“……!”

Hearing the whisper in my ear, I blushed bright red and quickly pulled away. Yuri stepped back a pace, pretending he hadn’t just been teasing, and said, “I’ll look forward to the gift. Have a good trip.”

“……”

I felt like a fool, the only one flustered by his smooth demeanor. Pouting, I left the shop without even responding.

Outside, the Morphe family’s carriage had just arrived, accompanied by the attendant sent by Rosemary. She bowed politely.

“Welcome, Lady Este.”

“Thank you for coming to pick me up.”

I glanced at the carriage I was about to board. It was suitably luxurious, without any family insignia.

‘There’s no family crest on the carriage. Rosie was thoughtful.’

She had sent the carriage in advance to prevent me from being looked down upon as a lower noble without a personal carriage. I shrugged my shoulders.

‘I feel excited, like I’ve made a friend.’

Wearing similar clothes, choosing outfits together, and inviting each other to our homes.

Reflecting on our shared experiences, I realized we might already be friends.

I tightly grasped the pendant of the necklace Yuri had given me. I had a good feeling.

***

Lady Morphe had referred to it as a small tea party hosted by the family, but the actual event was far from casual. For one, the Morphe duchy, which had a legacy of over a hundred years, was quite imposing.

‘There’s definitely a sense of history here.’

The sight of the attendants moving with such precision was also impressive. Knowing it wasn’t something achieved in just a day or two of training, I looked at the Morphe household with fascination.

‘The Duchess must manage the household very well.’

Embarrassingly, I hadn’t been able to do the same. My mother-in-law and grandmother-in-law constantly interfered and contradicted everything I said. After my husband had an affair with Sabina, even the attendants openly disrespected me.

‘I wouldn’t let myself be pushed around so easily now.’

Why had I been so timid back then, so afraid of being disliked?

Running my own business freely now, I realized that if I had left the family back then, I wouldn’t have been so unhappy.

There was no more time for reminiscing about the past. Rosemary, the host, approached me as I stepped down from the carriage.

“You’re here. I’m glad you came, Titiana.”

“Thank you for inviting me, Rosie.”

Her navy dress, similar in design to mine, suited her perfectly. I joined her as we headed to the garden.

There, the ladies who had arrived earlier were gathered. They were chatting happily but turned their attention to us as we approached.

“Oh my, a lady I’ve never seen before?”

“Will you introduce us, Lady Morphe?”

Their crescent-shaped eyes sparkled with curiosity. Rosemary introduced me confidently.

“This is Lady Titiana Este, the baron’s daughter who created the rainbow roses. Recently, we’ve become quite close.”

“Nice to meet you.”

“Welcome.”

In a different situation, there might have been some territorial behavior from those who arrived first, but with Rosemary stating that we were “quite close,” no one dared to object. As we enjoyed fragrant tea and sweet treats, the ladies continued their lively conversation.

Most of the comments directed at me were along these lines:

“So you created the rainbow rose? Are you the owner of ‘The Little Prince’?”

“I naturally assumed you were a commoner. I didn’t think you’d be a noble lady…”

“I learned that business is something men do. It’s fascinating.”

While these conversations might have seemed superficial, in society, establishing one’s position often involved exchanging such dialogues to build solid relationships. So, I answered their questions with a bright smile and sincerity.

Still, it was inevitable that I felt exhausted.

‘Ugh, it’s been so long since I’ve had these kinds of conversations that my neck feels stiff.’

Switching from casual chatting with Yuri while wearing mittens and a scarf to maintaining a constant smile during these conversations made my mouth feel like it was twitching.

Once I had exchanged a few words with each attendee and felt somewhat familiar with them, I cautiously stood up.

“May I take a walk around the garden?”

“Of course.”

Saying I was taking a walk around the garden was a euphemism for going to the restroom. I didn’t actually plan to go, but I stood up just to stretch my stiff jaw.

“Phew.”

Since it was someone else’s house and many eyes were watching, I couldn’t move around freely. But just standing up from my seat felt refreshing.

‘It’s been a while since I’ve sat in one place and chatted like this.’

At the flower shop, I was constantly busy moving around. When I did sit, it was only to drink the coffee Yuri brewed for me.

‘Come to think of it, it’s been ages since I last had tea.’

Things that had once been second nature in my past life now felt distant. As I got lost in the sentiment of having truly changed my future, it happened.

“Uh, um.”

A small voice called out to me. I turned my head, curious.

A young lady emerged from the garden bushes, looking at me.

“I, I’m Charlotte.”

“Ah, hello.”

Her face was drenched in sweat, perhaps from nerves. Her round glasses didn’t quite suit her. I was certain I had never seen her in my three lifetimes.

Why was she calling me? I tilted my head, and she fidgeted, clutching her black skirt with both hands, stammering as she spoke.

“N-not for any other reason, but I, I also thought about making blue roses and r-rainbow roses. I was just amazed that someone else had the same idea…”

What?

My eyes widened. She had the same idea?

‘The first creator of blue roses and rainbow roses?’

I was startled, trying to recall past memories when she suddenly looked at my face, got startled, and scurried away like a mouse.

“I’m sorry! I, I’ll just… go!”

“Wait…!”

I had so many questions, but she ran off before I could speak to her.

‘How am I supposed to know who she is just by the name Charlotte?’

At the very least, she should have given me her last name!

I let out a frustrated sigh, and as if she had been waiting for that moment, Rosemary appeared behind me with a bright smile.

“Were you able to catch your breath, Titiana?”

She always seemed to show up exactly when I needed her. I turned to Rosemary with a welcoming smile and asked, “Rosie, do you happen to know who that person is?”

“Ah.”

All Rosemary could see was the fluttering red hair crossing the garden, but she quickly recognized the individual and frowned.

“Oh, that’s Charlotte. She’s my half-sister—an illegitimate child not recognized by the family. I have no idea how she got here.”

“I see.”

It was expected for an illegitimate child to be treated differently from legitimate heirs. They often lived quietly in the countryside, away from the main family, or were used as maids within the household. However, their very existence could be infuriating for the legitimate wife and children.

‘It’s probably not wise to ask for any favors given the bad blood.’

Yet, Charlotte’s words before she left were too intriguing to ignore.

I clenched my fist and spoke up. “Um, could I possibly have a conversation with Miss Charlotte?”

Rosemary furrowed her brow in surprise at my request but then nodded.

Thanks to her, I was able to meet with Charlotte after the tea party ended.

“Wh-why did you want to see me…?”

Even though it was just the two of us, Charlotte seemed extremely nervous. I scratched my cheek.

‘She must have been mistreated a lot at home…’

I forced myself to speak in a gentle voice. “Please, speak comfortably. There’s no need to be tense.”

“Th-that, um…”

Charlotte’s face turned bright red in an instant. I wondered if she might burst from the pressure.

‘I should wrap this up quickly. I’m feeling dizzy myself.’

I got straight to the point. “The reason I arranged this meeting with you, Charlotte, is that I wanted to ask you something. Earlier, you mentioned knowing the method to create blue roses and rainbow roses.”

“Y-yes. I did have the same idea.”

“While the method for blue roses is widely known, the rainbow rose is my secret. Do you really know how it’s done?”