When Iren remained silent, Lahart twisted one corner of his mouth in a satisfied smile.

“I’ll send for a doctor to examine you.”

“Duke.”

Lahart was about to leave the room. Iren gathered her courage and called out to him. When she tried to get out of bed, Lahart extended his hand to stop her.

“That’s enough. Just speak.”

“I would like to visit my laboratory for a moment. Please allow me.”

The air that had been warm and gentle like a spring breeze turned cold in an instant. His sharp, slate-gray eyes pierced her intensely.

Iren held her own shoulder with one hand. She felt a chilling shiver, but she didn’t want to back down now.

She needed to study the flower hidden under the table as soon as possible. Even though she had managed to dry it somehow, if left as it was, its efficacy would diminish.

“What if I don’t permit it?”

“I’m not trying to go anywhere else. You can have me watched. Just a few hours a day, no, even just one hour is fine, please……”

“I’ve made it clear that you can’t leave here.”

“Then, at least allow me to bring a few tools. I will clean up everything before you return, Duke. I won’t go against your wishes and step out even for a moment.”

“Iren.”

His suppressed voice bound her so that she could not move an inch. The pleading Iren froze in place.

Thud, thud. Lahart moved his slow steps back to the bed and touched her neck full of bruise-like red marks.

“You think you obey me well.”

“I never defied your will.”

“No. The things you keep are trivial and useless. While you lightly ignore the things that actually matter.”

“It was my fault for entering the forest without permission. I’m sorry……”

“It doesn’t matter if you go into the forest a thousand times.”

Then what exactly makes you so angry? What made you angry enough to lock me up like this?

She swallowed the questions that rose to her chin. Lahart spoke.

“I told you to give up on that antidote. Why won’t you give up?”

Lahart, as he was asking this, had an expression of truly not understanding Iren.

At the same time, Iren could not understand Lahart, who spoke like that.

It was so frustrating and painful that she felt like crying. Give up? If that was possible, she would have done so long ago. Who would willingly endure the pain of their insides twisting and wringing, and the fear of possibly dying just like that?

She was also human. Being from the Phaeson family didn’t mean she wasn’t afraid of poison.

But how can one give up? How can one possibly give up? How can one just watch the person they love suffer?

How can one simply walk past when the person who seemed to shine brilliantly, lighting up the whole world, is falling into a swamp?

She can’t give up, so she doesn’t. She can’t turn back, so she moves forward.

That was Iren’s way of loving Lahart, her way of taking responsibility for him.

And now, she was almost there. Just a little more steps and she would reach the end of the path.

Iren clenched her fist.

“It’s not that I won’t give up. It’s that I can’t.”

“Because of some worthless guilt?”

“Is the reason important to you, Duke? If I tell you the reason, would you understand and allow me to go to the laboratory?”

Iren’s complexion was pale, but her eyes were more vibrant than ever, showing her will to never give up.

Lahart uttered in a low voice.

“People still call you the witch of Phaeson. Even though the only person you poisoned after 10 years is me.. Do you know why?”

“……Because I am from the Phaeson family.”

“No. It’s because you still haven’t given up.”

Lahart bent down and kissed Iren. The kiss that started at her lips and trailed down her neck was light, but the lips touching her skin were scorchingly hot.

Iren trembled slightly at the gap shown by Lahart, who harbored both hatred for her and a desire that craved her every night.

Lahart, who had let go of her lips, lifted her chin.

“If you want to become the true Duchess of Cardius, throw away the illusion that you can make an antidote.”

“……No, I can’t. That’s not an illusion. It’s hope, and it’s a future that’s about to come.”

“Hope.”

Lahart roughly released his grip on her chin. With his forceful touch, Iren fell onto the bed.

“You will end up giving up. That’s the nature of hope. It breaks easily and shatters very easily.”

Until he left the bedroom, Lahart never looked back once.

* * *

“……am. Madam! Please wake up, Madam!”

This is…… Jane’s voice.

Iren woke up, awakened by the familiar and welcome voice. It seemed she had fallen asleep again after talking to Lahart and waiting for the scent of him lingering in the room to disappear.

“Madam!”

Jane, who was standing by the bed, collapsed into tears. Iren gently patted her heaving back.

“Jane? How did you… No, more importantly, are you okay? Are you hurt? I heard you were locked up in jail, was everything alright?”

“I’m fine. I haven’t been hurt, and I’ve been eating well.”

“Stand up for a moment. Let me see. You might have injuries in places we can’t see.”

“I’m really okay, Madam. Far from being mistreated, the knights took turns guarding me. It felt less like being imprisoned and more like being on vacation, you know?”

Then Jane, with a tear-streaked face, gave a bright smile. But her expression quickly turned to one of distress.

“Why do you look so emaciated, Madam? You were already thin, what would we do if you lost even more weight there? It looks like I was not the one who was locked up in jail, but you, Madam.”

“I was trapped here just the same. I made sure to eat regularly. The Duke stayed with me for so long that I couldn’t skip meals.”

“The Duke stayed with you? The sky must have turned upside down while I was locked up. Well, things have been strange since the Duke called for me and started asking various questions.”

“He called for you?”

“Yes. I was idling in jail when the aide came to fetch me. Oh right, more importantly, Madam. Look at what I’ve brought for you.”

Jane wiped her tears with her sleeve and brought over a large basket. Iren’s eyes widened as she looked inside the basket. It contained tools for making the antidote.

Iren took Jane’s hands that had set down the basket.

“Weren’t the knights guarding the entrance to the laboratory? How did you bring this?”

“Well… Ah! I have a friend who works in the storeroom. I asked them about the knights’ shift changes. I knew which tools you frequently use, so I quickly gathered them and left. I thought you might need them.”

“Jane, thank you. But don’t do this again next time. It’s too dangerous. If the Duke noticed, it wouldn’t have ended with you just being locked up.”

“You don’t have to worry about the Duke finding out, Madam.”

Jane answered with conviction. Iren tilted her head slightly with a puzzled expression. Jane was bold and courageous, but Lahart was someone who couldn’t be dealt with just by that.

She knew well how dearly Jane cared for her. Iren also cared a lot for Jane. That’s why she must make it clear this time. To ensure that Jane doesn’t suffer any harm while trying to help her like this time.

“You don’t need to take risks for me. No, I’d rather you didn’t. I won’t ask you to do so in the future.”

“Why do you say such disappointing things? Madam, do you hate me now? Was I too presumptuous?”

“That’s not what I mean. You were locked up in jail because of me.”

“Oh, really, it’s not like that at all. I told you the knights were constantly guarding me. Look at my face. I’ve gained weight because I ate and rested so well. It wasn’t a lie I told just to reassure you.”

“Still……”

“The Duke must have been fickle again. He often is, isn’t he? But Madam, do you know? The knights are incredibly handsome. It seems like they are chosen by their faces. Ah, if the knights were guarding me, I wouldn’t mind being locked up in jail again.”

“Jane.”

“Well, to Madam, the Duke must be the best-looking, right?”

“Jane!”

“I’ll quickly prepare so you can start your research.”

Jane chuckled as she moved the table and chairs. Iren pressed her forehead and sighed.

It was good to be bright and cheerful, but she felt awkward whenever Jane made jokes mentioning Lahart.

Will there ever come a day when I can naturally respond to Jane’s teasing?

To think that Lahart is the most wonderful in my eyes. That I’m glad the person I love is him. That Lahart cherishes and loves me tenderly.

The sweet fantasy left only bitterness and dissipated into nothingness. She had a bad taste in her mouth.

It wasn’t long before everything was ready. With Jane’s efficient hands, just placing a few tools on the table created a small laboratory.

“Please sit down, Madam!”

Iren sat in the chair that Jane had pulled out for her. With the pharmaceutical tools in front of her, her hands moved on their own.

Jane looked on fondly at the absorbed profile of Iren, but her face darkened slightly.

‘In this vast castle, if only she had something besides this to attach her affection to… If only they had a child between them, it might make things a bit better.’

Jane swallowed a sigh. It was because of Iren’s stern warning to never bring up pregnancy or children again.

I’ve never seen Madam speak so coldly before. Does she not like having children?

Putting aside various questions, Jane assisted Iren in making the antidote. The complex process was completed and the finished antidote was a colorless and odorless liquid.

Iren transferred the antidote into a small glass bottle and then moved her neck lightly from side to side. On the table, besides the antidote, there were several jars of ointment. They were made in a hurry so she could apply them to Lahart starting tonight.

“Are you done?”

“Yes. I’ll stop here for today. The Duke might come soon.”

“So early? There’s still a long time before sunset.”

“He sometimes comes in the afternoon these days. Let’s clean up now.”

“Leave it to me, and you just stay still, Madam. Now that I’m here, you won’t have to lift a finger.”

With Jane’s insistence, Iren had no choice but to lie down on the bed. The spring breeze blew through the open window. The wind that tickled her cheeks was soft and warm. It seemed that spring had fully arrived during the time she was confined in the room.