/
“Sorry. I can’t see anything.”
“Isn’t it because I haven’t had anything special for the time being?”
“It could be.”
It’s just that her precognition ability was so unlucky that there was a high probability that she wouldn’t see it.
“After the last ball, people started paying attention and paying attention, so there will be some reaction from the Emperor soon.”
“What do people say?”
“Frivolous people say that I fell for the princess’ temptation.”
Most of the attendants and maids in the imperial palace felt the same way.
“Anyone who has any idea among them suspects that there must be some other reason.”
Terrence added a short sneer at the end of his words. Well, no one could guess why.
“Anyway, the topic-making was successful.”
Then she bowed her head in surprise when a well-dressed young man and woman walking down the promenade spotted them.
“His Highness the Grand Duke
 Her Highness the Princess!”
From the reaction, it seemed that they were not surprised to see the Grand Duke, but rather shocked to see her with him. But the Grand Duke smiled at her, ignoring them. And she forced herself into a happy smile again.
After the young couple disappeared, she sighed and raised her teacup. She already felt exhausted, but Terrence, who sat across from her, didn’t look at all strained. After taking a sip of tea, compliments came out without her knowing.
“His Highness the Grand Duke is really good at acting.”
It was a little surprising. She couldn’t act like that in the original. She wondered why it was different from the original. Was he nervous at the time because he was attracted to Sorel? As she was thinking about that, she felt Terrence’s stare staring at her.
“Why do you look at me like that?”
“It’s an embarrassing remark, but the princess
”
Terrence looked at her for a moment, paused, then spoke in a flat, nonchalant voice.
“You’re really bad at acting.”
“
”
She looked at him with a stupid expression while holding the teacup. In an instant, a scene from the original came into my mind. At one point in the original story, Sorel smiled broadly and spoke cautiously to the Grand Duke.
[“About this
 You’re awkward. I thought the Grand Duchess would be good at anything.”
What did this man say then? The original Terrence replied with a bitter smile like a tragic villain.
“I’ve never acted in love with someone before.”]
It was a line that seemed like something a black man with an unfortunate past would say, but he didn’t have much sympathy for it. Terrence was already in love with Sorel at that time. Was it different because it’s not acting, but sincerity? Whatever it was
 He didn’t carefully say, ‘You’re a little awkward’ like Sorel did, but openly scolded her for saying she couldn’t do it.
It’s only their second meeting since they started doing this, but how could a romantic atmosphere come out naturally? Wasn’t it strange that he’s so good at acting?
“I’m sorry for not being good at acting.”
She put down the teacup and pretended to smile as naturally as possible.
“I’ve never acted in love with someone before.”
“
”
She didn’t mean to say it as a joke, but she didn’t get an answer. She inadvertently raised her head and paused. Terrence, who was sitting across from her, was looking at her with hardened eyes. There was an unknown emotion in the purple eyes looking at her. However, the moment their eyes met, he instantly returned to his normal appearance, as if he had never done that before. He tapped his fingers lightly on the table and asked her a question.
“This is a black tea blended for sale only here. Do you like it?”
“Yes, it smells really good.”
He responded politely, but left a feeling of uneasiness.
‘What caused such a reaction just now?’
At times like this, she felt that this was where the characters actually changed and felt moved. When she saw it only as a book, the emotions of the characters were described in writing, so it was very simple and clear.
“By the way, are we going to stay here today?”
She had no complaints even after being here all day. The scenery was picturesque and the tea and dessert were great. Terrence continued, leaning back against the back of his chair.
“I wanted to go to my mansion with the princess and show her the newly decorated main house, but unfortunately, we had problems bringing in the furniture because of the snow, so the preparations weren’t finished yet.”
“Then when can I go and see you?”
She sipped the remaining tea in the cup as she listened to his obvious excuse.
“If you don’t mind, could you visit my mansion in three days?”
She emptied the tea water with the faint scent of flowers and smiled while holding an empty teacup.
“Sure. Of course I have to go.”
She put down the teacup with a leisurely hand and paused for a moment while recalling the information in the original work. As she was thinking about the Grand Duke’s mansion, something came to my mind.
“Ah, by the way, did you have a younger brother?”
“Yes, it is.”
“Can we meet at the mansion?”
Even when I asked, I expected that he would say no.
Terence’s younger brother, RLott, was the wealthy son of the previous Grand Duke, and Terence cared for this younger brother, who had a large age difference. To the point of never meeting Eve before marriage.
‘He even hid him from Eve.’
It was understandable enough. He probably didn’t want to tell his little brother that she had ended up marrying such a strange woman. In fact, because Terrence was so overprotective, Rott rarely came out of the mansion. Except for his close relatives, he rarely met other nobles. Now they had a somewhat cooperative relationship, but of course he would be against her meeting him. However, the answer that came back was completely different from what she expected.
“Of course you will meet.”
“
yes?”
Surprised by the unexpected answer, she asked again. Seeing her bewilderment, Terrence raised one eyebrow in doubt.
“Since we will be living together at the mansion, wouldn’t it be natural for you to meet?”
“That, that’s right.”
“My younger brother, Rott, has long wanted to meet the princess. He will be happy if you visit the mansion.”
This was an unexpected reaction. She thought she wouldn’t be able to meet his brother.
‘For sure a certain level of trust has been built up.’
He had been scolding her for not being able to act before, but she had already proven herself and helped Diane. Rather than recognizing them as partners in a cooperative relationship. It was a very positive change.
They would be living together for at least a few years, but it’s comfortable to have a good trusting relationship with each other.
“Then, would you like to go to the store with me?”
“A shop?”
“It’s the first time I meet your younger brother, so of course I have to prepare a present.”
“Are you planning to prepare a present?”
“Gifts are the best way to win a child’s heart. Especially toys.”
It would be better if she got advice from the older brother, Terence, on what kind of toy he liked. Terrence said nothing as he raised his teacup, but a faint smile lingered on his lips.
“All right. Then we will go together.”
* * *
The snow, which had fallen for two days, stopped before dawn, but the Empress’s palace felt desolate as if it had been buried in snow all day long. The Empress, the owner of the palace, stayed only inside the palace on the pretext that he was ill. Around midnight, a man opened the door leading to the garden and quietly entered the palace to visit the Empress. She lingered by the moonlit window, reading the note she had handed to her with her uneasy hand. Beyond the window, the bright full moon illuminated the cool winter night white.
The Empress asked again in a sharp voice, clutching the small note in her hand.
“Is this really from His Majesty?”
The man who brought the note, Sir Kairen, the commander of the Imperial Knights, answered calmly.
“Yes, Her Majesty. This is a personal letter that just arrived urgently.”
She wondered if this small piece of memo could be described as a personal letter, but the Empress returned her gaze to the piece of paper without any objection. There was only one sentence written on the small piece of paper.
[Delay the princess’s wedding.]
The Empress asked the knight commander a question again.
“But, why?”
It was incomprehensible to suddenly delay the princess’s marriage. The wedding was now less than a month away. And to be honest, the Empress wanted to get rid of Eve quickly. If she married the Grand Duke, Eve would live in the Grand Duke’s estate, so she could get rid of her within the moral rules.
She had other reasons, too, because she wanted to see Eve marry soon. The Grand Duke hated Eve so much that once they got married Eve would be miserable. Since she was the princess, he would treat her as if she were by her side, but deep inside, she would be quietly ignored and scolded, and it was almost certain that she would end up being a child of depravity.
‘No matter how high-ranking a woman is, if she gets married the wrong way, she’ll be unhappy.’
The Empress always thought so.