Upon hearing the aide’s response, Alix seemed finally satisfied and dismissed him with a flick of his fingers. It was earlier than planned, but for now, he would focus entirely on attacking the Grand Duchy.

Once the temple tax and grain levy had been imposed, the Grand Duchy would have no choice but to come to the imperial palace to either protest or negotiate the terms.

Then he would see Selonia again.

When that happened, he would secure her loyalty, by force or by temptation. Once she realized that the Grand Duchy was suffering because of her, there was no way she would stay with the Grand Duke. Selonia was a principled woman, incapable of ignoring injustice and deeply compassionate towards others.

Alix had a strange sense of certainty, as though he had known her for a very long time.

Yes. One chance was all he needed.

There was no way she wouldn’t fall in love with him again.

Overwhelmed by a storm of emotions he could not name, Alix rang the bell to summon a servant.

Tonight, he would need strong liquor.

***

Over the course of several days, Serdin Castle was caught up in a brief yet violent whirlwind.

This was due to the sudden announcement of the Grand Duke’s engagement to Lady Brienne, a young woman whose mere appearance had already sparked endless curiosity.

As Kailos had long been a cause for concern within the castle due to his neglect of his duty to produce an heir and his lack of interest in women, the news brought far more joy and anticipation than confusion or alarm.

“You pretended nothing was going on, but you can’t fool my eyes.”

Helga said, grinning radiantly. After days of unrestrained happiness, she was utterly unable to hide the upward curve of her lips.

Harold, who had only half-believed Helga’s suspicions about the unusual relationship between the Grand Duke and Selonia, was still dazed by the engagement announcement.

“But doesn’t it seem rather sudden? You said they met while His Grace was staying at the imperial palace. That would mean their relationship hasn’t been very long—”

“Does love really need that much time? Just look at the way His Grace looks at that young lady. That tells you everything.”

Every time Kailos looked at Selonia, Helga felt a strange, almost ticklish sensation rise within her. His gaze was so tender that it seemed as though he were looking at a priceless treasure — something so precious that it might shatter at the slightest touch.

At Helga’s gently reproachful reply, Harold nodded, looking somewhat convinced.

“Well. I suppose I momentarily forgot that His Grace is a Laharden.”

The people of the north were known for their headstrong nature, which they displayed particularly in matters of the heart. Consequently, the region was filled with tales of passionate romances.

The most intense love stories almost always involved members of the House of Laharden. They devoted themselves entirely to their chosen partner, so marriages within the ducal family were often love matches. Nevertheless, Harold had never imagined that Kailos himself would be the same.

“Perhaps I worried for nothing. I even resolved not to be surprised if His Grace brought home a man.”

“I wasn’t worried at all. I knew this would happen someday.”

The person who had been more worried about Kailos than anyone else changed her tune without the slightest hint of embarrassment.

Having complained that there could never be enough time to prepare for the engagement ceremony, Helga hurried off.

Come to think of it, Selonia was more than qualified to become a Woman of the North. She had travelled alone to the Grand Duke’s castle in winter for love!

Helga resolved to do everything in her power to help Selonia adapt to life in the North. There was much to prepare: the banquet hall needed refurbishing in time for the engagement, and additional gardeners needed to be summoned to prepare the grounds.

Although winter had not yet arrived, spring seemed to have come to Serdin Castle.

Helga’s smile deepened.

***

Why did the old saying—trying to swat a flea only to burn down the whole hut—suddenly come to mind?

Unable to adjust to the festive atmosphere engulfing the Grand Duke’s castle for days, Selonia sighed with exhaustion.

After all, they weren’t even officially engaged yet. All that had been agreed was that an engagement ceremony would take place in the spring, yet everyone was already treating her as though she were the future Grand Duchess. It was overwhelming.

The longer she stayed in the north, the more attached she became to its people.

Unlike the capital, the Grand Duchy was free-spirited and brimming with vitality, and Selonia found herself growing to like it more with each passing day. If circumstances had permitted, she might have wanted to live there permanently. This made the fact that she was deceiving these people weigh even more heavily on her conscience.

But she was the one who had set everything in motion. There was no one else to blame.

In fact, it had been her idea to announce the engagement in the first place. This had stemmed from an anxiety bordering on certainty that Alix would never give her up so easily. Having decided to use Kailos as her shield, she had sworn to herself that she would not hesitate again, no matter the reason.

However, Kailos had opposed her suggestion from the outset.

“An engagement, Selonia? That’s far too dangerous.”

“I’m not suggesting a real engagement. We can break it off before the ceremony, and I’ll leave the Grand Duke’s castle. I know it could tarnish Your Grace’s reputation, but—”

“I’m opposing this not because of my reputation, but because of yours.”

Among the nobility, a broken engagement was usually seen as the woman’s fault. Even when both parties were at fault, it was the woman’s family that bore the greater stain on its honor.

However, Selonia had already decided to disregard such concerns when she left the Imperial Palace, so it didn’t matter to her. But judging by Kailos’s expression, it clearly mattered to him.

“I’m fine. I’m the illegitimate daughter of House Brienne. What reputation do I have left to lose? If anything, it’s Your Grace whose honor would suffer. That’s what I’m worried about.”

“…Selonia. I—”

Seemingly frustrated, Kailos undid one of the buttons on his shirt and ran a hand through his hair. Even in this situation, Selonia found herself drawn to his appearance. Selonia glanced at his face, then bit her lip.

“Now that I think about it, I may have been too self-centered. Even if you offered to help me, there are lines that shouldn’t be crossed. Let’s forget I ever suggested this.”

“…No. Let’s do it.”

“…What?”

“But on one condition.”

Kailos’s demands were straightforward. He wanted sole authority to decide when the engagement would be annulled.

Selonia looked up at him, hesitated for a moment, and then nodded without protest. As long as she could avoid Alix, the exact timing of the annulment was unimportant to her.

This rendered all the times she had waved people away and insisted there was nothing between them meaningless. Ultimately, Selonia had become someone who pretended to be Kailos’s lover and had promised to marry him.

Of course, everything would unravel long before any engagement ceremony could take place.

Nevertheless, whenever she saw the people of the castle — utterly unaware of what had truly passed between her and Kailos — smiling brightly and speaking with absolute certainty about the spring engagement ceremony, she felt a pang of guilt. Yet she could think of no other way forward.

Three days had passed since she sent her refusal to Alix.

Since the Grand Duke’s carrier pigeons had been used, the letter would have reached the imperial palace by now. What kind of reaction had Alix shown when he read her reply?

The thought left her feeling uneasy, but there was nothing she could do about it now. All she could do was hope that everything would turn out well.

Lost in anxious thoughts, Selonia clasped her hands together tightly when there was a knock at the door, followed by Joanna’s voice. She looked up sharply.

“Lady Selonia. You have a visitor.”

“Oh. Thank you, Joanna. Please show them to the sitting room, and tell them I’ll be down shortly.”

“Yes, my lady.”

Although she had been looking forward to seeing Muneme, she had almost forgotten amid everything that had been going on.

Rising from the sofa, Selonia quickly checked her reflection, smoothed her hair, and left her bedroom at once.

She still hadn’t found the book Muneme had mentioned, but she couldn’t keep putting it off forever. They had agreed that Muneme would start teaching her how to control her magic today.

To avoid arousing suspicion when coming and going from the Grand Duke’s castle, they had already agreed on a cover story. Muneme would be treated as though she were Selonia’s own grandmother.

The mere thought that she might finally be able to discard those stifling gloves lifted her spirits slightly. After all, it had been uncomfortable constantly refusing Joanna’s help with bathing, even though she seemed eager to assist her. Now that Selonia had grown closer to her, it was becoming increasingly awkward to keep hiding behind the excuse of embarrassment.

When Selonia reached the sitting room, she saw Muneme sitting upright on the sofa. Her white hair was pulled back tightly and not a strand was out of place. She greeted Selonia by shifting her grey eyes only.

“You’ve come.”

“Have you been well?”

“Haven’t found the book yet?”

“I don’t think it’s in the library. Starting tomorrow, I’ll check elsewhere.”

She moved through the library as though it were a dining hall, pulling down every volume that seemed even slightly promising. Yet not a single one matched the rare, ancient text that Muneme was looking for. If the text truly was that precious, it would have been unusual for it to have been left sitting openly in the castle library. Nevertheless, Selonia had clung to a sliver of hope. Now, however, she could not help feeling disappointed.

Muneme, however, showed little sign of discouragement. Perhaps she had never expected it to be found so easily. She merely nodded.

Sitting opposite her, Selonia leaned forward, unable to conceal her anticipation.

“Please tell me quickly. How can I control my magic?”

At Selonia’s urging, Muneme finally stirred.

First, she fixed her gaze on the top of Selonia’s head, then slowly lowered it to carefully examine her fingertips and the tips of her shoes. After a quiet, small sigh, she finally spoke.