At the sudden request, the two hesitated and looked at each other nervously.

“Three.”

Ciela didn’t wait for their clumsy attempts at silent coordination.

“Two.”

Another finger fell.

“One.”

Just as she was about to lower the last finger:

“The day the Emissary came. It was two weeks ago, remember?”

“Of course, it was when the Duke of Icarus sent his envoy.”

The Marchioness of Arcel added, her answer just a heartbeat behind Lilia’s.

Their tense expressions relaxed, as if relieved to hear the same answers.

“What time was it when you arrived?”

Ciela continued without pausing.

“Mother had just returned from her trip when we supposedly visited. Don’t you remember?”

“I was in my room all the time – I only found out today that the envoy had come at all. Apart from the butler, no one visited me then.”

Ciela mumbled despondently, lowering her head as if the whole situation had become too much for her.

“Or are you afraid that your lie will be discovered?”

“Lie? I was worried about you! That doesn’t help you at all.”

Ciela glanced at her sister, then gave Calix’s arm a light tap. When the Duke turned his attention to her, she gestured to him. He bent slightly, tilting his head to listen. When he heard her whisper, he raised his hand. A nearby servant immediately stepped forward.

“Bring paper and a pen.”

A moment later, the attendant returned with two sheets of paper and two pens. Ciela wrote something down and handed them to the mother and daughter.

“This is the last question.”

“Do we really have to go this far?”

“If you get it right again, I’ll apologise and promise to grant you every wish. If you really saw me, this should be an easy question and work in your favour.”

Ciela replied softly, tilting her head slightly. Her offer sounded fair, almost generous, to anyone who might be listening.

‘If they’re telling the truth, the answer should be easy.’

Ciela smiled meaningfully before continuing,

“But if you’re wrong, you must apologise, admit it was a lie and return the necklace.”

“To keep things clear, it’s best if you write your answers separately.”

Calix said, and at his command the servants quickly set up two small tables.

“Please come this way.”

The Duke’s servants led Lilia to the right and the Marchioness of Arcel to the left.

‘What am I supposed to do? How am I supposed to know what she was wearing that day?’

The Marchioness clenched her jaw so tightly that the lines around her mouth twitched. The distance between her and Lilia was considerable. No matter how hard she stared, there was no way to exchange signals. She couldn’t help but imagine the likelihood of writing conflicting answers rather than matching ones.

The sight of ink spreading across the white paper made her frown. Then she looked back at Lilia – and froze.

“!”

Lilia pointed subtly at the green on her own dress. The Marchioness brightened and quickly scribbled an answer on the paper. Whatever it was, as long as their answers matched, they could insist it was correct and solve all their problems.

‘She said she’d grant any request.’

Her lips curved into a mischievous grin. She would immediately demand that Calix end his relationship with Ciela. Even if he refused, she had ways to make it happen. The feeling of relief brought back her smoldering anger at Ciela – that insolent girl.

‘When did she start seeing the Duke?’ 

The Marchioness gritted her teeth in frustration and decided she wasn’t going to let this go so easily. 

“Has everyone written their answer?” 

“Yes, I’ve written mine.”

“So have I.”

“Good, please give me back your papers.” 

Ciela let go of Calix’s hand and held hers out to the mother and daughter. She took the papers without noticing that Calix was holding his now empty hand behind her. 

Both mother and daughter watched with smug anticipation, waiting for Ciela’s face to crumple in embarrassment. But instead, Ciela’s lips curved upwards in a triumphant smile, as if she had just been freed from an injustice. 

“Your answers don’t match.”

“What? That’s impossible! The answers can’t possibly be different!” 

“If you’re so sure, show everyone what we’ve written.”

“That’s no problem.”

With a simple gesture, Ciela turned the papers over. Lilia’s answer was “white”, the Marchioness’s was “green”. 

Lilia and the Marchioness immediately checked each other’s answers. Meanwhile, the watching nobles strained to see the papers and maintained a tense silence. 

“…This makes no sense…!” 

The Marchioness’s shrill voice echoed through the hall. She was sure that Lilia had met her eyes and pointed clearly to ‘green’. She’d seen it with her own eyes – so why was the answer wrong? Her confusion made her unsteady and she stumbled. 

“Let me see!”

Finally, she snatched the paper from Ciela’s hand with unbridled force, apparently forgetting all pretence of being a doting mother.

“Why-why isn’t it green? It doesn’t make sense…”

She muttered, lowering her face until it was half buried in the page. Her eyes, wide open, refused to blink, the crimson veins standing out against the white. Ciela watched as she continued to deny the reality before her.

‘She didn’t even come to see me about the necklace.’

Why did she act like she’d been the victim of some great deception? Ciela tilted her head slowly. A few strands of hair slipped down to cover her mouth, obscuring the faint smile tugging at her lips.

‘Well, I suppose it’s understandable. She must feel wronged.’

After all, her attempt at deception had failed. As the Marchioness stared intently at the paper, Ciela glanced at it briefly.

This paper was enchanted. No matter what answer was written on it, it would always show the wrong one.

‘There’s a reason we didn’t invite a mage for no reason.’

No matter how much they struggled, they were already caught in a tightly woven web. Their struggles only tightened the threads around their necks.

“It should be green…”

“Marchioness of Arcel.”

Calix interjected, his tone sharp and his discomfort obvious.

“But it doesn’t make sense. Unless someone has swapped the papers, or the paper itself has been tampered with-“

“Marchioness.”

The weight of his gaze crushed the rest of her words. The realisation came too late and she quickly closed her mouth. His dark red eyes bore down on her from above, fixing her in place. Her stiff shoulders began to tremble slightly.

“I suggest you choose your words carefully. What you just said could be construed as accusing the Duke of Icarus and me of deceit.”

“I must have misspoken, because it’s so hard to believe.”

The Marchioness of Arcel finally confessed. As she spoke, Lilia, who was standing beside her, lifted her skirt slightly and bowed her head.

“I’m sorry, sister. Mother seems to have mistaken it for an outfit you wore on another day. But as I promised, I’ll apologise.”

She looked up with a faint smile. Her delicate face conveyed an air of innocence, as if to say, “I’ve done nothing wrong, but since Mother has made a mistake, I’ll apologise anyway.”

The Marchioness stood there, stunned, staring at Lilia. Now she would have to apologise to Ciela in front of everyone. The thought made her arms feel as heavy as soaked cotton.

“On second thought, it seems I made a mistake. I’m sorry, Ciela.”

All for Lilia’s sake. The Marchioness moved her heavy arm, clutching her skirt as she bowed her head, always proud. Her face, burning with shame, remained hidden, unable to rise for a long time. 

“But sister, what’s going on between you and the duke?”

Calix had told her once that he wanted to marry her. But nothing had been officially confirmed, there was no proof. One careless word could ensnare her in another of Ciela’s traps, so Lilia swallowed what she wanted to say and folded her hands delicately. 

‘Calix…’ 

Her tear-filled eyes trembled with uncertainty, reflecting her distress. Surely he was only acting so affectionate with another woman because he was upset about the scandal. That had to be it – why else would he be so close to Ciela? Clutching her hands tightly, Lilia finally spoke. 

“It hasn’t been that long since the engagement was broken off, and you’ve hardly left the house since. How did your relationship with the Duke develop so quickly?” 

“It’s a bit embarrassing to talk about.”

Ciela said with a slight smile.

“But you’re really so curious?”

“Yes.”

“All right then.”

Ciela nodded slightly.

“Do you remember at your birthday party when Calix carried me? I thought about him all the time after that.”

She touched her cheek with her fingertips, as if the memory embarrassed her.

“But you know, it turned out that he had received a private letter around that time. I found out later that Calix had been interested in me all along.”

Ciela paused for a moment, her eyes wandering, as if remembering these moments from the past.

“I had no idea. I thought he loved someone else and even tried to help him get together with that person.”

She explained how they eventually cleared up their misunderstandings, exchanged letters and then met secretly. The audience around her, including several fascinated young ladies, couldn’t help but perk up at the captivating love story. Eyes sparkled with curiosity as they leaned in to catch more of the unfolding romance.

But her hopes were cruelly dashed. Calix’s warm, honeyed gaze was directed only at Ciela, as if the rest of the room didn’t exist. 

‘He’s supposed to be looking at me like that.’

Lilia took a shaky breath, struggling to control her rising emotions. She held her breath for a moment and lowered her head.

‘It’s Sister – she’s blinded him.’

Her fingers slowly curled into a fist as a sharp determination flashed through her tear streaked eyes.

“I fear my sister will make the Duke unhappy.”

Lilia raised her face once more, her already tear-stained cheeks glistening once more.

“If it is truly a loving relationship, I’d like to celebrate it.”

Her tearful gaze fell on Calix again, as if in silent supplication.

‘She’s just using you.’

Lilia tried her best to convey her feelings, hoping that Calix would see past Ciela and find his “true” destiny. She longed for him to look at her with the same warmth and tenderness. 

‘How desperate.’ 

Ciela’s lips curled slightly, an almost imperceptible smile. After a moment’s thought, she led Calix to stand directly in front of her younger sister. Their combined shadow fell across Lilia’s face. 

“Why do you say such things? Does it seem as if I don’t love Calix?” 

“Well, you know who I’ve been in love with all this time.”

“I do,” Ciela admitted. “But honestly, it’s unpleasant to hear.” 

Frowning slightly, Ciela gestured to Calix. He leaned down, obedient to her command. 

‘I told him before that he could do that if it became necessary.’ 

She brushed her lips lightly against his cool cheek, then pulled away. Straightening her head, Ciela asked in a blunt voice: 

“Do I look like I’m cheating on you?”

Instead of answering with words, Calix leaned towards Ciela, closing the distance until his face was just in front of hers. Her eyes widened in surprise.

A soft sensation brushed against her cheekbone, fleeting as a midsummer night’s dream. A small, embarrassing sound – something she hadn’t noticed during the initiation – echoed faintly in her ears.

“Does that answer your question?”