Thea examined the cup closely, drawn to the unusual pattern. She wanted to figure out where the product came from.

She soon realized this item wasn’t cheap either. It had been in the artifact report Margaret brought recently, and it was also one of the items Acel had said he wanted.

‘Acel…’

Come to think of it, he got drenched in the rain yesterday—was he okay? She found herself remembering again that he was vulnerable to rain.

For someone born in a cold region, he couldn’t handle the chill and often stamped his feet. Still, he was a guest of the household—had she been too indifferent?

She should have casually asked the maid attending to him at least once.

Just as belated regret came flooding in, the Grand Duchess tilted her head.

“Lady Winter. Don’t you like the tea?”

Startled by the sound, she forced a smile.

“Not at all. The fragrance is so lovely I just got lost in thought for a moment. I feel like I’ve smelled it somewhere before… but I’m not sure.”

“Right? It’s probably a tea that’s both familiar and unfamiliar. It was really hard to obtain, and they only produce a small amount each year.”

“Are you sure it’s okay to give me something so precious?”

“Of course. I have many things to ask our Lady Winter.”

As the Grand Duchess smoothly transitioned to the main topic, Thea pressed her lips together firmly. The receipt inside her clutch felt like it was burning hot—though that couldn’t possibly be true.

Just as Thea pictured the receipt in her mind and swallowed hard, the Grand Duchess lowered her cup from her lips and dropped her voice.

“Your natal family, House Yut, borrowed a large sum from me and hasn’t repaid it. Did you know that?”

“I heard about it roughly. And that Your Highness is currently detaining my father, Count Yut.”

“Oh, detaining? I’m letting him enjoy a vacation at a top-class hotel. If he just pays the money properly, I’ll send him right back to his estate.”

“I see.”

When she replied calmly, the Grand Duchess’s expression changed subtly—like this wasn’t the reaction she’d wanted.

Her intentions were obvious, but Thea didn’t want to play along, so she just sipped the tea in her hand.

After sipping for a while, when the teacup revealed its bottom, her gaze finally settled on one side of the table, and she realized silence could no longer serve as an answer.

“Your Highness, what would you like me to do?”

“What would I want from Lady Winter? I just want you to listen to me. I must have been quite frustrated to do this.”

She stared at the Grand Duchess, who was lying through her teeth without batting an eye.

“I’m not so sure about that. You must have said this because you want something. You’re not someone with enough time to share such trivial stories.”

She was someone who constantly said she didn’t even have time to sleep because of various business ventures. Yet such a person wouldn’t have laid all this out just to vent.

She could tell immediately that was the right answer. The Grand Duchess flinched like someone caught red-handed, then started playing innocent.

“Oh my, Lady Winter, really.”

As she waved her hands repeatedly trying to escape, Thea’s throat felt parched despite having drunk tea. When an inexplicable thirst dried her mouth, the Grand Duchess rolled her eyes and replied.

“Since this is something I’ve already arranged to discuss with Count Winter, I don’t think I need to tell Lady Winter.”

Wrapping things up by saying it really was just to share her frustrations, misery crept up on Thea.

‘Even without him.’

It was something she could have handled, but the world wouldn’t even give her a chance. How could the world be so cruel?

Just as she tried to hide her trembling hands and continue the conversation like nothing was wrong, Acel arrived at the balcony where Thea was.

“You called for me, Grand Duchess?”

“Welcome, Count Winter! We were just enjoying refreshments with Lady Winter.”

Saying he came at just the right time, she invited Acel into the conversation. He sat down next to Thea with awkward, hesitant movements.

Then he accepted the teacup the Grand Duchess offered.

“It has a lovely fragrance.”

“Doesn’t it? Lady Winter seemed to like it too. I’ll wrap up some tea leaves for you on your way out.”

“I would be grateful for that.”

Throughout Acel’s quiet responses, Thea noticed he wasn’t touching his tea.

He was normally someone who enjoyed drinking liquids, so he should have drunk the tea several times already, but today his hand wasn’t going to it at all.

‘Is he feeling unwell?’

With a somewhat worried expression, she glanced at him from the corner of her eye.

She could see his face was pale—no, deathly white. He seemed to have eaten something wrong.

The only time he turned deathly white was when he had severe indigestion. How did he get indigestion? He wasn’t someone who ate food recklessly.

‘House Yut doesn’t serve large portions of food, does it?’

Questions coiled up. But there were no answers. He was sick, and because he couldn’t drink the tea in front of him, the Grand Duchess’s gaze grew sharper.

Soon, when she showed her displeasure:

“Don’t you like the tea, Count?”

“Not at all.”

“Then why haven’t you even touched it?”

At the reproachful tone, Thea hurriedly stepped in.

“I’m sorry. He’s been feeling weak—the tonic he had this morning must not have agreed with him. My mother must have made him take some ridiculous tonic.”

“The Countess made him take what?”

The Grand Duchess seemed dumbfounded by the sudden mention of a tonic. Her brightly smiling face stiffened completely, and her fingers froze in midair.

At her reaction—like someone who’d encountered an unexpected bombardment—Thea hurriedly continued.

“You know House Yut’s strange habits. They must have applied them to Count Winter, their son-in-law, too.”

“Ah, ah. House Yut did have that peculiar custom. How much I suffered… Even now when I think about it, I still see stars.”

Since the Grand Duchess had also been a victim, she seemed to understand immediately. They thought they were being thoughtful, but since noble aristocrats only ate fine food, they often got sick from what House Yut offered.

It seemed to be the case this time too, and she told the pale-faced Grand Duchess:

“So, may I be excused for a moment? I need to visit the lounge briefly.”

“By all means. I can’t have any conversation with the Count in this state anyway.”

“Thank you for understanding.”

Thea quickly grabbed Acel’s arm and headed to the lounge. Then she sat him down on a plush sofa.

“What did you eat?”

“I didn’t eat anything.”

“Liar. You don’t think I wouldn’t recognize your face, do you?”

Thea examined Acel’s face here and there, saying he was clearly sick but pretending to be fine. When she finally stopped at his eyes, a sneer escaped her lips.

“Did Mother force you to eat some ridiculous food she called nutritious?”

“……”

Acel avoided her gaze without answering. That meant he felt guilty. Thea squeezed her eyes shut and opened them again, thinking it was just as she expected.

“I thought so. From what I can see, you have really severe indigestion right now. When someone who doesn’t usually get indigestion does, there’s only one reason.”

Either he ate something too delicious, or he was in a situation where he had to eat. Or there was some other reason.

At her interrogating tone, Acel confessed the truth like he couldn’t beat her.

“…It’s not indigestion, just cold symptoms.”

“Cold symptoms… That’s possible. Then I understand.”

If the reason he was so weak and pathetic was body aches, that was enough. If he’d gotten sick from eating the food the Countess gave him on top of that, it would explain the current situation.

He’d gotten so drenched in the rain yesterday, so it made sense. He was already someone vulnerable to rain and cold—how much worse must it be?

“Fine. Just take some digestive medicine.”

“Where is this medicine from?”

“It’s medicine stocked at the cafeteria. I prepared it just in case…”

“…Digestive medicine.”

His eyes widened in circles, looking quite entertaining—like he was shocked. He seemed unable to believe she had digestive medicine in her possession.

It was an expression rarely seen from him, and she slowly pulled out a brown bottle containing digestive medicine from her bosom, finding it amusing.

“And it’s a very strong product. If you drink it, it’ll work immediately.”

“I was in trouble. Thank you.”

As reality unfolded as expected, Thea felt dizzy. She wondered why he’d accepted and eaten everything when he knew the Countess was generous with portions.

“From now on, don’t accept excessive kindness. It harms your health.”

“She prepared it as nutritious food—shouldn’t I eat it all?”

“…How foolish.”

Thea clicked her tongue and handed him the digestive medicine, watching as he gulped it down hastily. This was why she’d told him to stay quiet.

Not only did he not understand her advice, but he got sick too.

He seemed smart, but at times like this, maybe not, she thought as she watched Acel’s color slowly return.

This should be okay to say now.

“Honey.”  

“Yes?”  

“Why are you taking care of House Yut’s matters?”  

Why are you involved when I’m right here?  

“Step away from this.”  

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”  

At his feigned ignorance, Thea frowned slightly, crossing her arms in displeasure.

“The Grand Duchess told me. That House Winter took over the payment issue for House Yut. How much more of a debtor do you need to make me before you’re satisfied?”

“Satisfied?”

“If that’s not it, then why did you do this?”

At Thea’s fierce interrogation, he only swallowed empty breaths. Had she ever pressed him this sharply before?

He soon realized she hadn’t. Since coming to this house, he only remembered her quietly taking care of things from behind. She’d never once raised her voice before, had she?

‘No, had she?’

He thought back, but the conclusion was the same. Thea, who was always lukewarm, had raised her voice for once. More precisely, she’d seemed more human since coming to Utro.

At that fact, he felt an inexplicable thrill. She was so full of life.

Seeing a side of her he couldn’t have hoped for brought even a sense of unfamiliarity.

Pretending not to notice the dry saliva going down his throat, he opened his mouth.

“My lady. Aren’t we husband and wife? How could your family’s affairs be someone else’s business?”

“…When we’re getting divorced? I wouldn’t have done that.”

Whether her husband’s family lived or died was none of her concern. When they’d decided to separate, what was there to fear? In other words, she drew a clear line, saying it was an incomprehensible situation.

“Go to the Grand Duchess right now and tell her I’ll handle House Yut’s affairs.”

“I’m sorry, but I can’t do that.”

“Why? The reason is valid.”

At his attitude of not going along with her wishes, Thea gripped the hem of her innocent dress with both hands. Then she glared at him, who had already returned to his usual face.

Like she was begging him to listen to her. Yet he naturally stood up from the sofa and tried to head back to the room where the Grand Duchess was, seemingly unaffected.

Without leaving an answer to Thea’s words.

“Honey. You need to answer me.”