Trying to subtly suggest this to Roen would only have led to opposition. Above all, it wouldn’t uphold the dignity of the ducal household. She just tilted her head slightly, feigning disinterest.

Aileen was no longer a concern, and as for Cairn…

If he didn’t want to talk, why should she care? Roen had volunteered to handle the exhibition preparations himself.

Still, Violet faced many issues… She hadn’t yet thanked Aldin. And she still couldn’t comprehend what’s going on in the crown prince’s head.

She had tried to put aside the issue with Cairn, but it continued to gnaw at her numerous times when she least expected it.

The portrait of the princess was another lingering problem, too.

As Violet closed her eyes, Roen, noticing her, asked with a smile,

“Tired?”

“A bit.”

“It’s understandable. Oh, I’ve sent a letter of thanks to Sir Aldin on your behalf. But it might be better to thank him personally. Can you find time for that?”

“…Busy as always, aren’t you.”

“It’s not about me, it’s your matter.”

“That’s what I mean. You must be busy taking care of my affairs.”

“Do you feel positively about it?”

“Maybe…”

Violet’s vague response made Roen burst into laughter.

He was well aware of the ongoing cold war between Violet and Cairn. He believed this conflict was necessary and had left them to it, but as days passed, the situation between his two younger siblings seemed to grow stranger.

He couldn’t do much. Violet no longer reproached him for past events with anger and contempt, but that was it.

He couldn’t intervene and say, ‘Try talking to Cairn. He must have his own concerns, too,’ considering he hadn’t been fully forgiven himself.

“Tired?”

“What could possibly tire me?”

The same question returned a different answer, one that clearly meant she was extremely tired.

Roen clicked his tongue to himself, seeing Violet’s overt disinterest in conversation.

He spoke like a caring older brother.

“If you’re tired, go up and rest.”

“Fiiine—”

Violet didn’t feel much from his kindness.

Without trying to hide her fatigue, she went up to her room.

From tomorrow, she had to resume painting the princess’s portrait.

The sketch was done, so now it was time to contemplate how to bring the princess’s world to life with colors.

Even while resting, she kept pondering how to portray the princess—crisply in yellow, softly in light green, adding vitality with light pink, and blending in blue to avoid being too garish…

Even though she claimed to rest, her mind was busy with complex thoughts, and this inevitably made her sigh.

Having not painted for a while, she felt her hand had stiffened and spent much time doodling on paper.

The doodles, which would never become finished works, wriggled and took shape at the tip of her pencil, only to remain incomplete.

As long as she didn’t lose her touch completely.

Violet, taking it lightly, drank some tea reputed to be good for headaches. Calming down didn’t come easily.

* * *

The work on the princess’s portrait resumed.

The young princess, seeing Violet for the first time after a long while, ran to her and embraced her. The maids were surprised and tried to dissuade her, but the princess was stubborn.

“Your Highness, Ducal Lady Violet might be inconvenienced.”

“It’s okay.”

Violet, stopping the maids from intervening, gently stroked the girl’s head. After a long embrace, the princess finally let go and smiled brightly.

“You look happy. Shall we play together today?”

Understanding Violet’s words, the young princess nodded vigorously and sat in her designated spot. Violet also went to her place, smiling.

Scratch, scratch.

The sound of the pencil crossing the canvas and the strokes of the brush filled the quiet room.

The princess occasionally swung her legs but didn’t make any big movements.

Her unusually calm behavior seemed so joyful that Violet couldn’t help but smile along.

“How have you been?”

“Just normal. Nothing special.”

Violet had asked the princess without expecting a response, but surprisingly, the response came from somewhere else.

Violet’s expression soured.

Rajaden had arrived, as usual, with his arrogant smile, looking at her.

“Ah, greetings to the Empire’s small sun—”

“That’s enough. No need to greet me every time you see me. Right, Celi? Come here.”

As Violet stood up to greet him, the princess happily jumped into her older brother’s arms.

The crown prince, doting on his sister as usual, seated her next to him and looked intently at Violet.

Accustomed to the crown prince’s shamelessness, Violet let it slide.

“The princess did miss you, but she’s been well otherwise. She seems eager for your visits even after the portrait commission has ended.”

The crown prince finished his earlier response. Naturally, Violet had thought he was talking about himself, but it turned out to be about his sister.