With a serious expression, Juno welcomed Jupiter to the drawing room.
“Jupiter.”
“Juno.”
The sparrow doll next to Jupiter moved to Juno’s shoulder. “My lady!”
“Good work.”
Pi was as cute as she looked. Juno petted her, and Pi playfully pecked Juno’s finger before disappearing.
Jupiter, who watched Pi fly out the window, asked, “That was a doll, right?”
He had the same reaction as Juno when she first saw the dolls in the mansion.
“Yes, I created her.”
“Hm…” He must have been stunned at how advanced it looked compared to the ones on the market.
“It’s a little surprising, huh?” Juno beckoned for him to sit down.
They awkwardly faced each other. There wasn’t much tension the last time they met, but today was different. I’m a little embarrassed.
Juno, wishing John showed up as quickly as he could, made eye contact with Jupiter. Averting her gaze, she said, “So, Jupiter.”
“Yes?”
She didn’t know what to say, but she wanted to tell him the truth. Peter said that if Juno felt Jupiter was reliable, it was okay.
“…I told you nothing happened, but that wasn’t the case.” Juno took a deep breath and continued, “Count Peter Sergien was both my husband and teacher.”
“Teacher?”
“I learned how to use alchemy.”
Jupiter stared at Juno. How much time passed before he spoke? “…Just to be clear, you learned alchemy from Count Peter Sergien?”
“Yes. I will also be the head of House Sergien.”
“That’s…” He must also have questioned if such a thing was possible.
Smiling, Juno said, “My teacher only had me as his family.”
“I see… This complicates things.”
Juno knew as well. It was House Sergien, a family that everyone kept an eye on. There will be those ready to slander me at a moment’s notice and those who will try to win my favor. However, Juno was going to do her best. It’s all right. She wasn’t alone, and there were allies at her side. She smiled in front of Jupiter, who smiled back. Calm down. Juno tried to relax. She was worried and scared to see how he’d respond, but she didn’t want to avoid the topic.
“Also…”
“What is it?”
“Well…”
Before she could continue speaking, the door to the drawing room opened.
“I’m not dead.” Peter sat down next to Juno on the sofa.
“Teacher, why are you here?”
“I don’t always have to be in the workshop.” Peter snorted before scrutinizing Jupiter. “Are you Jupiter Trish?”
Jupiter’s eyes narrowed. “…I thought you were dead.”
“I am. This is just a doll I transferred my consciousness to.”
Jupiter looked at her with a gaze that demanded an explanation. “…Juno?”
“It’s alchemy.”
For the first time, Jupiter had an incredulous expression. “Do you truly believe this doll is Count Peter Sergien?”
“Yes.”
Jupiter sighed.
It wasn’t that she didn’t understand his reaction. Juno, despite knowing a lot about alchemy, still had trouble accepting it.
“You saw that bird earlier. Does she look like a doll? The ones here think and have their own personalities,” Juno said.
“…”
She shrugged. “I won’t ask you to believe me. I just wanted to talk to you about these past two years.”
“Why?”
Thanks to Peter’s appearance, Juno felt more reassured. It’s been a long time since we saw each other. She wanted to show Jupiter she was doing well. She could tell what he was thinking based on his facial expression. Her cheeks began to turn red from the blatant affection in his gaze.
“Um…”
The door opened again, and John entered the room. He bowed, poured some tea, and looked at Peter. “Master, I need you to go outside for a moment.”
Peter looked at Jupiter, then Juno before standing up.
John bowed again. “Call me if you need any assistance.”
“Thank you, John.”
“You’re welcome.”
After Peter stepped out of the room, John left and shut the door behind him.
Jupiter stared at the closed door. “…Who’s that servant?”
It seemed he was slightly jealous, and Juno was amused to see him this way. “John. He’s a doll,” she said.
“A doll?”
“Yes.” She nodded. “Regardless… I want to be honest with you right now. I kept pushing you away because I wasn’t brave enough. However, I’ve decided to be a little more courageous.” She continued, “Don’t give me an answer right away. You’ll be Marquis Trish, and I’ll soon be Countess Sergien.”
Even if they were on the same page, this was something they had to overcome together.
“Surely, you must be aware of what will happen if we’re in a relationship.” She laughed bitterly. There was a lot of work ahead until Juno could be regarded as Countess Sergien. It was the same for Jupiter. “Our marriage won’t be for some time. Is that all right?”
Juno was saying they won’t be able to reveal their relationship to the public until everything settled down. She heard a sigh. Jupiter’s gaze was cold, calculating. This was the first time she had seen it; however, she didn’t avert her eyes. She knew he wouldn’t like what she said, but it was important enough for her to address it.
After a long silence, Jupiter said, “…Juno, why did you ask such a question when you already know the answer?”
“Getting a verbal confirmation is different from knowing it.”
Juno wanted a definite answer, and Jupiter had to acknowledge their relationship will face many hardships in the future.
I’m also a coward. Juno smiled. “Well, what do you say?”
Jupiter looked slightly annoyed at how she was waiting for his response. “I only need you.” Then, he grinned.
Juno said, “Promise me one thing.”
“Hm?”
“I’m scared of being left behind.” She didn’t care if it was only a promise. “If I give you my heart, you’ll die sooner or later. So, can you promise me that you’ll live as long as possible, no matter what?”
It was a question that revealed her insecurity without beating around the bush.
“All right, I promise.”
When he answered without any hesitation, Juno smiled as if to embrace her fear. It was almost funny that she asked him not to die after saying he’d eventually die, but Juno wanted to be sincere.
“I don’t want anything else, Jupiter. Please, stay alive. Do you understand?”
“Mm-hmm.” With a soft smile, Jupiter stood up and approached her. Juno reached out to hug him.
***
Ever since that day, Juno wondered if everything was a dream. She, preparing to make a public debut, was getting closer and closer to Jupiter. He had visited again to prevent people from finding out, and they were in the middle of a conversation.
“Where are you going?”
“The Kingdom of Darnan.”
It was a neighboring country. Juno frowned. “Why? They and the empire haven’t been on good terms lately.”
“The marquis is playing one of his games. I’m supposed to be a delegate to improve relations.”
Juno was aware of the activities of House Trish thanks to Jupiter. Marquis Robert’s position was in danger. Since Lilith gave birth to a girl and was now infertile, rumors circulated between the branch families that a new mistress had to be brought in. It was a threat. The title of marquis must be handed over to Jupiter or else. The branch families knew the marquis wasn’t going to bring in a new mistress. Under immense pressure, the marquis decided to send Jupiter to another country.
“…I don’t like this,” Juno murmured.
Jupiter stroked her hair. “It’s all right. The fight for who gets to be marquis is almost over.”
He wasn’t wrong. Perhaps this was the last thing the marquis could do, but Juno was still nervous. Jupiter squeezed her hand to reassure her. Their eyes met; Juno blushed. A familiar doll appeared.
As Jupiter gently kissed her cheek, Juno called out to the doll. “What is it, Pi?”
