“First of all, only a few people, including Franz and Ian, know the true identity of Angie.”

I nodded. It was only natural that few people knew what kind of oracle Cedrion had received.

“I have explained to the maids who directly attend to you, just as Mila knows, that you picked up Angie.”

“Ah, then the other servants believe something different?”

“They don’t particularly question Norhart’s decisions.”

“They… don’t question them?”

“It has already been 300 years since the North has been united under the name of Norhart. Thankfully, they simply trust it.”

Since the second son of the Great Mage Arcado had settled and ruled in the North for such a long time, the bond between the Grand Duke’s household and the people of the territory seemed to be strong. Though officially a branch of the royal family, Norhart’s position in Arcadia was so unique that it could practically be considered a duchy in its own right.

“For now, we’ll say she is a distant relative. Since Angie’s eyes are the same color as mine, everyone will believe it.”

“Well, if you’re going to adopt her, it’s better to say there’s a blood relation.”

As I nodded thoughtfully, Cedrion continued speaking.

“The Grand Duchy itself is bustling, but the further north you go into the mountainous regions, the more common it is for people to die from various incidents. It’s easy to create a backstory for a child left alone. Besides, I never really intended to marry anyway.”

“Were you really planning to remain single?”

I recalled the time when Viscount Nielsen had mentioned Cedrion’s supposed declaration of bachelorhood, which had led me to assume Angie’s biological mother had run away while pregnant. But now, considering the oracle, it seemed there had been no connection between him and Angie’s birth mother at all.

“So, saying that she is a distant relative of Norhart means… that Angie’s parents are dead and that they weren’t actually from the family line?”

Angie wasn’t born without parents, after all.

At my words, Cedrion looked down at me with a troubled expression for a moment.

We had stopped in front of my room.

Since his response didn’t come easily to what wasn’t even a particularly important statement, I looked up at him in confusion.

“Could it be that all of this…”

“If not for the oracle, I wouldn’t have needed to keep secrets from you or tell any lies.”

Cedrion’s face, as he looked down at me from above, was as solemn as ever. But somehow, it seemed to carry a trace of warmth or perhaps bitterness.

“And about remaining single… I had resolved that from a young age, for a similar reason.”

“What about an heir?”

“For a similar reason, I saw no need.”

Could the oracle have meant that Norhart’s successor would be chosen by the heavens separately? The concept of a world where oracles were passed down was truly enigmatic.

“When young Odelia heard that I had no plans to marry, she said she would become the crown princess, give birth to a child, and then offer her second child to me as an heir.”

“What?”

Could noble children really be so precocious as to plan their family affairs from such a young age?

As my face openly displayed my bewilderment, the corner of Cedrion’s mouth stretched into a long smirk.

“Anyway. The plan is for Angie to be a distant relative of Norhart, an orphan adopted after losing her parents. To prepare for any investigations he might conduct, we’re making sure there’s evidence to support the story.”

“…That sounds good. But Baron Alterman knows I was searching for Angie’s biological parents.”

“Then we’ll say that while you were looking for Angie’s real parents after finding her, I happened to discover a relative’s child.”

***

Thus, as of yesterday, Angie officially held the status of a distant relative of the Norhart Grand Duchy.

“Oh dear, losing her parents at such a young age.”

“Well, the northwest always struggles with bandit raids.”

“But thanks to the baby, the Lady and His Grace met, didn’t they?”

“She’s a fateful child…!”

Hah, haha, hahaha…

The staff of the boutique gazed at me with eyes shining as brightly as the maids’ had when Cedrion had come to see me. Well, the Grand Duke’s love story must indeed be an enjoyable topic for the people of the territory…

Whether she understood the attention she was receiving or not, Angie was busy wriggling in excitement at the sight of my elegantly dressed figure.

“Kyaha! Doa!”

“His Grace’s golden eyes are beautiful, but the baby’s soft golden eyes are just as lovely… Ah, another burst of inspiration.”

Madame Cindy clutched her forehead as if feeling faint from an overwhelming idea.

“Madame, do you also make children’s clothing?”

“I don’t, but seeing such an adorable baby, I simply cannot resist.”

“Ah, then perhaps…”

Narrowing my eyes, I cautiously observed Madame Cindy’s expression.

“While it may be difficult to have one ready for tomorrow’s tea party with the Crown Prince, from now on, I’d like my dresses to be matched with outfits for the baby. Preferably in the traditional Norhart style.”

So, a matching outfit.

Madame Cindy’s eyes gleamed as if she had immediately grasped my intention.

“You mean—”

“It would be good for His Highness the Crown Prince to see that I, as her mother, love this baby whom His Grace has adopted.”

“Mmuah! Doooa!”

At my words, everyone seated in the reception room blushed shyly. Dame Greta, standing by the door, began writing something in her notebook with great enthusiasm.

Regardless of their reactions, all of this was for Michael to see.

It had to truly look like Odelia was getting engaged purely out of love, only then would his suspicions ease.

That was the only way I could live a peaceful life in Norhart.

Swallowing my silent determination, I smiled even more radiantly.

***

The next day, the East Wing was bustling from early morning. Michael was scheduled to arrive in the late afternoon, and preparations had to be made accordingly.

Since he would be staying in the annex anyway, our duty was not to decorate the surroundings but to prepare myself and Angie.

From dawn, I bathed in a tub infused with aromatic oils, received a massage, had my hair done. Meanwhile, Dame Gwendolyn had me drink a specially prepared medicinal tea every hour to support me through what would be a mentally and physically exhausting day.

‘Ugh, my tongue feels numb.’

Dame Gwendolyn’s tea boasted an even more developed bitterness than yesterday. She had gained permission from Cedrion to access the herbal greenhouse, and with the variety of herbs now at her disposal, she managed to create a different kind of bitterness each time.

“My lady, aren’t you nervous?”

Throughout the hours of preparation, my nanny looked somewhat uneasy.

“Nervous?”

“Well, it’s been a while since you last saw His Highness the Crown Prince…”

The mention of the Crown Prince made my nanny’s face visibly uneasy. She clearly wished for me to have nothing more to do with Michael but couldn’t articulate why, leaving her frustrated.

She probably never imagined I had already heard about the past from Cedrion.

Knowing what had happened in my childhood, I could clearly see the worry in her expression.

‘That incident happened on the day she was away from home, didn’t it?’

There was no fault on her part for trusting the royal guards and leaving, but that didn’t erase her guilt.

‘That must be why the Marquis ordered her to keep it completely secret from Odelia.’

If I even hinted at remembering anything, my nanny would only be more hurt. So, for now, I decided to keep pretending I knew nothing.

“It’s fine. Cedrion will take care of all the troublesome matters anyway.”

I met my nanny’s gaze through the mirror and smiled sweetly. Whether it was my tone or my choice of words, the maids fixing my hair exchanged glances and blushed, as if interpreting it as a display of affection for my fiancé.

My nanny, though still unable to fully mask her concerns, seemed somewhat reassured just by hearing Cedrion’s name.

Just then—

“Ah! Oh no!”

A shrill cry from Mila broke the air.

“What happened?”

“Um, Nanny, well…”

Mila barely managed to respond to the nanny’s question with a trembling voice.

“I was smoothing out the pleats of the hem, and…”

“Oh dear, you should be more careful!”

The nanny looked ready to smack Mila on the back. Peering into the mirror, I saw that while using a magical iron to refine the silk, Mila had accidentally left a faint, eye-shaped mark on the dress’s fabric.

It was a classic Mila mistake, given her clumsy hands.

The Norhart maids fixing my hair also paled as they watched for my reaction. This was an outfit made especially for today, so of course, they were worried.

If I were truly Odelia, this was the moment I should be furious…

“There’s nothing to be done. It’s on the hem, so it won’t be very noticeable. It’s fine.”

“M-My lady…”

“Are you sure…?”

There was no time, and no reason to be upset. Besides, there was no point in arousing the Norhart maids’ suspicions.

“Everyone’s busy, so mistakes happen. Once His Highness the Crown Prince leaves, I’ll speak to ‘him’ and make sure you all get a bonus.”

The moment I referred to Cedrion as ‘him’ and mentioned a bonus, the maids’ faces lit up with uncontainable joy.

Even my nanny, who had been so worried just moments ago, simply smiled in satisfaction.

***

A carriage, painted in a soft beige and heavily adorned with gold and jewels, arrived at the castle gates.

“Did they use a teleportation magic circle to transport the entire carriage?”

“Yes. For security reasons, it’s a rule to use only royal property, whether it be carriages or mounts.”

“Thank you.”

I glanced up at Cedrion, who was standing beside me.

Dressed in his formal attire, Cedrion looked stunning as always. The tie beneath his collar was made of the same silk fabric as my dress.

Madame Cindy wasn’t just talented in design—her execution was remarkable. The moment she realized we wanted to emphasize a family-like image, she had immediately crafted a matching tie for Cedrion and a cloak for Angie to complement my dress.

Angie, wrapped in a cloak of the same color as my dress, was cradled in Cedrion’s arms, surveying the surroundings with a serious expression.

There was no need to formally introduce Angie, but I was sure Baron Alterman had already whispered about my ‘flaw.’

‘Saying that I had a child from some affair, or some other nonsense.’

The best defense was a good offense.

Before anyone had a chance to mention Angie as my weakness, it would be better to preemptively introduce her to emphasize the closeness between Cedrion and me.

Just as I was solidifying my resolve, the carriage door swung open.