No matter how I looked at it, it seemed like giving medicine after inflicting pain, but in any case, Kian Blake restored Sikar Blake’s hair that he had burned off.

Perhaps because of that, Sikar Blake did not say thank you. Instead, he growled,

“You’d better be more careful from now on.”

Kian Blake shrugged his shoulders and smiled.

“I’ll pay more attention next time to avoid mistakes.”

Though no one would consider it an honest mistake, perhaps because he restored the hair, Sikar Blake merely snorted once and said nothing further.

Moreover, because Kian Blake had blatantly summoned a fire spirit, Sikar Blake’s attitude became exceedingly polite.

In other words, even when I hit completely the wrong spot, Sikar Blake still gave me half-hearted praise.

“Good job, Madam.”

Even amidst Sikar Blake’s utterly meaningless and soulless compliments, as I continued practicing, I felt I was gradually improving.

While practicing until the time when the effect of the magic ink would wear off, I received word that Hersia had arrived and moved to the mansion.

It happened to be noon, so we shared a meal and then drank tea.

Before drinking tea, Sikar Blake told me he would give Hersia tea containing the antidote, and I must watch carefully to ensure she drinks it all.

‘Don’t let her leave even a drop. Watch closely.’

Following Sikar Blake’s instruction, I urged Hersia to finish her tea. He had said the antidote for the poison flower is harsh on the body, so drinking it multiple times is not advisable—she must consume the exact prescribed amount in one go.

Hersia grimaced slightly at the bitterness and set the cup down midway.

“Hmm… this tea tastes very bitter.”

“They say just as good medicine is bitter, so is tea good for the skin. Since this tea benefits the skin, drink it all in one go. All of it.”

“Does it really help the skin?”

“Yes. It’s said to lighten even dark skin, fade deep freckles near the eyes, and improve general blemishes.”

“Oh my. Really?”

I didn’t actually know that. I only said it to make her finish the tea. So I also handed her a small amount of coconut oil.

“This, too, if applied to your face every night, is said to improve your skin.”

Hersia already had naturally beautiful skin that needed no enhancement, but she accepted my offerings with great satisfaction.

“So this is the Duchess’s secret to flawless skin?!”

I gave a faint smile and carefully asked Hersia,

“How are things with Her Majesty the Queen’s maids?”

“All of Her Majesty’s maids are of good character, so I get along well with them.”

Good character, huh…

To me, they all certainly appeared pleasant on the surface.

How shocked would they be if they learned Sharin had fed her poison? They’d probably think there’s no one left in this world to trust.

“When I met them previously, they all seemed like good people too.”

“Sometimes they look intimidating when dealing with other maids, but they’re always kind to me.”

That might be because Hersia is the King’s cousin, or perhaps because she treated them well.

Or maybe, they felt pricked by guilt.

“By the way, Her Majesty the Queen is soon hosting a Tiffany gathering. And, you know, Lord Baron Hamel will also be attending?”

Hersia spoke with a clearly dissatisfied expression.

She must know—they deliberately arranged such an occasion.

“It must be to let you become acquainted with Lord Baron Hamel before marrying you off to him.”

“Yes. I think so too.”

They can’t outright say they’re selling you off to this family, so after you meet him that day, Lord Baron Hamel will probably ask how you found him.

It was a gathering with painfully obvious intentions.

“Hersia. I know it’s upsetting, but you must absolutely not show it. Understood?”

Hersia nodded weakly, as if she understood her situation better than anyone.

“Yes…”

“The moment you reveal your true feelings, they’ll rush the marriage to prevent you from changing your mind.”

Feeling sorry for her, I tightly held her hand.

“Don’t worry too much. Everything will turn out fine. If the Duke says it’ll be fine, then it will be.”

Hersia, who had been slumped in dejection, lifted her head and looked at me with pleading eyes.

“Right? Since His Grace even overthrew the deposed king, he’ll surely help me, won’t he?”

I don’t know exactly how Sikar Blake will handle things. But if he promised to help, he will. He’s not the type to promise without certainty.

I smiled brightly at her and said,

“Everything will be fine.”

Hersia sighed deeply, as if finally feeling some relief.

“I can’t tell you how comforting it is to hear the Duchess say everything will be fine. Actually, when the Duchess says so, it really does feel like everything will work out.”

“Until then, please maintain good relations with Her Majesty and the maids. And if anything unusual happens, be sure to inform His Grace.”

“Of course. Even without that, Aaron already knows and feels deeply resentful toward His Majesty the King. And Aaron also said…”

Hersia leaned close to me as if sharing a tremendous secret and whispered,

“Princess Veronia, who disappeared, has a son. His Majesty the King once searched for a child bearing the royal crest.”

If she knew that royal heir was Kian Blake, Hersia would faint on the spot.

But I widened my eyes in feigned shock and asked,

“Oh my. Really?”

“Yes. Were you surprised too, Duchess? I was utterly shocked when I heard it. With so many factions no longer supporting His Majesty, and Princess Veronia—the legitimate heir—being a huge threat herself, if there’s even a royal heir, His Majesty will do anything to keep the throne. I think that’s why he’s trying to use me even more.”

In the original story, suspicion was dispelled upon seeing the corpse of the child marked with the royal crest. But this time, not only me, but people from my world have started appearing here—so unexpected variables are inevitable.

At least, perhaps they don’t suspect Sikar Blake because I’m getting along well with Hersia. Also, as in the original, Sikar Blake eliminated the deposed king’s remnants, removing one of Gillian’s biggest headaches.

Still, they probably don’t fully trust Sikar Blake, since he doesn’t pledge complete loyalty.

In any case, since we currently support Gillian, and Hersia is ostensibly also Gillian’s person, I gasped dramatically as if hearing nonsense and said,

“Of course such a thing won’t happen.”

Hersia sighed, genuinely worried.

“It will turn out as the Duchess says, right?”

“Absolutely.”

“But Aaron seems very dissatisfied with the current royal family. He keeps saying we must find the royal heir…”

Hersia stopped speaking and suddenly covered her mouth in alarm.

“Oh my. What am I saying…”

“It’s alright. It’s understandable. I won’t tell anyone.”

“Because the Duchess is so kind, I sometimes speak without thinking.”

“Thank you for feeling comfortable with me, Hersia. If not for you while His Grace is away on campaign, I would have been truly lonely.”

“Me too. If not for the Duchess, I would have been truly lonely too, and had nowhere to turn for help.”

Seizing the moment, I offered her another cup of tea.

“Then shall we have one more cup of tea?”

Hersia answered with a bright smile.

“Sure!”

After Hersia left, I inevitably fell into deep thought again.

A Tiffany gathering? How many people will come this time? And I can’t help but worry—will my agoraphobia flare up again?

When I mentioned the banquet to Sikar Blake, he immediately noticed my concern.

“Worried because of your agoraphobia?”

“I’m just afraid I might faint there.”

“I’ve already looked into it. They have medicine here similar to what you take in your world. Of course, relying on medicine isn’t ideal, but if necessary, you’ll have to use it.”

That was truly unexpected—I widened my eyes in surprise.

“Really? They have such medicine here?”

“Yes. They do. Even the side effects are identical, so avoid champagne or wine as much as possible during the banquet.”

It was such a relief to know such medicine exists. Now I can breathe easier.

Occasionally, I felt uneasy about Sikar Blake seeing my memories, but still, the fact that he proactively prepared even this without me saying anything made me feel incredibly secure.

No wonder I can’t help but rely on him.

“Thanks to you, I think I can sleep peacefully tonight. Kuma Ma.”

When I said “Kuma Ma” after a long time, Sikar Blake’s face flushed red for the first time in a while.

“You’re using that Elvish term again.”

“I thought you liked it.”

“This isn’t liking it—it’s being embarrassed.”

“Oh. Really? I didn’t know you could feel embarrassment.”

Annoyed that I was teasing him, Sikar Blake grabbed my hand, pulled me down, and laid me on the bed.

His face pressed close until his nose nearly touched mine.

“Do you think only this kind of thing embarrasses me?”

This crazy man is at it again.

I could feel my face growing hot.

“N-no, that’s not it. Just move aside for now.”

“I thought you enjoyed seeing me embarrassed, so I wanted to enjoy seeing you embarrassed for once.”

“I wasn’t enjoying it—I said it out of gratitude. I thought you liked being called ‘Kuma Ma.’”

“You know what that phrase means, right? ‘Take my soul.’”

Sikar Blake turned red even as he said “Take my soul” himself. Apparently, telling someone to “take your soul” sounded extremely suggestive to him.

“I know. I know, but why…”

“Then why don’t you just give me your soul instead? You saw how I made my oath with Vika Lamberst, right? If you wish, I’ll swear the oath—with the condition that you give me your soul.”

“That won’t happen. So now move aside. I need to sleep—go to your own room already.”

But Sikar Blake remained completely unmoved and said,

“I intend to sleep in this room tonight.”