As expected, the male lead was indeed the male lead. Even though it was the crack of dawn with the sun barely up, Michael alone looked as bright as if it were midday.

“I greet the morning star of Arcadia.”

“Ah, Lady Lure. That kind of stiff greeting was enough for yesterday. Between us.”

Between us? What kind of relationship do we even have? From reading the original story and hearing Cedrion’s account, it wasn’t exactly a good one…

Sensing my bewilderment, Cedrion took a step forward as if shielding me and spoke.

“Did Your Highness sleep well last night? Seeing you out so early, I wondered if our servants might have neglected you, making your rest uncomfortable.”

“Oh, not at all. Seeing the two of you so affectionate yesterday made me think of my own fiancée, which left me feeling quite restless.”

Well, considering his deep and passionate love, and the fact that it hadn’t even been three months since his engagement, it made no sense that he’d go out of his way to personally deliver a decree instead of just sending an envoy.

Then why did you even come here?

“I couldn’t sleep, so I thought I’d take a stroll. The sight of Lady Lure’s garden left quite an impression on me yesterday, and before I knew it, my steps led me here.”

“I see. If you had given us notice after breakfast, His Grace could have guided you again.”

I smiled sweetly at the uninvited guest who had barged into my domain at dawn.

“Oh, no. I couldn’t possibly trouble you over a mere personal curiosity.”

“Oh my, please don’t say that.”

You’re already being a bother, though.

That thought hovered right at the edge of my tongue, but I made sure not to let it slip out.

“But I see you tend to the garden quite early.”

“Yes, I’ve learned from caring for these greens that plants start their day much earlier than I do.”

“Greens…?”

Michael’s expression stiffened slightly in distaste.

Oops. Was that not something Odelia would say?

Not giving him time to dwell on it, I quickly threw myself into my role as the devoted fiancée.

“And so, this man—out of the kindness of his heart—makes time in his busy mornings and evenings to join me in the garden.”

“…Ah, His Grace personally?”

“Yes. Since Odelia cherishes these little green ones so much—”

Cedrion almost referred to them dismissively as “weeds” out of habit, but I quickly squeezed his arm to stop him. Phew. Crisis averted.

“So you truly care for this garden yourself, Lady Lure?”

“How could I possibly deceive Your Highness? Would you like an introduction?”

I swiftly directed attention to the garden, hoping to keep him from nitpicking any further.

“Over here, I planted herbs like basil, arugula, cilantro, and peppermint. Over there, root vegetables like sweet potatoes and carrots. And here, cherry tomatoes and peppers.”

“Ah, more than that—”

As I went on, Michael’s eyes narrowed. He seemed displeased, as if my actual involvement in the garden wasn’t what he had expected.

His sharp gaze then turned toward Mathias.

“And that boy.”

The young knight, despite his broad frame, shifted uncomfortably under scrutiny. The watering can in his hands appeared empty—likely because he had been caught off guard by Michael the moment he arrived, leaving him unable to act.

“I assumed he was some kind of serf tending the garden for you, but now that I see him up close, he has a darker complexion for a northerner, and his build is quite formidable…”

“He is indeed under my care.”

I quickly answered.

I disliked the term “serf,” but considering Michael’s complete lack of respect for Odelia, this kind of remark was hardly surprising.

“He used to serve in the Lure Knights, but since he’s only eighteen, the judiciary granted him leniency, allowing him to…”

“Ah, I see.”

I answered honestly to prevent any unnecessary misunderstandings about Mathias. After all, it wouldn’t be hard for Michael to use his continued presence by my side against us.

“Given the size of the Marquisate of Lure, I suppose it must have been difficult to find enough attendants to serve Lady Lure properly.”

Michael’s words sounded considerate, but the underlying sarcasm was clear as day.

‘And he’s not even trying to hide the fact that he had Baron Alterman keep an eye on me.’

The blue-roofed manor had been provided with far too few servants for its size.

That alone might have been Michael’s doing.

As I pondered this, an awkward silence stretched between us. It had become too late to change the subject naturally, so I simply kept Odelia’s dazzling smile on my face.

Just take the hint and leave, please?

“That cat.”

Then, Cedrion’s sharp gaze landed on the calico cat, and he muttered.

“Do you know it?”

“This cat?”

“Meow.”

The calico cat, which had been circling around Michael’s feet, suddenly leaped back, as if drawing a line.

“Well, it was already here when I arrived.”

“So, Mathias?”

“Ah, when I got here, His Highness was already present, so…”

“Oh my, you must really like this garden. The crops still have a long way to grow, so there wasn’t much to see yet.”

I quickly interjected before Mathias could say anything that might provoke Michael.

Too hastily, in fact, to the point that my sarcasm slipped out unintentionally.

Noticing it—or perhaps because interrupting Mathias was against etiquette—Michael was about to raise an eyebrow in displeasure.

“So, in other words, the future of Arcadia is bright…!”

I added a flattering remark before his gaze could turn any sharper. Though, considering the relationship between Michael and me, such words hardly seemed fitting…

‘Damn, I was so focused on not giving him any ammunition…’

Just as I bit the inside of my lip in slight frustration—

“I heard that cat belongs to the Lord’s Manor in Meldorf, yet strangely enough, it seems to have taken strolls all the way here.”

Cedrion redirected the topic back to the calico cat, helping to defuse the situation.

Thinking back to how overbearing he had been when he first appeared at the blue-roofed manor, it seemed that even Cedrion was using every ounce of his nonexistent social skills in front of the Crown Prince.

‘Both Cedrion and I share the goal of avoiding Michael’s suspicion.’

I almost made things worse by causing unnecessary commotion. While exposing our fake engagement would be a problem, acting in a way that was uncharacteristic of Odelia would also raise suspicions.

“Ah, how curious. Isn’t there quite a distance between Norhart and Meldorf?”

“Indeed. Furthermore, that cat was quite aggressive toward young Mathias, yet it seems rather friendly with Your Highness.”

“Brother, you make it sound as if I personally brought the Meldorf cat here.”

“I simply find it remarkable that a cat I personally returned to Meldorf just a few days ago managed to walk all the way back in three days.”

That was true.

A few days prior, the calico cat had appeared in my garden, and Cedrion had personally taken it back to Meldorf.

Before that, per his orders, Mathias had shown the cat to Mila, who immediately recognized it and greeted it fondly.

“It used to frequent the kitchen of the blue-roofed manor. Sometimes, it would steal the fine cuts of raw meat that Madam bought for the Lady, giving Hans quite the trouble.”

Fine cuts of meat from the blue-roofed manor… Or rather, had it grown attached to the servants but followed me here because the manor was now empty?

With Michael’s arrival yesterday, many outsiders had come and gone from the Grand Duke’s castle. It wouldn’t have been strange if a cat had slipped in among them.

I wasn’t sure how it had traveled from Meldorf to Norhart, but considering how elusive this cat was…

“I wonder if this cat harbors impure intentions toward my fiancée.”

“W-what did you just say?”

Snapped out of my thoughts by the bizarre remark, I looked up at him in shock, but Cedrion merely glared at the calico cat with calm yet piercing golden eyes.

“Meow…”

Perhaps remembering the time Cedrion had subdued it before, the cat, which had been circling nearby, hesitated and let out a timid cry before stepping back.

“My apologies, Your Highness. I may have asked an improper question, but I cannot help but be sensitive when it comes to my beloved fiancée’s safety.”

“Y-you’re being ridiculous. A cat, suspicious? Stop worrying over nothing.”

“When it comes to your safety, there is no such thing as a trivial concern.”

Cedrion’s voice was gentle as he spoke, but his unwavering golden eyes remained locked onto the calico cat.

Completely engrossed in playing the devoted fiancé, Cedrion began tending to the garden with Mathias. Since he had learned how to care for the garden while I was preoccupied with Angie’s separation anxiety, he was more adept at it now than before.

Still, the sight of that cold, imposing man tending to tiny green sprouts that barely reached his knees was rather peculiar…

At any rate, whether or not it looked convincing, Michael didn’t seem particularly suspicious about Cedrion helping with my garden work.

The real problem was that he became so immersed in his role that he refused to let me get a speck of dirt on my hands, making me take a break.

And why was that a problem?

“Odelia Lure.”

Because it meant I ended up sitting alone on a bench—giving Michael the perfect opportunity to talk to me.

And now he was suddenly calling me by my name?

The way he addressed me was so different from before that chills ran down my spine.

“Begging for my attention in this manner again… What exactly are you scheming?”