Chapter 26

As planned, Asilie would have gone to the theater again this afternoon with the same people she had gone with before. To see the promised performance of The Saint of Violets.

But since the day she saw the iron ring and stormed out of Lydia’s room without saying a word, Asilie hadn’t looked for her younger sister even once.

Lydia was the same. She stayed in her room all the time from that day on, even refusing her etiquette classes.

Naturally, the theater outing was canceled.

Esperad had cleared all his schedules two weeks ago just for today, but after the day Lydia went missing, he didn’t want to rush his wife, who now acted like she was struggling with a burden she couldn’t handle alone.

Still, he didn’t want to let the time go to waste.

He decided to use the time for something more productive. And for him, a productive task was something that could lift Asilie’s heavy mood, even just a little.

“The head chef seems to be feeling quite down these days.”

At Esperad’s words, Asilie, who had been staring at the same page of a book for over an hour, slowly raised her head.

“Huh?”

“The chef is best at baking and desserts. He really enjoys making sweet treats. Did you know that?”

“No, not at all. But why are you bringing that up now…?”

“He usually enjoys making desserts, but ever since we got married, he hasn’t had a chance to make them, and he’s very upset about it. He said most women like desserts, but you don’t seem to.”

It was a completely random story.

Was he bringing this up to talk about how to make the chef feel better?

Asilie looked at Esperad with a puzzled expression she couldn’t hide.

“He even said that if he isn’t allowed to make desserts, he’ll go on strike. So I had no choice but to ask him to make one after a long time. He was really happy.”

She still couldn’t understand why he was talking about this.

Seeing Asilie’s confused face, Esperad finally smiled a little and explained.

“So the point is, I’m suggesting we have tea time. With the wonderful dessert the chef made.”

“Oh…”

“They say sweet things can really lift your mood. I thought that’s exactly what you needed. I hope I didn’t go too far.”

“No, not at all.”

Asilie quickly replied.

He probably mentioned the chef on purpose, so it wouldn’t feel like a heavy gesture or pressure, just to cheer her up.

Because she could understand that about him, she couldn’t turn him down.

To be honest, she already felt better from the moment he suggested it.

“I like it. Eating a sweet dessert is something anyone would welcome. Thank you, Esperad.”

He had cleared his schedule expecting to go to the theater, so he might have been annoyed when the plan was canceled. No, he must have been annoyed.

But instead of showing anger, he was being this thoughtful just to cheer her up.

She felt sorry and thankful. A man like this—or rather, a person like this—was rare.

“I didn’t do much, Asilie. The chef is the one probably working hard right now.”

That was true.

The chef at the Camédici mansion, who had done nothing wrong and normally didn’t make desserts at all, was now sweating heavily while baking under his master’s sudden order.

Unaware of that, Asilie took her husband’s hand and went out to the garden with him.

Their tea time seemed like it would be perfect.

Sweet fresh fruit tart made with care by the chef, rare tea imported from abroad, and the pleasantly cool weather.

But before they could even pour the tea into their cups, they were interrupted.

“Master, you have a guest.”

Just as the refreshments were being set, Madame Marce came to inform them.

“A guest?”

Esperad frowned slightly.

He hadn’t invited anyone. And he hadn’t received a letter requesting permission to visit the Camédici mansion either.

In short, it was an unexpected guest.

A bit annoyed that his time with Asilie was being interrupted, Esperad asked in a less-than-friendly tone.

“Who is it?”

“Well… it’s the Count and Countess of Artlinger.”

“Thomas? What’s he here for?”

He looked quite displeased, but Asilie noticed it wasn’t that he really disliked the man.

“Someone you know?”

“He’s an old friend of mine. He used to be active in the capital, but now he lives in his estate because his wife, the Countess of Artlinger, is not well.”

If they were close but couldn’t meet often due to distance, his visit must have been a welcome one.

Still, Esperad didn’t look very happy.

Asilie figured out that it was because of the tea time he had promised with her.

“Hmm, I guess you don’t get to see them often.”

“It’s hard to meet unless there’s a big event.”

“Then how about having this tea time together?”

She always received plenty of consideration from Esperad. But she rarely got the chance to show it back. So maybe this was a good thing.

When else could she go along with him like this?

“I’m fine with it, but are you okay?”

“There’s nothing wrong with it.”

“This will be your first proper introduction, so it might be a little awkward. And since the rest of us already know each other, some conversations might be hard for you to join.”

If she had been in Esperad’s position, she probably wouldn’t have thought about the awkwardness the other person might feel.

But this thoughtful man always considered such things.

Asilie was quietly amazed, but tried not to show it and nodded.

“I’m fine.”

With someone like him, even if the talk turned to topics she didn’t know, he would make sure not to leave her out.

Because she trusted that, she didn’t hesitate to answer.

And so, an unplanned double tea time with the couple was quickly arranged.

Asilie decided to sit and wait there while Esperad brought the Count and Countess to the garden.
If it had been a scheduled visit, both of them would have welcomed their guests together. But since it wasn’t, there was no need to do so. Besides, she thought there might be things only familiar people would want to talk about.

She remembered when Lydia first came to the Medici Mansion—how Esperad had eagerly looked forward to having time alone with her. Asilie was being considerate of that.

However, they came to the garden much faster than expected—with one fewer person.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Duchess Camedici. This is our first time greeting each other formally. I’m Thomas Artlinger.”

“I’m also happy to meet you, Your Excellency. But… where is the Countess?”

“After the long journey by carriage, her condition got worse, so she’s resting. She asked me to tell you she’s sorry she couldn’t greet you and that she’ll come once she feels better. Ah, Siena is my wife’s name.”

Only then did Asilie nod.

If she had to go down to the estate for her health, it must be more serious than just being weak as people said.

Traveling by carriage for a long time would have been too much for her.

Even a healthy person can feel unwell after such a journey, so she understood what Thomas meant.

“She must be very tired. She doesn’t have to greet us now. I’m more worried that she might feel pressured to come here. How about sending someone to tell her to rest and that we’ll meet her later?”

“That won’t be necessary. Siena won’t push herself too hard. But still, it’s embarrassing. I completely forgot he’s already married. I came to visit without thinking to send someone first. I only realized my mistake after arriving.”

“That can happen. And I’m actually glad to see you like this, so please don’t worry.”

Thomas smiled warmly at her kind reply.

He had seen Asilie at the palace banquet before, with Siena.

At that time, Asilie had conflicts not just with the daughter of Count Bellucci, but also with Prince Bonaparte, so it hadn’t been the right time for a proper greeting. Siena’s condition had also suddenly worsened, so they had left early.

So they were only now meeting properly.

Because of what happened at the palace, he had assumed Asilie had a strong personality.

But seeing her here in a private setting, she wasn’t like that.

Rather than being strong, it was more accurate to say she was smart and good at handling situations.

“Let’s sit. Asilie, you too.”

Thanks to instructions given in advance, new desserts and freshly brewed tea were brought, and they were able to enjoy the warm refreshments comfortably.

Asilie liked the tea, which had a sweet taste with a slightly bitter aftertaste.

There must have been a reason why Esperad emphasized how hard it was to get this tea.

The weather was nice, and the tea tasted great. If it had just been the two of them, they would have had a pleasant tea time.

Now that she thought about it, the couple had never had tea time alone before.

Asilie wondered if she had been too indifferent.

They always talked briefly in the bedroom after the day’s work, but she had never thought to create a special atmosphere for deeper conversations.

‘Now that I think about it…’

After he asked why she went to the slums and she responded with silence, their conversation had ended awkwardly.

Even though he could’ve felt hurt, after Lydia’s incident, Esperad had acted as if he had completely forgotten about it.

‘My goodness, I’m only now realizing this.’

Had she been stuck in the shock from the iron ring for too long?

The realization hit her hard.

If Thomas hadn’t been there, she might have said “thank you” and “I’m sorry” over and over again, even knowing Esperad didn’t like those words.

“The tea tastes good.”

“It’s imported from Velkoz. I’m glad you like it.”

“It’s excellent. Siena would enjoy this too. It’s a shame she can’t drink it with us.”

“I’ll send some to the estate, so you can enjoy it together later. But what brings you two to the capital this time?”

At Esperad’s question, Thomas realized he hadn’t even mentioned the reason for their visit.

After arriving at the Medici Mansion, Siena’s condition worsened so quickly that he hadn’t had time to think.

“I forgot to mention it. We heard there’s a skilled physician in the capital, so we came in a hurry.”

“A skilled physician?”

“He might be able to cure Siena’s illness. If it were just about medicine, I would’ve come alone. But to cure her, we need to show her condition in person, so I had no choice but to bring her.”

“That’s why you didn’t send word in advance.”

Asilie suddenly became curious as the two talked.

“Excuse me, but may I ask what illness the Countess is suffering from?”

Thomas gave a bitter smile.

He suddenly thought it might have been better if he could say what it was clearly.

“It’s an undiagnosed illness. No one has identified a clear name for it.”

“I see.”

“Not long after we got married, she started becoming weak, and then began fainting for no reason. We tried every good medicine, even found a physician who once worked at the palace, but…”

Asilie could guess the rest of the sentence.

It was unfortunate—and also surprising.

In Astel, it was considered natural for a wife to care for a sick husband, but also natural for a husband to abandon a sick wife and find a new one.

So, although it was the morally right thing to do, Thomas was doing something very rare for this society—he was fulfilling his duty as a husband.

“She will surely get better.”

Asilie wanted to comfort and bless the couple.

“Sorry for the personal question. But seeing how much you care, I truly believe the Countess will recover.”

“Yes, I also believe she will.”

“Ah, there she comes now. Asilie, that lady over there.”

At Esperad’s words, Asilie and Thomas turned their heads at the same time.

Asilie’s face immediately stiffened.

‘No way.’

Suddenly, her vision spun and her whole body trembled. Cold sweat ran down her back.

She doubted her eyes. Then she questioned whether her memory had distorted things.

But nothing had changed.

Asilie hid her trembling hands under the table.

“I’m late, aren’t I? I felt better after some rest, so I came with the help of the maids. I hope I’m not interrupting.”

“Of course not. We just started tea. Please come in, Countess.”

“I feel like I’m finally greeting you properly. Thank you for your warm welcome, even though I was so rude earlier, Your Grace. And…”

Siena turned to Asilie and smiled.

“Hello, this is our first time meeting. I’m Siena Artlinger.”

She couldn’t believe it.

How could this be possible?

How could they meet like this?

It felt like watching an unbelievable play unfold in front of her.

If she hadn’t reminded herself not to lose focus, Asilie might have failed to respond to Siena’s greeting.

“…Nice to meet you, Countess Artlinger.”

Asilie barely met her gaze and returned the greeting.

She finally saw Siena clearly.

Pale skin, wine-red eyes and hair, tall and thin.

If she had just a bit more flesh on her, and a touch more color in her dry lips, she might have been called beautiful.

Still, she looked much healthier now—much more than when Asilie had first seen her.

“I’m Asilie.”

Usually, people introduced themselves with their family name, but Asilie purposely left out “Camedici.”

But Siena still called her by the name Asilie had avoided saying.

“I’m glad to meet you too, Duchess Camedici.”

It was just a simple greeting, but Asilie felt miserable.

The way Siena said her title felt so unfamiliar.

Maybe it was because her memory of their first meeting was so vivid.

Siena was someone Asilie had met before her return.

Back then, she had a different appearance, a different place in the world—and it was much later in time.

Asilie wasn’t the only one who had changed positions.

Siena had also stood beside another man, not the one she was married to now.

And that man, who once stood beside Siena, was now sitting next to Asilie, looking at her with kind eyes.

Before Asilie returned, Siena was the brave widow who had married the cursed duke.

So Asilie had taken the seat Siena would have had in the future.

She was sitting in that place now.