Merilyn Winstleton glided down the staircase and stopped in front of Leticia. She made no effort to hide the fact that she was scrutinizing Leticia.

“Lady Leticia, or should I call you Lady Maxis now?”

“It’s been a while, Duke Winstleton.”

Without responding to Leticia, he suddenly turned his gaze to Callius.

“Well, I’m sure there are many disappointments, but I hope you’ll forget all of that tonight and enjoy yourself.”

“What an unnecessary concern you have.”

Callius firmly grasped the hand Austin extended. Austin’s expression twisted slightly, but he responded with a faint laugh.

The banquet hall was already filled with guests who had arrived. The soft melodies mingled with the murmuring voices of the people, creating a familiar noise.

“I don’t understand why people bother with such tedious events.”

But there was one unfamiliar thing—Callius was by her side. He casually voiced what Leticia had only ever thought to herself her whole life.

“Throwing a party is a show of power,” she replied.

“If this is all I get after working so hard, it’s rather disappointing.”

“Didn’t you already know that?”

“Who knows.”

Callius’s response was ambiguous.

“I’m not so sure anymore.”

Anymore? After living his whole life chasing that one thing, why would he say such a thing now?

Before she could dwell further on his words, a group of people approached them.

“Marquis Maxis, how is married life treating you?”

“Very well.”

Callius replied with a faint smile, causing the men to laugh awkwardly.

“I see. When we heard the news, we were quite concerned… After all, this wasn’t the marriage you wanted.”

That comment was clearly an insult. Leticia thought Callius would get angry.

“I didn’t realize there were so many people concerned about me.”

But he didn’t get angry. Of course, that didn’t mean he was kind. His words were sharp, and he barely lifted the corners of his mouth into a smile.

“And what about you, Madam? Is life in Siscreek lonely?”

It sounded as though they expected it to be. But life in Siscreek wasn’t so bad for Leticia. Regardless, in situations like this, the proper response was to thank them for their concern and inquire about their well-being in return. Aristocratic conversations were always superficial, hiding true intentions behind polite words.

[You must never do anything that would disgrace the family.]

There were so many things Leticia wasn’t allowed to do. Even things others might consider trivial were matters she would rather die than do. But now, things were different.

“Not particularly.”

Her unexpectedly honest answer left some of them visibly flustered. Over something so trivial. Leticia wondered what they had thought of her. Even the rumors about her.

‘Did they think I was a fool who would thank them even for insults?’

“Are you lonely, Lady?”

The woman who asked Leticia this question wasn’t from the north. This was when her memorized noble genealogy proved useful. The woman was from the south, not the north. Leticia didn’t know the details of how she had come all the way here, but she was certain she wasn’t a local. The woman looked slightly flustered, not expecting Leticia to know this about her.

“You’ll grow fond of it over time. Don’t worry.”

After hearing Leticia’s response, the woman blushed. It was such a trivial matter. Why had she once thought such things were forbidden? Even such a minor retort made Leticia’s heart race.

“I’ll step out to the lounge for a moment.”

After whispering to Callius, Leticia stepped into the corridor. The servants guided her to the lounge. She didn’t plan to stay long—just long enough to calm herself and return.

“Oh my, he’s like a completely different person.”

“I know, right? I thought he’d grab someone by the collar.”

It didn’t take long to figure out who they were talking about.

“Hasn’t the Marquis never held back his temper before?”

“Even when he does, it always shows on his face.”

But from Leticia’s perspective, Callius wasn’t as much of a brute as the rumors suggested. Of course, by her standards, he was still a brute. But he didn’t seem like the type to lose his temper recklessly or grab someone by the collar as they described. Yet they were talking as though his restraint was unusual.

“Could it be Lady Leticia’s influence?”

“Perhaps.”

That assumption was wrong. He hadn’t changed from the moment they first met. To say it was because of Leticia was baseless speculation. Soon, their voices took on a mocking tone.

“Or maybe he hired a tutor.”

“Ha, or a noble mistress? That would be even more amusing.”

Callius had neither a tutor nor a mistress. It seemed better to leave than to continue listening to their pointless assumptions. Leticia carefully stepped back from behind the curtain, but their voices grew more secretive.

“Did you hear? Apparently, the Marquis recently purchased an entire boutique from the capital.”

“I heard. Was it for Lady Leticia?”

Leticia, who had been about to leave, stopped in her tracks and listened to the end of their conversation.

“They say he bought it before the marriage was even announced. When he purchased the dresses, it was as if he had someone specific in mind…”

Indeed, there was a dress room in the castle that seemed like a boutique transported from the capital. Nora had said it was for Leticia. Perhaps these women didn’t know the full story and were merely speculating. That was likely the case. But for some reason, their words lingered in Leticia’s mind.

The emperor had issued orders that blatantly betrayed Callius’s loyalty. Marry Leticia and swear allegiance to Mathias. It was a humiliating command, but it wasn’t the first time he had faced such treatment. At this point, it seemed unlikely that he genuinely wanted to kill Mathias. If he truly wanted to, there had to be another reason. A more compelling one.

‘What would drive someone to want to kill Mathias?’

If he wanted to cut down Mathias, even at the cost of undoing all his efforts, it would take something as catastrophic as the downfall of his family. But unfortunately, Leticia couldn’t even begin to guess what that might be.

—

Late at night, upon returning to Siscreek, Leticia confirmed that Callius would not be coming to her room tonight either. Naturally, he had gone to the training grounds. From her room, she could clearly see him there. She realized that the faint noises she sometimes heard at dawn were the sounds of him wielding his sword.

Leticia stared at the door leading to his room for a long time. Only a single door separated them. And she knew he wasn’t in the room right now. Turning the doorknob shouldn’t have been difficult. She even thought about what excuse she would give if she were caught entering his room.

‘Let’s just take a quick look.’

Leticia cautiously turned the doorknob. The door, unused for a long time, creaked loudly on its hinges. The room inside was desolate. There was even less warmth than in Leticia’s own room.

‘So, he doesn’t stay here after all?’

Then where did he stay? She recalled the faint sound of his footsteps passing by at dawn. At that moment, for some reason, Leticia thought of that room. The room she had discovered on her first day at Siscreek. The one with the large window above the bed.

Nora had said it was just an ordinary room.

‘A noble mistress.’

Leticia knew it was a baseless rumor, yet she couldn’t shake the thought. It wouldn’t be surprising if Callius had a mistress. For nobles, having a mistress was as natural as breathing. Even her father, the Duke of Rearbon, was no exception.

When she was very young, back when her mother was still alive, her father had a mistress. He probably didn’t know Leticia was aware, but she had always known. Because her mother had loved him. Because she had watched her mother waste away, day by day, due to the existence of that mistress.

Leticia could never understand how her father’s affairs did not tarnish the family’s honor. And it was strange that his final mistress was Isabella Hentke.

[We’re very much alike, aren’t we, Leticia?]

The fact that she resembled her mother was deeply humiliating to Leticia.