Before stepping out of the carriage, Yuis took a trembling breath. She steadied her breathing, checked her outfit, and pulled the edges of her gloves to smooth out any creases.

It had been a while since she last came to the imperial palace, and she wanted to arrive in perfect form.

As she descended from the carriage, she took a moment to take in the scenery of the palace she hadn’t seen in so long. It looked just the same as she remembered.

Following the attendant’s guidance, she began to walk.

As she moved forward, a light purple flower caught her eye.

‘…Wisteria.’

It was Edric who had told her the name of the beautiful flower on the day they visited the palace together—when she couldn’t take her eyes off it.

Time had passed, and the flower had bloomed again. A soft smile bloomed on Yuis’s lips as well. And at the end of that path, as always, stood Hailey.

Yuis approached the empress, who had come out to greet her, and offered a polite bow.

“I greet Your Majesty, the Empress.”

“Welcome, Duchess of Descartes.”

After exchanging a few words, Hailey and Yuis began walking toward the garden.

When Hailey mentioned that she had prepared apricot tea—Yuis’s favorite—she couldn’t hide the joy that lit up her face.

As Yuis approached the tea table set in the imperial garden, she recognized several familiar faces. They were all ladies she had seen during past social seasons.

Her gaze eventually landed on Olivia, who smiled brightly in her direction. Olivia had reunited with Henry and married him, becoming the Marchioness of Alfred.

The memory of the time when she’d been the target of Empress Hailey’s teasing came to mind, and a small smile lifted the corners of Yuis’s lips.

“Marchioness of Alfred, it’s been a while.”

At Yuis’s greeting, Olivia responded with a delighted voice.

“Duchess of Descartes! How long has it been?”

At Olivia’s bright and lovely demeanor, Yuis returned a soft smile and answered,

“It really has been too long, hasn’t it? And how’s married life, my lady? Do tell me later. I’ve been so curious.”

After exchanging greetings with practiced ease, Yuis took her designated seat. She could feel the subtle weight of a gaze.

Turning her head, she caught sight of Terian—and seated beside her was Amelie.

Yuis offered both of them a courteous nod before settling into the seat closest to the head of the table. Terian and Amelie, meanwhile, were seated at the farthest end.

Once everyone had taken their places, the teacups were filled. The sweet scent of vanilla and apricot gently tickled her nose, creating a pleasant atmosphere.

After taking a sip from her teacup, the Empress set it down and turned her eyes to Yuis, addressing her first with a question.

“Yes, Duchess, how was Hetar? Last time, the Duke was so busy you hardly got to enjoy the trip, didn’t you?”

“This time, it was truly wonderful. We had much more time just for ourselves.”

At her words, the ladies around the table all chimed in with murmurs of agreement and pleasant surprise.

Unlike their first honeymoon—which had made headlines with vivid photos and stories—this recent trip had remained largely private.

All that had been reported was a short note mentioning that the Duke and Duchess of Descartes had taken only the minimum number of attendants with them to enjoy a quiet getaway.

Amid the cheerful chatter, Lady Clever—the Viscountess of Clever—added with a faint smile,

“But… wouldn’t the Countess of Endeavor know Hetar even better? Don’t you think so?”

At that remark, all eyes shifted at once to Amelie.

Their gazes held the cool distance reserved for an outsider. As the princess of Hetar, Amelie could never fully belong in their world.

Yet Amelie smiled as if it were nothing new.

Even so, Yuis noticed the faint tremble at the corner of her lips. She could imagine all too easily the life Amelie must be enduring here—without needing to ask.

“I do hope the Duchess enjoyed her trip. It was an honor to serve her tea during her last visit.”

Acknowledging the effort in her response, Yuis nodded kindly.

“Yes, I remember. The tea you served had a truly wonderful fragrance. And the clothes you lent me—I wore them well.”

“You lent her clothes, Countess?”

“Was something the matter, Duchess?”

Curious eyes turned to Yuis, their voices filled with interest.

She nodded gently before answering.

“There was… a small incident, actually.”

With that, the conversation once again returned to the Duchess of Descartes.

Golden afternoon sunlight poured down, gently illuminating Yuis.

Sitting beside the Empress of the Kalang Empire, smiling as if she had the whole world in her hands—the Duchess of Descartes.

Wife of the nation’s hero, the Duke of Descartes, revered by the social circles of Kalang and admired by the people of the Empire.

She was now someone far beyond comparison.

Yuis was the true centerpiece of this tea party.

Watching the radiant Duchess of Descartes smile, Amelie’s eyes sank low. And yet, she felt strangely relieved now that attention had shifted away from her and onto someone else, and that realization brought only deeper self-loathing.

Her situation had completely reversed from how it had been in Hetar’s royal palace.

This was how she would continue to live—from now on.

Her green eyes, stained faintly with despair, dropped to the teacup in front of her.

It was a life she now had no choice but to accept.

With clear, melodious laughter ringing around her, Amelie quietly took hold of her teacup. And as she brought it to her lips, a carefully drawn smile settled over her expression once more.

During the height of teatime, Yuis briefly excused herself and stepped into the palace.

There was still a private room here prepared just for her. Perhaps because she had departed for the palace early that morning, a slight fatigue lingered.

Or perhaps… it was an early sign of pregnancy.

Kicking off the shoes that tightly encased her feet, Yuis settled into the chair with a deep breath—hoo…

At that very moment, a knock came at the door—knock knock—

She straightened up immediately, slipped her shoes back on, and responded with composed grace.

“Yes.”

Yuis had expected the knock to be from a maid sent by Hailey—but that expectation was swiftly proven wrong. The one who stepped inside was none other than Terian, now the Duchess of Johannes.

Terian entered and simply stood there, staring at Yuis for a long while. Yuis did not avoid her gaze. She met it head-on, steady and composed.

Eventually, her lips parted.

“Is something wrong?”

Even at her question, Terian gave no reply. Yuis let out a quiet sigh and gestured toward the sofa in front of her.

“Please, have a seat.”

Even under the weight of Terian’s gaze, Yuis remained calm. Her posture remained upright, her demeanor unshaken.

It wasn’t difficult.

She had long since learned how to ignore eyes filled with resentment. Terian’s lips moved faintly, as if to speak, and then she asked a question laced with thorns.

“Are you happy?”

At that, Yuis turned her eyes fully toward Terian. Their gazes met in midair, lingering for a moment, until Terian broke eye contact and looked away.

With a subtle curve of her lips, Yuis tilted her head slightly.

“Yes, thanks to you. I’m very happy.”

Though Terian had become the Duchess of Johannes and would live with that title for the rest of her life, not everything had gone as she had hoped.

Amelie, who had practically been sold off, didn’t seem particularly unhappy. She looked like someone who had simply come to accept her life as it was.

But Terian… Terian still looked like she was drowning in her own misery.

“And what about you, Duchess?”

“……”

“Are you happy? Now that you’re living as the most noble duchess in all of Darec, just as you wished.”

“What?”

“But who gave you permission to be here? This is a space meant for me—the Duchess of Descartes—and no one may step foot in here without Her Majesty the Empress’s and my explicit permission.”

At Yuis’s firm words, Terian’s expression hardened.

“Duchess of Johannes. You’re not even a noble of Kalang. And yet you come here, stirring up trouble when you’ll soon be returning to Darec?”

“Yuis.”

“Mind your words, madam. It seems you keep forgetting who I am.”

Though Yuis’s pointed rebuke turned Terian’s face bright red, as if it would burst, she could do nothing.

The Emperor of Kalang, the Empress and even the Duke of Descartes had taken Yuis under their wing. They covered up all her flaws as if they had never existed.

Yuis had once again become a noblewoman in Darec. A distant relative of the House of Johannes, she was also the daughter of Viscount Everett.

Fury boiled inside her, but there was one thing Terian had to confirm. That was why she had come.

Although she tried to provoke Yuis by asking her about her happiness, what Terian truly wanted to know was something else.

“Did the Duchess of Descartes know that I would end up in a marriage like this?”