“What are you doing?”

“Well… a little… situation came up.”

Though she had yanked him forward so roughly before, Maude flinched and let go of Kyle’s tie. She kept glancing nervously toward the terrace railing, her hands clasped as if in a plea.

Whatever that “situation” was, he didn’t care. But if she was acting like a lost kitten, there had to be a reason. In any case, this needed to be resolved before they could conclude their business.

Kyle let out a short sigh and asked,

“So, exactly what…”

Yet instead of answering, Maude only clung closer to the terrace railing, which irritated him all the more—until a familiar voice cut in:

“Well, well, who do we have here?”

At the sound, the woman’s brow furrowed deeply. It seemed Felix Beckford was just as much of a nuisance to her as he was to Kyle.

Kyle swept his hair back with a cold expression.

“Excuse me for a moment.”

He reached for Maude’s right hand and gently drew her a step closer. Then he slipped off his jacket and draped it over her shoulders.

“Wear this. Otherwise, the back of your dress will be torn to shreds.”

Only then did Maude realize that what she had been pressing against was the rough marble column behind her. She looked up at Kyle in flustered surprise, but his expression was indifferent. So she quickly averted her gaze.

Feeling awkward, she pulled the jacket tighter across her front. Her eyes, wandering, soon landed on the shadow at her feet. The broad shoulders beneath the jacket made her silhouette look as though she were wearing armor, which struck her as rather comical.

She gave her shoulders a tiny shake, and the shadow wobbled as if dancing awkwardly. The sight was so ridiculous that she had to bite her lips to stifle a laugh.

Her gaze drifted back to Kyle. Everything about him was large and imposing: the height that forced her to crane her neck, the overly broad shoulders, even hands that looked three times the size of hers.

Perfect in every way, to the point of seeming unreal.

She was staring at his hair, gleaming like fire in the crimson sunset, when her eyes met his. His gaze was strikingly calm, like a placid water’s surface—yet empty of anything within.

In that brief moment, nothing could be read. And it stretched on, feeling far longer than it was. For a second, it even felt as if it might never end.

Maude was just about to turn her eyes away from the strange feeling when—

“When did you get here?”

A familiar voice, followed by the dull thunk of a cane against the floor. Felix.

‘Oh no, please go! Don’t come here!’

Maude pressed herself more tightly against the terrace pillar. Facing Felix was one of the most unpleasant, annoying things imaginable. The reason was simple:

He would pry into everything—from the pink diamond to her dealings with the captain.

Even if she didn’t answer, Felix would happily chatter on with whatever he thought he knew. His polished conversational skills never quite crossed the line, yet it always infuriated her more. And he was quick to apologize whenever needed, which left her speechless.

Felix Beckford excelled at teasing and provoking people.

Maude let out a quiet sigh through her teeth.

“You should take the opposite terrace,” Kyle said, stepping forward to block the way. He leaned against the doorframe, his stance casual, but his eyes told Felix to leave while he still could.

“And if I don’t?” Felix drawled.

“Then Beckford will never be built in Wharton.”

The words were spoken gently, but the threat was clear.

“You b*stard.”

Felix muttered curses as he finally moved toward the opposite terrace.

“Come this way,” Kyle said, extending his hand to Maude.

Caught off guard, she placed her hand in his. He guided her to the terrace door, where a massive pillar hid them from view. The perfect blind spot.

Maude let out a breath of relief and whispered,

“Thank you for helping me.”

But before Kyle could even finish a polite nod, that unwelcome voice returned.

“So what’s really going on? Not even a word of notice.”

Felix was leaning against the terrace railing, shooting Kyle a suspicious look.

“I’ll be in Wharton around the day after tomorrow.”

“You could’ve said that earlier.”

“I’m saying it now.”

That much was understandable—after all, it had been nothing more than a blunt notice that he would be going to Wharton alone. Disdain flickered in Felix’s eyes, but Kyle did not so much as flinch.

Felix, who had been glaring at him all the while, suddenly changed his expression. As if he had been waiting for this very moment, a sly smile crept across his face.

“Well then. Who would have thought His Grace the Grand Duke had such talents?”

“……”

“Never showing his face in society, let alone making a proper debut—yet he managed to get Miss Maude to visit his garrison!”

He even added a mocking jab about how charming that was.

‘They said the two were cousins…’

Maude stole a glance at Kyle’s face. Considering Felix’s endless needling, it was hard to tolerate, even if they were cousins. Yet seeing him keep such a composed face, his gaze lifted only toward the sky, she thought he was an incredibly patient man. 

‘If it were me, I’d have smacked him already.’

So, at least in her imagination, she scolded the noisy Felix.

In reality, Felix kept talking.

“What’s going on between you two? Ah, I should really ask Miss Maude directly, but she’s so good at avoiding me.”

He gave a sly smile and snapped his fingers.

“Would you believe me if I told you?” Kyle asked back calmly.

Felix faltered for a brief moment, then smiled again.

“No.”

“Then think whatever you like, Duke.”

As if he had expected that very answer, Kyle gave a nonchalant nod.

“Thanks to Your Grace, this social season promises to be so entertaining—I’m ever so grateful.”

Felix’s weak joke fell on the edge of his laugh. As expected, his blatant tone wasn’t exactly pleasant. Still, compared to his usual antics, it was tolerable—almost decent.

Kyle was rubbing the back of his neck, looking tired, when Felix’s gaze narrowed sharply.

“But where’s your jacket…?”

His cousin’s eyes raked over him suspiciously. The outfit was flawless, complete with a waistcoat—yet the jacket was conspicuously missing. As though he had taken it off for someone.

He was just about to press further when a hurried knock sounded, and the hotel’s general manager called for Felix.

“Duke, there’s something that requires your attention.”

Felix’s brow creased at the unwelcome interruption. He began moving reluctantly, tossing out the errand he had momentarily forgotten while taunting Kyle.

“Oh, and about the Beckford II Hotel site in Wharton—I need to talk with you about it. You’ll probably get there first, so look into it.”

“Come to the master room.”

“Right. It won’t take long.”

Felix left the terrace in a rush, heading the opposite way. He didn’t spare a single glance toward Maude, who was standing by the terrace window.

Stretching her neck to peer cautiously outside, Maude let out a sigh of relief only when Felix had vanished completely from sight. With that bothersome distraction gone, only one thing remained—the answer she had been waiting for.

Gazing at Kyle’s back, Maude thought of a coin. Heads meant she would get to face him and hear his reply. Tails meant she would have to watch him walk away. She was certain of heads, but even if tails came up, she had no intention of giving up.

She would make him into something beautiful and dazzling, and place him in the Emperor’s hand—as the flower of society, and as a masterpiece upon the marriage market.

The setting sun cast dusky shadows across the terrace. Kyle, who had been standing at the front, strode toward her in long steps. Stopping a short distance away, he looked down at her and spoke.

“I came to give you my answer.”

“Will you give me the Captain?” Maude asked, smiling.

“Gladly. Because I, too, have something to gain.”

Kyle’s languid voice was as soft as the evening breeze. A man as beautiful as the deep blue night sky.

‘See? I told you—it would be heads.’

Her smile toward him was as radiant as the rose-tinted sunset.