Chapter 49
Mikael knew that I was tired and volunteered to cook for me.
He said he had learned some recipes from the head chef of the Allison estate, then sat me down on the sofa and told me not to lift a finger.
So I really didn’t do anything—just sat there quietly, watching my lovely Mikael.
Simply watching his back as he cooked made all my fatigue melt away.
If I were to describe him in color, what would it be? A warm shade of orange? Or perhaps a pure white like Diana’s light?
Would he be better expressed with lines—or with dots?
Perhaps because I’d been immersed in painting lately, those thoughts kept coming to me.
How could I portray him?
While I pondered that, Mikael finished preparing a magnificent meal.
When I approached the table, I couldn’t help but exclaim.
“Wow, this is amazing! You did all this by yourself?”
“I told you I learned a lot. Couldn’t reach you, so I had to find something to do.”
I knew he’d never been terrible at cooking, but not to this level. He must have really studied under the chef.
The dishes on the table were of impressively high quality, even at a glance.
“Let’s eat. Come, sit down.”
He pulled out a chair for me, and I obediently sat, spoon in hand.
I took a cautious sip of the soup first, and Mikael’s eyes flicked to me, nervous for my verdict.
“It’s delicious.”
“Really? It suits your taste?”
“Yes—perfectly.”
It truly was delicious. I took another spoonful and teased,
“This might sound strange, but… you didn’t use magic to cook this, did you?”
“Not a drop of magic. I never use magic in daily life.”
“It’s really good. Thank you, Mikael.”
Sophie was a good cook too, but maybe because it had been so long since I’d had such a grand dinner, the food just kept going down easily.
We talked and ate for a while.
There wasn’t much new to share, since we had kept in touch occasionally, but it was still nice to exchange small updates.
Then, Mikael picked something up from the corner of the table—something he must’ve noticed mid-meal.
“What’s this?”
“Oh, that.”
It was a note my riding club friend Adela had left for me not long ago.
I must’ve left it there while lost in thought earlier.
“Mikael, remember how I told you I made a new friend at the riding grounds? You remember?”
“Yeah.”
“That friend was Adela Green. I can’t believe I didn’t recognize her at first.”
“Really?”
Mikael looked at me, genuinely surprised. Naturally.
Adela Green—
She was one of the prominent figures in high society.
The Green Count family—recently becoming one of the most talked-about houses.
The Greens had two daughters: Adela and Angela. Adela was the elder, probably around Ken’s age.
I had never met her in person before—only seen her portrait once while memorizing noble faces back when I was the duchess.
Even then, I rarely attended social gatherings unless absolutely necessary. My only goal back then had been to protect Diana’s precious things.
So Adela probably didn’t recognize me either.
Maybe it was because, like with Adolf, our social ranks didn’t matter in our friendship.
Come to think of it, her green hair should’ve been enough to give away her family name.
“So you’ve met the daughter of one of society’s hottest families these days.”
Mikael folded the note neatly.
“She’s inviting you to her debutante ball. Are you going to go?”
“I’m thinking about it… but I think I’ll probably go.”
Partly because I didn’t want to lose touch with Adela—but there was another reason.
“Nick invited me to the debutante too.”
“Nick?”
Mikael’s eyes widened. I told him about Nick’s recent visit, how our relationship had shifted, and how he’d invited me.
Mikael nodded, smiling faintly.
“So you’re thinking of going to the debutante because of Nick and Lady Green’s letters?”
“Probably.”
“Won’t it be uncomfortable if people recognize you? All kinds of nobles will be there.”
“I’ll just wear a cloak. No one will notice.”
I smiled at his concern.
“The ballroom will be huge. I’ll just slip in, quietly see Nick, and leave. Lady Green might recognize me, but I can talk to her when no one’s around.”
“…I see.”
“What about you, Mikael?”
He looked at me, confused for a moment, then seemed to realize what I meant.
“Oh—you mean, if I’m going too?”
“Yes.”
“Hmm. I don’t usually attend unnecessary parties.”
He looked thoughtful.
“And if you’re planning to go quietly, I might only draw attention.”
“…You’re right.”
He wasn’t wrong. I truly intended to keep a low profile. Having Mikael there might only complicate things.
I smiled lightly.
“You’re right. I’ll assume you won’t be there, then.”
Mikael nodded.
After a satisfying dinner and washing the dishes, we went to my room together.
The room where I’d spent all my time learning to paint while apart from him.
Mikael always wanted to know what I was learning. Even if he wasn’t talented in art himself, he said that since I was the one painting, he wanted to understand it too.
Sometimes during our long-distance talks, he would tell me about his solo visits to art galleries and recommend paintings or artists he liked.
We looked through the many books on my shelves and each picked one.
Then we sat side by side on the bed, leaning against the headboard, reading quietly together.
As I read, I noticed Mikael’s pages had stopped turning.
When I turned my head, he was staring out the window, lost in thought.
“Mikael?”
“Hm? Oh.”
“What are you thinking about?”
He chuckled softly.
“I was just thinking about what you said earlier—about Nick.”
“…”
“It’s been so long since I’ve even heard that name. I haven’t seen him once since Diana passed.”
“Now that you mention it, that’s true.”
Mikael was Diana’s older brother, which made him Nick’s uncle.
But since Count Allison and Duke Fidrien had practically cut off contact after Diana’s death, Mikael hadn’t seen Nick in years.
I smiled at the memory of Nick and said,
“He’s grown up so well. His hair is Diana’s color, but his face and personality are exactly like my father’s.”
“Really?”
“Mm-hm. You’ll be surprised when you see him. He’s already quite popular among the young ladies.”
“That boy—already using his looks to his advantage?”
Mikael joked, and I laughed. Then his tone grew more serious.
“But… if our relationship deepens,” he said quietly,
“What happens with Nick? Have you thought about what to tell him?”
“…Hmm. I’m not sure.”
Legally, I was still Nick’s mother, which made things complicated—but does that even matter, now that I’m divorced?
“I’ll have to inform the Fidrien household about us, of course.”
“…That’s true.”
“But I don’t think there’ll be a real issue between us, as long as I explain it first.”
After all, the marriage with the Duke had been contractual. Even though we clashed a lot early on…
When he proposed the contract, he’d gotten Count Allison’s approval, too.
“I don’t know exactly how Nick will react, but I don’t want to lose you, Mikael.”
For seven years, I had been a duchess and a legal wife, but never truly a partner.
Just because I’d once lived in that household didn’t mean I had to give up someone who really mattered to me.
“You’re right,” he said. “But people watching from the outside might not see it that way.”
“…”
He smiled faintly.
“It’s obvious there’ll be rumors again. And most of the blame will fall on you.”
“…”
“That’s what angers me the most—people who speak carelessly about things they don’t understand. They know nothing about our hearts, our history… yet they gossip anyway.”
He gave a small, bitter laugh.
“So I… took care of a few of them.”
“What?”
My eyes widened. I looked at him questioningly, and he met my gaze calmly.
“Some people don’t even remember you and the Duke’s past. And that reporter from Lorencia—”
“Miss Hannah?”
He nodded.
“She doesn’t remember us either. I erased her memories.”
“…”
I remembered now—how Hannah had seemed to sense something between us, yet never mentioned it. I’d thought it strange at the time.
“I’ll do anything to protect you from getting hurt, Kasia.”
“…”
“So live freely. I’ll handle everything behind you. Just do what you want—live however you wish.”
Whatever it is, I’ll understand.
Mikael said that—and smiled softly.
His words filled my heart with emotion.
