Anastasia slipped away from the library door on silent feet, her heart hammering so hard she could feel it in her throat. She pressed her back against the corridor wall a few steps away, breathing shallow and fast, one hand clutching the fabric of her dress over her chest.
What the hell did I just witness?
She was in deep shock. It was her own fault — she should have checked more carefully, listened longer, prepared herself. But nothing could have prepared her for how quickly and smoothly Julius had shifted. In barely an hour, he had gone from the restrained, honorable knight to a man boldly kissing Rem's neck, grabbing her waist, pulling her onto his lap, and speaking to her with open desire.
And Rem... Rem had cooperated. She had let him touch her. She had stayed on his lap. She had argued, yes, but she hadn't run. Not really.
Anastasia's mind reeled. She was deeply impressed — and deeply worried. Julius had managed to pull off such a drastic change in such a short time. She hadn't heard every word, but the body language was clear: he had landed extremely well. His charm, his confidence, his persistence — it was working on Rem faster than Anastasia had dared to hope.
Of course his charm would work on her sooner or later, she thought bitterly. He's Julius. He's perfect.
But the anger came hot and sharp right after the shock. The relationship wasn't developing the way she wanted. Rem was supposed to be the one infatuated, the one chasing, the one falling helplessly. Instead, Rem was trying to keep it private, trying to set boundaries, trying to control the pace. That worried Anastasia more than anything. If Rem wanted it hidden, it meant she was still fighting her feelings — still clinging to Subaru, still resisting the full surrender Anastasia needed.
If this is the deal they made, then Julius needs to watch his words, she thought, already adjusting her plans in her head. I need to make the spying more careful. I can't irritate Rem now — not when Julius is finally melting her.
Still... sending them to the hot springs hotel was now the best option. There was a big chance Julius would breach even more new gates with Rem there. The isolation, the romantic atmosphere, the privacy — it would definitely push them closer. Closer than Anastasia had managed to push them so far.
She took a slow, steadying breath, forcing her racing heart to calm. Her swollen eye still throbbed, but the pain felt distant compared to the storm of emotions inside her.
This is still my game, she reminded herself. Even if Julius is moving faster than I expected... it's still my board.
Anastasia slipped back into her bedroom, closing the door quietly behind her. The mansion felt too large, too quiet after everything she had just witnessed. She walked to the bed, kicked off her shoes, and lay down without bothering to change. The pillow was cool against her bruised cheek, but the pain in her eye was nothing compared to the storm in her chest.
She stared at the ceiling, replaying the library scene in her mind. So unfair, she thought bitterly. I should have stayed longer. I missed the best parts. Julius had moved so quickly, so confidently. He had pulled Rem onto his lap, kissed her neck, touched her — and Rem had let him. She had argued, yes, but she had stayed. She had cooperated.
Anastasia closed her eyes, exhaustion pulling at her. Still... it's progress. Real progress. She was tired — emotionally drained from the rollercoaster of the last twenty-four hours. Sleep came quickly, thin and restless, but it came.
She was woken some time later by a gentle hand on her shoulder.
"Anastasia..."
Julius's voice was soft. He sat on the edge of the bed, looking down at her with a tired but serious expression.
Anastasia blinked awake, wincing as the movement pulled at her swollen eye. "What's wrong?" she asked, voice groggy.
Julius took a deep breath, clearly choosing his words carefully. "I didn't want to wake you, but we need to talk. A little."
Anastasia sat up slowly, pulling the blanket around her shoulders. "What is it?"
He looked at her for a moment, then spoke. "I need you to give me some time. Please don't bully or intervene in Rem's marriage anymore. It's really her life, and I would like you to control yourself — for my sake as well."
Anastasia's heart clenched, but she forced a small, curious smile. "How did it go? Please tell me... did he seduce Rem?"
Julius sighed, rubbing his temple. "I'm sorry, but I promised Rem I wouldn't talk about it with you. We managed to find common ground on what we want."
Anastasia's eyes lit up with desperate curiosity. "Tell me something. Anything. I want to help you."
Julius looked at her with a mix of love and exhaustion. "Right now, the best help you can give me is not to piss off Rem. She agreed to being friends with... little benefits."
Anastasia's pulse quickened. "Does this mean you and Rem will do it?"
Julius took a deep breath. "No. Rem wants to keep the relation mostly platonic. She still wants to be with Subaru and doesn't want to cheat on him. But she admits she likes me a little and is willing to explore these feelings. So right now, I want you not to push us. I need to earn Rem's approval of this platonic friendship first."
Bullshit, Anastasia thought immediately, her mind screaming. He was all over her. He kissed her neck, pulled her onto his lap, and now he's telling me it's 'mostly platonic'? He's lying to my face.
But she kept her expression neutral, nodding slowly.
Julius continued, his voice careful. "Also... please don't spy on us at the hot springs. I don't want Rem stressed over it. And I want to go two days earlier — I want to take her to one place."
Anastasia's eyes sparkled with sudden excitement. "What place? Are you planning something romantic?"
Julius shook his head. "No, it's a different thing. But I'm sure Rem would be glad I took her there."
Anastasia studied him for a moment, then gave a small, resigned smile.
"Fine," she said. "I won't go there to spy on you. I'll stay in the mansion... and maybe meet with Subaru to help him with the next festival."
Julius nodded, relief flickering across his face. He leaned in and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead.
"Thank you," he murmured.
He stood up and left the room without another word.
Anastasia stayed in bed for a long moment after the door closed, staring at the ceiling.
She was angry.
She was jealous.
She was also... excited.
The pieces were moving faster than she had planned, but they were still moving in the direction she wanted.
Anastasia sat up straighter in bed, still processing everything. She looked at Julius, who was standing near the window, his posture tense.
"Are you not doing paperwork today with Rem?" she asked, her voice carefully neutral.
Julius shook his head. "We're not. Rem asked if we could skip today. She doesn't want to be with me in the study alone."
He stopped himself for a second, then added quietly, "And besides... she wanted to go look for her ring."
Anastasia's eyebrows rose slightly. "Why don't you go with her?"
Julius turned to face her fully, his expression hardening. "We agreed not to get involved in each other's marriage. What is private stays private. Rem's marriage ring is her private thing."
His voice grew sharper, anger flashing in his eyes as he looked directly at her.
"At least it would be... if you hadn't stolen it."
Anastasia's face remained calm on the surface, but inside her stomach twisted.
Julius exhaled slowly, clearly forcing himself to stay composed. "As much as I hate to ask... I would like you to go to the city tomorrow and get a similar ring. Something close enough."
Anastasia's cheeks flushed bright red. She sat up fully, eyes wide with sudden shock.
"Are you going to propose to her?" she asked, voice cracking.
Julius shook his head immediately. "No. But I will give her this one and hope she accepts it as a replacement."
He paused, then added, "Also... I want you to buy it before the trip. Can you do it for me?"
The request hung in the air between them.
Anastasia stared at him, her heart pounding. The bruise around her eye throbbed in time with her pulse. She had expected many things, but not this — not Julius openly asking her to help cover up his growing attachment to Rem.
She swallowed hard, forcing a small, strained smile.
"...Yes," she said quietly. "I'll do it for you."
Julius nodded once, his expression unreadable. He turned back toward the window, the silence between them thick and heavy once again.
Anastasia watched his back, her mind racing.
He's really doing this. He's choosing to protect Rem's feelings... even while asking me to help him lie to her.
The jealousy burned hotter than ever, but beneath it was something darker — a twisted satisfaction that her plan was still moving forward, even if it was slipping out of her direct control.
She lay back down, staring at the ceiling, the bruise on her face pulsing with every heartbeat.
Tomorrow she would go to the city.
The next morning, after a restless night filled with fragmented dreams of Julius and Rem, Anastasia found herself in the city's finest jewelry district with Yae at her side. Julius had made it very clear: he would not come shopping. He wanted to spend the day training in the garden, in Rem's presence if possible. The thought made Anastasia's stomach twist with jealousy — Rem getting to watch Julius's muscular body glisten with sweat while he trained, while she was stuck here picking out a replacement ring for the one she had stolen.
Yae walked beside her, mask of professionalism firmly in place, but her eyes sparkled with amusement. She leaned in as they passed a glittering window display.
"So... the great Lady Anastasia is personally choosing a ring for her husband's almost-mistress," Yae teased, voice low and playful. "How does it feel to be shopping for the woman who's stealing your man's attention?"
Anastasia shot her a sharp look, but there was no real heat in it. After everything, Yae had become an oddly comfortable companion for these twisted errands — someone who knew the truth and didn't judge.
"Don't start," Anastasia muttered, though a small, reluctant smile tugged at her lips. "I know it's ridiculous. But it needs to be done right. Julius wants it to look exactly like the original so Subaru doesn't suspect anything."
They entered a high-end jewelry shop, the bell above the door tinkling softly. The shopkeeper, an older man with a neat mustache, greeted them warmly and began showing them various rings.
Anastasia browsed the display cases, her fingers trailing over the glass. "I know it should be simple," she said to Yae, voice low so the shopkeeper wouldn't overhear, "but maybe something nice would be better? Not just a plain gold-like band."
Yae picked up a delicate gold ring, turning it in the light. "Rem's original ring wasn't real gold, you know. It was only made to look gold — a simple engagement ring. Nothing fancy."
Anastasia's lips pressed into a thin line. She examined a few more pieces, her jealousy flaring at the thought of Rem receiving yet another gift from Julius's hand.
"I will not buy trash," she said firmly. "If this is a ring Julius plans to give Rem, it needs to be good. Something worthy of him."
Yae chuckled softly, the sound friendly and teasing, like two girls on a secret shopping trip. "If you want her to actually wear it without suspicion, it needs to be similar to the original. Subaru can't suspect a thing."
Anastasia sighed and turned to the shopkeeper. "How long would it take to engrave initials on these? 'R' and 'J'?"
The man checked his ledger. "Three days, my lady. We can have it ready by then."
Anastasia's face fell. "That's too long. I need it before tomorrow."
She continued browsing, her eyes landing on a truly beautiful ring — elegant, with a small but flawless diamond. Her heart ached for a moment. It's a shame I can't buy this one for myself.
Instead, she selected two simple gold engagement rings that looked remarkably close to what she remembered of Rem's original. "These ones are pretty similar," she told Yae, holding them up. "They'll do for now."
Yae nodded, examining them. "We'll need the sizes for Rem and Julius."
Anastasia gave the measurements she had discreetly obtained earlier. Still, she couldn't resist. She picked up the nicer diamond ring again, turning it in the light. "Maybe we buy one extra... a proper ring with some diamond. Something small yet impressive."
Yae's eyes lit up with amusement, the two of them now fully in "girls on a shopping trip" mode. "I like the idea, but something simple would be best. Rem doesn't really wear rings. She might get suspicious if it's too flashy."
Anastasia sighed but agreed. In the end, they chose the two simple gold engagement rings as the immediate replacement, plus one extra small but impressive diamond ring — something that could serve as a proper engagement ring if Julius ever asked for Rem's hand.
As they left the shop, Yae bumped her shoulder playfully against Anastasia's.
"Two engagement rings and a backup diamond one? You're really committed to this plan, aren't you?"
Anastasia gave a small, tired smile. "If Julius is going to give Rem a ring... it needs to be perfect. The simple ones are for now — she can use them as a replacement for Subaru's. And when she marries Julius... the second simple one can be for him. Plus the diamond one for the real proposal."
Yae whistled softly. "You're playing the long game."
Anastasia didn't reply. She just clutched the small bag with the rings a little tighter as they walked back toward the carriage.