In the novel I had read, Bertisha was quick-witted. There was no way she didn’t realize I was uncomfortable, or that the topics she brought up could easily touch a nerve.

“You should go mingle with the other ladies—they’ll be delighted to see you. To be honest, I find it a bit burdensome when you approach me like this.”

Approaches with an ulterior motive were burdensome. And I knew all too well that such motives could never be good.

“I’m the one who should be asking. I’ve shown you nothing but goodwill, Duchess. Why do I make you uncomfortable? Could it be that you dislike the fact that Yezar and I are close friends?”

Tears had begun to well up in her eyes. To an outsider, she would appear genuinely hurt by my rejection. But from our earlier private conversation, I already knew Bertisha didn’t care for me.

Why had she suddenly changed her attitude so drastically? In the novel, she was the female lead who had everything. What could she possibly want from me?

“No matter what Yezar and I were in the past, we were never lovers, so it doesn’t matter. I’m grateful for Your Majesty’s kindness, but I feel vastly inadequate compared to you.”

Then she shook her head and said,

“That’s not true at all. You’re not inadequate, Duchess. Besides, I’ve only recently become Empress, and I’ve been feeling rather lonely.”

She appealed to me with a sorrowful expression.

“That’s why I’d like to grow closer to a lady of similar age who married around the same time as me. Please don’t feel pressured—perhaps we could just chat together at the palace sometime?”

It was extremely unpleasant, yet I saw no way out. Refusing the Empress’s request repeatedly would only make my position more difficult.

“It would be an honor, Your Majesty.”

“I’m glad. I’m truly happy at the thought of growing closer to you, Duchess.”

Her smile was as beautiful as the first time I’d admired her, yet somewhere deep within, her eyes trembled—like someone anxious.

“Your Majesty.”

“Yes, what is it?”

“Are you unwell by any chance? Forgive me for saying so, but your gaze seems unsettled.”

For a moment, the corner of her mouth dropped. The brief glimpse of her face was utterly cold. I blinked in shock.

But then, as usual, the calm, graceful beauty smiled at me. Had I imagined it?

“That couldn’t be. How could I possibly seem uneasy? I’m happier than ever right now.”

Of course she sounded confident.

‘Of course you’re happy. You’ll whisper love to the male lead, Camileo, and enjoy eternal happiness.’

I had no intention of interfering with her happiness. But I wouldn’t let her greedily try to seize Yezar’s heart as well.

That was something the female lead after the ending shouldn’t strive for. Bertisha had already chosen someone else—after that, who Yezar loved was entirely up to him.

Bertisha could only hold Yezar’s heart during the period the novel unfolded. After faithfully loving her as the secondary male lead, his heart would be set free. His love was no longer hers.

“Then I’ll send you a letter, Duchess. This one won’t be addressed to Yezar, so it should be fine, right?”

Her playful smile carried a sting. She had clearly taken note of my earlier words. Saying this now—how could she possibly think I liked her?

Bertisha paused in front of the drawn curtain just as she was about to step out onto the balcony. A smile spread across her lips.

“Yezar. It’s been a long time.”

Hearing that name from her lips startled me. Why had Yezar come to find me right now?

I had somehow managed to avoid him at the Yekert Marquis’s estate. I worried about how Yezar would react seeing Bertisha from such close proximity.

He gazed at Bertisha for a brief moment, then calmly replied,

“For the eternal glory of the Empire. I greet Your Majesty the Empress.”

“There’s only the Duchess here right now. How cold of you. Why haven’t you replied to my letters all this time?”

Bertisha let her voice trail off sadly. Yezar remained silent for a moment before answering.

“…I’ve been busy due to my marriage. And no matter how close we once were as friends, private correspondence should have ended in childhood. Otherwise, it could unintentionally cause misunderstandings with one’s spouse.”

His gaze briefly rested on me. He must have been pained to face a painful past love, yet he calmly drew a clear boundary without avoiding her.

“Camileo would never misunderstand our relationship. We were all so close. He’s even sad that you’ve been keeping your distance. What did I do wrong? Or perhaps…?”

Her hand naturally reached toward Yezar. A scene from the novel instantly flashed in my mind.

“Are you angry at me?”

“No, Bertisha.”

“Then why do you look so tense?”

Yezar was indeed angry. The reason was Bertisha’s reckless act—why had she jumped into the river to save a drifting cat? If things had gone wrong, she herself could have been swept away by the current. Just thinking about it made his face harden again.

Then, Bertisha’s hand touched Yezar’s cheek. The poking fingers on his stiff face were so ticklish he couldn’t help but laugh, and she laughed along with him.

“There, you’ve softened up. If you look tense like that again, I’ll poke you just like this.”

“Don’t, Bertisha. That tickles.”

This was a moment meant only for them—memories built over a long time that I, as a third party, couldn’t interrupt. But before Bertisha’s hand reached him again, Yezar caught her wrist.

Surprised that he would block her, Bertisha blurted out in confusion.

“Huh? Why—why are you doing this, Yezar?”

His voice was utterly firm.

“I apologize, but I would appreciate it if you didn’t touch me. Your Majesty, just as you are no longer Bertisha Hermine but Bertisha de Cloud, I am no longer the Yezar Ferhaem of the past. I do not wish for unnecessary rumors to spread.”

When he released her wrist, Bertisha grasped it herself.

“You’ve changed… Have you forgotten our friendship?”

Her voice, tangled with humiliation and betrayal, lashed sharply at him.

Yezar accepted the harsh words with a bitter smile.

“I haven’t forgotten. But as time passes, even relationships that seemed eternal can change. Please understand that I’m drawing a line under the closeness we once shared.”

“I don’t understand. How can you keep calling me ‘Your Majesty’ and drawing boundaries when we were childhood friends?”

Bertisha looked almost desperate, as if trying to cross the line he had drawn. But he calmly made that boundary even clearer.

“Unlike in our careless childhood days, I am now someone’s husband. Private interactions with Your Majesty are no longer feasible. Once urgent matters are settled, I will visit His Majesty the Emperor personally. I also intend to apologize for my sudden distance.”

“Then what about me? Will you come to see me too?”

At some point, Bertisha’s voice had turned sharp. Her reaction seemed far too harsh to be mere disappointment over a friend.

“When you meet with His Majesty the Emperor, we will see each other then. But I humbly ask that from now on, you treat me not as a familiar childhood friend, but as a Duke serving the imperial family—with proper respect.”

“You mean you want me to stop calling you by your name and treat you as a Duke instead?”

“Yes, exactly.”

Her aggressive momentum faltered at his answer. Bertisha replied, her eyes reddening.

“…Fine. If that’s what you truly want, I must respect your wishes as a friend.”

Tears had already begun streaming down her face. At that moment, I caught a ripple in Yezar’s gaze—a fleeting flicker of guilt that twisted his expression into disarray.

“You always reached out to me when I cried. And yet, seeing you look so worried about me like this…”

“I’m sorry, Your Majesty.”

Before Bertisha could continue, I cut in, stepping between them.

“I haven’t been feeling well. I intended to wait until your conversation ended, but I can’t hold on any longer. Please forgive my rudeness for leaving with my husband now.”

Her tear-streaked face stiffened briefly. A tear trailed down her cheek and clung to her chin, but her gaze was icy cold. Yet she quickly turned away and replied in a gentle voice.

“I didn’t realize you weren’t feeling well—I kept you here. I’m sorry. It must have been unpleasant for you to witness. I’ve made a scene.”

“No, it’s fine.”

“…But you seem unwell so often, Duchess. You really should take better care of your health.”

Despite the veiled jab, I replied calmly. Right now, separating Yezar from Bertisha was my top priority.

“Thank you for the advice.”

“You’re welcome. Then let’s meet again at the palace.”

As I took his hand and led him away, Yezar bowed to her.

“We shall take our leave, Your Majesty.”

Yezar still addressed her formally as “Your Majesty the Empress.” At his stubborn words, Bertisha smiled.

“You haven’t changed at all—your stubbornness, whether as a child or now. But I’ll keep waiting for the day you call me Bertisha again. After all, the line you hate most is the one drawn for others but not for me, isn’t it, Yezar?”