Perhaps the unease she’d felt since morning hadn’t been unfounded.

She hadn’t expected a warm welcome, but Burkhardt’s openly uncomfortable expression left a wound on Elizabeth’s heart.

The sorrow she had pressed down so tightly — ready to burst at the slightest touch — now threatened to spill over.

Elizabeth masked her voice calm, barely managing to cover the emotions that were on the verge of erupting. It was a rushed, fragile attempt.

“It’s been a while. I wanted to see you…”

She nearly blurted out the question – why didn’t you come?

She felt she might cling to him and pour out all her aching feelings.

So she said whatever came to mind, trying not to show her emotions — but it ended up sounding like a subtle reproach.

She imagined he would laugh at her for looking so pitiful that he might tell her to leave at any moment.

She couldn’t bear to look at his face.

“Have you been waiting?”

Burkhardt’s voice was so gentle that it made her earlier worries seem foolish.

His warmth stirred the emotions she had clumsily tried to suppress.

And then, the sorrow she had held back for so long came rushing out like a flood.

“I was really sick… and I waited for you.”

Her voice trembled, pitiful and unsteady.

Perhaps her body had weakened — and with it, her heart too.

Perhaps it was because she had clung to the past, while Burke kept trying to change.

She had only wanted to show him her best self…

Elizabeth, though voicing her hurt like a child’s complaint, still hoped Burkhardt wouldn’t see the pettiness behind it.

“Beth.”

Burkhardt still called her gently, but made no move to come closer.

Only then did Elizabeth realize she couldn’t keep sulking like this.

At the same time, unease surged within her.

‘What if he thinks I’m a traitor who dares to ask for his heart?’

‘What if he finds even my presence uncomfortable and tells me to leave?’

Unable to meet Burkhardt’s eyes, Elizabeth let her head drop.

‘How could I complain over just a few days apart?’

She was already regretting the thoughtless words she’d spoken.

Just then, Burkhardt, who had been standing by the door, began to walk toward her.

The sound of his footsteps filled Elizabeth’s mind with confusion.

She had no idea what to say to ease his anger.

Trying to appeal to him, she offered the compromise she had come up with.

“I know you hate me. I know I have to bear your resentment. If that’s what you want, I’ll try to behave — like a doll, quiet and obedient.”

‘So please… don’t cast me aside.’

‘Must I give up the place beside him that I’ve only just regained?’

Though it was a weak excuse born of anxiety, Burkhardt’s demeanor shifted in an instant as he looked at Elizabeth.

“Ever since we reunited, you’ve always said you were enduring me — that I was too much for you.”

“No, I didn’t mean it like that…”

“You’ll endure everything like a doll? Even if I do things that hurt you?”

Why was he so angry?

Elizabeth replayed her words carefully, but she couldn’t guess what had provoked Burkhardt’s sudden outburst.

“If that’s what you want…”

She barely managed to say it, but Burkhardt didn’t respond. He simply began to close the distance between them.

With each step he took, the pressure she felt grew heavier.

Elizabeth, her body trembling, managed to move just enough to begin backing away.

But the office was a confined space.

With Burkhardt’s long strides, it wasn’t long before her back met the cold wall.

Just as the wall gave a faint thud behind her, her body stiffened slightly.

Suddenly, Burkhardt seized her arm with his large hand, gripping it tightly to keep her from moving.

“Ah… that hurts.”

But the Burkhardt who once responded to even the smallest sound was nowhere to be found.

Even without meeting his eyes directly, Elizabeth felt as though his piercing gaze was cutting straight through her — and that made her all the more afraid.

She could feel every nerve in her body standing on edge.

Her heartbeat thudded so loudly, she feared he might hear it.

Elizabeth squeezed her eyes shut, helplessly waiting for Burkhardt’s next move.

For a moment, time seemed to stop.

Only when their breaths tangled did she realize his face was now close.

In a voice so low it could captivate anyone, Burkhardt whispered softly.

“Why? Are you afraid of me?”

“……”

“You’re not a child. At the very least, you should take responsibility for what you say.”

“……”

“You think I put you in this place just to take out my anger on a lifeless doll, even while others grumbled behind my back?”

Burkhardt’s left hand slid up her arm and gently cupped Elizabeth’s face.

Though the air around him felt cold, his hand was still warm against her skin.

“Hmm? You should answer me, Beth.”

His voice was so gentle, like soothing a child.

It felt as though he would accept anything she said.

In the end, Elizabeth pleaded with him.

“Then don’t keep anyone else by your side. Please… don’t push me away. I’m begging you.”

She had no other way but to cling to him.

Even knowing that just being near him worsened his illness, even knowing how selfish it was to ignore that — she still didn’t want to part from Burkhardt.

She thought he would mock her for trying to resolve his resentment on her own terms.

That he might tell her to leave at any moment.

But he said nothing.

“Burke?”

The longer the silence stretched, the more Elizabeth’s unease grew. She feared that, because she had needlessly disturbed his heart with careless words, the gentle way he had treated her would vanish.

Wanting to gauge Burkhardt’s reaction, Elizabeth slowly lifted her head. She had expected him to lash out the moment their eyes met.

Yet his gaze brimmed with regret and sorrow.

Elizabeth could not meet Burkhardt’s pained expression with composure.

“Beth, did you think I was pushing you away? Why?”

Burkhardt’s emotions pressed heavily into Elizabeth’s mind. Her breath caught in her throat. She was too choked up to say anything.

“You may have abandoned me before, but I have never abandoned you.”

His voice, raw with anguish, trembled with unshed tears. She no longer wanted to make him sad.

Elizabeth poured her heart into her reply.

“Because you don’t care about me. Because you don’t like me. Because it feels like you’ll leave me at any moment.”

“What nonsense is that…!”

Burkhardt’s face crumpled as he moved to challenge her words—

Knock, knock.

Someone was at the door.

At the soft sound, both Burkhardt and Elizabeth turned their eyes toward the door.

A moment later, Marianne’s flat voice came through.

“Your Majesty, I’ve brought refreshments.”

Perhaps it was uncomfortable for him to be seen like this by his closest aide. Burkhardt straightened from where he had been leaning toward Elizabeth and took her hand, pulling her along.

Only when they reached the tea table—so out of place in the office—did Burkhardt finally release her hand.

She couldn’t tell what he intended.

As expected, the sudden appearance of this table and chairs meant they belonged to someone else. Unless Burkhardt had developed a new hobby while she wasn’t looking, there was no reason for him to bring in furniture that young women might like.

Since she had asked him directly, she would get a clear answer. Even if she was afraid, she had to hear it—where his heart had turned.

“Ha, over something like this… Beth. You know I’m not the only one who comes into the office.”

“Then? Are you saying Duke Giovanni has this kind of taste?”

“Yes. He said things haven’t been going well lately and he wanted to change the atmosphere. Now that you have your answer, why don’t you sit?”

She felt ashamed for doubting Burkhardt. The office was still as stark as ever, filled with the scent of books and ink, and she hadn’t found any proof that another woman had been brought in.

While Elizabeth fidgeted with the hem of her skirt in embarrassment, Marianne entered. One might have been curious about why she had come in late, but Marianne went about her duties in silence, setting out tea and refreshments on the table.

Elizabeth was relieved that things seemed to be passing without incident…

“Head maid. Did you say something foolish to Beth?”

Burkhardt suddenly threw the question at Marianne.

Even knowing it was a misunderstanding… Elizabeth’s whole body flushed with heat at his pettiness.

Before Marianne could answer, Elizabeth spoke up to change the subject.

“Thank you for bringing the tea and refreshments. Marianne, could you step out for a moment? I have something to discuss with Burkhardt.”

“No, don’t leave. The head maid needs to hear this.”

Burkhardt, showing a rather firm attitude, met Elizabeth’s eyes this time and asked,

“No matter how I think about it, it’s strange. You had no reason to be ill.”

“Burke, I’m just… weak…”

“Don’t even think about giving me such a flimsy excuse. The only one around you is the head maid, so it’s obvious what’s been unsettling your mood. Your health is also her responsibility. You were sick, so she must be held accountable.”

“Why is that Marianne’s fault? I told you already. You’re the one who made me anxious. You can’t stand not having someone watch me, even for a moment, because you don’t trust me. I have to live in constant tension all day—how could I not get sick?”

“Was it really so hard to be watched? If it was… if it was, you could have told me!”

“And you? How honest are you with me? Do you think I don’t know anything just because I’ve kept quiet? You’re the one who said being with me only makes you sicker!”

In a burst of emotion, Elizabeth brought up the conversation she had been putting off—at the worst possible moment.

Ah, this wasn’t the atmosphere she had intended for such words.

How had it come to this?

She had planned to watch for the right moment, to lead him into saying it himself.

It was a sensitive subject; if she brought it up first, it might only provoke Burkhardt’s resentment.

“Who told you something like that?”

As she had feared, his low, deep voice cut through her extreme tension like a sharpened blade.