“Diana…?”
My voice, tinged with disbelief, seemed to go unnoticed as Vivi’s tone remained bright and cheerful.
“Yes! When I went to the kitchen this morning, everyone was talking about it.”
Vivi lightly shook the teapot, warmed to the perfect temperature, and poured hibiscus tea into a teacup adorned with intricate roses.
“Would you like just one slice of lemon, Madam?”
“Yes.”
“Alright, I’ll use a small one.”
She floated a thin slice of lemon in the teacup and added syrup, the tangy and sweet aroma wafting to my nose.
I stared blankly at the teacup before turning my gaze toward the window.
A leaf, desperately clinging to late autumn, finally lost its grip and fluttered to the ground.
It was already early winter.
“Remember, Madam, how you mentioned Lady Lawrence while we were in the Nomos Empire? About how she was at the top of the shoemaking department.”
“Ah.”
“I thought you might have grown closer to her, but I guess that wasn’t the case?”
Vivi added with a shrug, recalling my offhand remark in the carriage ride back from the Biblios Academy.
She placed the teacup in front of me.
“Please enjoy. I added honey and lemon—it should suit your taste. You mentioned your digestion’s been off lately.”
“…Thank you.”
I accepted it with a complicated expression, but my mind was so tangled I couldn’t even begin to sort it out. I simply blinked blankly.
Why is Diana returning so soon? What about her graduation? It’s only been two months since I came back from the Nomos Empire.
When I visited the academy a few months ago, Diana had just chosen a partner for her graduation project.
There was no way she could have graduated already.
Why?
As I sat there, dazed and motionless, Vivi watched me curiously. Suddenly, she exclaimed, “Oh, right!” and handed me a stack of papers from her tray.
Upon closer inspection, it wasn’t just any stack of papers but today’s edition of the Aria Gazette.
Still half-unfocused, I accepted it absently.
“Now that I think of it, Sir Kyle mentioned this morning that the paper had a story about Lady Lawrence.”
“…Kyle?”
Startled, I snapped out of my thoughts and repeated his name. Vivi nodded.
“Yes, though I didn’t read it myself.”
With my focus slowly returning, I unfolded the gazette.
Sure enough, on page three, there was a small article about her.
“Biblios Academy’s Storm of a Graduate! Breaking Records?”
She’s already graduated?
Beneath the flashy headline was a detailed story about Diana.
In summary, Diana had become the first early graduate in 40 years and had received outstanding marks during her early graduation review, causing quite a stir at the academy.
However, it wasn’t the article itself that caught my attention.
My gaze drifted downward to the opinion column on the same page.
> An early graduation from Biblios Academy? I thought they never allowed it.
Right? Even Empress Riley was rejected when she applied for early graduation after topping her swordsmanship class for three consecutive years.
-But graduating an entire year early?
-Incredible. And to think she’s a lady from the Levant Empire…
-The scholars in Nomos must be envious.
I could almost hear the chuckling behind those words.
But that fleeting amusement didn’t last long.
What came next in the column shattered the mood.
> But more importantly… isn’t she that lady?
-That lady?
-You know, the one who liked Grand Duke Cloud for so long…
-Oh my! Is this the same Lady Lawrence? The one from Count Lawrence’s family?
-I heard she went abroad to study as a sort of escape, but I guess that wasn’t true.
-Be careful what you say. They say even the Grand Duchess reads this paper.
A momentary silence seemed to descend on the opinion column.
-…What’s the big deal? Everyone knows how affectionate the Grand Duke and Duchess are these days.
-Exactly. Didn’t they attend the Grand Duchess’s recent birthday celebration in matching attire?
-Well, they are a married couple.
-Rumor has it the Grand Duke is planning to propose to her again.
-Oh, my, my.
-Poor Lady Lawrence. She fled right after the wedding, and now, even after returning…
-Hey! Why bring that up when we just managed to shift the topic?
The brewing tension in the opinion column was palpable. I slammed the paper shut with a loud thud.
What is this…
Unconsciously, I pressed my hand to my forehead.
Is Diana really coming back?
Diana’s sudden appearance, coming so soon after my confrontation with Hayden Roger, left me reeling.
Why now of all times?
Roger’s twisted smile flashed in my mind.
‘This isn’t your place.’
His mocking tone seemed to cling to my ears like glue, refusing to let go.
Is this really to push me out, claiming it’s not my place anymore?
I felt disoriented.
It had been less than a month since I decided to be honest with my feelings.
And now, it felt like some god peering into my life had decided to play a cruel joke.
“Um… Madam?”
Vivi, who must have noticed the unpleasant expression on my face, cautiously glanced at me.
“Are you sure you’re okay? Your complexion…”
“…It’s nothing. I’m fine.”
Clearing my throat, I turned my gaze away, only to clutch my head again.
“Vivi, I’m sorry, but could you step out for a moment? On your way, could you call Kyle for me?”
“K-Kyle?”
Her startled reaction, despite having seen him earlier this morning, felt oddly fresh.
On another day, I might have teased her about the subtle tension between the two of them. But unfortunately, I didn’t have the energy for that right now.
I nodded mechanically.
“Yes, please.”
“Yes… Of course, Madam.”
Not long after Vivi bowed and left, Kyle appeared.
“You called for me?”
“…Yes, come closer.”
At my gesture, Kyle hurriedly stepped up to the desk, shrugging as if to say, “What is it?”
“There was an article about Lady Diana Lawrence.”
Jumping straight to the point, I watched Kyle blink his crimson eyes blankly before suddenly exclaiming, “Oh!”
“Oh, that… I wasn’t going to cover it initially, but apparently, she’s the first in 40 years to pass the fast-track graduation exam at Biblios Academy.”
Knowing full well about Ian and Diana’s past, Kyle fidgeted nervously, stealing glances at my expression.
When I didn’t react, he exclaimed in an exaggerated tone, “But there’s nothing to worry about, I assure you! These days, His Grace only has eyes for Her Grace, the Grand Duchess! I’m telling you, even I get chills watching how sweet they are! Honestly, I’m not lying.”
…Who said anything?
The more you say, the more suspicious it sounds.
Still, I didn’t want to let it show, so I propped my chin on my hand and replied calmly, “I see. As the publisher of the Aria Gazette, is there anything else you’ve heard?”
“Well, um…”
Kyle hesitated, glancing at me again before speaking.
“From what I’ve heard, she was originally supposed to graduate next year. But after the centennial celebration, she suddenly applied for early graduation, met all the requirements in just a month, and passed the exams. They say she’ll return to the capital as early as next month.”
“…Next month?”
“Yes, it’s fast. From what I can piece together, she plans to return to open her own shoe boutique here in the capital, but since it’s not confirmed, I didn’t include it in the gazette.”
Still carefully gauging my reaction, Kyle closed his mouth.
A brief silence fell over the office.
If it’s like the original story, then yes.
Aside from the fact that she graduated early, everything else aligned.
In the original story, Diana’s primary reason for returning to the capital was to establish her own shoe boutique here.
And the second was to reunite with Ian…
I only got that far before a heavy weight settled in my chest, as if a stone had been placed there.
“Madam? Are you alright? You’re not going to dock my pay again for saying something wrong, are you?”
When I didn’t respond, Kyle seemed uneasy, shaking his crimson hair and eyes miserably as he asked.
I finally looked away from the empty space I’d been staring at to meet his gaze.
“…It’s not that. I understand, so you may leave now. I need some time to think.”
“Oh, alright. If you need anything else, just call for me.”
Sensing that staying wouldn’t help, Kyle left the office without the usual polite refusals.
I sat there for a while, staring at the door through which he’d exited before collapsing onto the desk.
Talking to Kyle hadn’t brought me any relief—if anything, I felt more tangled up.
How could this be happening?
Unconsciously, I placed a hand over my chest.
I thought I’d feel nothing but happiness and excitement if Diana returned.
But the way I felt now could not, even as a lie, be called good.
I felt like such a hypocrite.
Biting my lip repeatedly, I finally let out a deep sigh.
“…What am I supposed to do?”
• • •
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