“Yes.”

Tapnad lowered his head, clearly feeling disheartened. He repeatedly scratched the back of his neck, seemingly too embarrassed to face Martiana.

If his older sister, Melissa, hadn’t gently hit his back to stop him, he might have continued scratching indefinitely.

“It won’t be easy to find them. They know it’s dangerous if they’re exposed.”

“Because they’re heretics?”

“Yes. And if they truly are heretics…”

“…?”

“They’re skilled at deceiving people.”

Melissa searched her memory as she spoke. She could not recall the details precisely, but she remembered learning something along those lines from a Holy Knights’ manual.

“Deceiving?”

“Yes. I’ve never experienced it firsthand, so I can’t say for certain—but we were taught that they can beguile people into seeing falsehoods.”

“That’s why they’re so difficult to track.”

“If the carriage disappeared into the city district, then they must be somewhere in the capital. However, they had concealed themselves so thoroughly that their whereabouts were almost impossible to determine.”

If there had been a pattern to follow, it might have been different. As it was, however, no one could tell whether they had disguised their faces or hidden their refuge.

Even Lawrence only realized the truth after seeing the heretical emblem.

It would not be simple.

‘Then what about me?’

What if it were Martiana?

She could see the traces of heresy.

She did not know how or why—but at present, she might well be the only one capable of distinguishing them.

If so—

‘I have to step forward.’

If they were that hard to find, it was all the more important that she found them.

That was precisely why this tea party mattered.

If they were secretive enough to deceive the public, they would never openly proselytize. It was far more likely that new followers would be introduced quietly through personal connections.

That was Martiana’s goal as well: to be introduced to heresy by someone already deeply involved in it.

For someone born into a family that had produced High Priests, embracing heresy could be considered a grave moral failing.

But what choice did she have?

For now, it was almost the only path left to her.

‘I’m sorry, my Lord.’

Martiana silently murmured her apology.

Even though the tea party had not yet begun, she felt a pang of conscience.

Still, she could not help it.

For her child, she could endure this much.

She could only hope that the Divine would turn a blind eye for such a reason.

“Ah, place that over there. The flow will be better that way.”

Martiana pointed in the opposite direction at a servant moving things around.

Although it was a tea party, she wanted the guests to stroll through the garden, in keeping with the season. Even the direction of movement required careful consideration.

Every detail mattered, from the time of day to the attire for the occasion.

“Melissa, you’ll be with me that day, won’t you? Then shall we coordinate our colors?”

Martiana opened a nearby catalogue and showed it to her, lifting her shoulders slightly.

It displayed various fabrics and colors. Pointing to a shade of sky blue, Martiana spoke.

“I’m thinking of making a corsage with this. At this size, it shouldn’t interfere with your Holy Knight uniform, right?”

“I’ll be fine. You should be the one taking care of yourself, Lady Martiana.”

“Of course I will. Don’t say that—let’s use this and—”

“No, not that.”

“…?”

Martiana turned to look at Melissa, taken aback by the interruption. Her eyes silently asked what she meant.

Meeting her gaze, Melissa lowered her own awkwardly before continuing.

“I’m not well-versed in high society, but… the Duchess hasn’t given much thought to her attire.”

It could easily have been perceived as impolite. However, this was the conclusion Melissa had reached after observing Martiana over the past few days.

Initially, Melissa had assumed that Martiana would handle everything appropriately. Despite the tea party preparations being so sudden, Martiana had managed the arrangements methodically.

However, as the days passed, Melissa began to notice something.

Nothing was being prepared for Martiana herself.

Nothing beyond the tea party.

Take her clothing, for instance.

Melissa had heard that noblewomen usually visited dressmakers long before an event. Yet Martiana had not sought out a single one.

Nor had she invited a designer to the residence.

The only thing she mentioned was a single corsage.

Was that truly sufficient for a duchess?

Finally, Melissa gathered the courage to speak, but felt a pang of guilt when Martiana looked taken aback.

“Ah… my dress?”

Martiana lowered her gaze slightly. The pale lavender dress she was wearing came into view.

It was a simple, modestly designed dress, almost entirely devoid of ornamentation.

She had worn it countless times and found it so ordinary that she had never considered it lacking.

“Is it not suitable? As it is now?”

“It’s not that… I don’t know much about the standards of noblewomen. But it doesn’t look new.”

Melissa bowed her head as she answered, too embarrassed to meet Martiana’s eyes.

Seeing her like that, Martiana let out a faint, wry smile.

“It is rather old.”

She acknowledged it without hesitation.

At least five years had passed.

During that entire period, she hadn’t purchased anything new.

Clothes. Jewelry. Even the smallest trinkets — everything remained exactly as it had been.

Because on the day she lost her daughter, Martiana’s time had stopped.

The thought had never even crossed her mind.

Whether something was old or worn meant nothing to her.

Material things had no value.

What did she need them for?

She was a mother who had lost her child.

If her clothes became worn, she simply kept wearing them. What right did she have to complain?

That had never changed.

Even after she started leaving her room again, she never thought she needed to buy anything.

Nothing in the world could satisfy her.

The only thing she desired was Licorice.

“I understand what you’re worried about, Melissa. But it’s all right.”

She didn’t intend to look like she was wearing rags.

If anyone was going to judge her based on her clothes, she didn’t want to meet them. After all, the purpose of the tea party was to discuss the heretic, not to admire her attire.

Besides—

‘I’ll be leaving soon.’

She had no wish to indulge in unnecessary luxury.

Any money she spent would come from the House of Vandyk.

Splurging her husband’s money at a time when their separation was already predicted felt burdensome.

And that was not the only reason.

Although she was hosting guests, the House of Vandyk was still in mourning.

Their only daughter was still missing.

Martiana was a mother who had lost her child.

Any extravagant adornment would have been unthinkable.

The corsage was the only concession she had allowed herself out of a sense of propriety.

‘Did it look insufficient?’

Perhaps.

Her wardrobe had always been modest to begin with.

Even so—

“I’m not ashamed.”

Martiana smiled gently at Melissa.

For a brief moment, Melissa looked startled—then returned the smile just the same.

“Not being ashamed… Frugality is, after all, a virtue of the temple.”

Melissa nodded, interpreting Martiana’s words as befitting a Holy Knight.

Martiana hadn’t intended to phrase it that way, but she didn’t bother correcting her. Instead, she turned her gaze back towards the garden.

The sun would soon set. It was best to finish what remained before dusk.

And yet—

“Melissa?”

At some point, Melissa grabbed her.

This happened no more than two steps after they had finished talking.

Still holding Martiana’s arm, Melissa stared intently in a particular direction. Rather than pointing, it would be more accurate to say that she was staring intently in that direction.

Intently.

Martiana could not understand what was happening; it had happened so suddenly.

“Melissa?”

“Did you summon the guard?”

Melissa asked without taking her eyes off that direction.

At that, Martiana followed her gaze.

But—

“Has the guard come?”

She saw nothing.

Only trees and grass. Servants moving through the garden. The walls encircling the ducal residence.

“That way. A few seem to be gathered outside. If you did not call them, shall I find out what this is about?”

“No. My husband must have sent them.”

That must have been it.

He had mentioned dispatching guards after her previous report — something about investigating Drisena regarding the heirloom that the attacker had been carrying.

Martiana did not think much of it because of that memory. She dismissed it as nothing more than a passing matter.

She never imagined it would become a problem later on.

Not even in her dreams.

Certainly not on the day of the tea party she had worked so hard to prepare.

***

“What do you mean by that?”

No one could have foreseen that with those words, the relationship between Martiana and Siliar would enter an entirely new phase.