* * *
Juliet was sitting in a moving carriage, reading a letter.
[I couldn’t find a priestess named ‘Dahlia’.]
It was a report on the inquiry Juliet had made to the information guild some time ago.
On a hunch, she provided as much detailed description of Dahlia as she could and asked if there was such a woman.
She could be using a different name.
The result was the same.
[No one has seen a woman with that description.]
Juliet briefly looked out the window, slightly furrowing her brows. The scenery was quickly passing by.
‘She’s not some ghost.’
Her mind was cluttered.
Although it was said that such a woman didn’t exist, Juliet had definitely encountered Dahlia.
Three times. And each time at a different place.
‘What’s her identity?’
Once at Carcassonne’s auction, once at Lucerne’s ballroom, and recently, at the temple, every location was different. It felt like she was somehow chasing after her.
‘I’m not certain, but…’
She had contacted Archbishop Gilliam, but all she got from the irritated archbishop was the reply: ‘There’s no priest by that name in the order.’
The archbishop might be lying, but the chances weren’t high. There was no reason for him to.
‘So she pretended to be a priest but isn’t one?’
How was it in her previous life?
Juliet tilted her head.
Dahlia had made her appearance with the full support of Pope Sebastian.
‘But that Sebastian is now in prison.’
Could that be why Dahlia hasn’t shown up?
“Juliet, what are you looking at?”
“Ah.”
Juliet looked up. Opposite her was a young lady with curious eyes.
“It’s nothing, Emma. I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay. But we’ll be arriving soon!”
Juliet was on her way to the south with Emma.
“We will soon see grandma.”
Emma said with joy.
Grandma was the famous Madam Ilena.
Ilena Lindberg.
Commonly known as godmother Ilena, the elderly lady was an acquaintance of the late Count and Countess Monas.
She had even attended Juliet’s salon at her invitation and helped her some time ago.
After divorcing her notorious playboy husband, Madam Ilena was now enjoying her leisurely old age surrounded by friends and granddaughters.
Recently, Madam Elena, who has a domain in the south, invited Juliet.
[Why don’t you come over and stay with my granddaughter?]
Without much thought, Juliet accepted the invitation.
She wanted some distance from the complex matters.
She was tired of the cold after spending days in a snow-covered forest.
After the day they were ambushed in the forest by Roy’s brother, both Roy and Elsa had left for Katia’s forest, and Juliet hadn’t seen them since.
That’s why she headed to the south with Madam Ilena’s granddaughter, Emma, who was staying in the capital.
The Empire’s capital was located in the southwest, but in reality, Madam Ilena’s domain was quite far away.
Still, the lady sent a carriage through a large gate, covered the expenses, and even paid for the trip.
Emma, who had just made her debut, was a cheerful girl.
“Charlotte sister is about to have a baby!”
Throughout the journey to the south, Emma kept talking about her ‘sister Charlotte’s’ baby.
Madam Ilena’s eldest granddaughter, Charlotte, was staying in the family estate in the south to give birth.
“I’m going to be an aunt!”
Emma looked excited.
‘How cute.’
“When Charlotte’s baby is born, I will surely cherish it.”
Juliet smiled at Emma.
She never had an aunt, but she felt Emma would make a good one.
* * *
The south was a popular holiday destination where almost everyone wanted to own at least one villa.
Under the sunny sky, quaint mansions were grouped at some distance.
Every evening, small musical or dance events were said to take place in these mansions.
However, Juliet couldn’t stay in Madam Ilena’s mansion.
The accommodation provided by Madam Ilena wasn’t a room in her villa.
“You’ll have to go a bit further for your accommodation.”
The place the polite-faced butler took them to was a small villa located on a quiet hill a bit away from the mansion.
“Wow!”
The bewildered Emma couldn’t hold back her admiration.
“Did grandmother buy this villa? How? When?”
The size of the building seemed a bit much just to be given as an accommodation. It might be small, but the carefully crafted garden and fountain…
“It seems a bit much for one person.”
When Juliet turned around, the butler politely replied.
“It might be uncomfortable for you to meet people, so it’s best to stay here.”
Hearing this, Juliet could only nod in agreement.
“Please convey my gratitude to Madam Ilena.”
“Yes.”
After the butler left, Emma, under the pretext of helping unpack Juliet’s belongings, explored the villa.
“I didn’t know grandmother bought this building. She always wanted it but said it was too expensive. There’s even a fountain?”
While slowly looking around the villa, Juliet suddenly felt a sense of strangeness.
‘Well.’
It was a space where meticulous care was felt everywhere.
It was the ideal home she had once wished for.
A living room bathed in sunlight, and cozy bedrooms. The garden was full of well-tended fountains and flowering trees, and there were even two large dogs.
As she looked around, she felt somehow familiar with the layout, as if someone had peered into her mind.
Juliet found a silver plate full of fruit on the drawing-room table.
There were rare fruits that could only be seen in the south at this time of year. She picked up a large peach and looked around the house with cold eyes.
* * *
Madam Ilena sat elegantly in the drawing-room.
Ilena Lindberg, with her stylishly draped silver-gray hair, had once reigned as the queen of the social scene. However, now she often stayed in her southern estate, a bit away from the capital.
Especially during the chilly winter, her hobby was to avoid the cold and invite friends to spend the winter together.
But the woman, who once dominated the social scene, lifted her tea cup with a bit of tension.
Madam Ilena glanced at the young man in front of her.
He was a hard-to-meet figure.
In some ways, he was even more challenging to deal with than the Emperor.
“I’m not sure if the tea is to your liking, Duke.”
“It’s fine. Good tea.”
Without even touching his tea cup, the young man briefly replied.
Even as a guest, sitting in the drawing-room chair, he looked as relaxed as if he was in his own living room.
To put it grandly, he had a stature that didn’t match his age.
‘Hmm, this young lad.’
Madam Ilena slightly pursed her lips and looked him up and down.
She had heard countless rumors, but it was the first time the formidable lady had directly confronted Duke Carlyle.
With his cool eyes and impeccable appearance, he was so striking that anyone couldn’t help but look twice.
Considering his balanced physique and contrary to rumors, he had an almost sacred appearance.
For some reason, the bandage wrapped around his left hand was the only flaw, and even that was an intriguing aspect. The fleeting romances of Duke Carlyle were the rave among the aristocrats of the capital.
However, the Madam always believed that good-looking men ‘have a price.’ Just like her first husband.
“You look better than my ex-husband. Even better than what I’ve heard.”
“You flatter me.”
Despite the casual talk, he responded with respect. It seemed like he held respect for elders.
Seeing his unexpectedly polite attitude, Madam Ilena slightly raised her evaluation of him.
In truth, the Madam, who was close to the deceased Count and Countess Monad, didn’t particularly like Duke Carlyle.
Taking the orphaned child far to the northern region after the loss of her parents was one thing. But what she couldn’t tolerate was that he had been involved with a woman who was not even his fiance for several years.
‘He should’ve let her go long ago.’
Although she had ruthlessly thrown out her ex-husband, Madam Ilena was a conservative old lady at heart.
Tsk. Madam Ilena clicked her tongue lightly.
If that was the case, she would’ve helped him form a bond with a good family.
But the situation was turning strange.
It was said that there are ears on the walls of the palace. The story of Duke Carlyle drawing his sword in the ballroom became known to everyone in the Empire in just a few days.
Madam Ilena found the story quite amusing.
‘After being quiet for all these years, what wind has blown now?’
Nevertheless, it was because of that incident that Madam Ilena changed her mind and accepted the dubious request of Duke Carlyle.
“I heard you were close to the late Monad couple.”
When Duke Carlyle suddenly appeared, Madam Ilena was quite surprised. His business had quite a suspicious content.
“Here’s the deed to the villa I purchased.”
After purchasing the expensive southern villa and renovating it for a few days…
He abruptly asked to invite Juliet to stay there.
“I’d like you to hand it over to Juliet at an appropriate time.”
Pushing an envelope with documents on the table, he spoke.
“A good excuse would be that you had a debt to the late Count Monad couple.”
‘…Look at this guy.’
He even came up with a perfect excuse. Madam Ilena became more and more intrigued by his impeccable attitude.
“Why not give it to her directly?”
“Juliet.”
As he mentioned her name, the Duke hesitated for a moment. Madam Ilena didn’t miss this moment of hesitation in a man who otherwise seemed flawless.
“…She won’t accept anything I give.”
He surprisingly seemed to grasp the situation accurately.
Before the Duke left, Madam Ilena generously offered:
“If you wish, you can stay in my mansion while you’re in the south.”
However, Duke Carlyle simply nodded and left the drawing room.
“Thank you for your kindness.”
He thanked her for the kindness, but he didn’t say he would accept. The Madam understood the implied refusal.
“Tsk, tsk.”
After the Duke left, Madam Ilena clicked her tongue lightly with a quite pleased expression.
“Men, really.”
Missing the timing and causing unnecessary trouble. But what could be done now?
“How will he rekindle a cooled heart?”
Feeling the amusement of a spectator, Madam Ilena instructed a maid.
“Honey, bring me the list of guests. Who’s still unmarried?”
She may have granted the Duke’s request, but she didn’t intend to help him so easily.
“Hmm. Let’s add some fuel to the fire.”
Madam Ilena laughed meaningfully.