Marika’s carriage had just left the castle grounds, its horses trotting lightly toward the Mieschko duchy.

She gazed at the fortress, now a looming shadow against the night, her expression cold.

While it wasn’t unusual for her to leave the castle at such late hours after a party, it was the first time she’d left after such a short stay.

Since her conversation with her father, countless scenarios had been swirling in her mind. In the end, Marika had impulsively prepared her carriage and come to the castle, bypassing any formal request to see Josef. It was a deliberate decision, as if to test her suspicions, arriving close to sundown.

Her unannounced appearance at the auxiliary residence had visibly unsettled the guards, the captain of the guard, and even Thomas, the chamberlain, who had been called out from the study.

“What brings you here?”

Josef, however, remained composed. His calm demeanor momentarily disarmed Marika, who had been ready to accuse him of being startled.

“I just wanted to see you,” she replied with a sweet smile.

Josef, ever courteous, expressed his gratitude but explained that he had pressing matters to attend to. He added that had she informed him beforehand, he would have made time for her.

He then promptly escorted her outside, as though on a leisurely stroll through the garden, all the way to the waiting carriage by the east gate.

Though she was reluctant to admit it, Marika had anticipated this outcome.

“What are you doing here?”

But when she saw Amelia, Marika’s certainty solidified.

Though partially obscured behind Josef, it was clear the two were speaking to each other. At one point, Amelia leaned slightly to the side, her startled gaze fleetingly meeting Marika’s.

At that moment, Marika felt as though she were an uninvited guest.

This girl…

That was what she found unbearable.

Even if unintentional, Amelia’s startled glance, her aristocratic demeanor that bordered on arrogance, and the way she seemed uncomfortable under Josef’s gaze—all of it was utterly humiliating.

This was unacceptable.

The gaze of others toward Marika Mieschko had always been filled with awe and envy. Josef should have turned away from Amelia and looked only at her.

Yet the two of them standing there together, facing each other, appeared unnervingly natural.

Marika spent the carriage ride home furiously conjuring every sordid interpretation she could imagine of their relationship. It was the only way to quell her anger.

***

Amelia silently observed the physician, who had placed a hand on Helen’s chest.

He was the Imperial Court Physician. When Josef had demanded to know where she was going, Amelia had no choice but to reveal the situation, leading Josef to summon the physician himself.

The doctor had arrived swiftly and began examining Helen without showing any surprise.

The one who felt out of place was Amelia. She couldn’t shake her unease at how casually a court physician was attending to someone like Helen at this late hour.

Betty seemed equally unsettled, her expression a mix of emotions as she hovered near the bed.

“Is she also from Brienne?” the physician asked, glancing at Amelia.

Caught off guard, she nodded, prompting the physician to smile, the wrinkles deepening around his nose.

“I remember Lady Amelia well. We met at my daughter’s debutante ball.”

“Yes, I remember. But how is Helen?” Amelia quickly redirected the conversation.

The physician sighed lightly.

“Her condition isn’t good.”

“…”

“It’s the phlegm, more than the fever, that’s concerning.”

He removed his hand from Helen’s chest and spoke. Following his instructions, Helen had drunk a warm herbal brew before falling asleep.

“Her breathing is troubled. She’s likely been feeling unwell for some time.”

“I didn’t notice,” Amelia said softly.

“It’s common at her age,” the physician reassured her, sensing her guilt.

“But staying in Olstein will only make things worse. Compared to Brienne, it’s much drier here, and the seasonal changes are harsher, leading to many cases of lung ailments.”

“…”

“The fever is from her body overexerting itself to adapt to the weather. It will subside after a few days of rest.”

“Still…” Amelia hesitated.

“Returning to Brienne would be the best solution, wouldn’t it?”

“Yes,” the physician nodded. “That would be the most effective treatment.”

***

“So do it,” Josef said after hearing the physician’s report in his study.

“Pardon?” Amelia’s eyes widened.

“Once Helen’s condition stabilizes, send her back to Brienne. I’ll provide a carriage.”

“That sounds like the best course of action, Your Highness,” the physician agreed, nodding before continuing to detail Helen’s care plan.

Amelia, however, was the only one visibly unsettled.

She had accompanied the physician to Josef’s study to report Helen’s condition, prepared to argue if he dismissed the advice. Yet the process had been unexpectedly quick and smooth.

When Josef dismissed the physician, Amelia remained rooted in place, unable to move.

“Amelia.”

She turned her head reluctantly, hesitating near the door.

“Were you about to leave?”

Cold eyes stared at her.

“……”

His gaze reproached Amelia. She tried to understand why.

“…Thank you, Your Highness.”

“……”

“For calling the doctor. And for permitting Helen to return home…”

Josef stepped closer. Unable to finish her sentence, Amelia found herself face-to-face with him. With a practiced movement, he braced himself against the desk, effortlessly boxing her in with his arms.

“Did you forget we had an appointment?”

“No…”

Amelia shook her head. Josef cupped her face with one hand and kissed her. As his other hand wrapped around her waist and leaned into her, she felt herself being gently pushed backward until she lay atop the desk.

Just as his hand began to slip under her dress, Amelia spoke softly.

“…No.”

Josef froze, hovering over her.

“……”

“No, not tonight…”

Amelia met his gaze directly. She had mustered considerable courage to speak.

For some reason, boldness had risen unbidden within her tonight. Helen would soon leave. Amelia regretted not treating her better during their time together. The thought that they might never meet again made her uninterested in indulging Josef.

But her courage was fleeting; Josef’s unyielding stare weighed heavily on her. She carefully adjusted the front of her dress, which he had undone. Even then, his unreadable expression never left her.

“…Fine.”

Josef finally spoke.

“Everyone has days like that.”

He leaned down, brushing a kiss against her cheek as he murmured. The soft vibration of his voice made her shoulders tense.

“Then let’s do something else.”

As his gaze left her tense shoulders, Josef posed the question.

***

He offered no explanation for what “something else” would entail, but as Josef left the office and began walking, Amelia followed silently beside him.

“It’s warm tonight,” he remarked.

Amelia, lost in thought, remained quiet. Then she noticed Josef looking at her intently.

He was dressed casually, wearing a thin silk robe over his tunic. Aside from the gold embroidery along the collar, the robe was as dark as any shadow under the trees. Though less formal than his uniform, it carried its own weight of authority.

He watched her like a man expecting an answer.

“……”

Amelia’s eyes wavered. Was his comment simply small talk, the kind exchanged over tea with a guest when there was nothing better to say? It didn’t suit him.

“…Yes, it is,” she replied, avoiding his gaze.

Could his suggestion of “something else” really mean a casual nighttime stroll and conversation? The idea felt strangely out of place.

As she trudged forward, forcing her steps, Josef came into view, standing before the entrance of the Crown Prince’s residence.

“What’s wrong?”

When she stopped walking, Josef, who had been holding the door open, looked puzzled.

“……”

“Do you want to walk more?”

Amelia stiffened. His question sounded as if her only options were wandering the gardens all night or being dragged to his bedroom.

Did “no” already mean nothing to him? Troubled, Amelia silently followed Josef.

They ascended the stairs of the residence, navigating dimly lit corridors. Josef held her hand tightly, leaving her only one free hand to gather her skirt to avoid tripping.

As her eyes adjusted to the dark, the silhouettes of doors and a massive bedroom came into focus. Reluctantly, she let him lead her along.

But Josef surprised her. Instead of heading straight to the bed, he passed through the arched pillars dividing the space and opened a wooden door set into the wall. Its fabric-covered surface had blended so seamlessly with the wallpaper that she hadn’t even realized it was there.

The space beyond the door was, if anything, a terrace. Unlike the dainty tea terraces of Brienne’s castle, adorned with tables, flowers, and birdcages, this one was stark.

There were no sculptures or vases. Just a few stained-glass lamps, a long bench, and an armchair. A handful of books sat on the balustrade, perhaps the only decorative touch.

The view, however, was breathtaking. The lake, visible from the Crown Princess’s bedroom, was now before her again. The proximity of the two buildings made this unsurprising.

“Sit,” Josef said, taking a seat on the long bench facing the lake. He left her no choice but to sit beside him. She placed herself as far from him as possible.

Josef said nothing. Soon, Amelia forgot the discomfort of his silence, absorbed by the scene before her.

The lake was a different spectacle at night. Moonlight, icy blue, danced over the dark water. A faint breeze swept over the surface, carrying a hint of the lake’s scent as it tousled her hair.

Amelia found herself staring at the stars.

As a Brienne native, she was taught to navigate by starlight. While she managed that skill well enough, memorizing the names and myths associated with constellations proved impossible.

She could discern the arrangements, but how anyone saw figures like people or sea serpents in them was beyond her.

Why did constellations have such names in the first place? Admiral Licht and her father had taken turns drilling the information into her, leaving her no choice but to memorize them. But even now, the task felt alien.

“I still don’t get it.”

Josef’s voice broke the silence.

“Why bother naming constellations?”

Startled, Amelia turned to him. He lounged with one leg crossed, staring nonchalantly ahead.

“Can’t you just memorize them?”

“……”

“Don’t you think?”