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“She… didn’t go back?”
It was impossible to dismiss the phrase “I’ll die frozen, but I want an iced Americano” as mere coincidence. Maybe it was someone else, not that possessed person, but my instincts screamed that I was right. It’s rare to hear someone say something like that twice.
“…….”
Without realizing it, my hands on the table had clenched. I couldn’t believe they hadn’t gone back. If they had possessed someone else, was it still because of me?
I had possessed Tiana, which caused that possessed person to be expelled, and then they had possessed the daughter of Marquis Even. Was that how it worked?
How they had possessed someone again didn’t matter—it wasn’t important.
“As long as the other possessed person doesn’t interfere with what I need to do, it’s fine. But that person…”
They already knew my identity and were deliberately trying to obstruct me. Why? Tiana and the daughter of Marquis Even were from rival factions, but there hadn’t been any direct conflict. Even in the original story, they hadn’t clashed significantly.
Still, the fact that they were trying to stop me meant that my actions were interfering with them. Perhaps it was some kind of revenge for being expelled from Tiana’s body.
“From their perspective, they might think I took their position.”
At first, Tiana hadn’t stood out much, but in the side story, she revealed her true self as a hidden villainess—a major supporting character. Her original status was that of a duke’s daughter, she married Lucius and became a duchess, and her husband was none other than Lucius. If she cast aside her villainous persona, she could secure her status, live comfortably without money worries, and enjoy life with Lucius—such a coveted position.
It was natural for her to dislike me, having been expelled from that opportunity and forced to possess an extra supporting character instead. She must have built up a lot while inhabiting Tiana’s body.
“Sigh……”
I didn’t want to show it, but a deep sigh escaped me. That’s right, things had been too easy until now. I had dealt with all the obstructive figures without difficulty. So it was only fitting that some challenge would arise to make the story interesting. I just hadn’t expected it to be someone from the modern world.
“Tiana?”
“Yes?”
“You sighed suddenly… what’s wrong? Aren’t you feeling good at all? Are you alright?”
“Ah……”
Startled by my sigh, Lucius looked at me with concern. His golden eyes were filled with worry for me, and just watching him made his feelings come through.
I smiled and replied, as if reassuring him while he seemed ready to rush to my side.
“I’m fine. It’s nothing.”
“Your expression says otherwise. Should we go back? Or call a priest…?”
“Really, I’m fine, Lucius. It’s just that my chest felt a bit tight for a moment.”
“Tight chest? Are you sure you’re not sick?”
“The air in this guest room seems a bit stale, Your Grace. Shall we open the window for some ventilation?”
“No, um… alright……”
I couldn’t stop Elam from moving hastily. Both men were taking my condition seriously and couldn’t simply be told, “Don’t worry about it.”
Elam quickly approached the window, unlocked it, and opened it. A gentle breeze brushed my face, flowing into the room. Opening the windows along the side walls as well, the room gradually filled with fresh air. Breathing in, feeling the soft wind against my face and hair, my chest felt a little lighter.
“Tiana, how do you feel? Are you alright?”
“Yes. I’m fine. The breeze is refreshing—it feels good.”
“That’s a relief…”
Lucius still seemed worried, his expression not relaxing. I reached out and took his hand as he fidgeted, speaking hesitantly.
His hand was slightly cold, yet as soon as I held it, he enveloped mine with his. I couldn’t help but smile. I had drawn so much comfort from this man’s actions, probably more than he realized. Just holding hands gave me a sense of security like nothing else.
“Lucius. Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For worrying about me.”
“Of course. Tiana, you are my wife. Protecting you is my most important duty.”
“…Me too.”
I could feel Lucius’ sincerity in his gentle voice. His grip felt firmer than ever, as if he would never let go.
Hearing him call me “my wife” filled me with joy. Yes, I was his ‘real’ wife now. As long as I was Tiana, no one could deny my place by his side.
“Even if that possessed person comes to take this place again…”
I would never let it happen.
“Thank you for today. I feel like I troubled you by asking so many things. I’m sorry.”
After finishing our meal and leaving the restaurant, I spoke to Elam, who had followed us out with Lucius. He shook his head and smiled warmly.
“Not at all. If I could be of any help to Your Grace, that alone makes me happy.”
“It was really helpful. I’ll explain everything in detail later.”
“Understood.”
“Oh, the food today was really delicious. Especially the dessert—it was exquisite.”
Though our conversation had taken some time and the dishes had cooled, Elam had reheated them, letting us enjoy every bite. The flavors were so satisfying that my appetite, dulled earlier by the possessed person, returned fully.
The mango sorbet at the end was particularly delightful, capturing the rich taste and aroma of mango, almost as if eating frozen mango. The small pieces of mango pulp added a sweet-tart balance that danced on my tongue.
‘And it paired surprisingly well with the flower tea. That marigold tea reminded me of Viscount Evitt’s blend…’
Elam’s dessert and Viscount Evitt’s flower tea—unexpectedly, it could work well.
“You flatter me.”
“I’ll come again next time. Can I expect even more delicious dishes then?”
“Of course. I’ll prepare desserts that will satisfy both of you.”
I smiled at his confident answer and, with Lucius, climbed into the carriage. Watching Elam, who hadn’t yet entered, through the window as the doors closed, I turned my head.
Lucius, sitting beside me, held my hand with one arm while wrapping the other around my shoulder, and asked:
“Tiana, are you feeling alright?”
“I’m fine now. The meal was delicious, and the dessert was wonderful—it really lifted my spirits.”
“That’s good. But just to be safe, let’s not overdo anything today.”
“I will. Oh, Lucius, I just realized something. The dessert from Elam’s restaurant paired really well with Viscount Evitt’s flower tea, didn’t it?”
“You mean the mango sorbet and marigold tea we had earlier? Yes, it was surprisingly good.”
“Right?”
Lucius agreed. Though he seldom enjoyed dessert, today he had, likely because the flower tea balanced the sweetness of the mango sorbet.
“So, what if we offered that dessert at Café Roland’s capital branch? Of course, we’d formally propose it to Elam and make a contract first.”
“You mean selling the restaurant’s dessert at the capital café? That could work. The desserts are high quality and would give customers another pleasure.”
“Exactly. Since most of our customers are women, I thought having a wider dessert selection would be nice. The desserts we currently sell don’t pair well with the viscount’s flower tea. The taste just isn’t right.”
Previously, the desserts supplied to the capital branch were from a renowned patisserie. Though initially good, over time the quality had declined.
‘No complaints from customers yet, but if this continues, there will be problems soon.’
It was always better to fix issues before they snowballed.
‘Maybe…’
Perhaps the declining quality of the desserts was due to interference from Marquis Even and his daughter. Our supplier could easily be traced, so they might have meddled.
“The desserts from our usual supplier have been declining lately. I think Marquis Even and his daughter are behind it. We should switch to Elam’s restaurant—it would be fine there. What do you think?”
“Hmm……”
“…Not good?”
Huh? I expected him to agree immediately, but he seemed deep in thought. His gaze narrowed slightly, and I saw a shadow cross his eyes.
“…Tiana. It seems you really like him.”
“Eh? Oh, well, he seems competent. You like him too, right, Lucius?”
“Yes, but…”
He avoided my gaze, his frown deepening, his entire expression displeased.
‘Ah-ha.’
I understood why he looked that way.
“Lucius, you’re jealous, aren’t you?”
“……”
“Hehe.”
I couldn’t hold back my laugh at his inability to respond. His squished expression looked adorable. This man has been getting more jealous lately, which I secretly welcomed.
I noticed his earlobes reddening as he avoided my gaze. Tempted to touch them, I restrained myself and held his hand instead.
“Lucius, listen carefully, don’t misunderstand.”
“……”
“I was only curious about Elam at first because he seemed competent and impressive. The reason I looked favorably on him was because of you.”
“…Because of me?”
“Yes. You said he was a good person, so I paid attention. He really is competent, which is why I liked him. Only as a person, and purely in a professional sense. So don’t worry.”
“…Understood.”
He nodded, repositioned himself, and sighed deeply before embracing me.
“I knew Tiana wouldn’t feel otherwise. I just got a bit jealous because you seemed so happy talking about him.”
“Really? You were jealous, my husband?”
“Yes. I was jealous.”
“I’m glad you were jealous, my husband.”
Where else could such cute jealousy exist? I could happily accept this kind of jealousy from him. I smiled brightly, and he chuckled helplessly, kissing me.
Eyes closed, I savored the soft kiss. As it deepened, he reluctantly broke away when he saw my state, placing a light kiss on my lips one last time, then said:
“Tiana. I have something to tell you.”
“Yes? What is it?”
“It’s about the daughter of Marquis Even. I hope you don’t get too involved….”
“Why?”
“Well……”
He hesitated, struggling to speak. What’s wrong? Is there some problem? Just as I started to worry, he said unexpectedly:
“I feel uneasy. Something doesn’t feel right.”
