From that day on, she began to change little by little.

She began eating regularly and going out for walks in the afternoons. She visited the shopping district to browse her favorite books and often attended performances by the Orpheo Sonnet.

During those hours, she moved around independently. She no longer asked Kieron for anything or inquired about his schedule.

Just as he seemed to have forgotten her, it seemed as though she was forgetting him as well.

“My lady is out at the moment.”
“Again?”

At Derrick’s report, Kieron’s expression instantly twisted. He had gone to look for her under the pretext of tea time more than once, yet every time, he was told she wasn’t at the estate.

“She’s been trying to regain her strength these days. The physician recommended going out, saying it would be good for her health.”

This was precisely why he should have scheduled it in advance.

At Derrick’s nagging remark, Kieron’s expression tightened further.

He was the busiest man in the entire empire.

He had worked tirelessly to revive the family business and reclaim the authority that the council had stripped from the rightful head of the household so brazenly.

With the emperor’s birthday approaching, even choosing a suitable gift was enough to give him a headache.

All he wanted was a short tea break with her to clear his mind.

Why was that such a difficult thing?

Most couples chose gifts together.

Since she wasn’t responsible for internal affairs or leading any business ventures, he assumed that her wife would have more free time than him. Yet his wife was out every single day, supposedly to regain her strength or find peace of mind.

Yet his wife spent almost every day wandering outside, claiming that she needed to regain her energy or find peace of mind.

Did she truly have nothing to occupy her within the estate?

Kieron clicked his tongue in irritation as he looked down at the documents that needed completing that day — pages he had read so many times they made him feel nauseous. If he stared at them any longer, he was certain he would lose his sanity.

Nevertheless, he couldn’t simply neglect his duties.

Following Herald’s advice, he decided to take a moment to refresh himself by visiting his wife, whom he had barely seen lately.

Sensing his master’s growing displeasure, Derrick softly cleared his throat before speaking.

“What if you set a regular appointment, sir?”

“Do you think I’m some idle man with nothing to do?”

The moment Derrick opened his mouth, Kieron’s expression hardened.

Anyone else would have recoiled on the spot, but Derrick didn’t move.

He wasn’t sure why, and he knew he didn’t have the right to understand fully, but one thing was clear: his master wanted to see his wife whenever he wanted.

When he couldn’t, he spent the entire day scowling and snapping at anyone or anything that crossed his path.

Derrick could make a rough guess as to why, but that only made Kieron more difficult to understand.

Nevertheless, Derrick chose to take a risk.

“Appointments are made precisely because one is not idle, my lord. And everyone needs time to refresh themselves now and then. I’ll ask my lady about it. She seems quite knowledgeable about tea leaves and herbs.”

Whenever Kieron returned from seeing Ariadne, his mood would improve, albeit slightly. Although he still wore that familiar look of displeasure, the sharp, cold edge around him softened… just a little.

Despite his constant complaints about Derrick’s annoying words and his general dissatisfaction, both Derrick and Herald found him far easier to deal with on the days he met his wife or received something from her.

Their master had spent his whole life working tirelessly to secure his position as head of the family. Having never dated anyone properly, it was only natural that there were things he didn’t understand: how to treat someone as an equal rather than a subordinate or business partner; how to build a relationship that had nothing to do with work.

However, Derrick, who had dated women and once loved someone deeply, recognized Kieron’s reactions for what they were: clumsy and awkward yet unmistakably positive.

So, with that quiet understanding, he bowed politely to his silent master, who appeared to give wordless agreement.

“Every Thursday at this hour should be best, sir. Depending on the weather, the meeting place can be the back garden or your receiving room. I’ll ask my lady and inform you.”

With that, Derrick left the office. Her ladyship had said she would return before evening, so he would ask her then.

“Well… since things are already like this, they might as well try getting along.”

As he walked down the corridor, Derrick murmured the words as though they were a weary sigh.

Her Ladyship was kind and gentle — a beautiful woman in every sense. She was soft-spoken, considerate, and always thoughtful towards others.

She suited his master perfectly — a man who hid behind a cool, rigid façade but was warm and deeply human beneath it.

Until now, his master had kept her at arm’s length, held back by needless misunderstandings and his own stubborn pride.

However, if they spent more time together, these misunderstandings and lingering resentment would eventually fade.

His master had wounded her heart many times, so she would not open up easily.

Nevertheless, if he were to be the first to lower his guard and treat her with genuine care, the two of them could truly become a perfect match.

Derrick pictured them as a harmonious couple, lifted straight from a fairy tale, and allowed himself a small, private smile.

Once her ladyship returned, he would speak to her about arranging a time for tea.

As he waited for Ariadne to come home, Derrick imagined the future they might share. He was unaware, however, that there was a fatal flaw in his vision.

***

“My lady, must you really do this?”

Ariadne’s maid, Jay, glanced around nervously, her face on the verge of tears. It was fortunate they had at least attempted a disguise, but she still looked terrified that someone might recognize them.

Ariadne understood. But she also knew there was no other option.

“If you’re uncomfortable, you can go back first, Jay.”

Ariadne soothed her with a faint smile.

Being here was a difficult choice for her as well. And she fully understood Jay, who couldn’t bear the thought of letting her mistress make a wrong decision.

“How could I leave when my lady is here…?”

Please, let’s just go back, my lady. Please?

Jay glanced around anxiously. It was no surprise—every person nearby kept shooting them displeased looks.

Jay continued to plead with her, convinced that something terrible might happen to her mistress if they stayed.

But…

“No. This is something I must do, Jay.”

Her lady, who was usually the gentlest person imaginable, was being particularly stubborn today.

Jay understood exactly why.

She had been raised to see only beautiful things and hear only kind words, yet she had endured two years of such painful hardship that it could barely be spoken about.

Had she ever imagined that the marriage she had fought so hard to protect, even against her family’s opposition, would become so challenging?

Even back in Peyton, she had always tried to focus on what she could do rather than dwell on her sadness.

Seeing someone like her slowly wither away hurt Jay deeply.

Whenever the Marquis wrote to ask after his precious daughter, Jay replied that everything was fine, though she felt the urge to rip those letters apart every time she did so.

But still—no matter how much sympathy she felt—

“This really isn’t right, my lady…”

Jay’s eyes darted nervously from side to side as she fought back tears.

She should have realized that this place was dangerous when her lady suggested slipping away from the coachman.

It was far too dangerous.

If she let her guard down for even a second, something awful could happen.

How could a young noblewoman, raised as delicately as Ariadne, even know about a place like this?

Fidgeting anxiously, Jay looked around the salon, a whispered meeting spot for nobles seeking secret affairs.

And now her innocent, reckless lady was planning to obtain a divorce in absolute secrecy, intending to take all the blame herself.

“Don’t worry. I just need to find someone suitable today and then we’ll return right away.”

“‘Today’…?”

“Today” meant she intended to come here again.

Jay turned pale and nearly jumped on the spot.

Honestly, what was she going to do with this hopelessly naïve young lady?

But regardless of Jay’s panic, Ariadne had a reason she absolutely had to succeed today.

When she decided she would no longer live like a pitiful, sickly patient, she made up her mind: she would divorce him.

‘This should be enough to repay the kindness he’s shown me.’

This marriage offered him no benefits. Matters relating to the council or the family were things that anyone else could have handled.

If Princess Lorelei had become the duchess, the council would probably have recognized Kieron much sooner.

What better way to elevate a family’s prestige than to have a duke married to a princess?

A princess would have been poised and capable, able to keep up with Kieron in ways that Ariadne never could.

Perhaps then he wouldn’t have felt forced to bury himself in work day and night. But because she — weak, inadequate and sickly — had entered his life, he lived under constant stress.

To make matters worse, the council refused to relinquish their hold on power.

Although they had handed him the title of family head through his marriage to Ariadne Peyton, as promised, that was all they gave.

They kept their grip firmly around everything that truly mattered.

Even Ariadne, who had never been particularly close to them, could sense their lack of respect for him.

They acknowledged the political advantage of having a Peyton daughter as duchess, yet still refused to entrust the family to a young duke without an heir.

This is why Ariadne decided she had to stop being a burden.

So she came up with the idea of divorce.

Of course, she would be blamed for everything.

If her father ever suspected Kieron of wrongdoing and demanded the return of all that the Peytons had given him, it would be disastrous.

Jay was the only person to follow Ariadne from the marquisate, and Jay openly despised Kieron.

Ariadne had barely persuaded her to help with the plan. If necessary, she was prepared to carry it out alone, leaving Jay behind if she had to.

Whatever happened, she could not allow Kieron to come to any harm.

She repeated that vow to herself as she looked around.

“Look carefully, Jay. See if there’s anyone we can make a reasonable deal with. Preferably someone more handsome than—than him.”

From the moment they stepped inside, Jay had looked deathly pale. However, finding someone to help carry out her plan was far more important to Ariadne than Jay’s panic.

Yet no matter where she looked, she couldn’t find a single man who looked even remotely decent — let alone more handsome than her husband.

This was supposed to be one of the finest affair salons in the empire!

Ariadne sighed, her expression tinged with disappointment.

“I don’t think there’s anyone here.”

At her whisper, Jay immediately brightened.

“Right, my lady? I told you—this isn’t the place. Please, let’s just go home—”

“There’s supposed to be another one near the shopping district. Let’s go there.”

“…What?”

At her next words, the color drained from Jay’s face once more.

***

The second salon, then the third—time was limited, yet the likelihood of achieving her goal only grew dimmer.

Only then did Ariadne begin to wonder if perhaps her plan had been far too naïve.

“Let’s go back, Jay.”

In a dim alley behind what she had hoped would be the last salon, Ariadne removed her wig and let out a weary sigh.

“Really? Truly, my lady?”

“Yes. Let’s go. Where did Marty say he would be waiting?”

“Over there, in the boutique alley! Please, let’s hurry, my lady!”

Jay removed her headscarf with visible relief and hurried ahead.

Ariadne followed slowly behind, sighing again.

How could there be so few decent men in such a vast empire?

Finding someone who wouldn’t appear pitiful compared to Kieron, and who would be approved of by her father, was proving to be far more difficult than she had ever imagined.

She replayed the faces she had seen in the salons and shook her head.

Hadn’t it really been foolish from the start to expect to find a decent man in a place meant for secret affairs?

Just as she let out another long, exhausted sigh, still unaware of how obvious that truth was,

“Rene? Rene Peyton?”

— a familiar yet strangely distant voice brushed past her ear.