“What if I make a verbal blunder?”

“You needn’t worry. The Drake family is such a friendly force to us that even if you were to make a genuine verbal mistake, they would cover it up without holding you responsible. Please feel at ease.”

Being a family the duke could absolutely control, as befitted Alois’s careful selection, Seron’s answer made Olivia wait for her appointment with a somewhat more relaxed mind.

Not long after, with the announcement of the guest’s arrival, Seron vacated his seat.

Soon footsteps grew louder from the end of the corridor, and the door swung open.

— I’m here!

Olivia, who had risen to greet the guest, barely managed to catch the small creature that suddenly rushed toward her.

— Hehehe, it’s been a while?

The small ball of fur nestling and rubbing against her in her arms was, surprisingly, a familiar rabbit.

“Oh, isn’t this the rabbit who got lost last time?”

“That’s right. How strange. Our pet doesn’t usually like others this much.”

The woman who answered Olivia’s question in place of the rabbit slowly revealed herself. Like the unexpectedly familiar rabbit, the woman she faced was also not an unfamiliar face. Could this be called a coincidence? Olivia looked back and forth between the rabbit and the woman in bewilderment.

“Are you perhaps the lady from the Drake family……”

“Yes. Let me introduce myself properly. I’m Viola Drake.”

“Yes, yes. I’m Olivia Friche. Welcome.”

Despite Olivia’s awkward response due to her surprise, Viola confidently sat down on the sofa opposite her without minding. The maids on standby by the duke’s order brought refreshments into the reception room in place of the nervous Olivia. After quickly creating an atmosphere conducive to pleasant conversation, they all quietly left, leaving the two women alone.

“Hmm, the aroma is quite nice? I like your taste.”

Unlike Olivia, who was confused by the current situation, Viola leisurely moistened her throat while savoring the tea’s fragrance.

“I heard you’ve been constantly contacting the duke saying you wanted to see me. I was wondering why you wanted to meet……”

“Hahaha, no need to be so tense. I don’t have any bad intentions; I just wanted to express my gratitude.”

“……Gratitude?”

“Yes. When I lost this little one at the exhibition, I thought it was a disaster.”

Viola gestured to the rabbit, which was sitting on Olivia’s lap despite not being its owner and was half-dozing. She gently stroked its fur, causing the rabbit to stir a few times before falling completely asleep.

“Her name is Bibi. Cute, isn’t she? Usually, she’s quite snappy with people other than me, so it’s surprising how generous she’s being with you, Olivia. Does she somehow sense that you helped her back then?”

Viola, who had been using her uniquely elegant and haughty tone until just now, sounded no different from the friendly ordinary people Olivia often met at the clinic when bragging about her rabbit. Not knowing that Olivia could communicate with animals and therefore tended to be liked by most animals, Viola found Bibi’s impulsive behavior quite fascinating.

“Back then, I insisted that whoever found Bibi should be held and properly rewarded, but you disappeared so quickly. Do you know how sad I was?”

“Ah, I’m sorry. The duke said we needed to return quickly……”

“I’m not asking for an apology. I just wanted to say that I can’t stand being in debt, so I made inquiries to find you.”

It was surprising that she remembered and continuously tried to meet her for helping find the rabbit, which happened at the exhibition quite some time ago. It felt reassuring that she seemed genuinely attached to Bibi.

“Actually, I did a bit of background checking, but please overlook that. Once I saw you at the party, I stopped investigating cleanly.”

“Since you’re being honest, I’ll try to understand.”

“Thank you. Actually, if I had known I’d meet you right at the party, I wouldn’t have bothered investigating. I tried to find an opportunity to speak to you at the party, but it wasn’t easy.”

“Ah, then perhaps you were the one who took my side back then……”

“Yes. I had been watching you. But rather than taking your side, it was my honest opinion. Of course, I also disliked the situation where they were deliberately speaking loudly enough to be heard.”

So I didn’t misinterpret that wink.

Though Viola acted as if it wasn’t a big deal, Olivia felt grateful to her both then and now. The tension she had felt about meeting a marquis’s lady gradually eased. With a lighter heart, Olivia lifted her teacup.

“If talking formally makes you uncomfortable, feel free to speak casually.”

“Oh, really? But what if the duke gets angry?”

“If we only use it when it’s just the two of us, no one will know, right?”

“I’d prefer that, but you shouldn’t be so soft. There are so many people waiting to bite at the first sign of weakness…… To survive in the bleak social world, you need to stand on top of others’ heads if possible.”

“Is, is that so? If the social world is such a place, it really doesn’t seem to suit my personality.”

Viola was at a loss for words at her innocent, slightly dejected response. She had met many ladies, but never one who reacted like this. Certainly, not being born into nobility, her reactions fell outside the expected range.

She worried if Olivia would be alright but then remembered the duke behind her and cleanly discarded her concerns. Sometimes excessive worry can feel like disrespect.

“……No. Since the duke is there for you, perhaps you don’t need to worry about such trivial matters?”

Even she had just used formal speech out of caution for the duke, so regardless of how innocent and kind Olivia might be, who could possibly hurt her?

The more they talked, the more Viola liked Olivia. Having always trusted her initial intuitive feelings when evaluating people, Viola judged through their brief encounters at the exhibition, the party, and today’s short conversation that Olivia was someone she could include within her circle.

The two women emptied their teacups several times as they conversed at length. As time passed, both were surprised to find that while they confirmed the unbridgeable differences between a noble lady and a commoner healer, they could still enjoy such pleasant conversation despite these differences.

“Since Bibi rarely likes humans this much, and I heard you’re a healer, am I right? I took a peek at the building on my way up, and the facilities looked good…… Can I visit occasionally with Bibi?”

“By all means. I’ll mention it to the duke as well.”

“Great! Originally, our family had a caretaker exclusively for Bibi, but they did their job so halfheartedly that I fired them recently. I’d rather bring her here myself if anything happens. I’ve heard your skills are quite renowned?”

Olivia blushed slightly at the naturally flowing compliment.

“It’s not just me; everyone I work with puts in their best effort.”

“Ah, you must be close with your colleagues? I can tell by the way you speak.”

Viola, who had raised her voice as if somewhat surprised, waved her hand with a smile at Olivia’s puzzled expression.

“No, it’s just refreshing. Usually, even when we praise someone or something, we naturally think all the credit belongs to us alone. From what little I’ve seen of you, I think you must have a good reputation with others too.”

“You were also quite popular among many ladies back then, Viola.”

“Hmm, popular, yes, but……”

Viola narrowed her eyes as if measuring something and looked Olivia up and down. Though not a pleasant gaze, it felt like a habit from being born in a high position rather than malicious, so it didn’t feel offensive.

“To be honest, I don’t particularly enjoy mingling with people. If there’s a need, I’ll gladly do my part, but otherwise, why bother?”

Given her charisma and how she seemed to be at the center of the group when Olivia saw her at the party, Viola’s words were somewhat unexpected.

“I’d much rather play with Bibi in my room than attend parties. I fulfill my minimum duties as a member of the family, but that’s my preference. Well, if there’s a reason I’m popular among the ladies…… it’s because I’m good at counseling.”

Viola’s confident wink definitely conveyed an inexplicable sense of reliability. Seeing her like this, confidence and arrogance truly seemed separated by just a paper-thin difference.

“It’s a kind of hobby. Elegantly put, it’s love counseling, but more honestly, I listen to and advise on men troubles. While I may not know much about love, I know quite a bit about men.”

She knows men but not love? With a question mark floating in her head as she looked at Viola, Olivia slowly realized something and opened her mouth. Viola confirmed her guess silently with a suggestive smile that didn’t suit a refined marquis’s lady.

“It’s true that nobles compare everything in love and marriage to ensure they don’t lose an inch in their transactions, but that doesn’t mean they’re truly pure or cultured as they appear. Rather, until they start the business of marriage, everyone tends to enjoy themselves discreetly behind the scenes.”

“Oh, wow……”

“Strictly speaking, the duke is rather unusual in this world? Of course, he had no choice due to the curse, but it’s rare for someone to stay alone for so long and suddenly reveal a partner. That’s partly why all those arrogant ladies were disappointed.”

Ah, of course, I wasn’t interested in the duke even a tiny bit, so don’t misunderstand. Viola hastily added, raising both hands to demonstrate her innocence. This made Olivia laugh softly, and she understood why, despite claiming not to like people much, Viola had many people around her.