If it pleased you, I’m glad. But if it didn’t, well, there’s not much I can say except that I’ll prepare something better next time.
I thought it would be good for you to have at least one person to help you in a faraway land. You might not be curious, but I’ll share some news from the capital.

The news that followed chilled Leticia’s heart.

Cedric Hentke. He has returned to the capital. Mathias plans to grant him a suitable position soon, perhaps even a title.

I hope you understand that while you are struggling over there, time in the capital flows differently, changing by the day.

The man who became your husband is someone Mathias desperately needs. So, I have only one thing to say to you.

Make him help you.

If necessary, seduce him.

I’ll be waiting for your gesture of sincerity as well.

At the end of the letter was a direct request addressed to Leticia.

Leticia had never met her in person—or at least, not knowingly. They might have been in the same banquet hall from afar, or Leticia might have witnessed her raising her voice at Mathias, but this was the first time they had communicated directly.

However, even with such a short letter, Leticia could tell that the writer wasn’t entirely friendly toward her.

Her goodwill came with conditions.

Likewise, Leticia had to show her “gesture of sincerity” in return.

“Christine, where did you get this letter?”

“Mr. Jeremiah gave it to me. Why? Does it say you won’t be able to get the medicine anymore?”

Christine asked with a serious expression.

Before she could get the wrong idea, Leticia shook her head.

“No. There’s no way Lord Maxis could have seen this letter, right?”

“Of course not.”

Christine waved her hand dismissively, as if such a misunderstanding was out of the question.

“I’m sorry. It’s not that I don’t trust you…”

“It’s fine, madam. Don’t worry about it.”

Christine’s attitude remained consistent.

Though Leticia was grateful, it also made her feel uneasy.

“If you feel bad about it, you can ask Nora to bake me some apology cookies.”

At the unexpected request, Leticia couldn’t help but laugh.

“Honestly, I’ve never tasted anything so delicious in my life.”

“Alright. I’ll make sure to tell her.”

Christine’s face immediately brightened as if that was all she wanted.

—

Since the strange encounter in the library at dawn, Leticia hadn’t seen Callius again.

She didn’t know if he was out or somewhere in the vast castle.

After the embarrassing dream where she had placed herself in the shoes of his lover, she found herself oddly relieved by his absence.

Contrary to her expectation that the dream would fade after a few days, it only grew clearer as time passed.

It was because of Kelsior’s letter.

The part where she told Leticia to seduce him if necessary to win him over.

Kelsior could say such a thing because she didn’t know that Leticia had already lost Callius’s trust.

Nor did she know about his lover.

She couldn’t have imagined that Leticia’s resemblance to his lover tormented him every moment.

And Kelsior’s letter didn’t end there.

Cedric Hentke had returned to the capital.

Cedric was instrumental in ensuring that Rearbon lost its title overnight when it couldn’t repay its massive debts.

Yet as soon as the situation was resolved—meaning as soon as Leticia was sent far away from the capital—Mathias had unexpectedly called Cedric back.

Leticia didn’t believe that Mathias had made any sincere promises to Cedric.

She thought he had simply used Cedric as a tool to ruin Rearbon and then discarded him when the time came.

But now Mathias was granting him not only a suitable position but even a title.

That meant Mathias still found Cedric useful.

The thought made her stomach churn.

[I’m going to sell you—to the man who will hate you the most.]

Even when she had been little more than a corpse, throwing herself into the Senat River, those words remained vividly etched in her memory.

Mathias had known how much Callius would hate her.

‘Did he know I resembled his lover?’

Perhaps.

If so, Mathias had truly succeeded in arranging the worst possible match.

Leticia opened the window, letting the cool breeze weave through her hair.

Spring was the start of a new season for the social elite in the capital.

Once, Leticia had also had obligations there.

Getting married at her most beautiful and continuing Rearbon’s lineage had been her top priority.

In that sense, nothing had changed now.

Leticia still needed a man to fulfill her duties.

The only difference was that the man now was Callius Maxis.

‘Even if I have to seduce him.’

But was that even possible?

And even if it were, it felt like something she shouldn’t do to him.

The more she thought about it, the more her head throbbed.

Leticia closed the window, worried that the cool breeze might make her catch a cold.

—

That night, Leticia encountered him in the hallway for the first time.

“Good night, Lord Maxis.”

She couldn’t just pass by him without a word, so she greeted him. His expression was strange.

He furrowed his brows slightly, then smoothed his face as if nothing had happened.

But without a reply, he simply walked past her.

Leticia returned to her room and prepared for bed.

As she lay down, she heard footsteps in the hallway.

Soon, she heard the sound of a door opening and closing nearby.

Leticia assumed it was her imagination and fell asleep.

—

“Please enjoy, madam.”

“Thank you, Nora.”

As always, Leticia dined alone.

The increased variety of dishes naturally made her meals last longer.

Just as she was halfway through her meal, she heard hurried footsteps from afar, and the dining room door swung open.

“Bring my meal too, Nora.”

“O-of course! I’ll prepare it right away!”

Thinking he wouldn’t show up today either, Nora had already cleared away the extra tableware. She hurriedly disappeared into the kitchen.

He pulled out the chair next to Leticia, sat down, and bit into a piece of bread.

It had been days since they were last in the same room together.

Yet he acted as if he had never been away, preparing to eat his portion without any awkwardness.

“Keep your promise.”

“Pardon?”

Startled by his sudden words, she asked back. He tilted his head.

“Don’t tell me you were just saying things. You said you’d do anything.”

Leticia opened her mouth to speak but then closed it and shook her head.

“I wasn’t just saying it. I’ll keep my promise.”

Though he looked doubtful, he didn’t press further.

Just then, Nora returned and placed food in front of him.

Steam rose from the soup, and Callius smirked.

“The variety has increased in my absence. Were you hoping I’d stay away, Nora?”

“Oh, no way! Don’t say such things!”

Flustered, Nora waved her hands at him. Callius chuckled and began eating.

Though the clinking of utensils was the only sound, something felt different.

For the first time, dining with him felt comfortable.

—

“There happens to be something you can help with.”

How he had endured it until now was a mystery.

Leticia felt dizzy at the endless piles of documents before her.

“What is all this?”

“What else? Documents needed to manage the castle.”

Even after his explanation, Leticia still didn’t understand what he wanted.

As she skimmed through the papers, she realized they weren’t just trivial records of supplies needed for the castle’s upkeep.

There were also detailed reports on Siscreek’s assets.

Money was an important issue.

While Leticia was glad he trusted her with such matters, she couldn’t be entirely happy.

Since he had only recently been granted his title, Siscreek’s assets couldn’t be substantial.

And even if there were assets, they likely weren’t stable enough to generate consistent income.

“What… is all this?”

“Siscreek’s assets.”

Leticia blinked in confusion, unable to comprehend.

The document listing Siscreek’s assets was densely packed with no empty spaces.

“All of this is Siscreek’s assets?”

“For now, these are just the ones nearby.”

“Then there are more elsewhere?”

Instead of answering, he rummaged through the messy pile of papers and handed her a list of properties located in other regions.