@Introvert And
Spoiler!
Just before she leaves, Tia looks at Perez one last time. She suddenly notices that Perez is smiling. Because he is standing beside Ramona, Tia wonders if he is smiling because of her. This makes her heart hurt even more. Meanwhile, Perez is thinking about Tia. He regrets leaving the conference without properly greeting her. He tells his aides that he will continue to his next appointment alone because he is supposed to meet Ramona and their old Academy friends privately. Perez has been extremely busy taking over many of the Emperor’s responsibilities. Although the work is exhausting, he can manage it. What truly bothers him is that he misses Tia so much that he cannot sleep. He even wants to secretly visit Lombardi’s mansion, but he has been warned not to do that anymore. The documents Tia sends him about Lombardi’s handling of the Angenas family’s assets give Perez some comfort. Even though the documents are only business-related, reading them makes him feel as if Tia is beside him. He finds himself thinking about her constantly.
✕When Perez meets Ramona, they walk together toward their meeting place and briefly discuss sword training. Ramona tells Perez that she is officially joining the Imperial Knights soon. However, she reveals that this is no longer her biggest dream. After seeing Tia become the Deputy Head of Lombardi, Ramona has decided that she wants to follow Tia’s example and eventually become the head of the Braun family herself. Ramona admires Tia greatly. She says Tia gave her courage by proving that a woman can lead a powerful family if she has the ability. She praises Tia for being wise, beautiful, powerful, and kind to the people who depend on her. Perez becomes proud while talking about Tia. He tells Ramona stories about how Tia has always been kind and generous, even when she was young. He talks about how she recognized Alpheo Jean’s talent when he was still a young carpenter and helped him get an opportunity with Lombardi. Perez clearly enjoys telling Ramona things about Tia that she does not know.
As Perez talks about Tia, he remembers the first time he met her as a child. He remembers how bright and beautiful she looked when she appeared from the forest and scolded him for eating grass. The memory makes him emotional, and without realizing it, Perez smiles. Then Ramona notices Tia standing ahead with several powerful nobles. Perez immediately calls her name and starts walking toward her. But the moment he sees Tia’s expression, his happiness disappears. Tia looks at him coldly and does not greet him warmly like she normally would. She simply tells the nobles that she will see them at the restaurant and walks away toward her carriage without looking back at Perez. Perez is shocked. He has never seen Tia look at him that way before. His heart fills with fear because he immediately realizes that something is seriously wrong. Without thinking, he hurries after her. For the first time, Perez feels a kind of fear that is even stronger than what he experienced when his life was in danger. He desperately worries that he has somehow hurt Tia or that he might lose her. He chases after her, thinking, “Something is terribly wrong.” Perez follows Tia after she leaves the meeting. Tia walks as quickly as she can, but Perez catches up and ends up riding in the carriage with her. Tia sits by the window and refuses to look at him because she is still upset about seeing him with Ramona. After a while, Tia finally asks Perez why he followed her. She bitterly mentions that he seemed busy with his previous engagement. She tries to stay calm, but her emotions become too strong, and she starts crying. Perez is shocked because he has never seen Tia react this way before.
I like to post spoilers for the stories I find interesting because I don't have much time to read novel due to busy schedule you will find me in most romantic historical manhwa comment sections