“His Grace says you may come out now.”

Her confinement ended late in the evening.

Having stayed in her room all day and with her appetite dulled, Ariadne’s dinner was delayed.

She was only released after she had finished eating.

This meant that the door, which had been closed all this time, was finally opened.

“It seems all suspicions have been cleared.”

She said, her tone light as she addressed Herald, who was standing at the door.

He couldn’t answer for a moment.

“He also asked me to tell you that nothing like this will happen again.”

‘Nothing like this will happen again.’

Ariadne immediately sensed that those words were not an apology.

“Is that His Grace apologizing for doubting me? Or is he saying he no longer cares what I do?”

She already knew Kieron’s true intent.

She asked anyway—out of sheer spite. She knew nothing would change even if she asked, yet she wanted, at the very least, to give her husband a hint.

A hint that his choice had not been the right one.

“His Grace said he will ensure you experience no inconvenience in your daily life from now on.”

“And that is everything he ordered you to tell me?”

But seeing Herald avoid her gaze and repeat only what he had been told, Ariadne realized her wish would not be granted.

Since Herald clearly had no intention of answering, she simply turned away.

“Please tell His Grace that I appreciate his concern. And that from now on, I will live as though I were dead.”

“…Yes, my lady.”

Asking a man who had no intention of answering was pointless. All she would ever get were words she didn’t want to hear.

In a flat, exhausted tone, she said nothing more. She stepped back into her room and closed the door behind her.

There is nothing more hollow than something that refuses to change.

Ariadne leaned against the door and shut her eyes.

Now she understood: no matter what she did, no matter how much she cried or how desperately she struggled, he would never change.

She had realized that from Herald’s expression alone. If that was the case, there was no reason left to cling to tiny shifts or beg him to change.

So she made up her mind about how she would live from now on.

She would be as though dead: quiet, unmoving, and doing nothing.

If her husband had no intention of resolving or improving anything, then she would give him precisely what he wanted on the surface.

But she would change. She would start living in a way that would enable her to be independent the day he decided she was no longer useful to him.

After all, she could grant the man she had once loved that much time.

With that thought, Ariadne made her silent resolve.

***

The day after her confinement was lifted, the first thing Ariadne did was go out with Jay.

Her maid had endured great hardship on her behalf in recent days, so Ariadne wanted to give her a small gift.

“It’s a relief that you’re safe, my lady.”

Jay, whom she had not seen for days, looked far more haggard than she had expected.

Whether this was due to her not eating properly or the other servants not looking after her, Ariadne couldn’t tell. But it was clear that the girl had lost weight.

The dark circles under her eyes suggested that she hadn’t been sleeping well either.

“Are you sure nothing happened, Jay? Your face looks terrible.”

“Oh, goodness, I’m telling you—nothing happened to me! I was just stuck in a room, that’s all. I ate what they brought me and slept as much as I wanted. Honestly, there was nothing else to do in there.”

Jay waved her hands around dramatically, insisting that she had actually been comfortable, just confined and bored. She added that it had felt good to sleep in for a change.

Despite having suffered while locked away for no reason, she insisted that she was fine and tried to reassure her mistress instead.

Seeing this, Ariadne felt a mixture of gratitude and guilt well up inside her.

She squeezed Jay’s hand tightly.

“Thank you so much, Jay. I don’t think I could’ve endured it without you.”

“No, my lady! I didn’t do anything. You’re the one who must have suffered, being accused like that.”

Kind Jay.

Instead of focusing on her own difficulties, she was worried about her mistress, gently patting the back of Ariadné’s hand.

Even while she was locked up, she had only been concerned about her.

Ariadne remembered how her chambermaid had hinted at this last night, and she smiled faintly.

“You really give me strength.”

“And I’m happy because you’re here, my lady.”

The two shared a smile.

At that moment, the carriage came to a halt.

“My lady, we’ve arrived.”

Moments later, the coachman opened the door.

Ariadne took his hand and stepped down, with Jay following to straighten her mistress’s skirts.

“Thank you, Arch. Would you wait nearby for a bit? We’ll return after lunch, so go have a meal and meet us here again.”

“Yes, my lady.”

She slipped him some money, then took Jay’s hand as she reached behind her.

“Let’s go, Jay.”

“M-My lady?”

Proper etiquette dictated that a maid should walk behind her mistress and attend to her needs.

Jay had been trained for years and knew this better than anyone.

Ariadne, who was usually strict about such rules, knew it even better.

But today, she didn’t want to think about etiquette. Today, she wanted to give Jay a day that felt like a gift.

Taking Jay’s hand, Ariadne stepped forward with a light, determined stride.

“Today, we’re buying your present and eating whatever you want. If there’s something you’ve been wanting, just say so. If there’s somewhere you’d like to go, just say so. I’m doing this because I’m so grateful to you.”

Ariadne smiled warmly and genuinely at Jay’s startled expression. To her, Jay was like a friend and sometimes even like an older sister.

She was the one source of comfort in her married life. She was the first person Ariadne thought of after her own family when she decided to let everything else go.

If she was going to be dead to her husband, she would be happier and more alive for her family — and for Jay.

“M-My lady, you don’t have to do this. I’m already happy.”

“Think of it as a reward for everything you’ve done. I wish I could raise your wages or give you a long vacation instead, but…”

Honestly, the best reward for a servant would have been a raise or a long leave.

Ariadne had wanted to go straight to Derek to ask about increasing Jay’s wages and holiday allowance, but Jay had only been released from confinement the previous day.

Kieron probably thought that Jay was at least partly to blame, and he certainly hadn’t forgiven her yet.

If Ariadne were to demand a pay rise for Jay now, it would be no different from breaking her vow to live ‘as though dead’.

So today, she chose to give Jay a gift instead.

When enough time had passed and things had cooled so that no one would question her, she would quietly ask about adjusting her maid’s pay and leave.

Still holding Jay’s hand, Ariadne offered her a small, apologetic smile.

“I’m sorry, Jay. I’m such a powerless mistress.”

“Don’t say that, my lady! Do you know how rare it is to serve someone like you? I’m genuinely thankful every day.”

Considering that Jay had every right to resent her for everything that happened… Yet all the girl offered was comfort and gratitude. Ariadne felt deeply grateful in return.

So she held Jay’s hand gently and patted it.

“Then don’t feel pressured and just accept it. I even dressed simply today on purpose so I could go around with you.”

Ariadne gave her shoulders a playful sway, and Jay burst out laughing. Somehow, it made sense now—why her mistress was dressed so plainly for once.

“Is that why you insisted on wearing this today? Because you had to?”

“Exactly. So don’t try to refuse, just think about where you want to go. Isn’t there anywhere you’ve wanted to visit?”

Ariadne smiled adorably, giving Jay’s hand a small shake. Like a little girl begging for a fun story, her enthusiasm made Jay laugh again despite herself.

“All right, my lady. I’ll do as you wish.”

“Good. Then just for today, call me miss, not my lady. It’ll make things easier while we’re out.”

“Yes, miss.”

In response to her mistress’s unusually eager request, Jay nodded without hesitation.

She said the word ‘miss’ so naturally and effortlessly.

As though she had never stopped using it. As though it had always belonged to them.

Hearing it, something unexpectedly swelled in Ariadne’s chest.

It was such a small, insignificant word.

And yet…

Perhaps it was because she had believed she would never hear it again after her marriage. Or maybe it was because she had spent her life being addressed as ‘my lady’, and now longed for the time when she was called ‘miss’.

Whatever the reason, the feeling that rose within her was unpleasant.

Ariadne drew a quiet breath and started walking again.

“It feels a little strange, hearing it again. Right?”

“…I think so too. I guess it’s because I thought I’d never call you that again.”

Jay said, sounding slightly dazed.

So she had been thinking the same thing.

Ariadne smiled faintly and patted her shoulder.

“Just call me that for today. When we go back home, call me my lady again.”

“I will, miss.”

Jay said it again—so naturally—and smiled as if the word delighted her. Knowing she hadn’t been the only one thinking that way made the heaviness creeping into Ariadne’s heart lift just a little.

She looked at Jay, then quickened her pace.

“There’s still time before lunch, so let’s look at your gift first. We’ll head to a nearby boutique. If there’s anything you’ve been wanting, think about it now.”

“Th-The boutique? Miss, I’m fine with just going to the plaza…”

“There’s a new boutique that caters to commoners. So don’t worry—let’s go.”

Ariadne had already gathered information from the maids who came in and out of her room. She had prepared in advance because she knew Jay might feel burdened.

With practiced familiarity, she guided Jay down the street.

They were experiencing a day that felt strangely nostalgic, one that she had longed for.