He paused for a moment, then looked at Cassian with a smile.

“Though Your Grace, you might have mentioned she was this lovely.”

Raelia covered both her cheeks with her hands at the manager’s words.

“My, what a wonderful compliment.”

Iaros gave Raelia a small smile at her pleased reaction and stepped back.

Cassian let out a quiet sigh at Iaros’s behavior.

But Raelia watched the manager’s neat retreating figure with a smile.

“He has quite a way with words.”

It was a predictable compliment, but it still felt good. What woman wouldn’t enjoy being called beautiful?

“He does. He runs this restaurant on charm.”

When the food arrived a little later, Raelia tried a bit of everything. It was all delicious, but she was actually more absorbed in looking at the tableware.

“Look at this. The pattern is so intricate.”

“They look like ordinary tableware at a glance, but they’re very old pieces. The Iaros family has been craftsmen specializing in ceramics for generations, and they opened this restaurant by gathering the heirlooms that had been passed down.”

Wait, they’re using family heirlooms passed down through generations?

How many could there possibly be, enough to open a restaurant?

“People who appreciate fine tableware love this restaurant. I’m quite fond of it myself.”

Zenon cut in partway through Cassian’s explanation, his voice bright with enjoyment.

“I like the pattern here. The roaring lion looks so impressive.”

Zenon was looking at the lion painted on the tableware too.

“It really does look fierce.”

Raelia agreed. She admired the beautiful patterns and carvings on the dishes as she ate.

The steak was wonderful, the pasta excellent. The dessert was even better, but she was too full to eat much of it.

“I finished everything without leaving a single bite!”

Zenon announced in a triumphant voice.

“Now we’re going to see the gift, right?”

“I cleared my afternoon as you asked, so I have time as well.”

Even Cassian joined in, saying he’d done as she’d asked in her letter and pressing her to show them the gift.

Raelia decided she couldn’t drag it out any longer and answered quickly.

“It’s about twenty minutes by carriage from here.”

Zenon’s face blazed with anticipation.

Watching him, Raelia felt a quiet flutter of anxiety.

He shouldn’t expect too much!

What if he’s disappointed?

The negative thought crossed her mind, but she shook it off.

‘I’ll just do something even better next time.’

Raelia smiled faintly and led them toward where the gift was waiting.

* * *

Zenon had said he liked painting. So maybe he’d like something like this too. That thought was the seed of a gift that was simple and small.

Something anyone could do. Something that could still be special.

Raelia invited them to a small studio she’d borrowed from Sara.

Colorful wallpaper brightened the space. The floor was soft and cushioned, safe enough for a child to run and tumble on.

“Take your shoes off before coming in.”

Cassian and Zenon removed their shoes at Raelia’s word. The knights who’d been escorting them stood at the door and watched them go inside.

Sunlight came through the windows.

The wide room held pots of paint, water containers, and large brushes.

“What is this?”

Raelia squared her shoulders at Cassian’s question.

“It’s a paint play room.”

“A paint play room?”

It might be an unfamiliar concept in this world, or perhaps nonexistent. But Raelia had prepared this room as a gift, drawing on a memory of something her father had done for her in her previous childhood.

“You paint your own pictures on the walls to your heart’s content. The wallpaper can always be replaced, so draw whatever you imagine, freely.”

Zenon’s eyes sparkled at her words.

“On all of these walls?”

“Of course!”

“Wow!”

Zenon lit up at the idea of painting freely on the wallpaper he loved.

“I want to paint a big picture.”

“A big picture? What will you paint? I’ll paint with you.”

“You too, Miss?”

“Of course! It’s a gift for you, but painting alone isn’t as fun. Or would you rather paint separately?”

Zenon shook his head.

“I want to paint with Miss Raelia.”

Then the two of them turned to look at Cassian, eyes bright.

‘Wh…… what.’

A cold sweat ran down Cassian’s back.

He’d never felt this kind of pressure even on a battlefield.

‘No helping it.’

Cassian rolled up his sleeves, unable to resist their pleading looks.

“I’ll paint too.”

Raelia and Zenon’s combined attack had worked, and they quickly made room for Cassian to stand.

The three of them painted on the wall together.

* * *

The Darhan comital family’s daughter, Lady Eleman, sat at her desk with her brown hair loose, reading a letter she’d set aside partway through.

She’d sent the invitation to the Lateran marquisate as a formality, since the family had considerable standing in the military. As always, she’d expected no reply.

But something unusual had happened.

[This is Raelia Lorentz. I’m honored to receive your invitation to the banquet. It’s a banquet I’ve long been curious about, and I’m very happy and excited to attend. I’ll be bringing my younger brother as my escort, so I wanted to let you know in advance.]

She’d been surprised that a reply came at all, and the contents were even harder to believe.

Raelia and Archan were half-siblings with different mothers. On top of that, she’d heard that Miss Raelia was ostracized within her own family, so the idea of her coming with her brother was baffling.

She’d been puzzling over the letter when word came that the marchioness had gone out shopping with a young golden-haired woman. The marchioness going out to shop wasn’t unusual, but the golden-haired young woman being Raelia Lorentz was astonishing.

She was the lady with a marriage proposal from the grand ducal family in progress. The same Raelia who’d set society ablaze by accepting a proposal that everyone else had turned down was now apparently keeping company with a commoner-born marchioness and bringing a half-commoner brother to a banquet.

Because of it, Eleman had been fielding messages from all directions. The moment word got out that Raelia would be attending the banquet, requests for invitations came pouring in.

Everyone was desperately curious about Raelia Lorentz.

“I had some reservations at first.”

The part about bringing her brother had given her pause. Society’s reception of the marchioness and Archan wasn’t exactly warm.

But with things unfolding like this and the banquet becoming the talk of the town, she didn’t think it was a bad thing at all.

She found herself looking forward to meeting Raelia at the banquet in a few days.

* * *

Several hours passed as they painted. It wasn’t Zenon, who looked the most delicate, but Raelia who gave out first. She looked at the unfinished painting on the wall with a regretful expression.

But she’d given it everything she had.

The dress Sara had bought her wasn’t suited for painting. So she’d brought along an old dress she’d been meaning to throw out and changed into it before they started.

‘Good thing I changed.’

Paint had gotten everywhere on the dress. Raelia sat on the floor, catching her breath.

‘At least the stress is gone.’

After everything Juan had put her through. Raelia shook her head as she recalled watching him head off to the countryside with the women he’d been meeting in secret trailing after him.

What could they possibly see in someone like that.

“Are you alright?”

Cassian came over to where Raelia was sitting.

He’d nearly finished the section he’d been working on. Raelia compared her painting to his.

“You’re quite skilled.”

“Who do you think Zenon takes after?”

“Ah, I see.”

Raelia nodded without thinking.

What was remarkable was that not a single drop of paint had gotten on Cassian’s clothes.

The two of them turned to watch Zenon, still enthusiastically brushing away. Cassian sat down beside Raelia.

“It’s exactly the right gift for Zenon.”

“I thought hard about it.”

Cassian gave a small laugh.

“I never could have imagined a gift like this.”

“Better than the opera, isn’t it?”

Cassian agreed at Raelia’s unexpected question.

Sitting together and painting like this felt more meaningful than watching an opera over tea with Zenon.

The two of them watched Zenon’s painting.

A little while later, Zenon set down his brush.

“It’s done!”

“Well done, Zenon.”

“Our Zenon is wonderful.”

Zenon’s face went red at their simultaneous praise.

“I’m pretty impressive.”

The child laughed and said it, then came over and sat down between Raelia and Cassian.

Zenon had painted a golden-haired young lady and a black-haired man with dark eyes, and between them a small boy holding both their hands.

A painting of the people who would become his new family covered the wall.

The evening light fell across the painting like a blessing on the three of them.

“I never thought I’d paint a family portrait here.”

Zenon spoke to them with a heart full of feeling.

“Miss Raelia, my new mother! And Father! I’ll be a truly wonderful son.”

Zenon made his promise to them.

Raelia stroked his hair.

“I’ll be a kind mother.”

Zenon hesitated, then took Raelia’s hand and held it tight.

“You already are.”

The tips of Zenon’s ears went even redder.

Raelia’s own face flushed in answer.