‘Satin, I’m a capable knight. I’m confident in chasing and capturing more than anyone. We can bet who will win this hide-and-seek.’

He showed confidence.

Fortunately, that day, Rublier didn’t approach any further. But his attitude was relaxed enough to step back and say, ‘Good night, Satin.’

On the contrary, Satin was the anxious one. Subconsciously, questions starting with ‘now’ and ‘how’ constantly wandered in her mind.

In addition, Rublier’s dark blue eyes were etched in her memory, and she kept recalling the fingers that carefully touched her bitten lip, causing her sleepless nights while Rublier stayed at home.

She hadn’t found any answers yet, and she worried about the day of the National Foundation Day, where her ex-fiancé would be, and she would attend with Rublier.

For now, she had no idea what to do.

…Let’s postpone the unsolvable problem and find something to do immediately, something that must be done.

First, she needed to get used to being in places with many people. Having avoided people for a while, she barely remembered what topics to talk about or how to naturally mingle with acquaintances.

Since she had to attend the official event anyway, it was better to practice. Satin decided to break her seclusion and attend Madam Suzanne’s salon.

* * *

People cheered in unison upon seeing Satin, who had come after a long time.

“Satin! Oh, should we call you Madam now?”

“For now, just Satin will do.”

It would be troublesome if the name Madam Satin stuck too deeply in people’s minds, especially since they had to divorce later. She was worrying about that issue now. Satin quickly added to avoid suspicion.

“I’m still getting used to it.”

“They said the Holy Knights were away for a long time. You must’ve been alone, so it’s natural to find married life awkward.”

“I understand. After I got married, I woke up one morning and thought, ‘Why is this man here?’ But within a few months, I felt lonely if I woke up alone in bed.”

Madam Eckle and other acquaintances chimed in with Satin. Although she had anticipated various reactions, the enthusiasm directed at her was far greater than expected. Satin soon realized the reason.

“Satin, your wedding!”

“Yes?”

“Your wedding was the best I’ve ever seen!”

With someone breaking the ice, exclamations poured out like a burst dam.

“It was full of twists and turns. I never imagined that woman would sing the entrance hymn. When you declared the annulment, I was so worried about how it would end.”

“The events unfolded unpredictably, and watching from the guest seats, the wedding felt like a theatrical stage to me. Truly a stage with stunning and amazing twists.”

“You must have gone through a lot, Satin.”

“But your efforts weren’t in vain. The Paladin was incredibly impressive. Who would have thought he’d suddenly kneel and propose right there?”

The moment Rublier knelt and proposed. From then on, everything that happened was indeed like a play. A play known only to the parties involved, unknown to others.

That day, Satin was an actor playing the bride. Without Rublier’s quick thinking, her clumsy acting would have been exposed long ago.

Satin forced a smile. Her salon acquaintances, who were unaware of the news, eagerly shared the accumulated gossip.

“Do you know? Gjorn’s position within the Sel Wio family has significantly weakened.”

“Madam Eckle, how could you say that to Satin? She probably doesn’t want to hear it, especially since she’s happily married to someone much better now.”

“Oh my… I wasn’t thinking. I’m sorry.”

Madam Eckle apologized. Satin, who instinctively stiffened at the mention of Gjorn’s name, regained her composure. Gjorn was not a name she could avoid just because it was unpleasant; it was a name she needed to stay informed about recent developments.

“It’s fine. I’ve been staying at home, so I don’t know much about recent events. I’m curious. Was there a lot of talk within the Sel Wio family?”

“Of course. While you tried to settle things with your lover and follow your family’s promise, Gjorn brought his mistress to the wedding…”

Satin resisted the urge to bite her tongue. Judging by people’s reactions, Rublier’s quick thinking had worked exceptionally well. Anyway, Satin was curious about Gjorn’s situation, so she silently agreed.

“We were all shocked, but imagine how astonished the Paladin must have been. In the end, Gjorn only did good for you two. The Sel Wio family is looking for another bride to replace you, but when they find someone suitable, she refuses to marry a man who already has a mistress, and those willing to tolerate the mistress don’t meet the Sel Wio family’s standards. There were even attempts to pressure Gjorn to break up with his mistress, but he refused.”

“And that prima donna too. She’s still popular at the theater, but after almost ruining someone’s wedding, she’s not going to hear good things behind her back. Especially since it wasn’t just any wedding but one between guardian families. So for this National Foundation Day, they invited all the top singers and actors in the country to perform, except her.”

Singers? Actors? Performances?

Of course, artists contribute to the commemorative ceremonies. They create works praising the founding, follow the parade, and perform music.

But it always stayed within the bounds of the Papal Palace’s solemnity. Theater actors might perform on the main stage or at salon gatherings, but they were never invited to official events held by the Papal Palace. Until now.

This custom was broken this time. Satin, hearing the news for the first time, questioned it.

“Are singers and actors performing on stage?”

“Yes, Archbishop Kirion is overseeing this year’s event. He seems to be trying to change the atmosphere from the usual solemn ceremony to a more relaxed social gathering. Being young, he’s quick to think differently.”

“The invited actors and singers’ fees are already skyrocketing. The performances at the main theater will be revamped around the ceremony. But the most famous prima donna was excluded from the list, so imagine how she feels. Still, she can’t complain. The Papal Palace indirectly sanctioned her. That woman won’t last long. No matter how beautiful or talented she is, she’s still a commoner.”

Gjorn’s marriage prospects had worsened, and Delilah was being overshadowed by other actors and singers. Some news was expected, some wasn’t, but it was comforting for Satin nonetheless.

After sharing updates, the conversation shifted to recent trends. Participating by eavesdropping, Satin discreetly slipped away with a glass of drink in hand. It had been a while since she mingled with so many people at once, and she felt somewhat fatigued.

“Satin.”

But Madam Eckle, who had been glancing at her, took the opportunity to approach. Satin turned to her.

“What’s the matter, Madam Eckle?”

“There’s something I need to tell you. Do you have a moment?”

“Of course. What is it?”

Satin responded casually. However, Madam Eckle hesitated to start and looked around. She seemed very concerned about being overheard.

“Could we move somewhere else?”

Madam Eckle requested again. This time, Satin dropped the polite smile she had been wearing. She had previously informed him about Gjorn visiting the opera theater with flowers. It was mistaken for a date with Satin but was actually a sighting of Gjorn meeting Delilah.

Without asking twice, Satin led the way and opened a nearby curtain.

The inside was empty. It was a perfect place for a quiet conversation among two or three people. It was deliberately designed for such purposes.

“Everyone says we should only share happy stories with you, who must be enjoying a blissful newlywed life, so I hesitated to bring this up…”

Madam Eckle’s preamble was long.

“Please, feel free to speak.”

Satin encouraged her to speak without burden. Even so, Madam Eckle hesitated a bit more.

“I’m worried that I might be gossiping unnecessarily about someone who no longer concerns you.”

The nuance was peculiar. Satin picked up on the hint in Madam Eckle’s words. If it was about someone who no longer concerned her, it must be about someone who once did.

There was only one person that came to mind. Gjorn.

Satin asked directly.

“Is it about the Sel Wio family?”

Finally, Madam Eckle nodded.

“I’ve heard some unsettling rumors. It might be nothing, but…”

Should she bother listening to something about Gjorn, who was now irrelevant to her? Satin was conflicted. But the twenty-one years she spent as Gjorn’s fiancée ultimately made her unable to ignore the topic.

If it’s nothing, I’ll just listen and forget about it.

Satin decided.

“What kind of rumor?”

“Satin. That… famous opera singer. The one currently with Gjorn.”

“Miss Delilah?”

“Yes, her.”

Satin frowned. Not because he was angry at Madam Eckle, but because he didn’t like hearing that name.

“What about Miss Delilah?”

“I’m sorry if this upsets you.”

Madam Eckle hesitated and apologized.

“It’s fine.”

Satin urged her to continue.

“…Apparently, she went out and ran into her patron outside.”

Patron?

Delilah had never revealed who her patron was. Seeing Satin’s curiosity, Madam Eckle quickly added.