“The only invitation I received was yours, Grand Duchess.”

When she smiled brightly, Cali’s lips parted slightly.

Then Cali also broke into a wide smile and let out an exclamation.

“Aha! So that’s what happened?”

Only then did Rayenne take a sip of tea.

The floral tea with a fragrance she’d never tasted at the ducal residence or in Shuga’s office was incredibly sweet.

“The tea is really delicious.”

“I see… The duke intercepted them.”

Just like Shuga had suspected Jin would do that, Cali also quickly figured out the truth.

Having solved the mystery, Cali looked almost overwhelmed—enough that Rayenne’s voice didn’t seem to register.

Rayenne sipped the sweet floral tea that suited her taste perfectly and waited for Cali to enjoy the moment a bit longer.

Fortunately, Cali didn’t keep Rayenne waiting long.

“Then why did Duke Daihan only deliver my letter?”

Like Shuga, like Cali, like Dante—everyone seemed so curious that most of their conversations consisted of questions.

‘Do high-ranking people always have so many questions?’

But aside from Dante, the other two didn’t ask particularly difficult questions.

“The duke seemed quite intimidated by you, Grand Duchess?”

‘He did struggle with whether to dispose of the letter.’

Though the answer contained a bit of flattery, Rayenne smiled innocently with an unbothered expression.

Whether she was naturally easily surprised, Cali’s eyes widened again this time.

“Duke Daihan was?”

“Yes. And… he also said you were someone it would be fine to get close to.”

This was true.

Though it was an excessively honest answer, Rayenne wasn’t worried Cali would get angry.

From what she’d observed in this short time, Cali had an open and straightforward personality, in Rayenne’s judgment.

Rayenne knew well that with people like this, clumsily hiding things to make a good impression would actually backfire.

“Ahaha!”

As proof, Cali burst into hearty laughter.

Considering her status, it was laughter that might seem out of place at first glance.

“Duke Daihan knows how to judge people!”

“I think so too.”

Agreeing with Cali’s words and taking another sip of tea, Rayenne suddenly bent down toward a floating plant that had drifted to her feet.

But laughter erupted from above her head again.

“Haha! Did the duchess enjoy a secret rendezvous with the duke in the garden before coming here?”

“What?”

A secret rendezvous!

Even Rayenne, who’d been composed all along, was startled by that.

‘A secret rendezvous with the duke. We sleep in the same bed but don’t even hold hands…’

But since she couldn’t say that outright, Rayenne had no choice but to ask cautiously.

“Why would you suddenly ask such a thing…?”

“Well, there’s a leaf stuck to the back of the duchess’s head. Isn’t it obvious then? Surely the duchess didn’t take a nap in the garden.”

Of course she hadn’t taken a nap.

‘Though I did doze off for a moment.’

Rayenne kept this fact that came to mind to herself again.

Instead, she couldn’t stop her gaze from drifting into space from embarrassment.

“I didn’t nap in the garden, but sometimes I lie down and rest there to refresh myself.”

At the voice clearly showing discomfort, Cali burst into clear laughter again this time too.

Unlike her haughty and willful appearance, she seemed to laugh quite a lot.

“Was today one of those times?”

“Yes.”

At Rayenne’s answer that came without hesitation, Cali laughed for quite a while before gesturing quietly.

‘Is she telling me to come closer?’

“Bend your head down.”

When Rayenne obediently lowered her head, Cali removed the leaf she’d mentioned.

Indeed, it was a colored leaf that couldn’t be seen in this lush green greenhouse—too different to have gotten stuck here.

“You’re quite an interesting person, Duchess.”

Thinking that Cali, who kept laughing, was also quite interesting in her own way, Rayenne popped a biscuit into her mouth.

“So you came here after resting in the garden?”

Cali, who only now took a sip of tea, asked with a smile.

“Yes. It’s a space I really love, so I sometimes go there to rest when my head feels complicated.”

“I’d like to visit too. Will you invite me next time?”

Her initially strong tone seemed to have softened a bit.

Just as Rayenne had judged, perhaps her honesty had broken down Cali’s walls.

“I will. After asking Jin.”

She said that because Jin was the master of the ducal house anyway, but Cali seemed to think differently.

“You two—not just with the letter matter, but you seem to get along better than expected.”

“Do we?”

When Rayenne laughed awkwardly, Cali smiled mysteriously.

“In my view, yes. I’m curious enough to want to hear your marriage story.”

What story could there be about a political marriage arranged by the previous generation?

Still, it was fortunate that they seemed to be getting along well.

It meant the first item of her ‘Plan for a Smooth Divorce’—‘maintain a smooth relationship with Jin’—was being implemented well.

“There’s nothing worth telling others. We just got married like other ordinary nobles.”

Political marriages accounted for eight or nine out of ten cases in noble society.

So even if she told it, it would surely be tedious for both the teller and the listener.

“Really? Still, tell me about it sometime when you feel like it.”

Brown eyes beneath long eyebrows folded gently.

The haughty and overbearing feeling she’d initially sensed had almost completely disappeared now.

When Cali gestured, a maid who’d been waiting in the distance approached holding something.

After placing a luxurious box on the table, the maid returned to her position.

“This is a wedding gift. It’s late, but congratulations, Lady Rayenne.”

At the suddenly changed form of address, Rayenne blinked and the corners of her eyes curved beautifully.

Grand Duchess Cali was giving a gift not to Duchess Daihan, but to Rayenne Shellon.

“…Thank you, Grand Duchess.”

A gift received as ‘Lady Rayenne’ was quite touching.

As Rayenne received the gift box, Cali added something.

It was a remark tossed out like a favor, but the content wasn’t something to be taken lightly.

“Call me Cali from now on. And speak comfortably too.”

“What?”

“I’m saying let’s be friends, Rayenne.”

Her smile as she winked one eye was as refreshing as her attitude.

Rayenne, who’d been dazed for a moment, finally burst into laughter.

“Alright, Cali. You really mean to speak comfortably?”

“You’re already speaking comfortably. I didn’t expect you to accept this proposal so readily.”

Ordinary noble ladies or madams would have hesitated. But Rayenne was someone still more accustomed to a classless, equal society.

Moreover, when the person making the proposal was a Grand Duchess, there was no reason to refuse such a good offer.

At the refreshing acceptance, satisfaction bloomed across Cali’s face, seemingly pleased with that in its own way.

“This is the first time I’ve met someone who fits so well.”

“I’m glad we fit well.”

Rayenne felt good too.

It was the first gift she’d received since possessing this body, and her first friend.

The first friend of ‘Rayenne,’ who had ended her life alone and lonely.

That felt more like a gift than the present in her hands.

“What are you doing? Hurry up and open it.”

At Cali’s urging as she drank tea in a relaxed posture, Rayenne calmly opened the gift box.

Inside the gift box was a jewelry set.

The accessories—earrings, necklace, and ring all made in one design—had ornately embossed silver borders with large opals embedded in them that gave off a mysterious blue light.

“I thought it would suit your black hair well. Try it on.”

This time, without even gesturing, the maid approached and helped put on the jewelry.

“It really suits you well.”

Hearing the pure admiration, Rayenne fidgeted with the ring.

Even to her own eyes, it really did suit her well.

“Thank you… truly.”

Instead of answering, Cali just drank her tea with a smiling face.

***

After the meeting with Cali, the carriage that should have headed to the ducal residence went in a different direction.

By the time she noticed they were on a different path from the way they’d come, they’d already entered a completely unfamiliar road.

‘Should I stop the carriage? Surely I’m not being kidnapped? But I’m the duchess? Or wait, am I being kidnapped because I’m the duchess?’

Suspicions led to more suspicions in a chain.

‘The mistress hasn’t already appeared and is watching from somewhere, has she?’

Just as she was about to knock on the wall connecting to the driver’s seat in her anxiety—

“This is…”

At the familiar street that appeared again, Rayenne withdrew her hand.

Though it wasn’t the road to the Daihan ducal house, it was the only road Rayenne knew.

It was the road to the imperial palace.

‘No way.’

The hypothesis that crossed Rayenne’s mind became reality when the carriage stopped.

Beyond the door that opened as soon as the carriage stopped, Jin was there.

“Jin.”

“I ordered them to bring you here. Are you surprised?”

“Um… a little.”

Actually, she was very surprised.

Rayenne stared at Jin, who extended his hand without boarding the carriage.

“I’ll go to the library with you today as well.”

“You too, Jin?”

“Yes.”

She took Jin’s hand along with her question and stepped down from the carriage.

Once Rayenne found her balance and stood, Jin gently pulled the hand he was holding.

Though they’d accompanied each other to destinations before, this was the first time they’d shared an itinerary, so it felt awkward for no reason.

“If there are books you want to read, you can borrow them, so please let me know.”

“I will.”

The library that usually felt close suddenly felt so far away today, and Rayenne just rolled her eyes around aimlessly.

“Oh, I’ve decided to be friends with Cali… the Grand Duchess.”

She’d only brought it up to dispel the awkwardness, but Jin’s reaction was bigger than expected.

Seeing an expression that greatly deviated from her expectation that he’d be indifferent and say ‘Is that so,’ Rayenne was even more surprised.

“As friends, you say?”

His widened blue eyes were beautiful. Meeting eyes that were brighter than the opal she’d received as a gift, Rayenne nodded.

“Yes. But I didn’t expect you to be this surprised, Jin.”

“I never imagined you’d become friends.”

Rayenne felt the same way.

She’d only focused on living a life different from the original story and hadn’t thought at all about everyday aspects like meeting someone, becoming close, and becoming friends.

That’s why Cali’s proposal made her even happier and felt even better.

“Me too.”

Jin couldn’t take his eyes off Rayenne’s face as she smiled brightly while thinking of Cali.

“I’m glad.”

It seemed Jin had been anxious too.

“Right. Actually, I didn’t say anything, but until we arrived, I wasn’t feeling great and was quite worried.”

Jin just gazed intently without any further response.

It had only been her imagination—the distance wasn’t actually far, so the two arrived at the library quickly.