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“Could you stop for a moment?”
“Yes, My Lady.”
I asked the coachman to halt the carriage. As soon as it stopped, I hurriedly opened the door and stepped out, my eyes following the carriage that had just passed. It was already far in the distance, but I could still faintly make out the crest on its rear.
‘That’s definitely the crest of the Viscount Fijette family.’
The carriage’s purple-tinted color and its shape matched exactly what I’d seen before. Then that really was the Fijette family’s carriage. But what was it doing here in the capital?
As I continued to stare down the road where it had disappeared, Jane approached me.
“What’s the matter, My Lady?”
“I’m almost certain that was the Fijette family’s carriage… I’m just wondering why it’s here in the capital.”
“Strange indeed. The Viscount Fijette was sentenced by the court and expelled from the capital to his estate. He shouldn’t be here.”
“And as a convicted man, he wouldn’t have been able to leave his estate so easily either…”
Especially since it wasn’t just any trial—His Majesty the Emperor himself had intervened. The punishment was severe, and defying it could have brought even harsher consequences.
And yet, here they were again in the capital. How, and for what purpose?
‘Could it be… revenge against Angelica?’
It was possible, but unlikely. Hadn’t they already lost nearly everything? Surely they no longer had the strength left to pursue vengeance.
“My Lady, let us return now. The wind is chilly.”
“Yes.”
Jane wrapped my cloak tighter around me and guided me back to the carriage. I followed her obediently, but the lingering image of that carriage would not leave my mind.
“I’m home, Tiana.”
“Welcome back, Lucius.”
I greeted Lucius from the bed as he returned from work. Smiling, I closed my eyes when he bent down to kiss me. Since he had forbidden me from coming out to greet him and insisted I stay resting in the bedroom, this was the only way.
When our short kiss ended, he looked over me with concern.
“Are you feeling better? Did you rest properly?”
“Yes, I’m fine. Everyone has been taking such good care of me that I’ve been able to rest well.”
“That’s a relief.”
Smiling gently, he kissed my forehead again. If he kept this up, his lips would wear out—but still, it made me happy.
“And how is the Duke? Is he well? I heard he collapsed from indigestion, and I was worried.”
“Yes, he’s fine. It was just overeating that caused it. Apparently, the peaches you and I sent him were so delicious that he ate six in one day.”
“Six? In one day?”
“Yes. So of course he ended up with indigestion.”
“I see… that explains it.”
Lucius looked bewildered, as though he found it absurd. The expression was rare for him, and for some reason I felt a little embarrassed. I had made such a fuss, insisting we rush to his side, only to find out it wasn’t so serious.
Of course, indigestion could be serious if severe enough—he had fainted, after all—but it was still a relief it wasn’t some grave illness. With treatment and a controlled diet, he would recover soon.
Holding Lucius’s cold hand, I glanced at the clock hanging on the wall. Though it was still light outside, it was already past six.
“Lucius, hurry and change your clothes. It’s time for dinner.”
“Ah, you’re right. I’ll go change right away. But please wait here, Tiana. Don’t go down to the dining hall without me.”
“Alright.”
He kissed my cheek, then quickly left the bedroom. The way he insisted on going to the dining hall together felt almost like he was clinging to me.
‘To think I get to see this side of Lucius only because I became Tiana…’
Kim Ji-won in the modern world would never have witnessed this. Just like with Edwin, Lucius too often revealed new sides of himself that didn’t exist in the original story.
Was it because I was Tiana? Or simply because of Tiana’s appearance?
The previous possessors hadn’t treated them the way I did. Outwardly, though, we had all been “Tiana.” Yet, judging from his behavior, perhaps I was the one who felt most like the real Tiana to them.
‘Maybe I’m acting exactly as they wanted Tiana to be.’
Unintentionally, my actions seemed to resemble the original Tiana’s. It wasn’t a bad thing—if I shared traits with her, it would lessen others’ sense of strangeness or rejection.
But the thought that I might never escape the shadow of the real Tiana left me uneasy.
“Unless I return to my world, I’ll keep living as Tiana… but it still doesn’t feel like I’ve truly become her.”
When I first possessed her, I thought it was enough just to play the role well. But being Tiana didn’t make me the real Tiana.
The longer I stayed, the more accustomed I grew to life here, yet the more of Tiana’s original memories resurfaced, the heavier my heart grew.
It was as if her body were warning me not to exploit her memories as I pleased. At times, I even felt her trying to push me out, to protect what was hers.
‘Maybe that’s why I’ve been unwell lately. If only my soul moved into her body, perhaps our union isn’t complete.’
The previous possessors had also disappeared somehow. There was no guarantee I wouldn’t end up like them.
I needed to rid myself of this anxiety—but steeling my heart wasn’t so easy.
“Tiana? What’s wrong?”
“…Lucius.”
I had been hugging myself against a sudden chill when Lucius returned, dressed comfortably. Seeing me like that, he rushed over, alarm written on his face.
“Are you alright? Are you cold? Is your fever coming back—?”
“No, it’s fine. Just a little chill.”
I smiled at his worried tone and gestures. Relieved it wasn’t serious, he fetched a shawl draped over a chair.
“It’s chilly in the evenings. Keep yourself warm.”
“Thank you, Lucius.”
Earlier Jane had wrapped me up, and now Lucius did the same, swaddling me tightly in the long shawl. Their actions mirrored each other so much that I couldn’t help but laugh.
He gave me a puzzled look. “Why are you laughing?”
“Because Jane did the same thing earlier. The two of you are spoiling me far too much.”
“Am I? Even so, it eases my heart. When you’re unwell, I feel unwell too. I wish I could be sick in your place, but since I can’t…”
“Lucius…”
How could he speak so sweetly? Truly, he was my husband.
Of course, he was also partly the reason for my condition, but—well, he was too endearing to hold it against him.
“Shall we go down to dinner now?”
“Yes, let’s.”
“But don’t push yourself. Take it slowly.”
“Alright, alright. You worry too much, Lucius.”
It wasn’t as though there were obstacles on the way to the dining hall—I could certainly walk that far. I was feeling better than in the morning anyway. His concern made me happy, but it was a bit over the top.
Hand in hand, we went downstairs, where the aroma of delicious food wafted from the dining room. The staff greeted us as we entered, and the head chef approached with a broad smile.
“Welcome back, Your Highness. Welcome, My Lady.”
“Is everything ready?”
“Of course. As you requested, I’ve prepared a special meal for My Lady.”
“Good. I look forward to it.”
Lucius had clearly asked him for something. But what?
“Lucius, what’s going on?”
“Since you haven’t been feeling well, I asked the chef to prepare tonight’s meal with extra care—mostly healthy dishes, and things you like.”
“Really? You didn’t have to go that far.”
“When you’re sick, the most important thing is to eat well and rest well. You couldn’t eat breakfast this morning, and I heard you only had a little for lunch.”
His tone carried a faint sternness. Ah—so I’d been caught. I had told Warren not to mention it, but clearly he had.
I shot a glance at Warren, standing stiffly beside the chef. He flinched and looked away. Oh, so he planned to play dumb?
I knew it was his duty to keep my husband informed, but he could at least have asked me first. Today, Warren really irked me.
“Tiana, I won’t insist you eat everything. But for the sake of your health—and for me—I hope you’ll have at least a little.”
“…Alright. Thank you, Lucius. For being so considerate.”
“Don’t mention it. Caring for my one and only wife is the most natural duty of a husband.”
He smiled with genuine joy, wrapped his arm around my waist, and kissed my forehead. Even with so many staff watching, he didn’t hesitate, kissing my face here and there before leading me to the table.
Embarrassed, I glanced around, but the staff looked entirely unbothered, even warmly pleased. Their fond gazes made me feel even more self-conscious.
‘Why do they look so proud?’
Maybe because we had been married for nearly three months now, and they had grown used to it. Still, it was strange.
Once Lucius and I were seated, the servants began serving the meal. As promised, every dish was either one of my favorites or healthy fare.
As I ate happily, Lucius’s face glowed with satisfaction. But he hardly touched his own food, busy instead loading my plate with various dishes.
“Lucius, eat too. You’ve barely had a bite.”
“I’m fine. Watching you eat is enough for me.”
“If you say that, I’ll stop eating altogether.”
“That won’t do. Alright, I’ll eat…”
Chastened, he reluctantly picked up his fork. Watching him pick at his food so half-heartedly, I sighed, then speared a slice of duck from my plate, dipped it in orange sauce, and held it to his lips.
“Here. Try this. It’s delicious.”
“…Mm.”
“Well? The tangy orange sauce pairs nicely with the duck, doesn’t it?”
“Yes. It’s very good. The best duck I’ve ever had.”
“That’s only because I fed it to you, isn’t it? Honestly, Lucius.”
I laughed at his playful remark, and he joined in, both of us chuckling aloud. We took turns feeding each other, enjoying the meal together.
But then Warren hurried into the dining hall, his footsteps urgent, and approached Lucius.
“Your Highness. Forgive the intrusion during your meal, but I bring urgent news.”
“What is it?”
“Well…”
In his hand was a folded paper, sealed with a wax crest. From the mark on the envelope, I could tell it came from the Imperial Palace.
Looking closer, it seemed to bear Rayel’s seal. Lucius must have noticed as well, for he held out his hand. Before passing the letter, Warren glanced at me, hesitation flickering in his eyes.
‘What is it?’
I tilted my head in puzzlement, but Warren quickly averted his gaze and handed the letter to Lucius.
“The daughter of the Viscount Fijette… has died in a carriage accident.”
…What?
