“Does that mean there are things you can’t say?”

“I’m human too, after all.”

Is that so. The man before me seems so perfect sometimes, as if he were a creation meticulously shaped by a god without a single flaw.

As we danced to the melody, darkness gradually began to settle around us.

Then, as if waiting for this moment, lights one by one turned on, brightly illuminating the surroundings.

My gaze, which had been fixed on him, naturally shifted toward the brilliant glow.

“Now that I think about it, there were quite a few people dancing near us. Where did they all go?”

At some point, we were the only ones left dancing around the fountain. The music still played, leaving me puzzled.

Suddenly, a strong wind blew. The hat perched on my head swiftly flew away.

Instinctively, I reached out to grab it, but instead of the hat, soft flower petals landed in my hand.

As if enchanted, I lifted my eyes upward—beautiful petals were falling like rain.

“Wow. Yezar, look at the sky. It’s so beautiful.”

I stood there, forgetting even to dance, gazing at the falling petals.

This reminded me of the days back at the count’s estate—when festivities and celebrations buzzed outside, I’d sit alone in my room, sipping expensive wine.

Then I’d look up at the sparkling night sky.

Though I found it breathtakingly beautiful, I always tried not to acknowledge the quiet loneliness creeping in.

The shimmering lights, people’s laughter, the joyful atmosphere—I had often wished I could join in, to be part of it all.

But I had no one to go with, and before the story reached its conclusion, I thought it best not to wander out and get entangled with the main characters. Yet, those lonely nights sipping wine alone might have driven me, unconsciously, to head to the tavern despite the story not being complete.

“I wonder what that silly knight is doing now. I hope he’s met someone good and found love.”

He had seemed so lonely too.

Most of the times we met, he was half-drunk, so his face was blurry in my memory—yet the impression of his handsomeness remained vivid.

“What’s suddenly disappearing now? Once the story ended, I meant to properly ask his name and become friends.”

For some reason, he stopped coming altogether. When I asked the tavern owner, he just shook his head, saying he didn’t know. There was no other way to find him.

If, by chance, I ever met him again, I’d ask if he’d seen this beautiful scene.

“It’s incredibly beautiful. Just like you, my lady.”

By now, Yezar’s hat had also flown away, revealing his face clearly. His eyes held mine—no longer their usual ocean-blue, but warm brown, welcoming me.

Why was it? Those shimmering brown eyes felt strangely familiar.

As if I’d seen them somewhere before. For a moment, the hazy face of that knight flashed in my mind.

“Huh…? Do we look alike somehow?”

At that very moment, water burst from the fountain, drenching us perfectly.

“M-Milady!”

Yezar rushed toward me, but the fountain’s spray had already soaked me completely.

Suddenly, I looked like a drowned mouse—my clothes drenched, my hair sopping wet, hanging like seaweed.

Ah, now I understand why no one was near us. Everyone must have known this would happen and stayed away.

I could already picture the maids’ devastated faces. My carefully applied makeup was surely ruined.

“Milady, are you alright?”

Yezar, rushing to me, was just as drenched. Water dripped steadily from his hair. Then, strangely, I burst into laughter.

“Ahaha! We’re both soaked! This is my first time getting drenched like this!”

Even though my clothes were heavy with water and my hair clung damply, I laughed brightly. It was completely unexpected.

If I hadn’t met him, I surely wouldn’t have experienced something like this.

“Since every moment with Yezar is filled with such special and new things, I find it truly joyful.”

To someone else, this might have been an unpleasant incident, but to me, it was a unique memory. I wanted to collect many more such memories.

“Oh, I called you wrong again. I mean, Ern?”

Realizing my mistake, I called out to him. Was there a bright red light nearby? His face looked just like a sunset.

His tightly pressed lips seemed to be holding back words about to spill out.

“Could it be I laughed too much? Or is he embarrassed because I look so unflattering right now?”

As I checked my appearance, Yezar pulled out a handkerchief and began gently drying my wet hair.

“…This is the second time you’ve laughed like that.”

“What?”

“I like it very much—your laughter. It’s a mischievous kind, so different from your usual self.”

For a moment, I panicked, thinking he was confessing to me. He couldn’t be, could he? Yet my heart pounded wildly regardless. A man drenched in water really was dangerous.

“R-Really?”

I’d thought this smile was unlike one Julietta would normally wear, so I’d kept it hidden, showing it only to him. Yet it had slipped out again.

“Yes. I like it very much. And knowing that every moment with Julietta could be this joyful makes me happy too.”

Why does this man keep saying such sweet things to me? This is exactly why my heart flutters.

I felt his careful touch as he dried my hair—so gentle, as if I were fragile glass about to shatter.

“You don’t have to be this careful… But why does my cheek feel tingly?”

I suddenly glanced sideways, startled by an intense gaze fixed on me, and quickly turned back forward.

“E-Ern. It feels like everyone’s staring at us. Am I imagining things?”

“I think you no longer need to call me Ern.”

The moment Yezar said that, his eyes and hair color returned to their original, radiant hue.

“Y-Yezar! Y-Your hair and eyes!”

“You’ve also returned to your original hair and eye color, milady.”

I hurriedly tried to cover my face with my hat, only to remember it had flown far away.

“Yezar’s hat flew off too when mine did!”

“What should we do? Are we really okay?”

I hoped we were, but the whispers around us carried the titles “Duke” and “Duchess.”

“Well. Let’s hope no knights come to intervene.”

“Ah, let’s run away quickly!”

I had come here in disguise, wanting to walk around quietly, so I didn’t want attention. And knights? I’ve never even been mentioned in the corner of a newspaper. This is exactly why life as a high noble is exhausting!

I grabbed his hand and ran. He followed, laughing out loud.

“What’s so funny? Everyone’s staring!”

“Hah… Sorry, milady.”

Apparently, only I was taking this seriously.

The next day, I saw a front-page headline in the Imperial Newspaper.

Under the sensational title was a description of how we had been dancing and laughing at the plaza’s fountain, followed by speculative articles about our romantic past.

“The sudden marriage announcement had many wondering if it was a result of some secret family deal. But today, that speculation has been proven false. We’ve captured natural, candid moments of the couple enjoying a date, even disguising themselves as commoners during their courtship days. Now, without a doubt, it’s time we await news of their heir…”

“H-Heir news?!”

I crumpled the newspaper without thinking. My face burned.

How is this the most popular newspaper in the empire? Do people really enjoy such gossip? Still, it was somewhat fortunate that the public’s suspicion about our sudden marriage had been cleared.

“I feel so bad for Yezar.”

First, I caused rumors painting him as a lustful beast, and now our disguised outing at the festival had been exposed in the press.

This could become an obstacle if he ever wanted to move on from Bertisha and find someone new.

“I just want to see him happy, smiling, finding someone to love and be loved by.”

Regardless of my own fluttering feelings, I didn’t want to burden him with my selfish desires.

“If only I hadn’t insisted on dancing…”

“But I enjoyed it. Did you dislike it, milady?”

His voice sounded so gloomy I jumped in surprise. Turning around, I found Yezar standing behind me.

“Y-Yezar? When did you come?”

“Just now. I wondered what you were reading—so the article really was published.”

“Yes… I’ve been worrying about what to do.”

I wanted to erase it all, but it seemed this would interfere with Yezar’s bright future in many ways.

“Do you wish it had never been published?”

“Well… You might not like it.”

“It’s fine. We’re a married couple. We were just going on a date, weren’t we?”

Hearing him say that made my chest flutter.

Sure, I had been told to act like an ordinary couple, but our relationship had a predetermined end. I couldn’t keep acting so softly and expect to get away with it.

“Don’t you remember? Because of me, you gained the reputation of being a lustful beast who lunged at his wife. Now it feels like I’ve only added fuel to that rumor.”

“Well, what does it matter? Isn’t a harmonious couple better than a quarreling one?”

Yezar was too kind—he’d just say everything was fine. Arguing further would only hurt my own feelings.

“Still, I did enjoy it. I’d even want to go again.”

“Then we’ll go again. Next time, we’ll be more careful not to get caught.”

“Yes, promise.”

I must be becoming like him. When had the sharp lines I once drew become so blurred?