“Oh! Yes, understood.”

The butler had no choice but to leave the room. His face had gone completely white, but Hereis paid it no mind.

Name Eldrich as a suspect, and everything would fall into place easily enough.

❀❀❀

Adolf looked at the sender of the urgent letter.

“Hmm. The Marquis of Chartres. Isn’t that the Duchess of Devonshire’s brother?”

“Yes, that’s right. The marquisate sent an urgent letter today. They also noted that it concerns Viscount Seregei.”

The aide added carefully.

“Is he planning to offer a useful testimony?”

He had kept his mouth shut from the moment the viscount disappeared until now. What had changed his mind?

Adolf opened the envelope with a paper knife, expecting little. His eyes moved slowly down the contents.

In that moment, something shifted in his golden eyes.

“Well, this is turning into an interesting affair.”

If what the letter said was true, he could guess why the man had suddenly changed his mind.

With unfavorable rumors about the two of them circulating in the capital recently, it would have been weighing on him.

It seemed what he wanted was exactly what the rumors suggested, that the two of them were on poor terms.

Otherwise he wouldn’t have openly written that Duke Eldrich Devonshire was suspicious.

“Does this seem credible to you?”

“The noble community’s opinion of the Marquis of Chartres is not poor. However, I would prefer to hold back on whether the marquis’s words should be believed.”

The aide adjusted his posture and offered his thoughts. Standing at the crown prince’s side, he had observed countless people. Through that, he had gathered and weighed a great deal of information.

“Your reasons?”

“The marquis is well regarded by those around him, but there are many things that don’t add up.”

“Go on. I’ll make the judgment.”

“The ventures carried out by the Chartres marquisate appear to be doing well on the surface, but in reality they are hollow. The losses will come to light soon.”

“I heard a number of investors have pulled out. Is that why?”

“Yes. It appears the Marquis of Chartres has been playing games with money.”

“Do you think Eldrich is truly unrelated to that case?”

“I don’t believe there is such a thing as a hundred percent certainty in this world. But in terms of precision and leaving no gaps, there is no one who could match the duke.”

“So you’re saying there is a possibility.”

“Duke Devonshire showed a great deal of interest in Miss Cleve of the Chartres marquisate. He never looked at any other woman. And he is someone who, once he decides to do something, does it.”

“Mm, yes. That’s what I like about him.”

“……If the duke truly is involved, what do you intend to do?”

“Well. One thing is clear. I trust the duke’s word far more than the marquis’s.”

Adolf intended to meet the marquis first and hear him out. Only then could he plan his next move.

❀❀❀

Two days after sending her letter, Cleve grew anxious. The thought that her brother might try to frame Eldrich made her blood run cold.

Eldrich has nothing to do with this.

If he ended up caught in trouble because of her, she didn’t think she could face him.

“Annette, has any news come from the capital?”

“No, my lady. Were you expecting something?”

“Not exactly. Annette, would it be possible to get news from the capital?”

She needed to know what was being said there. She was worried her brother might have already spoken to the investigators about Eldrich.

But if he has nothing to do with it, there’s no reason to be anxious, is there?

She knew that, and still the unease wouldn’t leave. Cleve pushed away the words of Eldrich’s that kept surfacing in her mind.

“Receiving a news sheet isn’t difficult. It’ll be a step behind the capital, but keeping track of what’s happening won’t be a problem.”

“Then I’d like to ask you to arrange that.”

“Of course. I’ll send word so you can have it by tomorrow.”

“Annette, where is His Grace?”

“He stepped out for something urgent. It seemed a guest had arrived.”

“A guest?”

“Yes, shall I let His Grace know you’re looking for him?”

“It’s all right. I can talk to him later when he isn’t busy.”

Her brother probably hadn’t made a move yet. Cleve gripped the armrest of her chair and forced a smile.

“If there is anything I can help with, please don’t hesitate to say so.”

“I will.”

She considered telling Annette right then, but in the end she kept her mouth closed.

Cleve didn’t want him to hear about it through someone else.

She intended to go to Eldrich directly and tell him herself. He needed to know that her brother was trying to frame him.

“Annette, His Grace wouldn’t forgive someone who tried to damage his reputation, would he?”

“That’s difficult to say. His Grace is not someone who concerns himself much with his own reputation.”

“……But if he were falsely accused of something he didn’t do, wouldn’t he be angry?”

“If it concerned you, my lady, he might let it go.”

“……Pardon?”

“His Grace makes exceptions for everything when it comes to you.”

“Even if it means damaging his reputation or leaving him to bear a false accusation?”

“Yes. Because you are the most important person to His Grace.”

Hearing those words, Cleve couldn’t stay still.

“……I’m important to His Grace?”

The duke had told her he had fallen for her at first sight. He treated her happiness as the only thing that mattered, as though nothing else in the world did.

“To everyone in House Devonshire, you are someone who matters deeply.”

“……Annette. Let me know when the guest leaves. I need to speak with His Grace.”

“Of course. If it runs long, I’ll come and tell you.”

Cleve gave a small nod. She couldn’t be rude to a guest.

She looked at the clock and hid her restlessness.

❀❀❀

Eldrich sat deep in his chair and smiled.

“So a report came in claiming someone saw me that day.”

“……Yes. His Highness the crown prince sent me in secret.”

“It must have been a testimony worth verifying.”

The royal envoy wore an uncomfortable expression and gave a slow nod.

A witness’s testimony.

There couldn’t be one. Eldrich had handled everything without leaving a single trace.

He hadn’t crossed paths with anyone from the viscountal household, and the person the marquisate had sent to watch Cleve hadn’t seen him either.

He had worked quickly and precisely. Concealing his presence was something he had long since mastered.

“You must answer truthfully. I trust you understand that things will become complicated otherwise.”

“The truth……”

Eldrich tilted his head at the envoy’s words. How much of the truth did they mean?

The fact that the crown prince had sent someone to the residence rather than summoning him meant he didn’t fully believe the informant. Perhaps even if Eldrich were the true culprit, the crown prince would shelter him.

But Eldrich had no intention of being honest.

Even if the royal family conducted an investigation, they would not find the real perpetrator.

“I think I have a good idea of who named me. It seems someone is scheming to divorce me from Cleve.”

“……Divorce?”

“I cut off the investment funds I had been sending to the Marquis of Chartres. He must be furious. There was good reason for it, but…… it seems I’m not the sort of husband he had in mind.”

At Eldrich’s words, the royal envoy looked visibly flustered.

“Did His Highness say he would hand down punishment if I were found to be the culprit?”

“……No.”

“Then if I’m not the culprit, the investigation will continue.”

Eldrich sat up straight and looked steadily at the envoy.

“My understanding is that the Seregei family requested the investigation be dropped. Am I wrong?”

The day after the viscount’s sister came to find Cleve, Eldrich had gone to them. He had obtained a promise that they would never appear again, and they had signed a document agreeing to request the investigation be closed.

He needed to know why it was still continuing. He had no patience for unnecessary complications.

He could only be at ease once every source of anxiety for Cleve had been removed. The matter of Viscount Seregei had to remain an unanswered question for her.

If she learned he was dead, she would lose hope again and fall apart.

To Eldrich, every person and every event in the world was a potential threat. Maintaining his peaceful life meant tolerating no interference of any kind.

“……How did you know that?”

“Viscount Seregei’s sister followed us all the way here. She insulted my wife and left.”

Eldrich lifted the teacup in front of him and breathed in the scent.

“Tell His Highness. I only want to protect the life I have now.”

“You have been named a suspect. An investigation is unavoidable.”