Lianna stepped closer, as if checking his condition.

The closer she got, the stronger her fragrance seemed.

Her gentle voice brushed against his ears.

“Are you feeling unwell somewhere?”

Her violet eyes, reminiscent of amethysts, were filled with concern as they turned towards him.

The moment he met her clear, dreamlike gaze, Kreset felt dizzy.

Something was wrong.

His heart was pounding so loudly that he could hear it in his ears.

He abruptly turned his head away and stammered.

“I-I’m fine. Truly, I’m fine.”

He took several unsteady steps backwards.

Repeating that he was fine, he fled before Lianna could respond.

His brisk walk soon turned into a run.

Passing maids looked at him, puzzled.

It was only after he had hurried to a deserted area that Kreset finally managed to catch his breath.

After taking several ragged breaths, he slumped against a pillar.

‘What have I done…’

Kreset pressed a hand to his forehead, furrowing his brow as he tried to recall what had just happened.

He remembered the strange sensation he had experienced when their skin had touched.

His expression darkened.

For a moment, he had seen Lianna as a woman.

This realization was so shocking that he could hardly believe it himself.

She was another man’s wife.

Even worse, she was Calix’s wife.

The very thought made his stomach twist.

Perhaps his mind was playing tricks on him.

If so, perhaps Calix’s earlier misunderstanding hadn’t been entirely unreasonable.

Kreset lowered his head.

A crushing wave of self-loathing washed over him.

He should never have allowed himself to feel such a thing.

Even if it had lasted only an instant.

Even if nothing had actually happened.

There was no excuse for it.

Until now, he had only ever thought of Lianna as kind and gentle.

She was someone whose warmth had offered him comfort when he needed it most.

Yet that brief moment had shaken his firm beliefs, leaving him disgusted with himself.

He had always found her presence strangely comforting.

He admired her gentle nature and genuinely cared about her.

There were even moments when he wondered if he and the Grand Duchess might become friends.

However, Kreset knew perfectly well that Lianna’s kindness was merely goodwill.

The warmth in her eyes whenever she looked at Calix was completely different to the way she looked at him.

There was never any room for misunderstanding.

This was precisely why he hated himself.

He should never have repaid her innocent kindness with these feelings.

Now that he was aware of them, he doubted he would ever be able to face the Grand Duchess again without feeling ashamed.

A pained breath escaped him as he covered his face with both hands.

He could not clearly define this feeling.

It was too vague, immature and undefined to be love.

And yet, one thing was certain.

He should never have become aware of it in the first place.

Kreset rubbed a hand over his face and swallowed back a sigh.

Burdened by the turmoil churning inside him, he slowly pushed himself to his feet.

Still struggling to steady his thoughts, he turned to leave.

Suddenly, the sound of voices drifted from somewhere nearby.

“The Crown Princess’s health shows no particular abnormalities… You’re certain of that?”

“That is correct, Your Highness.”

The familiar voice caused Kreset to stop in his tracks almost before he had realized it.

Almost instinctively, he turned and moved towards the source of the conversation.

As he had suspected, he hadn’t misheard.

Through the trees, he could make out two figures standing together.

One of them was the Queen.

And beside her stood someone else.

It didn’t take Kreset long to recognize the man.

Wasn’t he the Grand Duchess’s personal physician?

A frown creased his brow.

But why was he reporting on the Grand Duchess’s condition to the Queen?

Confusion flickered across his face as he stood there, trying to make sense of the situation.

At that moment, the Queen seemed to sense his presence.

She turned her head.

The instant her gaze landed on him, her eyes narrowed ever so slightly.

“Kreset? What are you doing here?”

‘That’s the question I should be asking.’

The words rose to the tip of his tongue, but he swallowed them back down.

“I had something on my mind and came out for a walk.”

Kreset offered a convenient excuse.

There was no way he could admit that he had wandered aimlessly until he found this secluded spot simply because he wanted to get away from Lianna.

Valietta studied his face for a moment before smiling gently.

“The weather is cold, so don’t stay out too long. I’d hate for you to catch a chill.”

“Yes. However…”

Kreset’s gaze shifted toward the physician.

Sensing the attention, the physician lowered his head respectfully.

“I didn’t realize Mother took such an interest in the Grand Duchess’s health.”

At those words, one of Valietta’s brows rose slightly.

A moment later, however, a perfectly composed smile appeared on her lips.

“As an elder of the royal family, it is only natural. What could possibly be strange about taking an interest in the health of someone who has become part of the royal household?”

Kreset hesitated before asking.

“Is that… truly all?”

The Queen’s neatly shaped brows dipped ever so slightly.

“It saddens me to hear you say that. I’m only trying to improve my relationship with the Grand Duchess, even if it’s late. I’ve also been reflecting on how overly sensitive I was at the banquet.”

Kreset knew that his mother had given Lianna an expensive diamond necklace.

Everyone in their social circle had been talking about it.

Not knowing about it would have been strange.

Nevertheless, the fact that his mother was personally monitoring Lianna’s health continued to trouble him.

When Kreset lowered his gaze without responding, the Queen gently lifted his chin to make him look at her.

Her gaze softened as she spoke.

“Please don’t misunderstand your mother’s sincerity.”

For some reason, Kreset found it difficult to look his mother in the eye.

He didn’t want to doubt his mother.

What good would it do to doubt her?

The Queen’s expression seemed completely sincere.

There was no trace of hesitation or deceit in her eyes.

It was the same expression she had worn after Concubine Luciel’s death, when she had sworn never to stain her hands with blood again for his sake.

Remembering that day, Kreset felt a knot tighten in his chest.

Part of him wanted to believe her without question.

Yet another part of him could not shake the unease that had begun to take root in his heart.

***

The weather was cold enough to freeze the water in the moat solidly.

Every gust of wind caused the flames in the braziers to flicker and dance against the winter gloom.

The sharp clang of hammers echoed through the frigid air as workers repaired sections of the castle walls that had been damaged.

Wrapped in a thick fur cloak, the Marquis of Schuppenheim waited for the Grand Duke to arrive.

Having received word from a soldier stationed atop the watchtower, he had come out to the castle gates in person.

Soon, a lone rider appeared on the distant road stretching towards the horizon.

Mounted on a magnificent black horse, the rider swiftly closed the distance.

A moment later, horse and rider passed through the castle gates.

Calix tightened his grip on the reins, and the powerful stallion gradually slowed to a stop.

“You must have had a difficult journey, Your Highness.”

“Marquis Schuppenheim. It’s been a long time.”

This was Calix’s first visit since the collapse of his marriage negotiations with Viola.

They had continued exchanging letters, but it had been quite some time since they had met face-to-face.

“Was the journey uncomfortable?”

The Marquis asked as they made their way towards the main residence.

With the heavy snowfall and bitter cold of recent weeks, travelling conditions had been miserable.

The Marquis gestured to a stable hand.

As Calix handed over the reins, the stable hand replied.

“If I complained about something this minor, could I still call myself a man?”

“That is only because Your Highness is unusually resilient. In weather like this, even the strongest men usually shrink from the cold.”

A faint chuckle escaped Calix.

‘Resilient.’

The Marquis was unaware that Calix had once nearly died as a result of the curse.

He also knew nothing about the curse that still resided in Calix’s body, using him as its host.

But that was not the Marquis’s fault.

Calix had chosen to keep the truth hidden, even from one of his oldest and most trusted allies.

He had also never explained the real reason he had broken off the marriage negotiations.

If the Marquis had resented him for that and turned his back on him, Calix could hardly have blamed him.

Of course, the Marquis was not the kind of man to abandon his convictions over a personal grievance.

Nevertheless, Calix knew that shortly after his marriage to Lianna, Valietta had sent one of her trusted aides to meet the Marquis.

Given the timing, her intentions were obvious.

Was the Marquis still loyal?

Or had thoughts of betrayal begun to take root?

That was what Calix had come to find out.

Reminding himself of the true purpose of his visit, he continued forward.

As they crossed the courtyard, his gaze swept over the castle grounds.

Something felt different.

The castle was unusually crowded.

Among the people moving about were elderly men and women, children, and others who clearly weren’t part of the staff.

Poorly dressed men and women huddled around braziers, stretching out their hands towards the flames in search of warmth.

The atmosphere within the castle walls was far more chaotic than usual.

Noticing that Calix’s attention had shifted towards the crowd, the Marquis spoke first.

“Many people were displaced by avalanches. We have allowed them to stay in the castle temporarily until they have somewhere else to go. I apologize if their presence causes any inconvenience during your stay.”

“There is no need to apologize. It doesn’t bother me.”

Calix did not particularly enjoy noise or disorder.

But neither was he so rotten that he would look down upon the poor and vulnerable simply because they possessed little.

As they ascended the staircase leading toward the reception room, the Marquis nodded.

“Thank you for your understanding.”

Yet it seemed that he had never actually sought Calix’s approval.

His response was full of the polished formality of someone merely being polite.

Soon, the two men were seated opposite each other in the reception room.

A servant quietly entered, placed a pot of hot tea on the table, and left without saying anything.

The room fell into a brief silence.

Calix lifted his teacup and took a sip.

At that moment, he noticed the Marquis staring at his hand.

The older man’s gaze lingered there far longer than was natural.

A faint crease formed between his brows.

After hesitating for a moment, as though considering whether to speak at all, the Marquis finally broke the silence.

“Those gloves… Which craftsman made them?”

“They weren’t made by a craftsman. My wife knitted them herself.”

The answer clearly took the Marquis by surprise.

It was very different from the explanation he had anticipated.

He had assumed that a novice apprentice had made a mistake.

“Did she say why she chose lilies?”

“No. She simply said they were her favorite flower.”

Calix’s tone was almost unnaturally casual.

The lily was the symbol of the House of Gracie.

There was no way a man like Calix could be unaware of that fact.

And yet he spoke as though it meant nothing at all.