“Hmm.”
At Aria’s question, Robin merely flashed a somewhat troubled smile.
Not all nobles are wealthy.
Even among noble families, there were quite a few cases where they went bankrupt due to failed estate management or various other reasons, ending up in worse situations than wealthy commoners.
Robin’s Stampfer family was one such case.
Robin Stampfer was an ambitious young man who wouldn’t hesitate to study abroad in Jackeu, his country’s longtime rival, if there was something to learn. However, the Stampfer family lacked the means to support his academic pursuits.
Due to a series of misfortunes spanning several generations, the Stampfer family had lost most of their assets, including their estate, and could barely make ends meet.
In such circumstances, someone recognized Robin’s true value and stepped forward to actively support him—this was the benefactor he spoke of.
Thanks to this generous patronage, Robin successfully completed his studies abroad, returned home to become a royal official, and was now on his own path to success.
That being the case, it was only natural that he would refer to his benefactor as his lifelong savior.
A mysterious benefactor who concealed their identity. Aria didn’t know their name, where they lived, whether they were male or female, what their social status was, or even if they were an individual or an organization.
Although Robin was a devoted husband who enjoyed sharing his daily life with his wife, he kept his lips tightly sealed when it came to his benefactor.
Aria only knew that he maintained regular contact with the benefactor and occasionally worked for them. Though she had no idea what kind of work it was.
“Robin, isn’t it about time you told me? We are husband and wife after all.”
As his wife approached and pressed him, Robin scratched his head.
“It was just a simple greeting along with inquiries about royal affairs.”
“Then why are you so determined to hide it?”
“As I’ve told you before, my benefactor is firmly resolved not to reveal themselves to the world. So I destroy any letters containing their information as soon as I confirm them.”
“Isn’t that too thorough for keeping the secret of a ‘faceless angel’? You’re not some secret spy.”
Aria put her arm around her husband’s shoulder and smiled seductively.
“And your wife is confident she can keep a secret to the grave. Don’t you trust me?”
“I do.”
The answer came without hesitation as soon as she finished her question, but that didn’t mean Robin was willing to change his mind.
“But I hope you understand me. I’ve already promised to protect their secret for my entire life.”
“……”
Aria silently looked into his eyes for a while, then soon burst into laughter.
It was a moment when her seductive smile quickly transformed into that of a mischievous person.
“I know. I know. I’ve heard about that promise before. I just said it because I find it amusing how serious you are every time.”
She loved this aspect of her husband—his almost foolishly earnest nature—and in truth, she wasn’t all that curious about the benefactor’s identity.
Who cares who they are? Given that they provided full support to Robin, they must surely be a person with excellent judgment and good character.
Robin let out a sigh of relief as he looked at his wife.
“I’m glad you understand.”
“Now, let’s have dinner together.”
“Ah, just a moment. I have some remaining work, so I’ll finish this and join you right away.”
“Alright. Then I’ll write some letters to my friends in the meantime.”
Aria hummed cheerfully as she left the study.
“I’m thinking of inviting Kisa to the next gathering. I want to ask for their consent.”
“…That’s a good idea.”
After his wife disappeared, he picked up the paper knife from the desk and stirred the inside of the ashtray.
The blackened paper fragments completely lost their shape and turned to ash.
****
“…So I’m going to read that novel called ‘The Paradox of Sorrow.’ I heard it’s quite lengthy, so I’ll need to read diligently to finish it before the next gathering.”
During dinner with Seyard at the Hillan mansion, Kisa chattered excitedly.
“Oh, have you read that novel, Seyard? It’s quite an old work, but I heard it was quite famous when it was published.”
At his fiancée’s question, Seyard nodded slightly.
“I don’t remember the details, but I think I read it when I was young. It’s probably still in my library.”
“May I borrow it then? It might be in our library at home too, but I’d need my father’s permission to enter, which is somewhat awkward in many ways…”
He loosened his lips and answered readily.
“By all means. In fact, you don’t even need to ask. You’ll soon be the mistress of this mansion.”
“Pardon?”
Caught off guard by this unexpected statement, Kisa’s cheeks turned a faint red.
“Ah, yes, that’s true. But we’re not married yet…”
Seyard watched her with delight as she mumbled as if making excuses, and he picked up a small dessert spoon.
Then he reached for the ice cream cup across from him, scooped up a spoonful, and held it to Kisa’s lips.
“Seyard?”
“Open up.”
“I, I can eat on my own.”
“You’ve been so engrossed in conversation that you’ve hardly touched your dessert. The ice cream will melt at this rate. Ah.”
Since he showed no signs of backing down, Kisa hesitated briefly before opening her mouth.
Soon, a cool and sweet sensation spread through her mouth.
“How is it?”
Seyard asked with his chin resting on his hand, and Kisa readily answered.
“It’s delicious.”
“I’m glad to hear that.”
He hasn’t even eaten his own yet. Kisa glanced across with a slightly aggrieved feeling.
In fact, the ice cream in front of Seyard had barely melted, remaining almost in its original state.
Perhaps sensing Kisa’s gaze, he soon took a spoonful of his own ice cream.
“It’s truly delicious.”
For reference, Seyard didn’t particularly switch spoons.
Heat rushed to Kisa’s face as she became conscious of this fact.
Kisa silently transferred her portion of ice cream to her mouth as if to cool her heated face.
Seyard was so nonchalant that it made her feel like she was the strange one.
‘No, am I right to feel strange?’
It seemed a bit excessive to overreact about sharing a spoon with someone she had already kissed.
Having recalled the memory of the kiss, Kisa was overcome with an even more peculiar feeling.
Though it had been nearly two weeks since then, whenever she thought about it, she wanted to hide in a mouse hole.
After that day, Kisa had avoided Seyard’s gaze for a while.
When she faced him, her eyes kept drifting to his smooth, well-shaped lips.
Like a pervert.
Moreover, the intense memory of that day invaded Kisa’s daily life even when Seyard wasn’t around.
She would think about it while eating, while strolling in the garden, even while playing the violin to calm her mind…
At night, when lying in bed, she had to twist and turn her body due to the embarrassment that inevitably resurfaced.
The kiss she shared with Seyard was that stimulating. Especially for Kisa, who had never experienced anything resembling a proper romance.
‘I had finally buried it!’
The reason Kisa was able to have a relatively normal dinner today with Seyard, the culprit behind all this, was thanks to the gathering Aria had invited her to.
Her friends were more unique than Kisa had expected.
People of various ages with diverse backgrounds had welcomed Kisa warmly.
There were noble young ladies who had not yet reached adulthood, as well as elderly ladies who had accumulated rich worldly experiences as merchants in their youth.
To be honest, Kisa was curious about how Aria had built friendships with such a diverse group of people.
For Kisa, who had mostly interacted with people similar to herself, like at Princess Arta’s tea parties, it felt like discovering a new world.
Kisa was immediately drawn to this gathering, which had apparently started as a book club but had now become closer to a simple social club.
Before she knew it, the gathering had ended, and the time to meet Seyard for dinner was approaching.
That was why Kisa had been telling him about what had happened at the gathering until just a moment ago.
But it seems that the impact of such a novel gathering was nothing compared to the person of Seyard Hillan.
Evidently so, since the memory of their kiss had once again invaded Kisa’s mind in less than half a day.
‘Since that day, we’ve only held hands during dates…’
Whether or not he was aware of his fiancée’s inner turmoil about whether this was too much, Seyard put down his dessert spoon with a fresh face.
“Anyway, it’s good that the gathering seems to suit Kisa well.”
“Ah. Yes. Indeed.”
Having similarly emptied her ice cream cup, Kisa put down her spoon and answered.
“I’m really grateful to Aria. She’s already a benefactor for revealing the truth about Daniel to me, and now she’s introduced me to such pleasant friends.”
In fact, until a few days ago, Kisa had been secretly wishing for someone like her.
A female friend with whom she could share her heart.
Of course, Seyard was the person closest to Kisa, but the feeling that came from someone of the opposite sex versus the same sex was different.
The time spent with Aria gave Kisa another kind of joy.
‘After things ended that way with Melissa, I thought I would never make friends again…’
Who would have thought such unexpected good fortune would find her?
“It’s truly a miraculous thing, isn’t it?”
At Kisa’s words, Seyard smiled gently.
“Indeed it is.”
