Delia picked up her spoon again and continued eating in a very proper manner.

“……”

Kaiel’s brow furrowed.

Since she was calling him ‘Kaiel’ rather than ‘Grand Duke,’ she didn’t seem to be angry.

Her strangely changed attitude created an oddly stifling atmosphere.

“Delia.”

“Yes?”

After staring at her clear green eyes for a few seconds, Kaiel let out a small sigh.

“……Never mind. Keep eating.”

“Yes.”

Delia, whose eating speed had noticeably decreased compared to before, put down her spoon when the soup was half finished.

“Thank you for the meal.”

“Where are you going? There’s still food left.”

Delia glanced at the plate before answering.

“I’m full.”

“Finish it.”

“I said I’m full.”

Just as he spoke, a small sound of hunger came from Delia’s stomach.

“……”

“Eat.”

Delia sat down reluctantly, taking her time.

It wasn’t for any other reason than her appointment time with Lady Evans. Given how particular and meticulous she was, Delia couldn’t be late for their appointment.

She needed to empty her plate quickly to avoid being late. But she didn’t want to eat hastily like before. Especially not in front of Kaiel.

“Kaiel. I have a request.”

When he quietly raised his gaze to look at her, Delia continued.

“Could I have my meals separately for just the next week?”

“No.”

At the answer that fell immediately as soon as the words ended, Delia pressed her lips together.

As she silently picked up her spoon again, Kaiel belatedly asked.

“……Why.”

“Ah. Never mind. Please forget I asked.”

Rather than letting Kaiel discover these secret lessons, it would be better to ask Lady Evans to delay the appointment time a little.

As soon as breakfast ended, Delia left the imperial palace in the blink of an eye.

“Where did she go.”

Thanks to the Grand Duke who kept coming to look for her at every turn, the poor maids could only sweat and make excuses.

“Well…… Perhaps she’s in the garden?”

“She wasn’t there.”

“In the bedroom—”

“Not there.”

To the Grand Duke who showed his displeasure while running his hand through his hair, the maid offered small advice. It was the same maid who had thought Delia and Kaiel were fighting.

“Could Miss have had something to feel hurt about from you, Your Grace? If so, I think it might be good to give her some time.”

“……”

Delia’s strange behavior continued for the next week.

Sometimes she would stay in the music hall with the piano, other times spend the whole day in the library. She would even run up to servants who had come from other regions and try to strike up conversations.

During the day, who knew where she went, but she would disappear like a ghost at certain times and not show her face, only to hurry back around dinner time and head to the music hall or library again.

That wasn’t all.

She who used to stride through the corridors with confident steps now walked with soft and proper steps, and her previously innocent manner of speech had also matured.

One might say she had become less talkative.

“Miss. These days you really feel like other young ladies and ladies.”

“Do I?”

“But somehow…… I miss the previous you, Miss.”

Delia quietly smiled.

It wasn’t as if she was comfortable acting this way either. She wanted to walk, laugh, run, and speak freely like before, but she had to endure until the day of the imperial palace reception.

On that day, she would definitely secure the position of Ashlene’s stand-in over the other young ladies.

On the last day of the promised week, Mary Evans called Delia to sit down.

“Today is the last day. Well done, Miss Averbit. To be honest, I was very surprised. From the unfamiliar style of piano playing to knowing so many literary works. Especially knowing so many foreign works. It was rewarding to teach you.”

Delia smiled and nodded.

“I’m so glad you felt that way. I’m the one who should be grateful.”

In truth, the past week hadn’t been difficult for Delia.

The piano playing was fortunate in a way. She had played some famous simple pieces a few times in modern times. They would have been quite radical pieces for this era.

Delia memorized the entire history surrounding Sheriton and other regions in just three days, and with her broad knowledge in various fields, she could lead appropriate conversations on any topic.

In some ways, Mary Evans might have truly found a gem.

Mary Evans took out a small invitation card from her pocket and handed it to Delia.

“I’ve taught you all the etiquette and basic precautions, now it’s time for you to show your face in society.”

“Is it a tea time you’re hosting, Lady Evans?”

“I’ve invited quite well-known and well-connected young ladies, so it will surely be helpful. Will you come as my friend, Miss Averbit?”

Delia felt a small flutter of excitement. Although she held the position of a baron’s daughter, she hadn’t had the chance to mingle with friends of similar age until now because she had been running around dealing with various incidents at every moment.

“I’d be delighted to attend, Lady Evans.”

That night, Delia lay awake for the first time in a while with an excited heart. What clothes to wear, how to do her hair, whether the other young ladies would like her—these thoughts kept chaining together.

Morning came, and even though she had gotten little sleep after the day broke, Delia woke up feeling refreshed.

She put on the clothes she had picked out, did her hair, put on her shoes, and after taking a little more care than usual with her appearance, Delia left the imperial palace early in the morning, avoiding others’ eyes.

It was then, as she was passing through the garden with nervous excitement. Someone suddenly blocked her path.

“It seems difficult to give you more time.”

“K-Kaiel……?”

Delia let out an awkward laugh.

“You can…… see everything from here! At this hour! Isn’t it too early to be awake?”

“That’s my line.”

Deep, calm eyes scanned Delia from head to toe. The gaze that had reached her feet came back up to meet her eyes.

It was a look that seemed to silently wait for an explanation without saying anything.

“Please don’t…… look at me like that. I won’t tell you.”

Perhaps it was an unexpected answer, as Kaiel stared at her eyes for a moment before turning sharply and striding toward where the carriage was parked.

He seemed to be trying to send the carriage away.

“W-w-wait! Kaiel! Kaiel! I’ll tell you, I’ll tell you!”

Delia hurriedly chased after him and grabbed his arm, but when Kaiel turned around, she quickly let go with a start. Then she straightened her posture and stood properly.

Kaiel’s expression creased strangely. He crossed his arms and looked down at her as he spoke.

“Tell me.”

Delia deliberately avoided his gaze and spoke in a small voice.

“Lady Evans invited me to tea time. I was trying to leave early because I thought you wouldn’t let me go if you knew……”

“Why wouldn’t I let you go.”

Delia brightened up.

“You’ll let me go?”

“No.”

“See!”

“Not alone. I’m coming with you.”

“Together?”

The thought of him saying he’d come together to a tea time where Lady Evans had invited only young ladies… Thinking of his large figure sitting darkly among the elaborately dressed young ladies, Delia couldn’t help but laugh.

“Why are you laughing?”

“If you want to sit there elegantly drinking tea and chatting with beautiful young ladies, fine. Let’s go together.”

“……”

“Not coming?”

Well, if you’re not coming then forget it, Delia added as she turned around with a satisfied expression.

She would bet that Kaiel would find such a gathering most torturous. The combination of women and chitchat. It would be fortunate if he didn’t flip the table in frustration.

However, Kaiel quietly began following behind her.

When Delia looked at him with strange eyes, Kaiel said indifferently.

“You said let’s go together. Let’s go.”

After that, Kaiel got into the carriage before Delia and even held the door wide open.

“Get in.”

“……I don’t know about this. Do what you want.”

Though Delia was also new to social gatherings, she at least knew it wasn’t proper for an unmarried man and woman to roam the streets alone together.

Of course, Delia didn’t care about her own reputation. If she cared about scandals or others’ gazes, it would only be for Kaiel and Lady Evans’s sake, nothing more and nothing less.

‘I can’t tarnish their names even if I don’t care about mine.’

Thinking about how she had tried to lower Kaiel’s reputation to raise her plausibility score in the beginning felt like a distant story now. When she glanced at Kaiel, he met her gaze.

‘Back then, even getting into a carriage with Kaiel was difficult.’

As she smiled at the thought, Delia suddenly remembered something she had forgotten and hurriedly called the system.

‘System! What’s my current plausibility score?’

Ding.

[Current plausibility score is 22 points.]

It had been maintaining a fairly stable state near 50, but since she hadn’t had time to be close to either Kaiel or Niol for a week, it seemed to have dropped sharply to 22.