“Margaret.”

“Yes, Lady Winter?”

“Did you discover any good ideas while traveling?”

“Well, I do have some, but they’re not fully organized in my head yet. Please give me a little time. I’ll come back with a ten-page report—no, make that twenty pages.”

“Alright, if you say so, then it must be true. Another new wave will flow through.”

The products Margaret brought always became trendy. She was someone who had even earned the nickname “goddess of commerce” for never failing once.

“I’m sure you’ll sweep the trends again this time. I’m looking forward to it.”

“You’re too kind. Oh, by the way, my lady, where should we visit first next time?”

“Have you been to the west?”

“No. I haven’t thought about it yet.”

“Then it wouldn’t be bad to clear your head.”

When Thea added her reasons in a gentle voice, Margaret clenched her fist and nodded. It meant the reasons weren’t bad.

“My lady, since I’m leaving anyway, please point out a few more places besides the west. I’ll visit them all while I’m at it.”

“Hmm, you’re not leaving right away today, are you?”

“No.”

“Then I’ll let you know through a maid by tomorrow evening. I can’t think of many places right now.”

“Understood. Then we should both get some good rest for now!”

“Yes, I think that’ll work.”

At the firm agreement, Margaret left with ten rolled-up parchments tucked in her arms.

The parchments contained trade matters that the House of Winter and the House of Yut were jointly managing, and the public believed Acel was managing the trade.

In reality, Thea’s hand was involved from beginning to end. So deeply that problems would arise if she withdrew.

‘I should start looking for a successor soon.’

She couldn’t let go of it right away. It was an achievement both families had worked hard to create over a long time. Her conscience wouldn’t allow her to just disappear from it on a whim.

“So just for the time being, until I find a successor.”

Just for the time being.

“Then things will get a bit easier.”

Thea looked out the window at the bright world beyond.

She was comforting herself that everything would be okay when Margaret left and the nanny visited through the gap.

“Miss.”

“What? What is it?”

When she answered without turning around, the decorations on the hem of the nanny’s long dress collided and made a loud noise. She could hear it clearly—she must be approaching.

Soon, when the sound of the decorations clashing stopped, the nanny’s fresh perfume scent wafted over.

She must have been in a good mood today, seemingly using orange blossom water.

“Miss, there’s going to be tea time at the cafeteria tomorrow afternoon. Grand Duchess Sophie has ordered all noblewomen to attend.”

“Grand Duchess Sophie doesn’t usually enjoy places like cafeterias, does she?”

“She said sometimes a different experience would be nice.”

“I see, then I should go. I actually had something to tell Grand Duchess Sophie anyway… This works out well.”

She still hadn’t received payment for the jewels she’d taken last time. She had heard that Grand Duchess Sophie had forgotten, but Thea thought differently. She hadn’t forgotten—she deliberately didn’t pay to test her loyalty.

She seemed worried that the House of Winter might side with the nouveau riche faction. It was something she didn’t need to worry about at all.

Acel absolutely detested power struggles. Even when they were young, when they were lovers, he had given off a disgusted vibe behind the scenes toward those who approached with power.

When she met Grand Duchess Sophie this time, she had to convey this meaning as well.

‘I can barely live because I’m so tired.’

Thea clicked her tongue lightly and spoke to the nanny in a small voice.

“Alright. I’ll go tomorrow, so prepare what’s needed.”

“Of course. Just trust me, miss.”

At the words to trust her, a hollow laugh briefly touched her lips.

“It would be troublesome if you embarrass me like last time. Since it was a boat outing Mother hosted, I didn’t say anything, but everyone’s glances weren’t very pleasant. Mother’s reputation must have been slightly tarnished too.”

“The Countess does regret that incident.”

“Then she won’t do it again this time.”

“Of course not.”

At the nanny’s calm answer, Thea finally felt relieved and moved toward the neatly arranged curtains.

“Nanny.”

“Yes, miss.”

“Has there been any other letter or word from the House of Winter?”

At the question, the nanny rolled her eyes slightly, then realized not a hair of a letter from the House of Winter had been found.

“Yes, miss. It’s been quiet except for the first letter they sent.”

“I see, so that’s how it is.”

“Why do you ask? If you’re worried, shall I send someone to the House of Winter?”

At the nanny’s suggestion, Thea raised one hand and gripped the curtain roughly. That was something she often did when she wasn’t pleased with the current situation. The nanny could tell her question had been unpleasant.

“Miss. I misspoke. I’ll go out right now and bring back some tea you’d like and come back.”

“Yes, nanny.”

When she was very angry, a warm cup of tea and an apology suited Thea better than lengthy explanations. That was something everyone in the House of Yut knew.

So the nanny hurried out of the room to calm Thea’s anger.

As soon as the hem of the nanny’s dress disappeared, Thea bit her lip hard and stared sharply out the window.

She thought this was quite the lie. Beyond the window, she could see a carriage with the Winter family crest clearly stamped on it. Moreover, a familiar coachman was also looking around, checking whether Thea was there or not.

In other words, the House of Yut itself was deceiving Thea.

“…How cute of them.”

She wondered if they really didn’t know that hiding it like this would be discovered soon anyway.

Margaret was here, and several of her own people were here too. There was no way they wouldn’t notice this discrepancy.

Thea covered the window by loosening the arranged curtains at this pathetic reality.

After that, Thea sat at the oak desk, her dark green dress hem fluttering.

She decided to write instructions to give Margaret.

By the time she picked up her quill and wrote down the west, northwest, and several other regions deeply connected to the House of Winter, the previously sunny outside was already wrapped in sunset.

It was almost dinner time. What delicious thing did they make today?

When she opened the window slightly, a savory smell wafted up.

“How unusual, they made ordinary food.”

After serving only strongly flavored foreign food for several days, it seemed the chef’s ideas were finally running out.

It looked like the plain dish the House of Yut made whenever they were bored would be tonight’s dinner.

“Should I tell them to try making Winter family cuisine tomorrow evening?”

Since she hadn’t eaten it in a while, familiar food floated around in her head. When she was at the House of Winter, she hated it even when they offered it to her, but now that she was in a different region, she only thought about that food.

This must be why people say humans have contrary natures.

‘…It’s not even funny.’

Would she have ever imagined she’d miss the Winter family chef’s food when she was thinking about divorce?

After finishing that brief thought, Thea neatly folded the four sheets of parchment densely filled with instructions and put them in an envelope.

Then she got up from the desk and came out into the corridor. The corridor was empty without even an ant, but unlike yesterday, flowers had been neatly arranged in vases.

She stopped her steps for a moment at the colorful scenery and looked around.

Then, when her gaze stopped at a painting she’d never seen before.

A small gasp flowed from her lips.

“Oh my, that’s…”

It was a painting that should originally be at the Grand Duchess’s residence.

“The Flutter of a Small Angel.”

Thea carefully recited the painting’s title. She knew it was a master’s work inspired by an angel from the founding myth.

Why was it here? She clearly remembered buying it at auction for a huge sum at the Grand Duke’s request.

In other words, obtaining it from the House of Yut would be more difficult than plucking stars from the sky.

“The Grand Duchess isn’t the type to hand over a painting either.”

She recalled how meticulous that woman was, constantly checking whether the painting was genuine.

She was someone who didn’t trust the appraisal certificate issued by the country and invited five appraisers from other countries to request five re-appraisals.

Just as she wore a strange expression on her face, saying an incomprehensible thing had unfolded before her eyes, the sound of shuffling footsteps came from behind Thea and stopped right behind her.

“Miss?”

When she turned her head at the call, the butler was standing there.

“Butler, why on earth is this painting hanging here? It should definitely be at the Grand Duke’s residence.”

“Ah, the Grand Duke temporarily lent it to the House of Yut.”

“By lent, you mean…”

An ominous feeling climbed up her back. Soon she even broke out in a cold sweat.

“We agreed to pay three hundred gold per month as a rental fee.”

At those words, Thea was shocked. An ordinary commoner’s monthly food expenses were fifty gold. The fifty gold mentioned here was when spending generously.

She wondered where they got such a large sum as three hundred gold, but soon realized this was also part of the money from selling her out.

‘How far are you trying to drag me down?’

Mother.

If it’s come this far, wouldn’t she have to know?

Surely many more things than this would happen in the future.

Thea’s face turned pale at the disastrous reality, and just as her legs gave out and she was about to fall.

The butler quickly continued his words, seemingly saying she couldn’t collapse yet.

“The Countess said she would like to see you briefly after dinner.”

“Mother wants to see me after dinner?”

“Yes, it seems she heard the news that you’re going to have an audience with the Grand Duchess tomorrow.”

She wanted to tell the butler, who was calmly continuing the conversation, that she didn’t want to meet separately, but in an atmosphere where that seemed impossible, Thea had no choice but to nod slightly as her answer.

* * *

Clatter, clatter.

The dinner time that should have been warm and friendly was extremely cold. As soon as they picked up their knives and forks, the Count was dragged away by soldiers from the Grand Duke’s household.

The reason was that he couldn’t pay the amount due for the month.

This was the passage that explained why the Countess had asked to meet after the meal. Given the Grand Duchess’s personality, she must have sent Mother reminder letters many times.

‘And she must have ignored those letters.’

In a situation that only made her sigh, Thea couldn’t even tell whether the food was going into her nose or her mouth.

But that was only for a moment.

Soon the Countess threw her knife onto the plate irritably.

“Thea. It seems you’re not worried at all even though your father was dragged away.”

“How could I not be worried?”

At the reply without a shred of emotion, the Countess seemed to explode with anger, roughly pushing aside the dishes containing food and accepting the ice pack the maid offered.

“To me, it looks like you’re thinking it serves him right.”

“That’s a misunderstanding.”

“Your mouth is open so you speak well!”

Huffing and puffing, she raised and lowered the ice pack on her forehead several times, causing a fuss, and as soon as the ice melted, she started grabbing at the innocent maid.

“Hey, why is the ice melting? You should bring it frozen solid!”