Seeing Rupert’s smile, Saena couldn’t help but let out a laugh herself. She quickly turned her head back, only to find Kayan staring at her with a peculiar expression.

“…You.”

“Kayan?”

“When you laugh…”

Kayan briefly covered his forehead and eyes with his hand before straightening up again.

“Never mind.”

He spoke as if it were nothing, though his face looked slightly flustered, leaving Saena puzzled.

But when she noticed the employee waiting at the end of the hallway, hesitant to interrupt, she realized they had been standing there for too long.

They had been lingering in the hallway unnecessarily when there was a perfectly good reception room available.

“Kayan, I should go now.”

“Hmm.”

Kayan tilted his head slightly, his gaze deep as he looked at Saena.

“Wait, Saena.”

“Hmm?”

Just as she was about to enter the reception room, Kayan called her softly.

“I’ll visit the Debov estate soon.”

“Why?”

“To have tea. It’s been a while.”

Without Yuri, were they close enough to meet like this on their own?

Saena found it a bit strange.

“Let me know in advance if you’re coming.”

“Alright.”

As Kayan began to leave, he suddenly turned back as if remembering something and addressed Elizabeth.

“It was a pleasure meeting you, Lady Elizabeth.”

“Oh, yes… Likewise.”

For some reason, Elizabeth seemed a bit awkward, but Kayan simply bowed slightly and walked away with long strides.

Without watching him leave, Saena entered the reception room.

Elizabeth followed shortly after, sitting in the chair opposite Saena, her expression slightly sulky.

In the past, Saena might have noticed Elizabeth’s mood and asked, “What’s wrong?” while listening attentively to her story.

But the current Saena had long forgotten the dynamics of their youthful friendship.

Instead, she absentmindedly flipped through the catalog on the table, lost in her thoughts.

Even after some time had passed, Saena didn’t turn her attention to Elizabeth. Eventually, Elizabeth adjusted her expression and broke the silence.

“Saena, by the way… You’ve never mentioned Lord Kayan to me, have you?”

At the unexpected question, Saena looked at Elizabeth.

“Hmm? What did you say?”

“Lord Kayan. You two seemed close.”

“We’re not close.”

“…What are you talking about? You were calling each other by your first names and speaking informally.”

It wasn’t as if they were particularly close.

They had simply known each other since a time when Saena didn’t understand the significance of noble ranks or power, so their familiarity naturally gave off that impression.

“That’s just because we’ve occasionally seen each other since childhood. It doesn’t mean we’re close.”

Besides, she wasn’t Yuri. She couldn’t even clearly discern how much of her past memories with Kayan were still relevant to their current relationship.

“Since childhood?”

“Yeah. The Debov and Ackroyd territories are relatively close.”

“Goodness. But how could you keep something like that a secret from me?”

Saena frowned slightly.

“I never kept it a secret. There was probably just no reason to bring it up.”

“But still, you could’ve told me something so important!”

Saena looked at Elizabeth with a puzzled expression.

“Why is that important?”

“…The Ackroyd family is a marquisate! And Lord Kayan is their heir!”

Ah, now she understood what Elizabeth was getting at.

But Saena thought to herself:

‘Your husband was far more extraordinary.’

She wanted to reassure Elizabeth that if she ever met him, Kayan wouldn’t even cross her mind.

“As I said earlier, we’re not close enough for it to matter. But since you’ve already met him, you can get along with him from now on.”

You’re good at that kind of thing, after all.

Elizabeth was naturally sociable, able to talk easily with strangers and charm them with her kindness.

Even without Saena’s intervention, Elizabeth was skilled at building relationships.

“Then… Saena.”

“Hmm?”

“When you have tea with Lord Kayan, can you invite me too?”

Saena replied immediately.

“That won’t happen.”

“…What?”

“I’m not going to have tea with him.”

“Why? Didn’t he say he’d visit the Debov estate?”

Kayan had spoken quietly to Saena, but Elizabeth must have overheard.

“If he asks, I’ll decline.”

“…Why? Is it because I asked to join?”

Elizabeth’s gentle expression shifted slightly into a frown.

“It has nothing to do with you.”

“Then what is it?”

“It’s just… bothersome. I have a lot to do.”

Elizabeth looked at Saena, who answered indifferently, and finally seemed to understand. She scolded her lightly.

“You’re going to say it’s because of your Arlesian studies again, aren’t you? Ugh!”

“……”

She wasn’t entirely wrong.

If this had been the Saena from before her return, she would have thought, ‘I’d rather spend that time studying even one more line of Arlesian.’

Knock, knock.

“Ladies, may we come in?”

Hoping to change the subject, Saena welcomed the perfectly timed arrival of the boutique staff.

The first two employees carried two new dresses in a soft, pale green shade.

The last person to enter was Madame Charlize herself.

“It’s been a while, Lady Debov, Lady Valdez. Have you been well?”

Elizabeth couldn’t take her eyes off the dresses the moment the door opened.

“Madame Charlize, it’s a pleasure to see you.”

Saena greeted Madame Charlize on behalf of Elizabeth, who was too mesmerized by the dresses to respond.

“Yes, as you can see, they’re nearly complete. Today, we’ll finalize the details and adjustments after you try them on.”

Madame Charlize instructed the staff to assist Saena and Elizabeth in trying on their dresses.

Following the staff to a partitioned area of the reception room, Saena stood still as her current dress was expertly removed and the new one was fitted onto her.

When she stepped out from behind the partition, the staff guided her to stand in front of a mirror.

While Saena examined her reflection, the staff adjusted the fit around her waist, marked areas that needed alteration, and smoothed out the hem of the skirt.

“Oh my, you look stunning.”

“Indeed, you’ll have all the gentlemen captivated at the debutante ball.”

“My goodness, you look absolutely lovely.”

The staff showered Saena—and Elizabeth—with the expected compliments, as was customary.

‘Another green dress.’

Saena gazed at her reflection with a neutral expression, lost in thought.

Had she liked green this much during this period of her life?

And why were both dresses the same shade of green?

In a society where people paid for information about what others were wearing to avoid matching colors, why had Elizabeth chosen for them to wear the same color?

“You look like a forest fairy. It suits you so well. Hoho.”

The staff’s praises for Elizabeth reached Saena’s ears, naturally drawing her gaze toward her.

‘Indeed. She truly does look like a forest fairy.’

Elizabeth, with her vibrant lime blonde hair and olive-green eyes, looked radiant in the pale green dress. It suited her so perfectly it was as if the color had been made just for her.

“Hehe. Oh, Saya? How about you?”

Seemingly satisfied after examining her reflection in the mirror for a while, Elizabeth approached Saena to look her over.

“Oh my, you look so beautiful. It suits you so well.”

“……”

Did she genuinely mean that?

Honestly, Saena couldn’t help but wonder.

Elizabeth was someone who knew how to dress exceptionally well. No, not just ‘exceptionally’—she was outstanding. While she was naturally beautiful, she also knew how to enhance her charm through her choice of attire.

Had she been born into a higher-ranking noble family, she might not have just followed trends but set them herself. In fact, in her past life, Elizabeth had become a duchess and done precisely that.

Of course, she was still young and hadn’t even made her debut yet, so she wasn’t as polished as the Elizabeth of her later years. But even now, her innate sense of aesthetics was evident.

And yet, did she truly believe this dress suited Saena?

“If we go in like this, everyone will know we’re friends. Isn’t that exciting?”

…Ah, so that’s what she meant.

Elizabeth’s kind smile cleared up Saena’s confusion.

That must have been why she often chose pale green during this period.

However, the current Saena felt a slight aversion to it.

Not only did the color not suit her, but the idea of wearing matching dresses with a friend to a party felt, well, childish.

Saena looked at Elizabeth’s face in the mirror, her expression unreadable.

‘Did I really like Elizabeth that much back then?’

In her past life, Saena and Elizabeth had drifted apart significantly after their respective marriages. So much so that most people wouldn’t have even known they had once been friends.

And the current Saena had already adapted to that distance. Just because her physical age had regressed didn’t mean her memories had been erased.

‘Friends who wear matching outfits…’

It was a girlish sentiment that the current Saena couldn’t quite relate to.

* * *

Unlike Elizabeth, who was full of enthusiasm, Saena went through the fitting half-heartedly. Even that was tedious for her, and she wanted to return home as soon as it was over.

However, Elizabeth wanted Saena to accompany her to a jewelry store and an accessories shop afterward.

“Saya~, come with me, please?”

“I don’t really need anything.”

“Still, won’t you? Help me pick out something that suits me. Please?”