“You’re here, Viscountess.”

“Hello, Master Cesare.”

Master Cesare greeted me with a slightly awkward smile, and I returned the gesture. He guided me to a seat on the sofa in his office. Since Ains had already visited as a guest, the table still held the tea they had been drinking. The color and aroma of the tea were familiar, and I soon realized it was the Cheff tea that Ains often enjoyed.

“I’ll have it cleared right away, so please wait a moment.”

As I looked at the table, Master Cesare pulled a bell cord to summon a servant. It was only then that I became aware of his gaze and lifted my head.

“No, it’s okay. Take your time. I’m fine.”

“Alright.”

Soon, a servant entered the room. Master Cesare instructed the servant to clear the table. The teacups were removed, and fresh Cheff tea was poured into new cups. Cheff tea was also the tea I always drank whenever I met with Master Cesare.

I sat on the sofa, quietly gazing down at the serene teacup.

“I knew you were coming today, but I didn’t expect the timing to overlap like this. The Duke of Graham visited unexpectedly…”

Seeing his discomfort, I offered a faint smile. He seemed quite concerned about my encounter with Ains. Knowing the history between Ains and me, he appeared even more apologetic about the situation.

“It’s alright. It just happened by chance. These things can happen. Please don’t worry too much.”

I appreciated his consideration. As he mentioned, this situation arose because Ains showed up without an appointment, coinciding with my scheduled time. Master Cesare couldn’t have anticipated or prevented it, so there was no reason for him to feel sorry.

Besides, I had always thought I would run into Ains eventually. Living in the same society, it was unrealistic to hope never to meet him again. Still, I considered myself lucky not to have seen him for nearly a year.

“You seem quite different from before, Viscountess.”

Master Cesare’s comment wasn’t negative. In fact, it seemed to carry a positive tone.

“…Do I?”

I asked with an awkward smile, and Master Cesare nodded.

“Yes. It’s much better.”

“I’m glad to hear that.”

“You came because of the mana stones today, right?”

“Yes.”

“Great. Then please rest for a moment while I appraise them.”

At my signal, Rivet, who had followed me in, handed a pouch of lower-grade mana stones to Master Cesare. He accepted the pouch and carefully began appraising the stones.

Master Cesare was in a position where he didn’t need to handle such tasks personally. However, he always appraised the mana stones himself and paid me for them, perhaps out of consideration for me. Given that his assessed price was slightly higher than the usual market value for lower-grade mana stones, it was clear he was being thoughtful.

While he examined the mana stones, I slowly surveyed the office. It looked as it always did. However, one thing was different—the lingering scent of Ains’s cologne still filled the room.

Perhaps it was because I hadn’t seen him in so long, or maybe his cologne evoked old memories. Gradually, past events began to surface in my mind.

I still remembered the incident when Ains had knelt before me. It was an action I would never have expected from the Ains I knew. He had seemed truly desperate, even shedding tears as if he couldn’t bear to lose me.

But now, I had to accept that what was past was truly in the past. Since that day, I hadn’t seen Ains until today.

There were days when I worried about what I would do if he came looking for me. I had spent sleepless nights, troubled by the thought of his suffering.

However, that was several months ago. At some point, I was able to gradually erase Ains from my thoughts. Of course, that didn’t mean I had completely forgotten him. Rather, it meant I had stopped recalling our shared memories in daily life or binding myself by thinking of him.

Yet, for some reason, meeting Ains today stirred my heart with anxiety once more. But I knew that feeling would soon settle.

“Everything is done. As usual, I’ll give you the payment by check.”

“Yes.”

I smiled lightly in response to his words. Shortly after, Master Cesare filled out the amount on the check, which I carefully tucked away.

“Hmm? Come to think of it, you hardly touched your tea today,” Master Cesare murmured suddenly. At his words, I glanced down to see the teacup in front of me. In the past, I would have drunk the tea, but today I just wasn’t in the mood.

“Oh, I already had some earlier.”

“I see. Next time, if you’d like to have tea separately, please feel free to let me know.”

After bidding him farewell, I promptly left his office.

* * *

I returned home earlier than usual and headed straight to my bedroom. Normally, I wouldn’t spend much time there, but today was an exception.

Lying on the large bed, I tossed and turned restlessly. Sleep wouldn’t come, and my thoughts only deepened. The image of Ains, whom I had encountered in front of Master Cesare’s office, lingered in my mind.

He didn’t seem much different from when I had decided to part ways with him. Well, there was one noticeable change: he appeared thinner, perhaps from not eating properly.

I wondered if he had been too busy to manage regular meals lately. Or was it possible that he hadn’t been eating well because of me…?

No, surely not.

Just as my thoughts continued, I heard a knock at the door. I lifted my head from the pillow to look at the door.

“Madam, it’s Rivet.”

“Come in.”

With my permission, Rivet entered the room. She approached me and handed over a letter.

“A letter has arrived from the capital.”

I sat up and examined the letter Rivet handed me. As she said, it was from the capital. Considering the timing, I quickly guessed what it contained.

I opened the envelope to check its contents. As expected, it was an invitation to a ball.

A ball was soon to be held to celebrate His Majesty the Emperor’s birthday. The letter was an invitation to attend.

I stared at the letter for a moment. It wasn’t just any invitation; it was for the Emperor’s birthday celebration, making it difficult to decline.

“Rivet, do we have any dresses suitable for the ball?”

“I’ll prepare a few options for you. If none of them please you, I will make a reservation with a designer for a new one.”

“Alright. Thank you. And if we need a designer, please book an appointment at Baroness Xavier’s atelier.”

“Yes, Madam.”

After Rivet left, I sighed softly.

I knew Ains would also attend this ball. In the past, I might have worried about the attention from others, but not this time. This time, I couldn’t bear the thought of Ains being there.

Rivet selected a few dresses for me to look at. They were all beautiful, thanks to her careful selection, but I decided it would be better to have a new dress made.

I visited Baroness Xavier’s atelier. It was bustling with people as always. Like me, they were there to have dresses made for the royal ball.

Normally, I would have to wait my turn, but thanks to our acquaintance, I could meet Baroness Xavier sooner than others.

“Cecilia!”

“Monica! How have you been?”

“Great! I’ve been well, though I’ve been so busy I barely had time to open my eyes.”

Baroness Xavier embraced me warmly, and I returned the gesture, gently patting her back.

“You’re here for the ball, right?”

“Yes. I came to get a dress made and to see your face.”

“You came at the right time. I just got some new fabric.”

Baroness Xavier spoke with excitement while taking my measurements.

“Do you have any design in mind?”

“Not really.”

“How about this, then?”

Baroness Xavier began sketching a dress design on the spot. I watched in fascination as she drew.

The design featured an off-shoulder bell-line dress, but unlike typical dresses, it had a thin cape that resembled wings, serving as a unique focal point.

Even to someone like me, who wasn’t well-versed in fashion, it seemed like a wonderful design.

“I’ll go with this one.”

“Great. I’ll contact you once the fitting is complete.”

“Thanks, Monica.”

“Leave it to me.”

I chuckled softly at Baroness Xavier’s confident assurance. Her dedication to her work was incredibly charming and impressive.

I wondered if I could ever appear that way to someone else.

Finishing my brief reflection, I left Baroness Xavier’s atelier.