‘Aragon may be his maternal family’s kingdom, but he has never once visited it, yet he speaks Aragonian perfectly……. And so fluently.’

Even to Medeia, who had spent nearly her entire life in Aragon, his speech sounded completely natural, without the slightest hint of a foreign accent.

“She calls me that often enough, so I’m already accustomed to hearing it and don’t particularly mind. There’s no need to worry.”

“……Thank you for understanding, Your Highness.”

As expected, he was not an easy opponent. He left her no opportunity to escape his questioning.

She had anticipated as much to some extent because she already knew that he would eventually ascend the throne.

Still, his demeanor was unmistakably different from what she remembered.

‘Before I returned to the past, whenever I occasionally entered the palace at Aunt’s command and encountered him there…….’

They had only ever exchanged greetings, and he had never shown her any particular interest before.

He had certainly never subjected her to the same level of pressure as he was doing now.

Instead, he had always been excessively polite.

Whenever she greeted him formally, he would smile gently and encourage her to be more informal.

Each time, he appeared flustered, as though he were unaccustomed to receiving a proper greeting.

It had all been an act.

Then.

Was this his true nature?

Or was it?

Was this another performance?

If so, why had he changed his demeanor so drastically?

Medeia had the feeling that there was another reason beyond the ruby necklace.

“My aunt rarely allows anyone to grow close to her, so I was curious about the kind of lady she would entrust with even that necklace.”

Medeia hesitated briefly before raising a hand to the ruby necklace.

‘After Queen Greta died, the necklace returned to the possession of the Aragonian royal family, which must be why he couldn’t take it…….’

Since the ruby necklace must hold great sentimental value for him, perhaps returning it would earn his favor.

“Would you like me to give you the necklace?”

“……No. Keep it. It complements the color of your eyes.”

At that moment.

The carriage door opened slightly, and Sisana’s voice came from outside.

“Your Highness, the Duke and Duchess of Heidel are coming this way. It appears they are looking for Lady Medeia.”

Pierre gave a relaxed nod and turned his gaze toward Medeia.

“There is much I wish to ask you, my lady, but I shall hear your answers another time.”

He spoke slowly, his voice filled with easy composure.

Even after learning that the Duke and Duchess of Heidel were approaching, he showed no sign of urgency.

It was as though he already had a way to handle the situation even if they encountered him.

“……Shall I formally request an audience with Your Highness at the palace?”

“No. There are far too many eyes watching within the palace.”

“…….”

“It would be best for us to meet at Delphium Atelier at noon two days from now. What do you think, my lady?”

Even though he had already decided on the time and place of their meeting, he still asked her for her opinion.

Although he seemed to be politely asking what she wanted, she couldn’t actually refuse.

With the Duke and Duchess of Heidel approaching, it would be difficult to continue their conversation.

Medeia knew he hadn’t summoned her for idle chat, so the secluded location of the Delphium Atelier was preferable.

Medeia gave a slight nod and rose. Just before stepping out of the carriage, she felt his gaze and turned her head slightly.

Pierre watched her with cool eyes, as though carefully observing her every movement.

When their eyes met, the corners of his lips lifted again, as if his cold expression had never been there.

Unsettled by his gaze, Medeia hurriedly stepped out of the carriage while Sisana lowered her eyes.

The Duke and Duchess of Heidel, who had been approaching from a distance, steadily drew closer.

Pierre must have had his own way of extricating himself from the situation; that was why he had remained calm even after learning that they were coming.

Medeia’s circumstances were different. If the Duke and Duchess of Heidel found out that she had been alone with Pierre, she knew it would take her a long time to explain what they had discussed.

“Please hurry and leave, Madame Sisana.”

The mere thought of it was unbearably troubling, so Medeia whispered urgently to Sisana.

Sisana nodded and climbed into the carriage.

The Duke and Duchess of Heidel arrived just after the carriage had left through the main gates.

The Duchess of Heidel looked guilty and had tears in her eyes.

Given her personality, it was only natural for her to feel this way, even though she had only said those things to comfort Daphne.

‘I just want to go upstairs and rest.’

Medeia was already exhausted and did not want to remain with the duchess for long, repeating the same exchange as before.

“Medeia, why were you getting out of that carriage?”

The Duke of Heidel must have seen her stepping out of the carriage, as he questioned her with a puzzled expression. Medeia deliberately furrowed her brow and pressed a hand to her forehead as though suffering from a headache.

“Madame Sisana asked me to accompany her to the atelier regarding my coming-of-age dress. However, my headache worsened, so I sent her ahead and decided to visit another time.”

“Does your head hurt badly? You look unwell. Wouldn’t it be better to summon a physician to examine you?”

“……!”

The Duke of Heidel reached towards her face.

Just before his hand touched her forehead, she saw it overlap with the same hand that had once slapped her. She instinctively took a step back and raised her arm to shield herself.

Her heart pounded violently and refused to slow down. Even though there was no reason for her to react that way, her body still flinched.

Medeia took several deep breaths and forced herself to calm down. She could barely manage to part her lips and speak.

“……I’m sorry. You moved so suddenly that I was startled…….”

The Duke of Heidel immediately looked grave, furrowing his brow.

The Duchess of Heidel also looked deeply distressed.

They seemed to realize that Medeia’s reaction was ingrained, and that she had not merely been startled by his sudden movement.

It was obvious what they would assume.

They would wonder if she had been hit while living in Aragon.

“Did someone lay a hand on you while you were living in Aragon? Is that why you were so frightened?”

As expected, the Duke of Heidel flew into a rage, convinced that his assumption was correct.

“Who in the world dared to……? This won’t do. Tell me who it was. I’ll immediately……!”

“……It’s all right.”

“You are the legitimate daughter of the House of Heidel. No one is allowed to mistreat you, yet someone dared to do so. Tell me who it was. Just give me their name, and this father of yours will repay them in kind.”

‘……How troublesome.’

Even if she told him the truth, it was not as though the Duke of Heidel could slap himself across the face.

Medeia shook her head as though she had no desire to complicate matters further.

“That relationship is already over. I no longer have any desire to keep trying or earn that person’s favor…….”

In truth, he meant nothing to her now, so she saw no reason to make such an effort.

“I don’t want to deliberately bring it up again……. I think doing so would only make things more painful for me. Knowing that you’re concerned about me is enough.”

He would probably never realize.

“……If that is what you wish, then all right. I understand.”

That her words had been directed at him.

In a voice filled with even greater anguish than before, the Duchess of Heidel asked cautiously.

“……Dea, did you perhaps…… hear what I said earlier?”

“……I wasn’t trying to eavesdrop. Did it upset you?”

“Dea, Mommy didn’t mean it that way. You suffered so much in Aragon…… Um, what I mean is—”

“……It’s all right. You were right. Daphne was only trying to look after me, but as you said, I think I may have been too sensitive.”

Her conversation with Pierre had taught her a valuable lesson. She needed to take control of conversations and not give others the opportunity to turn them against her.

It was better to avoid showing her hurt by sulking and distancing herself from others.

She was better off appearing understanding and showing that she was willing to make an effort.