“Hmm……”
“……”
“Um……”
“Yes? Please speak.”
At Iris’s question, Yulian, standing beside her, responded promptly.
Since that day, Yulian had silently shadowed Iris like a wraith, following her every step—enough to make her slightly uncomfortable.
Moreover, his recovery had been so swift that even Aiven praised him, and he had already removed his bandages.
Today, too, he stood silently by Iris’s side.
The problem was that Iris wasn’t working right now.
During the short rest period, her plan was simply to drink tea and read the newspaper.
‘So... uncomfortable...’
She sat on a plush sofa while he remained standing beside her.
Though this was typical for a guardian and a noble, Iris found the situation deeply awkward.
Her tea was going cold, yet she couldn’t bring herself to drink it.
Finally, forcing a smile, she gestured to the sofa opposite him.
“Yulian, aren’t you tired? Why don’t you sit down a bit?”
“I’m fine. How could I, your guardian, sit in the same place as you, my lady? As a Leonteheim Knight, such laxity is unacceptable.”
At that moment, Iris’s mind recalled Riu, who had guarded her during their trip to the capital.
‘Riu, want to sit down and have some tea?’
‘Yeah! Wow, these cookies look so pretty! Thank you!’
‘Hey, Riu!’
‘Greg, you should try some too. This is delicious! How does my lady always manage to pick the perfect menu? Wow!’
The three had enjoyed snack time sitting side by side.
Hmm, better not tell Yulian about that.
“But I’m the one who feels uncomfortable.”
Yulian’s expression darkened instantly.
“Are you uncomfortable? Where is it? I will learn and correct it immediately.”
“Um…”
That was another problem.
Despite his wistful appearance, he was quite talkative. Whenever curious, he would keep probing relentlessly.
Watching Yulian’s eager eyes searching for ways to ease her discomfort, Iris felt overwhelmed.
“Well… I think I wouldn’t feel uncomfortable if you sat there.”
“And why is that? If my presence makes you uneasy, then sitting there would make me more visible and thus even more uncomfortable. If so, better like this—”
Knock-knock.
Amid Yulian’s flowing words swaying her thoughts, a knock came at the door.
“Milady, may I come in?”
It was Cedric.
So pleased, Iris nodded quickly and said, “Please come in!”
But as Cedric entered, his expression instantly turned cold.
It was because of the other man standing behind Iris.
“My lord!”
In contrast, Iris was filled with joy at the newcomer’s arrival, hoping he would help persuade Yulian.
Despite Iris’s urgent beckoning, Cedric crossed his arms and observed the two silently.
“Hmm—”
“I greet my lord.”
Yulian quickly saluted Cedric.
Cedric glanced down at him, one brow raised.
His face radiated clear displeasure at the situation.
Meanwhile, Yulian’s expression stiffened further. He still felt uneasy around Cedric.
“If my lord is here, I will wait outside.”
After a brief standoff, Yulian hastily stepped aside.
Iris felt pity for him—she had hoped this time to clear up the misunderstanding.
“Milady.”
“Yes?”
“How did you become close with Yulian?”
“Close...?”
Honestly, Iris hardly ever talked with Yulian.
On the rare occasions she did—
“Yes, milady is a genius. Someone like me could never catch her eye.”
“Do you know how old she was when I first touched swords with her?”
That was the extent of their conversations, aside from when talking about Cedric.
“Of course, he’s a knight of Leonteheim. I have to get used to him.”
She couldn’t say she only ever talked about Cedric when they met.
Cedric surely knew she respected him, but being caught acting that way with others was somewhat embarrassing.
Yet Cedric found Iris’s evasiveness more frustrating.
He sat opposite Iris, looking somewhat sulky.
“Cedric?”
Seeing that face, Iris had no choice but to call him by name.
“It’s unfair.”
“What is?”
“It took me ages before the lady spoke to me comfortably.”
That was a misunderstanding.
Iris never approached anyone casually from the start. She wasn’t the type to enjoy idle chatter.
The person she felt most comfortable with in Leonthaim was truly Cedric.
But since his sulking looked cute, Iris didn’t immediately deny it and instead smiled faintly.
“Why are you smiling? I’m really angry.”
“Oh, it’s just... you look cute like a child.”
Cedric narrowed his eyes and turned away at that.
By now, Iris could tell he was purposely acting like that.
“You’re not really angry, are you?”
“I am. Completely.”
“That’s a lie. You’re not the type to get mad over something like this.”
“How would you know? I’m more willful than you think and do as I please.”
Iris already knew that well enough.
Her eyes darted around as she watched Cedric, who rested his chin on his hand and deliberately avoided her gaze.
Then they landed on a partially read newspaper.
A promotional card peeked out from between the pages.
It was a flyer for the recently opened Tran Art Museum in Leonthaim.
“Well then, what should we do?”
It was probably just a whim.
Cedric had looked so adorable that Iris said something she normally wouldn’t.
“I want to go on a date with you today, Cedric.”
At that, Cedric raised an eyebrow once, then opened his eyes wide as if he fully understood.
“But if you’re the willful Duke, then I guess I have no choice.”
“No, I’m not like that at all. I listen to whatever my wife says.”
Cedric quickly stood up, worried Iris might take back her words, and said he’d go prepare before stepping out of the room.
Iris smiled at his retreating figure and also rose.
Even she, who had started the conversation, felt her heart flutter with anticipation.
The two disappeared from the study.
A breeze fluttered the newspaper, revealing the hidden rest of the art museum flyer—bearing the name Tran Art Museum.
Countless letters were scattered across the desk.
Sylvia put down the magnifying glass she’d been holding, going through them one by one.
The Tran cadet branches were as ruthless as ever, like hyenas.
Sylvia’s gaze moved to the clock in the study.
There were moments when simply breathing felt burdensome.
Time… is running short.
Sylvia was no longer the sharp, dignified family head who once ruled the cadet branches.
Time was fair to everyone.
How much longer can I hold on like this?
Slowly, Sylvia closed her eyelids and opened them again.
When her parents passed, she had to inherit the Tran Count family at a young age.
Those bastards were the same even then.
Her younger sister, Violet, was barely old enough to learn to read.
Sylvia, barely an adult herself, had no one to rely on but herself.
She had to constantly check and suppress the cadet branches, who were always eyeing the main lineage’s position.
Of course, she succeeded.
She led Tran to prosperity and earned the title of ‘Great Matron of the East.’
Meanwhile, the cadet branches that recklessly expanded into outside ventures sank under heaps of debt.
But it was growing harder to hold on alone.
Sylvia clenched her trembling hands tightly.
“Really like a peacock, aren’t you?”
The orange-haired woman standing beside her spoke.
She resembled Jana but had a dangerous aura hidden behind her bright smile.
“Indeed. Tanya.”
Tanya nodded toward the letters on the desk.
They were overly ornate and colorfully messy for mere greetings.
As if they knew Sylvia was colorblind.
Foolish.
Sylvia smiled calmly, unaffected by such crude attacks.
The cadet branches’ suspicions and checks had never frightened her.
Even if she had lost her sense of color, the foundation of art, her insight remained unchanged.
The Tran Count family was Sylvia herself—now and forever.
No one could ever replace her.
“Shall we kill them, Countess?”
Tanya grinned and drew her sword—well, more like a thick kitchen cleaver used for cutting meat.
“I prefer this. It can crush heads in one blow.”
When asked why she didn’t use a sword, Tanya simply smiled and said that.
“Yes, Mistress. Just say the word.”
Growls came from somewhere.
“Oh, oh. It’s fine, kids. No need for you to jump in.”
Sylvia soothed her two loyal and cute followers and checked the clock.
It was almost time to leave.
Next stop: Leonthaim.
Recently, Sylvia had been establishing art museums in culturally underdeveloped regions of the empire.
The first planned location was, unsurprisingly, Leonthaim—due to her personal feelings.
Violet.
Chapter 83