The Duke, somehow… had a way of making me feel something closer to embarrassment than suspicion.

If there had been a mouse hole in front of me, I might have wanted to crawl into it. His kindness was excessive to that degree.

I had never once felt this way—not even when facing Louis.

What is this?

“Shall I have them bring a different tea?”

Lost in thought, I had been absently tracing the rim of my teacup with my index finger, and the Duke seemed to read my hesitation.

It was strange—someone of his stature watching my reactions so carefully—yet it felt as though he was being considerate.

“No, it’s fine.”

“Then why have you not taken a single sip?”

A trace of disappointment touched his face, though he likely meant to conceal it. The sight of him looking dejected was almost like watching a drenched puppy.

“I was just… observing the tea.”

“The tea?”

At the Duke’s question as to why I would observe such a thing, I answered not with words but by taking a sip of the tea.

Unlike the black tea I was accustomed to at the estate, this one was sweet.

“It’s an interesting flavor. I didn’t know tea could be this sweet.”

I offered a small smile.

The Duke mirrored it with a bright one of his own. Was it because of that beauty—so radiant it felt as though it could cleanse the entire room with a single smile? It almost seemed as though he and I existed in completely separate spaces.

Judging by the ease in his expression and the relaxed way he leaned back in his chair, he appeared quite accustomed to places like this.

Then again, it was foolish to compare him to someone like me, who had only just stepped back into the world after so long.

I turned my gaze toward the shop window.

Beyond the glass, people moved about busily, and a newspaper boy darted between them. On the opposite side of the market I had wandered through earlier, I could see a clear river and a bridge.

Those standing in the sunlight shone, even without any ornamentation—as if that place were a kind of paradise.

To me, they seemed extraordinary.

“What are you looking at?”

Setting down his teacup, the Duke spoke quietly.

“Just looking outside.”

I answered indifferently and took another sip of the tea.

“When I first came in, I wondered why everyone was sitting so close together, like chickens in a coop, drinking tea.”

“Chickens?”

The Duke let out a quiet laugh.

“But now I understand. This isn’t just a place to drink tea—it’s a place to enjoy the view.”

Even as we continued speaking, my gaze remained fixed on the scenery outside the window.

Yet the Duke did not scold or reprimand me for it.

If the person sitting across from me had been Louis, he would have seized me by the hair without hesitation.

Hm. I must have lived with Louis for far too long.

To think that even after divorcing him, he still comes to mind—it’s almost laughable. We are truly strangers now.

“For some reason, what is ordinary daily life for them feels like something special and meaningful to me.”

Just then, the brownies we had ordered were brought out.

“Oh my. So this is a brownie.”

In novels written by other authors, brownies were described as some sort of unique dessert. Yet before me sat nothing more than a roughly cut brown slab, placed plainly on a plate like a brick.

“It’s not much to look at.”

There wasn’t even the slightest decoration, so I assumed the taste would be nothing remarkable either. Still, mindful of the effort of the one who had bought it, I cut off a small piece with my fork and placed it in my mouth.

“Wow.”

The exclamation slipped out before I could stop it. It was chewy yet dense—strangely delightful.

“Ha ha.”

The Duke watched me and chuckled softly. Then, with his index finger, he slid his untouched portion toward me.

“There is more here, so please enjoy yourself.”

To so readily give all of it to me when it was this delicious—

I could hardly control my expression. The corners of my lips kept twitching upward, so I omitted any words of thanks. If I opened my mouth now, I would surely start chattering without restraint.

In any case.

For quite some time, I diligently cut the brownie with my fork and ate it piece by piece. Perhaps because I was eating it of my own will, it tasted even better. It was far superior to the pound cake I would occasionally have when guests visited the estate.

From now on, this will be my favorite dessert.

With the fork still between my lips, I let out a soft, breathy laugh.

“Seeing you so pleased makes me happy as well.”

Just as I finished the entire plate—

“What would you like to do next?”

The Duke, who had been leaning back lazily in his chair as he sipped his black tea, straightened.

“Is there anything you wish for?”

His gaze was intent, but I felt little interest as I reached for his plate with my fork.

“Who knows?”

Until now, all I had wanted was a divorce. And now that I had achieved it, I no longer had a particular goal. Besides, I had already eaten the brownies.

“Now that I’ve parted ways with Louis, I intend to live for myself.”

“For example?”

“I haven’t really thought about it. This is the first time I’ve ever been like this.”

“I see. Very well. Then will you inform me if there is ever anything you need?”

So this isn’t the end—does he intend to continue knowing me?

“Are you going to help me again?”

Instead of answering, the Duke simply nodded and set his teacup down. He then leaned back against the chair, fingers interlaced.

“Why are you helping me, Your Grace?”

If he had treated me carelessly instead, perhaps I wouldn’t feel so conscious of him.

It was strange—he offered help without mentioning any compensation.

“Why did you help someone you had never even met?”

I stopped eating the brownie and looked at him.

The Duke was silent for a moment.

“Because I admired the works you wrote, my lady.”

Soon, he gave a faint smile and closed his eyes briefly.

“Would you believe me if I told you I never missed a new release?”

“Oh? Then I suppose you were quite the devoted reader.”

It was my first time meeting someone who openly claimed to be my fan, yet I responded lightly. Writing novels had long since become nothing more than arranging the memories in my head. Had I met him back when I first began writing, perhaps my reaction would have been different.

“In truth, I have met Simon twice in private.”

At that moment, I swallowed hard, like a cat facing a predator.

Hearing that he had met Louis in private for some reason made me tense.

“Why?”

I managed to force the word out.

The Duke fell silent briefly, as though gathering his thoughts.

“At first, it was to offer patronage. I wished to express my respect to the author who had written works that stirred the heart.”

As if recalling something unpleasant, he furrowed his brow before continuing slowly.

“However, when I met him a second time to ask about the intention behind an ending I could not quite understand, he knew nothing about the work.”

Well, of course he didn’t. He merely took what I had written and published it under his name. He probably doesn’t even know the title.

“So when I reserved the latest release and received it in advance, I became certain of something.”

For an instant, the Duke’s gaze sharpened.

“That man is a thief.”

As he said it, the Duke erased every trace of expression he had shown thus far.

“In any case, that is why I helped you. At first.”

Then, just as before, he smiled gently.

“But as I continued to watch, I suppose I grew attached. I found myself wanting to devote myself to you, my lady.”

“…Pardon? What do you mean by that?”

Today was the first time I had met him, yet he spoke as though he had observed me for a very long time.

Had we known each other before?

Just in case, I searched through my memories again and again, but among those around me, there had never been even the slightest trace of a duke.

“You put it so suddenly that I’m not sure how to respond.”

“That is understandable. I have only ever watched from afar, so it is natural that you would feel taken aback. I was inconsiderate. My apologies.”

Is this man truly intent on driving me mad?

I hadn’t wanted an apology. What I meant was, Why are you acting this way toward me?

It was frustrating, but given his higher rank, I could not press him further.

“In any case… the moment I recognized the message hidden within your latest work, I came to the Empire at once. I rode without rest.”

Fortunately, the Duke began explaining on his own.

“However, once I arrived alone at the estate, I found myself suddenly worried.”

“Worried about what?”

“That my rash judgment might place you in danger.”

“Was that, too, born out of a fan’s devotion?”

“Yes. At the time, it was.”

At the time? Then does that mean his intentions are different now?

“Your Grace. Forgive me for interrupting, but… you didn’t help me with the intention of locking me away somewhere and making me write, did you?”

I cautiously voiced the doubt I had long harbored.

Until now, the Duke’s face had seemed almost radiant—but at my words, it tightened instantly.