“Carlo’s letter hasn’t arrived…?”

The next morning, I rubbed my sleepy eyes as I boarded the carriage and waited to arrive at December Center when I heard that Carlo’s reply hadn’t come.

Strange. Shouldn’t it have arrived by now…?

Could he be that busy…?

Though his letters weren’t long, he usually shared brief updates about his daily life, but there had been no word yesterday or today, deepening my unsettled feelings.

Tsk, and I wrote to him every day….

Didn’t he tell me to write daily?

“…Is he that busy.”

I read somewhere in my past life that some men lose interest after physical contact.

Surely I haven’t acted too much like someone who’s never dated before?

Ha! I haven’t even done anything yet, and there’s so much I haven’t shown him! Right?!

“!”

No, what am I thinking about showing him…? What was I just thinking? Am I going crazy?

“Why did your eyes suddenly get so big?”

When Odin glanced up at me with his question, I quickly picked him up and whispered in his ear.

“…Th-they were always this big!”

“No, no, that face just now was the face of someone having strange thoughts.”

Could it be that Odin, after living as a ghost for so long, can now see right through me?

“No, I wasn’t! Oh, we’re here!”

“Changing the subject, I see.”

Despite Odin’s criticism, I smiled brightly while looking out the window. Medlin, thinking I was genuinely excited about coming to December, nodded along.

Joseph looked back and forth between Odin and me before quietly gazing at the scenery outside.

“…Huh.”

My smile quickly faded.

As the carriage slowed down, I could clearly see someone waiting for me.

Dillan, tall enough to stand a head above others and with a serious face that seemed excessively sculpted to perfection, was waiting for me.

Not only had Genevieve appointed Dillan as the event coordinator, but she had entrusted everything to him. Because of this, Dillan approached me first, insisting we needed to consult on every little matter.

A few times, I had simply nodded or coordinated opinions without much thought because I disliked dealing with him. But he ruthlessly made the December Center staff suffer the consequences or used the center’s facilities however he pleased. In the end, I had no choice but to consult with him while accompanied by Joseph, maintaining a considerable distance between us.

The thought of meeting him again today made me feel suffocated.

“A pleasant morning, Your Highness.”

As I stepped out of the carriage, Dillan—whether deliberately or not—greeted me more formally than usual and politely removed his hands from behind his back.

At the same time, a beautiful bouquet of blooming flowers appeared.

“Does this need to be inspected too?”

“Of course.”

Though Dillan’s question contained a hint of mockery, Joseph replied in a casual tone as if it were obvious and took the bouquet.

Dillan’s gaze darkened momentarily, but Joseph pretended not to notice and leisurely examined each flower.

Eventually, the bouquet was handed to me.

Fresh ranunculus and various other flowers tickled my nose with their fragrance.

“I had flowers selected for the decorations, and among the candidates, I saw some that reminded me of Your Highness, so I instructed them to make this sample.”

Wondering if Dillan had again left a message on the petals, I deliberately lifted the petals slightly for everyone to see.

“They’re just flowers.”

Dillan, who had been quietly watching me, burst into hollow laughter.

Looking at his smiling face, I could understand why the young ladies approached him with such shy attitudes, but I couldn’t quite happily accept these beautiful, splendid flowers.

His intentions were unclear.

I smiled primly and looked at Dillan.

“These are pretty flowers. Since the young ladies are gathered over there, wouldn’t it be good to give them this bouquet to examine?”

At my question, a dark shadow fell over his face, which had somehow seemed strangely pleased.

He looked down at me with his smile gone, but I continued with my cheerful expression.

“It would help the young ladies preview the flower types for the event and decide on themes for each booth.”

“Is that what you wish?”

“Of course.”

When I answered casually, Dillan’s gaze sank even deeper.

I couldn’t tell if he was simply unaccustomed to rejection or if my response had hardened him.

He quickly returned to an expressionless face and opened his tightly closed lips.

“Then I will deliver them to the young ladies. Though Your Highness has declined these flowers, you’ll permit me to give them to them?”

“Certainly. Please go ahead.”

My immediate answer seemed unexpected. Dillan stared at me momentarily bewildered before taking the flowers back from Joseph.

Had he expected me to like these flowers?

His face showed more disappointment than I had anticipated, making me feel like the villain.

“Then I’ll see you at the wine tasting this afternoon.”

After Dillan spoke formally, he held my gaze for a long time before heading toward the group of young ladies with the bouquet.

Whether he explained that he had brought flower types suitable for decorations, the young ladies burst into flower-like smiles as if their questions had finally been answered.

When Dillan unwrapped the packaging for the young ladies and kindly placed each flower on the table, they barely looked at the flowers, gazing up at Dillan with enchanted faces.

“…What’s this.”

I caught a glimpse of Dillan glancing in my direction with a composed face, and somehow it felt like he was deliberately trying to get me to look.

Could he be showing off how well he was received by the young ladies? What does that have to do with me?

“Is he trying to make me jealous? Not unless I’ve lost my mind.”

I shook my head and waved at Mariette and her group, whom I spotted approaching.

I could feel a burning gaze on my face.

This is absurd.

I stared at Mariette, almost gasping at the news she had just shared.

“…Is that true?”

“Someone is definitely spreading it deliberately.”

Mariette answered cautiously, deliberately looking somewhere with her eyes.

For the wine tasting, Dillan, people from the imperial palace, veteran noble ladies of the charity event, and two young ladies selected as booth representatives were entering December’s greenhouse one after another.

When people saw me and greeted me, I nodded lightly before taking the seat of honor as guided by the servant.

Dillan was seated to my left, and Mariette, a longtime charity committee member, to my right.

“First is Brunello di Montalcino from Tonakas.”

At Dillan’s gesture, wine began to be poured into each person’s glass.

This was the news Mariette had shared:

Among the volunteers for the imperial charity event, there was talk that the relationship between Dillan and me seemed abnormal. Rumors had already spread in society that our relationship might actually be beyond siblings—a romantic affair.

A romantic affair?

Is that even possible?

As I received the third wine on the list, I glanced slightly at Dillan.

Could he possibly know about this rumor?

Is this despicable person hovering around me while knowing about it?

To fuel the rumors?

Since we were in public, instead of glaring at him murderously, I downed the wine in one gulp.

“Are you alright?”

Dillan, who had been keenly observing me and reacting only to my behavior, asked.

Ha, this person would want to tarnish my reputation and make me lose everything by any means, so it’s not an entirely baseless thought.

“Of course.”

I snorted and grasped the new wine glass.

“The seventh wine on the list.”

Looking at the red wine being poured, I suddenly thought of Carlo.

Wait. Could Carlo also know about this rumor?

Mariette had said his loyal agents were planted everywhere in the Empire, so the thought crossed my mind that Carlo might have heard this gossip first.

Is that why he still hasn’t replied…?

“The ninth wine.”

Feeling my throat burning, I gulped down the wine and put down the glass.

“Haa….”

Apart from the heat rising to my neck and face, my heart was pounding heavily.

I couldn’t distinguish whether this was due to a bad feeling or the effects of alcohol.

I drank the water placed beside me to cool down and took a deep breath.

At that moment, Medlin, standing next to me, carefully leaned over and whispered.

“My lady, as you probably already know… it’s perfectly fine to spit out the wine at a tasting.”

What? How would I know that…?

Now that she mentioned it, I noticed some people quietly turning their heads to the side and spitting something out after tasting the wine.

Only Dillan, Mariette, and I had drunk all ten glasses of wine.

“Let’s take a short break before checking the remaining list.”

I thought I should go outside for some fresh air, but the wives and young ladies from families close to Genevieve and Count Azanie were watching me with suspicious eyes. Fearing I might stagger, I waited for them to leave first.

After people who had been eyeing me quietly rose one by one and left the hall, I finally sighed heavily while looking at Mariette and Medlin.

However, the problem was that Dillan still remained.

“I need to walk for a bit.”

Left with no choice, I stood up, but suddenly my vision blurred.

Just as I steadied myself by placing my hand on the table, Dillan grabbed my arm as if he had been waiting for this moment.

“I’ll help support you along with Lady Swinton.”

“I’m fine.”

I immediately shook off Dillan’s hand, but his grip was firm.

Just as I looked up at Dillan in exasperation, threatening footsteps echoed from deep within the greenhouse.

I caught a glimpse of Joseph locking the greenhouse door in the distance, and then a large shadow fell over me.

“Hello, my wife.”