The townhouse in the capital where Seria originally stayed was fundamentally temple property. So decorating it lavishly was difficult, and the food came out temple-style for all three meals. Which meant it was truly tasteless. I'd suspected the reason the original Seria went to banquets every single day was to hunt for delicious food.

Berke Castle's food was a new world to me. I didn't refuse the splendid dishes that appeared daily and ate well.

Having to trudge through the cold glacier every day meant I needed to eat high-calorie food properly anyway.

Now that I'd promised to do my best for Berke territory, I should resume glacier inspections starting tomorrow. Winter still had a long way to go.

"Your Grace. I'll make a full circuit around the glacier area starting tomorrow."

"Inspections aren't necessary for the time being."

"Pardon? Why not?"

"I'd like you to take on the role of temporary mistress of the castle instead."

Mistress? I blinked.

"The High Priest will arrive at Berke Castle in four days."

"That quickly? Ah... did he use a transport circle?"

"Yes."

What, using something that precious when it's not even to announce the High Priest's death. But thinking about it, it made sense. From the Grand Temple's perspective, every piece of news from Berke territory over the past few days would have been like a bolt from the blue.

Seria Stern, who was scheduled to marry the Marquess Haneton, had suddenly married the Grand Duke of Berke.

And the saint Lina had inexplicably married the Marquess Haneton...

Wait. Something's odd.

Does the temple know that Lina and Kallis got married?

"Your Grace."

I asked carefully.

"Does everyone know that the Marquess Haneton and the saint exchanged marriage vows?"

"Yes."

"...How?"

"Because the Marquess Haneton requested a divorce as soon as he returned."

"......"

"You were unconscious, so you wouldn't have known."

Having said that much, Lesche frowned slightly.

"If you want details, ask your knight."

At the sudden mention of Abigail, I lifted my head. Lesche asked.

"Aren't you curious why your knight isn't around?"

"You mean Dame Abigail?"

I wasn't particularly curious, actually.

Because true to her origins as an assassin, Abigail's style was always to appear here and there unpredictably. This time too, she was probably off somewhere...

Come to think of it, I was unconscious and just woke up.

No matter how much Abigail was simply being herself, she should normally be by my side. The fact that she wasn't next to me meant? Where had Abigail gone?

Watching my expression change moment by moment, Lesche spoke.

"Go see after you finish work. I'll assign Elliot to you."

"Yes... Thank you, Your Grace."

It probably wasn't anything serious. Otherwise Lesche wouldn't be this calm...

No. This man would probably be this calm even if Abigail's neck was cut in half.

I needed to go check quickly. I bowed to Lesche again and left the reception room.

He said Kallis requested a divorce as soon as he returned.

But for having heard about a divorce, Lina had called out to Kallis cheerfully earlier.

For some reason, I had a premonition that Lina didn't know about the divorce. Why would everyone know about the divorce except Lina? And if Lina learned this fact, would she be shocked?

If that happens... how will things flow?

3. The Corrupted Reception

I hadn't expected Abigail to be locked in prison. I pressed my palm to my forehead.

'She threw handkerchiefs at ten of Kallis's knights...'

I didn't hear this from Abigail either. She refused to explain the details, so I couldn't hear the full circumstances at the time.

But when I pressed Elliot (angel), who'd followed me, and saw him repeatedly shake his head in dismay, I managed to hear the situation at the time in relative detail.

So, this is what happened.

When Kallis finally returned from the glacier, Abigail was already furious to the tips of her hair.

But Kallis's status was too high to throw a handkerchief at. Abigail exercised her last shred of patience. Instead of throwing a handkerchief in Kallis's face, she scattered the handkerchiefs she'd brought at ten of his subordinate knights in succession.

Dame Bibi, like a bulldozer. I let out a deep sigh.

That's an insult offense.

Kallis was the man who governed the western marquisate of Haneton.

Though the western territory was firmly controlled by Seria's family Keliden, the west itself was extremely prosperous. Therefore, Kallis's status was so high that insults against him were punished more severely.

Elliot (angel) consoled me while saying.

"Actually, what Dame Abigail did wasn't a knightly duel but practically a rampage. She'd be expelled from capital banquets for less, wouldn't she?"

"...You're right."

"She'll be out of prison in a few days anyway."

"But the prison is too cold. What if she freezes to death?"

"Dame Abigail freeze to death? That... Lady Seria? Are you serious?"

"......"

Elliot (angel) made such a bizarre expression when asking that I was actually reassured.

"As soon as Dame Abigail gets out, I'll bring her warm beef soup and wrap her in the thickest, finest cloak."

"I'll carry it for you."

"Thank you. You're truly kind. Like an angel."

"Calling a knight an angel isn't exactly a welcome description."

"Really? I've been calling you 'angel' in my heart every day."

"...I earnestly beg you to remove that title."

In the end, I decided to just call Elliot by his name. As I left the underground area with the prison alongside him and walked briskly, I suddenly heard a voice.

"Lady Seria! There you are!"

"Linon?"

Linon, Lesche's chief aide. He came running hurriedly with a thick stack of documents in hand. His claim that his stamina was weak wasn't a joke—gasping for breath, he looked like someone about to die.

"Are you all right?"

"Yes. Gasp, huff... Huff. I'm fine."

"What are those documents? You're carrying them like you're going to give them to me."

"Yes. Huff... That's right."

Having finally caught his breath, Linon thrust the stack of documents at me, and I took them without understanding, staring at him.

"This is the expected arrival time of the High Priest at the territory. Right before this time, no matter what, all decorations used for the year-end party must be removed..."

"......"

I questioned this unfamiliar information.

"Year-end party?"

"Oh? Didn't you hear from His Grace? There was originally a reception planned, wasn't there?"

"That's right."

The reception that had been scheduled to follow my and Kallis's wedding ceremony. That aborted reception.

"It seemed wasteful to throw away all the food and flowers procured for that, and since many outside nobles are still at the castle, His Grace accepted the vassals' opinion to convert it to a year-end party."

"When is the year-end party?"

"The day after tomorrow."

The day after tomorrow?

"And the High Priest comes in four days?"

"Yes."

"But why are you telling me this?"

"...You really didn't hear. All of this is work you need to do, my lady."

"......"

I was momentarily dumbfounded.

A castle visited by the High Priest must be unconditionally, absolutely, completely solemn. It was custom. Banquets strictly forbidden. Small parties impossible. The number of dishes couldn't exceed three.

In other words, we had to work hard to decorate the castle for the year-end party, then remove all those decorations right before the High Priest arrived, hang simple clean cloths instead, and completely erase all traces of the party. Not to mention preparing clean, fresh food with few varieties to serve the High Priest's party.

Do all that in four days? Who? Me?

Linon continued looking at me.

"You said as temporary mistress you'd eagerly take on all this work..."

"......"

"It's quite... a lot of work, isn't it? But His Grace definitely said that Lady Seria said she'd gladly take on everything..."

Over Linon's diminishing voice, Lesche's earlier words layered like a phantom.

'I'd like you to take on the role of temporary mistress of the castle instead.'

I see. I almost forgot that Lesche was a scheming male lead. He'd carefully assigned me work like this.

This clean transactional method actually put me more at ease. It felt awkward to settle Lesche's first marriage ceremony debt for free. If Lesche Berke showed kindness without reason, that would be... scary in its own way.

Suddenly my mind grew busy. Repaying a debt. Right, repaying debts isn't easy. I first checked the thick stack of documents with my eyes and good heavens—perhaps because the castle was large, there was far more to handle than I'd thought. Now even stamping my feet in agitation, I moved quickly.

Wow, this is exhausting.

The work didn't finish until late evening. I was busy checking food for the year-end party, confirming wine and silver tableware stored in warehouses, white tablecloths, flowers and curtains to decorate the large dining table.

I had to replace the fabric on chairs and sofas too, so I'd been exploring the castle's underground storage.

Toward the end I was practically being carried around on Elliot's back.

I'd tried to run around on my own feet, but Linon and Elliot, who kept following me, adamantly refused.

Well.

If someone who'd collapsed bleeding profusely at a wedding ceremony worked themselves to exhaustion like this the moment they regained consciousness, even I would feel a bit sorry for them. Thanks to being carried on Elliot's back, I managed to finish more work than expected.

If I do a final check tomorrow, I should be able to hold a passably decent year-end banquet. Surely nothing will be lacking?

When I finally returned to my bedroom and collapsed limply, maids came in carrying a warm dinner.

"My lady. Please eat."

"You must be very tired, right? It's simple but we prepared something substantial."

Steaming ginger bread, hot mushroom stew, and goose meat with apple sauce—after repeating the action of cutting pieces and chewing thoroughly several times, I felt strength returning to my drained body.

After eating pie topped generously with candied fruit, my mind cleared too. People are truly duplicitous—after eating a delicious meal, I felt motivated that tomorrow's work could somehow be resolved.

Motivation is good for me.

Whether I had motivation or not, I had to do all the work His Grace the Grand Duke ordered anyway.

Chewing over a slight sadness, I drank after-dinner tea. I sent word that I understood Begonia's message about wanting to alter the dress for the banquet, and opened two letters addressed to me.

One was from Kallis, one from Lina. Kallis was one thing, but I hadn't expected Lina to send a letter. The contents were even more surprising. An apology, and that she actually wanted to be friends with me.

Friends?

It really was idealistic talk. So idealistic it was laughable. By my standards, accepting being friends with my ex-boyfriend's lover was already difficult, let alone friends with the current wife of the man who almost became my husband...?

I had no time to ponder it long.

I won't be able to keep my eyes open.

I'd thought I wouldn't sleep properly tonight feeling unsettled, but after finishing my bath I was so exhausted that sleep crashed over me tremendously. A sleepless night, I'd thought I might go kill Kallis, but maybe it was fortunate that didn't happen.

The moment I buried my face in the pillow, I passed out completely.