Chapter 14

Who was she?

From the very first time they met, she had been a woman who naturally drew the eye.

A quiet gallery tucked away in a remote countryside village—a place he had entered purely by chance after it happened to catch his attention.

Its owner possessed an atmosphere just as unusual as the paintings she created.

Her elegant face made it impossible to guess her age, and the graceful way she carried herself, with her back always perfectly straight, was far too refined for an ordinary commoner.

Enough to make anyone wonder if she had once been a noble.

He wanted to become closer to her.

He wanted to talk with her more.

For the first time, he sincerely hoped that the Imperial Knights, who always seemed to trail after him wherever he went, would not appear.

If she discovered his true identity…

He would have to run away.

But contrary to his wish, the Imperial Knights eventually came to the gallery and asked her whether she had seen him.

Naturally, when she mentioned that they had shown her his portrait…

He couldn’t help becoming tense.

Anyone who looked at that portrait would immediately recognize the face as his.

There was no way she wouldn’t realize it was him.

He even wondered if he should flee right then and there.

Yet when he awkwardly asked whether the portrait resembled him…

She had answered,

“The face did resemble yours… but the feeling you give off wasn’t in that portrait.”

“I’ve realized that a person’s impression depends less on their facial features than on the atmosphere they carry. In that sense… I didn’t think you were the man in the portrait.”

It was as peculiar an answer as the mysterious aura she herself possessed.

Adolf couldn’t make sense of it.

It was as though she knew…

And yet didn’t know.

As though admitting anything first would be embarrassing…

But pretending otherwise would be just as awkward.

Dragging his feet, Adolf eventually arrived home.

The magical tent he had personally purchased from the Empire’s greatest mage transformed itself into a comfortable house wherever he traveled.

It was also invisible to everyone else.

That was precisely why the Imperial Knights had never managed to find him.

Standing before the entrance, Adolf reached for the door—

Then suddenly stopped.

“…Ah.”

Could it be…

Was she trying to protect me?

Everything about her…

Her words.

Her demeanor.

The way she acted.

It all seemed to suggest exactly that.

Despite the Imperial Knights searching for him, she had continued treating him as nothing more than an ordinary customer.

Even after seeing his portrait, she had acted as though she had never met him.

She wasn’t the sort of woman who would fail to notice something so obvious.

And yet…

She behaved as though she knew nothing.

She…

Was trying to hide him.

After thinking it through carefully, that became his conclusion.

As Adolf opened the door and stepped inside…

A smile naturally appeared on his lips.

“…She’s a thoughtful person.”

The moment he understood what he believed to be her intentions…

His heart felt strangely lighter.

It wasn’t because he thought the Imperial Knights would never discover him.

It was because…

If she continued pretending not to know…

He wouldn’t have to leave her side.

He wouldn’t have to leave the cozy gallery…

Or her paintings.

…

He might even become a little closer to her.

“If we spend time getting to know each other… and discover we get along… then becoming close will happen naturally.”

Now…

He had the chance to put her words into practice.

Gratitude welled up inside him.

He wanted to repay her kindness.

He also decided not to ask the questions he had secretly wanted to ask—

Her name.

The life she had lived.

Just as she had quietly protected his wish to keep his identity hidden…

He would respect her secrets as well.

“…Ah… I want us to become close already.”

Throwing himself onto the bed, he rolled from side to side.

He found himself looking forward to seeing her again.

* * *

The next morning…

He entered the gallery looking unusually cheerful.

Walking straight toward me after opening the door, he greeted me brightly.

“Good morning.”

“…You seem to be in an exceptionally good mood today.”

Remembering how he had practically fled the gallery yesterday, I smiled to myself.

He nodded.

“I suppose I am.”

“Would you like your usual hot coffee?”

“Yes.”

Just as always, he ordered a cup of hot coffee before sitting in his usual corner to admire the paintings.

The only difference was…

A smile never left his face.

Every now and then, he even hummed happily to himself.

When the coffee was ready…

He approached the counter.

Stopping in front of me, he looked at me quietly for a moment.

“I’m sorry for coming so early yesterday and asking such strange questions.”

“…It’s alright.”

“I didn’t think much of it.”

“It really didn’t bother me, so don’t worry.”

“Um…”

Just as he reached for his coffee…

He looked directly into my eyes.

“I want to become close to you.”

A beautiful smile spread across his face.

His sapphire-blue eyes sparkled as they looked at me.

“…And I intend to make sure we do become close.”

There was unmistakable determination in his gaze.

For the briefest instant…

Something fluttered faintly inside my heart.

It happened so quickly…

That even I failed to notice it.

* * *

After that day…

He began approaching me much more naturally.

Not only did he visit the gallery every morning as though it were part of his daily routine…

We also started talking much more than before.

Until then, most of our conversations had been about paintings.

Now…

He asked far more questions about me.

What I liked.

What I wanted to do in the future.

Little things like that.

Gradually…

We came to know one another.

He also shared many things about himself.

He wasn’t picky about food.

He loved natural scenery.

He was quite skilled with a sword.

One thing I found interesting…

Was that he never once asked about my past.

Had he shown even the slightest curiosity about it…

I probably would have distanced myself.

But he never did.

He only asked about who I was now…

Or about my future.

Naturally…

I didn’t ask about his past either.

…

Sometimes…

In the middle of our conversations…

He would casually bring up the Third Prince.

Almost as though he wanted me to know as much about him as possible.

“…Did you know the Third Prince actually has a very good personality?”

“Did you know the Third Prince also enjoys looking at paintings?”

“The Third Prince actually…”

Without meaning to…

I ended up learning quite a few things about the Third Prince—

Adolf von Fontrich.

Watching him subtly leak information about the Third Prince while pretending it meant nothing…

I found it rather adorable.

It wasn’t as though we suddenly became extremely close.

Our conversations remained polite.

To an outsider…

We probably looked like nothing more than acquaintances exchanging formal pleasantries.

But inside…

I found myself smiling much more often because of him.

Watching him carefully respect my boundaries while sincerely trying to become closer to me…

Gradually put my heart at ease.

I slowly let go of some of my tension.

More and more…

Our conversations became genuinely enjoyable.

Eventually…

I even found myself thinking…

That it wouldn’t matter much even if he discovered who I really was.

Even if he learned my identity…

What would he possibly do?

After all…

The two of us had both been hiding who we really were.

That made us even.

Besides…

I was no longer the Duchess.

I was simply…

Kasia.

I didn’t want to lose the life I was building as Kasia…

Simply because of titles like noble…

Or royalty.

Yes.

Meeting him…

Was genuinely enjoyable.

That was the simple truth.

In any case…

He was a remarkably young and handsome man.

His beautiful silver hair.

His brilliant blue eyes that matched it perfectly.

No matter how often I saw him…

I never quite grew used to how striking he looked.

If I had still been a young girl…

I probably would have had to calm my racing heart every single time I saw him.

Just like watching a first love from afar during childhood.

But…

I was no longer at an age where handsome looks alone could make me fall for someone.

That was why…

I could treat him comfortably.

And become close to him simply as one person to another.

The Imperial Knights continued searching for the Third Prince for several more days.

Eventually…

Unable to find him…

They left Lorencia.

Not long afterward…

The café’s new dessert menu was finally completed.

* * *

At last…

The newly redesigned dessert menu was finished.

Arwin and I stood together behind the counter, looking up at the freshly hung menu board.

Cranberry scones.

Lemon madeleines.

Cheese muffins.

Chocolate chip cookies.

Small desserts that paired perfectly with a cup of coffee.

I only intended to make them in limited quantities.

Running the gallery alone wasn’t enough to make a living, so I had added a café as well.

Still…

What I loved most about the gallery was its peaceful atmosphere.

The café wasn’t the main purpose.

I didn’t want it to become so busy that it lost that quiet charm.

I’d watch which desserts became popular and freely rotate the menu whenever necessary.

Life was probably going to become a little busier from now on.

But…

Just as much as painting…

I genuinely enjoyed baking.

“Thanks to you…”

“I was able to add some wonderful desserts to the menu.”

I turned toward Arwin.

“Thank you.”

“Not at all.”

“I’m the one who benefited.”

“I got to eat quite a lot of free samples.”

“From now on, they’ll cost money.”

“You’ll have to pay for them.”

At my playful remark…

He chuckled.

His blue eyes sparkled with amusement.

As he quietly looked over the dessert menu…

He suddenly asked,

“By the way…”

“There’s something I’ve been wondering.”

“What is it?”

“Why don’t you make cakes?”

“…”

For just a moment…

My expression stiffened ever so slightly.