Chapter 19
It had already been eight years since Arte had first come up to the capital with Lisa.
The capital she remembered from back then and the one she was looking at now were quite different.
The roads where everyone once traveled only by carriage had turned into streets for automobiles. Even Dimion’s red car—so conspicuous anywhere in the Tian Territory—blended in naturally here in the capital.
Of course, there were also many things that hadn’t changed: the dazzling mansions of the noble families that made one’s head spin, and the streets blanketed with roses—the emblem of the imperial family.
The art school looked exactly the same. Arte found herself gazing absentmindedly at the place where so many memories were stored.
She had never graduated, thanks to her family running out of money, but if that carriage accident hadn’t happened, she might have been able to attend for a few more semesters.
No, stop it, Arte.
Perhaps because of the lie she had told Lisa, she had been recalling her days at the art school ever since last night.
It was a lingering attachment she needed to shake off. It was an episode that had already ended with a period. Holding on to it would only hurt her.
Arte pulled her gaze away from the side and sat up straight, facing forward.
She was already exhausted. If she started attaching emotions to every passing building, she might faint again before even stepping out of the car.
Come to think of it… where exactly are we going?
While she was trying to keep her mind blank, scanning the familiar yet unfamiliar scenery, it suddenly struck her that she had no idea what Dimion’s destination was.
Even when he’d told her he would take her to the capital, even when they left Tian Territory, Dimion had never mentioned exactly where she would be staying.
It was something she should have confirmed earlier, but in the rush to prepare for the trip, she had completely forgotten.
Surely he’s not planning to put me up in a house right next to the Rocata Ducal Estate…
An uneasy feeling crept up on her.
The Empire still had its conservative sides—even a betrothed fiancé couldn’t just come and go from a family’s mansion freely.
That was why most nobles kept a discreet space near their mansions for private meetings. These often housed lovers whose relationships could not be made public.
If, by any chance, Dimion were to bring Arte somewhere near the Ducal Estate, she could already imagine the rumors that would follow.
On the surface, theirs was a relationship between a patron and a sponsored artist.
Arte hoped Dimion wouldn’t break that framework—but she had neither the standing nor the grounds to demand it.
After all, she was the one who had offered herself as a shield to block other women from being pushed into Dimion’s bed. She had even said she would accept it if he wanted to roll around in bed himself.
It was laughable for her to be worrying about nasty rumors now.
Still… if I can avoid them, I’d like to.
Arte sat tense, carefully watching where Dimion was heading.
Anyone who had spent a long time in the capital knew where the Rocata Ducal Estate was, and which road led to it.
It was as grand and lavish as the Imperial Palace itself—a symbol of the capital in its own right.
Back in her art school days, Arte had heard all about it.
She still remembered the route there. Holding her breath, she watched closely to see if Dimion would turn down that path.
“—!”
Fortunately, Dimion drove right past the road leading to the Rocata Ducal Estate. Since there was only one road into the estate, passing it meant they weren’t going there.
Arte quietly sighed in relief and closed her eyes for a moment.
Dimion had said that on days he didn’t feel like staying at the estate, he stayed at the military barracks.
Since he couldn’t bring a civilian like Arte there, he must be planning to put her up in one of the many properties the Rocatas owned in the capital.
Thank goodness.
Her body relaxed at last. Feeling lighter, she began to notice the sparkling sunlight and lush greenery around her.
Are we heading to the outskirts?
They were getting farther and farther from the city center.
For someone like Arte, who was more comfortable with nature than with crowds, that was a welcome change—but it also made her curious.
…Huh?
After passing a quiet road lined with tall metasequoias, her eyes widened.
Up ahead, a massive mansion—though not quite as large as the Rocata Estate—was drawing nearer.
There was no time to lower her guard. Arte straightened her back and subtly gripped her dress.
No matter how she looked at it, this was not the sort of place someone would stay alone.
Even for the Rocatas, the scale of the mansion was excessive.
When the car turned into the entrance, two soldiers standing guard swung open the massive gates.
Dimion acknowledged their salute with a nod and drove swiftly along the winding road toward the mansion.
“Your Grace, where is this place?”
“My house.”
Just two words, and Arte felt her mind go blank.
Hadn’t he said he stayed at the ducal estate or the barracks?
She had never imagined he might have another residence in the capital, so her thoughts scattered into white noise.
While she was still frozen in shock, Dimion didn’t slow down. The car kept moving toward the mansion.
Ahead, servants were lined up in formation. As the car drew nearer, she could make out their faces—every one of them was staring at her as though they’d seen a ghost.
It was obvious from their posture that they were well-trained, exceptional staff.
Even so, they couldn’t hide their surprise. Her presence was clearly an unexpected shock.
So they weren’t told. He didn’t tell them I’d be staying here. Which means…
Her heart thudded at this entirely unforeseen turn of events.
Just as her own face had gone pale to match theirs, the car’s loud engine cut off.
“Welcome home, Your Grace.”
The dignified old butler approached without a hint of his earlier surprise, opening Dimion’s door.
Another servant came for Arte. He tried to hide it, but couldn’t quite conceal the sidelong glances he gave her.
“I didn’t know you’d be bringing a guest, sir. If you’d given us advance notice—”
“Not a guest.”
Arte’s eyes widened as she looked up at him.
It was an ambiguous remark—it could mean she wasn’t worthy of being treated as a guest, or that she would be staying here and thus wasn’t a guest at all.
Either way, it wasn’t good.
Sure enough, the butler and the head maid—who had interpreted it the same way—were now regarding her with a knowing, meaningful look.
They understood the ways of the nobility as well as, if not better than, the nobles themselves.
And they certainly knew the details of Dimion’s relationship with Feria. It would take them no time at all to figure out that Arte was neither the future duchess nor his beloved mistress.
Feeling the weight of their unwelcome stares, Arte stopped in her tracks at the doorway instead of following Dimion inside.
“Your Grace.”
She called out to him as he strode ahead. She needed to know whether her current situation was the worst-case scenario or merely the lesser evil.
“Since you must have stopped here to deal with your own belongings first, I’ll wait outside until you’re done.”
Dimion turned slowly to face her, the chill in his gaze sharper than usual.
It was the kind of look that could make anyone shrink back, but Arte spoke as calmly as she could.
“Or you could just tell me the address of where I’ll be staying. I can find my way there on my own—I lived in the capital for several years and know my way around.”
If he wasn’t planning to have her stay here, there was no reason for him to refuse.
In her heart, Arte prayed he would do just that—give her the address of some mansion far, far from here.
“Here.”
“…What?”
“The place you’ll be staying. Here. My house.”
