Do not fear, and never hesitate.

That was the lesson Kyle had learned on the battlefield—a scar that would never fully heal. Every unnecessary mercy he had ever shown, every shallow kindness, had always returned as bullets aimed at him and his comrades.

So when it came to protecting someone, Kyle never hesitated.

Not ever. Not even now.

But tonight, a voice he could not ignore whispered to him. A desperate, pleading voice—and at that sound, he finally stopped and lowered his gun.

“Kyle….”

Kyle slid the gun behind his back and crouched to her eye level, kneeling on one knee. He reached out carefully, brushing Maude’s face with trembling fingers. Tears and blood stained her pale skin, and the sight alone was enough to shatter him.

He wanted to kill Foil Beckley immediately. His grip tightened around the gun—

—and that was when Maude noticed.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled herself into him.

Clinging to him tightly, Maude was more desperate than ever. Kyle was a grand duke, but also a soldier. Firing at a civilian—especially a titled noble—would inevitably cause trouble. And if Foil were to die, it would be far worse.

At that point, there might be no turning back. The Empress and Duke Marcel would never let it go. She couldn’t let Kyle suffer that fate because of her. The navy, the sea—they were his entire world.

Maude gently patted his back, slow and soothing.

“I’m okay. So… stop. Please, okay? If this becomes an issue, it won’t end with just discipline. Please… I’m really okay.”

Burying her face against his chest, she heard his heartbeat clearly—strong, fast, unrelenting. Listening to it pound so fiercely, Maude closed her dry, aching eyes and opened them again.

A fleeting thought slipped in.

‘Is he really that angry? I really am okay…’

The truth was, she was a little scared. She had never seen him like this before. For a moment, she imagined him standing on the front lines, facing death just as he had moments ago.

He was someone with so much to protect—the West Sea, his battleship, his soldiers.

And now, it felt as though she had added another burden to his shoulders.

Her heart grew heavy for no reason at all.

Still, Maude continued to quietly comfort him, her hand steady on his back. As she soothed Kyle, she prayed.

That on the way home, she would get to see his smile. That bright smile, deep dimples showing—the one she missed so dearly.

“….”

Kyle, meanwhile, remained silent.

The fact that even while crying, she was worrying only about him cut deeply into his chest. Her insistence that she was fine, the way she wiped away her tears—it was all for his sake.

He looked down at Maude in his arms with a bitter expression. Her body had been trembling nonstop; he hadn’t believed her “I’m okay” from the start. And yet, despite the fury still burning in his eyes, he waited calmly.

Until she settled. Until the echo of gunfire ringing in her ears faded, even just a little.

Kyle wrapped his arms around her fully.

When her shaking finally eased and her breathing steadied, he asked softly,

“Should I carry you… or give you a piggyback?”

She hadn’t expected the question. Though she knew she couldn’t walk out on her own, being asked like this made her feel embarrassed. She hesitated, thinking it over—but the answer was obvious.

Her ankles, scraped raw by the rope, still throbbed with pain. Her knees, bruised against the splintered wooden floor, were still bleeding. And she had no strength left to stand.

After a brief moment of deliberation, Maude whispered in a barely audible voice,

“Piggyback me.”

She added an apology but couldn’t bring herself to lift her head. Still wrapped in Kyle’s arms, her rapidly beating heart was impossible to hide.

Kyle hugged her tightly once more.

“It’s all over now.”

“….”

At those words, she could forget everything—the fear, the anxiety, the face of Foil Beckley as he struck her.

Kyle alone was enough.

As Kyle descended the stairs from the second floor, only the sound of his footsteps echoed through the space. Riding on his back, Maude felt sleep tug at her as the tension finally drained away.

If snow were to fall in the middle of summer, perhaps it would feel like this.

A hazy night.

“I’ll come get you every day.”

A gentle voice drifted down.

“Mm.”

That was all she managed to reply before slipping into sleep. Everything felt like nothing more than a terrible dream. And from now on, it felt as though she would only dream good dreams.

***

The silence settling over Hablein Manor resembled the stillness of a stormy night. Cleve, who had been standing guard in the first-floor hall all this time, froze the moment he saw his daughter draped over Kyle’s back.

He had already heard the full story from Thompson and Sarah, who had arrived earlier—but seeing it with his own eyes was something else entirely. The sight of Maude’s battered body sent his fury soaring.

What Kyle presented to him next was Foil.

Foil Beckley—soaked in blood, gunshot wounds visible on his right upper arm and left foot.

He was technically alive, but that was about all. The gunshot wounds were unmistakable. He looked as though he had been unconscious for quite some time. Blood from his body stained the white marble floor of the great hall.

Even for a duke who had lived several decades, this was a first.

Cleve Hablein blinked slowly, staring blankly at the unfamiliar scene.

What in the world is this…?

Kyle, standing rigidly at attention, spoke.

“I will accept whatever punishment you decide.”

The words were simple, but Cleve understood immediately. Even if Cleve ordered Foil killed, Kyle would obey—regardless of the consequences he himself would bear.

That alone spoke volumes about his feelings for Maude.

Cleve’s sharp gaze moved between Kyle’s bloodstained uniform and his resolute eyes. He let out a quiet sigh before speaking.

“Thank you for saving Maude, Your Grace. This debt will not be forgotten.”

“There’s no need.”

Kyle said he had merely done what he should. He then trailed off, apologizing instead for Maude being hurt.

At that moment, Cleve noticed Kyle’s eyes waver—and the way his bloodied hands clenched tightly.

Anyone could see it.

Those were the eyes of a man in love.

After a moment of silence, Cleve continued in a scolding tone.

“Maude is safe now. From here on, you should take care of yourself, Your Grace. We’ll say no firearms were used, and I’ll handle the rest.”

“No. I—”

“She wouldn’t want that.”

“….”

“Please… I’m really okay.”

Her plea echoed in his ears.

Kyle could no longer insist. He knew Maude’s heart better than anyone.

It was Kyle who finally broke the awkward tension between them. He said he would take his leave. He couldn’t bring himself to ask to be notified when Maude woke up. A man whose hands were constantly stained with blood was hardly someone a father would welcome as his daughter’s partner.

So Kyle quietly turned to leave—

“Wait.”

Cleve stopped him.

“I don’t know when she’ll wake up, but if you don’t mind, please stay a little longer. You still look very worried. I imagine your heart isn’t at ease.”

“Ah…”

“I’ll have clothes prepared for you to change into.”

“…Thank you.”

Cleve finished speaking with a gentle expression. He stood there for a long while, watching Kyle follow a servant upstairs.

Even after Kyle disappeared from sight, Cleve didn’t look away.

At last, he accepted it.

That brilliant yet foolish grand duke truly was the right match for his daughter.

Letting out another short sigh, Cleve turned around.

To Foil—still sprawled across his own floor.

Cleve’s expression changed instantly. With bloodshot eyes, he ground his boot down hard on Foil’s injured foot and upper arm.

The sudden pain jolted Foil awake, his scream muffled as a butler rushed in to clamp a hand over his mouth. Cleve paid it no mind, pressing down even harder as he glared at him.

“You bastard. You dared touch my daughter? I’ll make you wish you were dead.”

“Mmmph! Mmm—!”

He hurled curses like venom. Foil weakly raised his uninjured left hand, as if begging, but Cleve didn’t spare him a glance.

“Listen carefully. You fired the gun. If the doctor asks, you say you lost your mind after a failed bond investment. Say anything else—and I’ll kill you so quietly not even rats will notice.”

“Mmm—! Mmmph!!”

“And if you so much as breathe a word about the grand duke, I won’t let it slide.”

The threat continued—promising the complete destruction of the winery and wine business Foil cherished so dearly. Meeting Cleve’s contempt-filled gaze, Foil finally stopped struggling.

Cleve Hablein was the man who controlled Berren’s purse strings. He was not someone who made empty threats.

“….”

“You’re going straight to the hospital. Go—and keep your mouth shut.”

When Foil nodded weakly, two strong servants immediately dragged him away. Cleve followed behind, watching until the carriage carrying Foil disappeared beyond the gates of Hablein Manor.

There was no way this had been Foil’s doing alone.

Returning to the great hall, Cleve’s gaze sank into something cold and sharp.