when he looked at her. She seemed to have forgotten how to move. As they continued gazing at each other, unwilling to take their eyes away, Alexandra whispered something in Lucius¡¯ ears and pushed him forward towards his bride-to-be. Chapter 59 - A Sister’s Advice Chapter 59 ¨C A Sister¡¯s Advice ¡°Don¡¯t just gawk at her! Go say something nice, add a touch or something!¡± Lucius, who was pushed ahead by Alexandra, hesitated to touch Tiana. They both slightly avoided eye contact with each other. ¡°Tiana¡­¡± He trailed off as soon as she locked eyes with him. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°You look¡­ beautiful. Stunningly beautiful.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± she blushed deeply. He didn¡¯t know what to do with his trembling voice, so he didn¡¯t say something else. Gazing into her eyes with his face red with anxiety, he stepped forward to grab her hands as if he¡¯d never let go. ¡°Can you two get a little closer than that?¡± Alexandra¡¯s voice interrupted their staring contest. ¡°Closer?¡± He questioned nervously. ¡°Yes, closer!¡± ¡°Uh, isn¡¯t this already too close?¡± ¡°It isn¡¯t like I¡¯m telling you two to kiss. We¡¯ll save that for the real wedding ceremony. Oh! Unless you¡¯ve already done it? I knew you¡¯d take my advice!¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± This time it was Tiana who spoke. What advice? Tiana gave the empress a bizarre look, who avoided her stare and purposefully changed the subject. ¡°Bring me that veil.¡± She waved a maid over. One of the waiting maids holding a veil scurried over to give it to Alexandra. She took the veil from the maid, then returned to Tiana¡¯s back and pushed her toward Lucius. ¡°Wha¡ª¡± But before she could protest, Alexandra held her firmly in place. ¡°Stay there and don¡¯t turn around. Put your foreheads together and pose for us.¡± ¡°Alexandra!¡± She exclaimed nervously. She kept her glare on the empress who was still acting busy in fixing her veil. Eventually, she gave up on trying to catch her stare and turned her face towards the man in front of her. She knew that she had given Lucius some advice. They¡¯d been busy with their own separate things, so how did he find the time to meet his sister? Perhaps she wrote him a letter? That¡¯s probably why he was so aggressive the other day; because of her advice, whatever it was. Tiana thought it was strange of her to do that. While she was silently looking at Lucius¡¯ face, he furtively tried to avoid her stare. His earlobes were bright red and he looked cute, shyly reading the atmosphere, so she could only be amused at him. He¡¯d gotten advice from his sister, and still was shy, looking like he¡¯d never had a girlfriend or something. Tiana liked it because she had found a hidden part of him, but at the same time felt strange. It was hard to focus on anything else when they were standing this close. They were much closer than the last time. At that time, she had looked down slightly. But this time, he was looking down at her from above, and she could feel his warm breath on her forehead. It was a feeling she hadn¡¯t experienced before. She had never been in another relationship, and since she had never liked anyone else before, she hadn¡¯t been this close to any other man. She had never even held hands with male family members, so her experience of physical contact had drastically increased since the ¡®new Tiana¡¯ arrived. Though she had always been ever so curious about how it would feel. It was more reassuring than she had thought, and more comfortable. Lucius¡¯ warmth put her at ease. Alexandra, who had been fixing the veil for a long time, asked Tiana in a low voice. ¡°So¡­ did you two really kiss?¡± ¡°We didn¡¯t.¡± ¡°What? Then why are you so flustered? I thought you¡¯d at least kissed or something.¡± ¡°What did you say to him?¡± ¡°You really want to hear it? I think my brother¡¯s going to lose his mind. But it isn¡¯t that big of a deal because I didn¡¯t say much. ¡®Be more forward and aggressive¡¯ was all I said.¡± ¡°Seriously? You didn¡¯t say anything specific?¡± ¡°No, I didn¡¯t. Really, that was all I said. Oh, and I told him to practice holding hands a lot. Aside from that, I didn¡¯t really say anything. Your progress is interesting, but it¡¯s not good for me to intervene too much.¡± When Tiana didn¡¯t say anything, she looked at her carefully. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Did he do something?¡± Tiana rapidly blinked, trying to avoid Alexandra¡¯s eyes, and as Lucius saw her doing this, the flush from his ears spread to his face. She saw his reddening face and closed her mouth. Looking at it now, there wasn¡¯t a reason for him to desperately avoid her eyes. It was right for him to get advice from his sister, but in the end, the behavior he had displayed at that time was genuine. Since he had only acted naturally, she wondered if he was not a lamb but a wolf in disguise? Maybe it will be good to see him, whether it be day or night. Chapter 60 - The Noble Discussion Chapter 60 ¨C The Noble Discussion People gathered at the round table one by one, and Edwin, after confirming that Marquess Calvino had finally entered, signaled to the servant at the front of the door. The servant left and closed the door behind him. The Marquess spoke after slowly looking around at everyone in the room. ¡°Let¡¯s start the meeting.¡± ¡°It seems that things are moving faster than I¡¯d expected. Everyone¡¯s thoroughly prepared.¡± Edwin reported. ¡°Have Miss Tiana¡¯s social activities been confirmed?¡± ¡°Yes. She¡¯s highly determined. Thanks to that, it¡¯s been done. If she only does her best, His Highness¡¯s reputation will go up in a beat.¡± ¡°However, can things go well this easily only through Miss Tiana¡¯s social activities?¡± ¡°If she were a commoner, I couldn¡¯t say. But she¡¯ll be crowned the Grand Duchess after the wedding. No one on the emperor¡¯s side can dominate the socialites. It seems like we¡¯re back in touch with empress Alexandra, and if she tries a little bit, the social circle will be in our hands.¡± The beginning of the plan was a bit later than he wished, but he was not the one to miss an opportunity just because he was impatient. Count Russell, who was looking at Edwin smiling happily, spoke next. ¡°We shouldn¡¯t overdo it and make a mistake.¡± ¡°Count Russell, are you talking about me? Or Tiana?¡± ¡°I heard that Miss Tiana still hasn¡¯t fully recovered. Even if she has recovered to some degree, I¡¯m worried about the after-effects. Since there¡¯s still time I think it¡¯s better to¡­¡± ¡°Count Russell. You¡¯re talking as if she¡¯s your daughter. Why are you acting like that when the duke is sitting right here quietly?¡± ¡°I think you¡¯re the one who wants to mess things up.¡± The Marquess, who stared at Count Russell with thunderous eyes, pursed his lips and continued. ¡°If a person who doesn¡¯t even know his place has reached that point with the help of someone else, isn¡¯t it time for him to develop his senses? Especially someone not from this circle.¡± When he saw the rage in the Marquess¡¯ eyes, Count Russell flushed a deep red and tried to get up. But a low voice that soon followed, stopped him in his tracks. ¡°Refrain from saying what you just did, ¡®former¡¯ Duke Calvino. Oh, I¡¯m sorry. You¡¯re the Marquess now.¡± Edwin drew all the attention as the faces of the nobles sitting at the round table quickly turned deadly pale. It was an unwritten rule in this room to not bring up Marquess Calvino¡¯s former title. Quietly staring at Edwin, Marquess Calvino¡¯s face became twisted. Count Russell, who sat next to him, was also staring in awe. While the other nobles were stunned, Marquess Calvino broke the prolonged silence. With a deep frown, he glared at Edwin with a look that was aimed to kill. ¡°Duke Celeste, are you in the right sense of mind?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not fazed by you. I¡¯m just telling you because you seem to be crossing the line just like before.¡± ¡°Duke!¡± ¡°Sir.¡± The Marquess shot up from his chair so forcefully that it toppled backwards. Count Russell, who was on Edwin¡¯s right, tried to block him. Edwin gave an easy look to Count Russell as if telling him to relax and said, ¡°Count Russell isn¡¯t from our empire, but I¡¯m sure everyone here knows that he¡¯s recognized for his capabilities to reach where he is now and how much he went through to obtain such a position. Nobles on the Marquess¡¯ side all closed their mouths when Edwin looked in their direction. While not one person dared to look him in the eyes, he shifted his stare back to Marquess Calvino. ¡°Sir, I think you know best how hard it is to maintain such a position.¡± ¡°What is it that you want to say to me? I¡¯m curious about your mention of crossing the line, Duke Celeste.¡± With his face as red as a tomato, the Marquess set his chair up and sat down again, and stared at Edwin whose face was stiffer than earlier. He had been doing well without any problems until now. It was Marquess Calvino who always took the initiative even if there were often disagreements. Even during this trivial argument when everything was going well with the soon-to-be-newlyweds. Edwin, who showed his true colors after the Marquess was trying to carry out his plan pleasantly, was embarrassed and disapproved. Edwin looked around at him and the people sitting next to him. ¡°No matter what you think, we need to identify the most important thing first. Not push it all to the side like this, sir.¡± He said in a serious tone. ¡°Most important thing? What else is there besides what we¡¯re already doing?¡± ¡°I remember what I said before. His Highness¡¯s ideas are a priority. Did he tell you what he wanted you all to do?¡± Marquess Calvino chuckled at his words, baffled at what he had said. ¡°This is for His Highness and the future of this country. And what¡¯s wrong with my helping His Highness as an outsider? I¡¯m the one who knows the most about him.¡± ¡°Is that what he allowed you to do directly? Has he ever said that he agreed with what you said?¡± ¡°He didn¡¯t say that, but up until now, he has never said ¡®no¡¯ to me. Doesn¡¯t that mean he¡¯ll trust me completely as an outsider?¡± ¡°However, he has never said ¡®yes¡¯ neither.¡± Receiving the Marquess¡¯ fierce look, Edwin looked in his eyes as if he had no intention of stepping down. He didn¡¯t like that kind of attitude, so the stern-looking Marquess roared in anger. ¡°What exactly are you saying?¡± ¡°I think I have to make it clear now, about who¡¯s going to benefit from the task you¡¯re talking about; whether that¡¯s what he really wants.¡± He continued in a conversational tone. ¡°His Highness will soon welcome a wonderful companion. I¡¯m talking about your daughter. You think I don¡¯t know that she¡¯s a better companion than anyone else, and she¡¯s moving to find a sense of security and to make a foothold to go further? As an outside helper and a liege, I¡¯ve understood that much. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re trying to make a foothold for her to go up, Sir. The fact that you are not satisfied with your position is known to everyone here, no, to all of the nobles in the empire. Of course, His Majesty knows as well.¡± It was the truth. Everyone knew that the Marquess wasn¡¯t satisfied with his current position, not only the nobles but also the emperor and other central forces knew the greed for authority and power that he has long held. He couldn¡¯t forget the power he had tasted as he was once there, and he had coveted it even more afterward. Chapter 61 - Duke Against Marquess Chapter 61 ¨C Duke Against Marquess The Marquess spoke in a low voice that showed his changed mood as soon as Edwin mentioned the Emperor from his lips. ¡°Now you want to get back to where you used to be, so you¡¯re moving ahead with His Highness. Is that what you¡¯re saying?¡± ¡°No, never. He wants to regain his old position, or at least that¡¯s what it looks like he wants.¡± ¡°Duke, my lord!¡± ¡°How could you say such a¡­¡± The nobles on either side of Marquess Calvino all opposed and stood straight up, but Edwin didn¡¯t take his eyes off of the Marquess. Marquess Calvino, whose hands had been tightly gripped above the table, slanted his mouth in awe. ¡°You¡¯ve said enough. It seems like what you want to say is I¡¯m after the Emperor¡¯s throne. You¡¯ve gone a step too far, Duke. How could you misunderstand his desire to achieve such a lofty position on your behalf?¡± ¡°Lofty position? Do you really think that the Grand Duke wants the position of imperial prestige?¡± ¡°What else can it be if that¡¯s not his dream? He was born the child of a king and already has the power to conquer the world. You, Duke Calvino, can do what the emperor is unable to do. Because of that, isn¡¯t that why Count Russell is also following him?¡± ¡°As long as you keep dreaming, he¡¯s going to decide; it¡¯s not something we can decide. You have the power, but you haven¡¯t used it for yourself so far. I think it is right to protect what His Highness really wants.¡± The Marquess, who looked silently at Edwin continuing to carry out his opinion without being pushed back, said with a short breath, ¡°We¡¯re really not on the same page. I¡¯ve felt it for a long time.¡± ¡°I agree.¡± For many generations, there had been some bad blood between the two families, but from Marquess Calvino and Edwin¡¯s generation, the relationship grew further and further apart. Even though they were from the same aristocracy, the two families had different goals. Marquess Calvino, a radical aristocrat who opposed the tyranny of the present emperor, and Duke Celeste, a modern aristocrat who sought to find a point of harmony between the emperor and the grand duke. There were frequent disagreements, but today was the first time they¡¯d come out with this intensity. The nobles from each branch stuck sitting between the two men ruffled around, unable to do a thing but pass the time by reading the atmosphere. ¡°No matter what, we¡¯re at a point where I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything else to discuss. For the first time in a while, I have a good day ahead of me. Did we have to do this, Duke? For a father with a wise daughter, you sure haven¡¯t thought much about this.¡± ¡°This has nothing to do with my daughter.¡± ¡°Your daughter will be the wife of His Highness. How can it have nothing to do with her when she is going to be my granddaughter-in-law? Or are you saying that it¡¯s okay if there¡¯s no marriage?¡± ¡°Can you make it to where the wedding doesn¡¯t happen?¡± The Marquess¡¯ mouth snapped shut after hearing Edwin speak so freely. Destruction of matrimony. It was possible to do, but from the Marquess¡¯ standpoint, no other man met the standards of Duke Celeste¡¯s daughter. Among those in the radical party, there was no one of similar age, and the modern party was full of men who¡¯d lost their high ranks. It was impossible to choose from the neutralists. It would make a lot of noise, but the Marquess would be pretty embarrassed if they really moved on to breaking up the marriage. With a strained calm look on his face, he quietly sucked his teeth and carefully turned away. ¡°I¡¯ll think about it. When our task is done, His Highness will take the throne and your daughter will be the empress, a more prestigious position than a grand duchess. She¡¯ll be the Queen of the empire. Would you turn down such a good opportunity for your daughter? Is it not honorable enough for her?¡± ¡°Even though it will indeed be good for her, I think she¡¯ll refuse it. She would say that His Highness¡¯s opinion comes first.¡± ¡°How do you know that, duke?¡± ¡°Because she¡¯s my daughter.¡± Edwin, who replied quicker and sterner than ever before, refrained from saying the remaining words on the tip of his tongue. He knew exactly how amazing and honorable it was for his daughter to become the empress of the empire. However, in his mind, the current Tiana wouldn¡¯t have a single interest in it. Edwin recalled the time before her accident when she had had duties as a duke¡¯s daughter, but she had wanted to meet a good spouse and have a normal family. He thought about the time she had said she wanted to be in a marriage like her mother and father. Thoughts of Tiana shyly smiling and thoughts of seeing her as the empress were overlapped today. Edwin reassured: the Tiana today will surely consider Lucius¡¯ thoughts before her own. She might be more suited than Edwin to determine what was better for him. He said with a light smile to the Marquess, who wanted to refute something more, but was speechless. ¡°How would you like to hear my daughter¡¯s opinion, sir? Today they finally moved into the palace together. Oh, His Majesty would be in front of his royal audience right about now. Should I tell them to come here after they¡¯re finished?¡± Marquess Calvino nodded his head in reply. Edwin, who was smiling joyfully, was stuck in his view, but he couldn¡¯t find any other way to refute it, so he had to endure the boiling anger. When he thought of the Duke¡¯s daughter he¡¯d met in the past, she hadn¡¯t seemed like the type to want the Empress¡¯ position. Chapter 62 - The Perfect Time Chapter 62 ¨C The Perfect Time The relationship between Tiana and Lucius was stronger than he¡¯d expected, and the way he treated her was just a couple of the things that had gone beyond his expectations. The Marquess, who seemed unable to back down from the marriage, was annoyed at the difficult situation but managed to cool down. Edwin, who was watching his reaction, smiled slyly. ¡°And sir, from now on I don¡¯t think you have anything more to do about their marriage.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve played your role enough now. The Dowager Empress and the Grand Duke, who are now my direct in-laws, will be involved, so don¡¯t worry and just watch.¡± ¡°You¡­!¡± ¡°It was very helpful for you, His Highness¡¯ grandfather, to act as a bridge. Please leave the rest to me and the Dowager Empress and enjoy their happy marriage as a grandfather.¡± Edwin¡¯s words were the equivalent of indirect pressure on the Marquess to stop interfering. Marquess Calvino had contributed to the marriage of the two families, but Edwin no longer tolerated his involvement. He clenched his jaw, noticing that Edwin was trying to block the scope of his own behavior so that the Marquess could remain as a ¡®grandfather¡¯ from now on. Amid heavy silence, the two men¡¯s eyes met. The Marquess didn¡¯t avoid him and just glared, but there was nothing else he could say. *** After the meeting was finished, Marquess Calvino and the radical nobles left the board room in a flash. The modern aristocrats remained looking at Edwin, and he nodded to signal them to leave. Exchanging looks, the nobles of the party left, and Edwin leaned comfortably in his chair. Count Russell, who sat next to him, approached Edwin, who now had his eyes closed. ¡°What was the reason for doing that all of a sudden? Normally, you take your time in these meetings. You don¡¯t have to go out like this when your daughter¡¯s about to get married.¡± Count Russell, whose face looked full of doubt, waited for Edwin¡¯s answer. A while later he opened his eyes slowly and began to speak. ¡°Because the time for that had come.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you know the situation is not good, sir? If you ¡ª¡± ¡°No, it should be done now. I have to get ready now. Actually, I was going to do it a little later. I was going to watch the situation a bit more and take my time. But a variable has come up. An essential variable I hadn¡¯t thought of.¡± After Tiana¡¯s unexpected accident, Edwin tried to delay what he had planned. But Tiana¡¯s condition had gotten better and the marriage became a reality without a problem. All of that was applied through a big variable. Because of that, he decided to speed up that plan. ¡°Count Russell, do you remember our predecessor¡¯s will?¡± ¡°Pardon? Yes¡­ I remember.¡± ¡°He said, ¡°Please take care of everyone left behind.¡± That ¡®everyone¡¯, who do you think that is?¡± ¡°Is it not the current Emperor or Grand Duke, and the people of the empire, sir?¡± ¡°Correct. But we have to broaden the spectrum. The Emperor isn¡¯t the only one left in this empire. There¡¯s the Dowager Empress, and other than that, the people aren¡¯t the only ones who make up this country. They all have nobles like us.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± ¡°But of course, each person¡¯s level of care is different.¡± After dying of a chronic disease, their former Emperor made a separate will to Edwin and the modern nobles. Edwin, who hadn¡¯t let his hand go until he¡¯d breathed his final breath, could never forget the way the Emperor had looked at that time. Count Russel knew what Edwin was worried about and how he had said that to Edwin, who had spent a long time with the former Emperor. The ¡®everyone¡¯ mentioned by him, included the Queen, the Marquess, Lucius, and the present Emperor Rael, who still stayed at the imperial palace. As long as there was no problem in the future, Tiana¡¯s condition would be better, and as the time passes after the wedding, she would start socializing in full-swing. Then naturally, interactions between Tiana, Rael, and Alexandra would be more frequent, and Edwin would continue to interact with them as well. So now was a perfect time. ¡°As his servants, shouldn¡¯t we fulfill the will he left behind?¡± Even if it was a will stained in dark blood, Edwin had the obligation. *** ¡°Father. Is there something wrong?¡± ¡°Why do you ask?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t look too good. Did something happen at the meeting?¡± On her way back with Lucius, Tiana met her father who had finished up the meeting, and the three of them rode out of the palace in a carriage. During the whole ride, Edwin had looked upset; after she¡¯d ask about his condition, he shook his head. ¡°No. The meeting was all right. Don¡¯t worry about me.¡± He replied with a small smile. ¡°Father are you ill?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not that.¡± he said, smiling faintly with no energy left in his voice. Definitely not the face of someone who doesn¡¯t have anything going on, Tiana thought. Lucius carefully grabbed her hand while she was staring, worried, at her father. His warm hand relaxed her, so she turned to look at him and they both smiled at one another. Tiana and the Grand Duke. Edwin admired them with a grin on his face. ¡°You two should be happy.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°I made you like that¡­ so you must be happy.¡± ¡°What?¡± Chapter 63 - Diana & Tiana (I) Chapter 63 ¨C Diana & Tiana (I) Two months had already gone since Tiana had visited Alexandra with Lucius to modify their wedding outfits. And now the wedding was just a week away. With the wedding so close, she thought about things she needed to do. When she asked Inabelle and Loanna, the head of the court maids, they assured her that everything was under control and she didn¡¯t need to worry about anything. So, Tiana stuck to the schedule that was given to her: eat all day and sleep a lot. She realized that the diet provided to her was adjusted specially to maintain her physique and weight for the upcoming big day. This was the schedule which was normal for a bride-to-be. ¡°Ma¡¯am, which book do you want to read today?¡± came the question from her maid. Her days were so uneventful that she spent most of it reading in the mansion¡¯s study when she wasn¡¯t eating or sleeping or resting. It had a wide array of books; she could read anything she wanted. Sometimes she whiled away her time reading romance novels, and other times history of the world, and other books related to the Empire. ¡°Maybe I will continue with what I was reading yesterday,¡± said Tiana. ¡°Would you like to read this one, perhaps?¡± asked Inabelle, bringing a book to her. ¡°Which one?¡± asked Tiana lazily. How A Count¡¯s Daughter Can Kiss a Knight was the title. The title was common enough for a modern web novel, but for the world she was in, and the timeline, the book would be rather scandalous. Tiana was surprised seeing it here in the library of a noble family. The book would fit in with the commoners who enjoyed these kinds of books in hushed whispers. But it was odd seeing it in a well-respected family. But what did she know? Perhaps nobles loved to indulge in these kinds of stories, too, seeing that there were three volumes of the same title on the bookshelf. ¡°It¡¯s quite popular with the ladies these days,¡± said Inabelle, ¡°I have enjoyed reading it as well.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know you liked such books,¡± said Tiana pleasantly surprised. ¡°It was recommended by one of my colleagues,¡± said Inabelle, ¡°This is a secret but Loanna loves it as well.¡± ¡°Loanna?¡± asked Tiana, incredulously. She couldn¡¯t imagine the blunt, strict and straightforward Loanna reading such a book. ¡°Yes,¡± said Inabelle, smiling as she noticed Tiana¡¯s surprise. ¡°She recommended it to me. She said it is quite helpful for newlyweds and young brides-to-be.¡± ¡°Really?¡± asked Tiana, taking the book. Inabelle nodded. It must indeed be very interesting if even Loanna liked it. The series had twenty books in total, it seemed. The golden letters on the title at the spine suggested that the book would be very pricey. It was clearly directed to an aristocratic audience. She opened the cover and read a few lines. The storyline was quite eye-catching and flowed well into the plot. It was really just a modern novel that she would have read in her world. ¡°I can¡¯t take this to Grand Duchy, right?¡± asked Tiana wistfully. Lucius was bound to say something on it if she took it. Or maybe he would just get excited and read it with her. That made Tiana blush. ¡°That might not be a good idea,¡± said Inabelle, uncertainly, ¡°Or maybe it is a good idea! But still¡­.¡± Tiana understood her. It would be awkward if anyone else found it since the contents were rather scandalous. Tiana flipped through the pages, thinking if Lucius read it, he would indeed learn more about getting physical. He would make more progress than her. Would that be good for her? She blushed. She closed the book and got up from her seat. She put the book back in its place on the shelf and picked out another. The old book with a navy-blue cover was covered in dust. It looked like it had been there on the far corner on the shelf for a long while. She wiped the dust from the cover and trailed her fingers through the cursive writing on the front of the book: Diana & Tiana The two names side by side gave her a pang of sadness. The name of the dead duchess and Tiana. She was fond of the slightly slanted, cursive letters. Seeing her mother¡¯s name and her name together made her feel nostalgic. With a bittersweet feeling, she opened the book. It might have seemed like a diary to outsiders, but it wasn¡¯t. It was a ledger they had made together. Each page had a list of names with personal information about the servants working in the mansion. There were also records of internal management of the mansion. The records were meticulous and detailed on each page. She could tell from the slanted, elegant writing just who had written it. Tiana had written on the left, and the duchess on the right. The information had a slight difference and Tiana wondered why. She scanned the page attentively. Every information was from five years before. The duchess had been teaching her. They would document every information and the slight differences that interrupted the writing showed that the duchess would add extra information if Tiana missed it. She also saw her own clumsy writing marked in the pages which were filled with the duchess¡¯ elegant writing. ¡°Like this?¡± Tiana had asked, in a different time. ¡°Yes, my dear,¡± the duchess had said, ¡°Very good, my darling.¡± Chapter 64 - Diana & Tiana (II) Chapter 64 ¨C Diana & Tiana (II) The memory made her feel nostalgic. The fleeting image of Tiana and the duchess in her mind made her feel sad. No wonder her gaze had been pulled by this ledger. The duchess, with her red, flaming hair and silvery, grey eyes, just like Tiana. She knew that in the original story, the duchess had passed away due to a chronic illness. She couldn¡¯t remember much more than that. Seeing the ledger, she became more curious and wanted to know more about the duchess. She scanned the pages and saw some notes that had been made in clumsy letters on the side of some of the papers: I didn¡¯t know this was left out. Same mistake, again. Learn how to calculate better. I knew it, I can¡¯t write as clearly as Mother. Mother has beautiful handwriting. She went through each of the notes and felt emotional. Tiana had been so fond of her mother and lost much for one so young. The duchess must have turned these very pages. It gave her a sense of connection to this person who was long gone. She read every note on the ledger until the very last page. She was wiping the tears on her cheeks, before she even knew she was crying. The last record had been two years ago, on April 2nd. After that, the pages were blank. Tiana felt sad and bitter. Was that the date when she died? She sat down on the floor, leaning on the shelf, hugging the ledger to her heart as tears flowed down her face in rivulets. *** After lunch, which she couldn¡¯t taste very well, because of the thoughts in her mind, Tiana came out to the garden for a stroll. She still had the ledger in her hands. Inabelle looked worried and watched her from behind but Tiana needed to be alone right now. ¡°Inabelle,¡± said Tiana sadly, ¡°Can you leave me alone for a moment?¡± ¡°Of course, ma¡¯am,¡± said Inabelle. Tiana walked to the corner of the garden. Inabelle and the other maids did not follow. She walked onto the largest tree on the other side of the garden. She sat on the swing that was tied to the thick branch and rocked back and forth. The momentum swung her back and forth and she let it. The ledger was on her lap. Her tears which had stopped for a moment came crashing and flowing out of her eyes. The longing for the past, and the warmth she had never felt or remembered in her own life overwhelmed her. Ever since she found the ledger, her emotions had tangled and poured out of her eyes. Tiana had never had any parents to give and receive love. But she still longed for the parents who had left her in the modern world. Or was it for this duchess and what she had meant for the original Tiana? She couldn¡¯t say. Her aunt and uncle had brought her up after her parents had died in a car accident. She had never known them; she didn¡¯t even remember their faces. Her paternal grandmother had not allowed her aunt to send her to the orphanage. Her aunt, older sister to her father, had blamed her grandmother for burdening her with the ¡®baggage¡¯. She had never known love from her aunt but whenever grandmother came to visit, she had given love freely. She had lost her too, her loving grandmother, even before she entered elementary school. Her aunt had never shown her kindness, her uncle had never cared. The love she had known momentarily from her grandmother was gone and she cried herself to sleep every night longing for warmth and kindness which was nowhere to be found. She had pushed these longings far away in her mind to cope as a child. There hadn¡¯t been a problem with money but she had tried hard to earn her own money after reaching adulthood so she could be away. She had given up everything to earn money, devoting her time to nothing else but only that. There came a time when her uncle and aunt had made her pay for her monthly expenses, and she had tried hard to earn more because she didn¡¯t want to give them the satisfaction of her pleading with them. She had never had friends, or boyfriends to share her pain with. She thought she was far too busy and broken for any kind of relationship. She had searched for an escape and found one: web novels. She had picked up a web novel titled Imperial Prestige. It had been her only escape and the character Lucius had made her life better. She had fallen in love with him. Maybe that was why she felt elated to possess Tiana¡¯s body and be in this world. This was her escape. This was her safe place. Lucius was her home. Her encounter with Tiana¡¯s memories of her mother had shaken her, though. Maybe because she had lost her grandmother early, the only mother-figure she had in her life, it made her feel connected to Tiana who had lost her mother too. She had learnt to read and write alongside her grandmother too, like Tiana and the duchess had done. She looked down at the ledger and the neatly written Diana and Tiana and burst into tears anew. Chapter 65 - Lennox Quinn Celeste Chapter 65 ¨C Lennox Quinn Celeste A long time passed with her crying alone like that, before a bewildered Inabelle hesitantly approached her. Tiana slowly wiped her leftover tears away. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Inabelle was even more puzzled at the question than she had been before. What was she even supposed to answer? She wasn¡¯t the one crying alone on a swing. So she decided to ignore the question and said what she came to say. ¡°Your snack is ready, ma¡¯am.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not in the mood to eat.¡± ¡°But ma¡¯am you need to eat if you don¡¯t want your body to weaken. Just have a little bit, please.¡± ¡°I really don¡¯t have an appetite. I just want some time to think right now.¡± When Tiana spoke, holding the ledger tightly in her arms, Inabelle closed her mouth, not wanting to say anything else. Her stare fell on the ledger for a second and a hint of sadness crossed her heart. As close as she was to Tiana, she just watched her quietly, for even she knew about the ledger¡¯s history. After a good cry, Tiana calmed down a little. Feeling the gentle spring breeze passing by her face, she swung her feet out to move the swing. The moving swing smelled of fresh grass. A sweet scent came from the blossoming red flowers from the vine going up the rope handle. As Tiana swung higher, her eyes caught the building on the opposite side. It was directly visible from where she was, not too far from the mansion. This building looked smaller than the main part of the mansion but its magnificent and brilliant appearance was just as good. Was that an annex? She hadn¡¯t heard what the annex was used for. Every time she took a walk through the garden, she was fascinated by the building in the distance. But Alfred, Loanna, Inabelle, and all the other servants had evaded answering her questions. Something made it look important, but why did they have to hide it from her? Tiana was getting ready to leave the mansion soon, but she hated that they had hidden it from her until the end. At last, since it was just her and Inabelle, should she ask her? She set her feet on the ground to stop the swing. ¡°They say that building over there is the annex, right?¡± ¡°Huh? Oh¡­ yes.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been enduring it because no one has let me know, but since I don¡¯t have much time left here, I think it¡¯s time that I deserve to know. Who is staying there and why are you hiding it from me?¡± ¡°Uh, that¡­¡± ¡°What? Is some high-ranked noble hidden in there? Servants have been coming and going in that direction more often than not.¡± Come to think of it, she had often witnessed servants heading toward there at a certain time every day. At first, she thought they went to clean up, but seeing not only the head cleaner but other maids going there together made her think something strange was going on. She had presumed it might be a guesthouse or a special place for invite-only guests. If someone were to receive an invitation to the duke¡¯s mansion, it wouldn¡¯t be weird to stay in the annex, but Tiana had never seen the guest before. Isn¡¯t she also supposed to greet the guests invited to the mansion? On top of that, two months had already passed. It was strange for a guest to stay in the annex for more than two months. How long can someone stay in the duke¡¯s mansion if they¡¯re not really a special guest? Edwin wasn¡¯t the type to call people over, so who in the world was it? She shifted her suspicious stare from the annex to the fidgeting Inabelle. ¡°Actually, right now¡­ the young master is staying in the annex.¡± ¡°Young master? Who¡¯s the young master?¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡­ your younger brother¡­ Lennox¡± ¡°What? L-Lennox?¡± Tiana froze at the unexpected answer and repeated it several times. Lennox. Lennox. Lennox. Surely a strange name. Lennox Quinn Celeste, Tiana¡¯s younger brother and successor to the duke, from the original novel. After having been possessed, she hadn¡¯t seen him in the mansion, so she had assumed he was somewhere else, but all this time he had been in the annex. She thought maybe he had gone to the Imperial Academy. In the original book, it had been mentioned that Lennox had a great talent for magic and had entered an academy for senior wizards at Edwin¡¯s recommendation. The time when he had returned after graduation was when the original novel had progressed a little and Tiana had given Angelica a hard time while actively engaging in her social activities. It had been before he made an appearance, but she thought he had already gone to the academy because she hadn¡¯t been able to see him. Had he been here all along? ¡°Why is he in the annex? He¡¯s my brother and successor to the duke.¡± ¡°About that¡­ he is on probation.¡± ¡°Probation? Did he commit a crime or something?¡± ¡°Can we call it that? Not even I know the full details, but he was with you during your accident, ma¡¯am. I think something happened to him at that time.¡± ¡°What? Something like what?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not entirely sure. At the time, I was somewhere else, having received orders from you, ma¡¯am.¡± ¡°Is that so¡­?¡± Was Lennox involved in the accident? Did Lennox hear something strange and in a fit of anger caused the accident? No¡­ no way could he have done that to his own sister. Tiana wasn¡¯t sure about their relationship, but there wasn¡¯t a reason for Lennox to purposely cause the accident. Unless it had something to do with the one who had possessed Tiana¡­ Chapter 66 - The Spring Breeze Chapter 66 ¨C The Spring Breeze Inabelle, perhaps mistaken for worrying about something, quickly changed the subject after the anxiety sank in Tiana. ¡°But please don¡¯t worry! The two-month self-reflection period ordered by the duke is almost finished. From what I heard, he is moving back to the main building today.¡± ¡°Today? Really?¡± ¡°Yes. You¡¯ll probably see him at dinner this evening, ma¡¯am.¡± That news added another layer of tension. Tiana put out Inabelle, who was smiling soothingly while looking at her, and thought about her brother whom she¡¯d meet in a few hours. Lennox Quinn Celeste. Actually, there wasn¡¯t much she knew about him. He was the successor to the duke, but magic was his specialty. He became a close aide to the current emperor and was a prominent figure in social and state affairs. Aside from that, there wasn¡¯t much she knew. So, if they happened to cross paths later today, Tiana would be in big trouble. She should have met him right when she had begun recovering. Even in modern times, she didn¡¯t know what a younger brother was like because all her sisters and brothers were older when she lived at her aunt¡¯s house. Her aunt¡¯s daughter and sons were her cousins, but they weren¡¯t very friendly to her. Would it be okay if she treated her brother the same way they treated her? Tiana had a slight headache as if an unexpected rival would appear. A brisk wind breezed by, slowly lifting her spirits. She turned her head to gaze at the sun rays beaming down from the sky. Unlike her complicated mind, the May weather was lively, full of spring breeze. She stared blankly at the cloudless blue sky and shook the swing slightly and uttered the name crossing her mind. ¡°Lennox¡­ Lennox.¡± Suddenly, her vision became slightly blurry and she recalled a fragment of a memory once again. When this body recalled the old Tiana¡¯s memories, they only came back in bits and pieces. Tiana and Lennox had enjoyed horseback riding together. The two smiling brightly and gazing at one another meant they were closer than she¡¯d originally thought. ¡®Sister!¡¯ ¡®Lenno!¡¯ The fragment of the conclusive memory was cut off there. The feeling that was somehow lacking while repeating his name was in the ¡®name¡¯ that she had called out. That wasn¡¯t what she called him at all. ¡°Lenno¡­¡± His thin, curly red hair surely suited him much better than the name Lennox. Thinking it was a perfect, cute nickname, she spoke it out loud once. Inabelle looked at her with a surprised face. ¡°Ma¡¯am! Now you¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°The young master¡¯s name¡­¡± ¡°Lenno? I just remembered calling his name like this¡­¡± ¡°Ma¡¯am!¡± ¡°What?¡± Was it really that surprising for her to call out her younger brother¡¯s name? Somehow, Inabelle, who came close to her with an emotional face, was embarrassed. When Tiana finally saw her crying, she was at a loss for some reason, so she reached out to soothe her. Right then, she saw a strange figure approaching from behind Inabelle. When Tiana turned her head slightly, she saw him. He was the one she¡¯d seen in the short memory just now. Curly red hair and light blue eyes. He was now an adult, having broken out of his boyish looks, and the fresh manly appearance made her feel different from other men she¡¯s met so far. Is this what seeing a blood brother felt like? She couldn¡¯t look away from him because it felt like a magnet was pulling her hard. ¡°Lenno?¡± When the name slipped through Tiana¡¯s lips without having realized it, Inabelle flinched and turned around to look in the direction she was gazing. The woman¡¯s face was full of astonishment. Lennox, who had heard his nickname, relaxed and smiled. ¡°Sis¡­¡± Alfred and other servants, who came in a hurry, joined Inabelle and stared at the two siblings. A heavy silence fell around them. *** The familiar view outside the window forced Lennox to roll his hand over it. Someone so close, but yet so far. His sister, whom he respected and loved, had left him with an unforgettable trauma. A kind person, one with a bright smile. Until an unexpected accident two years ago. His sister had changed after suffering the accident. Like a completely different person. It was strange to see her looking at him with dull eyes for the first time. For two years, his sister had blocked people¡¯s access by denying everything that existed. The duke, and others she was close with, nor her family could accept it. ¡®I know who you all are. I know, but you¡¯re not related to me.¡¯ ¡®Of all people, why you! You again!?¡¯ ¡®You¡¯re my father, and you¡¯re my brother!? I have no father and brother! This body is my family; you all aren¡¯t my family!¡¯ ¡®Why are you here every time I come back? I¡¯m glad I¡¯m not there, but this isn¡¯t what I wanted¡­¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m going back. I can¡¯t do anything in this body.¡¯ His sister, who had repeated the same things and acted as if she were trying to break off from the world, was a stranger he had never seen before. ¡®You¡¯re not my sister. The sister I know¡­ isn¡¯t this person.¡¯ ¡®Get out of my sight. Don¡¯t come near me.¡¯ He had said words he couldn¡¯t unsay. The stone, which had already flown from his hand, had caused a stir in the calm waters. As she watched him quietly, she frowned with a contemptuous face and turned away. Right then, the horse she had been riding suddenly jumped up. ¡®¡­ Sis!¡¯ The uncontrollable horse bolted away just in the nick of time. Afraid she¡¯d fall over, she held steadfast to the reins. Grabbing the mane of the wild horse, she was hanging with her face pale. Biting her lips, she reached up to wipe away her hair that was blowing in the wind, blocking her view. At that moment, Lennox lifted his head and met her gaze. His body stiffened by the strong disapproval and contempt from her silver-gray eyes. Chapter 67 - Much Hope Regained Chapter 67 ¨C Much Hope Regained Tiana flinched and tensed up at the onslaught of emotions. After she missed the opportunity to stop the horse by the reins, it ran wild and lost its balance as it tripped on a stone. A shock went through her body, jostling her enough to send her flying off of the horse. Lennox watched helplessly as her body went limp after having fallen to the ground and hitting her head. She lost consciousness instantly. His last image of her was her on the ground with a bloodied head. After her accident, he quietly stayed in the annex at his father¡¯s order of probation. What had suddenly happened that day made him feel frustrated, not knowing what to do. All through probation, the final image of his sister never left his mind. It had already been two weeks. She hadn¡¯t woken up once since the accident. ¡®Is this my fault? It¡¯s all my fault. It¡¯s because of what I said.¡¯ ¡®Be gone, never show your face again.¡¯ As the younger brother, how could he say such a thing to his one and only sister? No matter how strange she¡¯d become, he regretted talking to her like that. Would she ever forgive him? Lennox wanted to apologize, but something, along with her final image, weighed heavy on his mind. A scornful look that seemed to say, ¡®You¡¯re nobody to me. You¡¯re not my brother¡¯ For two years, Lennox had ignored her as if she were a prisoner. The strained relationship had become even more strained. It was unbelievable that they had now become strangers, with no way to rebuild their relationship. Because of that look in her eyes, Lennox hadn¡¯t been able to grab the reins in time, and the guilt continued to press down on his chest. The last image of her bloodied and fainted and her scornful eyes glaring at him remained mixed up like an afterimage. He would be able to leave in two months after the probation was lifted, but he couldn¡¯t go see his sister right away. While pondering about the strange atmosphere in the family, Lennox received a call from Edwin to visit his office. Edwin, looked at Lennox with a serious face, carefully continued. ¡°Prepare yourself properly if you¡¯re about to go see Tiana.¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°Our girl, she¡­ still hasn¡¯t gotten her memory back.¡± ¡°Father¡­¡± Lennox was speechless at the shocking truth. How could she lose her memory again? It was a big accident, and she hadn¡¯t woken for two weeks, so he thought there might be a problem, but this wasn¡¯t what he had thought. He¡¯d never thought this would happen again. ¡®If she still isn¡¯t herself then I¡¯ll have to keep seeing that look in her eyes¡¯ Fear overshadowed the hopes he had in an instant. Edwin stared at Lennox who couldn¡¯t speak and, with a grim look on his face, sighed deeply. It was already the second week since she lost her memory. That was enough to shock both of them. The accident had been unexpected, but Lennox was deeply involved. Had he, who had been with Tiana at that time, only grabbed the reins, the accident might not have happened somehow. However, it wasn¡¯t his fault. He hadn¡¯t been able to stop it. Knowing that he had been ashamed at that time, he was not sure if he could have caught the reins and prevented the accident even if he had been by her side. It was because of Lennox¡¯s unstable mind that the probation had been given to him. He had intentionally remained far away from his sister because he thought she would blame him more if he saw her condition. It wasn¡¯t easy for Edwin to conclude whether he had done a good job or not by ordering Lennox to stay away and clear up his complicated mind and control his heart. Fortunately, Tiana recovered safely after two months and was about to get married soon. So, he thought it would be okay to let Tiana meet her brother now, but was it too late? When Edwin saw Lennox staring blankly in the distance, he tried to put him at ease. ¡°But she¡¯s well and healthy, so you need not worry. She¡¯s not the young girl you used to know.¡± ¡°What do you¡­¡± ¡°Not even I know how this will pan out¡­ but she¡¯s trying to get the old Tiana¡¯s memories back, to be how she used to be.¡± Lennox¡¯s eyes widened in a curious mixture of shock, fear and hope. ¡°You mean¡­my Sis¡­really?¡± Lennox, who felt the expectation that had worn off wiggle back to life again, placed a hand over his overwhelmed heart. It thumped wildly against his hand to let him know how excited he was right now. Edwin, who smiled faintly when he saw the incredulous smile on his face, spoke again. ¡°I wanted to make you meet her sooner, but I¡¯ve been busy with some things. The wedding that was almost canceled will proceed smoothly now, thanks to Tiana, and the ceremony will be happening soon.¡± ¡°Oh, her marriage to the grand duke will finally take place. When is the ceremony?¡± ¡°One week from today.¡± ¡°So soon?¡± ¡°She has not fully recovered, but because of that important event, I didn¡¯t let her know about you, out of fear of putting a burden on her. But I think it¡¯s a little late. It would have been nice for you two to meet much earlier. I¡¯m sorry about that.¡± ¡°There is no need to apologize.¡± Lennox shook his head at Edwin¡¯s words. ¡°It¡¯s not like we don¡¯t have time, just because she is moving doesn¡¯t mean we wouldn¡¯t see each other forever.¡± There was still a week left in her wedding. And even after that, there were plenty of chances and times to visit his sister, if not every day. He had desperately waited for two years to have his sister back. He endured the impatience with the hope of seeing her again. He could surely endure the distance if he had her back in his life. Edwin, watched life return to his eyes and nodded resolutely. ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s take it slow, since there¡¯s plenty of time ahead of us.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± ¡°Are you thinking of going to see Tiana now? I think someone told me she¡¯s in the garden, go take a look.¡± ¡°Thank you, sir.¡± He bowed and rushed out. Edwin tried to hide it but couldn¡¯t after seeing Lennox bolt out of the office, he gave a light smile and murmured to himself. ¡°That boy. He¡¯d do anything for his sister.¡± Since their childhood, they have had a good relationship. Though there wasn¡¯t a huge age difference, Lennox followed his sister in everything she did and admired her very much. I should have let them meet much sooner, Edwin thought. Busy with this and that, he hadn¡¯t had much time to focus on it. Therefore, he couldn¡¯t shake the regret from his mind. ¡°Being a father¡­ It¡¯s tough. Just like the emperor used to say.¡± He spoke in a small voice, sighing deeply with a bitter feeling in his heart. The late emperor¡¯s resemblance, who used to grumble with a bitter smile that nothing went his way as a ¡®father¡¯, was especially visible around Edwin¡¯s eyes today. Chapter 68 - Belated Reunion Chapter 68 ¨C Belated Reunion ¡°My Lord Duke.¡± The butler bowed in greeting. ¡°Where is Tiana?¡± Lucius, who stopped by the duke¡¯s mansion to see Tiana after work, asked the butler who came to receive him. ¡°Madame is in the garden. Shall I call her up?¡± ¡°There is no need. I¡¯ll go see her.¡± It was right when he nodded at the butler¡¯s words and urgently turned around to make his way to the garden that Edwin, who was descending the staircase, discovered Lucius and stopped him in his tracks. They greeted each other and Edwin hesitated to ask. ¡°Your Highness, would it be alright if¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong, sir?¡± His eyes darted around, fearing something bad had happened. ¡°You¡¯re here to see Tiana, right?¡± ¡°Correct.¡± ¡°Then I am sorry Your Highness, but could you delay meeting her for just a little bit?¡± ¡°Is there something wrong, sir?¡± He repeated. Lucius asked worriedly at Edwin¡¯s troubled attitude. It was strange somehow seeing him so exhausted like this. Edwin looked at Lucius, then turned his eyes to the door leading to the garden. ¡°Lennox left to go see her just now. I was just on my way out after having explained to him about Tiana¡¯s situation as his probation was lifted today. Since it¡¯s their first meeting in two months, I wanted to give them some time to reacquaint themselves.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Lennox could be seen leaving through the door in the direction of Edwin¡¯s eyes. Seeing him rush towards the garden, Lucius nodded with acceptance. ¡°Their meeting shouldn¡¯t have happened this late. He, too, has been through a tough time.¡± The look in Edwin¡¯s eyes staring at Lennox was full of sadness and desperation. Lucius stared at him for a long time, trying to decipher his emotions, then looked in the direction where Lennox had disappeared. ¡°It will be alright. Even God will understand the way he feels. And her state now is definitely¡­¡± ¡°I know. The state she is in¡­¡± After making eye contact with Lucius, Edwin seemed to be able to see what he had hidden in his words. These were the two people who had seen the current Tiana the closest. There was, surprisingly, no anxiety. The two thought that they would definitely hear good news from the current Tiana. *** Lennox, who had bolted out of the office, rushed out of the mansion and headed toward the garden. Since he had already seen her through the annex window, sitting under the shade of a corner tree in the garden, he moved without hesitation. After passing through the entrance of the garden, his feet swiftly moved with anticipation and anxiety, overlooking the servants gathered in the center. His footsteps only slowed down to the voice he hadn¡¯t heard in such a long time. ¡°¡­calling his name like this¡­¡± The voice he heard was just like he used to hear as a child; the warm voice of his sister. The instant he stopped walking, he started to worry. If he approached her like this, would she welcome him? Even if she were to get her memory back, what if she can¡¯t remember him? What if all of the memories of him are gone? Or worse, what if all the memories she has are the bad ones? He closed his eyes and forced his legs to move while anxiety burrowed deep into his chest. He wanted to plop down to the ground right there and then, but how could he go back after being so close to seeing her? A warm breeze flew by and wrapped around him. He started walking again with his eyes open, not as if he was trying to push forward without worrying, but as if he had decided on it even after hesitating. And now he could hear it, the name he had waited so long to hear. ¡°Lenno¡­¡± ¡°Sister¡­¡± The word left his mouth before he could even think of stopping it. Tiana was very happy to see him with her bright silver-gray eyes after such a long time. Her eyes had none of the hazy, murky energy from before that he remembered. Oh, she really is back! Lennox thought. His heart melted like snow the moment he laid eyes on her. *** The long silence continued even after Alfred brought out the tea he had prepared. Looking at Lennox sitting across from her, Tiana, not knowing what to do or say first, tried to conceal her bewildered mind by taking a sip of the black tea placed in front of her. With its sweet, chocolaty aroma, the tea was indeed delicious, but now wasn¡¯t the time to get absorbed in the taste. It was her first time meeting her brother. Well, technically it wasn¡¯t the first time, but to her it was. Since she had never taken care of her brother, she didn¡¯t know how to face him. When Alfred was ordering the maidens to prepare the table, he heard from Inabel that for the past two years, their relationship had been so rocky that they ignored one another. Although in the memories that came to his mind, the siblings seemed really close. Perhaps that was before Tiana had been possessed. How surprised Tiana was to have called Lennox¡¯s nickname. So, Inabel had given the word that they were not to be disturbed. It wasn¡¯t a bad thing that Inabel had hidden the facts about her accident for two years, but the perception that both Tiana¡¯s resembled each other in many ways seemed to spread. Looking at Inabel and Alfred waiting in the corner, Tiana could tell how much they were expecting from her. They¡¯d be expecting the two siblings to go back to how they used to be. But the only memory she had with Lennox was a very small piece of a flashback, the only memory where she had called him by a nickname, ¡®Lenno¡¯. She didn¡¯t know how to deal with this. Please don¡¯t stare at me like that, with anticipation and so much hope, Tiana thought. While she was thinking earnestly about how to solve this situation, Lennox, who had kept his mouth shut till then, was the first to speak. Chapter 69 - Reconnected Chapter 69 ¨C Reconnected ¡°I heard that the wedding is in two weeks.¡± ¡°Huh? Oh, yes.¡± ¡°I¡¯m late, but congratulations.¡± ¡°Thanks L¡ªuh¡­¡± Tiana¡¯s lips clamped shut at his deep gaze. Would it be appropriate to call him ¡®Lenno¡¯, now that he was in front of her, or by his full name? Seeing her hesitation and trying to ease the mood, Lennox spoke up. ¡°You can call me what you did earlier. Call me Lenno.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°Father explained your situation to me. I¡¯m beyond happy that you remembered my nickname from before. So, please continue to call me that.¡± ¡°Alright then¡­Lenno.¡± She nodded and called him by his nickname. Lenno¡¯s face which had been stiff up until now finally relaxed, and Tiana could see an unrestrained smile on his face. When she saw his dimples, she calmed her heart that was about to burst out from inside. Isn¡¯t he so cute? Lucius, Lennox, and the others are all so lovely, but what did the previous possessor not like so much about me? she thought. It¡¯s so strange to think that someone out there really does not like me. For now, let¡¯s resolve these complicated situations first and do as I was about to do. But as she was holding her teacup, a slightly anxious feeling settled in her chest. ¡°Lenno.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know if it will be hard for you to forget the past, but I¡¯ll say it like this, I want to apologize for all of the things I¡¯ve done to you. It put a lot of unnecessary stress on you and I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°¡­Tiana.¡± ¡°It may sound strange, but I hope you see from now on that everything I do is real. In the meantime, I¡­ I want to erase your bad memories of me. Though I don¡¯t think I can just cover the past like that. But I just want you to shake off that memory with who I am now.¡± He was still speechless so she continued. ¡°After the wedding, I¡¯ll be leaving and moving to the grand duchy, but it doesn¡¯t mean that we¡¯ll stop seeing each other. I¡¯ll also ask Lucius for his understanding. All of my memory hasn¡¯t come back to me yet, but I want to spend time with you again, as proper siblings.¡± To Tiana, Lennox was her first and only younger brother. The possessor, who was gone anyway, had thrown her out. Now all they had to do was restore their broken relationship. She had no intention of continuing on with the original story. So, she knew it would be better if she tried to make amends in the relationships that were ruined by the possessor. Most of all, Tiana really liked Lennox. Aside from Lucius and Rose, Angelica and Rael were her favorites, but it seemed like that would change from today onwards. While waiting for Lennox to say something, she looked him in the eyes. He gazed at her for a long time before nodding with a bright smile. ¡°I¡¯m glad to have you back, big sis.¡± *** Treating his sister with sincerity, Lennox approached Tiana without any resistance. During her remaining time in the mansion, the two spent every single day together. There were still some awkward moments, but they knew they¡¯ll get better with time. Therefore, they just patiently took things slow. It was the night before the wedding. Coming out to the garden after eating dinner, Tiana sat on the swing she had found a few days ago and looked up at the bright, shining moon. ¡°So, tomorrow is the big day.¡± It was two months since the possessor left. At the end of this long but short journey, tomorrow she was finally marrying Lucius. She hadn¡¯t expected for something good to happen, here in these modern times, let alone meet someone and fall in love. At the same time, the hardships she faced, played back in fragments in her mind. But now the troubles were over! From now on, there would be much more to do, but even if it¡¯s hard on her body, she could bear it. No matter how much work she had to do, she would enjoy her newlywed life for the next year. In marriage, the first year is the most important. Of course, with Lucius, Tiana hoped to spend her whole life happy, but the best time to enjoy it is when a couple is newly married. Somehow the moon seemed brighter today, perhaps it¡¯s a sign wishing her a happy married life. Tiana wanted to ask the moon for a favor. ¡°Oh, beautiful moon, I have a favor to ask. Please make us the happiest couple in the world. I want to make Lucius happy, so please help me with that.¡± After putting her hands together for prayer, right when she was about to say, ¡®Watch over us,¡¯ a familiar voice cut her off. ¡°Please watch over us.¡± She jerked before turning to look at him. He had appeared out of the blue without making a sound. ¡°¡­Lucius?¡± ¡°So that Tiana and I can have the happiest times of our lives.¡± A soft smile decorated his face. His exceptionally shiny, gold eyes resembled the moonlight behind him, forcing Tiana to stare at him dumbfounded. ¡°Why are you here, Lucius?¡± When she asked this after making a bewildered face at him, he just laughed and answered. ¡°I came because I missed you.¡± These were true words from his heart. There was no lie on that grinning face. He had been saying that to Tiana ever since that day he dried her hair for her. Was this Alexandra¡¯s influence? The effects of the advice she had given him were apparent. Chapter 70 - The Moon’s Blessing Chapter 70 ¨C The Moon¡¯s Blessing After suppressing a sigh, Tiana said to him something that had just popped into her head. ¡°Oh, sorry about your last visit. You came to see me, but we couldn¡¯t really talk much and you had to leave.¡± ¡°No need to apologize. Besides, I got to talk to your father, so it was good. Are you getting along well with your brother?¡± ¡°Not sure if it¡¯s going well, but we seem to be getting along. Though it does get awkward at times.¡± ¡°What a relief. Time will iron out the awkward moments too.¡± ¡°I guess so.¡± When she got off the swing and tried to stand up, Lucius blocked her from moving and bent in front of her. While he held her hand, the bright moonlight poured down over his head. The sight of his fluttering gold eyes and him kissing the back of her hand was beautiful, like a dream. ¡°Actually, I haven¡¯t been able to come here for a few days, so I came to see you even if I am a bit late. I heard that you haven¡¯t been feeling well, so¡­ I wanted to see if you¡¯re alright?¡± ¡°Who did you hear that from?¡± ¡°I heard it from one of your close maids.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± A while back when she had discovered the duchess¡¯ ledger, Inabel probably had relayed to Lucius about her crying and feeling depressed. She certainly had been disturbed at that time, but not anymore. Although it hurts to look at it from time to time, she was going to bring it to the grand duchy because it was such a precious item. That ledger was her mother¡¯s medium, the mother she couldn¡¯t meet in this life, or ever again. Every time she looked at it, she felt affectionate and wanted to keep it. With her a little subdued and silent, Lucius looked at her with a more worried look. Feeling worried, he grabbed Tiana¡¯s hand. ¡°If you¡¯re uneasy about the wedding¡­ is there something I can do?¡± He asked hesitantly. ¡°Huh? What do you mean?¡± ¡°I was told that a bride who is about to get married would have a lot of psychological anxiety because she longs for her pre-marriage life. Is that right?¡± Tiana saw a glimpse of anxiety on his face looking at her with nervous eyes. ¡°No! Who said that to you?¡± ¡°Alexandra. She said that before a wedding, women have lots of psychological pressures.¡± I knew it, Tiana thought. She had anticipated something small, but why did Alexandra have to tell him all of that? Or was it that she hasn¡¯t even married yet? Tiana knew that Lucius¡¯ sister was younger than her, but how could she know so much? Either way, she¡¯ll have to correct Lucius, who had a big misunderstanding. She sighed and grabbed his hand. ¡°Absolutely not. I wasn¡¯t feeling like myself a few days ago, but that was because of something else; it¡¯s not that I¡¯m anxious or worried about marrying you.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes. Of course. Why would I be worried or uneasy about marrying you? Obviously, I¡¯m worried that I¡¯ll have a lot of responsibilities as your wife, but that¡¯s one thing. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m nervous or worried about my marriage to you.¡± Of course, she was worried about becoming the grand duchess but she didn¡¯t really have any other marriage-related concerns. Why would she worry knowing that it would reduce the time that she should be enjoying? Her marriage to him would be happiness itself. Similar to modern times, there seemed to be an unstable psychological state for brides before marriage, which was not the case for Tiana. Shouldn¡¯t she be happy to be able to see Lucius¡¯ face every day when she wakes up and every night before falling to sleep? To hell with the worries and anxiety. Tiana wanted to yell out the words ¡®I feel great!¡¯ Even with her sincere heart, the anxiety was not erased from his face as if her words were not enough. She let go of his hand, grabbed both his cheeks, and pulled him in, taking him by surprise. ¡°Lucius.¡± The space between them was so little, they could feel each other¡¯s breath. When Tiana slightly tilted her head down to look into his wide-open, gold eyes, he looked at her without a word. ¡°I accepted your proposal to me. And I also proposed to you. Did you forget about that?¡± ¡°Never.¡± ¡°If I were anxious and uneasy about marrying you, would I tell you to marry me?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to have a lot of new things in my life, and it¡¯s going to be different and hectic. But there¡¯s nothing to worry about because you¡¯ll be by my side.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± ¡°Rather, I will be full of happiness and anticipation. Don¡¯t you feel the same way?¡± ¡°I do. I feel the same way, Tiana.¡± When he finally said this with confidence, Tiana was relieved. He let go of his anxious expression and smiled. His shy smile forced her hand to hold his face tighter without realizing it. His red lips and smile were clearly visible under the night sky. Eh, screw it! Tiana kissed his tempting lips on impulse. It was for a second, but their lips definitely touched. Lucius, totally shocked, stared at her with eyes as wide as the moon. Red was filling his face, and somehow Tiana thought her temperature was rising, so she laughed. ¡°I was originally planning to do that tomorrow, but since the moon is watching us, I did it in advance. The kiss of oath.¡± Since he was speechless, she continued speaking. ¡°You know, because the moon officiated, our kiss has been legitimized. As a bride and groom to¡ª¡± ¡°Tiana.¡± The serious look in Lucius¡¯ eyes gradually became deeper. It was an impulsive kiss, so she had barely glossed over his lips, but for some reason, she was shier of his eyes, which began to bear a little heat. It was good to have had the nerve, but how should she deal with what came after? While the silence hammocked between them, having rolled her head, Tiana quickly rose up when she saw the tilted moon. ¡°It¡¯s getting late. You have to go, if you don¡¯t plan on being late for the wedding tomorrow¡­¡± ¡°Tiana.¡± As she was about to walk past him, Lucius wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to him. Surprising Tiana by the instant force, he hugged her waist as if he would never let go. Before she could say anything, he placed his lips over hers. Different from the peck earlier, this kiss was long and deep. Tiana closed her eyes slowly, feeling his lips against hers. The moon behind Lucius seemed to smile at them. If you want to support the Lunar Letters team, you can do so by pledging to us on Patreon and get to read advanced chapters of our novels! (Note: Patreon is not compulsory. Patrons are able to read ahead, but chapters will still be released to the public at a later date. This is only one way to financially support the team and keep the site running. Thank you very much!) Chapter 72 - The Newlyweds Chapter 72 ¨C The Newlyweds ¡°The bride and groom may enter.¡± Both of them entered the ceremony at the minister¡¯s cue. Roaring applause from the guests echoed in the hall upon seeing them together. The sparkling dress made Tiana look more splendid and graceful than any other bride they had ever seen. Alexandra, after seeing how good they looked together, grinned and applauded as well. As Tiana and Lucius approached the podium where the minister was standing, Edwin watched the beautiful couple from the very front row. After they stepped right under the chandelier that was shining down brightly from above, the minister looked at the couple and started the ceremony. ¡°It is an honor to be the officiant of this wedding today. Two people who have lived such different lives, will now live alongside one another. I pray that you two are successful in creating a happy life.¡± Continuing his sermon, he signaled the priest. He approached carefully with a box containing the rings. The minister began to read the vows. ¡°Lucius Eyal Rederick, do you take Tiana Quinn Celeste to be your wedded wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do you part?¡± ¡°I do.¡± ¡°Tiana Quinn Celeste, do you take Lucius Eyal Rederick to be your wedded husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do you part?¡± ¡°I do.¡± ¡°We have confirmed that you two agree with each other¡¯s statements in the vows, with myself along with all of the guests as your witnesses.¡± Lucius took a large, shiny diamond ring from the box delivered by the priest and put it on Tiana¡¯s finger. Tiana also took the other dazzling ring from the box and slid it onto his finger. They made eye contact and she smiled, waiting for his next move. He lifted her veil with slightly shaky hands and smiled back at her. Lowering his head, he kissed her softly on her red lips. Watching their lovely interaction, the minister smiled and announced loudly. ¡°I now pronounce you husband and wife. May God shed his light on¡ª¡± Whoa! In the middle of him speaking, the guests shot up out of their chairs and cheered to congratulate the newlyweds¡¯ holy matrimony. Edwin couldn¡¯t take his eyes off the couple smiling happily at one another. Rael, who had been clapping with a big satisfied look on his face, bent down to pick up Rose from the ground. The smile didn¡¯t leave his face as he barely blocked the bird, who seemed to want to fly over to the newlyweds at any moment. Marquess Calvino, who had been looking at Edwin with a disapproving face, also had a reluctant smile on his face, staring at the happy couple. The wedding of Lucius and Tiana, which had stirred up the empire, was concluded safely. *** Tiana relaxed as she dipped her body into the warm water and leaned back in the tub. Arriving at the grand duchy at night after a hectic reception at the palace, she slowly recounted what had happened today. ¡°A magnificent wedding, a magnificent reception¡­¡± After having successfully finished the wedding ceremony, the following reception was also fun. She hadn¡¯t expected to see Rael in the front row, but he was Lucius¡¯ brother and the emperor. No one could stop him. Since more guests had attended than she¡¯d thought, she couldn¡¯t remember all of them, but she wanted to meet the empress dowager and thank her. Tiana had been bewildered since she hadn¡¯t expected the empress dowager to attend the reception, but it had been good talking to her, and she had seemed like a great person. Especially since she hadn¡¯t found anything particularly bothering. Perhaps it was true that she was feeling weak since she hadn¡¯t been able to stay at the reception until the end, but they had made a promise to meet on a later date. ¡°That¡¯s how she was, but surprisingly, she was a girl with a smile.¡± As she soaked herself in hot water, she felt tired, like she was about to fall asleep. Having been so busy and not being able to sit even for a moment at the ceremony and reception, it was indeed a tiring day. But soon she recalled feeling the atmosphere of the unfamiliar bathroom. Everything was finished, and she had moved to the grand duchy, and now she was the lady of the house. And tonight, she would spend her first night with Lucius. It was the final step for the bride and groom after the wedding. After the maids had backed away and left Tiana alone in the bathroom, she accepted that she had a surprisingly calm first night. ¡°Lucius and I are newlyweds. The first step is spending the first night together. That way we can say we¡¯re truly a married couple!¡± It was only natural to do so after having a formal wedding. From now on in this marriage, nothing will be left out. But she was still a little anxious. She¡¯s never been alone with a man, let alone in a relationship with one, and now she was married and about to have their first night together. Holding hands, kissing; everything first she¡¯s ever done has been with Lucius. ¡°Obviously I was the one who initiated the first peck, but¡­Lucius gave me a real kiss¡­¡± Tiana didn¡¯t even realize her body was twisting as she thought about his long, deep kiss from last night. It had been good to kiss on impulse, but in the end, Lucius had gone overboard with it! Geez! He can¡¯t do that today. Tiana cupped some warm water in her hand and poured it over her chest, then placed her hand over her heart to feel the beat. The pleasant tension excited her, making her want to meet him even more. Hurry up and bathe, woman! she thought. She slowly lifted herself, with one arm on the edge of the tub, and stood up. She was about to call the maids to finish, but she paused at the sight of a shining object. Three pink bottles lay side by side. They looked like shampoo and body wash, but they were different brands from the ones she¡¯d seen a few days ago. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me¡­¡± When she had washed her hair earlier, the scent had seemed familiar for some reason. Had Lucius changed it to what she had said she liked? She hadn¡¯t expected him to actually do it. If so, then today they¡¯d smell the same. Suddenly her face turned red in embarrassment. After turning around and seeing her blazing face in the mirror, she urgently called in the maids. It was embarrassing to show them her current condition, but she couldn¡¯t wait to get out of the bathroom, so she turned away from the mysterious eyes and hurriedly wrapped herself up. She went out of the bathroom and put on a silk nightdress with a gown over it. Tiana saw the head maid who had tied her waistband checking a few times to make sure it was able to be loosened, and that¡¯s when she figured out what the maids were very thoroughly preparing her for. Well, it¡¯s the first night after the wedding, so it¡¯s important for the servants of the house as well. The head maid, who nodded proudly when she saw the well-tied knot that came out beautifully, gave another maid a confirmation glance. After all the preparations, the head maid and the other maids finally left, closing the bedroom door. Standing alone in the room, Tiana approached the bed. It was big enough for two to roll around in for hours and not even fall off. She was running her hand over the soft-looking blanket when suddenly the door latch opening could be heard. If you want to support the Lunar Letters team, you can do so by pledging to us on Patreon and get to read advanced chapters of our novels! (Note: Patreon is not compulsory. Patrons are able to read ahead, but chapters will still be released to the public at a later date. This is only one way to financially support the team and keep the site running. Thank you very much!) Chapter 73 - At Long Last Chapter 73 ¨C At Long Last Tiana looked over at Lucius to find him wearing a gown similar to hers, to her surprise. He closed the door behind him, and she watched him as he entered the room, trying to calm her nerves at his approach. His hair was still dripping tiny water droplets as he moved. ¡°Tiana?¡± Approaching closer, Lucius stared at her wondrously. Once again, he had come without properly drying off his hair. A laugh escaped through Tiana¡¯s lips, saying while pointing at his hair, ¡°Why did you not dry your hair again?¡± ¡°I was worried you¡¯d be waiting too long.¡± ¡°Unlike last time, I will try to stay here longer from now on.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I wanted to come quickly . . .¡± Tiana saw a flicker of worry cross his face as he gingerly walked closer to her and grabbed her hand. It wasn¡¯t until their hands touched that she smiled at seeing him relax into the moment. ¡°But you still have to dry off. You¡¯re dripping water everywhere, and you could catch a cold.¡± She led him by the hand to the bed, taking a towel from the nightstand and standing in front of him to dry his hair off. The silly situation made her laugh, making her wonder if he¡¯d ever dry his hair from now on. He¡¯s probably doing it on purpose, she thought. His suaveness really suited her taste. Where did he learn all this? As she was drying his hair, she soon found out that the scent from his hair was the same as her own. Of course he¡¯d use the same fragrance. The product that Tiana had used was for women. But from where did he get it? Don¡¯t tell me he went out and bought it himself, she thought. Now she was curious as to what kind of face he put on whenever he bought women¡¯s products. He couldn¡¯t have bought enough of them to change every bathroom product in the mansion. ¡°Tiana,¡± spoke Lucius. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Lucius?¡± She was still drying his hair at the moment, but far from staying still, suddenly he took her hands in his and attempted to hold them steady. With a grumpy face, he said as he pulled her hands off his head, ¡°It¡¯s dry now.¡± ¡°It¡¯s still damp. I¡¯ll be done in a minute.¡± ¡°This is dry enough. So stop it . . . please.¡± ¡°Lucius . . .¡± After taking the towel from Tiana¡¯s hands, he threw it to the side and hugged her waist. Before she knew it, Lucius¡¯s red watery eyes were looking up at her. With their faces merely inches away from one another, he said in a distressed voice, ¡°From now on, I¡¯ll dry my hair properly.¡± ¡°Why all of a sudden?¡± ¡°Because you¡¯ll become less interested in me while drying my hair off for me.¡± ¡°Wha¡ª¡± ¡°Look, the tension in you is all gone. Tonight we have to spend our first night together as newlyweds.¡± Seeing him mumble those words with his face reddening made Tiana laugh. He was so cute, the happiness and excitement of spending their first night together so evident in him that it prompted Tiana to kiss him on the lips. She looked at him blankly after the sudden kiss and said, ¡°Do you know how we¡¯re supposed to spend tonight?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious? I¡¯m a man, and I¡¯ve studied it and received advice about it.¡± ¡°Advice? From whom?¡± ¡°Alexandra . . .¡± Again? She must work really hard for her brother. Typically, Alexandra didn¡¯t come across as someone who would give advice, but Tiana was very curious about what she had told her brother. ¡°Then what has she told you?¡± ¡°To be aggressive . . . ,¡± he said almost shyly. He lowered his eyes as his face turned red. Indeed, that would be Alexandra¡¯s advice. Tiana, this time succeeding at not laughing, took Lucius¡¯s face in her hands, lifted it, and said, ¡°So how ¡®aggressive¡¯ are you going to get?¡± Lucius did not give an answer, his head still down. ¡°Lucius?¡± she prompted again. He flinched as Tiana slowly stroked his cheek and grabbed his fingers, making him blush even more. After staying still for a while, he finally spread his fingers and slowly undid Tiana¡¯s gown waistband. Peering at the now-open gown, he could see her body wearing only a slip, and when Tiana saw him staring blankly at the bare full view of her flesh, she smiled and grabbed him by the shoulder to make him lie down. Looking him up and down, she also pulled off his gown waistband. She blushed at the sight of his naked body and slowly ran her eyes up and down his impressive physique. She was appreciating every inch¡ªthe toned muscles, the wide shoulders, the strong torso, even the small scars left on his chest. Surprised that he was not that thin after all, she carefully took her hand to his upper body. Lucius wiggled his eyebrows and grabbed her by the wrist as she drew along the small cuts over his shoulder bone. ¡°Tiana . . .¡± ¡°I think I can say, this is aggressive. What¡¯s up with your hands? Are you trying to block me? No, I am going to be aggressive today.¡± ¡°Can I touch you too?¡± Tiana admired him looking at her with fiery eyes. She hadn¡¯t expected this guy to use such a technique; this was advanced stuff. How did he know that just by asking ¡°Can I touch you?¡± she¡¯d become even more flustered and excited? He couldn¡¯t have learned that from a book, so it had to be instinctive; truly he was turning to be a man who matched her taste to the end. When she stopped touching him and nodded to him with her face bright red, the look in his eyes changed. ¡°Oh . . .¡± Weren¡¯t women supposed to wait on men¡¯s instincts or something like that? Lucius, who had been like a gentle sheep just before, suddenly changed his pace and kissed Tiana with such fervor. The tongues rummaging around each other¡¯s mouths were now hot and hungry, entangling themselves as if in a fierce battle. Their breathing became shallower, their inhales sharper and faster. Kissing her deeply while moving his hand over her slip, he paused for a moment and looked up at her. Just before he lowered her shoulder strap, Lucius asked in a low voice, ¡°Is it okay if I . . . do it?¡± Tiana gazed wonderfully at him and breathed out a slow breath, nodding at his anxiousness and kissing him. They had become newlyweds today, and they would live out the rest of their lives as a married couple. Accepting this man wholly into her was the first step toward their marriage. How could she not accept a lovely man like this? ¡°Yes,¡± she affirmed again. ¡°I love you, Lucius.¡± ¡°I love you too, Tiana.¡± After exchanging sweet promises, their lips found each other, sealing their passion with a kiss. Clinging to each other¡¯s bodies as a child to a lifesaver, they felt the seconds slow down to eternity, and in time they were lost in a fluttering euphoria. If you want to support the Lunar Letters team, you can do so by pledging to us on Patreon and get to read advanced chapters of our novels! (Note: Patreon is not compulsory. Patrons are able to read ahead, but chapters will still be released to the public at a later date. This is only one way to financially support the team and keep the site running. Thank you very much!) Chapter 74 - Lovely Mornings Chapter 74 ¨C Lovely Mornings ¡°Mmmm . . .¡± Tiana, wrinkling her forehead, opened her eyes at the sunrays peering in through the curtains. Turning her heavy body over, she could immediately see Lucius¡¯s face wrapped around her arms, reflecting warmth and satisfaction even in his sleep. Tiana could not hide the smile that gradually grew on her face at the sight of him. This moment to her seemed surreal. She had never expected to live such a moment like the ones written about in romance novels. She carefully stroked his face and slowly shifted her eyes down, gazing at his body. Last night she had smiled in satisfaction and buried her face in this body even at the sight of his clearly visible scars. This man was now her husband from today onward. Oh, how the stars had smiled upon her . . . that her first love became her husband. Tiana wanted to compliment herself for her triumphant feat. ¡°Now I get to see this every single day . . . ,¡± she said, tracing his sleeping face with her fingers. Was this what women who were married to celebrities felt like in the modern world? Was it any different? If it were not happening to her, she would say it was near impossible in the real world. This thought made her happier and more excited for the future. Finally, he was her husband, so from this moment, there was only one thing she could do: make him walk the righteous path and not the villain¡¯s path. Tiana would now have a lot of things to do: find social activities, see the male and female leads of the original story, and build a foundation for her husband¡¯s flowery road. Time flew as she lost herself in thought. Sunrays cascaded down onto Lucius¡¯s face, much stronger than earlier. After a slight toss and turn, he slowly opened his eyes. ¡°Did you sleep well, Lucius?¡± ¡°Tiana . . .¡± Staring blankly at his wife for a moment, he blinked a few times and soon smiled, hugging her. As soon as Tiana buried herself into his warm arms, she could hear the beating of his heart. ¡°I thought I was dreaming, but you¡¯re really right next to me.¡± ¡°It is not a dream. Did you already forget about yesterday?¡± teased Tiana. ¡°No, I will never forget that. It¡¯s just that this situation . . . is so unbelievable. I am so glad.¡± ¡°Me too. I also thought this was a dream when I woke up earlier. If it¡¯s such a realistic dream, I hope I don¡¯t wake up.¡± Was this the powerful connection of a couple who had just been married the previous day? As they stared into one another¡¯s eyes, Lucius suddenly burst out laughing. From this moment on, it seemed to him, they would be happy just by making eye contact. Tiana enjoyed a leisurely morning in his arms. Feeling the warmth from her body, Lucius said while touching her face, ¡°Are you . . . feeling okay?¡± ¡°I¡¯m okay. I¡¯m feeling a little heavy, but it¡¯s a good heavy.¡± ¡°Are you able to move around?¡± ¡°Yes, why?¡± Lucius cracked a smile while carefully scanning her body with his eyes. ¡°If you¡¯re feeling okay, then shall we go take a trip somewhere or something?¡± ¡°A trip?¡± ¡°Yes, but not a trip, more like an outing. There¡¯s a nearby small city with great scenery. I¡¯ve got some time off, so I think it will be good for us two to get away for a couple of days . . . you know, to celebrate our marriage.¡± ¡°Us two . . . to celebrate our marriage?¡± Tiana was surprised at the random suggestion. During these times people had honeymoons, but that wasn¡¯t so common here, and since she would have so much to do from here on out, the thought of it had completely slipped her mind. What did he mean by a wedding celebration trip? It would be a trip to a nearby city, so it would not really be considered as traveling. Still Tiana was surprised that Lucius thought of it first and brought it up like this. ¡°You will soon start working as the lady of the house and will be busy with your social activities, so I thought it would be good to go away for a while. I also want to relax with you while we¡¯re on vacation.¡± ¡°Lucius . . .¡± ¡°Do you not want to?¡± Tiana hastily shook her head and gave him a big hug, smiling widely at his consideration. ¡°No, no, it¡¯s not that! I¡¯m very happy you thought of it. I want to do it, Lucius. Thank you.¡± All right¡ªTiana decided¡ªno matter how much work she had to do, she could still enjoy these activities and feelings of newlyweds too. She could not reject such a thing, nor miss it for any reason. For the sake of Lucius, who had thoughtfully considered her by suggesting this activity in the first place, she had to accept it. And gladly she would, as it only came once in a lifetime¡ªonly once could they be newlyweds. She kissed him on the cheek, and he smiled shyly and kissed her back. ¡°I can¡¯t wait . . . our first trip together, just the two of us.¡± ¡°Me too, Tiana.¡± ¡°What kind of place is it?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s just leave it as a pleasurable mystery for now, till we get there.¡± ¡°Hmm . . . whatever you say, husband!¡± Tiana said laughing. A faint mischievous energy was in the air, and Lucius joined her in invigorating laughter. If you want to support the Lunar Letters team, you can do so by pledging to us on Patreon and get to read advanced chapters of our novels! (Note: Patreon is not compulsory. Patrons are able to read ahead, but chapters will still be released to the public at a later date. This is only one way to financially support the team and keep the site running. Thank you very much!) Chapter 75 - First Marriage Trip Chapter 75 ¨C First Marriage Trip Perhaps they thought about it too much ahead of time. Now news about the trip had spread to the maids and servants. After a late breakfast, Tiana immediately got ready for the trip, giddy in excitement. Even though it would be a short trip, it was her first time leaving the capital. More importantly, it was special because it was prepared by Lucius just for her. Tiana still couldn¡¯t believe that the two of them were about to go on their first trip. ¡°Finished, madam.¡± Jane, the head maid, stepped back after brushing and styling Tiana¡¯s hair. ¡°Thank you, you did great,¡± Tiana replied gratefully. Accepting a hat from another maid, Tiana put it on and looked at herself in the mirror. Since it was her first trip with her husband, she wanted to look especially nice today. With a satisfied look on her face, she went out of her room and went down to the first floor, where she found Lucius waiting for her with the butler and a group of knights. ¡°Tiana, you look amazing.¡± ¡°Thanks, Lucius. It isn¡¯t too flashy then?¡± ¡°Never. It fits you well. I think it¡¯ll match well with the mood of our trip.¡± ¡°Oh yeah?¡± It didn¡¯t seem like Lucius was going to tell her what kind of place they were going to. Looking at him with questioning eyes, she was met only with a smile. Then he took her hand and walked her to the carriage. ¡°I¡¯ll introduce you to the knights that are coming with us. They¡¯re from the grand duchy.¡± Five of the knights were waiting at the front of the carriage. The leader, standing in front of the other four, greeted them, ¡°Theros De Eltheim, commander of the escorts. My team and I will be accompanying you on your trip, ma¡¯am.¡± ¡°Thank you, Theros.¡± Theros had green hair and a firm-looking body. Tiana was amazed by the shapely muscles that were very visible even through his knight uniform. After she acknowledged the other escorts, Lucius said carefully, ¡°It¡¯s not going to be a long journey, but they¡¯ll escort us nonetheless. You don¡¯t have to worry because they are the best of the best.¡± ¡°All right.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure we should be fine, but in case something happens on the way, please don¡¯t leave my side.¡± ¡°Yes, of course. Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t let go of you.¡± ¡°Tiana . . .¡± ¡°Don¡¯t let go of me either, Lucius.¡± ¡°I never will.¡± Once again they squeezed each other¡¯s hands tightly and smiled. Hand in hand they boarded the carriage, sitting next to each other. ¡°We will return soon.¡± Warren and the other servants saw them off as the carriage slowly moved forward. *** About two hours after leaving the capital, they arrived at the destination. Tiana had been curious about this destination too long. But now she was looking at the view of the small city through a window in the carriage. The view was just like straight out of a painting. From the entrance, the streets were filled with flowers and trees. Slightly opening the window, she was welcomed by many different sweet scents of flowers filling the carriage. ¡°Wow . . .¡± she gasped in delight. As they entered the village, she was surprised that there were many gardens and flower shops next to each other. More than half of the pedestrians were holding at least one flower, and a large proportion of the merchants seemed to be selling them. ¡°Are flowers special here or something?¡± ¡°Right. Because of this region¡¯s temperature, many flowers bloom here, so the whole city is in the flower business. As they have lots of rare flowers here too, the city is famous for its beautiful scenery.¡± ¡°The whole city is in the flower business? How exciting.¡± ¡°It¡¯s like a botanical garden jointly managed by the people and the city, which distributes seeds and flower seedlings to the merchants. You could say it is a business that takes advantage of the unique characteristics of this city.¡± ¡°I can see that.¡± In such a small city with plenty of features, that kind of business surely was possible. The entire city was working together to maintain itself. It definitely wasn¡¯t something you commonly see elsewhere. ¡°Shall we get out and take a closer look?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s do it!¡± Tiana couldn¡¯t take her eyes off the view outside her window, so Lucius knocked on the carriage wall, signaling that they¡¯d like to get out now. Soon after they stopped, and the knights outside opened the door for them to step out. Lucius, who got out first, extended a hand to Tiana. ¡°Step carefully now.¡± ¡°Yes, thank you.¡± She exited slowly, smiling at him and holding his hand. Certainly, the scent outside was thicker than when they were inside the carriage. Tiana crossed her arm with Lucius¡¯s. Holding his hand tightly, she walked forward with him, the knights on guard following behind them. ¡°A new variety of summer snowflakes has arrived!¡± ¡°How about a bouquet for the missus?¡± ¡°I have seedling pots that are simple and easy to grow!¡± Merchants sang in the streets vending their wares. Indeed, the entire city was running a flower business. From shops that specialized in one kind of flower to ones that sold a variety of rare flowers, small business ranged in volume and variety. Some even sold only seedlings and pots. ¡°Come get your tulips!¡± ¡°Come get a red rose!¡± There were plenty of shops and vendors to choose from, but there was one in particular that caught Tiana¡¯s eye. It was a young girl holding a basket, selling single-stemmed flowers. The girl, around the age of ten, was walking between shops selling flowers, accompanied by a younger boy. ¡°Those kids . . .¡± Lucius was looking in the direction where she was staring at. ¡°Many kids sell flowers here. Some are hired by shops, and some are working alone. They usually sell regular flowers that you can get almost anywhere.¡± ¡°So they are selling flowers here to make a living?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. As there is a lot of foot traffic, the profit is more stable than you¡¯d think, and it¡¯s much safer than other jobs.¡± ¡°I see.¡± She understood that it was sort of a modern-day part-time job. But certainly, it might be different from the way normal people made a living. Many kids were usually assistant staff at stores, restaurants, and bars, and there were a lot who couldn¡¯t even do those. If you want to support the Lunar Letters team, you can do so by pledging to us on Patreon and get to read advanced chapters of our novels! (Note: Patreon is not compulsory. Patrons are able to read ahead, but chapters will still be released to the public at a later date. This is only one way to financially support the team and keep the site running. Thank you very much!) Chapter 76 - A Bouquet Of Love Chapter 76 ¨C A Bouquet of Love It was a city near the capital, and since there was a unique business industry, it seemed plausible that young children could sell flowers for a living here. Looking at the children selling flowers in pairs reminded Tiana of the time before the possession. She used to help her grandmother in her business of selling fake flowers. When she saw the young children¡¯s little hands holding out the flowers, it was like she was looking at the younger version of herself. Those kids, too, were living diligently. ¡°H-hey . . .¡± She stood still, looking at them, and they approached from a short distance away. As they got closer, Tiana noticed they looked alike, almost like siblings. The one who looked like the older sister hesitated before talking in a trembling voice, ¡°Please buy a pretty rose, miss.¡± She lifted the basket full of roses and held one out, her hand shaking nervously. The way she was waiting with an anxious look on her face was adorable. Tiana slightly bent a little lower, lowered her eyes to match the girl¡¯s, and accepted the red rose. ¡°What a beautiful rose. Can I buy more than one?¡± ¡°Uh . . . y-yes, yes, you can! I have a lot. My brother and I worked hard at growing them.¡± ¡°You grew them yourselves?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The girl was smiling as she was pulling out a few roses, and she ended up shoving the whole basket out in front of Tiana. There were many colors to choose from; some were darker and more coveted than ordinary roses. And she grew these herself? Amazing, Tiana thought to herself. ¡°These colors look prettier than the other flowers. You grow these together? How amazing!¡± ¡°We get seeds from the botanical garden, then we plant them. I am not that good, but my brother here, he knows a few ways to do it, so he¡¯s able to make them come out prettier!¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± The younger brother kept his head down the whole time, but Tiana saw he was relishing at the compliment. He laughed as he held his sister¡¯s arm tightly, not raising his head and hiding further back behind her. Tiana reached out and patted the older child¡¯s head gently. She wanted to pat the younger child too, but she couldn¡¯t reach him since he was too far back. Shy of Tiana¡¯s affection, the girl put her hand in her basket and carefully pulled something out. ¡°Please take this! I think it would look pretty in your hair, miss.¡± It was a lovely rose, bright blue in color. It was the only blue rose among the red and yellow ones, and it was the most beautiful blue rose Tiana had ever seen. Even in the mansion¡¯s garden, she hadn¡¯t seen such a rose. ¡°You grew this blue one?¡± ¡°Yes. It was harder to grow than the other ones, but my brother did a good job at it.¡± ¡°But he worked so hard to grow it, is it okay for you to give it away? I think you can sell it at a high price to one of the shops.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. Actually, I saw you earlier. Your eyes and hair are so pretty . . . like this blue flower, right?¡± the girl said, nudging her brother. ¡°Yep,¡± said the boy in a low voice, nodding his head. His head was still lowered, so Tiana couldn¡¯t see his face, but his soft voice was clear. ¡°So please take it! If you take it, I can proudly tell my friends that I met a beautiful princess! Right? Cool, huh?¡± ¡°It¡¯s cool.¡± Tiana stopped smiling at the strange relationship between the girl, who was talking excitedly, and her brother, who was just nodding his head. ¡°Then I¡¯ll buy a different one, and I can just pay a random price for the blue one.¡± ¡°But . . .¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think I can just take such a pretty rose that you grew yourselves. Just think of it as a reward for growing flowers, okay?¡± ¡°Ummm . . . okay, I can do that. Thank you, miss.¡± The girl, hesitating, nodded and gave Tiana a few different roses. After looking at the carefully chosen red and yellow roses, she combined the blue one and made them into a small bouquet, tied them with a string, and handed them to her¡ªred ones on the outside, yellow ones on the inside, and the sole blue one at the center. Tiana accepted the bouquet of various roses with a big smile and gently patted the girl¡¯s head. ¡°Thanks, I will cherish them.¡± ¡°Okay! Thank you for buying them. Have a good trip.¡± The girl who received the money bowed and took her younger brother away. As they passed by Tiana while leaving, she caught a glimpse of the boy¡¯s eyes. His head was still down, but his dark-brown eyes stayed on her for a while. Then he blinked and looked ahead. What was that? She was sure he had a sharp look in his eyes. Or was it just all in her mind? ¡°Tiana, what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Nothing. The roses are pretty, right? Especially the blue one? The color is darker, and the scent is richer than the other roses.¡± ¡°Wow, you¡¯re right. As that little girl said, it matches your hair. It isn¡¯t normal to grow a flower this color. I guess the boy¡¯s a real talent.¡± ¡°He seems so.¡± Tiana hadn¡¯t been able to see his face because he¡¯d kept his head down, but she remembered that he had a lot of scratches on the hand that was holding his sister¡¯s arm. She felt sorry for him but also proud to think that he had grown these roses with his tiny hands. The feeling she had gotten when her eyes briefly met his was a little strange though, but she figured he might be a child who was reluctant to be near an aristocrat. After all, many kids didn¡¯t like aristocrats or were afraid of them. ¡°There¡¯s a nice coffee shop that way. I heard you can drink rare flower tea there, should we go?¡± ¡°Yeah, sounds good.¡± Smelling the roses in her hands, Lucius smiled softly and wrapped his arm around her waist. She nodded and walked with him, holding her bouquet tightly. If you want to support the Lunar Letters team, you can do so by pledging to us on Patreon and get to read advanced chapters of our novels! (Note: Patreon is not compulsory. Patrons are able to read ahead, but chapters will still be released to the public at a later date. This is only one way to financially support the team and keep the site running. Thank you very much!) Chapter 77 - Happiness Will Certainly Come Chapter 77 ¨C Happiness will Certainly Come The caf¨¦, which wasn¡¯t too far away, was filled with many types of flowers. From the flowers at the entrance to those displayed inside empty glass bottles all over the caf¨¦, they made a beautiful ambiance. Perhaps it was indeed a famous place since it seemed like every table was occupied. Thankfully, Tiana was still able to get a seat at one of the empty tables. The caf¨¦, divided into treelike partitions, had a round glass ceiling filled with trees and flowers, so it was as if she had come into a small botanical garden. Lucius, who was looking at her, smiled softly as Tiana immersed herself in the comfortable, peaceful atmosphere of the natural ambiance. ¡°How is it? Good, right?¡± ¡°Yes, very good. Thank you, Lucius. How did you find out about such a place?¡± ¡°I am glad you like it, Tiana. I heard that the flower tea menu changes with the seasons and the desserts are popular too. They say you can also try the rare flower tea if you come at the right time.¡± ¡°Really? I¡¯m curious about it now.¡± Tiana could not believe she could drink flower tea. This caf¨¦ that specialized in flower tea intrigued her. Maybe it was because of the impact of the city¡¯s main business. I wish there was a place like this in the capital. There had to be at least one, right? A caf¨¦ with an ambiance like this would go well with the trendy setting of the capital. The interior of the caf¨¦ also looked great because it showed certain focal points. While it wasn¡¯t too fancy, it didn¡¯t look old-fashioned either. It was formal but had a natural atmosphere that attracted plenty of people. Probably for that reason, at least half of the customers in the caf¨¦ were tourists. She saw that though there were a lot of nobles in the place, there were also ordinary citizens dining. Being in a place where two social classes could mesh harmoniously was quite impressive to her. ¡°I apologize for the wait. Here are your desserts and tea.¡± While Tiana was looking around, the tea and desserts she¡¯d ordered had arrived. There was a glass teapot, a teacup, and a covered bowl on a moving tray. ¡°It¡¯s our special of the month, marigold tea.¡± The glass teapot was filled with bright yellow marigold petals. The attendant poured the thickly brewed flower tea into the teacup, and the scent lingered over the table. ¡°And this is our dessert set called ¡®spring flower,¡¯¡± the server said, removing the lid from the plate to reveal various types of small desserts. There were pink macarons, financiers, cannoli, and muffins. The bright colors, as the name ¡°spring flower¡± suggested, were delightful to see. ¡°Lord Lucius, Lady Tiana . . . it is an honor for us that you visited our main location. Please have a good and comfortable time.¡± After a brief greeting, the server stepped away. However, Tiana noticed that somehow she knew who they were. As she looked at Lucius with surprise, his eyes moved to the side, avoiding her stare. ¡°By chance . . . did you order this ahead of time?¡± ¡°On our way through the streets, I thought it¡¯d be nice if we stopped by. I heard that it¡¯s hard to find a seat if you don¡¯t make a reservation, so . . . I made a reservation earlier.¡± ¡°Lucius . . .¡± This man, she thought. This is all part of his plan. He¡¯d reserved the table and brought her here as part of his plan. She noticed that their server¡¯s outfit was different from the others, and the manager seemed to have come out himself when he knew they were there. She had assumed they¡¯d gotten lucky for getting a seat inside, but now she knew that it wasn¡¯t just luck. ¡°When did you make a reservation?¡± ¡°About a month ago.¡± ¡°What? So this trip . . . you¡¯ve been planning it since then?¡± ¡°Yeah . . .¡± Seeing him look away again made Tiana snort. A month ago? So he had been planning this even before the wedding. What should I do with this guy? she thought. She couldn¡¯t be happier that he¡¯d prepared all this for her. Tiana, blushing, looked into Lucius¡¯s eyes, admiring him as he smiled shyly. She could feel his warm heart through his eyes that were now looking at her sincerely. ¡°Thank you . . . Really, I am so happy.¡± ¡°If you are happy, I am happy. It¡¯s worth all the preparation.¡± ¡°Lucius . . .¡± ¡°Drink your tea before it gets cold, and eat the dessert too.¡± ¡°All right . . . Drink yours too.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± He lifted the teacup slowly and took a sip. The marigold petals slightly floating in the yellow teapot resembled the color of his eyes. Taking a sip of her own tea, Tiana felt its pleasant scent and taste calmly spread all over her. Come to think of it¡ªwhat was that marigold phrase? she thought. She was pondering it when her eyes met Lucius, who was already eating his dessert. ¡°It even tastes good on this financier. Try it, Tiana.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± ¡°How is the cannoli? The vanilla one tastes good.¡± ¡°I want to try it too.¡± ¡°All right.¡± At Tiana¡¯s request, Lucius picked it up with his fork and carefully offered his hand toward her. As she opened her mouth, the sweet vanilla stimulated her taste buds. They smiled at one another. A thought came to her, the marigold phrase. Happiness will certainly come. The phrase fits perfectly with Tiana and Lucius right now. If you want to support the Lunar Letters team, you can do so by pledging to us on Patreon and get to read advanced chapters of our novels! (Note: Patreon is not compulsory. Patrons are able to read ahead, but chapters will still be released to the public at a later date. This is only one way to financially support the team and keep the site running. Thank you very much!) Chapter 78 - Flowers In Bloom Chapter 78 ¨C Flowers in Bloom They had a great first day, ate breakfast the next day, and left the accommodation together, walking along the street. Thankfully, the weather was nice today too, so there were no complaints about their walk. ¡°Let¡¯s go look around the plants I mentioned yesterday.¡± ¡°Sounds good. I can¡¯t wait.¡± Holding Tiana¡¯s hand tightly, Lucius smiled softly and kissed her forehead. She grabbed his face. He was shyly avoiding her eyes again, but when she kissed his cheek, he instantly turned red. What a cute guy. She wanted to do it again, but there were too many eyes watching. He was also aware of the surroundings, so she just gave up on that and grabbed his hand again. As she crossed her arm with his and stayed by his side, Lucius¡¯s face became redder; but instead of pushing her away, he carefully wrapped his arm around her shoulder. The weather was great. They decided not to move around in the carriage but headed toward the botanical garden and roamed the streets walking instead. On the way, it was nice to see the blooming flowers and the well-managed roads. They arrived at the botanical garden faster than they¡¯d expected. ¡°Wow . . .¡± It was bigger and more beautiful than they had imagined it to be. The sunlight projected on the stained glass shone throughout the botanical garden, filling it with bright natural light. ¡°Welcome, Lord Lucius and Lady Tiana.¡± While the couple was waiting at the entrance, two men and one woman approached them. The man who appeared to be the oldest stepped forward as the leader and said hello. After receiving his greeting, Lucius introduced him to Tiana. ¡°The owner of this estate, Viscount Grassel. He is also the business representative of the joint venture.¡± ¡°Oh my, really? It is really nice to meet you, Viscount Grassel.¡± ¡°It is an honor, Lady Tiana. Thank you for coming all this way.¡± The man had a polite attitude and a neat smile. He did look the oldest among the three of them, but he was younger than Tiana had expected. At first glance, she thought he¡¯d be in his mid-thirties. How could he be a CEO at that age? The standards might be different in modern times, but he looked great. ¡°Let me introduce these two. This is Lona Ezac, the director of the botanical garden and my business representative, and this is Kenil Bien, the assistant director and secretary of the botanical garden.¡± ¡°I am Lona Ezac. It is an honor, Lord Lucius and Lady Tiana.¡± ¡°I am Kenil Bien. It is great to meet the both of you.¡± ¡°Nice to meet you too.¡± As they greeted them with a smile, Tiana saw a sparkle in Lona¡¯s eyes. To the side, Kenil looked at her and let out a breath of air. Lona wanted to say more, but Kenil made a gesture to restrain herself. Tiana kept looking at the two, who she thought seemed to have a strange relationship. ¡°Lona and Kenil will guide you from here.¡± As the couple entered the botanical garden guided by the three, Baron Grassel stepped back, and Lona and Kenil stepped forward. Lona, who seemed to have been holding something in until then, walked around excitedly with her face all smiling while guiding Lucius and Tiana to the botanical garden. ¡°This space has the greenhouse effect applied to it, for the plants that grow only in a warm climate. The plants here especially¡ª¡± ¡°You¡¯re pointing to the wrong place, Director Ezac.¡± ¡°Oh! I didn¡¯t know . . .¡± Kenil looked at her, who burst out laughing in embarrassment and let out a sigh. ¡°Here are various types of flowers growing in different colors. As many as ten species of flowers, each in five colors . . .¡± ¡°Twelve species of flowers, each in six colors . . .¡± ¡°I know! I had a slip of the tongue just now.¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t have a slip of the foot.¡± ¡°Why would you say that in . . . Ah . . . !¡± ¡°Ugh . . .¡± Somehow it was more interesting to see Lona sighing deeper and Kenil taking care of his partner than to see the botanical garden. I guess we got lucky. In Tiana¡¯s view¡ªand as an avid reader of romance novels¡ªshe felt that these two were not in a normal working relationship. Seeing them like that, she thought that they were not a couple yet, only flirting with one another. They might have been extras in the story since they had appeared in the original story, but seeing a man and woman with great potential for development raised her desire as a reader. Were they hiding something? Tiana was focused on the relationship between them rather than the botanical garden, but she was able to look around the garden well enough. Lastly, she followed Lona and Kenil, who told her that they had a place to show her. They came out through the entrance they¡¯d come in earlier and went to the back of the botanical garden. ¡°This is the place.¡± ¡°Here . . .¡± There was a much wider flower garden than what she¡¯d seen inside the botanical garden. Different types of flowers were in full bloom, and in between them were buds that had not yet bloomed. And then there were kids. ¡°I heard that you bought a flower from a kid selling them yesterday.¡± ¡°Where did . . . ?¡± ¡°The story has already spread. You two have caught a lot of attention. One of the girls talked a lot about you yesterday.¡± ¡°Ohh . . .¡± The little girl had said she would proudly tell her friends that she¡¯d met a beautiful princess. When Tiana smiled a little at the embarrassment, Lona said carefully to her, ¡°Thank you for buying flowers from the kids.¡± ¡°I bought from them because the flowers they grew were pretty. I didn¡¯t do it to be thanked.¡± ¡°But thank you nonetheless. The flowers they grow are prettier than the others, but . . . actually, those kids aren¡¯t living too well.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°It is unclear where they are from . . . The kids here, especially the ones who sell flowers . . . they all live in a local orphanage . . . and they get discriminated against a lot.¡± ¡°They what?¡± Tiana was shocked at Lona¡¯s unexpected revelation. Lona made a bitter face and continued, ¡°The children hired by the shops wear shirts with the company logos on them, a sign of ownership. However, the orphans sell flowers without any kind of logo. Because they¡¯re called ¡®kids with no logos,¡¯ the hired kids exclude them from certain areas or the shop owners sometimes prevent them from selling.¡± ¡°How can they . . .¡± ¡°There are rumors going around that their flowers are dirty, they¡¯re cursed, you¡¯ll die if they touch you, stuff like that . . . So often they can¡¯t even approach tourists. We¡¯re cracking down, but they are hard to manage . . . They¡¯re the only ones suffering here. They grow flowers with more care than anyone else . . . It is heartbreaking to hear that about them.¡± Lona couldn¡¯t take her eyes off the kids diligently going around the flower garden. How could someone be discriminated against for being an orphan? Apparently, it was grave discrimination that threatened their survival. She thought, could that be fixed? It might be difficult because it mainly concerned the land and shop owners, but Tiana was angry that she couldn¡¯t fix it on her own. Those kids hadn¡¯t done anything wrong. ¡°Lady Ti¡ªYour Highness, I cannot thank you enough for buying those flowers. In their behalf, thank you again.¡± Tiana choked up at the sight of Lona bowing her head. If you want to support the Lunar Letters team, you can do so by pledging to us on Patreon and get to read advanced chapters of our novels! (Note: Patreon is not compulsory. Patrons are able to read ahead, but chapters will still be released to the public at a later date. This is only one way to financially support the team and keep the site running. Thank you very much!) Chapter 79 - Different Meanings Chapter 79 ¨C Different Meanings ¡°All I did was buy her a flower,¡± said Tiana. ¡°But to that little girl, it was a figure of hope.¡± ¡°I should be the one who feels like that.¡± It wasn¡¯t like Tiana had given her a bunch of money. From the kid¡¯s point of view, it might have been a lot of money, but to her, it was just loose change. She hadn¡¯t paid much for the flowers, but she had received the kid¡¯s big heart in return. ¡°You bought the blue roses, right? The siblings put their heart and soul into growing it, especially the younger one. They were over the moon that you happily accepted it, Lady Tiana.¡± ¡°What a relief.¡± As Tiana was listening to Lona¡¯s words, the flowers that she had left at the hotel came to mind. She had urgently looked for a vase and put them in water. She hoped they didn¡¯t wither. The two siblings appeared far off in the distance. The younger one was further away, so all that she could see was his back, but the older sister turned around to look Tiana¡¯s way. Raising both hands in the air, she waved and smiled so preciously. * After the tour of the botanical garden ended, the couple together with the three guides returned to the entrance. A bell from a nearby church was rung to signal that it was lunchtime. ¡°Shall we prepare lunch for you? We would love it if you had lunch with us.¡± Viscount Grassel offered, while Lona and Kenil looked unsurprised. It seemed to have been discussed in advance. Tiana studied the three of them for a moment, then shifted her eyes to her husband. ¡°Lucius,¡± she called. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Is it okay if we stay?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± When she smiled after seeing him nod, he grabbed her hand with a reciprocated smile on his face; the man who knew everything she wanted to do and speak. Tiana smiled at the warm feeling of his hand and answered the three guides waiting for their reply. ¡°That sounds good. We¡¯ll have lunch here.¡± ¡°Thank you for the honor, your Highness. Right this way please.¡± He gestured. ¡°But I would like to have a few more guests, if it is okay with you.¡± ¡°Pardon me?¡± ¡°I think we¡¯ll need a large place. Can you prepare the table in the flower garden? Oh, and I think it¡¯ll be good to have a rug or a groundsheet rolled out on the floor.¡± Viscount Grassel looked confused. His two employees next to him, also puzzled, stared at Tiana. ¡°I was wondering if I could get some food to go from the restaurant we ate at. If the three of you don¡¯t have any problem, we want to eat with those two kids over there.¡± ¡°You mean those kids, Lady Tiana?¡± the Viscount gestured at the pair. ¡°Yes.¡± The three of them all had the same flustered look on their faces, their eyes as wide as food plates. A flatter response than Tiana had thought. After they¡¯d seen the kids looking at her earlier, she thought it would be okay, but maybe not. But they still hadn¡¯t refused her request. ¡°I know the kids will either have lunch at the orphanage or somewhere else on their own, but I thought it would be nice to eat with them,¡± said Tiana. ¡°But¡­are you really sure? Do you really want to eat with those two kids?¡± ¡°What¡¯s the problem? It¡¯s just eating lunch together.¡± ¡°That is the problem.¡± Seeing the way Viscount Grassel, unable to hide his embarrassment, was trading looks at her and Lucius, Tiana knew what he was worried about; it didn¡¯t make any sense for the famous Grand Duke and Duchess to have lunch with such kids, orphans to be more precise. But Tiana and Lucius weren¡¯t the type of people to be bothered about that. Even while being royal citizens, they wanted to live without caring about other people¡¯s image of them. Besides, there were multiple reasons why she wanted to have lunch with the children. Tiana knew about the children¡¯s situation. She had interacted with them a little bit, so she felt bad about leaving them without a proper goodbye. She really wanted to see the cute kids again, and she wanted to talk to the sister more. The couple wanted to eat with the kids and the team together, but if anyone objected, they could easily order them to get out. ¡°Understood. I will notify the orphanage director. As the kids are already in the flower garden, I think it will be good to make the arrangements over there.¡± Lona, who had been looking at the confident Duchess for a while, said in a slightly hoarse voice. ¡°Lona!¡± ¡°Viscount Grassel, please get the tables in the annex storage ready. There are some long tables used for experiments, so if we put them together, we can all sit together.¡± ¡°Wait, hold on¡­¡± Kenil began. ¡°Oh, Kenil, go get the kids together in the garden. If they are still working, make sure they wash their hands.¡± ¡°A-alright.¡± At Lona¡¯s words, Kenil silently nodded. Viscount Grassel, stuck in the middle not knowing what to do, sighed deeply as if giving up. ¡°Ah¡­ Understood. Then I¡¯ll go gather the tables.¡± ¡°Thank you, and I apologize for suddenly making you do this.¡± Tiana said. ¡°It¡¯s nothing, Lady Tiana. Rather, I ought to thank you for doing this. But is it really okay? Word about this will spread quickly.¡± ¡°It¡¯s completely fine. I¡¯m not doing anything bad.¡± ¡°That may be true. It is a very good act. However¡­¡± Even though he¡¯d accepted the duty, Grassell¡¯s frowning brow would not relax. Tiana knew that he was worried, but spreading the word about this was what she was hoping for. If you want to support the Lunar Letters team, you can do so by pledging to us on Patreon and get to read advanced chapters of our novels! (Note: Patreon is not compulsory. Patrons are able to read ahead, but chapters will still be released to the public at a later date. This is only one way to financially support the team and keep the site running. Thank you very much!) Chapter 80 - Burnt Into Ashes Chapter 80 ¨C Burnt into Ashes If word got around about the situation, it would bring a positive impact on her and Lucius¡¯s public image. It was also a good way to clear up the misunderstanding about Lucius. Of course, it wasn¡¯t only for that. The main priority of this gathering was to spend time with the kids, as an additional part of her duty as a duchess. She was thinking of this as a precursor before she started her social activities. ¡°What are you so worried about, Viscount Grassel? They said it will be fine,¡± convinced Lona. ¡°Oh! Since you mentioned it earlier, please buy some of the snacks that you bought for the kids before.¡± ¡°Yes, understood. Now let my arm go¡­¡± ¡°Please watch your feet and don¡¯t slip, Director Ezac.¡± ¡°You are supporting me, Viscount Grassel, so I am alright.¡± ¡°You are not alright.¡± Kenil couldn¡¯t control the hideous look in his eyes when he saw the burnt-out Lona holding onto the viscount¡¯s shoulder. Whether she knew what Kenil was thinking or not, she smirked at him as the viscount struggled to pull her arm off of him, avoiding his stare. It seemed that the viscount knew Kenil had feelings for Lona. Though Lona never seemed to notice. Seeing her unexpected friendly behavior to Viscount Grassel, this smelled like a love triangle. Lucius whispered to her as he studied the trio. ¡°There is something weird going on between them.¡± ¡°You felt it too? Anyhow, it looks like they have an interesting relationship.¡± ¡°Like a¡­ love triangle?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± She turned to look at him quickly. ¡°You know what that is?¡± As the shocked Tiana stared at Lucius after the random phrase came out of his mouth, he flinched and slightly avoided her gaze. ¡°I just heard about it once, and it just popped up in my mind.¡± ¡°You heard? From who?¡± ¡°Alexandra.¡± I knew it. Siblings. Somehow Alexandra seemed closer to Lucius than Rael. If she had told him what a love triangle was, then she must have read the Lady Series books Tiana had found in the study a while back. Tiana¡¯s chest felt like it would burst as she wanted to ask him about it, but seeing his face redden told her it wouldn¡¯t be so easy. Maybe she shouldn¡¯t mention the Lady Series books after all¡­ ¡°Shall we head to the restaurant?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± She smiled and held her hand out to him, making him look away from the three weirdos in front of them. The moment they backed up; a voice cried out. ¡°F-f-fire! It¡¯s on fire!¡± ¡°What?!¡± All five of them turned their heads to where the voice had come from. Black smoke rose from the back of the botanical garden, the flames blazing red beneath it. ¡°In th-the g-garden! I think the fire¡¯s coming from the flower garden!¡± ¡°How¡­ The kids!¡± Tiana gasped. ¡°No!¡± Lona looked at the rising black smoke with wide teary eyes and ran towards the garden. ¡°Director Ezac!¡± Kenil followed close behind her. Tiana instantly bolted after them too. ¡°Tiana!¡± ¡°Lord Lucius!¡± Shocked, Lucius ran after her, and Viscount Grassel chased after him. Tiana had heard him call out her name, but she didn¡¯t stop running. When she ran around the corner leading to the flower garden, looking only at the black smoke and flames, what she discovered was not a beautiful flower garden but charred flowers and howling children running through the flames. The blooming flowers were now completely swallowed by the fire, and there was soot everywhere. ¡°No¡­ No!¡± ¡°It¡¯s too dangerous!¡± Viscount Grassel said to her before yelling for his companion, ¡°Director Ezac!¡± ¡°Children, th-there are still children over there.¡± ¡°He¡¯s right. It¡¯s too dangerous.¡± With all his might, Kenil was holding back Lona who was about to jump in the raging fire. As Tiana followed her gaze and looked into the fire, the kids who couldn¡¯t escape were crouching with painful expressions. Lucius followed her gaze and softly said, ¡°Tiana, you can¡¯t.¡± ¡°Lucius¡­¡± She still took a step forward Before she could realize it, he grabbed the back of her dress and pulled her. With his face stiffened, he then grabbed her body that was still trying to move forward. ¡°Go and help the kids who can¡¯t escape the flames, and put out the fire.¡± He ordered the knights that followed them for safety. ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡± At the grand duke¡¯s request, they helped the employees of the botanical garden put out the fire. ¡°Lucius¡­ the kids, the garden¡­¡± ¡°They will be alright. They are working to extinguish it, so it will be under control soon.¡± ¡°But those children¡­¡± ¡°The knights went to save them. It will all be okay.¡± ¡°No, it won¡¯t. There, and over there, there are lots of kids who cannot get out. I have to do something. I have to¡­¡± ¡°Tiana, don¡¯t worry too much, it¡¯ll be okay.¡± She couldn¡¯t control her trembling body. Words kept flowing out of her mouth. The rising flames were scary and she was out of breath as if they were encroaching on her, but her head was filled with images of children crying in pain. Someone had to save them. Her trembling body felt the need to break free from Lucius, but his hand wouldn¡¯t let her go. Holding his hand tightly, she couldn¡¯t stop her tears from falling. Seeing her condition, Lucius bit his lip. ¡°I will go. I will go save those kids.¡± He said after much thought. ¡°But you stay here. Don¡¯t move a muscle until I come back.¡± ¡°Lucius¡­¡± ¡°Understand? Do not go anywhere else.¡± When Tiana nodded reluctantly, he hugged her again, pulled out his sword hanging on his waist, and ran into the flames. Suddenly feeling very empty, she wrapped her arms around herself. She watched, anxiously staring at the fire that was still burning. Standing in a chaotic flower garden, she was very angry at herself for not doing anything. What the hell was I thinking sending him alone into the fire? She looked down at her shaky hands and clenched her jaw. Everyone was risking their lives trying to save the kids, but I¡¯m just standing here doing what? I know more than anyone else here how dangerous and scary a fire is! Slowly she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. When she opened them back up, her hands were still shaking, but she was much calmer than earlier. Lucius had told her to stay put, but she couldn¡¯t just stand there and not do anything. While looking around for some water or anything she could grab to at least try to put the fire out, she heard a small voice from the side of the tree between the slightly decreasing flames. ¡°Help! H-help¡­ me!¡± If you want to support the Lunar Letters team, you can do so by pledging to us on Patreon and get to read advanced chapters of our novels! (Note: Patreon is not compulsory. Patrons are able to read ahead, but chapters will still be released to the public at a later date. This is only one way to financially support the team and keep the site running. Thank you very much!) Chapter 81 - Lost In The Flames Chapter 81 ¨C Lost in the Flames Though it was a tiny voice, it was easily heard by Tiana even amidst the blazing sounds of the flames. She ran in the direction of where the sound had come from, to check the exact location. Fortunately, the flames along this path had died down more than any other place, but the thick, black smoke and burning embers were just as dangerous. Blocking her nose and mouth with a cloth, she searched through the smoke, moving forward in search of the faint voice. ¡°Help¡­¡± ¡°Hey, kid!¡± After emerging from the smoke, Tiana discovered a girl¨Cwho was almost out of breath¨Cleaning against a tree not too far away. Tiana kneeled down next to her and put the cloth in her hand over the kid¡¯s face. ¡°Hey, hey wake up! Are you alright? Are you hurt?¡± ¡°Oh¡­Your Highness¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s you!¡± Looking more closely at the child holding her hand, she realized it was the little girl from yesterday. The one who had smiled brightly at her before giving her the blue flower. Sad at the unfortunate turn of events, she picked the girl up into her arms and cradled her close to herself. It looked like there were some signs of injury on her face and body, but thankfully she was still breathing. What if I hadn¡¯t heard her voice? The girl might not have survived. Tiana hadn¡¯t followed Lucius¡¯ command to stay behind and had run straight into the fire, but her discovery of the trapped child justified her for doing that. She decided she¡¯d apologize later on; for now, the kid had to be saved. ¡°You¡¯re alright now. We¡¯re getting out of here, don¡¯t worry. You¡¯re safe.¡± ¡°Please¡­¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± Tiana was about to step toward a less dangerous part of the garden when she heard the kid struggling to say something. ¡°My brother¡­ I don¡¯t¡­ see him¡­ my brother¡­¡± ¡°Your brother? He¡¯s in here?¡± ¡°¡­Please save¡­ save my brother¡­¡± The child, after exerting herself and breathing heavily, was now unconscious. Looking at her slumped over in her arms, Tiana¡¯s jaw clenched. ¡°If they were together that means¡­¡± She was positive that the girl was talking about the same boy she¡¯d been with yesterday. If they had been together earlier, then he had to be around here somewhere. But it would be almost impossible to find him considering his sister¡¯s condition. Should I yell for help? As her feet frantically moved back and forth, she heard Lucius¡¯ voice from the other side. ¡°Tiana!¡± ¡°Lucius!¡± Not a moment later the royal knights broke through the flames with their swords, Lucius running closely behind them. He looked traumatized; tears framed his eyes and his forehead was creased. ¡°Oh, Tiana!¡± After seeing his face, all of the tension in her body was released, and she barely sidestepped a burning tree that was falling. To avoid it, she hugged the child tighter in her arms and turned around just in time. She managed to avoid it but it scratched her arms and back on its way down. A hot pain scorched her back and she couldn¡¯t help but let out a groan, knowing surely that she had a few bad wounds. ¡°Tiana! You¡¯re cut!¡± ¡°Lucius, I¡¯m alright.¡± After passing the kid in her arms to one of the knights, she was instantly wrapped in Lucius¡¯ gentle embrace. His face contorted when he saw the cuts on her body. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you not to move!? What is¡ª¡± He broke off in a cry. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I couldn¡¯t send you off into the blazing fire and just stand there doing nothing. If I hadn¡¯t gone in, the girl could have¡­¡± ¡°Tiana¡­¡± ¡°Lucius, are you okay? You¡¯re not injured, are you?¡± ¡°I am fine. But you¡­you need your wounds tended.¡± ¡°I know. Sorry for worrying you.¡± She held his hand tightly to calm him down, looked into his eyes, and smiled softly. Having checked Tiana over and over again, he kissed her on the forehead with a relieved face. Lucius¡¯ ice-cold lips made her realize how nervous he was. Tiana smiled gently and leaned into his arms, calming down her trembling body. ¡°Sir, we¡¯ve extinguished the fire.¡± ¡°Did you save more children?¡± Lucius asked. ¡°We have rescued the ones who survived. And we¡¯re also recovering the bodies of the ones who could not make it,¡± replied one of the knights. ¡°Okay. I¡¯m counting on you all.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Following behind the knights who were going back to the scene, Tiana could see a path on the charred floor where the fire had stopped. Black smoke covered the ceiling, soot layered everything, and the flower garden was now just a pile of ashes. It felt unreal how the once beautiful garden had abruptly gone up in flames. Just a few minutes ago this beautiful place was filled with sounds of laughter from the kids. ¡°Lord Lucius! Lady Tiana!¡± It was Viscount Grassell, and standing behind him were Lona and Kenil. The viscount, seeing the couple¡¯s condition, was extremely shocked. ¡°Are you alright? Are you hurt?¡± ¡°Tiana was injured while saving a child,¡± informed Lucius. ¡°What? She should seek medical¡ª¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. It¡¯s not that serious. Instead of me, go check on the kids. Hurry! And take them to the other side of the building.¡± At her words, three sets of eyes landed on the child a knight was holding. Holding her arm out to embrace her, Lona ran up to the knight, on the brink of tears. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯ll take her. Thank you, Your Highness. For saving this child.¡± ¡°No, no. Thankfully she doesn¡¯t seem to be too injured, but she inhaled a lot of smoke. Please get her some help.¡± ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡± As Lona staggered away with the child, Kenil trailed right behind her. While Tiana was staring at their backsides, Lucius placed an arm around her shoulder. ¡°Everything will be okay. She¡¯ll get better soon after she gets treated.¡± ¡°I hope so. She¡¯s the girl I bought the flowers from, the one who gave me the blue roses.¡± ¡°That was her?¡± ¡°They¡¯re looking for her younger brother. I wanted to look for him myself, but¡­ he should be safe, right?¡± As Tiana spoke, tears threatened to spill from her eyes. ¡°Of course, he is. He will be fine. Don¡¯t worry about it too much, Tiana.¡± The girl¡¯s voice from earlier came to mind as Lucius carefully wiped the cold sweat from Tiana¡¯s forehead. The voice that¡¯d been struggling to breathe while calling for help. If only he is safe and sound¡­ Tiana couldn¡¯t forget her tiny voice begging to save her brother. If you want to support the Lunar Letters team, you can do so by pledging to us on Patreon and get to read advanced chapters of our novels! (Note: Patreon is not compulsory. Patrons are able to read ahead, but chapters will still be released to the public at a later date. This is only one way to financially support the team and keep the site running. Thank you very much!) Chapter 82 - Sweet And Painful Memories Chapter 82 ¨C Sweet and Painful Memories The handling of the accident had proceeded quicker than expected. The fire had set off an alarm in the botanical garden, which helped the nearby security forces and residents put it out. Luckily, the fire had not spread significantly, affecting only the garden and its surroundings and not the botanical gardens or nearby buildings. Lucius, who helped rescue the children and extinguish the fire, took the lead in cleaning up the mess, while Director Lona Ezac and Viscount Grassell were busy following his orders. Officers were dispatched from a building not too far from the botanical garden to treat the rescued children, and Tiana helped Kenil and the officers to take care of them. There were about twenty children in the garden. Most of them were rescued, but sadly, three of them had not been able to escape from the center of the fierce fire. To Tiana¡¯s immense grief, among them was the little brother of the girl who had given her the blue roses. ¡°Tiana.¡± Lucius approached Tiana who was standing in front of the corpses covered in white sheets. He wrapped her in his arms and tucked her head below his chin. She leaned back against his chest and stared down at the white cloth she couldn¡¯t bear to pull down. ¡°If only I were a little faster¡­, would I have been able to save him?¡± ¡°Tiana¡­¡± ¡°She told me to save him¡­ to save her brother¡­¡± Tiana would never forget the image of the little girl¡¯s face as she grabbed her hand while pleading her to search for her brother. The mournful voice hovering around in her ears was suffocating. In the end, Tiana hadn¡¯t been able to save them all. This was her first time ever feeling so helpless. How could she look the girl in the eyes again? The girl who lost her brother¡­ ¡°It is not your fault. It is nobody¡¯s fault. So don¡¯t blame yourself.¡± ¡°Lucius¡­¡± ¡°It is devastating that all of them couldn¡¯t be saved. But didn¡¯t we do all that we could? All that is left for us to do now is to pray for the children¡¯s souls to rest in peace.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± She nodded, ¡°I hope they live happily in a better place up above in heaven and are born happier in the next life. I pray that next time, they are born in a place where people don¡¯t care about their status or origin and they live happily and normally.¡± All they could do was pray, but that was the best they could do now. Alongside Lucius, she prayed so long for the children. *** The funeral was held early the next morning. It had been a sudden accident, but more people came to pay their respect for the children than expected. Tiana and Lucius, after attending the children¡¯s final burial behind the church, prepared to leave. The ones who¡¯d been saved, still hadn¡¯t woken up. The couple wanted to stay until they regained consciousness, but today was the day they had to leave, and because of something they¡¯d previously planned they had no choice. Viscount Grassell, Lona, and Kenil came to see them off when they were about to leave the accommodation. ¡°Have a safe trip, Lord Lucius and Lady Tiana.¡± ¡°We will. I will leave the rest to you, Viscount Grassel,¡± replied Lucius. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, your Highness. I will be sure to send you the details in a letter later on.¡± While Viscount Grassel and Lucius greeted each other, Lona and Kenil approached Tiana. Her condition looked better than yesterday, but Lona saw that she still wasn¡¯t in a good mood. ¡°Thank you for everything, Your Highness,¡± she smiled at the anxious duchess. Tiana mustered a bitter smile. ¡°I didn¡¯t do it for praise, Lona. Anyways, are you okay? You look defeated.¡± ¡°I am fine. It¡¯s going to be hard for a while, but I have to fight through it, for the rest of the kids.¡± ¡°Right. I want to stay until they wake up but I¡¯m so sorry that I can¡¯t. I couldn¡¯t help out much.¡± ¡°No need for apologies. Thanks to the help from you two, we were able to extinguish the fire quickly. Don¡¯t worry about the children. I will take care of them.¡± ¡°The girl¡­ when she wakes up, tell her that I¡¯m terribly sorry. The blue flower¡­ tell her I will take good care of it.¡± ¡°Will do. Don¡¯t worry.¡± Tiana nodded while struggling to smile while holding Lona¡¯s bony hands tightly. Lucius, after finishing the conversation with the viscount, boarded the carriage with her. With the three of them waving goodbye, the carriage soon departed. As they left the city, the appearance of the botanical garden through the window caught Tiana¡¯s eyes. ¡°Lucius, this was a good trip. Let¡¯s come here again soon.¡± ¡°Tiana¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s come back again and have a delicious lunch with the kids.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll make sure we do that.¡± He smiled and looked at her with worry in his eyes while putting his arm around her shoulder. Feeling the gentle touch, Tiana slowly closed her eyes and rested against him. If you want to support the Lunar Letters team, you can do so by pledging to us on Patreon and get to read advanced chapters of our novels! (Note: Patreon is not compulsory. Patrons are able to read ahead, but chapters will still be released to the public at a later date. This is only one way to financially support the team and keep the site running. Thank you very much!) Chapter 83 - Affairs Of The Grand Duchy Chapter 83 ¨C Affairs of the Grand Duchy Perhaps the news of the fire had spread to the capital, because when they safely returned to their mansion it was chaotic. It was just an accident in a small nearby town, and at another time it would have gotten a short, forgettable mention in the local newspaper. But now, it had a detailed coverage after it had become known that Lucius had been at the scene of the accident. They had all the details which made them wonder where and how the news of the accident had been leaked. Everything from Tiana saving the child whom she¡¯d bought a flower from to Lucius helping in extinguishing the fire and saving the surviving kids was written in the articles. Tiana was disturbed since she had not expected the news to spread like this. It would be hard for her to start her social activities in this state, so she decided to delay them to get treatment for her wounds and to tend to her duties as a duchess. Lucius told her to rest for a few days, but when she said she wanted to work because she¡¯d be more depressed if she didn¡¯t do anything, he managed to allow it. As Tiana didn¡¯t want to delay her duties, since she was actually looking forward to them, she immediately went to look for butler Warren. He came into her office with the things she had asked him for earlier. ¡°Here¡¯s the list of the internal budget and certificates of the personnel rights you mentioned. I¡¯ve been managing as the assistant in your absence, but now I shall give you all the authority, Lady Tiana.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good. Thank you. If you have any other information on the internal budget, the list of servants, or anything else, please bring it to me.¡± ¡°Yes ma¡¯am. And um¡­¡± ¡°Yes? What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Please take your time with everything. It¡¯d be better to rest after everything that happened.¡± Tiana smiled lightly and tilted her head after seeing his worried face. ¡°I¡¯ve rested quite enough. I¡¯m getting the best treatment for my injuries, I can move, and I have work to do. I can¡¯t sit still knowing all of that.¡± ¡°Lord Lucius is also worried, milady. He also instructed me to not let you overwork yourself.¡± ¡°I know. I will not overwork myself. I¡¯ll also talk to him myself.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± It wasn¡¯t something Warren normally did, so she was a bit shocked for a brief moment. The fire accident had been a devastating event for her, but she decided to keep praying for the children in her heart while doing her job, because she was unable to delay any state affairs. It was for those kids that she was doing what she could do now. A while later, Warren returned with the rest of the documents. Tiana took a sip of tea that a maid had brought for her, and looked through the papers. She had experience working in an office in the past, so that was also proving to be helpful in doing this kind of work. And fortunately, there were many similarities between these documents and the ledger she had written with her mother, so it wasn¡¯t too difficult to understand. Although the amount of work for the grand duchy was much larger, it seemed easy to use the duke¡¯s ledger because the large frame and general details were similar. ¡°It is very neatly organized. It must have been so hard to keep up with all of this.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just one of my duties as a butler.¡± ¡°But still, it¡¯s hard to do it like this. Especially the meticulous handwriting, it is so easy to read. From now on, I think you will be a lot of help to me. Thank you, Warren.¡± As she stared at him, he held his lips clamped with a weird look on his face. ¡°Is there something wrong?¡± she asked. He flinched in surprise. ¡°No ma¡¯am. I was just surprised at how¡­ how much you know about this. And I don¡¯t mean any disrespect, Lady Tiana.¡± ¡°I know. I appreciate your honesty. I¡¯m just used to this kind of work, I guess. It was the same in my family; there wasn¡¯t a duchess.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Warren seemed to recall then that the Celeste family had no duchess. When she saw his blanched, embarrassed face, she smiled. ¡°I did most of the work because my mother couldn¡¯t take care of it due to a chronic disease. Even after she passed away, I was in charge of the housework, so naturally, this is all very familiar.¡± ¡°I apologize.¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright, you didn¡¯t know about it. I¡¯m not going to scold you over something you had no knowledge of.¡± Since it was the original Tiana who had actually done it, even though she had some experience working in an office, she wouldn¡¯t have been able to work efficiently as a duchess if it wasn¡¯t for the old ledger and the memories that came with it. You can do something you don¡¯t know while learning it, but it¡¯s a far cry from doing something you know only to a certain degree. And she definitely didn¡¯t want to look stupid. ¡°But for the time being, I need you to help me, Warren. Since the internal affairs of the grand duchy are larger than that of the duke¡¯s castle, I think there will be some things that I wouldn¡¯t be able to look over. I need you to cross-check if I left anything out. Oh, and if there¡¯s something you don¡¯t know about, just ask me and I will let you know.¡± ¡°Will do. Don¡¯t worry, Lady Tiana.¡± ¡°There is lots to do. I hope I can get through everything smoothly¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be able to do well, ma¡¯am¡± ¡°Thank you. I hope so.¡± Tiana nodded, and the two smiled at each other. Chapter 84 - Back To Work Chapter 84 ¨C Back to Work ¡°Whew¡­¡± Tiana straightened her bowed head and put the documents down. Having been in the same position for a long time, she took a breather while stretching her sore shoulders. ¡°I¡¯ve figured out the information on the budget and the servants to some extent.¡± The budget details drawn up so far were simpler and less than expected, considering the details were written by the grand duchy. There hadn¡¯t been a duchess, and Lucius was not a person who spent his money in vain, so it had to be this simple. Unexpectedly it was the servants¡¯ data that took the most time. It took a long time to look through only the information on the main servants because the amount of data was enormous; as much as three times the number at the duke¡¯s mansion. Tiana decided to learn the information of senior servants first and take the rest slowly. ¡°So, these were their tasks for the time being.¡± There were lists of a few large vaults that Warren had given her and of the remaining internal budget. Aside from the fact that a minimum of it went to where it was really needed, most of the budget was surplus. Since there had been no duchess, there had been no place to use the measured internal budget, so all but the renovation cost of the mansion and the pay to the servants remained, and Warren had kept them well stored. Tiana asked him why he hadn¡¯t returned the money to Lucius, but Warren said that he wouldn¡¯t take it because it was already part of the budget. ¡°I suggested that he save it for a rainy day. He refused, and now I think I know why.¡± She remembered Warren¡¯s bright expression from when he had said that. So, Lucius was thinking about this day in advance; the day she¡¯d be managing the budget. ¡°But there is still so much.¡± Usually, the size of the budget was determined by the head of the family, and the larger the size, the more indicative it was of the affection for the duchess. Of course, family circumstances were all different, so giving less did not mean that the couple had less affection, but the authority of the duchess was usually determined by the size of the internal budget. Tiana was grateful to Lucius for setting such a large amount so that she didn¡¯t have to think of it as a headache, but the problem was just that; it was a large amount. ¡°He has all of this land from battles, it seems like a lot of taxes¡­¡± Large and small conflicts on the empire¡¯s borders were almost always settled by Lucius, and each time some land was absorbed by the grand duchy. Such land alone was more than a third the size of the empire, so just the taxes coming from there would be enormous. He didn¡¯t charge too much taxes, but with just the right amount of taxes¡­ ¡°¡­the nearby kingdoms just might survive.¡± Tiana hadn¡¯t expected to be buried in money here. In the past, things that she had dreamed of had come true, but beyond happiness, she was at a loss for how to solve this problem with such an excessive amount. ¡°First, I¡¯ll deduct my social activities expenses. The garden is well-maintained already, so there¡¯s nothing to fix there, right?¡± She didn¡¯t have to lay a hand on it because the skillful gardeners were managing it just fine. That meant she didn¡¯t have to deduct an extra budget. How in the world was she supposed to use such a huge budget? Though she pondered on it for quite a while, she couldn¡¯t think of a good way. Eventually she gave up on making a decision right now. Warren came in as soon as she took a breather and was about to stand up. ¡°Lady Tiana, Prince Lennox is here to see you.¡± ¡°Lennox?¡± ¡°Yes. He is waiting in the living room. Should I bring him here?¡± ¡°No. I will go meet him.¡± At the news of his surprise visit, Tiana hurriedly left her office and went to the living room. As it would be her first time seeing him since the wedding, she was glad to see him again. ¡°Lenno!¡± ¡°Tiana.¡± Lennox, sitting down on the sofa, stood straight up as his sister¡¯s voice filled the room. Tiana ran to see him after a long time and held his hand with a big smile. ¡°Sorry for my sudden visit. I hope I haven¡¯t disturbed you.¡± ¡°No, not at all. I was just about to take a break anyway. Did something happen? Shouldn¡¯t you be at the Ministry at this hour?¡± Lennox, who was taking time off from his studies, spent his time at the Ministry of Magic while staying in the capital. It wasn¡¯t break time yet, so him being here like this was rather odd. ¡°I heard about what happened to you, so I wanted to come and see you right away. Normally, Father stops me whenever I want to see you, but today he let me. Sorry for not contacting you ahead of time.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. Thank you for coming. You must have been worried too, why would Father do that? He came to visit me the day after I got back.¡± ¡°Of all times, I was taking a test that day. Which is why he didn¡¯t even tell me and came by himself, telling me to visit you later on.¡± ¡°He did?¡± After she and Lucius had returned to the mansion, Edwin had sent an urgent message to the liaison early the next morning, and shortly afterward, he had visited. She had wondered why he¡¯d come alone, and he¡¯d seemed very worried considering his urgent visit. How dare he come alone without his son¡­ Maybe he didn¡¯t want to show himself disheveled in front of Lennox. He would have definitely been embarrassed. Edwin had been worried, but Lennox was cute when he grumbled. As Tiana couldn¡¯t continue to stand while talking, she sat him down and sat down across from him. ¡°Tiana, are you alright? You look like you¡¯re fine though, but tell me the truth, are you really okay?¡± ¡°I¡¯m certainly fine, I really am. Of course, I was a bit shocked during the accident, but I felt relieved after we gave the children a proper burial. I will never forget them, but it is now time for me to do something important, something for the kids who survived. So that kind of thing never happens to them again.¡± Lennox, who sat there taking in every single one of her words, spoke at the end. ¡°Then how about discussing it with Lord Lucius?¡± If you want to support the Lunar Letters team, you can do so by pledging to us on Patreon and get to read advanced chapters of our novels! (Note: Patreon is not compulsory. Patrons are able to read ahead, but chapters will still be released to the public at a later date. This is only one way to financially support the team and keep the site running. Thank you very much!) Chapter 85 - For The Children Chapter 85 ¨C For the Children ¡°With Lucius?¡± The unexpected suggestion took her off guard and she stared at Lennox. He nodded and continued. ¡°I heard that he sorted out everything after the accident. And dad told me that Lord Lucius assigned an additional number of people to restore the scene of the accident. He delivered relief supplies for the children who survived, and sent donations and supplies to the botanical garden and orphanage.¡± ¡°Lucius¡­ He did all that?¡± She knew that he had sent relief funds to the surviving children, but not about the supplies to the botanical garden and orphanage. Was it because of what I said¡­ Tiana had told Lucius that she wanted to go back there in the future. Was he trying to restore the garden after what she had said? If he was, she didn¡¯t know how she would thank him. He always did things that she could never even think of. Tiana¡¯s heart filled with overwhelming joy and she sat quietly for a minute till Lennox spoke again. ¡°I was also shocked when I heard about it, but if he cares that much, I¡¯m positive he will think of additional things to do.¡± ¡°Additional things?¡± ¡°Like what you said. The part about the surviving children, doing something so that kind of accident never happens again. In fact, there are a lot more children, just like them, in other places too.¡± ¡°Right. I know they aren¡¯t the only ones.¡± She knew that there were children who were discriminated against based on their nationality and status, and more who died in unfortunate accidents. Tiana wanted to do something for them. It may not be possible to do it for all those children in the world, but it could be if she expanded the horizon step by step. Her idea may end up as a simple relief effort, or it may develop in several ways. Whatever it bloomed into, it would take an enormous amount of money. And if there was one thing she had a lot of, it was money. ¡°Of course, there may be some societal and technical difficulties in implementing them, and there will be budget problems. But if you discuss those things with Lord Lucius, you can come up with a way to do it.¡± ¡°I have a budget, much more than enough,¡± replied Tiana. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Yeah. So that¡¯s not an issue. Thanks, Lenno!¡± Happy because of the brilliant idea he had given her, she grabbed both of his hands, expressing her gratitude. He stared at her, bewildered and confused as to what she was so happy about, but she didn¡¯t give him much time to think about it. ¡°Thanks to you, I think I¡¯ve found a solution to what I had been thinking about all day. Discussing it with Lucius will certainly be a great idea. Thank you so much.¡± Lennox relaxed at her words and smiled softly. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I¡¯m just glad I could help.¡± I¡¯ll definitely talk about it with Lucius when he gets here. Tiana sorted out the thoughts in her head, and for the remaining time, drank tea with Lennox. * After Lennox left, around dinner time, Lucius returned. Tiana welcomed him with a hug, which he reciprocated by smiling brightly and hugging her tighter. ¡°Did something happen? You seem to be in high spirits,¡± Lucius said. ¡°Kind of. Oh, Lennox came by earlier. He was worried about what had happened during our trip, so he came to see me,¡± replied Tiana. ¡°I see, he must have heard the news from your father. Well, the news did spread all the way to the imperial palace. It may even make its way to the capital.¡± ¡°I guess so. It seems inevitable at this point.¡± Talking, they went to the dining room. As soon as they were seated, their meal was served. ¡°Lucius, there is something I want to discuss with you.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± inquired Lucius. ¡°On another note, I think it¡¯ll be a long story, so can I tell you after we¡¯ve eaten?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± Smiling with joy, he burst into a small laugh as he stared at her. While she looked at him strangely, he cut a small piece of meat and held it out to her on a fork. ¡°You¡¯ve clearly anxious to tell me. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll listen to every single detail, no matter how long it takes. But right now, you should eat. You haven¡¯t taken a single bite.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ yeah, I¡¯m eating now.¡± ¡°Try this one first. It¡¯s the best part.¡± ¡°Thanks¡­¡± Unable to do much under his stare, she took the bite he offered into her mouth and quickly turned her head to the other side, embarrassed as she chewed vigorously. She couldn¡¯t focus much on the taste because she could still feel his eyes on her. Where did he learn that? He kept feeding her and she ate her meal but couldn¡¯t concentrate on it. After finally finishing dinner, Tiana sat down with him on the living room couch to have their discussion. Warren brought out fresh, cleansing tea for them, and Lucius signaled to him without even lifting a finger. He understood and left the room along with the other servants. Now with only the two of them in the room, they could talk comfortably. ¡°What do you want to discuss, Tiana?¡± ¡°First of all, I¡¯d like to thank you. I heard that you dispatched workers to restore the garden, and also sent relief funds and supplies to the orphanage.¡± ¡°I just fulfilled my responsibilities by helping in sorting everything out. The relief funds were delivered for the welfare of the affected people,¡± said Lucius. ¡°Did you do all of that because of what I said?¡± Tiana asked. ¡°When?¡± ¡°I said I wanted to go there again.¡± ¡°So do I. With you.¡± ¡°Lucius¡­¡± Looking at his gentle smile, as if he had done nothing special, warmth spread in her heart. The knowledge of having a man who put her first before anything else, made her incredibly grateful and happy about his deep consideration. If you want to support the Lunar Letters team, you can do so by pledging to us on Patreon and get to read advanced chapters of our novels! (Note: Patreon is not compulsory. Patrons are able to read ahead, but chapters will still be released to the public at a later date. This is only one way to financially support the team and keep the site running. Thank you very much!) Chapter 86 - Escaping The Bitterness Chapter 86 ¨C Escaping the Bitterness ¡°Let¡¯s go sometime soon. Then, we can have a proper lunch with the kids,¡± Tiana said. ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°But before then, I think there is something I need to do. Something so that we can have a fulfilling time with them.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± asked Lucius. Tiana looked at him calmly and took a deep breath, as he waited patiently, not moving an inch. ¡°I want to start a social welfare business. Not just for those kids, but all kids in similar situations.¡± ¡°Does that mean you¡¯ll be their sponsor?¡± ¡°For me personally, yes, but I want to expand it to a larger scale. At first, I will start by procuring and delivering relief supplies, but I want it to increase in size little by little and serve as a stepping stone for children to live through welfare projects.¡± ¡°If it becomes a ¡®welfare project¡¯ rather than general ¡®welfare¡¯, it will be necessary to explore profit margins. And if you make it a business, you¡¯ll also need capital,¡± remarked Lucius. ¡°If I expand it into a business, there will be endless ways to pursue profits. My primary focus is supporting the children. But if I do involve sponsorship, I would like to develop a place to foster talented children,¡± Tiana replied. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± He rubbed his chin in thought. ¡°Many children are still struggling to make ends meet due to their nationality and status. It would be a good welfare project if we could support such children and cultivate their talent into means of earning.¡± Processing all that Tiana had said, Lucius nodded and squinted his eyes. An instant change in his eyes prompted her next thought. She slowly exhaled and continued, ¡°I will need more initial capital than I thought. Speaking of that, can I ask another question?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Uh¡­ the internal budgets allocated to me¡­ what made you give me that much?¡± ¡°Is it less than you wanted?¡± Lucius asked. ¡°No, not at all. In fact, it¡¯s the opposite; it¡¯s too much. I don¡¯t have anything to use that much on. The money, what does it mean? I can use it anywhere at any time? It doesn¡¯t matter?¡± Tiana deliberately asked him bluntly. It was best not to skirt around this discussion. If they had good understanding, he would get the gist of what she wanted to ask. As she expected, maybe he would tell her the correct answer. Lucius grinned at her, waiting patiently for her to finish. ¡°Sure. That budget is for you and only you, money for you to do whatever it is that you want, whenever you want.¡± ¡°Then is it okay that I use it as the initial capital for my social welfare business?¡± ¡°Whatever, whenever you want.¡± When she saw Lucius gladly answering as if he had been waiting to say it, she burst into a big grin, that she was sure took over her whole face making her look like a maniac, but she didn¡¯t care. She was even more breathless when Lucius grabbed her by the waist and lifted her up in the air to seat her on his lap. She placed her hands on his chest and kissed him on the cheek. ¡°Thank you!¡± Tiana beamed. ¡°You don¡¯t need to thank me. As a matter of fact, I had expected this. Well, not the size of the budget in anticipation of this kind of thing. That¡¯s the money I had been accumulating, and I wanted to spend it only for you, but after this incident, I expected what you had been thinking.¡± ¡°How?¡± ¡°Because you didn¡¯t leave those kids¡¯ sides until the day we left. I watched you until the last day, and when Lona said she would take care of them, you looked sad. Because you couldn¡¯t stay there and do it yourself, right?¡± Her eyes lowered to a button on his shirt as he spoke. She had tried to hide her emotions from everyone that day, but she must have shown it all to him. While leaving the city she had thought about it over and over. Leaning forward towards him, her chin almost touching her chest, she let it all out. ¡°I felt so helpless¡­ there was nothing I could do for the girl. She never left my mind¡­ And I keep hearing her voice calling out to her brother. I even have dreams about it. I didn¡¯t want to leave until she woke up so I could apologize to her, and tell her I am sorry for not being able to find her brother.¡± She continued when Lucius¡¯ hand came up from her waist to rest at the back of her bent neck. ¡°On the other hand, I was also afraid to see her because I don¡¯t think the boy liked me being an aristocrat. I was scared that the girl, too, might not like me.¡± At that his thumb extended from the back of her neck to below her chin to make her look up at him. ¡°That is not possible. Never.¡± He spoke with conviction, looking straight into her eyes. ¡°I sure do hope so,¡± she whispered. She could feel Lucius¡¯ need to console her, but Tiana couldn¡¯t get rid of the bitterness in her heart. Considering the child who had lost her brother and was left alone, there was a possibility that she would think that way. She might even be blaming Tiana for not saving the boy. ¡°Tiana, if you hadn¡¯t saved her, she wouldn¡¯t have been alive right now. However it turns out, time will pass and the little girl will one day grow into a woman who appreciates what you did for her. You shouldn¡¯t blame yourself for something not in your power.¡± ¡°Lucius¡­¡± ¡°I think you did everything that you could do for her. But if you want to do more, I will be by your side the whole way. I¡¯ll help you. So you can escape that bitterness, no matter what.¡± Smiling softly, he gently cupped her face in his hands and kissed her forehead, then he kissed both her cheeks and finally, his lips covered hers in a deep kiss. If you want to support the Lunar Letters team, you can do so by pledging to us on Patreon and get to read advanced chapters of our novels! (Note: Patreon is not compulsory. Patrons are able to read ahead, but chapters will still be released to the public at a later date. This is only one way to financially support the team and keep the site running. Thank you very much!) Chapter 87 - The Sweetest Reward (I) Chapter 87 ¨C The Sweetest Reward (I) Tiana felt relaxed, leaning on Lucius¡¯s shoulder as he gently ran his fingers through her hair. ¡°I¡¯m completely in favor of doing welfare work, but there¡¯s a small problem.¡± He broke the comfortable silence. ¡°What is it?¡± She sat up straight in alarm over his words, but he held onto her hand, not willing to let go of her completely. ¡°When you start a business, you have to think about your location and the relationships around you,¡± he said. While she was thankful that he wasn¡¯t the one who had a problem with it, she didn¡¯t understand what he meant. ¡°My location and the relationships around me?¡± When she looked at him strangely, he slowly explained. ¡°If we were to expand the business later on, we would start off by delivering relief supplies and funds to orphans and commoners of unknown origins. But when considering your location, it will be a bit dangerous to cater only to them.¡± ¡°Dangerous?¡± she asked. ¡°There are many people in the world who are jealous for all sorts of reasons. Especially those who identify as high-class. Now that you have become a grand duchess, not just a duchess, there will be pressures and threats from lots of people, depending on what you do in this position,¡± explained Lucius. ¡°Even in the social welfare business?¡± ¡°Especially in the social welfare business,¡± he nodded. ¡°Well, after some time we¡¯ll expand to generate interest rates and try to mark the same profit, but for a while, the amount will be large in the name of the investors. The welfare business will target orphans and commoners¡­¡± Tiana spoke. ¡°It will be more of a problem because they are the targets.¡± ¡°Why?¡± How could that be a problem? Tiana did not understand the unexpected problem. Lucius, who looked at Tiana¡¯s wrinkled forehead, chuckled at her innocence and softly touched her face. ¡°Aristocrats only like to use their money to show off their power or strength. But when they spend their property, they do it where it¡¯s more useful than it is with them. So to most of them, it¡¯s pointless to use their private property for the ¡®social welfare¡¯ of orphans and commoners.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Lucius continued, ¡°Of course, not all aristocrats are the same. Some regularly support such children, though such aristocrats are a minority. They keep close to the saying ¡®noblesse oblige¡¯, personally supporting unfortunate ones, but they rarely ever develop a business out of it. No, they never do.¡± ¡°I see,¡± Tiana nodded, finally understanding all the aspects. ¡°That is why ¡®welfare¡¯ wouldn¡¯t normally be appreciated by those people. Orphans and commoners are almost seen as aliens by aristocrats, and they will think of ¡®welfare¡¯ as a waste of money.¡± ¡°Wow, so instead of ¡®wasting¡¯ that money, they¡¯d spend it where they think it is useful and to show off their wealth.¡± ¡°Right,¡± smiled Lucius. ¡°Then to aristocrats, my business would be an eyesore,¡± said Tiana. For ordinary aristocrats, it was common to spend large amounts of money on their own luxury, but the money spent on the welfare of the lower class, such as orphans and commoners, would literally be a waste of money because the lower-class citizens were considered good-for-nothing by them. If so, Tiana¡¯s future business would definitely be seen as a futile venture to spend their money on. Furthermore, she had married Lucius and was now the grand duchess, not just a wife. With no current empress, she was the second-highest in status after the empress dowager. Starting a business in her position would draw attention, but many people were already paying attention to the grand duchy because of the incident from a few days ago. There must be a lot of people talking about the grand duchy spending a fortune in strange places, thought Tiana. But it wasn¡¯t their wealth, and she¡¯d gotten permission from Lucius, so she could spend the money how she pleased. I have to use what I have to get what I want. Once again, Tiana noticed that Lucius was well aware of the public¡¯s inner workings. Well, he was a prince. He must have seen and experienced a lot since he was born with nobles around him. Perhaps, because Tiana had modern memories, she didn¡¯t think she could adapt well to her thoughts or the information as a ¡®noblewoman¡¯ instilled in this body yet. She was glad that Lucius had pointed out the problem before it happened, but the future worried her a little. From this point on, she would watch and learn from him. Lucius patted her slightly on the back as she sighed at her weakly pulsating headache. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s not like we don¡¯t have a way to resolve it.¡± ¡°What kind of way?¡± she asked. ¡°If we start the business as it is, complaints will arise from the aristocrats and we¡¯ll be bashed a lot. So, all we need to do is make the business worth something for them,¡± replied Lucius. ¡°How would we do that? Social welfare is pointless to them, you said so yourself. And to persuade them that it is worth something, we would have to change the direction of the aristocratic investment business. But if we do that, our target won¡¯t be commoners. And that isn¡¯t my intent.¡± Lucius gave her a look full of admiration before he answered. ¡°No, it¡¯s not. Which is why we¡¯ll expand our range to form two separate welfare systems for both aristocrats and commoners. If we divide it into two branches, there is a good chance for it to be more profitable. It would be a ¡®cross-class selective welfare program¡¯.¡± Chapter 88 - The Sweetest Reward (II) Chapter 88 ¨C The Sweetest Reward (II) ¡°Cross-class selective welfare program¡­ so you¡¯re thinking of expanding the program to not just commoners but to aristocrats as well? But the aristocrats wouldn¡¯t be happy with the welfare,¡± Tiana said. Welfare was pointless for wealthy aristocrats because it was an attack on their self-pride to receive help from someone, they wouldn¡¯t welcome it. ¡°But they would be with investments. They don¡¯t like receiving help for no reason, but they do like a reason to receive an investment. Truth be told, they don¡¯t dislike receiving support. Rather, they like it but cannot express it openly since they have to save face,¡± replied Lucius. ¡°That¡¯s duplicitous.¡± Tiana¡¯s nose wrinkled. ¡°It¡¯s inevitable. It¡¯s a class trait among aristocrats.¡± He replied with a faint smile after seeing Tiana¡¯s disapproving face. ¡°It would be fine for them if they were to choose between those who needed business investments, not for survival, like the common people do, or those who want investment or need it from the lower-class aristocracy.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure that¡¯s a good idea because that¡¯s not just for the general welfare, but an investment,¡± said Tiana. ¡°Yes, with reasonable attention and support given to the aristocracy, there will probably be little or no dissatisfaction.¡± ¡°But then it¡¯d become a ¡®cross-class selective welfare investment program¡¯.¡± ¡°No matter what, that¡¯s how it has to be.¡± Nodding her head, Tiana looked at Lucius and sighed. The name of the business had gotten a lot longer and bigger. She had only planned to call it a ¡®social welfare program¡¯, but what now? It was fortunate that she had not lost her original purpose, although she might have to invest for the aristocrats too. It was better than running the program with a problem and getting hit by backlash. Rather, to do it to where the aristocrats don¡¯t talk about it at all, it was best to have no problems from the beginning. Tiana was glad she¡¯d found a solution somehow. This was also thanks to Lucius. Had he not given her advice, she wouldn¡¯t have thought of it alone. She gave him a gentle kiss on the cheek to express her gratitude. ¡°Thank you, Lucius. I would¡¯ve missed a huge detail were it not for you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re really thanking me?¡± ¡°Of course. Had I done it without you, the problem we¡¯ve already resolved would definitely have occurred. So, thank you,¡± smiled Tiana. His smile filled with mischief in under ten seconds and her mood lightened. ¡°Then¡­ I want a proper reward.¡± ¡°A proper reward?¡± she asked. ¡°This¡­¡± he gestured towards his cheek ¡°isn¡¯t enough to satisfy me.¡± Tiana squealed in surprise as he grabbed her and jumped up from the sofa in a sudden movement. She clung to his neck. Rushing out of the living room, he strode past the shocked servants and headed up the stairs. Warren, who encountered them in the hallway, made a surprised face for an instant, then immediately corrected his expression and followed Lucius. Upon arriving at the bedroom door, Warren opened the door for them, and Lucius stepped inside with her still in his arms. ¡°Don¡¯t let anyone in until I call you tomorrow.¡± He instructed Warren. ¡°Will do, sir.¡± Warren nodded at Lucius¡¯ order, closed the door and went out, taking the waiting maids with him. With the two of them left alone in the room, Lucius walked slowly to the bed and carefully laid Tiana down. Kneeling next to her, he brushed a hand over her cheek and kissed her forehead, nose, making her giggle. ¡°I want a better reward. I want all the rewards you can give me,¡± Lucius spoke. ¡°Good. I will give you¡­ my sweetest reward.¡± ¡°Tiana.¡± She kissed him on his lips, looking into his heated golden eyes. Then she closed her eyes slowly, feeling his hot tongue penetrating her mouth. *** ¡°Tiana¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°It¡¯s morning. You have to get up now.¡± ¡°Just a little more¡­¡± Tiana opened her eyes slightly at Lucius¡¯ sweet morning voice and dug her face into his arms. One of the good things she had observed after marriage was that the morning time, which was always hard to endure, was no longer hard at all. Lucius was there when she opened her eyes, and she was always happy to spend a relaxing morning in his arms. It was more than just enjoyment. How happy she was to be able to see his dazzling figure every morning. Her handsome lover, no, husband. Tiana felt the heat from his chest as she laid on him, and as she opened her eyes again, Lucius smiled and softly caressed her face. ¡°Then just a little bit? Rest a bit more, then eat breakfast.¡± ¡°Yeah, sounds good.¡± ¡°You¡¯re very tired.¡± ¡°Not really¡­I just like this moment. I want to be with you just a bit more. Because if I get up, I won¡¯t be able to see you until this evening.¡± ¡°Tiana.¡± She opened her eyes to a slightly rugged voice and looked at him, and he looked at her fondly. She smiled at him and kissed him. ¡°You want another reward like yesterday?¡± she asked. ¡°I haven¡¯t done anything to deserve an award today,¡± replied Lucius. ¡°Do you always need to do grand gestures for me to reward you? You always protect me, so you have every reason to be rewarded, and I want to do something good for you.¡± ¡°I want to reward you, too. I don¡¯t want to just receive,¡± Lucius said. ¡°Then can I tell you what I want today?¡± smiled Tiana. ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t wait.¡± Tiana¡¯s lips covered his as she wondered about it. If it were anything like last night, she couldn¡¯t wait to see. If you want to support the Lunar Letters team, you can do so by pledging to us on Patreon and get to read advanced chapters of our novels! (Note: Patreon is not compulsory. Patrons are able to read ahead, but chapters will still be released to the public at a later date. This is only one way to financially support the team and keep the site running. Thank you very much!) Chapter 89 - Loosened Reins (I) Tiana headed down to the dining room for breakfast. While sitting down she ate some bread and soup and conversed lightly with Lucius. ¡°I think I need some data on the nobles that I mentioned yesterday, can you get some?¡± she asked. ¡°Of course. Should I gather data mainly for nobles in business and low-class nobles?¡± nodded Lucius. ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll pick out the people to invest in. I¡¯m not sure if I¡¯ll succeed, but I at least want to start.¡± ¡°Because you¡¯re a business owner. Don¡¯t make it too much of a burden; do what you want as much as you can, and it¡¯ll all work out. If you have any questions or things you don¡¯t know, I¡¯ll help you as much as I can.¡± ¡°Thanks, Lucius,¡± smiled Tiana. How could he say such nice things? Lucius smiled back at her as she smiled with joy in her heart. Conversing back and forth with him created a warm mood in the dining room. As this atmosphere continued for days after returning from their trip, the servants, who had felt awkward at first, had a soft look in their eyes as they watched. Tiana spent a brief and leisurely time with Lucius in the morning. After their light meal, she dressed him in his coat as he prepared to go out. He kissed her on the cheek with a shy look on his face when she fixed his front posture. ¡°Thank you. I¡¯ll tell Warren to gather the data on the nobles we talked about earlier. You can check it when he is done with it.¡± ¡°Got it. Thanks. Be careful out there,¡± said Tiana. ¡°Yes. You too, Tiana. Don¡¯t overdo yourself, take it slowly.¡± ¡°I will.¡± He nodded with relief when she smiled at him, who was worried. A carriage was waiting at the front door as he left the room and went down the stairs to the first floor. Lucius, after hugging Tiana and kissing her on the cheek, turned around and boarded the carriage. Inabelle approached her as she stood there watching Lucius and his knights ride off into the distance. ¡°Madam, let¡¯s head inside.¡± ¡°Alright. Can you bring a cup of tea to my office? And call in Warren and Jane.¡± ¡°Will do.¡± When Tiana saw Inabelle on her way to find the head housemaid, she went inside the mansion. Arriving in the office and sitting down, she was gathering what she needed when Warren and Jane stepped in. ¡°You called us, madam.¡± Tiana glanced at Jane who followed behind Warren and said to him, ¡°I heard that Lucius asked you to gather data about the nobles concerning business.¡± ¡°Right. Given the amount of material, it might take some time, but I can deliver it this afternoon,¡± replied Warren. ¡°Got it. I would really appreciate it. Warren, you can go now,¡± Tiana said. ¡°Yes madam.¡± She sent him off after the short conversation. Now only she and the head housemaid Jane were left. Tiana, slightly nervous, looked at her and spoke first. ¡°The reason I called you aside is because of the maids and servants¡¯ personnel affairs. A few of them have been sent here, right?¡± ¡°Yes, that is correct,¡± Jane replied. ¡°What about their assignments?¡± ¡°For now, I¡¯ve arranged temporary assignments to suit their duties at the duke¡¯s residence.¡± ¡°Alright. Good job. I couldn¡¯t take care of that because I had a lot of work to do, so thank you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright¡­¡± Tiana smiled softly after seeing Jane slightly bowing her head. It looked like Jane was trying hard to hide something, but from the looks of her tense face she probably still felt awkward around Tiana. Tiana passed the documents on the desk to Jane, who was standing frozen. ¡°I¡¯m officially assigning them as of today. Please keep them under control so that there is no friction between the new servants and existing servants.¡± ¡°Yes madam.¡± ¡°As a result of looking at the personnel matters of the existing servants, there was nothing for me to really fix. I think it¡¯ll be fine if we keep doing how we¡¯ve been doing.¡± The personnel evaluation records of the servants assigned according to the areas in charge were well organized. They were easy to figure out as the servants were written down meticulously, one at a time. Given that each of them did his or her duties diligently and had few complaints, they seemed to be placed properly and doing the right correct duties. That part was probably thanks to Jane¡¯s excellent ability to assign the correct duties based on each person¡¯s capabilities. That was not easy without some accumulated experience. As she had the skills to show, it¡¯s no wonder she was the head housemaid in the grand duchy. It was also a good thing to show sincerity to her. Tiana wished she could have more of Jane to herself. She smiled, ¡°I trust your strengths. I look forward to working with you, Jane.¡± Jane nodded and made eye contact with her as she looked straight into her eyes and put some strength in her voice. ¡°Yes madam¡­¡± It was a shame that there was still some awkwardness, but she¡¯ll open up with time. Until then, Tiana will trust her, and in return, Jane has to show how diligent she is. In fact, there was a difference in their status, so she would be forced to obey Tiana if she were forced to do so, but Tiana didn¡¯t want such a relationship. She wasn¡¯t in favor of having a stuffy, strict relationship with someone she had to see for the rest of her life. Even if they kept their distance to some extent, wouldn¡¯t it be a more humane life to have even a little affection for a woman she had to face every day? Ever since Tiana came into the grand duchy, she wanted to change the atmosphere little by little to get rid of her old image. They¡¯re all too rigid to follow their masters. It may have been because of the power of the deceptive system, but it was different now. As Lucius was changing, the people of the grand duchy also had to change. The people floating in fear will disappear. If you want to support the Lunar Letters team, you can do so by pledging to us on Patreon and get to read advanced chapters of our novels! (Note: Patreon is not compulsory. Patrons are able to read ahead, but chapters will still be released to the public at a later date. This is only one way to financially support the team and keep the site running. Thank you very much!) Chapter 90 - Loosened Reins (II) ¡°Madam. Here is the data about the nobles you mentioned.¡± ¡°Thank you. Good job.¡± As Tiana was resting after eating lunch, Warren brought a thick stack of papers containing data on nobles concerning business. ¡°This is more than I thought. There are this many nobles running businesses?¡± asked Tiana. ¡°There are a lot of nobles who have been running big and small family businesses. With the development of waterway distribution and the recent land trains operation, businesses are actively emerging,¡± informed Warren. ¡°I see.¡± It was still a freight train, but the horse-power train service was also in operation within the empire. Since it could move things several times faster than a carriage, some degree of its usage was being recognized. Now, trains were mainly located on roads with rough terrains and a lot of supplies, but if they were more organized, they could be available to ordinary people. The weight of the stack of documents was rather heavy. As discussed with Lucius, Tiana chose nobles whom she needed to do business with or invest in, but it was more than she¡¯d expected. She will have to look at it and sort it out again. Tiana let Inabelle, who was waiting, bring out the tea, sit down, and read the data slowly. ¡°Construction, food, clothing, other miscellaneous goods¡­¡± From small caf¨¦s and restaurants to general stores, salons, bars, and architecture. Lots of nobles were doing various businesses. She gritted her teeth when she saw that there was no place beyond their reach. ¡°There are even some people who own several hundred stores¡­ Do I really need to invest in those people?¡± she asked. They would already be making a fortune right now. There¡¯d be plenty of people who want to earn money for their business, but Tiana didn¡¯t want to invest in those who had already made profits. If she¡¯s going to do it, she should do it to those who need more help. Half of the data was from aristocrats who ran fairly large-scale businesses, so she skipped over them, and small- and medium-sized ones started from the middle part, so she looked through them slowly. Reading through the material, Tiana came across a familiar name. [Grassel estate ¨C Baron Evett June¡¯s Caf¨¦ Business (planning branch expansion)] Grassel was the name of a place in the city she and Lucius had traveled to a few days ago. Then was this the caf¨¦ they had visited? Though a small-sized estate, there were several caf¨¦s, so she didn¡¯t know if it was that one or not, but somehow, she kept reading the name over and over. ¡°Should I put it as a candidate for now?¡± she wondered. Tiana left those documents aside and went over the material again. In the middle of her focusing for a long time, Warren came in and announced an unexpected visitor. ¡°Madam, Empress Alexandra is here.¡± ¡°Empress Alexandra?¡± It was strange that she had not contacted Tiana about a visit beforehand. Alexandra¡¯s behavior was so unpredictable, so Tiana was curious as to why she visited since they hadn¡¯t talked since the wedding. Leaving her office for the living room, she discovered her sitting on the sofa, waiting. Alexandra, greeting her with a smile as she was walking in, smiled back and said, ¡°Tiana! Were you working?¡± ¡°Yes. What¡¯s going on, Alexandra?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just curious how you¡¯ve been. I heard about what happened on your trip, and I wanted to check if you are enjoying your marriage life.¡± ¡°You could have sent a letter. If you had contacted me I would have visited you,¡± said Tiana. ¡°I wanted to see you in person. It¡¯s convenient for me to come since I don¡¯t have much to do, unlike everyone else who¡¯s busy with this, that, and the third.¡± Tiana fake smiled when she saw Alexandra speaking with a faint smile. When she saw this kind of easy-going image of Lucius¡¯s sister, it was like meeting a good, close friend. Thanks to that, she sometimes forgot that she was an empress. A maid soon brought out tea and snacks, and Alexandra, after taking a sip of the deep-scented tea, said, ¡°This tea is delicious. The scent is especially good, too. Where did you get it?¡± ¡°During our trip, we went to a caf¨¦ that specializes in flower tea. We bought some from there. I¡¯m glad we did. We brought some back as a gift for you. I¡¯ll give it to you later.¡± ¡°Oh my. Really? Thanks. That place you went to, it was the Grassel estate, right? I know that caf¨¦. ¡®Laurent¡¯ is such a famous place. I somehow thought that the scent was special.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been there, too, Alexandra?¡± Tiana asked. ¡°No, I have not, but I¡¯ve heard so much about it. Word about it has spread. It¡¯s a caf¨¦ in a small city and it¡¯s not big, but it¡¯s gaining popularity because of the taste and quality of the flower tea and desserts it sells.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Caf¨¦ ¡®Laurent¡¯. So that¡¯s what the name was. When they had visited there, Tiana couldn¡¯t see the name in detail because she had been distracted by its appearance. When she nodded at the fitting name, Alexandra narrowed her eyes and said, ¡°It¡¯s a hot place in a famous destination, so it¡¯s hard to get a reservation since visitors come at all hours of the day, but how did you get in?¡± ¡°Oh¡­ we, uh, Lucius made the reservation. I heard about¡­ a month in advance, I think.¡± ¡°My brother must really love you.¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°Yes. He made a reservation one month in advance. Well, I already knew how much he loved you, but since the marriage, I can really see it. I think the reins are finally loosened. Though I don¡¯t care since he looks happy.¡± So this is what Alexandra really looks like, Tiana thought. Tiana also liked that Lucius had become more active after getting married, but how much was it if his ¡®reins are finally loosened¡¯? These days, she went to the palace often for work, so she didn¡¯t know what Lucius did when he was out and about; she was now curious how he acted when she wasn¡¯t around. Is he already changing like that since he is married now? While she was thinking, Alexandra spoke again. If you want to support the Lunar Letters team, you can do so by pledging to us on Patreon and get to read advanced chapters of our novels! (Note: Patreon is not compulsory. Patrons are able to read ahead, but chapters will still be released to the public at a later date. This is only one way to financially support the team and keep the site running. Thank you very much!) Chapter 91 - Aristocrat Investment ¡°Are you enjoying your newlywed life?¡± Alexandra asked. ¡°Yes. I am so happy,¡± replied Tiana. ¡°It seems so. I can tell from Lucius¡¯ behavior these days. Oh, is your wound all right? I heard you got injured in an accident. I forgot to ask about that first.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. It was a serious injury, and I received treatment right away, so it¡¯s getting better now.¡± ¡°Thank goodness,¡± nodded Alexandra. ¡°By the way, you said you can tell from Lucius¡¯ behavior these days? How?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t ask.¡± Alexandra burst into laughter when she heard Tiana¡¯s question. Tiana focused on her words as her reaction was more than she had expected. ¡°When he comes to the palace, he has a smile on his face all day. It isn¡¯t a huge smile or anything like that, but it shows right away if he smiles even a little bit since he normally doesn¡¯t show much expression.¡± ¡°Right,¡± Tiana smiled. Alexandra continued, ¡°In the past, he was just expressionless and didn¡¯t used to express much emotion, so it didn¡¯t show on his face, but people are surprised because he smiles more and more these days. I¡¯ve seen it from time to time, but it¡¯s the first time for others to see my brother¡¯s various facial expressions.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Was Alexandra worried out of fear? Just what Tiana had expected. The surprised reaction was natural because Lucius didn¡¯t usually interact with the people in the palace on a personal level. People in the grand duchy were barely getting used to it. ¡°It¡¯s a lot better than when he was so stiff, but seeing him suddenly change like this, they can¡¯t adjust to him. As I already know that my brother isn¡¯t a creepy person, it¡¯s good to see him like that, but I think he¡¯s going to be talking a lot more, inside and outside of the palace.¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± Tiana asked. ¡°People change after they get married, even my brother. He¡¯ll say things like, ¡®Hey, you have to get married¡¯, ¡®Get along well with your mate¡¯, or ¡®Don¡¯t just marry anyone.¡± Tiana smiled gently at Alexandra grumbling with a rough look on her face. But thankfully, she hadn¡¯t said anything too negative about him. Instead, she seemed to be a little hurt inside. Alexandra was at a good age to get married, so she will probably feel the pressure now. Actually, her situation was quite unique. Although she was at that age, it was right for her to get married or leave the palace on her own since the emperor had died and Rael ascended the throne, but she was the only imperial woman of the emperor and the only sister of the current emperor, so she remained in the palace. In the original story, she left the palace on her own without even getting married, but it wasn¡¯t clear whether she¡¯d do that this time around. Tiana thought that it would be fun to see the free-spirited woman dating and getting married. Slowly, Tiana listened to her updates and social affairs, and they had a little chat. She brought up something when she was drinking her second cup of flower tea. ¡°I heard you started working in the grand duchy, is it manageable?¡± inquired Alexandra. ¡°Yes. Thankfully there are a lot of things similar to what I¡¯ve done before, so it¡¯s no problem. Since the scale of work is much bigger, I¡¯m getting help from the butler and head maid with other things.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great. Those two are very skilled and reliable. Is anything else hard?¡± ¡°Hard, shall I say¡­? There is something on my mind,¡± Tiana spoke. ¡°What is it?¡± asked Alexandra. ¡°Lucius¡¯ internal budget is a bit too much¡­ I was thinking about how to use it, and I discussed it with him and decided to start a business.¡± ¡°Oh my, really? What kind of business?¡± Perhaps the story caught her attention, the look in Alexandra¡¯s eyes changed. Tiana said, hesitating to look at her, ¡°Basically, it¡¯s an investment welfare business; I thought it would be nice to provide welfare to the lower class, such as orphans and commoners.¡± ¡°I see. That¡¯s good intent. So what¡¯s next?¡± ¡°The amount of funds I can use is bigger than I expected, so I decided to make it a business, but if Lucius wants to do it properly, it¡¯s better to include not only the lower class but also the aristocrats in the list,¡± Tiana elaborated. ¡°Oh¡­ Right. I think I know what you mean. The aristocrats have a lot of petty jealousy, so they won¡¯t let that welfare go to the lower class. What they possess now isn¡¯t enough.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m trying to invest in the aristocracy. I received the data because I wanted to invest mainly in those who are in business or those who are not able to develop their talents due to low status or funding issues, but it¡¯s not easy to select them.¡± The criteria have been set, and thanks to Lucius, the data can be easily obtained and selected, but it has become a little difficult to select by looking at the written data. Warren wrote in detail about each business, which helped a lot, but something about it lacked vividness about what kind of business and what kind of person Tiana was. She wanted to see if it was worth the investment, but it wasn¡¯t easy either. ¡°Are there any aristocrats or businesses that caught your eye?¡± asked Alexandra. ¡°I haven¡¯t looked through too many, so there is only one.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°At the Grassel estate, there¡¯s a caf¨¦ business run by Baron Evett June; I think there are plans to expand the branch,¡± spoke Tiana. ¡°Evett June¡­ he must be the owner of Caf¨¦ Laurent!¡± exclaimed Alexandra. ¡°Really? It caught my eye because he is an aristocrat of the Grassel estate, but I didn¡¯t know it was that caf¨¦.¡± Chapter 92 - Business Scheme Something about that place had really caught Tiana¡¯s eye. She didn¡¯t expect his caf¨¦ business to be ¡®Laurent¡¯. While Tiana was shocked at the unexpected revelation, Alexandra¡¯s voice raised. ¡°The branch will start to expand soon. Well, it¡¯s just getting popular, so it¡¯s a good idea to take this opportunity to increase the number of branches. Apparently, Evett is putting all his attention on that because it¡¯s his first business since he became independent.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°However, with his assets, it is difficult to expand, so he is looking for investors, but I guess it is not easy.¡± ¡°How so? Productivity is good, and it¡¯s starting to gain popularity, so if it grows a little bit, he¡¯ll be able to make a profit soon,¡± Tiana said. ¡°That¡¯s good. It sounds like a good product. However, no matter how profitable the product is, it will be hard to find investors. I¡¯m not sure how it would be for a marquis or an earl, but he is a baron.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ You¡¯re saying it¡¯s a problem because of his low status?¡± asked Tiana. Another classic case of ¡®class difference¡¯. Tiana had been expecting this, but it felt much different actually hearing it. There were so many problems not only among commoners but even among aristocrats. When she sighed quietly as her brows were forced to frown, Alexandra continued, ¡°There are many ¡®classes¡¯ among aristocrats who are similar. It¡¯s even more so because the aristocracy itself is a closed class.¡± ¡°In terms of power and property, these are aspects that place importance on the rules. Because they don¡¯t like change or broken rules.¡± Tiana added. ¡°Right. Since they¡¯re that kind of group there is also a lot of discrimination between statuses. Counts have a small estate or have some property, but barons often only have a title, so they don¡¯t get treated like aristocrats.¡± ¡°No matter how low an aristocrat is¡­¡± Some people wonder how he is different from a knight, but he¡¯s a noble who can definitely inherit a title. Since he is a low-ranking aristocrat with no assets, people ignore him because they don¡¯t have much to do with him. I don¡¯t know why they do that.¡± Alexandra shook her head as if she didn¡¯t like them, and took a sip of cold tea. Tiana thought there would be some discrimination, but seeing her reaction, there seemed to be a lot of it. Seeing her talk like that, Alexandra didn¡¯t seem like one to discriminate. Tiana calmly looked at her, then carefully said, ¡°Are you okay with low-ranking aristocrats?¡± ¡°Of course. They are the same aristocrats. I don¡¯t want to only look at people¡¯s class ranking. The important thing is a person¡¯s personality and heart.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I also think like that. Then do you happen to know what kind of person Evett is?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never met him in person, but I heard he has a soft personality. He was the second child in his family, but he did not want to fight for his successor, so he chose to become an independent baron and was awarded the title of the current baron,¡± spoke Alexandra. Tiana nodded and Alexandra continued, ¡°He likes flowers and tea so much that he started a flower tea business. They said he knows more about it than ordinary women. I heard that the reason he went independent was that he wanted to run his own caf¨¦ business.¡± There¡¯s nothing harder than doing what you like as work, and even if you try to do it independently, you¡¯re definitely really passionate about that business. He didn¡¯t seem like a bad person. Tiana could believe it since the information came from Alexandra, but she certainly wanted to meet the man in person and decide for herself. How could there not be a way to meet him? As she was thinking about it, Alexandra said, looking at Tiana¡¯s face, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re about to invest in Evett¡¯s business.¡± ¡°Yes. That time I went to ¡®Laurent¡¯ I was so impressed, and Evett¡¯s reputation doesn¡¯t seem bad either. I¡¯m wondering if I should meet him first before making a decision, but I don¡¯t have a way to meet him¡­¡± ¡°I know a way! You can¡¯t meet him right away, but I think I can connect you to him,¡± said Alexandra. ¡°Oh? Really?¡± As soon as Tiana asked again at the unexpected good news, Alexandra happily nodded. ¡°This is great! Actually, I had another reason for coming here. You start your social activities soon, right?¡± ¡°Yes. My wound is almost healed and stable, so I thought I¡¯d start soon.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I thought, so I brought an invitation. I really want to host a party for you as you start your new life.¡± ¡°Oh, what an honor. Thank you, Alexandra. What kind of party?¡± asked Tiana. Spring is in full swing, so I thought it would be nice to have a tea party in my garden. I¡¯m still making the invitation list, but I think I can invite Evett¡¯s sister.¡± ¡°His sister?¡± So he had a sister. Surely she would be the bridge to Evett. And she might know a lot about him, so Tiana would be able to hear some information about him and his business in detail. ¡°Evett¡¯s sister is Viscountess Garnett. I¡¯ve talked to her a few times at parties, so I¡¯ll be able to bring it up to her,¡± said Alexandra. ¡°Is that so? It won¡¯t cause a stir?¡± Alexandra smiled. ¡°Never. Rather, she¡¯d be delighted. Don¡¯t worry, she is a good person.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a relief.¡± What a coincidence that everything had lined up like this. Somehow it seemed like Tiana would meet Evett soon, so she was looking forward to meeting him. Because she wanted to meet and decide on her first investment. She really hoped he was a good person like Alexandra had said. If you want to support the Lunar Letters team, you can do so by pledging to us on Patreon and get to read advanced chapters of our novels! (Note: Patreon is not compulsory. Patrons are able to read ahead, but chapters will still be released to the public at a later date. This is only one way to financially support the team and keep the site running. Thank you very much!) Chapter 93 After Alexandra left, Tiana went over the data about the aristocrats until Lucius came. She was slowly looking through the vast amount of information, but nothing really caught her eye. With her mind still set on Evett¡¯s caf¨¦, she threw the others aside and decided to do something else. Now it was time for the commoners to choose a candidate among the aristocrats to invest in. ¡°First, we¡¯ll send relief supplies to the nearest children¡¯s home; I hope there¡¯s a space for the commoners to apply for and receive the subsidies themselves.¡± If so, that meant that Tiana needed an office for the grant work. Thinking about not only work but other duties in the future, an office was necessary. There wouldn¡¯t be any problems with finances, but it would be good to discuss it with Lucius first. And get some advice on where it would be good to make an office. She wrote it down on her to-do list, went on with the rest of her work, so time was spent well. Before she knew it, she saw the sunset through the window, so she stretched and got up from the chair. And with perfect timing, Inabel let her know that Lucius had arrived. Leaving the office and heading downstairs, she saw him walking in. ¡°Lucius!¡± Tiana hadn¡¯t seen her husband for half the day. As she quickly approached him for a hug, he smiled and embraced her. ¡°Come here. How was work?¡± she asked. ¡°It was fine. Didn¡¯t you work a lot today, Tiana?¡± ¡°Nope. I did what I could. Oh, Alexandra dropped by this afternoon.¡± Lucius perked his eyebrow, ¡°Alexandra?¡± ¡°Yeah. She was worried about what happened, so she came to visit. It was good to see her and talk with her after such a long time.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good. I¡¯m glad you enjoyed seeing her.¡± With a smile on his face, he kissed Tiana on the cheek. Removing his coat for him and handing it to a maid, they immediately headed to the dining room as it was time for dinner. They sat down, and as the food was coming out Tiana talked about the conversation she had had with Alexandra. Listening carefully, Lucius stiffened his face slightly and muttered, ¡°Baron Evett June¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Do you know him?¡± Tiana asked. ¡°We exchanged looks when I reserved our seats at the caf¨¦ a few days ago. I¡¯ve never met him in person, but I¡¯ve heard about him through people here and there.¡± ¡°Oh, really? Alexandra told me he was a good guy. What do you think of him?¡± Lucius paused before speaking. ¡°He doesn¡¯t have a bad reputation among the aristocrats. As Alexandra said, he is kind and gentle, but when it comes to the caf¨¦ business, he is like a different person.¡± ¡°I guess he takes his business seriously.¡± Half the reason for his going independent was the caf¨¦ business. Having heard it like this again, Lucius seemed to have an idea of what kind of person Evett was. Thinking for a while, he took a sip of water and brought it up as if he had suddenly thought of it and asked, ¡°Remember the last time we saw Kenil? We saw him with Viscount Grassel and Lona.¡± ¡°Of course I do. You mean the guy who was the director of the botanical garden?¡± Kenil, who is also Lona¡¯s secretary. The whole time Tiana looked around the botanical garden, there¡¯d been a strange atmosphere around Lona. ¡°Evett June is Kenil¡¯s younger brother,¡± said Lucius. ¡°Huh? Really?¡± ¡°Yeah. Kenil¡¯s parents had three children. The oldest one married Viscount Garnett, and the middle one was baronized. The youngest was also baronized, but left the family home soon after.¡± ¡°I see.¡± So Kenil wasn¡¯t the oldest. From his stern, grumpy personality, Tiana had thought he was an only child or the oldest, but she hadn¡¯t expected Viscountess Garnett to be the oldest. So Evett was the youngest. ¡°I heard from Kenil that Evett has always liked flowers and tea. And they also say that he has a lot of knowledge about them, so that¡¯s why he decided to turn his passion into a caf¨¦ business. Even the reservation was possible thanks to Kenil introducing me to him,¡± added Lucius. ¡°I¡¯m wondering if I should make him my first investment if he¡¯s a good person. What do you think?¡± ¡°You mean Evett¡¯s caf¨¦ business?¡± ¡°Yeah. I really loved it when we went, and if the atmosphere is all right, I¡¯ll invest in it and hopefully help him expand the business. And I think it will be great if he opens a few more branches, even in the capital.¡± Lucius thought about it for a moment. He made the same slightly stiffened face she¡¯d seen earlier. Was there a problem? While Tiana stared at him with a strange look on her face, Lucius said, grinning and nodding, ¡°I think that will be okay. It¡¯s promising, and Evett¡¯s reputation is not bad, so I think it¡¯ll be a good first investment.¡± ¡°I was going to decide after meeting him in person. Alexandra finally said that she¡¯s having a tea party soon, and she said she invited Viscountess Garnett, so I was thinking I can meet with him then and talk.¡± ¡°I can arrange a meeting with him.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll be a good idea to be too direct. I want to slowly inform him about my business ventures; to do so, I want to proceed behind the scenes by meeting Viscountess Garnett rather than doing your plan.¡± If Lucius or Tiana took action, she could call Evett in person without meeting Viscountess Garnett through Alexandra. That would be convenient, but if she were to do that it¡¯ll catch the attention of other aristocrats. Settling in the capital right after marriage, almost every aristocrat was watching the grand duchy. One single action had caused great reactions, which stressed her out. So if it¡¯s possible she wanted to let Evett know about her business at a later date. If you want to support the Lunar Letters team, you can do so by pledging to us on Patreon and get to read advanced chapters of our novels! (Note: Patreon is not compulsory. Patrons are able to read ahead, but chapters will still be released to the public at a later date. This is only one way to financially support the team and keep the site running. Thank you very much!) Chapter 94 - Tiana’s Return To Society (II) Lucius smiled softly, and said as if he knew what she was thinking, ¡°Got it. Take it slow since there¡¯s nothing to rush about. It will wear you out if you talk about your business too early. I¡¯ll set it aside so that no one knows about it.¡± ¡°Thanks, Lucius. What are you going to do now that you know everything?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. Just keep doing what you¡¯re doing. I¡¯ll help out whenever I can. And it¡¯s not like I¡¯m giving you anything big.¡± ¡°It¡¯s big enough¡­¡± ¡°If you feel like it¡¯s a burden, you don¡¯t have to do it. But I believe you¡¯ll be the best.¡± Getting up from his seat, Lucius walked over to Tiana and grabbed her hand; she stood up. She leaned against his chest, smiling gently as she gently squeezed her waist. ¡°Aren¡¯t you a little overconfident in me? What if all this blows up in my face?¡± Tiana asked. ¡°That is not likely. And so what if you fail? It¡¯s your job, and I¡¯ll just clean it up.¡± ¡°Even if it all goes under?¡± ¡°Still it won¡¯t be a big blow to the grand duchy. And don¡¯t worry, I can take care of everything from my end.¡± Tiana almost laughed at his overconfident smile. Indeed, it was a business founded with money left over after expenses, so if it¡¯s all wasted there wouldn¡¯t be any damage to him nor the grand duchy. Tiana was able to check him and his wealth. He really was the most powerful husband. What happens if she really turns him into a villain? Tiana left the dining room and went up to the bedroom, imagining that it would be surprisingly fun. * A few days later, she received an invitation to Alexandra¡¯s next tea party: The day after tomorrow at 2 p.m. She had to prepare for it properly as it would be her first social gathering since the wedding. There was plenty of time. Since she had a lot of dresses made by Alexandra, she could just choose one of them and hopefully some accessories to match it. Tiana called Jane to bring in some dresses and accessories to look at. As she was trying to choose the right ones, Jane carefully said, ¡°Madam. Is there a theme for the empress¡¯s tea party?¡± ¡°Well, she said it will be held in a garden since the spring weather is nice.¡± ¡°Then how about this dress?¡± She picked one of the hanging dresses and showed it to Tiana. The bright yellow dress was beautiful with a light purple flower pattern and small jewels. Staring at it calmly, Jane spoke in a voice louder than earlier. ¡°If it¡¯s held in a garden, then that means you won¡¯t have a reason to go indoors, madam. This dress here, I think it¡¯ll be beautiful when the sun hits it. It goes well with your hair color.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not too loud?¡± ¡°Never. Rather, it¡¯s perfect for the garden tea party because it gives a bright feeling. And I heard that this time the party is planned for you by the empress herself. You¡¯re like the main character, so it¡¯s natural that you shine the most.¡± ¡°All right¡­¡± Tiana felt a bit awkward when Jane said that the party was for her. Even though the tea party marked Tiana¡¯s return to society, Alexandra was the host. But even though she tried to reject the invitation, somehow her words were lost at the sight of Jane and the maids who seemed more determined than ever. It was her first time seeing Jane so active and everyone wanted to dress her, but they seemed to be holding back because there were no proper orders. Tiana eventually nodded as she agonized over their anticipated eyes. ¡°Good. I¡¯ll wear this dress. Can you choose some accessories that go well with it?¡± ¡°Oh¡­ yes, madam! Leave it to me! Bring all the accessories!¡± ¡°Yes, Lady Jane!¡± As soon as Tiana finished talking, Jane smiled and called in the other maids as if they¡¯d been waiting this entire time. The excited maids, moving busily with happy faces, brought out accessories. The way Tiana picked and chose accessories to see which matched with the dress was somehow cute as someone was heard giggling faintly. ¡°Lady Jane, how about this necklace?¡± ¡°That one is too loud. And the stones are too small.¡± ¡°Lady Jane, I think these earrings are nice.¡± ¡°That color is nice. Set it aside.¡± ¡°Lady Jane, look at this ring and this bracelet.¡± Looking at the potential items piled up one or two at a time, it seemed like it would take a long time. Tiana could only wear one of each kind of accessory, so was there a point in setting aside so many? Still, she was a little happy to look at the maids who were seriously engaged. Seeing them work so hard for her, Tiana felt like she¡¯d finally been recognized as a hostess by all of them. They were the most lively faces she had ever seen. Maybe because it was their duty? They were really diligent. By the time the potential accessories had been selected, Warren had opened the door and entered. Tiana, looking at the butlers following behind him holding all types of boxes, asked, ¡°What is all this?¡± ¡°Lord Lucius will tell you about this soon, madam.¡± ¡°Lucius? He is here?¡± Isn¡¯t it too early to come back home from work? She looked at Warren with a bizarre expression, but he just smiled, not even telling the other butlers to wait. Not too long after the last person holding a box came, Lucius really did enter the room. Surprised, Tiana approached him, and a bouquet suddenly popped out in front of her. ¡°Happy birthday, Tiana.¡± Chapter 95 - Surprise Celebration (I) ¡°Huh¡­?¡± At the sudden celebration, Tiana didn¡¯t realize she was blankly staring at Lucius. Birthday? Her birthday had passed a long time ago. Don¡¯t tell me he is celebrating now. Then all of these boxes are presents, she thought. The celebration was sudden, but why were there so many boxes that looked like presents? After receiving a bouquet, she searched for an answer to all this. ¡°Are you celebrating my birthday?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯m really late, but I really wanted to celebrate it. I¡¯ve planned a celebration for your birthday and your return to society.¡± ¡°Thank you. I am truly happy, but I¡¯m not sure what to do since I didn¡¯t expect all this. Then all of these boxes are¡­¡± ¡°Yes, they are presents.¡± All of them? At least twenty butlers were standing in a row on either side. A total of twenty-two to be exact. Then that meant there were twenty-two boxes. ¡°You said these are all presents, but why are there so many?¡± asked Tiana. ¡°Uh¡­ I wanted to celebrate all of your birthdays that have passed up until this year.¡± ¡°All of my birthdays? Up until this year?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°So you bought twenty-two presents? That must have cost a lot of money¡­¡± ¡°For you, this is nothing.¡± Lucius smiled shyly but happily, blushing his cheeks and blinking his honey-like golden eyes. Here is an angel of the world. Everything that he does is amazing. I can¡¯t believe he is such a nice husband. How is that smile shady? Writer, what have you done to my good husband? How dare you turn a man like him into a villain? For the first time in a while, a grudge against the writer of the original story broiled within her. Tiana wanted to grab whoever they were by the collar. Tiana was happy about the presents, but she really loved the bouquet that Lucius had given her. It was very remarkable to see roses of various colors blooming beautifully in one bouquet. More than anything, she especially loved that the entire room was filled with the scent from them. The flowers somehow looked familiar. ¡°These flowers are beautiful. And the scent is deep. But they look a little familiar¡­¡± she said. ¡°You¡¯re right. Those are the flowers the kids were selling.¡± ¡°What?! Really? But how¡­? I thought the fire in the garden burned the rest of the flowers¡­¡± ¡°I guess there were a few left in the greenhouse. I went back there after hearing the news that all of the kids had recovered and gone back to work; the little girl made these herself. She said she grew them. Not her brother¡­¡± ¡°Thank you so much. I don¡¯t know if I can accept them like this.¡± ¡°She told me that she isn¡¯t as good as her brother, but she wanted to give you something that she grew. I took them because I wanted to deliver them to you.¡± ¡°These are pretty enough. I¡¯ll send her a gift later on.¡± ¡°She will be really happy¡­¡± Tiana smiled at Lucius who was smiling brightly at her and slightly buried her face in the bouquet. The rich scent of the flowers rose to her nose. Their overall scent was lighter and slightly different than the small bouquet Tiana had received the other day, but she somehow liked them more. Though it was a shame that there weren¡¯t any blue roses, the one that the young girl¡¯s brother had grown. Tiana hoped one day that she would be able to see it. After spending a few minutes admiring the flowers, she was shocked to see the butlers still standing, waiting. Curious as to why they were still standing, she wondered if she should tell them to put the boxes down. ¡°Put the boxes over on that table.¡± ¡°Yes, madam.¡± At Tiana¡¯s words, all of the butlers put the boxes on the table one by one. Looking at the tower of presents, Tiana, curious about the contents, asked Lucius, ¡°What on earth did you buy for me?¡± ¡°Take a look for yourself.¡± He, who grabbed her hand, pulled her over to the table. The butlers who had put all the boxes down stepped aside, and Warren, who approached, opened all the boxes with the butlers after receiving a glance from Lucius. The shocked maids babbled amongst one another as they too crowded around. The items in the boxes were all beautiful, shiny accessories: necklaces, earrings, rings, bracelets, etc. Everyone¡¯s eyes were wide open at the dazzling jewels. How much did it all cost? How could Lucius have bought all of these all at once? Tiana¡¯s jaw remained dropped. As she stared at Lucius, shocked, he was looking at her triumphantly. ¡°These all fit you so well, Tiana. I only chose a few for now; they all look okay?¡± ¡°Of course they are all beautiful, but it¡¯s way too much, Lucius.¡± ¡°You think so? Alexandra said that she has this much. I thought it might not be enough, so she told me to buy some more. Should I cancel the order?¡± ¡°There¡¯s¡­ more?¡± This wasn¡¯t all of it? Tiana stared at him, surprised that more presents were coming, but she was speechless as Lucius had a look on his face like he didn¡¯t know what to do. It seemed that he had gotten more advice from Alexandra; Tiana couldn¡¯t believe he had done this much shopping. How was she supposed to accept all of this? She was frugal enough that she didn¡¯t have many accessories of her own. But still, for the daughter of a duke it wasn¡¯t that much; was this Lucius¡¯ way of making her realize that? How much did Alexandra have to say that this was not enough? Tiana thought it over, but no matter how much Lucius said these were gifts, she felt sorry for him, but when she tried to tell him to cancel the rest, Jane carefully stepped forward and said, ¡°Well, with all due respect, the little accessories you have now are old, madam. So we need to place an additional order in addition to what Lord Lucius has bought.¡± ¡°Is that so? Am I lacking that much?¡± If you want to support the Lunar Letters team, you can do so by pledging to us on Patreon and get to read advanced chapters of our novels! (Note: Patreon is not compulsory. Patrons are able to read ahead, but chapters will still be released to the public at a later date. This is only one way to financially support the team and keep the site running. Thank you very much!) Chapter 96 - Surprise Celebration (II) ¡°Madam, you¡¯ve been living a frugal life, so you don¡¯t have many accessories. And most of them are old and outdated, so they should be replaced to match your prestigious position. I dare to say such a thing, but I beg you, madam, the mistress of the grand duchy.¡± ¡°Alright. Go ahead and ask for an additional order other than what you ordered.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Meanwhile, the deal between Lucius and Jane had already been done. Jane¡¯s face, as she bowed deeply and stood up, was full of happiness as if saying ¡®It¡¯s all done!¡¯ As the embarrassed Tiana stared back and forth at the two of them, they looked similar as they smiled happily, looking at her. Wait, why is Jane so aggressive today? And what about the candidates that were picked earlier? And you, Lucius, don¡¯t smile so proudly like that. Now that Tiana tried to stop them, she couldn¡¯t even talk about it because she thought not only them two but also the more excited maids or Warren and the butlers who were looking at her happily would oppose it. All she could do was smile at the situation she had no control over. * The next day, Tiana began receiving the gifts she had heard about the day before. After seeing the pile of boxes on the table for a second time, she let out a short sigh. There were presents, and Lucius had bought them with his own money, not spending a dime of the internal budget. She was grateful that he cared about her, but somehow she felt like he would often do this in the future, which made her a little confused. She didn¡¯t know if it was right or not to possess this much as the mistress of the grand duchy, but it was hard for her to adapt as a normal citizen in modern times. How much did it all cost? She couldn¡¯t even begin to imagine how many zeros there were. She erased the thought from her mind for now. There were additional orders, but first things first, the tea party preparations were tight, so she decided to choose from the ones that came today. Having seen the maids choose new accessories according to the dress they had chosen, she laughed at their diligence that was more prevalent than yesterday. ¡°Lady Jane, there are three potential necklaces!¡± ¡°It¡¯s a dress that reveals the chest, so it shouldn¡¯t look empty. Let¡¯s go with the second necklace.¡± ¡°Lady Jane, these two earrings are the final candidates.¡± ¡°We¡¯d better match the jewels on the necklace.¡± ¡°How about this bracelet, Lady Jane?¡± ¡°This ring¡­¡± ¡°This hairpin¡­¡± The voices calling Jane echoed among the maids. Even amid the chaotic situation, Jane quickly organized and decided. Tiana tried on a dress with the accessories that were finally chosen. When Tiana stood in the mirror after Inabel, the hairstylist, put the final touches on her hair, Tiana could see the perfect. ¡°You look stunning¡­¡± ¡°The dress, the jewelry, everything is perfect.¡± ¡°You will be the most beautiful lady at the party tomorrow.¡± Jane, along with the thrilled maids, nodded proudly as she wiped the sweat from her forehead. Tiana looked at them with a big smile as she felt good in the bright yellow dress that looked better than she¡¯d expected. ¡°Thank you, You all did a great job. Now I am looking forward to tomorrow.¡± She might as well enjoy the attention since she¡¯d come this far. Tiana felt like she now had the confidence to attract everyone¡¯s cheers and attention. * The day of the tea party. The time was two o¡¯clock, but Tiana left the mansion a little early, heading to the imperial palace. Since she was going to the empress¡¯s palace, there were lots of servants who¡¯d come out to greet her. ¡°Welcome, grand duchess. Her Royal Highness is waiting.¡± While following Alexandra¡¯s maids and looking around, she could see that it was decorated with a different atmosphere from the last time. She arrived at Alexandra¡¯s room after passing by the busy servants who all seemed to be in the middle of preparation. Walking through the opened door, Alexandra was seen sitting on the sofa, waiting as if she had finished preparing. Holding a piece of paper in her hand, Alexandra greeted her with a smile at the sound of her coming. ¡°Tiana, you¡¯re here! You look really beautiful today. And you¡¯re wearing the dress I made! I guess you liked my design. It fits you well.¡± ¡°Thank you, Alexandra. Actually, my maids chose it for me. The same for my accessories. I was surprised at how hard they worked.¡± ¡°They wouldn¡¯t have it any other way. There hasn¡¯t been a mistress in the grand duchy, so there wasn¡¯t much for them to do. Lucius is a man, so it wasn¡¯t easy for them to dress him up. He doesn¡¯t get dressed up often. But isn¡¯t it exciting that you are here and they now have a stage to show off their skills?¡± ¡°Oh¡­ Yeah, I guess so.¡± ¡°Even more, today is your first day back in society. It is the servant¡¯s job to show that you are the most beautiful mistress. A high appraisal of you is also an appraisal of them,¡± said Alexandra. ¡°That seems right. I should do well today to repay them.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll do fine, Tiana. Don¡¯t worry about a thing. I¡¯m sure everyone wants to look good to you today.¡± ¡°Huh? Is that so?¡± Tiana asked. ¡°Of course. Let¡¯s watch.¡± Alexandra¡¯s relaxing voice was good to hear. Wherever it was that she got it from, Tiana wanted her to share that confidence. But still, just being with her was relaxing in itself. Tiana looked away for a moment, then asked as she noticed the paper in her hand, ¡°What is that paper?¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s the full guest list of those attending the party. Thankfully everyone who was invited will attend.¡± ¡°Oh, yeah?¡± ¡°Yes. Viscountess Garnett said she was attending, so you can meet her today.¡± ¡°Thank goodness. I can¡¯t wait.¡± Tiana wondered what she¡¯d be like when she saw her in person. This had to be the perfect meeting. She then noticed a familiar name as she snuck a glance at the guest list while she was trying to calm her anticipation. ¡°Huh¡­?¡± If you want to support the Lunar Letters team, you can do so by pledging to us on Patreon and get to read advanced chapters of our novels! (Note: Patreon is not compulsory. Patrons are able to read ahead, but chapters will still be released to the public at a later date. This is only one way to financially support the team and keep the site running. Thank you very much!) Chapter 97 - The Spring Party (I) Looking closely at the guest list, there was one name that stood out among the rest: ¡®Angelica del Verne¡¯. Without a doubt, it was the name of the original story¡¯s female protagonist. How in the world did she get invited? Then, Tiana would be able to see her today! There was still some time left until the original story started, so she couldn¡¯t think too much about it, but she couldn¡¯t wait because she didn¡¯t think she¡¯d meet her this way. Regardless of when the original story began, if Tiana would socialize now, she is likely to meet Angelica. Angelica wasn¡¯t active as a count¡¯s daughter, but since she¡¯s been socially active from time to time, they might be able to meet more often than Tiana had thought. Today¡¯s event marks the first day they can meet. Just thinking about how she can finally see the sky-blue eyes and blond hair described in the original story made her heart race with anticipation like the first time she had met Lucius. In fact, Tiana¡¯s third favorite was Angelica. She even liked her nonchalant personality which was different from protagonists in other novels she has read, and it was exciting to see Angelica meet Rael and open her heart to him. If possible, Tiana wanted to become close with Angelica. Since she had been able to see in the original story how Rael and Angelica met, she also wanted to see their smiling faces together. Well, they had had the same feelings for one another, so they should have been married by now. Considering the next episode that came up after Tiana had lost her memory, she still wanted to watch it. Though now she is fortunate enough to be able to see the final scene here. It was weird for Tiana to be staring blankly at the guest list, so Alexandra asked with a strange face, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Is there someone you¡¯re worried about?¡± ¡°Oh, no. It¡¯s just that there are more guests than I expected,¡± she replied. ¡°It isn¡¯t that much. It¡¯s around 30 people. There will be much more than this at later parties.¡± ¡°Oh, right. My head is still not straight since this is my first return to society in such a long time.¡± ¡°Well, your memory hasn¡¯t all returned, right? You¡¯ll be fine, so just take your time and don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll be by your side. Whatever happens, I¡¯ll take care of it,¡± assured Alexandra. ¡°Thank you.¡± Tiana was thankful for Alexandra¡¯s consideration. She was helping out a lot, especially with things about Lucius and with Tiana¡¯s dress. What had happened before would have hurt Alexandra a lot, but Tiana was grateful that she just accepted it as if nothing had happened. It was easy to have a friend like that. Tiana wanted to keep this relationship with her as long as possible. Having spent some time chitchatting about this and that, it came time for the tea party to start. Tiana was about to go to the garden first, but she left the room with Alexandra five minutes before the opening. Coming out through the hallway into the spacious garden, she could see the other wives and daughters gathered around. They were walking together, with everyone¡¯s attention on them, and standing in the middle of the crowd, Alexandra marked the start of the tea party. ¡°Thank you, everyone, for attending the party. The spring weather is perfect for an event like this. I hope you all have a wonderful time.¡± At the same time Alexandra ended her short greeting, a song began playing from one side of the garden. The garden was bright and full of spring energy. And calm music on a warm sunny day; a perfect start to the tea party. * ¡°Welcome, grand duchess. I am Count Adolte¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s an honor to finally meet you, grand duchess. I am Marquess Tyraine¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°Grand duchess. I am¡­¡± Tiana tried to maintain a stiff face as she accepted the never-ending wave of greetings. After the tea party started, the wives and daughters who were looking around for a while soon rushed to greet her. She sighed quietly when she saw the people sitting in their seats get pushed out of the way by the ones approaching her. What Alexandra had said earlier was definitely true. No matter how new the rumors spread, she didn¡¯t think they¡¯d approach her so easily. Her prediction was more wrong than she¡¯d thought. Rather, she was a little puzzled to see people really fretting about what had happened. Alexandra, only staring and smiling, didn¡¯t help out one bit after seeing Tiana buried in the crowd of wives and daughters. Thankfully, some servants brought out tea after a little while. When Tiana was thinking about which table in the garden to sit at, Alexandra came to her and dragged her away. ¡°Tiana, sit here.¡± She brought her to a table in the center and sat her down in the middle chair. When Tiana saw her sitting next to her pretending not to know, she said in a small voice, ¡°You¡¯re supposed to sit here, Alexandra.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not. This is your seat. Today¡¯s tea party was prepared for you.¡± ¡°Still, the host has to sit in the mid¡ª¡± ¡°Though I am the host, you are the main guest. Don¡¯t worry; just accept my gift to you.¡± Tiana sighed again as Alexandra winked at her. She was thankful for her generosity, but this kind of gift was a bit embarrassing. As the two sat down, so did the others who were looking at them. Each of the five tables had six chairs. The very center table where Tiana and Alexandra were sitting had four empty chairs. Two women and two girls, who were timing each other, sat there, and those who gave them a disappointing look sat at the rest of the tables. Chapter 98 - The Spring Party (II) Looking at the tea in the teacups, Tiana discovered that it was her favorite. Black tea. She made a positive eye gesture to Alexandra, who most likely served the tea on purpose to Tiana¡¯s liking. Tiana felt a little calmer after taking a sip and feeling the fresh aroma in her mouth. ¡°This tastes delicious.¡± ¡°The color and the scent are excellent.¡± ¡°And so is this dessert,¡± said the other females sitting at the same table. Checking out the other tables, the cordial mood wasn¡¯t bad. The warm weather was nice, and the petals flying in the breezy wind became the background of the garden, brightening the atmosphere of the tea party. A garden tea party fit for spring. As the tea and dessert were perfect, Tiana could tell that Alexandra had put in a lot of effort. Perhaps everyone else felt the same way, compliments to the host didn¡¯t stop pouring in. Seeing her take them all in as if she were used to this kind of situation, Tiana calmly rolled her eyes and scanned the other tables. She said everyone on the guest list has attended, so surely¡­ Angelica would be here somewhere. She wasn¡¯t seen at Tiana¡¯s table. And blond hair, which was seen occasionally at the other tables, seemed harder to find. Obviously, because it was a common hair color. But Tiana didn¡¯t give up and searched for every single person in every seat. Even though blond hair was common, the combination with her eyes was not, so she could easily spot her. Blond hair and sky blue eyes. Oh, there she is! There were two blonde women at the table diagonally to the left of the center table. One of them was quietly sipping her tea; the one with sky blue eyes. That was definitely her. Angelica, the protagonist of the original story. The evidence was that she seemed to have some indifferent look and distinctive atmosphere around her. The other blonde-haired woman sitting next to her was chatting with the other females, while Angelica kept drinking tea, seemingly uninterested. Tiana couldn¡¯t believe she was really witnessing a similar scene that was described in the original story. Now that she has seen Angelica, she has met all of the main characters of the original story. Since they were in the same place, Tiana wanted to say hello. However, she didn¡¯t know if she¡¯d have time since she also had to meet Viscountess Garnett today. She hoped to at least say a couple of words to Angelica. While she couldn¡¯t take her eyes off of her, Alexandra, who stood up, raised her voice. ¡°Everyone, please feel free to look around at the flowers as they have all blossomed. It will be fun to see the many interesting and precious sculptures this time, too.¡± Interested by her words, the others rose from their seats and began to wander around. Alexandra winked as she saw people flocking to see pretty flowers and rare sculptures. Perfect timing. It was frustrating to just sit down, so it felt good to move around. Since it was a garden tea party, they didn¡¯t have to sit down the entire time, but rather, walking around freely while talking was suitable for the atmosphere. Tiana also stood up and walked around with Alexandra to enjoy the spring weather. She hasn¡¯t been able to walk since she was always cooped up in the office lately, and she didn¡¯t even know that spring was in full swing. She was looking at several flowers on the wall when she saw Angelica not too far away looking at the fountain sculptures, Tiana really wanted to approach her but couldn¡¯t. But now seemed like the perfect time seeing that Angelica was alone. Right when she looked around and was about to go to her, Alexandra said something. ¡°Tiana, I¡¯ll introduce you to Viscountess Garnett.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ All right.¡± Of all times. Tiana had no choice but to leave the regret behind. Just a short distance away, a lady with dark brown hair neatly raised was approaching. She wasn¡¯t particularly beautiful, but her red eyes gave her an ominous vibe. The viscountess, who approached carefully, came out and greeted Alexandra with a nervous face. ¡°Thank you for inviting me, Your Royal Highness. And grand duchess, it is an honor to meet you.¡± At this distance, Tiana could see the color of her eyes more closely. Her eyes were like red crystals. Just like that of a Garnett. Though probably not intentional, she was lucky to have married Viscount Garnett. Perhaps she had heard from Alexandra in advance, there seemed to be a good vibe and anticipation in her eyes looking at Tiana. Tiana smiled softly and greeted her with a warm smile. ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you, Viscountess Garnett. I¡¯ve heard much about you. Your eyes are really pretty.¡± ¡°Thank you. It¡¯s the only part of me I¡¯m confident in. I¡¯m married to my husband thanks to these eyes.¡± ¡°Oh my, is that so?¡± asked Tiana. ¡°They¡¯re the perfect eyes to be called a ¡®Garnet¡¯, and if it weren¡¯t for them, I wouldn¡¯t have become Viscountess Garnett.¡± Her playful laugh made Tiana smile softly. What a fun woman. Somehow she became curious about the viscount¡¯s path to marriage. ¡°Not only the color of your eyes but also the shape of them is attractive.¡± ¡°Thank you for the compliment. I don¡¯t know what to say after hearing that from you. I¡¯ll be able to brag to my husband when I return later; about how you like everything he does,¡± said the viscountess. ¡°Tell him that I appreciate his insight.¡± ¡°Then he¡¯ll probably be ecstatic.¡± Tiana was more drawn to her for her humble and witty appearance. She felt better now that the first meeting was going well. The conversation was also going well, but then a sudden crashing sound and a sharp yell came from the other side of the garden. Clank! ¡°What did you say just now!?¡± Chapter 99 - The Main Lead And The Extra (I) A few young girls could be seen arguing in front of the fountain. One stood in front of a group of three. Looking closer at the familiar face, it was Angelica. Something had happened as there was a broken teacup near her feet. Staring at the other three girls with an angry face¨Cdifferent from her usual indifferent look¨Cshe said, ¡°Can you repeat what you just said?¡± Tiana was shocked at her rather angry complexion. She hadn¡¯t expected to see Angelica like that at their first encounter with each other. The three girls looked embarrassed as her face twisted even angrier. ¡°Why are you so sensitive like that?¡± ¡°Right. You just take one word and¡­¡± One of the other girls, who were wary of the growing attention, stepped forward. Standing firmly like the captain of the group, she was unshaken by Angelica¡¯s glare. ¡°Angelica, we were just talking about the quality of the products that we were gifted from your family. But did you really have to shatter the teacup like this?¡± ¡°Frankly speaking, indeed, the quality of the products from your family is not good, right? We were only speaking the truth, but there is no reason for you to break the teacup and raise your voice at us,¡± said the purple-haired girl, speaking confidently as if she¡¯d done nothing wrong. On the contrary, Angelica, who looked at her quietly, opened her mouth in a rebuttal manner. ¡°I can¡¯t let go of what I just heard, regardless of the quality of my family¡¯s products. We are struggling to sell even poor-quality products since we lost all our money. How could you say such a thing?¡± ¡°Oh my, when did I say such a thing? All I said was ¡®they must be going through hard times, so they have to sell those kinds of products to support the family with my fullest sincerity.¡± ¡°You are quite the orator. That clearly wasn¡¯t what you just said,¡± retorted Angelica. ¡°Well. That¡¯s exactly what I said. Is it not?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not.¡± ¡°Angelica strangely misheard what Whigette said.¡± The Whigette girl, backed by the other ones, snorted and said confidently, ¡°These two say no, and I don¡¯t know if anyone else heard me say that. Did anyone hear me?¡± There wasn¡¯t a single reply from the people standing around watching them. Shrugging her shoulders after looking around, she stared at Angelica with a sly look on her face. ¡°There¡¯s no one to prove it, so I think you misheard what I said. Or it seems you misunderstood it. I only said it out of concern, but I am a little sad now.¡± ¡°Whigette, please don¡¯t feel too bad. I think Angelica is feeling more sensitive than normal.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. She just said it out of concern for Angelica¡­ She¡¯s probably been under a lot of stress lately.¡± Angelica¡¯s face hardened at the sarcastic remarks from the two other girls. It was very unpleasant to look at ¡®team captain Whigette¡¯, who seemed to be in the highest position of the three as if she was suing Angelica for not saying anything. As there was no one around to listen to their conversation, it was obvious that they were trying to corner her on purpose. Of course, it was natural to encounter one or two girls like them; ones who¡¯d pick a fight with the lead character. There seemed to be a similar scene in the original story. But Tiana couldn¡¯t remember her name. Seeing that she couldn¡¯t recall her name, the Whigette girl seemed like an extra who hadn¡¯t appeared in the original story. Anyway, Tiana felt sorry for Angelica, who seemed to be holding back. Even though the girl wanted to retort, there was no one around to back her up. And Tiana couldn¡¯t meddle even if she wanted to help, so she wondered what to do. ¡°There they go again. I¡¯m so tired of them.¡± Alexandra, standing next to Tiana, sucked her teeth and Tiana asked after seeing them talking. ¡°Do you know about them?¡± ¡°A little. We aren¡¯t close, but I know they¡¯re famous. Especially the one from the Whigette family. Her family is rivals with Angelica¡¯s family, so she can¡¯t stand looking at her like that,¡± replied Alexandra. ¡°Oh really? They were talking about some product earlier; is it because their families are rivals?¡± ¡°Both families run a pottery business, and their respective business groups are different. Neutralism and empiricism¡­¡± ¡°Oh, I see¡­¡± Indeed, that was reason enough to start a fight. The two families ran the same kind of business, and of all things the style of running their businesses was different, so it was inevitable that they¡¯d bump heads at some point. But in the original story did the female protagonist¡¯s family have a rival? Tiana knew that Angelica¡¯s family ran a pottery business in the original story, but this was her first time learning that she had a rival. The Whigette family was an empiricist one. Given the fact that this wasn¡¯t in the original story, something must have happened before the original story. Since the timeframe now was prior to that of the original story, the two families might be in the middle of a rivalry. Angelica¡¯s attitude is a bit weird. The Angelica from the original story didn¡¯t hold back like that. Even though it was a pain, she responded to all of the approaching fights and arguments. But having seen her in a way that she normally didn¡¯t behave, things with her family before and after the story seemed very different. If you want to support the Lunar Letters team, you can do so by pledging to us on Patreon and get to read advanced chapters of our novels! (Note: Patreon is not compulsory. Patrons are able to read ahead, but chapters will still be released to the public at a later date. This is only one way to financially support the team and keep the site running. Thank you very much!) Chapter 100 - The Main Lead And The Extra (II) Angelica kept her mouth shut, and the Whigette girl said after secretly looking around to see if she felt that the mood of the others watching was not bad, ¡°I heard your new product will be delayed, so I guess you can come to the tea party like this, huh? Oh, did you come here to promote it yourself? How could¡­ You must be having a hard time. Seeing that you can¡¯t even enjoy your time at a tea party.¡± Her ability to sneak sarcastic remarks at Angelica¡¯s situation was artful. She was doing that on purpose, right? Everyone at the tea party had their attention on them. She¡¯s saying that because she thinks she can win in this favorable mood. She spoke softly because all eyes were on her, but in the end, she really meant, you should have stayed at home, locked in your room; why did you have to come out here and ruin the mood? Angelica, having heard her speak, stiffened her angry face and balled her fists tightly, but couldn¡¯t say a word. Even if she were to respond, she was alone, and the two others were backing Whigette. There was nothing she could do since the mood around them had been ruined. Tiana couldn¡¯t stand the irritation when she saw Angelica, who bit her lip and lowered her head gradually, and the Whigette girl, who was standing triumphantly. She really didn¡¯t like the look of the side character, who would disappear soon. What was she doing to the main character? Even though she wasn¡¯t in this story, Angelica, the protagonist of the original story, would overcome it well, but Tiana couldn¡¯t bear seeing this happen right in front of her eyes. She turned and headed toward the four of them. ¡°Tiana?¡± Ignoring Alexandra¡¯s call, she walked past the fountain and approached the ones arguing. The Whigette girl and Angelica¡¯s eyes widened as if they were embarrassed by her sudden approach. She smiled slightly at Angelica, who met her eyes, and said to the Whigette girl, ¡°So, are you saying Her Royal Highness sent the wrong person an invite?¡± ¡°Huh, what?¡± ¡°You spoke as if she really didn¡¯t have to come here. She¡¯s Her Royal Highness¡¯s rightful guest, and it¡¯s up to her to decide if she¡¯s going to attend, so why would you care about that?¡± ¡°No, I felt sorry for her for not having a good time after¡­¡± Perhaps bewildered by Tiana¡¯s sudden budding in, the Whigette girl couldn¡¯t finish her sentence. The way she frantically rolled her eyes around with a rigid face made Tiana laugh inside. ¡°It¡¯s a matter of her personal preference how she wants to enjoy her time. Does she really need to show off that she¡¯s having a good time? As this tea party is held in a garden, she can admire many attractions alone. It seemed to me that she was enjoying this tea party leisurely, looking at the details without showing much emotion.¡± Until earlier, Angelica had been interested in the fountain¡¯s small statues. And before that, she had enjoyed the fresh scent and delicious taste of black tea. Seeing that the shattered teacup still had remnants of tea, she must have been sitting by the fountain. Who would pick on someone who was enjoying their time alone? ¡°And you seem to know enough about the Verne family¡¯s situation, but was that important that you had to bring it up here?¡± ¡°I was just worried because I heard her situation was not good¡­¡± ¡°Then shouldn¡¯t we take the time to comfort and welcome the ones who attended the event because of bad circumstances? Angelica did her best to respond to Her Royal Highness¡¯s invitation, but what you did was unnecessary; are you judging her?¡± ¡°No, I wasn¡¯t trying to do that. What would I say about that¡­?¡± The Whigette girl, embarrassed by Tiana¡¯s words, hurriedly hung her head. Tiana hadn¡¯t expected the tables to turn like this. The bully searched around for a way to escape, but just like earlier, no one stepped up. A few people here and there avoided her embarrassing eyes or pretended not to know her. Before long, even the two girls behind her backed away, and as Tiana was now on Angelica¡¯s side, the bully was getting a taste of her own medicine. Tiana couldn¡¯t believe no one was on the girl¡¯s side. Now she knew why this wasn¡¯t in the original story. Because the Whigette girl was nothing but a boring extra. In the end, she made a tearful face. As she bowed her head gradually, Tiana said, sucking her teeth, ¡°That¡¯s right. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s right for you to say that Angelica shouldn¡¯t be here. Did you really have to do that to reveal her situation? Of all places?¡± Whigette couldn¡¯t utter a reply. ¡°Especially since Her Royal Highness had given us this wonderful tea party in her garden, the one who is ruining the mood¡­ looks a little different to me. ¡± When cold stares fell on the bully, her head wilted even more. Tiana somehow seemed to have stepped in and defeated a small villain, but she felt much relieved because her frustration had subsided. She wasn¡¯t actually a villain. Had Tiana left the situation alone, the bully would have eventually disappeared, but she was satisfied that she¡¯d done something for Angelica. Could she get some cool points for this? Looking over at the Whigette girl again, she had lifted her wilted head and a frozen look was spread all over her face. The way she looked at Tiana with a surprised look was not so bad, and Tiana smiled without realizing it. Chapter 101 - Standing Out Too Much (I) ¡°P-pardon me¡­!¡± Unable to endure the people¡¯s peering gaze, the Whigette girl left the garden with a pale face. The other two girls who had been by her side looked around confused before trailing behind her. With the three of them now gone, all of the wives and daughters in the garden turned their gazes to Tiana. Did I make myself stand out too much? But I needed to do something about those girls¡¯ disgusting behavior toward Angelica, she thought. Had Tiana not stepped up, they obviously would have tortured Angelica during the whole tea party. It was better to subdue them early than to wait for things to worsen. The situation had drawn more attention than she expected, but she had still decided to do it anyway. Standing nervously, trying her best to avoid the endless stares, Alexandra flashed a grin and approached her. ¡°That was really cool, Tiana. Just watching it made me feel energized. I was annoyed because they kept splashing water, but thanks to you, they won¡¯t be back for a while.¡± ¡°Sorry, Alexandra. I didn¡¯t mean to leave you behind. Just watching them do it, I couldn¡¯t just let it go,¡± replied Tiana. ¡°There¡¯s absolutely nothing to be sorry about. Instead of me, you¡¯re the one who stood up for them. It was rather better for you to do it. And since their families are empiricists¡­ They would have said something behind my back if I stood up.¡± ¡°Oh, they sure would.¡± Tiana smiled bitterly. As a matter of fact, she was an empiricist, so if she were to impose sanctions on the same faction, people would have no choice but to talk. ¡°I also spoke up thoughtlessly, but was it okay?¡± ¡°During a time like this meant for enjoying each other¡¯s company, such girls who purposely pick a fight are the ones at fault. Why they can¡¯t purely enjoy the party and instead choose to fight over family politics is just¡­ It¡¯s so annoying, I can¡¯t understand.¡± ¡°I feel the same way,¡± Tiana sighed. Alexandra had prepared the tea party wholeheartedly for Tiana, but looking at her as she sucked her teeth at the ruined mood made Tiana upset. In the original story, Alexandra, who hated fighting over family politics or factional relations, was famous for deliberately living without any factional disputes. It even seemed like she had invited the others evenly with no regard to their distinguished factions, but it was so annoying to watch those bullies rain on her parade. No matter how political social activities could get, it was best to give details about the time and place ahead of time. ¡°I should tell my maid to bring us some fresh tea.¡± Looking around to freshen up the atmosphere, Alexandra called some nearby servants. After hearing her order, they immediately started moving about busily to bring out a fresh pot of tea and clean cups. ¡°Uh, Your Highness.¡± Tiana was watching the servants moving for a while when she heard Angelica¡¯s voice next to her. Looking at her with a peculiar expression, she humbly gathered her hands and bowed toward Tiana. ¡°Thank you for your help,¡± she hurriedly spoke. ¡°No, no. It¡¯s okay. It isn¡¯t something I really need to be thanked for.¡± ¡°No. If you hadn¡¯t, I probably wouldn¡¯t have been able to speak. I might not have been able to stand up to them.¡± ¡°Alexandra acknowledged that you deserve to be here. I don¡¯t know how difficult your situation is, but stay confident and don¡¯t be intimidated. You didn¡¯t do anything wrong.¡± ¡°Yes¡­ Thank you so much.¡± Seeing Angelica crack a smile also made Tiana¡¯s lips curl. Tiana was relieved to see her face more relaxed than it¡¯d been earlier. As her dark expression cleared, her clear sky-blue eyes sparkled beautifully. They even went well with her shiny blond hair sparkling in the sun, giving her the appearance of a fairy tale princess. Tiana was quietly admiring her looks when a maid approached carefully. ¡°Excuse me. Your Highness and Lady Angelica. The broken teacup down there looks dangerous; should I clean it up?¡± ¡°Oh, sure. Be careful getting it up.¡± ¡°Yes, I will.¡± Bowing her head, the maid gathered the shards of porcelain with a broom. And after a while swept it into a dustpan brought by another maid. When Tiana looked at Angelica, who couldn¡¯t take her eyes off the broken shards the maid took away, she asked her, ¡°I guess you like that teacup.¡± ¡°Huh? Oh, yes I do¡­ Through my family¡¯s business, I¡¯ve come to like all kinds of ceramics, but that teacup is my favorite. Even though that one belongs to the Whigette family¡­ Oh¡­!¡± She looked at Alexandra, surprised as if she had suddenly recalled something while speaking. With a slight blanched look on her face, she hurriedly bowed her head and said, ¡°I am sorry Your Royal Highness. I should have apologized for the broken teacup¡­¡± ¡°What? Oh, no. It¡¯s okay. You didn¡¯t break it on purpose. Right?¡± ¡°Right. The words from that girl made me so angry that I dropped it when I tried to stand up.¡± ¡°It happens. People like you who care dearly for teacups can¡¯t deliberately break them. It¡¯s all right. It wasn¡¯t even that expensive, and there are plenty others like it, so don¡¯t worry about it.¡± ¡°But I still want to reimburse you,¡± she insisted. ¡°You don¡¯t really need to do that.¡± Embarrassed by Angelica¡¯s determined attitude, Alexandra looked at Tiana. There was nothing she could do for her even if she looked at her like that. Tiana thought while looking at the two for a while and came up with a good idea. If you want to support the Lunar Letters team, you can do so by pledging to us on Patreon and get to read advanced chapters of our novels! (Note: Patreon is not compulsory. Patrons are able to read ahead, but chapters will still be released to the public at a later date. This is only one way to financially support the team and keep the site running. Thank you very much!) Chapter 102 - Standing Out Too Much (II) ¡°Then why don¡¯t you get a new product from Angelica¡¯s family when it comes out,¡± suggested Tiana, to which Alexandra replied, ¡°Oh my, that¡¯s great. I heard that your family¡¯s new product is supposed to be a good one.¡± ¡°I think it¡¯ll be a good payback rather than a reimbursement. How about it, Angelica?¡± Tiana asked. ¡°Uh¡­¡± Angelica, who exclaimed at Tiana¡¯s words, looked at her for a moment and nodded. ¡°Sure¡­ The new product is a really good one. I will deliver it right away when it¡¯s released.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t wait.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s all right, I¡¯d like to send one to you, too, Grand Duchess Tiana. Will that be okay?¡± asked Angelica. ¡°To me? I can buy it when it¡¯s released,¡± Tiana replied. ¡°But I really want to give it to you.¡± ¡°Umm¡­ that¡¯s fine. Thank you. I, too, can¡¯t wait.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Angelica, smiling brightly and nodding her head with a bright face that Tiana had not seen earlier, almost captivated her heart. What a beauty, Tiana thought. Before she knew it, she looked at Tiana with a pleasant feeling, and she was proud that she had made a good opportunity to be close to Angelica. * Drinking a new cup of tea, Tiana continued a brief conversation with Viscountess Garnett. Perhaps the charming viscountess, who was more attractive than she¡¯d expected, was impressed by what had happened earlier, she praised Tiana the whole time they talked. The viscountess was very impressive and easy to get along with. She also hinted about Evett, saying in a quiet voice that she had received word from Alexandra and that she would try to connect him with Tiana. ¡°I was told he is having a lot of trouble expanding his business. With your help, even the children will be ecstatic.¡± ¡°That would be nice! Thank you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re welcome! Just leave it to me.¡± Thanks to her kindness, Tiana was able to finish the friendly conversation with no worries. After some time had passed, she felt relaxed and came out of the garden into the hallway. Having talked for such a long time, she felt a stinging feeling in her lips while leaning against a wall and relaxing her face. It was even hard to smile or speak. Taking a seat on a nearby sofa, she decided that she¡¯d go back after resting for a bit. She relaxed her stiffened body from tension and leaned back and stared blankly at the ceiling when she heard a familiar cry from afar. ¡°Huh? Rose?¡± Rose, sticking out of the thicket at the end of the hallway, purred and approached Tiana after discovering her. Tiana smiled at the sight of her after a long time and said, hugging her who had come to her feet, ¡°Oh, Rose. How have you been? You¡¯re still as pretty as ever. Were you roaming all alone? There are leaves all over you.¡± Meow! Tiana carefully picked off the tiny pieces of leaves from Rose¡¯s fur, wondering where she¡¯d been wandering. Perhaps Tiana¡¯s touch made her feel good, Rose wiggled in her lap and purred softly. What should I do with this lovely cat? she thought. Unable to hide her affection, she petted Rose¡¯s soft fur and became blanketed with happiness. If only it weren¡¯t Rael¡¯s pet, she would take her and raise her herself. She was envious. How could such a cute cat like this exist? Tiana had no cat to call her own. It¡¯d be good to raise one since Lucius liked cats, but she still wanted to enjoy her life as a newlywed. I¡¯ll have to consider it after some time goes by, she thought. Meow! ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Rose?¡± Rose pricked her ears before jumping down from Tiana¡¯s lap. The cat, looking toward the grass, tilted her head a few times, came to Tiana, and clung to the hem of her dress. Meow, meow! ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Rose? Is there something over there? All right, all right. Let¡¯s go.¡± Tiana couldn¡¯t hear anything, but Rose, who was probably sensing something, tugged her dress and pulled her toward the thicket. Seeing the cat behaving like they had to go that way right now, she stood up against her will and followed behind her. With Rose leading the way into the grass, a small side path appeared. Wondering why there was a path like this in the grass, she followed Rose carefully as she continued to move forward. As it was a side path, it looked like they¡¯d get lost if they made one mistake, but Rose moved on without hesitation, knowing the way well. ¡° Have we arrived? Here?¡± Arriving someplace a little further up, Rose stopped, looked at Tiana, and purred. Looking around, it was a smaller garden than the one at the palace; it felt more like a yard than a garden. While looking around the piece of land between the surrounding thicket, she saw Rose come up and hit her leg. ¡°Oh, Rose. What in the world is here to make you act like this?¡± Meow! ¡°Over there? Oh, hold on¡­¡± Embarrassed by Rose, who was pulling on the hem of her dress once again, she had no choice but to go in that direction. How powerful the cat¡¯s pull was. Tiana wondered how she kept doing it as if there was something she absolutely had to see. As she walked in the direction of Rose¡¯s pull, she could see another yard over the small thicket. In this place that looked bigger than the last one, there was a person, and upon looking closely, Tiana realized that it was Angelica. ¡°What is Angelica¡ª¡± Meow! ¡°Oh, wait¡­!¡± Chapter 103 - An Entangled Relationship (I) The moment Tiana gasped, Rose, who had been in front of her, bolted out from the grass. While debating whether she should follow her, Tiana saw the cat approaching Angelica, and stared quietly while hiding herself in the tall grass. Meow! ¡°Oh my! There is a cat here.¡± Angelica, who was standing in front of a tree in the middle of the yard, made a welcoming face after discovering the cat. Approaching Rose with no hesitation, she kneeled down and carefully petted her. ¡°Where did you come from? You¡¯re such a pretty cat.¡± Meow! ¡°Can I touch you? Where is your favorite place?¡± Rose, sniffing Angelica¡¯s fingertips, accepted her soft hands. Angelica burst into laughter when the cat left her body in her hands as if in a good mood. ¡°Does it feel good? Should I do it some more?¡± Meow! ¡°All right. You¡¯re telling me not to stop, right?¡± While Rose purred and whined, Angelica kept petting her. It seemed normal for her to touch every corner of the cat to see where she liked it. Angelica usually liked animals, and it was said that she raised a cat in the original story. So maybe that was why she looked so normal and comfortable while petting Rose. But wasn¡¯t Rose being a bit too friendly? Even in the original story, she followed Angelica around often, but now was their first time meeting, and she still acted the same way. Somehow Tiana felt a bit hurt as it seemed like Rose liked Angelica much more. But Tiana let it slide since it was Angelica. Anyhow, Tiana was now seeing Angelica and Rose together. She had never expected this to happen. Did Rose follow Angelica¡¯s scent all the way here? How amazing that the cat was able to sense her from so far away. But what was the reason for bringing Tiana along? As Tiana was agonizing over that question, Angelica hugged Rose and stood up. When she looked down at the cat held comfortably in her arms, she stroked her head. ¡°The color of your fur and eyes¡­ They somehow seem a bit familiar. It¡¯s like I¡¯ve heard from somewhere that this kind of cat exists¡­¡± When Angelica muttered that and narrowed her forehead while staring at Rose, she jumped out of her arms. Leaving her behind and scurrying to the thicket, Rose made a louder cry than earlier. Right then, a man popped out of the grass; a man with black hair and deep red eyes. The familiar figure was Rael. Meow! After Rose welcomed her owner and approached him, Rael lifted her into his arms and stared expressionlessly at Angelica. With her eyes shifting back and forth between the cat and Rael, Angelica was in shock. Rael¡¯s eyebrows flinched as he watched her eyes grow bigger and bigger. Not even Tiana realized that she had her hand over her mouth at the scene unfolding in front of her. Rael has appeared here? Angelica wasn¡¯t the only one surprised at his out-of-the-blue appearance. Tiana was just as shocked as her. The original story hadn¡¯t even started yet, but they¡¯re already meeting like this. What in the world is going to happen now? Tiana panicked at the confusing situation, but for now, she tried her best to suppress the shriek that was about to come through her lips and carefully kept her eyes on the two people. An awkward silence fell between Angelica and Rael. And Rose cried out between the two calmly staring at one another. Rael had no expression on his face, but somehow he was looking at Angelica with a bizarre look in his eyes, and Angelica only stared blankly, too shocked from his appearance to even move. Rose, studying the two not doing anything, jumped out from Rael¡¯s arms and approached Angelica again. Meow! ¡°Oh, uh¡­ Rose, my baby, wait¡­¡± ¡°No, hold on¡­¡± Angelica was embarrassed and didn¡¯t know what to do after watching Rose jump and hang from her leg. Rose¡¯s sharp claws kept hanging from the hem of her dress, and Angelica wondered what to do as she looked down at the cat. Rael, watching the cat¡¯s behavior, let out a sigh and said to Angelica, ¡°That¡¯s a sign to hug her. She¡¯ll rip your dress if you don¡¯t hug her right now.¡± ¡°Oh, but¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, just hug her. She¡¯s a stubborn one, so she won¡¯t let go until you do it.¡± ¡°Okay, thank you¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s no reason to thank me. That¡¯s just how she is.¡± Angelica, nodding at his permission, carefully picked Rose up again. When she saw the cat being timid in her arms, she let out a small laugh. ¡°So, she¡¯s still following you¡­ ¡° Rael mumbled to himself after seeing how comfortable Rose was. And perhaps Angelica heard what he said, she gazed at him with a strange look. ¡°Nothing. I guess you like cats. You look comfortable hugging her.¡± ¡°Oh, right. I had one before,¡± said Angelica. ¡°Right, that¡¯s right. It was a black cat, completely different from Rose.¡± ¡°How do you¡­¡± She was shocked at his unexpected comment. How did he know about the cat that Angelica used to have? Nothing was known about that cat until the two of them confirmed their feelings for each other in the original book. When Angelica looked at him with suspicion, he grinned and said, ¡°Well, I just happened to know. I know who you are.¡± ¡°You know me? How¡­¡± ¡°As the emperor, shouldn¡¯t I know all of the counts¡¯ daughters? You are Angelica del Verne.¡± If you want to support the Lunar Letters team, you can do so by pledging to us on Patreon and get to read advanced chapters of our novels! (Note: Patreon is not compulsory. Patrons are able to read ahead, but chapters will still be released to the public at a later date. This is only one way to financially support the team and keep the site running. Thank you very much!) Chapter 104 - An Entangled Relationship (II) Her lips clamped at the sound of her name from his lips. As the emperor, indeed, he should know her. It was quite strange that he, the emperor, knew her, who was nothing but a count¡¯s daughter. All the more, he knew about the cat she used to have? People normally don¡¯t know that. And I never let him know that. Angelica thought. Moreover, she was not an empiricist aristocrat, but a neutral one. Of course, if he were to say that he was interested in her, she might know, but was he in fact interested in her at this time? Angelica squinted her eyes and studied him. A weird atmosphere fell over Rael who was staring at her, and a bizarre smile spread across his face, which was very unusual. Somehow Rael didn¡¯t seem like the Rael whom Tiana knew from the original story. There was still a lot of time left before it got started. No way Rael could already know Angelica. The time when he became interested in her was from after he had seen her proudly bumping into him after he had found out her secret and made an excuse to threaten her. How in the hell did he gain interest in her now without even knowing her secret? And how did they meet so quickly? Tiana wondered whether she had an impact on the change of the story, especially since she hadn¡¯t intended to follow the original story. She was just a little embarrassed at the progression, which was going faster than she¡¯d thought. She was lucky to have seen them meet for the first time. Thanks to Rose bringing her here, the two could meet with no problem. Tiana almost didn¡¯t even know the story was starting. Meow! Rose, who had behaved well up until then, meowed as if she had been forgotten, attracting their gazes like a magnet. When Rael saw Angelica stroking Rose again, he approached her smiling. ¡°She gets jealous easily. She wants you to focus on her, Angelica.¡± ¡°I think she wants you to go, your Majesty.¡± ¡°She¡¯s doing that because you keep looking at only me. She was jealous because we were talking to each other. Oh, not there, but just above her neck; that¡¯s where she likes to be petted.¡± Rael, approaching closer, naturally reached out to grab her hand, positioning it in the right place. Angelica¡¯s body froze at the sudden physical contact. When he inched a little closer, he slowly let go of her hand at a close distance from her; then he opened his mouth and said, ¡°Sorry¡­ I didn¡¯t know.¡± ¡°So small, your hands. Still¡­¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± Again. Again with the still. His voice was lower this time around, but Angelica could definitely hear it. She looked at him oddly, but soon he made some space between them and said in a small smile, ¡°Rosemary. You can call her Rose. She will be happy if you remember to call her that. The next time you see her if you pet her on the spot I told you¡­ she will like you more.¡± Meow! Angelica, who saw Rose purring and smiling as if Rael had said the right thing, flinched with a dumbfounded look on her face. Somehow Tiana knew how she felt, so she had the same look on her face. * During the entire carriage ride back to her mansion after the tea party, Tiana couldn¡¯t stop thinking about Rael and Angelica¡¯s first encounter from earlier. She had witnessed the beginning of the story, but that wasn¡¯t the important thing. It would be meaningless to nitpick over the original story now, but that was separate from the suspicion of what had happened today. The two of them meet in an unexpected place and Rael¡¯s strange behavior. The way he had treated Angelica so naturally was very different from what Tiana knew him to be like. Could there be another set-up of them that was different from the original story? The fact that Lucius and Tiana were lovers was different from the original, so there was a high possibility. And there also seemed to be a reason for Rael knowing about Angelica beforehand; did Lucius happen to know the reason? ¡°We¡¯ve arrived, madam.¡± ¡°Oh, okay. Thank you.¡± Before she knew it, a driver opened the door for her in front of the mansion. Upon exiting the carriage, Lucius came out to meet her with the servants. ¡°Tiana.¡± ¡°Lucius!¡± Having just been thinking about him, she approached him with open arms. They smiled face to face, and he hugged her and kissed her on the cheek. ¡°Come here. Did you enjoy the tea party?¡± ¡°Yes, very much. Alexandra prepared so much. I also got to meet Viscountess Garnett and have a good conversation with her, and I met some other friends of Alexandra.¡± ¡°Sounds like you had fun. Let¡¯s head inside to eat, and you can tell me how everything went.¡± ¡°All right.¡± Tiana followed him inside, heading to the dining room. She had returned right on time because the dining room was already filled with the smell of freshly cooked food. Her stomach growled as the delicious scent filled her stomach. She had talked to Viscountess Garnett and cared for Angelica so much at the tea party that she could barely eat the dessert that Alexandra¡¯s maids had served. Having only drunk two cups of black tea all day, she was starving. After sitting down, she ate the delicious food while telling Lucius all about the tea party. Tiana felt thankful that he was such a good listener, and she set her fork down and said to him, ¡°Lucius, there¡¯s something I want to ask you.¡± Chapter 105 - Rael’s Peculiar Tenderness ¡°What is it, Tiana?¡± ¡°Uhh¡­¡± Tiana looked around and hesitated at Lucius¡¯s question. She couldn¡¯t ask at this moment. It wasn¡¯t just about anyone; it was about the emperor, Rael. She had to be careful to not let the wrong thing slip out. He tilted his head when he saw her not speaking easily, and when he saw her eyes on the servants, he told them all, ¡°Everyone, get out.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± At that order, Warren and the other servants who had been waiting scurried to leave the dining room. Looking around at the tightly closed door and the empty dining room, Lucius stared at Tiana. ¡°What is it that you want to tell me?¡± ¡°Uhh, about Rael¡­ Do you happen to know if he has his heart set on someone?¡± asked Tiana. ¡°Huh? A¡­ lady that my brother has his heart set on?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Lucius, surprised at her random question, continued as if embarrassed. ¡°Well. From what I know, he does not¡­ Why do you ask?¡± ¡°Actually. I saw him meet a certain young lady today. The way he appeared was rather bizarre¡­¡± ¡°Who are you talking about?¡± ¡°Angelica del Verne. The daughter of Count Verne.¡± Lucius, thinking calmly after hearing the name, wrinkled his forehead and shook his head. ¡°No. I don¡¯t know who that is. I have never seen him with anyone.¡± ¡°Has he ever been particularly interested in her?¡± ¡°No. In fact, he has never really been interested in females and stays away from them. Him liking someone¡­ That can¡¯t be. It¡¯d be shocking if he did,¡± said Lucius. ¡°I see,¡± Tiana nodded. Lucius didn¡¯t know. Tiana also knew that Rael didn¡¯t have any interest in women. Because that¡¯s how he was in the original story. The reason why he decided to bring in the empress was that he had no choice, and if he was not led to Angelica¨Cand he was able to maintain the emperor¡¯s authority properly¨Che might not have let the empress in until the end. That¡¯s how much he thought of women, and he was already interested in Angelica? It was surprising to learn that he knew Angelica despite it still being a long way until the story started. Perhaps Lucius was also shocked at this unexpected information, he couldn¡¯t keep a straight face. ¡°Of course, Rael might be secretly meeting her, but I cannot imagine that.¡± ¡°Oh, today seemed like their first time meeting.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± ¡°What surprised me was it looked like it was their first time seeing each other, but somehow he already knew her name and the cat she used to have.¡± ¡°That is indeed surprising and odd. How could he know such personal things about her? Angelica del Verne¡­¡± Unconsciously crossing his arms, he narrowed his eyebrows and thought deeply. He closed his mouth and eyes for a moment, which made him look like he was really thinking about it. Then, he opened his eyes and shook his head after a little while. It seemed like he hadn¡¯t come up with anything. ¡°No matter how much I think about it, I don¡¯t know if there¡¯s anything unusual about Angelica,¡± interrupted Tiana. ¡°Do you know about her?¡± ¡°Just basic stuff. I have had encounters with Count Verne. I know that the Vernes have a family business, but all I know about Angelica is her name and appearance.¡± ¡°Then you¡¯ve never met her in person?¡± ¡°I have not.¡± Tiana had wondered if maybe Rael had met her through Lucius, but that didn¡¯t seem right. Since he said he has never met Angelica, there was no way they¡¯d have a contact point. Then how in the world did Rael meet and become interested in her? Tiana was sure that there was something only he knew about her since he had used the word ¡®still¡¯. ¡°Tiana. When he was with Angelica, was there anything unusual?¡± ¡°First, I was shocked that he knew so much about her, and what was more surprising was how casually he approached¡­ should I say approached? He acted so naturally toward Angelica like she was someone he knew in the past. He even touched her hand¡­¡± ¡°He touched her hand¡­?¡± ¡°Yes. Though it was only casually. He apologized right away and let go. But he even laughed in front of her.¡± ¡°He even laughed¡­¡± Now his expression was so blanked out by her continued testimony that he didn¡¯t have the strength to be more surprised. Somehow, a slight smile came out of Tiana¡¯s face that looked discouraged. She seemed to understand his mind. It looked like a situation where Rael¡¯s lover, who he¡¯d been hiding, suddenly appeared. Angelica was the one who respected and followed Rael, so Lucius must have been surprised to hear it for the first time. A long silence followed. Lucius and Tiana had their respective thoughts, but they still didn¡¯t have a clue. Some parts were strange to her, but it was a matter that indicated that the timing of the original story was a little earlier. But what about Lucius? He had his own way of how he felt about his older brother, so wouldn¡¯t this be a little disturbing? Since he didn¡¯t know that Angelica was Rael¡¯s fate, he might be thinking that the lady, who came out of nowhere, might be the empress. As she was carefully examining his face, he let out a deep sigh. Read novel online free fast updates at novelhall.com Chapter 106 - Desperate Jealousy ¡°Don¡¯t think too much about it, Lucius. I talked with Angelica today and she seemed like a good person. She¡¯s all right,¡± smiled Tiana. ¡°Is that so? Then that¡¯s a relief, but¡­ more than that, I am thinking about how I still don¡¯t know much about Rael.¡± ¡°Even though he is your brother, you can¡¯t know everything about him. I am the same way with Lennox. Rael must have a reason to hide her.¡± ¡°Does he? He must¡­¡± Tiana felt sorry for Lucius, whose face was sunken. Maybe it¡¯s more so because they had a sad feeling of distance than normal brothers. Because they thought so much about each other that they didn¡¯t talk about personal matters. This also might be something that Rael didn¡¯t really want to let Lucius know. Later on, if he makes some definite progress, he might tell him. Tiana changed the subject with a bright voice to lighten the mood, fearing that she might have given him unnecessary trouble. ¡°Oh, and that was my first time seeing him smile like that. I was so shocked at the way he smiled at Angelica.¡± ¡°Oh, really?¡± ¡°Yes. I didn¡¯t know because I¡¯ve only seen his expressionless face, but he looks great smiling. Even if he smiled like that regularly, other women might become fond of him.¡± ¡°My brother¡¯s smiling face is that likable?¡± ¡°Yes! Of course, he looks great now, but if he smiled more comfortably, I think that would make him look better¡­ Lucius?¡± Somehow, she gave him a stiff look, and he was staring at her with sharp, narrow eyes. Lucius, who approached Tiana as she was startled by the changed mood, reached out a hand and wrapped it around her waist. ¡°Does my brother¡­ look good?¡± ¡°Uh, when I looked at him objectively, he was handsome. So¡­¡± ¡°So you think my brother is attractive.¡± ¡°Lucius¡­¡± Lucius¡¯s face, which came closer to hers, was somehow a little different. Inside the sharp look, a fire in his eyes was lit. It was just the way he looked at her and acted at night, but he talked a little more than normal. Don¡¯t tell me he is jealous. Because I said that Rael looks great? No, I said it objectively, but I just wanted to change the mood, but you¡¯re responding like this here? she thought. ¡°Lucius, are you¡­ jealous right now?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know you thought like that toward my brother.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s just something I said after seeing him. He is handsome, but it¡¯s just an objective opinion, and to me, you¡¯re much more attractive.¡± ¡°Anyway, do you indeed think that? I don¡¯t really want to hear you compliment other men.¡± Seeing him pout his lips, he was definitely jealous. She had tried to change the subject by complimenting Rael but hadn¡¯t expected it to result in Lucius becoming jealous. The way he acted a little absurd and jealous was so cute that Tiana laughed. What on earth am I going to do with this man? She would have never thought that he¡¯d be jealous of Rael. No, perhaps it¡¯s because of Rael. Lucius was the one she trusted the most and the one she¡¯s closest to, and if she thought another man looked good, he could be jealous. This might even be his strange self-consciousness. She leaned against his close body and put her arms around his neck. She kissed him, then he held her in his arms and sat on the table. ¡°The way I think of Rael is the same way you respect and trust him. I do think he is good-looking, but that¡¯s just¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t think about him, no matter what. The same goes for other men.¡± ¡°You¡¯re surprisingly jealous, Lucius.¡± ¡°I am limited to you. If you said you¡¯re thinking of another man¡­ I don¡¯t think I can bear that.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t stop me.¡± Tiana burst into laughter at his serious talk and kissed him again. After kissing him deeper than she had earlier, she said, slightly moving away from him, ¡°You are the one I love. There is no one else but you, Lucius.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the same for me. Tiana, you are my one true love.¡± Again, he rushed in to kiss her, violently opening his mouth. His hand carefully grabbed her thigh, as Tiana was barely holding on to his squeezing chest. Tiana shoved him and shouted quietly in surprise, ¡°Lucius, this is the dining room!¡± ¡°I know¡­¡± ¡°No more of this. It¡¯s better in the¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think I can hold it in any longer. I don¡¯t want to let you go, even for a second.¡± ¡°No, but¡­ I said no! Let¡¯s just go to our room and¡­¡± ¡°Now, I want to do it. It is just the two of us here, and no one will come. Can¡¯t we¡­?¡± Tiana didn¡¯t know what to do as Lucius stared at her with desperation in his eyes. However, it was too much in the dining room. She tried to reject him, but his kiss poured down on her again. ¡°What if someone outside hears us?¡± ¡°No one will hear. Everyone left after Warren earlier. They won¡¯t return for a while. So¡­ leave it to me, Tiana.¡± ¡°Lucius¡­¡± His passionate eyes and anxious voice forced her to leave her body to him. Tiana slowly closed her eyes, feeling his heart beating and his tongue penetrating between her lips. If you want to support the Lunar Letters team, you can do so by pledging to us on Patreon and get to read advanced chapters of our novels! (Note: Patreon is not compulsory. Patrons are able to read ahead, but chapters will still be released to the public at a later date. This is only one way to financially support the team and keep the site running. Thank you very much!) Chapter 107 - Invitations All Over The Place ¡°Ma¡¯am, there are more invitations.¡± ¡°More? I sure am getting a lot of them.¡± Tiana sighed as she looked at all the invitations Warren had brought in. A few days after successfully attending Alexandra¡¯s tea party, the number of invitations from some of the attendees had increased. There were already so many stacked on the desk, so there wasn¡¯t enough room for other documents on top of the never-ending invitations. ¡°I am glad to be invited, but I can¡¯t even make it to all of them, and¡­ how am I supposed to choose?¡± She studied the crests stamped on each family¡¯s invitation. She had received more than she¡¯d originally thought. The families were of course aristocrats, with some being neutralists and some being empiricists. The neutralist families probably had sent theirs because Tiana had sided with Angelica against those bullies, but she hadn¡¯t expected anything from the empiricist families. She thought there would be some hostility since she had chased off the Whigette girl, but it didn¡¯t seem so. Should I take this as me making a good impression at the tea party? she thought. As she was opening each one of the stacked invitations, Warren smiled faintly, looking at the worried look on her face, and said, ¡°I think it¡¯s because your reputation was so good at the last tea party.¡± ¡°I was worried I had looked too nervous, but I guess I was all right. Seeing that all of the invitations are coming in.¡± ¡°I heard that Her Royal Highness Alexandra was very satisfied. Though there was a problem that occurred, you did a great job, ma¡¯am.¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t that big of a deal, but Alexandra really made me feel better.¡± ¡°But isn¡¯t it because you left such a good impression on the others that you¡¯ve received so many invitations like this?¡± ¡°Fair point.¡± The results in front of her were the undeniable truth. Though it was all because of her impressive behavior, the well-known rumors had still played a part in that. So this is how the works of Marquess Calvino shines. As expected, the answer was to prepare in advance. This was the result of the original rumors about the ¡®old¡¯ Tiana disappearing and rumors about the current Tiana having spread. It wasn¡¯t intentional, but the news of the accident in Sinadelli and what had happened at the tea party have meshed together. ¡°Next time, how about attending a larger-sized party?¡± ¡°I am still trying to go to smaller parties. I just started my social activities, and I have other things to do.¡± Warren nodded at her words and asked, ¡°Come to think of it, did you become acquainted with Viscountess Garnett?¡± ¡°Yes. Fortunately, it went well at the tea party, so I¡¯m thinking of inviting Baron Evett June over here soon. I¡¯ll have to be quiet about it since I don¡¯t want everyone to know about it.¡± ¡°I will get it prepared.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± After Warren stepped away, Tiana thought things over while going through the invitations again. The pile is thick, but which one should I attend, she thought. Like she had said to Warren, attending a big party seemed like it¡¯d be difficult, so she selected invitations mainly for smaller ones. Thank goodness she had read the data on the aristocrats she¡¯d received from Lucius a few days ago. There was some information about the aristocrats in Tiana¡¯s memory, but the detailed information had been prepared by him, so it was easy to grasp just by looking at the families¡¯ crests and names. The families included in the data were almost identical to those who had sent invitations, so they could be chosen without difficulty. ¡°Huh? This¡­¡± She was looking at the next invitation when she somehow noticed there was a familiar crest stamped on it: A sky-blue lark-shaped one. If her memory was correct, this was from Angelica¡¯s family, the Vernes. Quickly tearing open the envelope, it was indeed an invitation from Angelica. Written in neat letters, it said that she would like to thank Tiana for what had happened at the tea party and prepare a spot for the reward she had mentioned at the time. I¡¯ve arranged a spot for Grand Duchess Tiana and Empress Alexandra. If you are unable to attend, please just accept my gratitude. Tiana could feel Angelica¡¯s heart from the cleanly written invitation. Receiving an invitation from a party host. How touching. ¡°Seeing her send me something like this, I guess her family¡¯s new product has launched.¡± Tiana had heard that the Vernes¡¯ plans were delayed due to their situation, so she thought that it would be difficult for them to manage, but fortunately, the problem about the new product seemed to have been solved. Then there was no reason not to accept this invitation. Feeling excited, she pulled out a sheet of paper and started writing her response. *** ¡°Alexandra, come here.¡± Two days later, Alexandra visited Tiana early on the morning of Angelica¡¯s tea party. Entering the living room and taking a seat, she said with a sorrowful face, ¡°Sorry for coming so early, Tiana. Is Lucius gone?¡± ¡°Yes. He had breakfast and left right away. Today he went to Sinadelli.¡± ¡°Oh yeah? The restoration work has been underway since the accident, so I guess he went to inspect it. He must have a lot on his mind since he is in charge of overseeing it.¡± ¡°I guess he is making some progress in the restoration. What a coincidence he¡¯s become the one in charge at the location of the accident, but he is working hard because he wants to oversee it until it¡¯s completed.¡± ¡°That sounds like him,¡± Alexandra said, laughing and nodding, well aware of Lucius¡¯s personality. Sipping a cup of tea brought in by a maid, she quietly started to talk. ¡°My reason for coming so early is so we can go the Vernes¡¯ mansion together. And I have something to say before we go.¡± ¡°Something to say?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll say it first, but I guess everyone was impressed by what you did at the tea party last time. Defeating the bully and protecting Angelica.¡± ¡°Defeating¡­?¡± It made it sound like Tiana had gotten rid of a villain or something. It was more of just chasing her away, but it was that other girl who had run away. Sighing lightly, Alexandra smirked and continued. If you want to support the Lunar Letters team, you can do so by pledging to us on Patreon and get to read advanced chapters of our novels! (Note: Patreon is not compulsory. Patrons are able to read ahead, but chapters will still be released to the public at a later date. This is only one way to financially support the team and keep the site running. Thank you very much!) Chapter 108 - The Rumor ¡°I didn¡¯t want to get involved with her because I don¡¯t like her, and I left her alone because she¡¯s too much of a hassle. I thought it was a little too much at the tea party, so I was thinking about what to do, and I was grateful that you took over.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t even realize how I just threw myself out there¡­¡± ¡°Either way, it¡¯s done now. What you said to her was quite impressive, and I guess I am not the only one who feels this way. Are you receiving lots of invitations these days?¡± ¡°Yes. They¡¯ve been piling up every day.¡± ¡°I knew it, just as I expected,¡± said Alexandra, nodding positively. ¡°I guess what happened then has spread. The word spread fast.¡± ¡°How did it spread so fast that I¡¯m getting so many invitations? All I did was push that bully away.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the important thing. If you think about your current position. It¡¯s like you, the representative of aristocratic women, have killed one of the empiricists.¡± ¡°Killed¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to make it political, but that¡¯s a big point no matter what. As a Grand Duchess in her first return to society, that left a deep impression on the empiricist families.¡± Come to think of it, that¡¯s what it looked like. It wasn¡¯t that hard to pay attention to Tiana, who was already reputed as the Grand Duchess. Even if she weren¡¯t, she was still in a position that couldn¡¯t help but attract the attention of others. Tiana didn¡¯t regret anything about wanting to help Angelica, but she was thinking she should have thought a little more about the situation. ¡°It¡¯s a good thing. From now, you¡¯ll be so busy your head will spin, but you will be able to find a good spot in society.¡± ¡°That¡¯d be good if it happens, but I feel a bit odd. Oh, and I¡¯m curious that many invitations came from not only neutralist families but also empiricist families. Why is that? I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d get invitations from them.¡± ¡°The Whigettes have been going around a lot. They¡¯ve been recognized for their business, but they are not a very prestigious family and have had problems with that girl¡¯s unusual behavior, so she¡¯s been seen as a pain in the neck.¡± ¡°I can see that.¡± The empiricist aristocrats can¡¯t be too delightful about what she did. Meanwhile, it¡¯s because of that girl that problems have occurred in the Whigettes¡¯ social activities. Her so-called friends have left her side, and she probably won¡¯t be socially active for a while.¡± The bully¡¯s current situation seemed much worse than what Tiana had thought. Well, now it seemed like Tiana knew what she had been doing to Angelica. She had had it coming to her. At the same time no one had tried to help her, and seeing that they had turned a blind eye to her meant she was being punished for what she¡¯d done. ¡°And this would be a common thought for all the wives and daughters, regardless of their faction.¡± ¡°What would?¡± ¡°That you haven¡¯t had much of a center in socializing. As you know, the empress¡¯s throne is empty, and there¡¯s me and the empress dowager, but we are an exception. So we cannot be the center of socializing.¡± ¡°Is that so? It¡¯s possible for you.¡± It was Alexandra who was actually active and invigorating social activities. She was also leading the trend in many ways because she had a good sense of beauty in her main attributes, clothes, and other places. However, firmly shaking her head, apparently, she thought otherwise. ¡°No matter how much I go around doing this and that to my heart¡¯s content, I can¡¯t become the center through that. The same goes for the empress dowager. Because from now I won¡¯t even continue to maintain this position, and I might leave the country.¡± ¡°Because you¡¯re getting married?¡± ¡°Right. Well, uh, if possible I want to find my soulmate within the kingdom, but if I can¡¯t I¡¯ll try elsewhere.¡± ¡°You really must be searching.¡± ¡°The world is vast, with lots of men available. I want to find someone I can settle down with. Just like you and my brother.¡± ¡°I hope you do. I¡¯ll be cheering.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± Alexandra, who smiled pleasantly, blushed. She continued, purposely clearing her throat as if feeling bashful. Every now and then the empress dowager makes an appearance to socialize, but she feels the same way I do. Without an empress to fill the throne, she¡¯s trying to balance things out, but she can¡¯t be the center because she tends to be a little biased.¡± ¡°I¡¯d be the same way. First of all, I was a member of an aristocratic family, and now I¡¯m the wife of Lucius, the representative. And my mother-in-law is the empress dowager. I don¡¯t think I can be the center either, because it¡¯s easy for me to be biased toward that side.¡± ¡°You¡¯re different, Tiana. You¡¯re just getting started now, and from now you will change based on the kind of behavior you display, so it¡¯s still possible for you to be in the center. Everyone who attended the last tea party will feel that way. Won¡¯t you be able to integrate everyone?¡± ¡°Integrate?¡± ¡°The active ones right now want comfortable social activities that they can enjoy. Even though politics cannot completely disappear when socializing, they want it to be neutralized to some extent. Because dark and heavy moods don¡¯t go well with women¡¯s socializing.¡± ¡°That is correct.¡± To put it simply, Alexandra¡¯s words meant that the social circle as a whole was standing due to the current imperial power issue, and the complicated factional quarrels were continuing, so Tiana could be the one to neutralize and balance it. She would do it if she could because it was necessary and she had her position. But was she able to do such an important thing? Soon, Angelica will be recognized as the queen, but did Tiana really have to be the one to stand up? She had already received the attention, and somehow everyone seemed to be looking forward to it¡­ What should she do? Seeing Tiana struggling with a frowning face, Alexandra smiled and said, ¡°Don¡¯t take it too seriously. Think about it; there is still some time.¡± ¡°Uh¡­ I will do that. I am a bit worried.¡± ¡°Of course you are. It is not an easy task. By chance, if you ever need my help, tell me. Whether it be advice or whatever, I¡¯ll listen.¡± ¡°All right. Thank you.¡± After their talk finished, Tiana¡¯s throat felt dry, so she called in a maid to have another cup of tea. A while later, Alexandra spoke again as she was drinking warm tea again. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right. There was something else.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s regarding Angelica, who we¡¯re going to see today.¡± ¡°Angelica?¡± What about Angelica? Other than at the tea party, they hadn¡¯t had any other point of contact. With Tiana staring at her with curiosity, Alexandra brought it up. ¡°By chance, Tiana¡­ do you know there¡¯s a rumor going around that Angelica and Emperor Rael are an item?¡± ¡°Huh¡­ Wait, what?¡± If you want to support the Lunar Letters team, you can do so by pledging to us on Patreon and get to read advanced chapters of our novels! (Note: Patreon is not compulsory. Patrons are able to read ahead, but chapters will still be released to the public at a later date. This is only one way to financially support the team and keep the site running. Thank you very much!) Chapter 109 - Spreading Like A Wildfire (I) Wondering if she¡¯d misheard her, Tiana stared at Alexandra and blinked. What is she talking about? As she looked at Alexandra with shock in her eyes, Alexandra said with a serious look, ¡°There¡¯s a bit of a rumor going around among the wives and daughters. That Angelica del Verne¡¯s got a secret lover.¡± ¡°Wait, what does that mean? More than that, how did the rumor spread?¡± ¡°I also don¡¯t really know how it happened, but I guess someone saw Angelica and Emperor Rael together on the day of the tea party.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± So, someone other than Tiana had seen them together on that day? Well, the venue had been more open than she thought. Tiana hadn¡¯t been able to see them, since she¡¯d been in a blind spot, but someone else might have seen them from somewhere else. ¡°By the way, is the rumor going around that they¡¯re a couple because they were seen together?¡± ¡°I heard that it¡¯s not a normal relationship for the two to have. They say that Angelica was hugging Emperor Rael¡¯s pet, Rose, and he was looking at her, smiling at her¡­¡± ¡°I see.¡± Who else had seen them? I¡¯m curious, Tiana thought. Rael, who usually looked at women with no expression on his face, had been smiling and even letting Angelica hold Rose was a big deal. Every single aristocrat knew how much he cherished Rose. So, Angelica couldn¡¯t have done it without his permission. Because it was the emperor¡¯s pet cat. Very few people could actually hold Rose, because they weren¡¯t even allowed to touch her unless they got permission from Rael. Lucius and Alexandra for instance. Though Tiana was included now. Angelica had hugged Rose like that, and not only did Rael stay still, but he had even looked at her with a smile, so the mood between the two must have been bizarre to others. Even when Tiana looked at them, Rael had had a weird vibe to him. Thinking deeply, Alexandra said with a baffled look on her face, ¡°But Rael hardly has a contact point with Angelica, so how did those two¡­ No, it doesn¡¯t make sense that my brother said that Rael has been interested in someone.¡± ¡°Right. I also knew about the rumor¡­ It¡¯s shocking. Have you by chance seen Rael?¡± ¡°Not yet. The rumor is just starting to take off, and even if I ask him in person, I don¡¯t think he¡¯ll be willing to tell me anything.¡± Well, Rael hadn¡¯t even told Lucius, but was Alexandra any different? Rather, he¡¯d hide it even more from her. Anyhow, what were they going to do about this rumor? It had just started to take off, but if Alexandra already knew this much, it had to have spread to some extent. It was right about time for it to spread throughout the social circles. Witnesses said that it was inevitable, but the news spreading about the couple was faster than expected. Was it because their first meeting was fast that the start of the book was fast, too¡­?¡¯ Even though there hadn¡¯t been much progress in their relationship, now that the rumor has come out first, the possibility of Angelica and the emperor getting tangled up increased. The time of this event was faster than the original story, so their situation was different, but since the word lovers came out, they might even talk about marriage soon. Tiana didn¡¯t have to stop the rumor since their relationship will continue anyway, but Lucius would be surprised if he found out. ¡°Since we¡¯re being invited, I thought I¡¯d ask Angelica whether the rumor is true or not.¡± ¡°You think she knows about it?¡± ¡°Well. She might since it started spreading on the neutralists¡¯ side first.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Given Angelica¡¯s personality, it was highly possible that she still didn¡¯t know anything about the rumor. Tiana was curious how she¡¯d react when she hears it. *** ¡°Welcome. Please come in.¡± When afternoon came around and Tiana and Alexandra arrived, guests who¡¯d come out to meet them greeted them. Angelica came out to greet them, along with nervous servants and a man who appeared to be a butler. ¡°Thank you for coming out like this. It is an honor to have you two here.¡± ¡°Thank you for your invitation, Angelica.¡± ¡°I was glad to see the invitation arriving much faster than I¡¯d expected. Can I look forward to today?¡± Angelica said, smiling softly at Alexandra who spoke jokingly, ¡°Of course. I¡¯ve prepared so much for the two of you, so I hope you have a great time.¡± Alexandra and Tiana smiled at the sight of her confidence and followed her inside. It wasn¡¯t flashy, but the clean, simple atmosphere made the two guests feel comfortable. Tiana had been worried since hearing that the Vernes¡¯ situation wasn¡¯t good, but the mood inside was not bad at all. Their new product had launched, so maybe it was because of that things were looking up. ¡°This way.¡± Angelica walked toward another area on the first floor. Passing through a hallway and turning a corner, there was an opening that seemed to connect to a garden in the back. If you want to support the Lunar Letters team, you can do so by pledging to us on Patreon and get to read advanced chapters of our novels! (Note: Patreon is not compulsory. Patrons are able to read ahead, but chapters will still be released to the public at a later date. This is only one way to financially support the team and keep the site running. Thank you very much!) Chapter 110 - Spreading Like A Wildfire (II) As they walked through a glass door, they saw a large garden and a small building made of glass. When they entered the door held open by a waiting servant, an unusual scene unfolded. ¡°Oh my¡­¡± ¡°Wow¡­ This place is nice¡­¡± The overall glass space had many plants, just like the cafe Tiana had seen in Sinadelli the other day. Many kinds of plants were seen as if the small botanical garden had been moved here, and there was something unusual about them. ¡°These pots and bowls¡­ were they all made here?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. They were all made by my family.¡± All of the plants, densely packed into pots and bowls, were unique. From rare-shaped flower pots which were not available on the market to uniquely designed bowls. Just what you¡¯d expect from a family running a pottery business. Looking outside that, there was evidence of meticulous care. Angelica smiled proudly after looking at Tiana and Alexandra¡¯s astounded reactions. Just from the look in her eyes, Tiana could see how much labor had gone into caring for this space. ¡°My goodness, they¡¯re all amazing. So unique-looking and pretty. They¡¯re really to my liking, but a lot of these I haven¡¯t seen at your family¡¯s stores.¡± ¡°They¡¯re made personally, so some of these we do not sell and some are in the process of launching. But since most of them will be sold on the market soon, you¡¯ll be able to see them shortly.¡± ¡°I¡¯m relieved to hear that. If I can, I¡¯d like to reserve some,¡± said Alexandra. ¡°For you two, I can certainly do that. Please let me know if there¡¯s anything you like.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Alexandra smiled excitedly at Angelica¡¯s words. Tiana and Angelica burst out laughing as she paced around the wide space, taking mental photos of this and that. The moment their gazes met, she said shyly to Tiana, ¡°Let me know if you want anything, Your Highness.¡± ¡°Thank you. It¡¯s just that I love everything. I¡¯m curious how your family comes up with these designs.¡± ¡°Your words are too kind. I think it¡¯s because the potters in my family are good. Though it¡¯s a problem that they all work so diligently.¡± From the looks of her humble attitude of speaking, she was prideful of the potters. Perhaps Angelica trusted the potters, Tiana was a little surprised because Angelica looked the same as when she had seen the products. As Tiana had seen her detached appearance a lot in the original story, she had no idea she had this side to her. Although she became an empress and worked with Rael and gained vitality, she seemed to be indifferent and bothered by anything until around the middle of the story. Maybe this was who she really was now. Had something happened because of the Verne family¡¯s business before the original story? It had been well taken care of, but it might have affected her. ¡®There might be something going on from now.¡¯ Looking at the family¡¯s current condition, they still seemed fine, but a problem might occur after the launch of their new product. Angelica¡¯s detached attitude in the original story was appealing, but Tiana had felt sorry to see her like that. It was saddening that Tiana might not be able to see the way her eyes used to glisten again. While she was wondering what to do, Alexandra finished up looking around. The three women moved aside as the maids brought out some tea. And they were served dessert to go along with their fragrant black tea. The tea and dessert were delicious, but the pretty teacups and bowls stole Tiana¡¯s attention, so she couldn¡¯t stop looking at them. Since she was constantly admiring, Angelica, who was relieved, sent a servant to bring two large boxes. ¡°I want to thank you again for coming. And this is what I¡¯ve prepared to repay you for what happened last time. I hope you like it.¡± After looking at the boxes on the table, Tiana and Alexandra promptly untied the ribbons with anticipation. Inside the boxes were uniquely designed tea sets, bowls, and accessories. ¡°Oh my¡­ This is wonderful! These are your newly launched products?¡± ¡°Yes. We¡¯ve proudly launched these after a painstaking process. I¡¯ve prepared separate gifts for the both of you.¡± ¡°Thank you so much. I really love them, but I think it would be a waste to use them.¡± The slightly different colored, differently designed tea sets were lovely. The more Tiana looked at the designs as well as the quality, the more she liked them. Alexandra was also looking at them with glistening eyes, so it was clear that these products would cause a great sensation when they were released. Relieved, Angelica said while smiling at their positive reactions, ¡°As pottery products are made on the premise of being used, I just hope you¡¯ll use them a lot. The children couldn¡¯t be happier if you use them often. Of course, so would I and my family¡¯s potters.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I won¡¯t miss out on tea time from now on.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Angelica smiled again at their positive reactions. While continuing a casual conversation, Alexandra, who was seen hesitating, asked carefully, ¡°Angelica. I¡¯ve heard this rumor; by chance have you heard it too?¡± ¡°What rumor?¡± ¡°That you and Emperor Rael¡­ are in a relationship.¡± ¡°Whaaaa?¡± In mere seconds, the once smiling face had turned into a frown. If you want to support the Lunar Letters team, you can do so by pledging to us on Patreon and get to read advanced chapters of our novels! (Note: Patreon is not compulsory. Patrons are able to read ahead, but chapters will still be released to the public at a later date. This is only one way to financially support the team and keep the site running. Thank you very much!) Chapter 111 - Spreading Like A Wildfire (II) Surprised by the atmosphere that had changed in the blink of an eye, Tiana looked at Angelica. Even Alexandra winced at Angelica¡¯s unexpected reaction. Fixing her face after seeing everyone¡¯s reaction, Angelica said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I was a bit shocked at the sudden topic.¡± ¡°Oh, no. I was expecting that. We were surprised as well. Seeing your reaction, I guess you didn¡¯t know about the rumor.¡± ¡°Huh¡­? How did the rumor come about?¡± ¡°Remember at the tea party? I heard that you and Rael were seen together on that day.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ At that time¡­¡± She nodded solemnly, perhaps remembering what had happened that day. Seeing her sighing a little, Alexandra asked her, ¡°Is it true? You and Rael are¨C¡± ¡°No. I did indeed see him that day, but it¡¯s not the truth.¡± Alexandra narrowed her eyebrows after seeing her say that so boldly. ¡°I heard that the two of you looked happy together¡­ And you even hugged Rose as Rael smiled at you holding his pet.¡± ¡°It¡¯s true that I did hug Rose. But I did it after getting his permission, and I am not sure if¡­ Emperor Rael looked at me like that.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°It was very sudden that we even saw each other, and I was nervous, so I couldn¡¯t have noticed him looking at me in a certain way. I¡¯m not sure who it was that they saw, but it might be a mistake that he smiled¡­¡± ¡°Hmmm¡­ That may be so. Since I only heard about it through the rumor. If you don¡¯t think it was you involved, then it must not have been you. Someone must have mistaken you for someone else.¡± ¡°That¡¯s definitely it.¡± When Tiana saw Angelica, who was confident in her statement, and Alexandra nodding positively, she laughed inside. No, but it¡¯s true. Because I, too, definitely saw her. I don¡¯t know what she¡¯s talking about, but I saw her and the Emperor. I guess I didn¡¯t hear the conversation, but from a distance, the mood wasn¡¯t bad enough to say you two were lovers, she thought. Alexandra¡¯s face looked at ease as if her curiosity had been solved. Then she looked at Angelica and said, ¡°I just wanted to check if it was something that couldn¡¯t be overlooked. Sorry if I was rude.¡± ¡°Oh, no. I would do the same thing.¡± ¡°Then that day was the first time you met my brother? It wasn¡¯t on purpose?¡± ¡°Yes. We met by accident. At that time, I was just taking a stroll in a nearby garden. There were some big trees and the view was nice, so I stayed there, then a random cat came by; a little while later he appeared from the thicket. I, too, was taken aback.¡± ¡°Ah-ha¡­ Well, my brother Rael does like to go around by himself. It¡¯s not once or twice that he suddenly appears without warning and surprises people because he goes around like that.¡± Alexandra shook her head as if she couldn¡¯t stop him. When Angelica laughed at her action, Alexandra suddenly asked, ¡°You said that Rael gave you permission to hug Rose?¡± ¡°Oh, yes¡­ She was whining so much that I worried about what to do, but he told me that it was okay if I wanted to pick her up and hug her.¡± ¡°Hmmph¡­ So, he permitted you that easily? He isn¡¯t that kind of person¡­¡± ¡°I was shocked, too. Because I heard he¡¯s really protective of his pet.¡± ¡°Hmmm¡­¡± Listening to her story, Alexandra quietly observed her. It looked like she was curious if there was a reason for Rael to have done that. Angelica, who made an awkward face at her deep gaze, suddenly said something she remembered. ¡°Oh! He probably did it because he knows that I adore cats. I used to own one. He knew that, but I think he thought I was more considerate of cats than others¡­¡± ¡°¡­.my brother knew that you used to have a cat?¡± ¡°Huh¡­? Yes. And what it looked like. Though I don¡¯t know how he knows that¡­¡± ¡°Hmmm¡­ That¡¯s an interesting story.¡± Alexandra, who had had a slightly blank look, looked closely at Angelica with a strange look. How can siblings be so alike? Even Lucius had made the same face when Tiana had inquired about the two. Until now, Angelica had been hardly noticeable, so she was probably thinking about what kind of contact point there was between the two. If Rael knew that Angelica used to have a cat, he must be that much interested in her, but from when had he been interested in her? ¡°Well, I can ask my brother later. I don¡¯t think he¡¯ll tell me, but if I bug him about it, he will. By the way Angelica.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± Alexandra, who had been agonizing for a long time, roughly concluded and called Angelica¡¯s name. Then she said, smiling at her curious stare, ¡°How was it meeting my brother? From what I¡¯ve heard, he¡¯s curious about you; how about you?¡± ¡°Oh¡­. uh, well¡­ We met very suddenly, and actually I¡¯ve never thought about him until now. It feels like he and I are from different worlds¡­¡± Alexandra nodded after watching her talk awkwardly with her eyebrows narrowed. Well, that was her stance on the situation. Since there weren¡¯t any females who tried to easily approach Rael¡¯s personality or the energy he emitted, to Angelica he might have been a distant person. ¡°Well, that¡¯s how my brother is. But still, don¡¯t you have a first impression or something? How was it?¡± If you want to support the Lunar Letters team, you can do so by pledging to us on Patreon and get to read advanced chapters of our novels! (Note: Patreon is not compulsory. Patrons are able to read ahead, but chapters will still be released to the public at a later date. This is only one way to financially support the team and keep the site running. Thank you very much!) Chapter 112 ¡°Umm, he is kind of a strange person.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Alexandra looked at Angelica with a strange face at her eye-opening remark. Her unrelaxed face twisted even more as Angelica continued. ¡°I thought he would be a scary person, but to my surprise, he talked normally with a lively expression. He knows about me, and I am curious about how he knows so much, but¡­ I feel like I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on inside him, so if we meet again¡­ I don¡¯t want to meet him because it was uncomfortable.¡± The serious evaluation of Rael continued. Alexandra¡¯s eyes widened at her words, but soon she burst out into laughter. ¡°Hahaha. You¡¯re the first person to talk about Rael like that. Strange; uncomfortable¡­ Pwahahaha!¡± ¡°You¡¯re definitely¡­ the first, Angelica. The first person to talk about Emperor Rael like that¡­¡± Then Tiana pressed her hand against her lips to hold in a laugh. Such words could only come from Angelica. How could she talk about the Emperor like that? Rael, really? It really must have been a bad first impression. In fact, Angelica¡¯s first impression of Rael in the original story wasn¡¯t that good either. He suddenly knew about her secret and said he had to propose to her, so that couldn¡¯t have been good. Even if it was a different first meeting from the original, it seemed to remain unchanged. Tiana didn¡¯t know what Rael was like, but it had been a random and strange meeting for Angelica. After seeing Alexandra and Levisia laugh, Angelica, blanched, noticed how strange her words sounded, and said frantically, ¡°I¡¯m s-s-s-sorry! I said some strange things about him in front of you two¡­ I didn¡¯t even realize.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s just between us three. And thank you for speaking honestly. Oh, but it would be a good idea to not say those things to anyone else. You know why, right?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll be careful.¡± She nodded at Alexandra¡¯s advice. Tiana and Alexandra couldn¡¯t care less what she said, but if others heard it, she¡¯d be in big trouble. What would happen if Rael heard her? How would Rael react if he had heard her, now that Angelica knew he was interested in her? Tiana became even more curious at his reaction. *** After the tea party ended, which had been more enjoyable than expected, Tiana returned to the grand duchy. Finally, it was dinnertime as a delicious smell was coming from the first-floor dining room. She was about to head upstairs to change close when Warren said, ¡°Ma¡¯am, Lord Lucius has returned.¡± ¡°Oh, my. Really? That was faster than I thought.¡± Tiana had assumed he would be late because he had gone on an inspection to Sinadelli. When she laughed out of joy, Warren replied, ¡°I guess the inspection finished earlier than I expected. He returned two hours ago, so right now he is in his office.¡± ¡°All right. I¡¯ll go there after I change clothes. Please get dinner ready; I¡¯ll come together with Lucius.¡± ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡± Tiana went up to her room on the second floor. Then, she called some maids so she could get changed into something a bit more comfortable. She changed quickly and washed her face lightly, which was covered in makeup. After wrapping herself in a shawl given by Inabel, she left the room. Lucius¡¯ office was on the third floor with her office. Ascending the stairs, she stood in front of the office door and knocked. Knock knock. ¡°Lucius?¡± She tilted her head as there was no answer even though she knocked and called his name. Was there no one inside? Hesitating for a moment, she carefully opened the door and entered. ¡°Oh¡­¡± She found out why he hadn¡¯t answered. At his desk in front of the window sat Lucius, leaning back in the chair with his eyes closed. As Tiana approached him closer, she could hear his breathing. He was sound asleep. Carefully, as to not wake him, she looked down at his sleeping face. Perhaps the inspection trip had tired him out. By the way, whose husband was this, sleeping so beautifully like this? In the morning, Lucius often woke up before her, so she rarely saw him sleeping. She was lucky to see him sleeping now. She wanted to let him sleep more as there was still time. Slowly, she backed away, then cleaned up the documents splayed on the desk. These days, he had been busy with imperial palace stuff and Sinadelli stuff, so there were a bunch of documents piled up. Tiana moved carefully, without making a sound, to arrange them. ¡°Huh? This¡­¡± Among the mess on the desk, one document caught her eye. Seeing Report on the Sinadelli Botanical Garden accident written on it sparked her curiosity, so she lifted it to get a closer look. ¡°Sinadelli Botanical Garden fire damage, restoration work¡­¡± Specifics of the accident and the process of the restoration work were written in detail. Fortunately, things were going well. ¡°Here¡¯s one more page.¡± Feeling relieved, she was about to flip to the next page, but there was a sudden tugging feeling from behind her. ¡°Aggghh!¡± ¡°¡­Tiana!¡± ¡°L-L-Lucius?¡± Feeling embarrassed at having been grabbed from behind and placed in his lap, she called his name without thinking. Lucius looked at her with dreamy eyes that¡¯d just woken up. His hazy gold eyes gradually cleared up. Chapter 113 ¡°Tiana¡­ When did you get here?¡± The voice slowly calling her name was fatigued. Tiana could feel his hands around her waist squeezing harder. ¡°A little while ago.¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you wake me?¡± ¡°I thought you were tired, so I was going to wake you up later. Are you okay? You can sleep more if you¡¯re really tired.¡± ¡°No¡­ I¡¯m fine.¡± His light breath touched the back of her neck. Squinting at the documents in Tiana¡¯s other hand while she stroked his hair, he said, ¡°You¡­ saw that?¡± ¡°Oh, this? Only the first part. I was curious since it¡¯s related to the Sinadelli incident, so I took a look at it.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t see the back part?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t. I was about to, but then you woke up.¡± ¡°Oh, okay¡­¡± Tiana looked at him, who was staring calmly at the papers and felt weird. Why was the back part so important? She stopped patting Lucius¡¯s head and took the documents. And when she tried to flip it to the back page, his big hand blocked her. ¡°Lucius?¡± ¡°I¡¯m getting hungry. Aren¡¯t you, Tiana?¡± ¡°Uh, yeah I am, but¡­¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s head to the dining room.¡± Naturally taking the papers from her hand, he threw them onto his desk before lifting Tiana by the waist. Surprised, she put her arms around his neck and smiled quietly, and he left the office at a quick pace. ¡°Lucius. Let me down. I can walk.¡± ¡°Nope. I want to carry you all the way to the dining room.¡± ¡°No, then everyone will see us like this.¡± ¡°So what? I¡¯ll barely get to see you today. I don¡¯t want to be apart.¡± ¡°Lucius¡­¡± He placed a kiss on her forehead and smiled softly. Tiana sighed helplessly, seeing that it didn¡¯t look like he¡¯d set her down. If you do this, I¡¯ll be stuck. How are you so aggressive these days? she thought. That was good and all, but sometimes it was embarrassing when he acted like this regardless of their location. They came down to the dining room, and he ate while receiving hot glares from the servants. Tiana hated that Lucius ignored the gazes and ate as if nothing had happened, but she had no choice but to just get over it as he smiled with his pretty gold eyes shining. By now she had completely forgotten about the part of the documents that he had blocked her from reading. *** A few days later. Tiana helped Lucius get dressed as he got ready to go out after breakfast. In the meantime, a few times before he went out, she combed his hair, chose his coat, and dressed him, but perhaps he liked it so much, lately, he has been asking her to do it every morning. After arranging his slightly disheveled hair and putting on the coat she¡¯d pre-selected, Lucius smiled happily and hugged her at the waist. ¡°Thanks again, Tiana.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing. You look great today, my husband.¡± ¡°I want to remain together like this. I don¡¯t want to go.¡± ¡°Suck it up. You¡¯re going to Sinadelli today too, right?¡± ¡°Yes. Though I might be a tad bit late today. You can have dinner without me.¡± ¡°All right.¡± With a nod, she snapped a brooch onto his coat; its two-sword design went well with his black coat. As Tiana stared at him, checking to see if everything was fixed, Lucius smiled and kissed her. ¡°Tiana, did you say you¡¯re meeting Viscountess Garnett and Baron Evett June today?¡± ¡°Yes. They said they¡¯re visiting later this afternoon. Oh, and thanks for telling Evett.¡± After the tea party a few days ago, Tiana had talked with Viscountess Garnett and set a date for her to visit. She had also scheduled it with Evett, but the date was earlier than she¡¯d expected. As she found out, it seemed that Lucius had told the Baron about her. He shook his head with gratitude. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Since you and the Viscountess got along well, I think he would have been fine with it even without my telling him. I guess he¡¯d heard about you from her.¡± ¡°Oh yeah? But still, it¡¯s because you told him that I¡¯ll be able to be at ease later when they come by.¡± ¡°You will be fine.¡± Tiana kissed him lightly on the cheek. As they slowly parted from each other, Lucius, staring sadly at her, kissed her once more, then went on his way. Having a sweet time every morning, was the privilege of newlyweds. Later as time went by, they wouldn¡¯t be newlyweds anymore, but she wanted to stay with Lucius like newlyweds for the rest of her life. She saw him off, then headed to the office. There were some documents to prepare for the conversation between Viscountess Garnett and Baron Evett, who will visit in the afternoon. She called Warren to help her prepare the documents: The ratio of her shares to the amount to be invested, the distribution of profits, etc. Tiana got a headache from just scanning through everything. She tried several types of jobs to make a living but never expected she¡¯d be running an investment company. Lucius had said that he wouldn¡¯t care if she failed, but still, it would be fun to give it a try. In particular, she hoped that the aristocrats¡¯ investments made some profit. Chapter 114 ¡°Are you going to use the name of the investment business owner as it is?¡± ¡°Well¡­ I don¡¯t mind announcing it, but is it better to use an alias? I don¡¯t want to be a nuisance.¡± ¡°I think it will be fine if you use an alias for the time being. It will be announced someday, but it hasn¡¯t been that long since your return to society, so it will be a little difficult for you if the business name is known, madam.¡± ¡°That is correct. Then what will be a good name?¡± Even though she¡¯s using an alias, if the company gets enough investors, the news will be bound to spread like wildfire. She¡¯ll wait until later to announce herself as the owner. Still, she doesn¡¯t know if she can hold out for a long time if she¡¯s blocked by the grand duchy. Picking up a pen, Tiana thought about what to write in the blank space next to the Name of the Business Owner. Should I modify my name? Quick-witted people might catch on to me. Then what¡¯s a good name? she thought. I want something that has meaning. Since this is my first business. ¡°Hmmm¡­¡± ¡°Have you decided, madam?¡± She thought it over for a long time, then slowly wrote in the blank space after deciding: T&L Co. The first initials of Tiana and Lucius. It was a simple and easy business name. ¡°I did it.¡± ¡°Looks like you used the initials from your name and Lord Lucius¡¯ name, madam. Good idea.¡± ¡°Thank you. Like I said, I wanted it to be meaningful. It¡¯s thanks to Lucius that I was able to start this business, so I wanted to include his name.¡± ¡°He will be so happy.¡± Tiana smiled at Warren and finished writing the contract. Then she spent the rest of the morning preparing other related materials. *** After a non-stop busy morning, Tiana ate a small breakfast. Viscount Garnett and Baron Evett would be visiting soon, so she returned to her room to get ready. ¡°Find something neat and not too flashy.¡± ¡°Sure will, Lady Tiana. And I will get accessories to match it.¡± As it was a business-related meeting, it seemed that a quiet and calm atmosphere would be right rather than something glamorous. Upon hearing her, Jane soon brought the accessories she chose with her dress. A dark navy dress with sapphire jewels. She had a good eye for fashion. Jane smiled proudly when Tiana nodded positively. Thanks to the maids¡¯ fast hands, who soon started preparing alongside Jane, Tiana was able to get dressed up in no time. Knock knock. ¡°Come in.¡± Warren entered. ¡°Viscountess Garnett and Baron Evett have arrived, madam.¡± ¡°All right. I¡¯ll be there soon.¡± Perfect timing. She thanked the maids and Jane for their hard work and quickly left the room. Arriving on the first floor, Tiana greeted the two guests who¡¯d finally arrived. ¡°Welcome. Viscountess Garnett, Baron Evett.¡± ¡°Thank you for inviting us, Your Highness Grand Duchess Tiana. This is my younger brother.¡± ¡°It is an honor to meet you, Your Highness.¡± ¡°Nice to meet you, Evett.¡± When she extended her hand, he grabbed it with a nervous face. Brown hair and red eyes. He resembled the Viscountess, but Tiana was surprised to see his body stronger than expected. He was taller and looked more muscular than Kenil. She didn¡¯t want to be prejudiced against him, but a man like that liked flower tea? Leaving behind the unexpected twist, she led the two to the living room. Tiana smiled when she saw that they couldn¡¯t relax while they looked around the spacious living room curiously. ¡°There is no need to be nervous. Just be comfortable.¡± ¡°Thank you, Your Highness. I can¡¯t calm myself since I never thought I¡¯d meet the Grand Duchess.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the same place where normal people live. It isn¡¯t anything special, so please make yourselves at home.¡± ¡°Yes¡­ But even when we came in through the entrance the garden was splendid, and so is this interior. Indeed a grand mansion.¡± Evett continued to admire the mansion while looking around the living room. His sister sitting next to him gestured for him to calm down, but even her eyes were rolling around in awe. ¡°By the way, the atmosphere is different from what I thought.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Yes. Obviously, it¡¯s a splendid mansion. And the garden is well-decorated. But, how can I say it¡­ I expected it to have a chilly atmosphere, but it¡¯s rather warm.¡± ¡°Warm?¡± Tiana¡¯s head tilted at Evett¡¯s comment. Did he say warm? She seemed to know what a chilly environment was, but it was unexpected for him to call it warm. The Grand Duke¡¯s mansion itself was not bright, and the interior was decorated with calm colors rather than bright ones. It was not warm but cold. Recently, bright decorations had been brought in little by little, but nothing had changed noticeably yet. Looking at Tiana, who was agonizing, he nodded slowly and said, ¡°I think it¡¯s because of you, Your Highness.¡± ¡°¡­because of me?¡± Chapter 115 How could it be because of her? She stared at him for a few seconds, wondering what that meant, then, Evett carefully opened his mouth to speak. ¡°Even in an overly-flashy and dull environment, somehow it feels like the atmosphere is neutralizing when I see you. How should I explain this¡­?¡± ¡°So you¡¯re saying she brightens the mood?¡± ¡°Right, that¡¯s it. That is right. It feels bright and warm, I mean the energy surrounding you, Grand Duchess Tiana.¡± ¡°Oh, is that so? I didn¡¯t even know¡­¡± So to sum it up, Evett feels bright, warm energy from her, is that correct? Tiana was unsure. When viewed objectively, wasn¡¯t it just a calm mood? She didn¡¯t think her presence would give off a bright and warm feeling. And even though she was present here, she doubted that she had such effect in this huge mansion; this enormous mansion. As Tiana¡¯s face was stuck in a state of disbelief, Evett, perhaps realizing something, hurriedly rummaged his brain for something to say. ¡°I apologize. I¡¯ve said some strange words to you, Your Highness.¡± ¡°No, no. It¡¯s fine. Uh, I¡¯ll just take it as a compliment. It is a compliment, right?¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± Tiana cracked a smile after seeing him nod his head firmly. Anyway, it was just a compliment because she looked bright. Should I end it here, since it¡¯s nothing malicious? Tiana thought. After a short silence, they soon started talking in earnest with the tea served by the maids. She had purposely prepared the flower tea she¡¯d bought in Sinadelli last time, and thankfully Evett¡¯s reaction to it was good, signaling that he liked it. Seeing him savor the scent while drinking it, she could tell he really liked it. Tiana almost burst out into laughter at how cute he looked with his large frame holding a tiny teacup with steam rising over his face. After a few sips, she set her teacup down and asked, ¡°Does it taste right? I¡¯m sure you¡¯re familiar with the flower tea you¡¯ve made, but I was worried in my own way.¡± ¡°It is really delicious. I think it¡¯s even better than the way I do mine.¡± ¡°No way! Still, I¡¯m nowhere compared to you. Yours was really delicious when I had it at your caf¨¦ last time.¡± ¡°This is the flower tea you bought at the time? This isn¡¯t enough, Your Highness. I guess I was so shocked to receive an order from you that I was out of my mind. I wanted to give you and Lord Lucius a gift.¡± Tiana shook her head at him, who looked sad, and said, ¡°No, no. I didn¡¯t want to make you worry that much. Lucius probably just wanted to casually drop by. In that regard, you handled it well. And if the product is this good, it was a good idea for me to buy it in person. Later on, I really want to go and buy it myself again.¡± ¡°Thank you¡­,¡± he replied in a sort of gloomy voice while slightly bowing shyly. Garnett, who stood next to him, stared with a pleased face. They had talked in a comfortable atmosphere for a while, and when it felt stale, Tiana gestured to Warren with her eyes. Having stood there waiting and holding a contract, he approached her and gave it to her. ¡°I made a contract ahead of time, would you look at it?¡± ¡°Uh, before that, there was something else I wanted to ask about.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°So¡­ you¡¯ve decided to invest in me?¡± Asking hesitantly, Evett looked at Tiana with shaky eyes. Even Garnett next to him had a curious look on her face. Tiana replied with a smile at the two people who were focused on her. ¡°I see the possibility. It¡¯d be a waste for me to just let you go. I thought about what it¡¯d be like if I invested in you since you have a high value with your product and I think it¡¯s trendy too.¡± ¡°Thank you so much for that. But there are so many high-profiting businesses with products like mine; how come you¡¯re starting with mine? And as you know I am a baron. With your investment, Your Highness, my caf¨¦ would welcome people with higher statuses¡­¡± ¡°They¡¯re making enough business profits without me. But you are different, Baron Evett. We can imagine how much your business will expand in the future, depending on how much support I provide. If I invest in something, I want to do it where help is needed.¡± Among the count, the marquess, and even the duke, many aristocrats ran a business. But theirs had already expanded to higher levels and brought in profits. If Tiana says she¡¯s investing in their business, she would be welcomed, but that¡¯d be it. Investing alongside such greedy people, she would see a big profit, but that¡¯s not what she wanted. Where¡¯s the fun in just standing motionlessly watching the money flow in? The purpose of an investment for the common people was to provide relief and cultivate talent, while investment for the aristocrats was to reduce the clunky backlash and narrow the tight class gap between businesses. Wouldn¡¯t it be more fun to watch your business grow from the bottom up, instead of watching something that was already a success? ¡°I was satisfied with the way you ran your business, Baron Evett, and I think it would be perfect to expand your branches.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about the issues related to expanding. I¡¯ve been planning to open my first caf¨¦ since I became independent. But I can¡¯t make up for the expansion expenses with the money I have now. So I searched for several investors, but no one gave me a thing, due to my status.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± ¡°In the middle of my wondering about a good way to go about it, I received word about your idea, Your Highness. It was such a ridiculous proposal that I thought it was a dream. But it started to become a reality a few days ago when you reached out to me.¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t lying about the contract. Should I show proof so that you can believe me more? I came to do it by meeting various possibilities and conditions I thought of, but in fact, there is one very important reason.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± If you want to support the Lunar Letters team, you can do so by pledging to us on Patreon and get to read advanced chapters of our novels! (Note: Patreon is not compulsory. Patrons are able to read ahead, but chapters will still be released to the public at a later date. This is only one way to financially support the team and keep the site running. Thank you very much!) Chapter 116 ¡°That I seriously love the flower tea you¡¯ve developed. I¡¯m not lying when I say I drink about three cups a day. Everyone here knows. How much I love this flower tea.¡± Upon Evett turning to Warren and the maids, they were nodding diligently as if her words were correct. This really was the truth. Because these days she drank only tea after breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Not much of the tea Tiana had bought was left because of this. She hoped to get things started quickly. If a branch in the capital were built first, she would go on the grand opening day and buy a whole batch. When she proudly held up her teacup and spoke, Evett burst into laughter as he looked at her with a puzzled face. And he said, smiling as if he knew her words were true, ¡°Okay. I believe you, Your Highness. Now that you¡¯ve said it like that. Actually, I really wanted to know the reason for your investment. I apologize for changing the subject so abruptly.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s okay. It is natural for you to be curious. Because you definitely have to know the reason for you to feel more comfortable about this.¡± ¡°Thank you for your consideration.¡± ¡°You¡¯re welcome. Then shall we proceed with the contract?¡± Thanks to Evett¡¯s now solved curiosity, the contract viewing went well without any problems. Evett, who looked over it meticulously, asked with a bizarre look, ¡°So you¡¯re using an alias. T&L Co., that¡¯s an unusual name.¡± ¡°Yes, because some annoying problems may occur if I use my real name. I¡¯ll use this alias for the time being. I tried to be unique about it, but is it weird?¡± ¡°Never. It is an unusual name, but the nuance is good. It¡¯s like an exotic name not seen in the empire; I think it¡¯ll make for a good protector.¡± ¡°Oh my, you¡¯re right. People may think that it¡¯s not owned by anyone here. It would be better to hide that identity.¡± Tiana wasn¡¯t sure if anyone else¡¯s business in the empire went by such a name, but she was certain that it wasn¡¯t a common name in this empire. Thinking about it now, she might not reveal herself for a while. ¡°Are you saying that the investment for branch expansion will be fully supported, with the stake being 40% and the profit distribution being 8:2 per branch?¡± ¡°That is correct.¡± ¡°With all due respect, I wonder if it¡¯s too much for me. You actually pay all the money after that, but there won¡¯t be much left for you to take, Your Highness¡± ¡°Is that so? Then what is a plausible amount?¡± ¡°50% stake, and a profit distribution of 7:3.¡± ¡°Hmmmm¡­ I¡¯ll settle for a 45% stake with a profit distribution of 8:2. Instead, I will not touch management rights. Please treat me well as this is my first investment. I am investing in my own way, so please don¡¯t worry and accept it.¡± Evett thought about it for a moment, then he nodded and said, ¡°Okay. I¡¯m sorry that I feel like I¡¯m only receiving too much.¡± ¡°There is nothing to be sorry for. I¡¯m doing it because I want to do it for you. Oh, if I were to add a condition, I hope the first branch will be in the capital. That way I can go as the first customer to buy all the tea that I want.¡± ¡°Haha. Okay, Your Highness. I¡¯ll see that the first name on the customer guest list is yours.¡± ¡°That would be splendid.¡± Tiana smiled in response to him smiling pleasantly. After completing the contract, they spent the rest of the time talking leisurely. He, drinking the new tea that Tiana had bought, looked down at the teacup and asked, ¡°This teacup, it¡¯s very pretty. It¡¯s unique, but it has a strange charm that catches the eye.¡± ¡°I know, right? This is my favorite teacup set.¡± ¡°By chance could you let me know where it is from, Your Highness?¡± ¡°It¡¯s made by the Vernes family. I received it as a gift from Angelica Vernes; she said it will be launching soon, so you can buy it when it comes out.¡± ¡°I see. Are these bowls also from the Vernes?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The other day, Tiana had received teacups and bowls from Angelica, who had sent them because she thought they would go well with flower tea. They certainly were pretty enough to catch anyone¡¯s eye. Tiana was a bit proud that they had been a good choice. Looking closely at the teacups and bowls, Evett continued to speak with admiration. ¡°These are really elaborate and meticulous works of art. Yet, still able to function as they¡¯re supposed to. The teacups especially go well with flower tea.¡± ¡°I know, right? They are also good for black tea, but they feel more appropriate when I drink flower tea. I think it¡¯s because they are a little different from other teacups, in terms of design.¡± ¡°¡­I think it¡¯d be nice if I could use these teacups and bowls in my caf¨¦.¡± ¡°Oh my, that¡¯s a good idea.¡± Tiana nodded at the words Evett blurted out. It definitely would be nice if he could use them at his caf¨¦. Especially, he thought they would go well with the atmosphere there. ¡°You said that these will be launching soon? What if we could buy them in bulk on the grand opening of the first branch?¡± ¡°If you want, I can contact Angelica Vernes. We¡¯d better make a reservation for bulk purchases.¡± ¡°I¡¯d appreciate it if you¡¯d do that. Please let me know when you do, Your Highness. I want to visit the Verne estate in person and express my gratitude.¡± ¡°I sure will.¡± Tiana nodded at Evett, who desperately asked for the favor. He seemed to really like the Vernes¡¯ products. How good Tiana must have felt that she¡¯d gotten another chance to contact Angelica again. It felt good that she would be able to help her again. ¡°Now that I think about it, Angelica Vernes¡­¡± Viscountess Garnett, who, sitting next to Evett, also admired the teacup, carefully brought something up. ¡°Isn¡¯t she the one who¡¯s in a relationship with Emperor Rael?¡± ¡°Huh? Really?¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Evett stared at her in total shock. So, the viscountess had heard the rumor, too. It definitely must be going around quickly. Sighing inside, Tiana was going to say something in response, but the viscountess soon dropped another bomb. ¡°They even said that they¡¯re getting engaged soon.¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± Wait, getting engaged!? Chapter 117 How far had the rumor spread that even the word ¡®engaged¡¯ was floating around? It has only been a week since the tea party. Wait, was one week enough for it to spread? ¡®Still, how could they be engaged?¡¯ From a dating couple to now engaged. It was a bit of a sudden and rapid development. Rael and Angelica¡¯s relationship had wandered off like that? Someone else had to have seen it. Studying Tiana¡¯s shocked reaction, Viscountess Garnett asked, ¡°Where did that rumor come from? I heard before that they¡¯re just boyfriend and girlfriend.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know neither, but I think it started on the neutralists¡¯ side.¡± ¡°Still, who made such a rumor¡­¡± ¡°Emperor Rael even gave her a necklace, I heard. Someone witnessed him putting it around her neck.¡± ¡°Say what?¡± It had gone that far? All within just a week? That wasn¡¯t possible. No matter how much Rael said that he knows Angelica, they had met for the first time one week ago. But what on earth happened within that short period that they were exchanging gifts now? Rael and Angelica. Though it was said that he has his heart set on her, he wasn¡¯t the type to directly confess his feelings, and Angelica normally had to take some time before opening her heart to someone. They didn¡¯t even confirm each other¡¯s feelings in the original story until around the middle part. Even if the rumor was true, wouldn¡¯t it be confusing that they exchanged gifts? ¡°They said that Emperor Rael clearly gifted a necklace to Angelica? Doesn¡¯t that sound like someone mistook that or made the wrong assumption?¡± ¡°From what I heard, someone definitely witnessed Angelica receiving a necklace. Wouldn¡¯t it be right for Emperor Rael to put it around her neck?¡± ¡°Hmmm¡­ Maybe?¡± If Angelica had only received a gift box, all this would end with them exchanging gifts as a couple. Rael giving someone a gift was surprising in its own, but if it was just a gift exchange, the rumor wouldn¡¯t have spread again just because their relationship had turned into an ¡®engagement.¡¯ The dilemma was that Rael had put the necklace around Angelica¡¯s neck. If that were the truth, such a rumor definitely would have no choice but to spread. About who witnessed what somewhere. Tiana was also curious about the one who spread the rumor. If it¡¯s gotten out this far, there was no way of blocking it now. This is exactly what the two would have wanted. As she quietly sighed to herself while trying her best to fix the troubled look on her face, Evett, who was calmly thinking still, spoke out. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be shocking if that were true? Emperor Rael and Angelica del Verne getting engaged? I don¡¯t know much about her, but it is a shock to hear that Emperor Rael has a girlfriend, uh, fianc¨¦e.¡± ¡°This rumor about their relationship has been around for a while, but the part about the engagement is recent.¡± ¡°Oh, really? I guess it is a fairly credible rumor. If it has spread to this degree.¡± Viscountess Garnett nodded at his words. ¡°Because there is a new rumor from the neutralist side, to which the Verne family belongs. Sounds like solid information.¡± ¡°But still, Emperor Rael is getting engaged. If so, then marriage is¡­¡± ¡°Well¡­ The Verne family is a prestigious family with a long history, but isn¡¯t that difficult given their current situation?¡± ¡°Oh, well I did hear that their business isn¡¯t going well these days.¡± ¡°The rumor has inevitably spread, but I think it¡¯s a bit¡­ too early to say that the two are getting married.¡± ¡°That certainly is true.¡± Tiana nodded quietly at her words. Though the rumor about them getting married had spread, it was highly unlikely that that would come to fruition. Even if there were a real development in Rael and Angelica¡¯s relationship, they couldn¡¯t get married easily because Vernes¡¯ current situation was different from that in the original story. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if Angelica knows this rumor.¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t she know? Since it started on the neutralist side, I think she may know enough.¡± ¡°When I was invited to the tea party last time, I didn¡¯t even know that they were in a relationship.¡± ¡°Huh? Really? Oh, then is the rumor about them being boyfriend and girlfriend a lie? And the one about their engagement¡­¡± ¡°From what I confirmed, they are not in a relationship, so that must be a lie. But¡­ I am not sure about their engagement. Because they can still get engaged even if they aren¡¯t in a relationship¡­¡± ¡°That makes sense. If so, however, then the necklace Emperor Rael gave her¡­¡± ¡°It could be something to get the engagement ready. Isn¡¯t it just a gift?¡± If the two were getting engaged in this situation, it could be a sort of contract or something. Like when Rael found out Angelica¡¯s weakness in the original story. It was possible since their first interaction had been so fast. But it¡¯s a little weak to sign a contract just because your weakness has been revealed. Rael wasn¡¯t being pressured about marriage like he was at the beginning of the original story, and also, Angelica had a worse family situation than then. Still though, what was his reason for pushing ahead with it? Chapter 118 Tiana¡¯s head was beginning to hurt, so she asked the maid for another cup of tea. She felt better as she inhaled the scent of the fresh, warm cup of tea and slowly took the first sip. ¡°I think for now we have to keep an eye on them. If the rumor spreads some more Angelica will soon find out, too. Then wouldn¡¯t she be expressing her stance? About whether the engagement is real or not.¡± ¡°She would. I am really curious, but we should wait it out.¡± Tiana nodded with a sad and unimpressed look on her face. She also wanted to know the truth, but even contacting Angelica was an uncertain move. Because they weren¡¯t close enough friends to be talking about such a topic like that. The truth will be revealed once she figures it out. Tiana started a new conversation with Evett, who was quietly looking down at his teacup, and Garnett, who looked like she was full of anticipation. *** ¡°¡­it really happened that way?¡± Tiana exhaled as she watched the sunset sky from the terrace. Contrary to her expectation that the truth would be revealed soon, the rumor about Rael and Angelica was growing. At every tea party she attended over the past week, the hot topic among the wives and daughters had been their engagement. Meanwhile, it had spread not only to the neutralists but also to the imperialists and aristocrats. ¡®Did you hear about Emperor Rael and Angelica del Verne?¡¯ ¡®The rumor that they are in a relationship?¡¯ ¡®Not only that but they are getting married soon!¡¯ ¡®Oh my! Really?¡¯ The unstoppable rumor was spreading in the social circles like wildfire in a dry forest. ¡®From what I heard from the Grand Duchess, they aren¡¯t in a relationship.¡¯ ¡®But you said that the Emperor gave Angelica a necklace as a gift.¡¯ ¡®She said they aren¡¯t in a relationship, but she doesn¡¯t know much about the engagement.¡¯ ¡®Then isn¡¯t it true since they exchanged gifts? It isn¡¯t just anyone, it¡¯s Emperor Rael. Up until now, he hasn¡¯t had his eye on a single lady¡­¡¯ ¡®But the Grand Duchess heard it herself that they are not in a relationship.¡¯ Tiana tried to block the parts that she could, but it was too much for her because she had not been able to confirm the facts accurately. If only she could meet Angelica in person and check¡­ Amidst the chaos, the reason the rumors were spreading out of control was that neither side had expressed a related position. Rael remained quiet, and Angelica hasn¡¯t come out for a whole week nor could anyone get a hold of her. She didn¡¯t even respond to the letters sent to the Verne Family Mansion, so now Tiana was even more eager to go see her in person. Not even the ladies at the neutralist tea party she had attended today knew Angelica¡¯s whereabouts. ¡®Even though Emperor Rael is silent, why hasn¡¯t Angelica come out?¡¯ ¡®No way she is preparing for the engagement party¡­¡¯ ¡®She hasn¡¯t even made an announcement. I wonder if she is moving too fast¡­¡¯ All right. It was too fast. Tiana had thought so when she first heard about the engagement a week ago. The spread was too fast because Rael had nothing to say on his side and Angelica was in hiding. It¡¯s not enough for Tiana to step up and stop the rumor. At this point, one of them had to come out and stop it themselves. To do that, she needed to meet Rael or Angelica. Should it be Angelica? It didn¡¯t seem like Rael would be willing to meet Tiana. She had also heard that Angelica wasn¡¯t meeting anyone. If she had someone like Lucius with her she could do it, but he had gone on a business trip to Sinadelli a week ago and still wasn¡¯t back. There was a problem with the restoration site and he had written a letter saying that it would take more time. She will only bring it up with him when he comes back. Before long, the sun was down and darkness spread across the sky. While leaning on a rail on the terrace to look up at the endless stars, suddenly a familiar form appeared at the front door. ¡°Huh¡­? That¡­¡± It¡¯s a carriage! The black carriage with a double sword crest imprinted on the side was clearly the grand duchy¡¯s carriage. Lucius was back! Standing up after watching the carriage pass through the main gate, Tiana hurriedly left the terrace. She ran through the hall and down the stairs to open the door, and the carriage, still further away than expected, was seen approaching. Warren and some servants watched her strangely as she was stamping her feet impatiently. Ignoring their stares, Tiana waited desperately for the carriage to hurry up and get here. Perhaps she was seen waiting from inside the carriage, the horseman picked up speed, and before long the carriage was right in front of her. ¡°Lucius!¡± ¡°¡­Tiana?¡± The door opened, and she quickly ran to him and hugged him as soon as he appeared. He stared at her¨Csurprised by her sudden appearance¨Cbut Tiana said in an urgent voice, ¡°There is something I have to tell you! It is gravely important. It is urgent!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± As she grabbed the panicking Lucius¡¯s hands and tried to lead him inside, he looked at her with a puzzled face. Chapter 119 Tiana pulled Lucius upstairs to their bedroom. It was much more comfortable for them to talk here alone than in the living room. After the servants left, she sat Lucius down on the sofa. Sitting next to her and holding both hands, he asked in a distraught voice, ¡°Tiana, calm down. What on earth is going on with you?¡± ¡°Lucius. You¡¯re on your way back from Cinadelli, right?¡± ¡°Huh? That¡¯s right. Did something happen?¡± ¡°By chance have you heard the rumor regarding Emperor Rael and Angelica del Vernes?¡± ¡°Rumors? You mean the one about them being in a relationship?¡± He replied as he blinked. So he didn¡¯t know about the engagement. Well, that¡¯s because he had left Cinadelli right before the rumor started. And he hadn¡¯t heard the updated version because he¡¯d been so busy with work there. Looking at him cluelessly, she shook her head and said, ¡°No. There is a new one. This time they¡¯re saying that Rael and Angelica are getting engaged.¡± ¡°What? Engaged? How did that¡­ It hasn¡¯t been long since the rumor about their relationship started¡­¡± ¡°I guess someone saw Rael giving her a necklace.¡± ¡°Necklace¡­?¡± ¡°Yeah. It wasn¡¯t enough to just give it to her, so he actually put it around her neck; that isn¡¯t something normal people in a relationship do. So that¡¯s how the engagement rumor got started.¡± ¡°I see. Given the situation, it happened as soon as I went on my business trip; of all days to happen.¡± He sighed briefly with his forehead narrowed. Tiana felt sorry for him because he must have been tired as soon as he returned from the business trip, but he looked at her while holding her hands and said, ¡°Seeing how worried you are, there has to be another issue.¡± ¡°It has already been one week since the engagement rumor came out. But Rael isn¡¯t saying anything, and Angelica hasn¡¯t been out at all. And there was no response when I sent a letter to the Vernes¡¯ mansion.¡± ¡°¡­really?¡± Lucius paused for a moment at what Tiana said. He closed his mouth as if thinking about something before slowly speaking again. ¡°Emperor Rael is normally the type to never pay attention to rumors, but if such rumors have spread, he would have taken action. Because it is a sensitive topic. However, him not making a move must mean that he is thinking about something¡­¡± ¡°Thinking about something?¡± ¡°If it were a different woman, he would have addressed the rumor from the beginning before the part about the engagement came out. But when the rumor first came out, he didn¡¯t say much. Angelica denied it, but Rael didn¡¯t really acknowledge nor deny it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s because of that I wondered whether he really had strong feelings for her.¡± Angelica had denied their relationship status, but Rael hadn¡¯t said a word. That¡¯s why the rumor of them being in a relationship had spread even more at the time instead of fading away. Even Tiana had denied the relationship between the two because of rumors of their engagement, but unless one of them directly said it, the effects were minimal. ¡°With Emperor Rael remaining quiet despite the rumors about him spreading further and further, either he is thinking about his next move or he really is in a relationship with Angelica. It seems like it¡¯s one of those two.¡± ¡°So Angelica lied to me? She didn¡¯t seem like the type to¡­¡± ¡°Something might have happened between them from when she told you no. Seeing that there are people who witnessed them, they may have met more times than that.¡± ¡°You think so?¡± There was about a week in between when Tiana had visited Angelica and when she had first heard the rumors of the engagement. If there really was something going on between the two, one week was enough time for Rael and Angelica to meet a few times and discuss it themselves. But no matter what, something had happened during that one week. Even thinking about it now made Tiana¡¯s head hurt because nothing had been resolved for sure and only suspicion was left to linger in the air. Sighing deeply, Lucius said, patting her head, ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much. Tomorrow I will go to the royal palace to discuss it with Emperor Rael. I have something about Sinadelli to report to him anyway.¡± ¡°Me too! Can we go together? I¡¯m curious about what he¡¯s thinking, and there is something I want to ask him.¡± ¡°All right. Let¡¯s go together.¡± ¡°Thank you, Lucius.¡± Feeling ecstatic, she kissed him on the cheek, and his face reddened as he hugged her tightly. It was said that Rael didn¡¯t even meet with Alexandra, so would he be willing to me Lucius? If Tiana went with him together, he might even meet her, too. She was eager to see what he was thinking; to see what the male lead was cooking up. Tiana was already looking forward to it at the mere thought of it. *** After breakfast the next day, Tiana met up with Lucius at the time he normally left, and the two went to Rael¡¯s palace together. She asked him, who was sitting in the seat opposite her, ¡°By the way, is it okay for us to suddenly go see him like this? Should we contact him first?¡± ¡°I contacted him while departing from Sinadelli yesterday because of the business trip report. It will be okay since he hasn¡¯t sent me a decline.¡± ¡°Is that so? Speaking of Sinadelli, has everything been resolved? You said there was a problem at the restoration site, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Right. There was a minor accident there, but it¡¯s been resolved.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a relief.¡± Had a worker injured himself at the site? Still, it was fortunate that things were resolved. Staring worriedly at her tired and slightly pale face, he smiled at her gently. It wasn¡¯t too long before they reached the royal palace. After they passed the main gate and inched closer to the Emperor¡¯s Palace, the grand chamberlain came out to greet them. He carefully blocked their way as they were about to enter. ¡°I am terribly sorry. Grand Duke Lucius and Grand Duchess Tiana. But there was an imperial order to not let anyone inside the palace today.¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± Chapter 120 Lucius made a surprised face at the man¡¯s words. Tiana, also panicking, glanced at Lucius, who said to the grand chamberlain with a frozen face, ¡°I contacted Emperor Rael yesterday but never received such a message. Don¡¯t tell me something has happened to him.¡± ¡°His Majesty¡¯s condition is not well, so he is taking a break from his state affairs and resting for a few days. I was ordered to deliver his apology for not being able to contact you ahead of time, sir.¡± ¡°¡­ he really told you to deliver that message to us?¡± ¡°Yes. I am just telling you what I received from His Majesty,¡± said the grand chamberlain as he bowed at the waist. All of the servants came out to the front of the palace to show that the imperial order he had mentioned was real. The elite knights of the imperial family stood in front of the tightly closed door, forming a border with dignity. What the hell is going on? Was Rael¡¯s condition really not good? It was possible since he had lots of duties, but the timing was not good. Today of all days. And it seemed like there was a problem if it was so bad that he had to rest for a few days. Tiana had her doubts, but no way she could get rid of the knights surrounding the front door. And no matter Lucius¡¯s status, she didn¡¯t think they¡¯d move out of the way as they were just abiding by the imperial order. As she stared at Lucius and wondered if they should leave, Lucius, looking at the closed door behind the grand chamberlain and the knights, opened his mouth. ¡°He didn¡¯t say anything else?¡± ¡°He didn¡¯t say much, sir; just that you would get a reply soon because it won¡¯t take long.¡± ¡°¡­all right.¡± Nodding after hearing the grand chamberlain¡¯s message, Lucius put an arm around Tiana¡¯s shoulder, and the both of them turned around to leave. He stopped a little far away and gave a moment¡¯s gaze at the Imperial Palace, then he said to her, ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s going to happen today, Tiana.¡± ¡°We can¡¯t help that Emperor Rael is sick. But will he get better? If he has to even take a break from his state affairs, it must be health issues¡­¡± ¡°He will be fine. The palace would be chaotic if it was a big problem. And you would have received contact from him yesterday on someone¡¯s behalf.¡± ¡°Then¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure what the grounds are for all this¡­ But.¡± ¡°Are you suspecting something?¡± ¡°Since he said it wouldn¡¯t take long, I think he will contact me if I wait a bit more.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± After hearing that from Lucius, Tiana recalled something the grand chamberlain had said. He had definitely said it. But when will that be? If Rael disappears for a few days, more rumors will spread. ¡®Don¡¯t tell me¡­ They¡¯re not preparing for the engagement ceremony, are they?¡¯ No matter how it looked, they couldn¡¯t be doing that. Even if they were preparing it in secret, no way it would stay hidden in a place like that with so many people around. Even if Rael could use magic, there was no reason to do that. Anyway, today was a futile attempt. What a pity to have to return home this way. After a short sigh, Lucius smiled softly and said, wrapping his arm around Tiana¡¯s waist, ¡°Since we¡¯re here, why don¡¯t we go see Alexandra?¡± ¡°Alexandra?¡± ¡°I think it¡¯d be a waste to go back home like this.¡± ¡°Oh my. Is it showing on my face? Sorry.¡± She had tried her best not to let it show, but still, it seemed that he had heard her sigh. While looking at him awkwardly, he smiled quietly and shook his head. ¡°Oh no. It¡¯s not something to be sorry about, Tiana.¡± ¡°I just feel frustrated because of the rumors spreading everywhere. There is nothing I can do.¡± ¡°It is not because of you that this happened. Emperor Rael will contact me if we wait. Then, we can fix the situation.¡± ¡°All right. We¡¯ll see. Thank you, Lucius.¡± As long as the people directly involved were in hiding, there was nothing they could do but wait. Tiana still felt a bit frustrated, but she smiled thanks to the man who had reassured her. They headed to Alexandra¡¯s palace to go see her, as Lucius had suggested. Seeing its wide-open entrance which was much different than the Emperor¡¯s Palace made Tiana feel relieved inside, and the two of them entered following a maid. Tiana still admired the splendid appearance of the Imperial Princess¡¯s Palace. There seemed to be more buildings than the last time. Arriving in the living room and sitting with Lucius, Alexandra suddenly opened the door a little later. ¡°Lucius, Tiana!¡± She approached the two and she called their names with a welcoming face. As Tiana stood up and tried to say hello, she shook her head and said, ¡°We don¡¯t have to do all that formal stuff! What brings you two here?¡± We came to visit Emperor Rael when we thought of you and decided to drop by before leaving.¡± ¡°Really? Anyway, I¡¯m glad you came together!¡± ¡°I hope we aren¡¯t disturbing anything.¡± ¡°Never! I was actually just bored, so let¡¯s talk together,¡± she said with a more vibrant face than normal, perhaps happy that Tiana and Lucius had visited her. Tiana smiled at how cute she looked. A maid soon brought out some tea after the three sat down. Judging from the smell, it was the flower tea Tiana had gifted her last time. She could feel her tense body just melt as she sipped the warm tea. ¡°Speaking of, did you see Rael? I¡¯ve also gone to visit a few times, but these days he isn¡¯t meeting anyone.¡± ¡°We did not. His grand chamberlain said that he¡¯s resting for a few days.¡± ¡°Is that so? Is he not feeling well or something¡­¡± Lucius said after seeing her worried face, ¡°That¡¯s what he said, but I think it was an excuse anyhow.¡± ¡°An excuse? Oh, don¡¯t tell me it is because of the rumors¡­ But if he put off his duties to take a rest, the rumors are sure to increase.¡± ¡°It might be because he¡¯s thinking about something. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just saying that because he hasn¡¯t even said anything to me nor to you Lucius¡­ I really don¡¯t know what he¡¯s thinking.¡± Lucius smiled faintly when he saw Alexandra with a rugged expression. After a deep sigh, she took a sip of tea and spoke as something suddenly came to mind. ¡°Oh yeah, Tiana. About the engagement rumor. Do you know the source of that?¡± Chapter 121 ¡°Huh¡­? I know it came from the neutralists.¡± ¡°Is that so? Hmmm¡­¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it? Viscountess Garnett said that the rumor about their engagement started from the neutralists.¡± Could it be that what she had said was wrong? Staring at Alexandra with a bizarre look on her face, Tiana, who hesitated for a second, said to her, From the information I got, someone from the empiricist side spread the rumor first.¡± ¡°What? Really?¡± ¡°Yes. Someone who witnessed Emperor Rael giving the necklace to Angelica said that they seemed like a couple.¡± ¡°If so, then that person started the rumor?¡± ¡°I think so.¡± Tiana wondered when she saw Alexandra nodding. Someone from the empiricist side had seen Rael and Angelica and started the rumor, but was it said that it had started with the neutralists? What had the witness done between the time the rumor started spreading and now? While Tina thought about it, Alexandra continued, frowning a bit. ¡°More importantly, do you know the one who saw them? You remember the tea party, right? The girls standing behind Whigette.¡± ¡°Yes. I remember.¡± ¡°It¡¯s one of them. The daughter of Baron Tiban. She was standing on the left.¡± ¡°You mean the one with¡­ green hair?¡± Tiana faintly remembered seeing her at the tea party that day. Tiffany, the daughter of Baron Tiban. She wasn¡¯t really a distinctive girl. Just like Whigette, her name wasn¡¯t mentioned once in the original story. ¡®Weird.¡¯ Even though the original story had started much faster, there were more changes than expected. Not only the meeting between Rael and Angelica but also the non-extras that were mentioned as supporting roles. ¡®Is this all because of me?¡¯ But Tiana had been possessed, so no way things could change so much. The current situations weren¡¯t really going to change just by her trying to change the story. Lucius¡¯ reputation was changing little by little, but he hasn¡¯t done much yet. The occurrence of all of these unexpected situations may have to be considered a little twisted in this world itself. ¡®The difference in the original story started with Rael.¡¯ His acknowledgment of Angelica; their quicker-than-normal first meeting; and the rumors that were non-existent in the original story. Though it was a novel, this world was a reality. Tiana couldn¡¯t conclude that everything was going the same as in the original story. In fact, wouldn¡¯t it be right to say that it had already changed from the original story since she had become possessed? However, that part was a tad bit embarrassing because she couldn¡¯t predict what would happen in the future if there were already so many differences like this. Even though the story was already bent out of shape, she felt relieved knowing that she was familiar with the original story. Did she not have a choice but to believe in her own responsiveness? Tiana felt uneasy, but it wasn¡¯t enough to see it as a big deal. Whatever happened, her top priority was making a peaceful and happy flower path for her and Lucius, so she just had to take care of that. For now, she took it slowly, just doing what she could. ¡°Whatever the source may be, the rumor is already spreading. I want to meet Tiffany.¡± ¡°She isn¡¯t coming out these days. At first, she livelily went around here and there spreading the rumor, but from then I haven¡¯t heard a thing about her.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Allie and Whigette are the girls she often went around with and they seem to be socially active, but I want to say nowadays it seems like Whigette has been gossiping a lot about Angelica.¡± ¡°Gossiping?¡± When Tiana heard her words, her eyebrows naturally frowned. How dare someone gossip about another person? Did she dare to act like that even after being humiliated? ¡°But what if the rumors are true? Why is she gossiping?¡± ¡°No way this is true. Because even though the Verne family is prestigious, their current situation is dire. She¡¯s going around saying that Angelica could never become Rael¡¯s girlfriend; that she is a better woman for him than Angelica could ever be.¡± ¡°¡­just an extra, but how could she? Why is she meddling with other people¡¯s business like this?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Oh, nothing. It¡¯s just she¡¯s like a thoughtless woman.¡± Her true feelings had been exposed under deep anger. As Tiana hurriedly changed the subject, Alexandra, who had tilted her head, confused, said, ¡°I think she only trusts the family name, but in fact, they are not a big deal outside of their business. Rather, the Vernes are treated like royalty. Whigette¡¯s family history is not that deep.¡± ¡°They¡¯re getting special treatment because their business is going well?¡± ¡°Right. But her family stole their idea from the Vernes, so there is a lot of talk about that. There are rumors of design theft and them using low-quality material to reduce costs.¡± ¡°During the tea party, didn¡¯t Whigette tell Angelica the opposite?¡± ¡°That¡¯s actually the opposite. The quality of the Vernes¡¯ products is all good. Whigette only said that to purposely create competition.¡± ¡°¡­she¡¯s a problem in more ways than one.¡± In the end, this meant that she had bullied Angelica and her family with foolish jealousy. Seeing that her family had stolen the Vernes¡¯ business idea from the beginning, she might have felt inferior watching their business grow. Chapter 122 Even though the parties to which they belonged were different, they must have been compared because the two families¡¯ social statuses were equal¡ªboth houses consisting of their respective Count and Countess. Tiana could understand that the Whigettes, a family with no deep history, wanted to follow in the footsteps of a prestigious family and win in every aspect, but they seemed to have gotten out of line. ¡°Angelica¡¯s social reputation isn¡¯t bad. Rather, it¡¯s quite good. Because she is part of a prestigious family with a successful business. On the contrary, Whigette¡¯s family business managed to do well by picking out only the good things about the business as it was, but they felt like there was no substance. Their reputation isn¡¯t good, because of them being arrogant and acting without thinking first.¡± ¡°By the way how come the Vernes¡¯ current situation isn¡¯t good.¡± ¡°Well. Suddenly, rumors spread that their business was in danger, but I don¡¯t know the full details.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because there is a bit of a problem in their business. Does Rael know something?¡± Lucius, who had quietly been listening to their conversation, stepped in. With two sets of eyes beaming him, he faked coughed as if embarrassed and said, ¡°I know that he is acquainted with Angelica. Someone seems to have spread a bad rumor about the Vernes¡¯ products.¡± ¡°Oh my. Don¡¯t tell me it¡¯s Whigette?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know the details, but it¡¯s probably her. There have been refunds because it was rumored that the materials used in the products were of poor quality and contained toxins that are harmful to humans.¡± ¡°I see. But is that really the truth? If it¡¯s a fabricated rumor, they could fully recover from it if the Vernes fully explain it.¡± Lucius¡¯ expression turned grim at her words. After much hesitation, he continued. ¡°¡­anyhow it sounds like it¡¯s true. Count Verne personally checked and found out that the materials contained in the products that caused all of the refunds had harmful toxins; they¡¯re in a terrible situation.¡± ¡°That¡­¡± ¡°He said that the materials were slightly different from those used up until then. And that even the shapes of the products were different from the existing ones. The person in charge of developing and creating the products has been missing since the refunds started, so I want to say that that person is actually one of the Whigettes.¡± ¡°I guess that person is the Whigettes¡¯ spy. How could that¡­¡± ¡°Since Count Verne said that person was one of the few artisans who had been selected for the product¡¯s launch, the Whigettes probably knew and planted them. Since there is only suspicion and no physical evidence, it seems that none of the Whigettes are coming forward easily.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± ¡°It was Count Whigette who led the business, right? Anyway, he and his daughter are evil! Some father and daughter!¡± said Alexandra, furious after hearing what Lucius had said. Throughout the time of listening to him, her expression had gotten worse and worse, unable to hold in her anger; and Lucius smiled quietly and continued. ¡°Count Verne said the artisan was negligent and had to learn more in detail and manage it thoroughly.¡± ¡°Of course, he has to do that as a business owner, but it¡¯s difficult to look through all of the details. He must have looked closely, but I think it happened because the Whigettes planned it thoroughly¡± ¡°I also think the same thing. No matter how much money the Vernes have, they won¡¯t be able to monitor the hired artisans all at once. It must have been possible because the Whigettes were determined to plan their work. Because they have lots of money.¡± That sounds like ¡®A family with only money¡¯. Lucius suppressed a laugh at the thought of them being a worthless family without their money. Anyway, if they interfered that much, they might be dangerous. ¡°After hearing that, now I¡¯m worried. They said that they¡¯re preparing for the launch of a new product¡­ Won¡¯t they disturb them again?¡± ¡°Right. Rumors are spreading, and it feels like something is going to happen. We don¡¯t know if the Whigettes are planning something in the background.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t meet Count Verne these days either¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to meet Angelica, but since she didn¡¯t respond to my letter¡­¡± When Tiana sighed worriedly, Lucius said to her, ¡°Then how about paying her a visit?¡± ¡°What? Visit the Verne mansion?¡± ¡°Sure. If she isn¡¯t responding to any letters, there may be a problem. So I think it¡¯ll be better to go see her.¡± Tiana only blinked at him. It wasn¡¯t like she hadn¡¯t thought of that idea, but she was a little surprised because she didn¡¯t think he would tell her first. Was he also curious about Angelica? He might be curious since he had was acquainted with Count Verne, and because she was involved with Rael. ¡°All right! Go see her, Tiana.¡± ¡°But is it okay to just show up without contacting her first?¡± ¡°We have no choice since she hasn¡¯t responded to your letter. She will like it if you visit her.¡± ¡°She might not even be there.¡± ¡°Just go for now. Since we haven¡¯t heard anything about her leaving, she¡¯s probably still there. Should I go with you two?¡± asked an excited-looking Alexandra. That was a good idea. Tiana would feel more comfortable going with her than going alone. Right as she was about to nod yes, Lucius suddenly said, ¡°I¡¯m going, too.¡± Chapter 123 ¡°¡­with you?¡± At his unexpected words, she stared at him, shocked. He was especially aggressive today. And he had a lot more to say than usual. Was it because it¡¯s someone he knew? Perhaps Count Verne has a good reputation for him. Tiana was thankful for him wanting to join her, but seeing his different-than-usual attitude made her think something strange about him. Alexandra, who also probably thought he seemed weird, said with an odd look on her face, ¡°You¡¯re going, too? How come?¡± ¡°I¡¯m curious about the Verne family¡¯s situation. Count Verne has also heard the rumors, but it¡¯s strange seeing that there isn¡¯t any developing news. So, I think I should go check on him.¡± ¡°I know that you and he have a friendly relationship, but I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d step up like this.¡± ¡°You are worried about Angelica, too, and it¡¯s also simply because of your curiosity. A count is a trustworthy person. Is there really a problem with me going with you?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a problem, but¡­¡± Shifting her eyes back and forth between Tiana and Lucius, Alexandra said with a sigh, ¡°Tiana going by herself is one thing, but you joining her is the problem, Lucius. It¡¯s fine if you go as stealthily as possible so as to not attract any attention; if the word gets out, however, everyone will start talking about it.¡± Definitely, since the Vernes were neutralists and Lucius and Tiana were nobles, there may be a misunderstanding that they were trying to get involved with them politically. The grand duchy was the backbone of the aristocracy Perhaps also thinking that way, Lucius continued. ¡°It¡¯s fine, we¡¯ll keep a low profile. And Count Verne is surprisingly stubborn and has a strong-willed personality, so if such a rumor gets around, he won¡¯t move on from it easily. Because he isn¡¯t someone to fall for something if he¡¯s being appeased.¡± It sounded like Lucius had already tried to coax him once. ¡°Have some aristocrats tried to appease him?¡± ¡°¡­is a strong, reliable man with a likable personality. I didn¡¯t do it directly, but I¡¯ve talked about it with him a few times.¡± ¡°But then he turned around and rejected you.¡± ¡°¡­he is stubborn when it comes to his beliefs¡­¡± Tiana refrained from bursting into laughter after seeing him roll his eyes. Oh, how cute he looked when his ears turned red in embarrassment. Surprisingly competent and greedy. She didn¡¯t think he¡¯d seduce other faction¡¯s aristocrats. As far as she knew, he was not interested in the throne, so she thought the faction was just being maintained by Marquess Calvino, but that wasn¡¯t the case. Well, in order for him to have a stable position as a Grand Duke, the formation of the aristocrats who supported him had to be good. On the surface of the aristocratic group, Marquess Calvino was mentioned as being the representative and active, but not all members of that group followed him well. There was also the position of Lucius¡¯ maternal grandfather, and he didn¡¯t stop his actions, so the other members were just watching, except for a few nobles who followed Marquess Calvin well. The backbone was as far as Lucius. Surprisingly, he might have been building himself up well. Tiana was surprised that he knew how to coax people. Well, how else did they become a couple? Alexandra, after listening to him talk, stared at him and said with a shocked expression, ¡°Lucius, now that I look at it you were doing everything behind our backs?¡± ¡°You¡¯re quite greedy, Lucius,¡± said Tiana. ¡°No! I¡ªUh, well¡­¡± The two women eventually burst out laughing watching him frantically think of what to say next. Alexandra laughed even harder at the sight of his bright red face. *** Much time had passed after they ate lunch in Alexandra¡¯s palace. Tiana, her face hidden from the bright sunlight, took a little stroll around the palace with Lucius. They almost couldn¡¯t see anyone except for the servants passing by in the halls. ¡°Some reason it seems like not many people are here.¡± ¡°It¡¯s probably this way because it¡¯s time for each department to have its meeting.¡± ¡°Oh yeah? I guess they all have their meetings at this time.¡± ¡°Yeah. The sleepiest time is after lunch. I can imagine them all nodding off during their meetings.¡± Tiana asked, smiling at this comment, ¡°Do you also get sleepy during yours?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t. However, there are a few who doze off because they eat too much for lunch.¡± ¡°You definitely get drowsy after a full, warm meal.¡± ¡°It may also be because of the warmness of the meeting halls. The building is always maintained at the right temperature because of a warm spell.¡± ¡°Oh yeah? Interesting.¡± Warmth spell. That is possible since this is definitely a world where magic exists. Now that I think of it, I think I¡¯ve seen something similar to that in the Grand Duke¡¯s mansion, too. I think it was in the living room or bedroom, thought Tiana. They continued to walk while leisurely talking. Since they had been busy with their own affairs, they could take a walk together for the first time in a long time. Their conversation wasn¡¯t anything special, but it was good to spend a cozy time together. As they talked and walked, they soon reached the palace¡¯s entrance. They were walking toward where the carriage was waiting when they heard a familiar voice from behind them. ¡°Tiana!¡± ¡°Lennox!¡± His curly hair bounced around as he quickly ran toward the couple. While Tiana, unfamiliar with what he was wearing, stared at the blood-red robe he had on instead of the normal suit he had worn last time, he said in a welcoming voice, ¡°I saw you through the tower window walking. Oh, Your Highness Lord Lucius. Pardon me for my rudeness. I should have greeted you first, sir.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, Lennox,¡± said an embarrassed Lucius shaking his head at the sight of him bowing. Somehow, it was strange that his expression seemed stiff, but Lucius didn¡¯t care much because he was glad to see Lennox after such a long time. ¡°Did you two have some business in the royal palace?¡± Chapter 124 No content Chapter 125 As they entered past the garden and arrived in front of the mansion, the Vernes¡¯ butler and servants were standing, waiting for their arrival. When Tiana got out of the carriage with Lucius, the blanched butler bowed to them with a nervous face. ¡°Welcome. Grand Duke Your Highness, Grand Duchess Your Highness. It is an honor to have you visit us.¡± Talking with trembling lips, he carefully continued while reading their expressions, ¡°It is with all due respect that we have not been able to prepare because we had not been informed that you two were visiting. As Madam Angelica is urgently in the middle of preparing, I would be so thankful if you head inside and wait.¡± ¡°All right. It¡¯s fine with us, so please tell her to take her time.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡± The servants standing behind the bowing butler coincidentally bowed at the waist as well. They all looked so pale that they were shaking. There really seemed to be a mistake, and Tiana started to feel a bit sorry for them. The couple was guided by the butler through the mansion and into the living room. There was a friendly air just like the last time, but the mood was slightly jaded by the servants¡¯ constant over-awareness of the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess. As they sipped on tea brought in by a maid, Angelica hurriedly entered the room a little while later. Perhaps she had just woken up and hadn¡¯t had the time to dry her hair, her damp hair and different-from-usual relaxed attire stood out like a sore thumb. ¡°I apologize for making you wait. Grand Duke Your Highness, Grand Duchess Your Highness. Please excuse my shabby appearance. It seems that there was a bit of a mix-up on our side. Please forgive me.¡± Angelica was so bewildered, bowing deeply and apologizing repeatedly. Saying how she hadn¡¯t meant for it to be this way. It still wasn¡¯t exactly clear who had made the mistake. Perhaps Lucius was also thinking the same, he shook his head and said to her, ¡°It¡¯s okay, Angelica. I don¡¯t think it was a mistake on your family¡¯s end. So please, calm yourself. Take a seat and let¡¯s talk.¡± ¡°Yes¡­ Right¡­¡± After bowing her head with a stern look on her face, she nervously looked around before taking a seat across from her guests. Seeing how nervous Angelica was, Tiana said, making eye contact with Lucius, ¡°Sorry for startling you with our sudden visit, Angelica. I think I need to figure out the situation first, so I¡¯ll ask. By chance did you get the letters I sent you? I¡¯ve been sending them since last week.¡± ¡°I am deeply sorry, Your Highness, but I never received any letter from you. Just in case, I checked all of the letters we¡¯ve received here but couldn¡¯t find yours.¡± ¡°Your butler would have received them first; has he checked.¡± ¡°Yes. I am sorry to say this, but there hasn¡¯t been a single letter sent from the Grand Duchy. In fact, there wouldn¡¯t be a reason to have omitted a letter from the Grand Duchy¡­ Oh, this is such an embarrassment.¡± Angelica and the butler locked gazes. Seeing them exchanging glares made it certain that this situation was indeed a total embarrassment. The butler hadn¡¯t seen the letters and Angelica hadn¡¯t been able to find them. Then where on earth had Tiana¡¯s letters gone? At this point, it had to be looked at as the letters had grown wings and flew away. Lucius said, thinking while looking at their flustered faces. ¡°I think we should look into this in detail next time. Anyway, there seems to have been a mistake somewhere, so let¡¯s investigate it at the post office later on. Tiana, let¡¯s get to the next subject.¡± ¡°All right. Thanks, Lucius.¡± It felt like the atmosphere was once again organized thanks to his words. He asked again to Angelica, who expressed her gratitude and was a little more relaxed, ¡°Actually, the reason for us coming to you so early is that we have something to check with you. We are sorry for unintentionally coming without contacting you first.¡± ¡°No, no. It¡¯s okay, Your Highness. What is it that you need from me?¡± ¡°By chance do you know about the recent rumors circulating in social circles? It pertains to you and Emperor Rael; that you two are engaged¡­¡± ¡°Excuse me? Engaged?¡± Seeing her initial shock at the news, it was likely she hadn¡¯t heard the rumor. Tiana thought, ¡°Maybe?¡± at first, but then confirmed that Angelica knew nothing about it. ¡°Even though it has been a week since the rumor started, you haven¡¯t been seen around, so it¡¯s spreading even more. How come you haven¡¯t been seen at any social gatherings? Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re really planning to get married¡­ Are you?¡± ¡°Goodness, no! Engaged to His Majesty..? Never. I really do not know why such rumors are going around.¡± She shook her head with the bewildered look still on her face. Perhaps it was the first time for the butler and servants to hear this since they all displayed shock. ¡°I think someone saw Emperor Rael giving you a necklace. They saw that and started the rumor that you two were engaged.¡± ¡°Oh¡ª Don¡¯t tell¡­ So someone did see us then.¡± Has it really happened? Angelica¡¯s eyebrows narrowed deeply as she recalled the scene in her head. Thinking meticulously with her forehead wrinkled, she took a deep breath and said, ¡°I was nervous that maybe some people saw us, but it seemed okay, so I just stayed there¡­¡± ¡°So did he really give you a necklace?¡± ¡°No. The necklace was mine. That day, I ran into Rose who happened to be with Emperor Rael; Rose was moving around when she got her claw caught in my necklace and yanked it off¡­ That¡¯s when Emperor Rael found it and gave it back to me.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ Then it wasn¡¯t a gift and he only put the necklace that had fallen off your neck back on?¡± ¡°Yes. I asked him to give it to me, but he put it back around my neck instead. I was still holding Rose, so I couldn¡¯t say no and had no choice but to take it like that; I had no idea it would start a rumor like this.¡± Chapter 126 Tiana couldn¡¯t find an ounce of dishonesty in her earnest face. If so, then there was nothing about Rael and Angelica¡¯s encounter that would even suggest that they were engaged. Tiana waited around just in case, but it remained that way. Well, it was also strange that something had progressed in that short period. Was it Tiffany who started the rumor? Tiana wanted to slap her in the back of the head if she ever saw her. Now that she has futilely confirmed the facts, she felt like she was losing her energy. Looking at Lucius, he looked comfortable as if he had resolved all his curiosities. He smiled back at her when she smiled at him. Oh, there was one more thing ¨C ¡°Then how come you haven¡¯t attended any social gatherings this past week?¡± ¡°I have been busy trying to resolve a problem with our soon-to-be-released product.¡± ¡°Your father seems to be busy as well; is that also because of the new product?¡± ¡°Yes. Father is putting his life and career on the line for this new product. I haven¡¯t had time to go out because I have been helping with his work.¡± ¡°Oh, I see¡­¡± In the end, it was a business problem. If the launch of the new product restored the count¡¯s trust and the business was likely to regain its position again, he couldn¡¯t help but cling on to it. The family business was an inevitable part of Angelica¡¯s life. Because working for the survival of the business was more important than going to social gatherings. And of all times it just coincided with the timing of the rumor spreading. ¡°I knew your situation. I was worried, but now I know it was just because of business.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry I unintentionally worried you.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. But what are you planning to do about the rumor? It¡¯s spreading like wildfire.¡± ¡°I have to explain myself. I don¡¯t know who on earth started it, but the truth is I have to correct it.¡± Tiana felt worried after seeing her say that with a stern look on her face. It wouldn¡¯t be easy to correct it as it had already spread to all corners of the city. ¡°I heard that Tiffany Tiban is the one who started it. I think she was the one who saw you that day.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s Tiffany, then¡­¡± ¡°You know her, right?¡± ¡°Yes. I know her quite well. Indeed, she was the one who started that rumor about me.¡± Angelica¡¯s eyebrows twitched as if she did not like her. Narrowing her eyebrows again, she said after a deep sigh, ¡°No, rather it may be a good thing that Tifanny witnessed it. I can¡¯t begin to imagine what would happen if it were Whigette.¡± ¡°Uhh, I heard that she already knows about the rumor and that she is going around gossiping about you, Angelica. Would she have heard it first since she has a close relationship with Tiffany?¡± ¡°That is possible. Anyway¡­ They are people who cannot sit still.¡± She nodded with a blank look on her face. Tiana stared at her as she sighed long and deeply one more time. Since she was the center of the rumor, of course, she would get entangled with various people, but why did the others have to talk badly about her? Tiana could feel her distress. The jaded mood from earlier loosened up as they conversed. After seeing that she hadn¡¯t touched her tea once since they started talking, she told her maid to bring her a fresh pot. When Tiana saw her whispering something, she tilted her head and looked at Angelica. The maid returned a little later with fresh tea. After she set the teacups on the table Tiana could figure out what Angelica had whispered earlier. ¡°This¡­ looks similar to the tea set I got last time; by chance is it your new product?¡± ¡°Yes, that is correct. Since you¡¯re here, I wanted to show you the finished product.¡± She nodded with a bashful look on her face. The tea set certainly was unique and pretty. There was black tea in the cup, but even that went very well with everything. As expected, flower tea or black tea went well with this tea set. When Tiana glanced at Lucius, she could tell that he was surprised by the admiration on his face. ¡°How is it, Lucius? It¡¯s similar to the present we received last time; isn¡¯t it pretty?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s lovely. It¡¯s worth Count Verne putting his life and career on the line. If it¡¯s released at the right time, I think it will bring a positive response from the buyers.¡± ¡°Right? The timing has to be right¡­¡± Wouldn¡¯t it be bad timing now that the bad rumors about Angelica are spreading? But it seemed like it would take a long time to explain herself and wait it out until it fizzes away. As Tiana wondered if there was a good way to resolve it, the hesitant Angelica said to her, ¡°Hey, if you don¡¯t mind can I borrow your strength, Grand Duchess Your Highness?¡± Chapter 127 ¡°My strength?¡± When Tiana looked at Angelica, wondering what her words meant, she continued with a slightly nervous face. ¡°My family wants to celebrate the release of this new product, so we are going to have a tea party. And I plan on addressing the rumors and explaining about our previous products.¡± ¡°An explanation for the products you¡¯ve done before¡­ Those are the products which were disturbed by the Whigettes.¡± ¡°Yes. So, you knew.¡± ¡°I heard about it from Lucius. But how can you explain that? I heard that it couldn¡¯t be revealed that it was the Whigettes¡¯ wrongdoing because there wasn¡¯t any evidence. Did you find any evidence?¡± If Angelica can explain that, Count Verne will be able to regain his status. Had she really found a clue to the solution? After hearing Levisia¡¯s words, she said, nodding with a serious look on her face, ¡°Yes. We found the artisan that ran off and who was responsible for the products. Based on the testimony, we will find out that he was instigated by Count Whigette.¡± ¡°Really? Fortunately, you found a witness¡± It had been said that the artisan had gone missing, but fortunately, he had been found. If he becomes a witness, he will not be able to escape from Count Whigette¡¯s side. As she was smiling with joy, Lucius, who had been listening quietly next to them, said, ¡°¡­Angelica, how did you find the artisan who had gone missing?¡± Somehow, he was looking at Angelica with a suspicious look on his face. At his sharp glare, she nervously opened her mouth to speak. ¡°Oh, right. The truth is my father inquired here and there about the rumor. He was hidden somewhere much further than father had thought, so it took some time, but you can say that he got caught with his tail sticking out.¡± ¡°¡­I see. Count¡ª¡± ¡°Lucius, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Listening to her, he muttered and became lost in thought. Was there something strange about Count Verne going out to find the artisan who had gone missing? His narrowed eyebrows were prominent. He was seriously thinking about something, so Tiana had called him out of concern, and soon he shook his head and said, ¡°No. I heard that it¡¯s almost impossible to find missing artisans, but he seems to have done it with no trouble. That¡¯s a relief.¡± ¡°¡­it is, right? Such a relief.¡± Tiana smiled back and laughed at him. She thought he had a different question, but he didn¡¯t seem like he would voice it here easily. Was it because Angelica was here? For now, she decided that she¡¯d ask him when they were alone, then she turned to Angelica. ¡°It¡¯s good that he found the witness, but will that artisan testify so easily? He was instigated by the Whigettes.¡± ¡°Because that person¡¯s lifeline is already in our hands. He already said that he would testify, and just in case he tries to run away we have eyes all over him.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°Meanwhile, Father prepared evidence about the corruption that has been committed by the Whigettes which disturbed our business endeavors. If we have that and the witness, I think it will be possible to explain everything.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve gathered as much physical evidence as we can. With that, it definitely looks possible.¡± Tiana didn¡¯t know in detail, but Count Verne must have gritted his teeth and collected evidence. She hadn¡¯t expected him to collect all of this evidence at once. Proper physical evidence and the new product. With that much, Angelica could explain enough. Perhaps she too was thinking that since her face was full of confidence. Anyone could tell just by her brightly shining eyes. Because it was much different than the look she had a few days ago. It seemed she had prepared enough to strike back, but why did she need Tiana¡¯s strength? It would only be the power of her current status. ¡°It looks like you have prepared enough to some extent, but what do you mean by you need my strength? I think it¡¯s possible with just your father.¡± ¡°Oh, uh¡­¡± Tiana and Lucius had their gazes locked on Angelica. In a broad sense, what she really needed was the ¡®strength of the grand duchy¡¯. A strength that was possible not through Tiana alone but with Lucius as well. Tiana had been asked a favor, so she would step up, but she needed Lucius¡¯s permission since it was a matter regarding the grand duchy. He was probably thinking the same thing, as his eyes looking at her were more serious than earlier. No matter how well they thought about this request from the female protagonist, they had to think about it first before accepting it. Because she was the female protagonist and not some random person, they had to be even more careful. Because being close to each other was separate from giving direct help. Chapter 128 Angelica said slowly, swallowing once with a face that looked the most nervous she had ever looked. ¡°Even if we open a tea party at my family¡¯s mansion, many people curious about the rumor will come. Of course, explaining that is also important, but I would like to focus more on resolving misunderstandings about my family¡¯s business and launching our new products.¡± ¡°I see. So, what¡¯s on your mind?¡± ¡°After we finish explaining this rumor and our business, we¡¯re going to introduce our new products on the spot.¡± ¡°Indeed. They consist of tea sets and small dessert saucers. You prepared a tea party, and if you show them on the spot, there would be no need for more promotion.¡± ¡°Right, but I think the key is to turn those who come to hear about the rumor into customers. As it is our family product, they will be of some interest, but I don¡¯t think it will lead to them purchasing anything. It won¡¯t be widely promoted. Word will spread here and there, but it will be hard to expect a booming reaction.¡± ¡°So, that¡¯s why you need my help?¡± Tiana looked into Angelica¡¯s eyes, who was calmly explaining. And she could see the sweat dripping down Angelica¡¯s forehead. After a deep breath, she continued. ¡°If you attend the tea party, I think I can draw their attention, Your Highness. All you would have to say is that you are looking forward to the new products.¡± ¡°Interest in the products will definitely go up. Attention is a bonus. In other words, you¡¯re asking me to be your promoter.¡± ¡°¡­Yes!¡± ¡°Hmmmn..¡± Tiana thought about it as she watched Angelica¡¯s fidgety hands on her lap. It wasn¡¯t a difficult favor. It was something Tiana could do in her position, and it was within the range she had expected. Attending a tea party wasn¡¯t that big of a deal and it was not difficult to attend and talk a little about her expectations of the new products. As long as she came out in person, she would be tested for her perspective, but Count Verne¡¯s new product was a design that anyone would be tempted by, so she didn¡¯t worry about it. But she too believed in her perspective. ¡°I know it¡¯s beyond the subject and a rude request, but I dare to ask you this because of the kindness that you¡¯ve shown me so far, Your Highness. Could you come to my tea party¡­?¡± Tiana could feel the tension rising in Angelica¡¯s voice. Even though she had said it after putting a lot of strength in her neck, she couldn¡¯t hide her trembling fingertips. Tiana couldn¡¯t believe she was this nervous. She hadn¡¯t seemed this way even during her encounter with Rael. Anyway, our female protagonist had asked earnestly, so Tiana didn¡¯t think she could reject it. Would it be fine since it was a difficult favor? Glancing at Lucius, he too seemed to be thinking the same thing, so the two looked at each other and nodded with a smile. That was his way of giving her permission to do as she was thinking. In return, she smiled and said to Angelica who was slightly lowering her head, ¡°Sounds good. I will attend.¡± ¡°Huh¡­? R-really?¡± ¡°Yes. I will attend the tea party to commemorate the launch of the new products by Count Verne.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ Thank¡ª Th-thank you so much¡­¡± Perhaps Angelica was now relieved at her words, she let out a long gust of air as her body slumped in relaxation. Tiana could tell how worried she had been just by her watery eyes and cramped voice. Still looking down at her shaky hands, she smiled and said, ¡°Even if you hadn¡¯t asked me, I still wanted to attend the tea party. I was looking forward to the introduction of your new products. But if I do go, I may be a burden to you and your father because Lucius and I are like guarantors of the products.¡± ¡°Yes. Don¡¯t worry about that part, your Highness. We will prepare thoroughly so as not to put pressure on you two. Of course, I can say that the completeness of this new product is also the best among all the products released so far.¡± ¡°I know that because Alexandra and I were the first to receive them. You can confidently say that the product is good.¡± ¡°¡­thank you.¡± A new product had been prepared by the Vernes. Since it was close to perfection, no way it could easily be overlooked. So, Tiana expressed to her to fight through the roadblocks. Would her words give Angelica strength? It was then that she could see a smile on her face. There was confidence contained in the rising corners of her mouth and her clear sky-blue eyes. Tiana had known that they would form a good bond. ¡°So, when is the expected date of the tea party?¡± ¡°I¡¯m almost done with the preparations, so I¡¯ll have it as soon as possible; within a week.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good. Definitely, after this week, the rumors will start spreading again.¡± This week was the time when the rumors were the highest, as it was said that Rael would disappear for a few days. Things should be fine after this week if only she had the tea party as soon as possible. ¡°It has to be within the next week. It would be a good idea to send out as many invitations as you can. With no regard for factions. Meanwhile, I¡¯ll spread the word. If I tell Empress Alexandra, she will gladly help you, so I¡¯m sure many aristocrats will know about the tea party.¡± ¡°I would be thankful if you did that for me, but is it okay?¡± ¡°Sure, it will be fine. Because actually Empress Alexandra and I were the first ones to like the products. She will definitely be helpful.¡± ¡°Thank you. I¡¯m so glad.¡± The two smiled brightly at each other. Then, Tiana¡¯s smile faded, and she said to Angelica, who now looked completely relieved, ¡°But there is one condition.¡±