* * *
The morning sunlight had already begun to seep into the room.
Cynthia, lying in bed, shivered and shook off the chill, then turned her body towards a warmth she felt coming from somewhere.
“Oh, it’s warm.”
Her eyes suddenly flew open as she reached out and fumbled towards the source of body heat.
It was because a large, warm hand had grasped hers.
“Where are you groping?”
Cynthia silently opened her mouth as soon as she realized Masera was lying in the same bed with her.
Moreover, the hard thing she had been groping was his chest.
Knock knock-
Just then, there was a knock and a maid’s voice was heard.
“May I come in?”
Masera looked at Cynthia as he unbuttoned his neatly fastened shirt buttons with one hand.
“Let’s pretend for now.”
“Pretend to grope?”
“…”
Masera, who had been staring at her incredulously, pulled up the slip strap that had fallen below her shoulder and covered her body with the blanket.
“Come in.”
At Masera’s words, the door clicked open and the maid entered.
“I brought the laundry and morning tea… Should I come back later?”
The maid’s cheeks turned slightly red when she saw his disheveled shirt and Cynthia wrapped up in the blanket.
“You can leave it. Thank you.”
Cynthia just stretched out her hand and waved.
“Yes, please don’t forget there’s a social gathering hosted by Major General Izak at lunch today…”
The maid finished speaking hesitantly and left the room.
Masera, who had been watching the door close, got up from his seat.
“I’ll go wash up.”
‘Is he planning to get ready here?’
Cynthia, seeing him head to the bathroom, hurriedly gathered new clothes and headed to another bathroom.
After finishing her bath, Cynthia came out and looked at Masera, who had changed his clothes.
‘Why is his tie crooked for once?’
The tie that was always perfectly tied was crooked today.
“Aw, did you tie it in a hurry?”
Masera instinctively avoided Cynthia as she approached and reached out her hand, then bent his upper body again.
A fresh rose scent wafted from his white, shining hair, as if he had changed bath products.
“There, done.”
Her small hands skillfully fixed his tie and patted it.
“Thank you.”
Masera, expressing his gratitude, recalled her bare hand he had grasped earlier.
He had heard that noble ladies’ hands were as soft and tender as a baby’s, but why were her hands rough and flawed?
Was that why she always wore gloves?
Masera looked down at his own calloused hands, then raised his head again.
For some reason, he didn’t want to question anything about her.
* * *
At lunch, they attended a social party held at Major General Izak’s villa.
Since Major General Izak was an influential figure in the military, many soldiers and their wives had gathered.
“Oh my, Countess Vicente. It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”
“I heard you recently became the representative. That’s really amazing.”
The ladies who approached Cynthia greeted her warmly. It was to be invited to future social events she would host.
Cynthia smiled brightly at the ladies and asked.
“Did you enjoy the macarons?”
“Pardon? What macarons?”
Beyond the bewildered ladies, the officers who had received macarons from Cynthia in the past began to panic.
They remembered laughing at the insignificant gift and carelessly discarding it, even though she had given it to them to eat with their wives.
The soldiers gave their wives meaningful looks.
“Oh, of course! We ate them deliciously.”
A wife who quickly caught her husband’s signal answered.
“Which flavor was the most delicious?”
But Cynthia’s sharp question left her speechless.
Meanwhile, a wife who had actually received the macarons appeared.
“They’re from that famous dessert shop, aren’t they? I really love them. I was surprised when my husband brought home dessert for once, but he said the Princess had sent a gift.”
People tried to pretend they had received macarons based on her words, but the most important detail – the shop name – wasn’t mentioned.
‘Famous dessert? Where from?’
If they mentioned the wrong place, it could backfire.
Cynthia identified those who had actually received the macarons and memorized their faces and names.
In fact, this had all been planned from the moment she bought the macarons.
Just then, Helene’s characteristically elegant voice was heard.
“Oh my, Cynthia. Did you give snacks to the adjutants?”
Her husband, the Duke, also seemed to have attended this event as he often interacted with military personnel.
“At first, it’s customary to give valuable gifts. You didn’t know? How innocent of you.”
With one sentence, she made Cynthia out to be an ignorant person.
Seeing some people nod in agreement, Cynthia retorted.
“Isn’t it wasteful to give expensive things to everyone indiscriminately?”
“To say that taking care of adjutants is wasteful. If you lack funds, I can help you.”
Cynthia shook her head with a sly smile.
“I’ll take good care of them, of course. But only for those I’ve carefully chosen as my people.”
Seeing Helene’s expression stiffen slightly, she added.
“Treat those who are insincere the same as those who are sincere? That’s unfair. Expensive items can persuade someone, but they can’t filter them out.”
At that, Helene sneered.
‘Even so, there’s nothing in the Nox region. Look at you, clinging to uncertain possibilities.’
Recently, they had been pushing for the development of Diem with funds from the Duke’s family. When the results come out later, how will she take responsibility?
“Yes, my sister is so wise.”
Helene said in a relaxed tone.
How long will she remain so haughty, when she’s just a maid who will be discarded once she’s no longer useful?
‘That’s why I prepared one gift.’
Helene smiled gently and pointed somewhere.
“Cynthia, our eldest brother is here too.”
Cynthia looked in the direction she was pointing. Carlos was standing where Cynthia’s red eyes landed.
He smiled brightly and waved.
“It’s been a while, my little sisters.”
Helene whispered quietly to Cynthia, who was standing with an expressionless face.
“You should smile, we’re family. He plans to stay in the capital for a while. There are talks of marriage with the Prime Minister’s daughter.”
If it had been the old Cynthia who liked him, she would have been quite shocked by those words…
But now, Cynthia felt ‘What does it matter?’
‘He probably came to psychologically oppress me.’
Next to Carlos was a woman who had come as his partner. She was a beautiful woman with luscious blonde hair and blue eyes.
“Greetings to the Princesses. I’m Valeria Eldrin.”
Valeria gave a friendly greeting to Helene and Cynthia.
Seeing Cynthia’s perfunctory smile, Helene said, as if laying groundwork:
“Our youngest really loves our eldest brother. I wonder if she might be jealous.”
Carlos approached Cynthia, put his arm around her shoulder, and smiled kindly.
“Cindy, your brother has to get married too. You’ll understand, right?”
Cynthia was simply dumbfounded.
‘These people are creating a strange dynamic? Then I’ll make it real.’
Cynthia hugged Helene’s waist tightly and rubbed her head against her shoulder.
“I like Helene. Can’t you tell I came to the capital following her?”
She was implementing the exact method that had horrified her real older sister in her past life.
“Ugh, ugh, why is this child being so disgusting?”
Helene, horrified, tried to pry Cynthia off, but Cynthia muttered like a clear-eyed lunatic.
“Once, I wished for only you and me to be left in the world… Believing you would be mine forever, I even performed a blood covenant ceremony alone… Why did you marry another man and leave me? Traitor.”
“Are you crazy?”
Helene clasped her hands together in bewilderment.
Lady Valeria also looked slightly frightened.
As Masera, who had just finished talking with the officers, came into view, Cynthia quickly approached him and clung to him.
“…After being betrayed by my beloved sister like that, my tenacious obsession turned towards the Brigadier General.”
“…?”
Masera, not understanding the situation, blinked and looked down at Cynthia.
Cynthia narrowed her eyes and whispered softly.
“Hug me.”
“What…?”
“I said hug me tightly.”
At the firm command, Masera unknowingly embraced her.
Cynthia, tightly held in Masera’s arms, turned to look at Carlos.
“Lady Valeria and Carlos really suit each other well. I wish for your marriage!”
Carlos’s face, which had expected Cynthia to be shaken even for a moment, began to harden.
