CHAPTER 47
Thud. The door shut, and the stifling stillness of the room gripped his lungs. Raphael tugged slightly at the collar of his knight’s uniform and exhaled deeply.
“Insane…”
He muttered in a low voice, burying his face in one hand. Louisa, who had stared at him in shock and confusion, filled his mind completely.
He had only thought her stubborn and frustrating, always turning a blind eye to her pain.
He thought she was simply being petty when she turned her gaze away from him.
But the longer they spent together, the more the walls he had built with denial began to crumble helplessly.
On the day the Northern demon subjugation was especially intense, her indifferent voice had told him to go rest early as she left first. That night, as he tossed and turned from exhaustion, she had sent her maid to leave tea in his room to help him sleep.
And at the temple, when she had gently scolded a child for running and helped them up, only to leave without hesitation—her retreating back stayed in his memory.
She often showed kindness through her indifference.
It was a contradiction in terms, yet those little things quickly took on meaning.
When their eyes met briefly, when their fingers brushed, when even a faint smile curved her lips—
every one of those moments stole his gaze.
His ears would heat up so easily, it became an embarrassment and a source of inner torment.
As his impulsive actions increased, he could no longer deny his growing interest in Louisa.
He hadn’t planned to express that interest with words like this. But her careless disregard for herself kept pushing him.
“…It didn’t seem like she had any feelings left.”
His tone was bitter.
It had started off wrong, and the turning point had been wrong too.
What he should’ve done was sincerely apologize and patiently wait for her heart to open.
But his urgency got the better of him, and he acted first.
Her saying that he was at least of some help had felt like a last chance—and perhaps instinctively, he had tried to grab onto it.
Raphael slowly closed his eyes. His long, delicate lashes quivered briefly, then settled. The turmoil on his face gradually gave way to calm.
“This isn’t something that will be resolved right away.”
No matter how much he worried alone, what had already happened wouldn’t disappear.
He couldn’t even be sure of his own feelings right now.
For now, what mattered was not weighing gains or losses when it came to her—
but rather taking responsibility for what he said.
As his eyes opened again, their deep blue held more clarity.
Clearly, Louisa coughing blood and talking about the miasma yesterday had left a heavy mark on his mind.
He’d spent the entire day thinking of her, until he ended up running out of the temple and going to her without even an appointment.
It had been a day filled with impulsive actions, yet the more he thought, the more calm he felt.
What’s done is done. Now, at least he wouldn’t hide his worry for her, and he could offer her help through his divine power.
For now, that would suffice.
He lightly rubbed his warm ears, then let his gaze fall to his desk.
Among the stack of letters, one envelope stamped with the Imperial Seal caught his eye.
“…The Empress’ palace.”
It had been a while since a letter arrived. He hadn’t had the time to visit the palace in a long time, so perhaps she had written instead.
She could’ve just sent a servant to summon him. Very much like her to write a letter instead.
He hesitated for a moment, then slowly opened the envelope.
As he read, his expression sank. The pleasantries and wishes for his health faded into the background. Only the final paragraph stood out.
“…Soon, Bella will be appointed as Saint. I would like you to accompany me to her appointment ceremony.”
Why not Seint but me?
✦✦✦
Not long ago, the gardens had been filled with violets in full bloom, but now the season had shifted, and sunflowers stood tall in their place.
Louisa stared blankly out the window at the sun-soaked sunflowers before slowly turning around at the sound of footsteps.
“My lady, how about this dress?”
Louisa gave the pale sky-blue dress Mary held a once-over and nodded.
With the go-ahead, Mary and a maid standing by approached without delay, beginning to adorn Louisa with matching accessories.
“My lady attending a tea party! I’m so excited!”
“Right? Especially with the Dallio Countess! That’s a big deal!”
“Is it…? Me, going to a tea party…”
Louisa muttered with a blank expression, recalling the invitation that had arrived three days ago.
It was for a small tea party hosted by Countess Dallio. Though small in scale, it was unlikely that anyone unremarkable had been invited.
If she hadn’t had other business, she wouldn’t have gone.
“Ugh, what a pain. I should’ve just talked to the countess during that last banquet.”
Their connection stemmed from a wine business deal, but their relationship wasn’t particularly close. It was strictly business—just a mutual source of profit.
But for someone like her with no connections, having at least one influential ally like that was essential.
She’d been putting off the opportunity to get closer simply because the chance hadn’t presented itself.
“I’m seriously so happy. She must have recognized your true value, my lady!”
Mary looked genuinely touched, wiping her nose with the back of her hand, prompting Louisa to give a faint, awkward smile.
“Is it because it’s my first tea party? Everyone’s being dramatic.”
Back in her debutante year, the noble ladies had discovered her sharp personality and never sent her a single letter since.
Avoidance had been their policy. So receiving an invitation now shocked the ducal household.
Especially one from the Dallio family—a giant in the commercial world.
It wasn’t addressed to Lord Blake, but specifically to Louisa, for a ladies-only tea party.
That alone was such a big deal that it had even prompted Damian to react immediately—inviting a merchant to their mansion that very day and buying a new set of dresses and accessories in a frenzy.
“My lady, would you like to leave your hair down? Or perhaps tie it slightly?”
“It’s hot, so tie it up a bit. Don’t add too many things.”
“Yes, my lady!”
A peach-pink hue warmed her clear cheeks, and her lips—once like under-ripe cherries—were now painted a reddish-orange.
Louisa watched quietly as the final touches were added, then rose from her seat.
The midday breeze that blew through the open window was tepid, unable to carry away the heat baked into the earth.
Still, it wasn’t so hot that lace gloves were unbearable, so Louisa wore them without complaint and picked up a pale blue fan.
“Oh! My lady.”
“Hmm?”
She opened the door just as the butler was about to knock.
“What is it?”
“His Highness the First Prince has arrived.”
“Huh? I told him not to come today…”
“He says he came to escort you.”
What kind of holy knight shows up just to escort someone to a tea party?
Louisa raised an eyebrow in disbelief.
Ever since Raphael had expressed his interest out of nowhere, he’d been visiting the mansion daily under all sorts of excuses.
She had even explicitly told him not to come today—but here he was.
“Sure, I get that his presence is helpful to my health, but wasn’t this supposed to end in the north?”
Louisa sighed internally and stepped out to the entrance.
When is he going to fall for Bella, anyway? Maybe at the appointment ceremony?
Believing his current behavior was just shallow curiosity, Louisa only found his persistence increasingly annoying.
“Good afternoon, Louisa.”
“I told you not to come today…”
The way she trailed off was deliberate—clearly a subtle rebuke.
And Raphael understood it. A bitter smile flickered briefly on his lips.
“I heard Lord Damian had another engagement and couldn’t accompany you. I thought having someone by your side at your first tea party might be comforting, so I came.”
Damian?
Now that she thought about it, lately Damian had been smiling wistfully whenever he saw her with Raphael.
And the man who used to stick to her side had been suddenly “busy” every time Raphael came over.
It was blatantly obvious.
“Should I tell Damian, too? That I don’t feel anything for Raphael anymore…”
It seemed Damian was trying to play Cupid, but for Louisa right now, it was just another nuisance.
“Please, after you.”
“…Thank you.”
Her polite words didn’t match her reluctant expression. Louisa took her seat across from him and leaned her chin on the window frame.
“Forget formalities, I’ll just go comfortably. Still… I did establish a deal with the Dallios, but it doesn’t really feel like a partnership like I have with Albert Rosé…”
She knew it was fine to keep it purely business. But too much formality could eventually cause cracks.
Given the Dallio family’s dominance in commerce, this might be the perfect chance to build a real relationship.
If only she had something to bridge that gap.
“Did you grow close to Countess Dallio at the garden party?”
“Yes, kind of…”
“You always surprise me. I could never imagine you getting close to someone before…
Ah, but I realize now that was just my bias.”
