Thinking back, Doris had always treated Tristan the same way.

Even when he openly asked another woman to dance right in front of her, even when she saw him stubbornly waiting outside the royal library for her, her expression never wavered.

Neither drawing closer nor pulling away.

If that was a result of love and trust, it would be a beautiful thing—

But what if Doris had only ever viewed their arranged marriage as an obligation? What if her vow to always stand by him was merely an act of obedience to her parents' wishes?

Wasn’t that the more plausible explanation all along?

Why did I never consider that before?

Perhaps it was because he had grown far too accustomed to being loved. To being envied.

…And speaking of jealousy, another question arose.

On the day of the charity performance, when Doris had seen him approaching Maria, was what she felt truly jealousy?

I’ve acted however I pleased more times than I can count. Why would it suddenly bother her then?@@novelbin@@

If he assumed that her reaction that day was the first time her patience with his inattentiveness as a fiancé had finally reached its breaking point…

Then the moment that planted the seed of anger in her once-steady heart must have been the night of the hunting competition, when he had said:

"I have no feelings for you."

Anyone would have been furious at that.

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