“How did you know that?”

“I often spent time with village commoner children in my childhood. I learned it then.”

It was an aspect I hadn’t even thought of. A direction that even I, with memories of 21st century Earth, hadn’t considered. No matter how much she had lived with commoners, being able to observe causation between seemingly unrelated factors and think of policies based on that was amazing in itself.

This sister should be taking civil service exams here instead of being a gay couple’s cover. She’s a talent who could become a government policy specialist if properly cultivated. Just looking at her examining documents with bright eyes shows that. I get tired after looking at more than a few pages.

“Isn’t it difficult?”

When I asked her, Mélisande shook her head with a slightly flushed face.

“No, it’s interesting. And…… amazing.”

White is paper and black is numbers, yet she finds it amazing? When I asked again with doubt, Mélisande caressed the spaces between letters as if stroking something precious.

“Think about it. Each of these numbers directly affects people’s lives.”

The gentle smile she wore was like a holy mother appearing in scripture, making me stare at her blankly for a moment.

“A country girl like me, who could have existed or not existed, becomes a ruler who can change other people’s lives. I could add one number to make this person happier, or subtract to make them unhappy.”

Mélisande continued speaking dreamily.

“I hope someone can smile because of me. ……And I hope they remember me then. That they smiled because of me. That the existence of this person called Mélisande Silvia was not forgotten.”

***

Time passed quickly, and Rauli court, which had returned around the end of spring, was facing late summer. The ladies who had strolled through gardens admiring flowers moved their social gatherings indoors to marble-cooled interiors due to the sweltering heat, and the court kitchen busily crushed precious ice daily to make shaved ice.

In this world without refrigerators, obtaining ice in midsummer required either transporting it from snow-covered northern mountain ranges or using extremely precious magical cooling devices, so cold beverages were truly a luxury that could only be enjoyed in the imperial palace. While thinking various random thoughts, I took a sip of cold tea with ice.

“Does it suit your taste?”

Sophie Lambize, the host of the tea party, smiled brightly. Sophie, the daughter of a family belonging to the same faction as Levizet, seemed to quite like Mélisande and often invited her along with me.

Fortunately. Sophie’s gatherings were attended by many young people who were still inexperienced but promising for the future, making it a good place for Mélisande to build friendships.

“Yes, the fragrance is truly excellent. Did the vice admiral bring this?”

“Yes. He obtained it for me during his return voyage from Milledia.”

Various rare foods that Sophie’s naval father directly imported from overseas were a bonus. The luxury of enjoying cold-brewed Milledian hibiscus tea, which hadn’t been officially imported yet, was something even the imperial palace could hardly enjoy easily.

Sophie smiled freshly and offered tea to Sir Mazer sitting across from her. I leisurely watched his face turn red like a tomato while listening to the chatter.

Ah, one shouldn’t dismiss the idle chatter from gatherings of young people. Those gathered here were most likely to become the ones moving the Lamuah Empire in the future. Rather, if one wanted to know how the world was turning, it was good to listen carefully.

“By the way, did you hear? About the war against Vizern……”

Right, things like this.

The war story from the northern regions, one of the major topics in recent social gatherings, began to emerge. Of course, I already knew the war would end in three years, but since I didn’t know the detailed circumstances, I listened carefully. What supplies were needed, where conditions were poor, where victories had been achieved, etc.

Sir Mazer, who had been blushing while looking at Sophie, began earnestly expounding on the importance of the war. He even began praising the great achievements of Grand Duke Nicerion, who was winning consecutive victories.

“They say anyone who sees Grand Duke Nicerion’s swordsmanship cannot doubt that he is the ruler of the North. The aura of his sword is like sharp ice wind, and stories circulate that even enemy forces submit to his stern majesty. I heard he recently cut his blue-black hair short, and when he swung the sword he carries just once, it was cut clean off. Ah, the name of the black horse he rides is Argos……”

The TMI is getting increasingly severe. At this rate, we’ll hear about the color of the Northern Grand Duke’s underwear. I pretended not to know and lifted my teacup, feeling uncomfortable with the topic. I didn’t particularly want to think about the male lead who would surely become the villain’s executioner according to the original work.

Especially in a situation where the male lead had completely ignored the future heroine, his destined partner, and disappeared after recklessly confessing to me, a passing villain.

“Ah, by the way, did you hear that story?”

“What story?”

“There’s a lady who melted that person’s heart, which is like northern wind and cold snow!”

I choked on the tea I was swallowing when I heard those words. Cough cough!

“Alix, are you alright?”

Mélisande, more startled than I was, hurriedly pulled out her handkerchief.

“I’m, cough, I’m fine. I choked.”

I barely calmed the worried Mélisande and listened to the story. Fortunately, because attention focused on the grand duke’s lady, I could avoid the situation of everyone watching me cough. One of the young men agreed.

“That’s right. My uncle’s friend serves as a retainer in the grand duchy and is participating in the war against Vizern, so I heard. His Grace the Grand Duke has a lady he adores, and he swore to fight solely to dedicate glory to that person.”

Could that possibly be me……? Ominous chills rose along my spine.

“That’s right. His Grace the Grand Duke sometimes gazes south with a melancholy face. That must surely be where his lady is, right? I heard he never parts from a handkerchief he received as a token from that lady!”

Huh? I never gave him a handkerchief or anything. I was slightly confused when Sir Mazer spoke enthusiastically.

“That’s correct. My older brother, who is currently participating as an officer, saw the white cloth His Grace the Grand Duke treasures. He never parts with it from his chest.”

The ladies exclaimed at the romantic story. One girl opened her mouth dreamily.

“I envy that lady. Who could she be?”

“Unfortunately, it hasn’t been revealed who she is yet. However……”

However what? I tensed my entire body, worried that something similar to my name might come up.

“According to rumors, more than one or two people have seen His Grace the Grand Duke calling the name ‘Victoire.'”

Victoire?

All strength left me. What, it was another woman?

It seems the Northern Grand Duke was just a common love-at-first-sight type. He must have been falling for women here and there before meeting the heroine. Isn’t this a bit character-breaking?

It seems my previous worries were pointless. I had been making a fuss about what to do if the original male lead fell for me instead of the heroine, but it turns out the other person was a love-at-first-sight type. I felt a subtle mix of slight relief, absurdity, and embarrassment.

By the way, who is this Victoire?

The name Victoire, meaning ‘victory,’ was truly a common name. In Korean terms, it would be like ‘Ji-young’ or ‘Min-ju.’ Just among the Victoires I knew, there would be three or four in this court, and if you counted people with Victoire as their second or third name rather than their first, the number would be ten times that.

Right now, the full name of Sophie, the host of this gathering, was Sophie Victoire Anne Lambize, the name of the maid attached to my room was also Jeanne Victoire, and there were two Victoires among our family’s collateral branches……

I don’t know. Who could this ‘Victoire’ be, who had enough significant weight to exchange handkerchiefs? At least she absolutely didn’t appear in the original work.

“If he adores someone to that extent, why doesn’t he immediately make her his grand duchess?”

“Well. Perhaps she’s a woman of humble status?”

“Or she might be someone who already has a partner and cannot be united with him.”

The ladies giggled while painting a rather romantic and poignant romance about the master of the North. I couldn’t quite join in and pondered alone about the identity of the mysterious ‘Victoire.’ Who could that person be, who didn’t even appear in the original work?

Ah, perhaps she died before the original work’s main story began. There were descriptions of plagues sweeping through once or twice before the male lead appeared in the novel (that is, when Mélisande was being thoroughly neglected).

Did he lose a lover he shared his heart with to a plague? Then he’s truly a pitiful person. I clicked my tongue inwardly. I prayed he would return soon and fall into true love with Mélisande, healing each other’s wounds.

Whether she knew my thoughts or not, Mélisande was as calm as if listening to someone else’s story. Well, she still had no idea that ‘little Theo,’ who she had played with in childhood, was Grand Duke Nicerion. I stared at Mélisande sitting beside me and our eyes met. Mélisande smiled slightly.

‘We should stock up more cotton.’

Mélisande whispered barely audibly. Though it might seem out of nowhere, I understood immediately. The current topic of the tea party was the occupation of Vizern’s Belvue region and the grand duke’s fight to reclaim it. And since Martua port in Belvue was one of the major entry points for Milledian cotton, cotton supply would become difficult.

Our dear sister has already reached the level of not just accepting situations at face value but reading the factors involved in those situations! While internally popping champagne and celebrating, I managed my expression and only slightly raised the corners of my mouth.

‘Right. Good analysis.’