Stella caught her breath for a moment in front of the door the servant had led her to. Her heart was pounding.
'If I listen to what other writers say.'
It was said that Roy Andra often refused to meet with guests and just let them go. There were even people who said they were invited in with the promise of being fine, only to receive harsh criticism regarding their writing.
'I can handle it all.'
She was willing to accept any criticism. Stella clutched Roy's jacket tightly in her hand. Two servants each held a door and forcefully opened it. Stella walked slowly into the middle. She met Roy, who was sitting on the sofa waiting for her with intrigued eyes.
Ah.
A sigh escaped his lips. Roy's gaze wavered. Stella slowly approached him. Roy rubbed his eyes.
'Is this woman the author who wrote this?'
Stella looked at him puzzledly. Perhaps because he had recently returned from studying abroad, Roy seemed unaware that Stella was the Duchess. She could understand him not standing up to show respect, but she found it puzzling that he was grinning as if something good had happened.
"Please sit down."
Roy offered her the seat opposite him, unable to stop smiling. Stella sat facing him. Just as expected. A smile spread across his face.
"I enjoyed reading the manuscript. It was a very interesting piece."
If Roy thought Stella was a hallucination when he saw her, Stella thought Roy's words were an auditory hallucination.
"Is that really true?"
Roy nodded. His laughter didn't seem like a mockery. Nevertheless, she was curious about the reason for the smile hanging on his lips.
"Excuse me, but why are you smiling like that?"
Roy wanted to know about her. Her gaze, her way of speaking, and her appearance were all his ideal type.
'Love at first sight.'
He didn't believe those words. He dismissed everyone who said such things as being overly sentimental. However, the moment he saw Stella, he understood those people. Because his heart raced the moment he saw her.
'I was actually planning to go out and look for her myself.'
Since the attendants were not bringing back any suitable results, he intended to step forward himself to find out about the purple-haired woman living in the capital. Having encountered her at Duke Lanedict's mansion as well, he thought it would not take long.
'Stella.'
It was severe. Just thinking of her name sent a tingling sensation through him. And now, she is standing right in front of him. How could he not laugh?
"I never thought I would see you like this."
Roy truly felt like he was dreaming of this situation. He had subtly given her his name, hoping she would look for him, but he never expected a meeting to take place like this.
"Yes?"
On the other hand, Stella remained calm. It was because she had already suspected that he was Roy.
"No."
Roy was surprised to see her not only because she was the person he had been looking for, but also because of the magic contained in her writing.
"Excuse me, may I ask how you came to write this?"
Hs never imagined that this fresh, mysterious, and self-sufficient woman would even use magic.
Good writing strengthens your inner self, doesn't it? He wanted to write like that, too.
Roy leaned toward her, waiting for her to speak next. To be precise, he wanted to hear an explanation about the magical power that imbues writing with magic. Since mages were viewed poorly in the Empire, many hid their magical abilities even if they were born with them. However, considering that Stella had brought the writing all the way here...
'She must be planning to tell me the truth.'
Contrary to Roy's expectations, Stella did not say anything more.
"Is that all?"
Roy observed Stella's expression. Perhaps because she had shown her writing to Roy, a famous writer, she looked visibly nervous. However, that was all. She did not appear to be hiding anything.
"Is there a problem?"
Roy assessed the situation and stroked his chin.
'Does she not realize she is casting magic inside her writing?'
Roy hesitated. He wondered if he should tell her this. He watched her moisten her lower lip with her tongue, looking nervous. Even that small gesture seemed adorable.
'What if this woman reveals that she is a wizard?'
It was obvious that several troublesome things would arise. If the Imperial Family were determined to confine her in the Magic Tower and keep her under control.
'There is absolutely nothing good about it.'
He would never be able to get any closer to Stella. Roy found himself gazing at Stella with eyes full of interest. His shrewd mind was spinning. This woman was Roy's top priority. No one had ever been this enticing or intriguing before.
"It hasn't been long since I started writing. I haven't even learned how to write properly."
It was the first time Stella had shown her writing to someone. Because of this, she began to feel anxious, going beyond mere curiosity about Roy's evaluation.
“So I'm ready to take any criticism,”
Roy made a decision. For the time being, he would not bring up the topic of magic with this woman. For the sake of her growth, it was better for Stella to figure it out on her own rather than for him to tell her. He intended to keep her by his side like this and slowly influence her.
"Then the reason you came to see me must naturally be that you want to learn to write from me."
Stella nodded.
"And, I wanted to return this jacket as well."
Roy looked down at his jacket, which had returned from Stella's arms. It felt as if it still carried her fresh scent. He briefly evaluated Stella's writing. Roy tried to speak solemnly, but the way Stella's gaze met his kept making him smile.
"This piece has great potential. If polished well, it would be suitable for submission to a decent newspaper."
Stella's face lit up.
"Thank you, Author."
"I can critique your writing once a week."
To think she could receive a critique from him, a fan since her previous life. This was tremendous luck. She wanted to accept his offer right away, but,
"And there is a condition to this proposal."
Roy's playful smile calmed her mind for a moment. Was he going to offer a large sum of money as a fee? Or was he planning to attach some conditions? She looked at Roy with an expression mixed with anxiety and anticipation.
"You have to play with me often, Young Lady."
It was an unexpected remark.
"Yes?"
"It hasn't been long since I returned from studying abroad, so I don't have any friends. I'm also tired of being stuck in my office doing nothing but work."
Stella was brimming with passion. If she could, she wanted to do nothing but lock herself in her room and pour out her writing.
"It’s not difficult. All you have to do is eat and drink tea together. Just like a real friend."
However, for the sake of hearing the critique from Roy, such things were nothing. And.
'How lonely must they have been to go so far as to make a request like this, using criticism as an excuse?'
He was the person who, the last time they crossed paths, said he would stay with her until her sadness ended. To her, such words seemed like something that would only come from the mouth of someone with a wound.
She tried attending various events to make friends, but everyone only liked her fame and looks; they didn't see her as a person.
Roy said as he stroked Stella's manuscript.
"If someone could write like this, I would think they would see me as a decent human being. Don't you think so?"
Her writing fully captures human loneliness and self-pity.
"Hmm... that's right."
At Stella's acceptance, Roy smirked. When he was studying abroad, he had a nickname among his close friends. "A born fox." It was a nickname given to him because of his personality—using his cute looks, natural eloquence, and ingrained manners to get whatever he wanted, no matter what. He probably became close with the Kingdom's magic students because of this tendency.
"Yes. I'll accept."
Stella slowly nodded her head after finishing her thoughts. It didn't seem like a particularly difficult task. After all, Stella wanted to get closer to Roy, too. Especially when it came to obtaining information about the disease of loneliness, there was no better way than becoming friends with Roy.
"Then, let's introduce ourselves. You probably already know my name is Roy Andra."
"Ah, I'm Stella Adrian."
'Stella Adrian...?'
Roy's eyebrows furrowed.
'There was a young lady like this in the Adrian family?'
That couldn't be true. If she were a young lady from a powerful family like Adrian, there was no way his attendants wouldn't have found out about her. Then, is she a hidden child, or an illegitimate child, or something like that? Roy couldn't bring himself to ask such an inappropriate question, so he changed the subject.
"Then, have you lived in the Adrian family your whole life?"
"No. I was originally from Lanedict. I took Adrian's surname after marrying my current husband."
"Husband?"
Stella nodded with a nonchalant expression as if asking if there was a problem.
"Is it not possible by any chance?"
She looked at Roy with concern. Stella felt uneasy because he had stayed by her side during their last meeting and grinned at her face today. She wondered if he might have feelings for her. It wasn't that she disliked the man named Roy.
'I'm sick of loving men now.'
She had grown tired of exchanging affection. She also wanted to avoid the mishap of getting unnecessarily involved with another man, which might provoke Kendrick or harm the divorce.
"What are you talking about?"
"Perhaps, you don't read writings by married women."
Roy gave a gentle eye smile.
"I decided to read your posts simply because I like your writing, Stella. So, whether you are married or not isn't important."
Only then did Stella feel relieved.
"More importantly, what should I call you?"
"Please feel free to call me by my name. I think that would be more comfortable for me, too."
Roy was about to suggest that they speak more casually to each other while he was at it, but he held back. An intuition that he shouldn't rush things put the brakes on him. Roy asked about the direction of the writing Stella would be doing in the future, and they shared their opinions.
"Well then, I think I should be going now."
"It was a great time. I look forward to seeing you again next week."
Roy escorted her to the front gate. He gently took Stella's wrist and kissed her on the cheek. Suddenly, they were close, and she could strongly smell his scent. Stella was surprised, but she soon remembered that Roy was an exchange student from the Kingdom.
'This is how we used to say goodbye in the kingdom.'
Stella found her nervousness amusing, so she deliberately put on a nonchalant expression.
"Thank you for seeing me off. Young Marquis Andra."
Roy grinned as he watched Stella climb into the carriage. His blonde hair fluttered slightly in the breeze. It was a smile that might have made Stella's heart pound had she not become accustomed to handsome men while watching Skyle and Kendrick. However, Stella was so intoxicated by the joy that her writing had been recognized as having potential that she had no time to even notice that smile.
"Um... Mr. Roy."
His attendant called out to Roy as if he were worried. It was the attendant who had told Roy about the purple-haired lady. He had been with Roy since he was studying abroad in the kingdom, and he could sense how much Roy had developed feelings for a woman named Stella.
"Are you alright?"
That is why he was deeply worried about whether Roy might have despaired when he found out that the other person was a noblewoman.
"What?"
Seeing Roy wearing his usual relaxed smile doubled his worry. He was an even scarier master because he couldn't read his mind.
"I read a pretty good piece for the first time in a while."
Roy stopped staring at Stella's carriage and returned to his office. He kept giggling. Stella's face, looking at him with wide eyes and full of tension, kept floating in his mind. Every moment he had spent with her felt refreshing.
- Husband.
He massaged his hands, making a cracking sound. Roy wondered what kind of person Stella's husband was.
'Do you have a husband?'
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