Are We Still In love?

“Do you dislike alcohol?”

Eden posed the question as they dined together. He had been observing Cecilia, who always took a sip of water after carefully chewing and swallowing each bite of meat.

“I don’t dislike it.”

Surprised by the unexpected inquiry, Cecilia dabbed her lips with a neatly folded napkin and answered politely.

“But I don’t handle it well… and I worry I might make a mistake.”

Eden nodded at her response. Though they had spent time together on occasion, it had only ever been the kind of polite tea-time meetings expected between an engaged couple.

“You hardly drink, and I realized I never asked why. So I thought I would.”

Eden knew much about Cecilia—and yet, at the same time, he knew so little. Cecilia in her previous life hadn’t realized this, but Eden had always known.

Perhaps, in that past life, Eden had even known about the feelings and hopes Cecilia harbored for him. But he had chosen to neglect them. Whether she was hurt or not didn’t matter to him in the slightest.

“…It’s nothing significant.”

That thought caused a cold chill to creep into a corner of her heart once again.

“It’s nothing you need to concern yourself with.”

Cecilia simply thought she had been foolish. In the imperial palace, where even a single misstep could lead to ruin, her death may have been inevitable—especially if she lacked awareness.

“No. If it’s about you, then it’s something I should know.”

Eden replied with a gentle smile. He was still the same man who could speak convincingly without meaning a single word—something Cecilia now fully understood.

“Thank you for saying so.”

Nonetheless, she returned his smile, appearing touched by his concern. In truth, she wanted to curse at him—but she restrained herself with great effort.

Cecilia knew exactly what she could and couldn’t do now. Therefore, she had no intention of provoking the ruthless man he would become through reckless behavior.

“Your Grace, I’ll draw back the canopy now.”

A trembling voice called out. Cecilia, reclining comfortably against a cushion, met Alice’s cautious gaze as the maid hesitated, afraid of displeasing her mistress.

“Ah, good morning.”

“Did you sleep well, my lady?”

Alice quickly nodded her head several times.

“Your Grace, I’ve brought your wash water and towels.”

Relieved to have entered her mistress’s bedchamber alone, Alice’s expression softened. Her open and transparent face was refreshing—something Cecilia hadn’t seen in a long time, especially after dealing with so many masked faces in the imperial palace.

Here, at least, there was no need for masks. Cecilia let out a small laugh. Jane soaked a towel in the wash water and wiped Cecilia’s face before hurrying out with the basin and towels.

“The weather is lovely today.”

“Yes, it’s very sunny and clear.”

“Was the weather like this where you lived?”

At Cecilia’s question, Alice paused in the act of tying the drawn canopy to the bedpost.

“You mean Laner Island?”

“Yes.”

Blinking as if recalling a distant memory, Alice soon nodded and resumed her work.

“The sun was always bright, the breeze was cool, and the sea was clean. That’s what Laner Island is known for.”

She smiled softly as she reminisced about her hometown.

“I’m surprised it never gained much attention.”

“Probably because it’s an island separated from the mainland.”

As Cecilia slipped on her slippers and stepped out of bed, Alice, having finished with the canopy, began tidying the bedding. Her determined effort to leave not a speck of dust behind was rather endearing.

“Still, the fact that you came all the way here means it must not have been easy to make a living there.”

Of course, sixteen was considered an adult, and many started working before that. Still, for someone so young to travel alone from a distant island to the capital was uncommon. At Cecilia’s comment, Alice, who had been fluffing the cushions, nodded.

“There wasn’t much work. Most people fished from boats, but lately even that’s become difficult…”

Alice answered in a subdued tone.

“Why?”

“The Venian navy forces us away whenever we set sail toward Venia. They claim it’s their territory. And fishing near the Empire’s ports isn’t exactly welcomed either…”

Cecilia slowly blinked. Issues surrounding Laner Island had been surfacing quietly even before the discovery of the gold mine. Of course, when no one cared about the island, such news hadn’t reached anyone.

“So the catch has decreased, and naturally, our income dropped too.”

The Venian navy interfering with Laner Island’s fishing activities suggested they didn’t consider its residents part of Venia.

Moreover, if they truly regarded the island as under their sphere of influence, they wouldn’t be pushing the locals away by claiming the waters as their own.

“Laner isn’t part of Venia, so I suppose there’s little that can be done.”

Of course, Wyatt hadn’t shown much interest in Laner Island either.

However, Laner Island belonged to the Imperial family. If another nation was striking it unilaterally, the Empire would certainly seek a solution. No matter how indifferent a family member might usually be, they would still take offense if someone else dared to lay a hand on them.

“I hope there’s a peaceful way to resolve this—for the sake of your family still on the island.”

“……”

“I’ll look into it.”

At Cecilia’s words, Alice, standing beside the bed, teared up. She seemed genuinely moved that someone with both the authority and ability to help had taken her story seriously.

“Your Grace…”

Cecilia felt a twinge of guilt, knowing her intentions weren’t entirely selfless. Still, if she could prevent the war looming in the future, it would ultimately benefit Alice’s family as well.

“Your Grace, Lady Monte is here.”

“You may come in, Lady Monte.”

As Lady Monte entered, Alice bowed neatly and left the room with quick steps.

“Still inexperienced—she hasn’t quite found her rhythm yet.”

Watching Alice’s retreating figure, Lady Monte clicked her tongue only after the door was fully shut. It seemed she felt hesitant to speak harshly of Alice, who was not only a rookie but also younger than her own daughter.

“When tidying a bedroom, you should always open the windows.”

Muttering her disapproval, Lady Monte moved to the tightly shut window and pushed it open. Though it was still morning, the warm air of early summer spilled energetically into the room.

“It all feels so surreal.”

Cecilia, lounging comfortably on the sofa, turned her gaze slowly toward Lady Monte, who stood near the window. Lady Monte was looking at her with a proud and affectionate smile.

“To me, you and Evie still feel like children. I can’t believe you’ve grown so much and become a married woman…”

“That’s disrespectful, Lady Monte.”

Cecilia gave her a playful glare, and Lady Monte chuckled softly.

“Take your medicine first.”

“Thank you, as always.”

Lady Monte handed over the medicine bowl on the tray she had brought.

“Oh, by the way—a letter arrived.”

A letter? As Cecilia swallowed her medicine, she let out a quiet sound of interest. It had been exactly one week since Diego had made his promise.

Knowing the reputation he would earn in the future, she didn’t doubt his capabilities. Still, separate from that, she was genuinely curious to see just how much he had uncovered.

“Was there no message with it?”

“No. He just said it was regarding the matter Your Grace instructed.”

“Let me see it.”

Cecilia stretched out her hand from where she sat. Lady Monte retrieved the letter from her apron pocket but paused before handing it over.

“Oh dear, I should open it first.”

The envelope was sealed tightly—difficult to open without a letter knife. Realizing this, Lady Monte stepped over to the table and neatly sliced the envelope open.

“Thank you.”

Cecilia gave a brief word of thanks and accepted the letter from Diego.

There appears to be no significant suspicious activity from Count Nova within his territory. However, he has recently imposed strict restrictions on the movement of the locals and has discreetly brought in numerous rare items through secret auctions.

The letter was short and direct, lacking any formal greeting. Diego had gone straight to the point—revealing something of his character. Cecilia read on, expression calm.

Additionally, entry to Count Nova’s office is strictly prohibited to all except authorized individuals. His daughter, Illina Nova, is the sole exception and enters frequently.

At the sight of that unwelcome name, Cecilia’s face turned cold. One could dismiss it as an affectionate daughter visiting her father.

But Illina was the cunning woman who had deceived the man Cecilia once served and ultimately claimed him as her own. Would such a woman really visit her father just to flutter her lashes and play sweet?

“There’s no need for Your Majesty to concern yourself with the inner court anymore. The Countess is handling it now.”

Cecilia recalled how Countess Casper had handed over the palace’s financial ledgers with those very words. Illina was exceptionally skilled in calculations—rare even among noblewomen—and could easily manipulate the palace budget.

Perhaps Emperor Eden or her future husband Diego had aided her, but Cecilia doubted it was that simple.

“……”

A chilling intuition crept in—that Illina might be involved in Count Nova’s future accusations and the evidence he would submit.

Additionally, Illina Nova was once recommended by Count Nova as a second wife for Duke Rain.

No—it wasn’t just intuition anymore. It was certainty.