Grand parties were held at the end of the year in Baron Brastelma’s territory too, but they couldn’t compare to imperial palace banquets. Overwhelmed by the splendor, she had confused a drink with alcohol. Unable to spit it out, she swallowed it and felt the intoxication rising. Violet’s head spun as people twirled around her.

“The Grand Duchess is still beautiful.”

“You flatter me.”

Violet’s gaze turned to her godmother. People crowded around the Grand Duchess, who was dressed in unobtrusive colors. Though the ducal couple lived quietly in the grand duchy, the presence of the rapidly developing duchy was significant.

The Grand Duke wore a sullen expression amidst people trying to gain some familiarity. His eyebrows would narrow almost to the point of touching, especially when men tried to act friendly with the Grand Duchess.

‘They’re still on good terms.’

Others teased Arsen for being henpecked, and Violet thought so too, but what was wrong with a husband loving his wife? Violet wanted to meet a man like the Grand Duke.

‘Probably every woman in this banquet hall thinks the same.’

She giggled softly and went out to the garden. Lights were placed everywhere, so it wasn’t scary to go out alone. The garden was also elaborately decorated, providing plenty to see without getting bored.

“Aah……”

“Mmm.”

However, the sounds coming from dark bushes where lovers hid made it difficult to sit still. Violet walked slowly until her stomach settled.

But had the alcohol she accidentally drank been too strong? Violet had walked much further than she expected.

“Where, where am I?”

She tried to retrace her steps but ended up in an unfamiliar place. She had heard there were gardens in the imperial palace where entry was forbidden. Violet’s steps quickened as she grew anxious.

Just then, she heard someone approaching from the distance.

“Hello.”

Thinking it must be a palace servant, she was about to approach when someone behind her placed a hand on her shoulder.

“Lady?”

“Eek!”

Startled, Violet staggered, and the man who had placed his hand on her shoulder pulled her waist to steady her.

“Y-Your Highness.”

Immediately recognizing Michael, Violet quickly bowed with eyes wide as saucers.

“I must have startled you.”

“No, not at all.”

“But what are you doing here, Miss Violet?”

“I got lost and……”

Violet, who had been answering obediently, suddenly tilted her head.

“How do you know my name, Your Highness?”

“I heard you’re the goddaughter the Grand Duchess cherishes like her own child. I also saw you accompanying her throughout the banquet.”

“Oh, I’m honored that you even remember my name.”

Violet struggled to recall a passage from the etiquette book she had studied before coming here.

The prince was objectively handsome. He wasn’t behaving threateningly. In fact, he maintained a kind smile and even his voice was gentle. Yet for some reason, Violet felt a strange chill.

Was it because they were alone in a secluded garden?

“……”

No, that wasn’t it. They weren’t alone. Michael acted as if only the two of them were here, but there was someone else. Pretending not to be there, holding their breath, but definitely present.

“Would you like a tour of the imperial palace?”

“Pardon?”

“Going back to the banquet hall would just be boring. When else would you get to explore the imperial palace?”

It was a tempting offer. Once she became aware of it, the gaze on the back of her head felt piercing. There was only one thing she needed to do here. Absolutely don’t show any sign of awareness.

“I appreciate the offer, but my legs hurt from walking too much, Your Highness. If I may be so bold, could you escort me back to the banquet hall?”

Violet carefully extended her hand. Michael looked at the white hand held out in the air before raising his arm.

‘Clever.’ She thought she heard such words, but Violet did her best to ignore them.

* * *

“Oil smell?”

Violet hadn’t completely escaped from the prince. After returning to the banquet hall, she was only released after dancing with him while capturing the attention of her parents, the grand ducal couple, and the emperor and empress.

The problem was that Michael had been unnecessarily affectionate toward Violet. To any observer, they looked like young people who had developed feelings for each other. Violet had matched Michael’s demeanor with bright smiles, creating a peculiar atmosphere.

The baron and baroness looked frightened by this unexpected situation, while Lydia couldn’t close her gaping mouth in astonishment.

“What exactly happened, Violet?”

They could only hear the details after leaving the imperial palace. As soon as they arrived at the marquis’s residence, everyone gathered in the reception room without even changing clothes. Violet looked completely drained.

“I’m not trying to scold you, Violet. With Prince Michael, yes, these things happen.”

Well, they were young people in their prime. Michael was handsome and Violet was pretty, so it wouldn’t be strange if they were attracted to each other.

If they said they liked each other, then what? Lydia didn’t think she could wholeheartedly approve.

“It’s not like that.”

Violet shook her head firmly. She recounted in detail what had happened in the garden. In some ways, it might have been nothing. Violet might have felt that way because she was being sensitive. But,

“One thing is certain. The smell of oil.”

The smell was definite. Violet had grown up as a noble daughter, but the barony itself was rural. As punishment for hiding the mana stone mine, their territory had been reduced, so Violet had grown up somewhere between nobility and commoners.

“It was the smell of oil used to make torches.”

She often watched the servants doing their chores. Among them was making torches. That was the smell she had detected there.

“He pretended not to smell it too.”

“You did well, Violet.”

It was certainly suspicious. But that was as far as it went. All sorts of things happened in the imperial palace. They decided to take measures to ensure Violet wouldn’t become further entangled with Michael.

“Would you like a drink, wife?”

When she came out after washing, Arsen was holding a wine glass. He poured wine into Lydia’s glass until it nearly overflowed.

“I’m contemplating how to keep you from attending tomorrow’s hunting competition. How about a hangover?”

“Is it because of the oil story earlier?”

“I just have a bad feeling. Prince Michael concerns me.”

“Me too.”

Something had felt off since the rat carcass incident. One could lie down in the bushes and skip duties. And rats might wander around someone lying there. Normal people would either chase the rat away or scream in disgust.

But Michael chose to k*ll the rat. And he did it cruelly, crushing it with a stone. It wasn’t something an ordinary person would do.

“Today he didn’t behave like a prince participating in the competition either. He wasn’t visible throughout the banquet, then suddenly appeared wanting to dance with Violet and demanded the music be changed.”

After hearing Violet’s account, it seemed Michael wasn’t actually infatuated with her. That meant he had likely used her.

But for what purpose?

“We should be careful as he might do something unpredictable.”

When Lydia tried to pick up the full wine glass, he switched the glasses. Apparently, he hadn’t really intended to give her a hangover.

“Being back here after so long brings back memories.”

The bedroom they were currently staying in was Lydia’s former bedroom. Here, many things had happened.

From childhood memories she could barely recall, to meeting Arsen, to leaving for the grand duchy—countless memories were embedded here like fingerprints.

“Let’s be honest now, wife.”

“About what?”

“Did you plan to seduce me from the beginning?”

“What did you say?”

Lydia nearly spat out the wine she was drinking in disbelief.

“Don’t you remember what I looked like back then?”

After drinking the poison meant for Giselle’s tea and not receiving proper treatment, she had looked barely human.

“You suddenly threw yourself into my arms.”

She had indeed fallen into his arms. With matted hair and split lips, asking for water. Could that be considered seduction?

“And the day you escaped through the window? Why were you only wearing a nightgown when escaping?”

“That was because I was escaping secretly—”

“Did you think I’d fall for you quickly because I looked innocent?”

He was pressing her so relentlessly that she couldn’t get a word in, and the content was so absurd that Lydia was momentarily speechless.

“Innocent? Who, you, Arsen? Do you even know what innocent means?”

If nothing else, she wanted to address that point. At that time, Arsen had absolutely not looked innocent. If anything, he looked like someone who pretended to be gruff on the outside while secretly charming women.

“Before meeting you, I knew nothing but the sword.”

“That’s true.”

“Do you remember what my nickname was before I met you?”

Of course she remembered.

“It was ‘socially awkward.'”

“And now?”

Now his nickname was ‘henpecked.’ From socially awkward to henpecked. They seemed like opposites, but somehow the essence was similar.

“Will you still not admit that you corrupted me?”

“No, I mean……”

Could it really be put that way? Logically, it made sense. Lydia herself had turned a man once mocked as socially awkward into one who was henpecked.

But suddenly she thought: What’s wrong with corrupting him a little?

“I took responsibility, didn’t I?”

She would have been a bad person if she had corrupted him and then abandoned him, but Lydia had taken responsibility for Arsen through marriage.

“By that logic, you fell for me from the very beginning, Arsen.”

“When you tried to seduce me wearing only a nightgown, how could I not fall for you? I was at my most innocent then.”

“Ha, a nightgown is not ‘only’ clothing. You acted like a gentleman wrapping me tightly in a cloak. In truth, you just wanted to see me in my nightgown, huh?”