Early that morning, Kieron sought out the gardener’s hut, where he had stayed the night before. He wanted to stop by once more before leaving, to revisit the thoughts that had been troubling him. He had thought about many things here yesterday.

About himself, about Ariadne, and about what lay ahead.

But the thing he had thought about the most was—

“Your Grace… is something troubling you?”

Herald, who had followed him, asked cautiously.

Kieron turned his gaze toward him.

“No. I’m not troubled.”

He wasn’t.

That had been settled the night before.

He had found his own answer, however imperfect it might be.

To hold onto it, he needed to organize his thoughts in this place once more.

Many things would have to change from now on.

Now that he finally understood what he feared most, he would have to start addressing it, one step at a time. After all, achieving one’s desires always requires some degree of sacrifice.

If he ended up being the one sacrificed, then so be it.

In his case, that was necessary.

Ideally, he would lessen the burden placed on others.

That was his intention.

With that resolve, Kieron turned and began walking away.

Herald followed behind him, looking thoroughly bewildered.

Kieron was heading to the imperial palace today.

This was not an issue he could resolve through private reflection alone — he needed help, and the only people who could provide it were within the palace.

“Have you reached Her Highness the Princess?”

“Yes, Your Grace. If we leave now, you should arrive just in time for Her Highness’s tea hour.”

Herald had already arranged the meeting with the second princess through a prior letter, so that posed no issue. The real obstacle lay elsewhere.

“And the Marquis of Peyton?”

“There is still no reply.”

Rumor has it that the Peyton Marquis is as busy as the emperor himself. The last time they saw him was only because it concerned his daughter.

This time, however, it would not be so simple: a brief meeting would not suffice.

After a moment’s thought, Kieron let out a quiet sigh.

“We’ll go for now. Once we reach the palace, see if you can get a response from the Marquis. It doesn’t have to be today, just get confirmation.”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

And so Kieron departed for the palace to finally unravel the matters he had yet to fully resolve.

***

When Ariadne arrived at the study, she decided to start with the most fundamental principles.

Every noble should possess the essential knowledge of the Empire’s Noble Registry and the long chronicles of imperial history.

The groundwork. The fundamentals.

She gathered every relevant book she could find in the ducal library, stacked them neatly on the desk, and began reading them one by one.

As she read, she copied anything important into her notebook and reread passages she feared she might forget.

At first, it felt like it took hours just to get through a single book. She had always been a slow reader, but focusing on every line like this slowed her pace even more.

There were moments when she nearly gave up, but, for the first time in her life, she was determined not to let go of her desire to understand.

So she kept going. She continued reading until everything made sense. By the time the sun had reached its zenith and begun to set, evening was drawing near, and she had barely made it through half of the books she had brought with her.

Yet Ariadne couldn’t hide her pride as she looked at her notebook, now filled from top to bottom, and the small stack of finished books.

Studying had never made her feel accomplished until now. She had always thought that education was something only her brothers excelled at, and that it wasn’t meant for her.

It was pointless. It only emphasized how lacking she was.

But today, as she read and carefully wrote down everything she needed to remember, she realized that her mindset had changed, even if only slightly.

She could study. She simply wasn’t on the same level as her brothers — that was all. Basic etiquette, history, and the noble registry were things she could learn. Perhaps it took her much longer, and perhaps her understanding was simpler, but still.

It was better than knowing nothing at all.

Beaming softly, Ariadne glanced down at her notebook, which was filled with more knowledge than she had ever absorbed in her life.

She could study. Not just today — she could continue.

Unlike the vast library at the Peyton estate, which contained texts that she could barely comprehend, the ducal library felt manageable.

Best of all, she was left alone to study, without any interruptions, condescending approaches or overbearing concern.

She could focus. She didn’t have to constantly confront her inadequacies.

“What time is it?”

Still buoyed by the thrill of learning, Ariadne turned towards the window, feeling light on her feet.

It was already growing dark outside.

She had eaten lunch and an afternoon snack in the study, but decided she should go out for dinner.

Gathering her notebook and a few books that she wanted to read in her room later, she stood up.

It had been so long since she had felt like she was achieving something. It was surprisingly refreshing. Thinking about what she could do next rather than dwelling on what she lacked felt good, too.

Why had she lived so long without experiencing this feeling?

Now, she finally understood. She knew why Kieron had once called her childish. She knew why he avoided her, why he didn’t want to talk, and why he always looked so frustrated.

Now that she understood, the next step was to talk to him.

She wondered when she should find a moment to sit down with him properly and have a real conversation.

Still thinking about that, she left the study. When she stepped back into her room, she saw Jay wiping down the sofa.

Ariadne approached her with a bright smile as the maid set the cloth aside.

“It’s not dinner time yet, right, Jay?”

“No, my lady. Did you enjoy the books?”

“I did. I really did. I think this is the first time I’ve ever felt like this.”

Still smiling, Ariadne placed her books and notes on the table and sat down on the edge of it. She looked much happier than the day before — almost buoyant.

She felt unbelievably refreshed. Keeping this in mind, she decided to continue studying and learning whatever she could through hands-on experience.

“Let’s eat dinner, Jay. Could you bring something simple? And sit with me.”

“You want to eat in your room? Since you’ve been in the study all day, wouldn’t it be better to go downstairs and eat properly?”

Jay worried over the fact that she had been shut away reading books for hours. But Ariadne shook her head. At least for meals, she still wanted comfort.

“I’ll eat here. I can always take a walk afterward.”

She smiled as if asking, That makes it fine, right? Jay returned the smile and nodded.

“Understood, my lady. I’ll bring your meal right away.”

“Mm. Thank you.”

When Jay left the room, Ariadne opened the notebook she had filled in during the day.

Page after page contained topics she had never considered before, such as international affairs, the Empire’s current political climate, high-society etiquette and the latest social trends.

Having read gossip papers and newspapers alongside her studies, her notes contained not only information, but also a broad, cohesive view of the Empire’s current situation.

As she wrote all of this down, Ariadne finally understood what Sylvia had meant.

There were far more political layers to being a bridesmaid than she had ever imagined. Keeping Lorelei in check was only the most obvious one.

If a younger sister refused to be a bridesmaid at her elder sister’s wedding, it would instantly reveal that their relationship was strained.

This would send a clear public message: From this point on, whatever Lorelei does is none of Sylvia’s concern. If she turned her back, people would remember that she had chosen to do so.

At the same time, it would signal that Peyton and Ambrose would support Sylvia from now on.

“So that’s why His Grace was so concerned.”

She recalled Kieron bombarding Sylvia with questions and finally understood why.

It wasn’t just because she was the groom’s sister helping the bride. Kieron valued the Ambrose family’s reputation above all else, and he had every reason to be concerned.

If she made even the slightest mistake, news of it would eventually leak out, and Sylvia had said that she would exclude anyone who tended to gossip.

Once the story reached social circles, idle tongues would undoubtedly start to wag.

‘Ambrose has sided with Princess Sylvia.’
‘Ambrose is positioning itself within imperial politics.’

If such rumors ever reached the Emperor, it wouldn’t only be Sylvia who was in danger, Ambrose would be at risk too.

It was only now that Ariadne truly understood the source of Kieron’s anxiety.

Although she had only studied social customs and history, she suddenly noticed countless connections that had previously escaped her attention.

Amazed, she flipped through her notes again, then opened another book. The more she studied, the more enjoyable it became.

Each moment brought new clarity about things she had never understood and assumptions she had taken for granted that were not ‘natural’ at all.

Ariadne decided to organize everything she had learnt that day and talk to Kieron. Perhaps if they spoke honestly and openly, their relationship might improve, even if only a little.

Now that she had realized how foolish her earlier plan had been — the plan she had made when she thought she had to run away from Kieron no matter what — Ariadne began searching for ways to live well with him without harming Peyton or Ambrose.

Little by little, she was trying to find a path that would hurt no one.

As she reflected on everything she had learnt, there was a soft knock at her door.

“Are you inside?”

Her husband’s voice asked from beyond the door.