“Though it might sound unpleasant, if I had to state just the conclusion.” 

 “……Why?”

“……” 

 “Do you want to say that staying quiet is helping Your Highness, something like that?” 

 Tatiana found herself speaking almost mockingly without realizing it. She felt displeasure at her own question. 

 But Gideon seemed completely unconcerned with her tone. 

 “Not at all. This isn’t about helping me, it’s for you, Titi. I don’t want people talking about you because of House Muller’s affairs.” 

 “……” 

 “And you never needed to help me in the first place. I wanted to become your husband, not because I needed someone to help me.” 

 Tatiana found it quite difficult to know how to respond to this. Should she say ‘oh, how impressive that you don’t need your wife’s help at all’? Or should she say ‘thank you for caring about me so much’? 

 In truth, she wasn’t grateful at all. When her husband and adoptive father were going to stand as political opponents, how could she just stand by with her hands tied? Did he really think she could do that? 

 Sorry, but Tatiana wasn’t such a cold-blooded person who could strictly separate public and private matters. But in the end, she couldn’t voice any objections. Because Gideon, who had been staring at her, said ‘Get some rest now’ and closed his eyes. 

 Tatiana wanted to ask. 

 ‘Do you really think I can rest right now?’ 

 Of course, she knew. Gideon wasn’t telling her to rest. He just wanted to end the conversation here. He currently had no intention to give more detailed explanations or will to persuade her. 

 Tatiana was so dumbfounded that she could only stare blankly at her husband for a long while. 

 Surely this was the same man who had just joined bodies with her. They had shared affectionate kisses just this morning. Yet suddenly she felt like there was a wall around Gideon as he lay with his eyes closed. 

* * *

 After finishing her exercise, Tatiana returned to her room and sat at her desk. She recalled that night from a few days ago and asked herself a question. 

 ‘Did we fight?’ 

 Well. Not exactly. Though it seems there were some sarcastic exchanges here and there. 

 While they had tried to show good appearances as newlyweds, Gideon was never a docile man. Tatiana had known that since she was just a kid. 

 But they never once raised their voices until the end. 

 Though she admits their intimacy was rougher and more scattered than usual, Tatiana didn’t feel much resistance to that either. Therefore, it wasn’t a fight. 

 If this was called a marital fight, there are too many couples in crisis in the world who would look down on them saying ‘What’s with them, since when did that count as a fight? Really, they think the world is so easy?’ 

 ‘Then am I feeling hurt?’ 

 That seems definitely right. 

 Tatiana didn’t think he needed to match her feelings one by one. She wasn’t a child or princess who wouldn’t be satisfied unless he did. 

 She hated appearing like a whining child to Gideon the most. However, Tatiana was in a position where she couldn’t completely cut off interest and ignore this issue. 

 Gideon must know that too. Even if the two couldn’t reach an agreement in the end, shouldn’t a married couple never stop trying to seek understanding? 

 They shouldn’t end conversations by dismissing debates as emotional drain and waste of time. 

 But to make matters worse, Gideon had been staying out for several days. He wasn’t actually staying outside the palace, but seemed to be eating and sleeping in his office. 

 It happened after his adjutant knocked on the bedroom door that night when they had that strangely tense conversation. 

 It must have been quite urgent, as Gideon tried to leave the bedroom without properly dressing. Though she was a bit sulky, Tatiana still fixed his clothes properly because he was her husband. 

 She wants to argue that this shows she wasn’t acting purely emotionally. 

 ‘But he needs to come home for me to either show off or question him about this. Who am I supposed to talk to when my husband isn’t around?’ 

 Tatiana pouted with a very sullen face. 

 Her mood has been low for several days. And at times like this, she has one hobby she immersed herself in. It was poring over magic books. 

 Valter’s great mage once told his daughter these words. That the applause and pride from others is momentary. Since even adults struggle with doing things they don’t like, if you’re thinking of dedicating your whole life for that moment, don’t even start such things. 

 Though there were many times she thought ‘Why did she have to be so harsh to a child?’, Tatiana now somewhat sympathizes with her mother’s words. 

 She still loved and adored the sword so much, but sometimes wielding it was painful. 

 She can barely remember what mindset she started with. Rather than enjoying each moment, there were countless days of struggling to surpass goals while being crushed by that weight. At some point, the sword had become like work to her. 

 At such times, magic always became a very good escape for Tatiana. 

 Now that there’s no one expecting anything, she realized what a comfortable hobby this is. And people sometimes achieve brilliant results when they shake off the pressure. 

 Tatiana could memorize not only the magic books her mother left behind but most of the magic spells and formulas that existed in Valter. 

 She knew all the theory about where to concentrate magical power and which parts of the body it should pass through. 

 This was probably a level that even the Master of the Magic Tower couldn’t reach in his early twenties when he was still green. 

 So Tatiana was definitely a prodigy. She just had no magical power. 

 It was a similar situation to having the highest understanding of swordsmanship but struggling due to physical conditions. 

 Isn’t this such a sad but interesting life? Has anyone ever seen such an ill-fated genius? If there is one, Tatiana wants to tell them to come here. She wants to give them a tight hug saying, ‘It was hard, wasn’t it?’ 

 Tatiana went ‘hmm’ with a laugh and pulled out a magic book full of strange characters. 

 [Preservation and Reproduction of Memories] 

 People remember Lady Bloom as a master of illusion magic. 

 But Tatiana knew the truth. The field her mother dedicated her life to researching wasn’t illusion magic, but the work of reviving people’s memories. 

 Even illusions are ultimately based on memory. Since it’s reproducing things seen with the eyes. 

 Human imagination also spreads its wings using experience as nourishment. 

 But her mother must have had far more good memories than painful ones. It seems she wanted to remember rather than forget the past. How many things must she have wanted to remember to pour her whole life into this. 

 Tatiana thought that was really fortunate. 

 It must mean her mother’s past life was happy, so the daughter also has confidence she can be happy. 

 Tatiana closed her eyes and imagined circulating magical power inside her body. Then she softly recited part of the spell her mother left behind. 

 “Let anger and sorrow sleep in deep places. Do not wake them carelessly. Let only faded memories float up to break the silence. Love the days that have passed. Shake hands with them and look down at the water again. Now even your sorrow shines.” 

 Tatiana paused for a moment and pondered what comes next. 

 Though Lady Bloom designed the original form of the spell, the ending is always meant to be completed by the caster. Wouldn’t what people want to see again differ for each person? 

 After thinking for a long while, Tatiana apologized in advance. 

 Mom, sorry for ruining your wonderful spell. But isn’t this what you and Dad showed me when I was little? 

 “The raisins Dad secretly hid. The pretty gingerbread house Mom made. The burning roof. The colorful frogs living in our house garden! Poison frogs!” 

 Despite having no magical power, Tatiana did her best until the end with desperation. She tried so hard that she was almost shouting by the end. Of course, nothing happened in the world. 

 But thanks to that, she found some stability by healing her troubled mind a little, so wasn’t that enough? That wasn’t magic. This was magic. 

 After giggling while flipping through magic books for a long while, Tatiana came out of the library in the afternoon. It was to welcome Scarlet. 

 The two had become almost inseparable after the charity party. Sometimes they looked so much like troublemakers plotting something that Isabelle would secretly sigh. 

 However, Tatiana felt she knew how blessed she was. It becomes difficult to make friends when you get older. It’s much harder to become close with in-laws. 

 Tatiana hadn’t seen married women who were this close with their sisters-in-law at parties. 

 ‘Your Highness Scarlet.’ 

 ‘Hmm?’ 

 ‘I don’t think I’m someone with excessive self-awareness. But I’ve tried to live humbly in my own way. Originally, the longer you exercise, the better you need to distinguish between self-esteem, pride, and arrogance.’ 

 ‘What are you trying to say?’ 

 ‘Honestly, I think Your Highness likes me much more than His Highness Gideon…… Right?’