What’s that sound?

A faint noise of someone moving quietly reached my ears.

I tossed and turned in my drowsy state before suddenly opening my eyes wide.

It was the sound of people walking outside.

“The bed, the bed…!”

I quickly jumped off the sofa, then realized my mistake and gathered the pillow and blanket, rolling them up in my arms.

I couldn’t let anyone see evidence that I’d been sleeping separately, could I?

I nearly tripped several times because of the large blanket, but I frantically rushed forward and leaped onto the bed.

“What are you doing?”

The Grand Duke, already awake and sitting on the bed drinking water, turned to look at me.

“This is my best effort, okay? Come on, lie down here.”

“May we come in, Your Highness?”

Hearing women’s voices from the corridor, he put down his cup with a mocking laugh, as if he understood what was happening.

“So this is why you want me to lie down.”

“Yes. So could you also get under the covers?”

“I don’t want to.”

“Why not! You agreed to pretend we’re getting along…!”

When I asked irritably, he twisted one corner of his mouth upward and opened his eyes languidly with a calm expression.

“Because I’m too lazy to move?”

“You just need to turn your body a little from where you’re sitting!”

For reasons I couldn’t quite identify, I didn’t want people to discover that I was only allowed the space of a sofa.

Annoyed by this arrogant man who was looking at me calmly, unlike during yesterday’s conversation, I clutched the innocent sheet, careful not to be caught.

“It’s just for a moment. Come on, just cover yourself with the blanket a little from where you are.”

Whether because of my additional pleading or a change of heart, the Grand Duke stared at me for a moment before turning his body.

“…?”

As I offered him the corner of the blanket, instead of taking it, he leaned against the pillow next to me.

Startled by his large shadow suddenly looming over me and his fresh scent, I found myself looking up at him.

“I don’t know whose ears this will reach, but it would be better if rumors spread quickly that the grand ducal couple has become unbelievably close.”

“What? Oh… that’s… true?”

“Then let’s do it properly.”

I stared at his face in bewilderment before hastily closing my gaping mouth.

The Grand Duke gazed at me with a meaningful look.

“Come closer.”

I took a quick breath at the sound of my heart dropping, and nodded.

“…Yes.”

Right, his words made sense.

I gradually shifted my hips to sit tightly beside him.

Though this was merely a negotiation based on mutual needs, my throat felt inexplicably dry.

I flinched at the feel of his muscles against my shoulder but tried not to show it by forcibly straightening my back.

Soon the door opened and people entered.

“Good morning, Your Highness.”

Led by Medlin, whom I had seen yesterday, the maids entered, gave respectful greetings, and began drawing back the thick curtains covering the windows one by one.

As the curtains were pulled aside, the Grand Duke’s spacious bedroom brightened, gradually revealing the bed where we were lying.

Just then, I felt the Grand Duke’s strong arm wrap around my shoulder.

Every cell in my body seemed to freeze at once.

“Did you sleep well, my lady?”

As soon as the last curtain was drawn back, Medlin’s eyes widened in surprise upon discovering the Grand Duke and me sitting together, but her expression quickly became composed as she asked naturally.

The Grand Duke answered by simply looking at Medlin with an utterly nonchalant face.

I nodded stiffly like a wooden block, unable to control my tense body.

“Yes, I slept well.”

“I’m glad to hear that.”

Medlin had a somewhat rigid but honest-looking appearance, with her hair tied back without a single stray strand, firmly fixed with hairpins.

She smiled formally as she met my eyes, then introduced the ladies-in-waiting standing behind her.

“These are Morgan and Helen, the ladies-in-waiting who will be attending to you from now on.”

“We will begin preparing your morning bath.”

The ladies-in-waiting addressed me in respectful tones and slightly bent their knees.

Morgan was the woman with auburn hair and fair skin, while Helen had black hair and a slender build.

How strange. Until yesterday, no one would deal with me, but today was different.

A curious sense of expectation began to rise within me.

It wasn’t that they were deliberately flattering me or showing excessive kindness—I genuinely felt they were seeing me as a person and trying to treat me as such.

It really felt like I could start something now.

Soon I heard the busy sounds of the ladies-in-waiting preparing in two separate bathrooms.

“How would you like breakfast prepared?”

When Medlin posed the question, the Grand Duke removed his arm from my shoulder.

“Prepare it however the grand duchess wants.”

At his calm and indifferent response, Medlin hesitated before smiling again and looking at me.

“What would you prefer, my lady?”

Her gaze asking for my opinion made me feel as if I had been granted some authority.

Did this mean I wouldn’t have to eat dry bread anymore?

“For breakfast… I’d like something substantial.”

I answered, hoping that I wouldn’t be served watery soup this time.

“Very well. Please let me know if there are any foods you particularly like or dislike.”

After finishing her words to me, Medlin called another maid waiting in the corridor and quietly gave instructions for breakfast.

While I was staring blankly at the atmosphere that had changed overnight, I felt a thick index finger grasp my chin and turn my face. It was a sharp touch, as if stealing my gaze.

“You said you wanted to show people that you and I are getting along well.”

His fingertip made me look up at him, who was already standing and wearing his robe.

“Yes. I did.”

“Today will be your chance. We have guests scheduled to visit.”

What?

“…Guests?!”

My eyes widened involuntarily at this unexpected news.

“So prepare with that ‘best effort’ you mentioned.”

“……”

“Simply sharing a blanket won’t be nearly enough.”

I couldn’t quite discern whether the look in the man’s eyes as he gazed down at me was a smug smile or interest, as it was obscured by the backlight.

“By preparation, I, well, what should I prepare first?”

“I wonder.”

“…May I ask Medlin for help?”

“You should change how you address her first.”

“M-Medlin?”

“That’s right.”

His hand fell away from my chin.

Strangely, the firm warmth of his hand that had held my chin seemed to cling to my skin.

“I’ll do well. Somehow.”

“If you say so.”

The Grand Duke indifferently turned his back, his expression showing not the slightest expectation of what I might accomplish.

After spending the entire morning listening to Norbert’s explanation about today’s guests, I entered the grand duchess’s bedroom with Medlin and headed to the adjoining powder room.

“If there’s anything that makes you uncomfortable, please be sure to tell us.”

As soon as Medlin finished speaking, Morgan and Helen began to apply makeup using items they had prepared at the vanity.

Today’s visit had been scheduled long in advance, and all preparations had been completed under the direction of Norbert the chamberlain.

So what was my role?

It was to greet and interact with outsiders, something I had never done before.

According to Norbert and Medlin, I had never tried to meet any visitors who had come to this castle until now.

“How do you like it?”

Helen and Morgan asked as they stepped back after dressing me completely.

“My lady?”

While I was lost in thought, trying hard to recall what Norbert had told me about the guests, Helen and Morgan were looking at me with cautious expressions.

I quickly walked to the three-sided mirror in the dressing room.

An elaborate dress I had never seen before was draped around my body.

“Wow.”

The gloomy woman I had seen on the first day after being hit on the head was nowhere to be seen.

Perhaps because I had been eating properly, my hollow cheeks had filled out somewhat, and the dark circles that had extended to my knees had long disappeared.

My once dry skin had returned to a soft, supple state, and my teal eyes, previously filled with worry, now sparkled with life.

The light gold dress with its wide neckline emphasized my slender waist, and the skin revealed above the neckline looked fair and smooth.

“You look very beautiful… my lady.”

Medlin, watching my reflection in the mirror from behind, smiled gently as she spoke.

“It must be because of the makeup you applied.”

“We merely assisted. Please speak comfortably, my lady.”

“Ah…”

“You have always been beautiful since you first arrived here. You don’t know how much the Empire’s citizens who flocked to the wedding praised your beauty. Your reputation was legendary. It’s just that you seemed to have difficulty adjusting here. You always looked depressed unless you were going out to Grand Town. I can’t tell you how delighted I am to see you looking so bright now.”

Medlin’s compliments made me feel both awkward and grateful for her warm words, so I smiled brightly in return.

I had no way of knowing how Lea had appeared here during the past, but I guessed she had shut herself away with a gloomy demeanor except on days when she went out to this place called Grand Town.

“We will inform you when the guests arrive.”

When Medlin left the dressing room with the ladies-in-waiting who had helped with my appearance, all spaces fell silent at once.

I moved through the dressing room and powder room toward the grand duchess’s bedroom.

It was no longer time to stand in front of the mirror admiring myself.

“There won’t be much time.”

The guests would soon arrive at the castle.

Hurriedly entering the bedroom and looking around, the golden letters from last night quickly presented an answer before my eyes.

[When day breaks, go to Grand Duchess Lea’s bedroom.]

[One of Lea’s clues is waiting for you there.]

[However, the servants have already searched the room for evidence that Lea attempted murder.]

[You must search places the servants didn’t think of. The hint is in your past life’s memories.]

The servants had searched my room to find evidence that I was the culprit in the attack, but they hadn’t found any proof.

So I needed to think of places they hadn’t searched.

The hint was said to be in my past life’s memories.

“Where could it be…?”

Taking a deep breath as I looked around, I suddenly felt a chill.

I turned around with a frozen expression.