When had he grown so much?

Isabelle, only twenty-two herself, was proud of Ahmet – even though they were almost the same age.

The hands that had once been tiny fern fronds were now large and strong enough to wrap around her wrist.

It felt both strange and a little bittersweet, and that’s why Isabelle couldn’t bring herself to let him go so easily.

Seeing the boy who had once been so small for his age grow into someone so solid, she found that there was no longer any reason to doubt Daniel’s character.

But it was Ahmet who let go of her hand first.

“M-Monsieur…”

He turned his head without thinking – and jumped as if he’d just seen the *padishah* himself. His shoulders jerked with a start.

Startled as well, Isabelle followed his gaze.

Even if someone had suddenly appeared, it was probably just Murier, Marie or perhaps Daniel returning earlier than expected.

Just as Isabelle was about to decide that there was no need to bow her head, a figure appeared.

“I didn’t expect you two to be so well acquainted.”

It was Arnaud. He approached with a smile that suggested he had been expecting something like this all along.

Even when his lips curled into a crooked grin, his face didn’t really show a bitter look. After all, to really mock someone, you had to have a bit of malice in your nature – and he’d never had that.

Ahmet bowed his head, nervously. He even stepped in front of Isabelle to keep her from interfering – just as Arnaud had done in front of Henri.

“It’s nothing. Madam simply had an urgent request.”

“And who the hell are you to take requests from my wife?”

It was the same look he gave Laurent.

Arnaud roared, his blond hair standing up like a lion’s mane.

And yet, despite a similarly solid build, Ahmet didn’t retaliate – he just kept apologizing.

“I’m sorry. I really apologize.”

“Is that your answer to my question?”

“There was nothing between us. I just received a request, that’s all. I’m truly sorry, monsieur.”

Daniel stood behind him.

Fidgeting and glancing between his assistant and Isabelle, he seemed far more concerned about Ahmet than Arnaud’s temper.

This was something only she could solve.

Isabelle stepped forward and stood between them, blocking their line of sight.

“I was the one who took his hand first, out of gratitude. Not Ahmet-me. So if you want to blame someone, blame me.”

“And what kind of request could move you so deeply, Isabelle? Or were you just happy to have another man to taste?”

Her face twisted involuntarily. Hadn’t he been nice just yesterday?

Now he was speaking carelessly again – no different than before.

They were both the same.

There was never any reason behind Arnaud’s cruel words, and the sinking feeling in her chest was no different.

Without realizing it, Isabelle lowered the arm she had instinctively raised to her chest and replied.

“You still don’t trust me, do you?”

Her throat tightened on its own.

Wasn’t that what people called choking up?

Her voice cracked with emotion, and Arnaud’s expression changed visibly. His eyes softened as well, as if he realized he’d made a mistake.

Still, he didn’t drop his petty tone.

She had felt it dozens of times before – Arnaud, for all his pride, was still so terribly young.

“Then you shouldn’t act suspicious.”

“It may have looked suspicious, but there was nothing suspicious about it. I swear – there were no feelings involved.”

“Then what exactly was it that you asked the boy to do?”

Isabelle inhaled sharply, as if preparing to answer – but in the end, her lips just parted without speaking.

It wasn’t something that was easy to say.

And it was something she certainly couldn’t tell her childish husband, who always let spite win when things didn’t go his way.

There was no way she could tell her childish husband, who always threw a tantrum when things didn’t go his way.

The moment Arnaud found out, he would surely lash out. Isabelle didn’t want to imagine the consequences of that temper, not even for a second.

So she decided to deflect.

“It’s nothing important. Nothing worth suspecting.”

“Then there should be no reason not to tell me.”

“I have nothing more to say to you, Arnaud.”

Arnaud’s gaze fell, endlessly sharp and sinking.

This time he was the one who was hurt.

Isabelle saw the expression on his face, but unless he stopped jumping to conclusions, it would mean nothing.

“You’re always like this-always!”

“….”

“You never tell me anything. You have no intention of being honest with me, yet you expect me to understand!”

Even then, Isabelle said nothing.

She didn’t understand what Arnaud was trying to say. She looked at him the same way she looked at Henri – distant, cold.

“Don’t do this, Isabelle.”

Right now, the only person in the room who saw Arnaud as a womanizer was Isabelle herself.

Only later would she realize that silence had never helped anyone.

Still, Isabelle did not answer. And Arnaud’s eyes, as he looked at his wife, were filled with disappointment.

He lowered his gaze in stunned resignation, like someone who had dared to hope a thousand times, only to realize that it would never come true.

Once again, the waves stirred in his eyes. The sheen of unshed tears was unmistakable.

“This is really cruel, you know.”

Neither of them wanted to look at the other’s wounds.

Pretending to protect each other, they were both too busy trying to hold themselves together.

Arnaud’s hand shook as he turned away.

It always did when he had to say something he didn’t really mean.

Isabelle knew that. She knew it well.

‘That was when I should have stopped him.’

‘I should have held him back and told him everything.’

‘I should have believed he would listen if I asked.’

Those were the regrets Isabelle would carry with her later.

***

It was Isabelle who stopped Daniel and Ahmet from following Arnaud as he stormed out of the inner room.

When she added that it would only make things worse, the two quietly stepped back inside.

Ahmet looked a little down, while Daniel looked a little worried.

And Isabelle had her hands full trying to comfort them both.

Murier will follow him – everything will be fine. He’s just acting out of spite.

“How about we forget about that for now and look at the catalog instead…”

It was only when she said that last part that Daniel brightened up.

As soon as he picked up the pile of catalogs he’d brought with him, he seemed so excited that it was as if he’d forgotten the earlier events altogether.

He flipped through the pages without stopping, but to Isabelle, who had never had much interest in things from the East, it was a collection of completely incomprehensible tastes.

“In the past I would have recommended porcelain or sachets, but Her Majesty the Queen has recently taken an interest in umbrellas.”

“I don’t know much about the world across the sea. Nor do I have a good eye for the tastes of those who do. You choose for me, Ramune.”

“In this case, I recommend this umbrella with a red background and white flowers falling over it. The bamboo is very fine.”

Isabelle’s eyes followed his finger.

Sensing that she wanted to see the price, Daniel quickly moved his hand away, revealing the cost of the umbrella.

“Eight galera…”

The price was staggering.

She would have spent two days debating, even if it had only been a few dozen crans – but to see the currency jump all the way to galera!

Isabelle couldn’t bring herself to choose it right away.

The other items were no different. Each one easily exceeded five galera.

Daniel couldn’t possibly be unaware of how burdensome the price was.

So Daniel, who had been watching Isabelle’s expression carefully, waved his hand and told Ahmet to get out another catalog.

“Partaye has its own elegance, no less refined. In the capital market of Mushak, rare rosewater and carpets often appear – and I’ve brought some of them here myself.”

This time it was Ahmet who opened the catalog and started talking.

The currency was still in galera, but none of the prices listed exceeded that. This month, Isabelle’s allotted budget was about 10 galera, and she had already spent almost half of it on commissions for the trading company.

If she sent just one bottle of rosewater, she could save at least 3 galera.

But there were too many worries.

First, Louise had little interest in goods from Partaye.

Second, Isabelle had to give absolute assurances that she had no contact with anything from Partaye.

If Isabelle, who was already known to have lived near Partaye, sent anything from Mushak, she would not escape questioning.

She had even made a request to Ahmet, who was Partayan himself.

Determined not to leave the slightest room for suspicion, Isabelle reached to the bottom of the catalog.

“No, show me the one from before again.”

“Do you want to see the umbrella I mentioned again?”

“No.”

Even the umbrella wasn’t a sure thing.

Louise was twice as cunning as her husband. If she received a gift that suited her taste, she would undoubtedly shift her suspicion to Oretique.

She’d probably believe that someone was reporting her preferences to Isabelle.

And if that happened, even Daniel and Ahmet might be in danger.

Isabelle leafed through a few more pages of the catalog.

There were many rare items – gilded birdcages, silver teacups – but she pointed to something at the far end.

“It’s not the same thing, but I’ve heard that Her Majesty the Queen owns many bird figurines like this…”

It was a small quail sculpture, glazed and kiln-fired.

Though small in size, its intricate patterns had earned it a price of 2 *galera* – but this, more than anything else, was the gift that best suited her current circumstances.

As Daniel walked away, glancing between her and the bird sculpture, Isabelle replied with quiet satisfaction.

“This is the one you should choose if you want to stay safe.”

“Pardon? What do you mean…?”

“I assume you don’t want to be accused of being my informant, Ramune. If I send the queen an umbrella – something she’s only recently started collecting – people will assume that someone whispered details of her private life to me.”

“….”

“And who do you think they’ll suspect first?”

Daniel, flustered, rubbed his rough chin again and again – then let out a sigh in response to Isabelle’s words.

Ahmet, understanding the situation even more clearly, had a shadow return to his face.

“I forgot the circumstances surrounding you, madam. That was my mistake.”

“I’m not saying this to get an apology. A promise, perhaps – but no apology.”

A flicker of recognition flashed across Daniel’s eyes.

As someone who had recognized Ahmet from the start, he seemed to grasp Isabelle’s meaning the moment she mentioned a promise. With a decisive snap, he closed the catalog and said.

“Then the wrapping paper should be as simple as possible.”

Her lips and eyes thinned at the same time – a clear sign of satisfaction.

With a similar smile, Daniel gathered up the remaining catalogs and rose from his seat.

“Let’s just say that staying overnight is no longer necessary. Our Ramune Trading Company merely stopped due to a wagon malfunction – nothing more.”

“And during this time, I happened to ask you to help me choose a gift for Her Majesty.”

“Yes, I’ll take it that way. I think Madame Eurbonne would have wanted it this way.”

This time it was Ahmet who tilted his head in confusion.

Eleonore’s involvement had clearly come out of nowhere.

But Isabelle had read Eleonore’s postscript, and it seemed that Daniel had received a similar request.

As Ahmet glanced back and forth between the two of them in confusion, Isabelle gently placed a hand on his shoulder.

She brushed his arm a few times, and Ahmet smiled uncomfortably, still worried about her.

“And Ramune,” she added, “if Ahmet tries to get something, don’t interfere. Just leave him alone. I’ll make sure you’re well compensated.”

Daniel didn’t question a word.

The way he smiled, full of experience, and gently patted his companion’s arm made that clear.

It was only after seeing this experienced, calm demeanor that Isabelle realized.

“Paying a debt is only right. This boy’s habit of acting on his own isn’t exactly new. Don’t worry, madam.”

This person must be the hand extended by Eleonore.