“…Y-Your Grace?”

The moment Ariadne saw the face behind the door, she felt the blood drain from her body.

Why was he here?

She hadn’t seen her husband since teatime weeks ago.

Despite living on the same ducal estate and sharing the same walls, it was surprisingly easy to go days without crossing paths.

If he wanted to, he could avoid her completely until the day she left.

So why had he suddenly appeared here?

Her first thought was that Derrick had delivered the wrong message, or that Kieron had simply misunderstood the time.

There was no other explanation for why the two of them, who hadn’t shared a meal together since their wedding day, were meeting at this hour.

“Dr Brown said it might be good for me to have dinner outside my room, so…”

And worse — she had done something today. Or rather, she had planned to do something. Even if she hadn’t carried it out, she had just come downstairs after attempting to arrange an affair.

How could anything be more unbearable than running into her husband at that very moment?

Her voice trembled helplessly, but she couldn’t bring herself to stay silent.

“If I had known Your Grace was coming, I should have eaten in my room…”

“…Sit. It’s fine.”

To make matters worse, he spoke in an unmistakably displeased tone.

Why was he annoyed?

If he was going to be like this, why had he come at all?

Ariadne felt painfully awkward as he strode across the room and took the seat opposite her. Since their marriage, they had never shared a single meal.

Their last tea time together had been the first—and only—moment that had resembled spending time together.

How could they possibly have eaten together before now?

As soon as he sat down, the kitchen door opened and the food was brought in. Ariadne suddenly wondered if this had all been Derrick’s elaborate plan.

Just as she rarely left her room, he rarely left his office.

Perhaps Derrick, Dr Brown, and maybe half the household had secretly conspired to seat the duke and duchess together.

She glanced briefly at Jay, who was standing quietly beside her, attending to her as usual. She let out a tiny, invisible sigh, hoping no one else would notice.

Whatever the reason, none of this was welcome.

Her heart still hadn’t fully recovered from the last incident; the wounds she had tried to smooth over were still tender.

And she was not someone who could calmly face her husband when she was in the midst of planning something so shameful.

And above all—

“My lady, are you alright?”

“I’m fine.”

Why was her heart beating so fast?

She gave Jay a brief reply as her maid set down a plate of salad.

Then Ariadne let out another small sigh. Of course, someone as slow as her wouldn’t be able to let go of her feelings so easily.

Letting go was not something she was good at — certainly not quickly.

She picked up her fork and prodded at the food. Finally, she decided to eat quickly and leave.

It was the only way she could survive the suffocating silence.

Just as she lifted her fork to her lips for a small bite, he spoke.

“You’ve been going out often lately.”

Ariadne froze.

For a moment she simply blinked, unable to decide how to respond, then hastily set down her fork.

“Ah, that… Dr. Brown told me to get more sunlight. I mostly just go for walks, and when I shop, I only use my personal allowance, so you don’t need to worry.”

She meant it as reassurance—but at her reply, Kieron frowned.

So that wasn’t the right answer…?

“If you need something, you can just tell me—”

Seeing his brows knit even tighter, Ariadne tilted her head in confusion.

Surely his life would be better off without her?

He didn’t want to see her. He preferred her to be quiet, invisible and unobtrusive. He hated it when she overdid it and collapsed, so she had deliberately cut down on the time she spent at the estate.

Was he really reprimanding her for not being around when he needed her?

That made no sense.

As she silently tried to decipher his meaning, picking at her salad with no appetite, he spoke again.

“Instead of worrying about what I need, focus on recovering your health faster. I’m tired of turning the Marquis down every time he asks whether he should assign a resident physician here.”

“M-my father asked that?”

Sharp words hit her before she could brace herself.

Ah. So it was because of that.

Since she didn’t seem to be improving quickly, her father must have been bothering him whenever she left her rooms.

Kieron must be sick of dealing with it by now.

She lowered her head, already deciding she would send a letter to her father soon.

“I’m sorry, Your Grace. I’ll speak to my father properly. I’ll tell him there’s no need to send anyone anymore.”

“…I can refuse something like that on my own. What do you think I am?”

More irritation.

More barbed words.

What was bothering him so much?

To her, the whole exchange felt pointless and uncomfortable.

Kieron reacted with annoyance at every turn, while she could only sit there, feeling confused and unsure what he wanted from her.

Eventually, silence fell between them. They each glanced at each other, before quietly turning back to their plates.

The tension in the room was suffocating.

What on earth had Dr Brown and Derrick been thinking, arranging something like this? Even worse, she wasn’t sure whether it had been deliberate.

Ariadne made up her mind: she would definitely eat with Jay in her room tomorrow.

She swallowed her food without chewing it — it would undoubtedly cause indigestion — but staying there any longer felt unbearable.

Hurrying to finish her meal, she never once noticed the way he was looking at her from across the table.

***

“I saw Rene today.”

Much later, while drinking with close friends, Jade stared into his glass and casually mentioned what had happened earlier.

He had met his longtime friend—and first love—again for the first time in years.

“You met Rene? How did she look? Is she doing well?”

And the only friend who understood his heart—Heidel Peyton—started forward as if he might leap out of his seat.

He leaned so far that Jade thought he might tip over, and couldn’t help letting out a baffled laugh.

“Calm down. She said she’s been well. She didn’t look bad, either.”

“Really? That’s good, then. As long as she’s not sick.”

In contrast to his earlier intensity, Heidel suddenly slumped back onto the sofa, utterly exhausted. This stark change was amusing, yet painfully easy to understand.

Noticing the familiar heaviness, Jade silently refilled his friend’s empty glass.

“You haven’t heard from her lately, right? She seemed really happy when I told her you were getting married.”

“Of course she would be. She’s a good kid.”

Heidel smiled gently as he pictured his little sister, who was as pure and kind as she was soft-hearted.

He would have to tell his brothers later, he thought, as he finished the drink Jade had poured for him.

Ariadne — whom they adored and wanted to protect — had cut off all contact with the family after her marriage.

It started when their second brother, Hermes, spoke harshly to her husband.

That was when they first realized that their youngest sister, who was often overshadowed, had a firm side to her.

“I’m never speaking to my brothers again. He’s the person I chose, and you judge him without even trying to understand him?”

The girl who shouted those words with trembling eyes full of tears had been someone none of them recognized.

Heidel had never seen that fiery expression on his small, gentle sister.

Thinking of the sister he hadn’t seen even once since then, he let out a long sigh.

“So… is she coming to my wedding?”

“She asked me to make sure she gets an invitation. Don’t you think it’s time she saw her family again?”

Upon hearing Jade’s words, a look of hesitation clouded Heidel’s face. He was engaged to Sylvia, the second princess of the Empire.

Unlike Princess Lorelei, who could be considered Ariadne’s rival, Sylvia was kind and gentle.

Heidel had met Sylvia several times, and the two of them liked each other.

Lorelei might be difficult to endure, but with his father and brothers present, there wouldn’t be any major issues.

After some thought, Heidel finally nodded.

“But if I send it, Rene might not accept it.”

That was the problem.

Ever since she stopped seeing her family, Ariadne had refused to accept any mail from the Marquisate. Even letters addressed to her were delivered to her maid, Jay, so it was unclear whether she ever received them.

“Rene’s stronger than I thought.”

“Our parents are heartbroken. Even Hermes has been completely deflated.”

Jade remembered the face of his friend from earlier that day—slightly thinner, slightly worn—and set his glass down.

“Then I’ll take it to her myself. She won’t shut the door on me.”

She looked slightly hurt, but she wouldn’t abandon her family completely. In fact, she seemed somewhat nostalgic for them.

Eager to help the troubled Peyton brothers, Jade readily agreed.

“She’s not the type to be cruel.”

“Alright. Then I’ll leave it to you. Give me your invitation.”

“Then I’ll ask this favor of you.”

At Jade’s words, Heidel let out a wry smile and lightly tapped his friend’s shoulder. He hoped—truly hoped—that this friend’s visit would bring some strength to his beloved little sister.