Through Kenneth’s eyes, the world seemed to move in slow motion.

The rain over the colourless city intensified, obscuring his vision with a pale, misty blur.

Yet the vivid red of the blood stood out sharply and unmistakably, even from afar.

It streamed down Ariana’s forehead, each drop falling to the ground like a delicate flower petal.

When she collapsed to her knees and curled up, the sight of the fluttering maid beside her seemed almost absurd.

It was as if the world had tipped into something surreal and cruelly theatrical.

“Hah.”

But the short breath that escaped his lips felt cold and lifeless.

He didn’t know what prayers Ariana had said in the cathedral, but the idea made him scoff.

‘You shouldn’t cling to God, Ariana. You should be clinging to me.’

Who else could protect her from the sins of the Aberdeen family?

No one but him.

Kenneth knew that Ariana had seen him through the rain.

Her blue eyes stood out in the grey world as starkly as drops of blood.

But she lowered her gaze and turned away first.

“…”

As she limped off into the distance, something boiled silently at the bottom of his heart.

“Please, Kenneth, save me…”

She begged earnestly, just before becoming another man’s wife.

Now that her life had been spared, was she starting to feel fearless?

But none of it was fair.

Had she deceived him and taken everything from him?

Watching the scene unfold beside him, Theodora whispered under her breath.

“Oh my, wasn’t the lady hurt?”

“…”

“How pitiful. Then again, when a blood relative does something foolish, they should bear the consequences too.”

Theodora glanced up at Kenneth’s profile. There wasn’t a trace of sympathy on his face; it was as impenetrable as the depths of a forest.

He was the kind of man who wouldn’t bat an eyelid if he hurt a fragile woman, even slightly.

‘How deliciously satisfying.’

Malice sang with joy in her heart, but Theodora wouldn’t stop talking. The opportunity had presented itself, and she wanted to be certain.

She wanted to see if Kenneth truly didn’t care or if another emotion lurked beneath his cold exterior.

“She really knows how to be a burden, doesn’t she? Do you think she planned that little scene?”

“…”

“She’s perfected the art of looking pitiful. She must have been Andrew’s type.”

Everyone knew that woman had been corrupted by another man a long time ago.

This time, even Kenneth let out a faint smile as he looked down at her.

“Theodora.”

Theodora’s neck and both cheeks instantly flushed with heat.

When did it begin? Perhaps back in his boyhood? This man had mastered the art of speaking softly in a way that could calm a child.

His voice was calm and almost tender, as though he were addressing a lover. However, if you managed to break free from its spell and really listened, you would realise that his words were anything but gentle. They were sharp, precise reprimands wrapped in silk.

“When I closed my eyes just now, I could have sworn I was in a back alley.”

“…!”

“I find it hard to believe that came from the mouth of the daughter of a family with a 300-year legacy.”

Kenneth looked down at the speechless Theodora with deliberate calm.

“The Byron family is a prestigious one. With no clear heir, you’re likely to be the successor.”

“Kenneth…”

“That’s why, more than anyone, I believe you should understand what it means to have dignity.”

“Of course. Naturally.”

Theodora quickly averted her gaze.

Truthfully, what she had just said was not exactly what an unmarried lady from a renowned household should say.

Whether or not it had been an attempt to insult Ariana, she had only succeeded in undermining her own poise.

“The rain’s getting worse. Go inside, Theodora.”

“Yes, I understand. You’ll be coming to the party, won’t you?”

Instead of replying, Kenneth nodded slightly.

Sensing that asking more might embarrass her, Theodora accepted this and quietly stepped away.

Only then did a deeper shadow fall across Kenneth’s face.

The rain poured harder, but his mind remained fixed on one thing: the droplets of blood falling red against the rain-soaked cobblestones.

And the woman who hadn’t begged for help, but simply turned away.

He finally addressed the secretary holding the umbrella beside him.

“Roger.”

“Yes, Your Excellency.”

“Find out who threw the stone. Show no mercy.”

“Understood.”

“And replace every single man who failed to stop it.”

It was as if a thorn had lodged in his throat — sharp and infuriating.

The woman who had clung to him so desperately for almost a year was starting to change.

***

Ariana was never particularly close to the family physician at the ducal estate.

Dr Bialle was one of the few people who knew the exact circumstances surrounding Kenneth’s serious injury, and he strongly opposed her being accepted into the household because he believed she was responsible for the incident that caused it.

Even after a year of marriage, he remained unkind towards her.

“Tsk! The treatment’s finished.”

“Thank you.”

“There won’t be any scarring, so just make sure to keep the area dry.”

He applied a bandage to the right side of her forehead and tightly wrapped her sprained left ankle.

Once he had finished, he spoke in a tone that implied she had no reason to complain about the pain.

‘It’s not like I was going to complain anyway.’

Nevertheless, Emily looked more upset than Ariana, who was injured.

The maid’s face had gone pale, and she was clearly shaken by what had happened.

“Madam, I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have taken you to that café.”

“It’s fine, Emily.”

Despite the embarrassing ordeal in front of her maid, Ariana forced a faint smile.

‘But seeing Theodora Byron again brought it all back.’

The last time the woman came to visit, Ariana greeted her in the parlour instead of the bedroom. Yet the gun was still there on the bed, as if someone had put it there in anticipation.

‘Even if Theodora was involved, someone inside the estate had to have helped her.’

Almost everyone in the house disliked Ariana, so it wouldn’t be surprising if one of them had been an accomplice.

That was precisely why she had to leave as soon as she became pregnant. However, the more she thought about it, the more it seemed that something wasn’t adding up.

‘What if I’d actually used that gun on Kenneth?’

What if a woman who had been pushed to the brink of despair by the loss of her child had actually shot him?

Would they have just stood by and let it happen?

After all, wasn’t this supposed to be a household filled with people fiercely loyal to Kenneth?

Her forced smile vanished instantly as someone entered the room.

Ariana and the others present immediately straightened up and the room was filled with tension.

Despite his status as the estate’s master, this man’s presence alone was enough to make everyone uneasy.

“Leave us.”

Kenneth gave his instructions without looking at a single servant.

It was as if the only person he could see in the room was Ariana, sitting stiffly on the bed.

“It seems you lack a sense of caution. I even gave you advance notice about the banquet.”

“Ah…”

A soft, awkward sound slipped from Ariana’s lips.

Now that he had mentioned it, she remembered that a banquet was indeed scheduled to be hosted by the Byron Count’s family.

‘I was supposed to look presentable for that…’

In the past, she would have panicked over a mistake like this.

This time, however, although she felt the familiar pang of regret, it did not overwhelm her with suffocating guilt.

“Your place should be reserved for a proper woman. So don’t concern yourself with the matter of my heir.”

‘That ‘proper woman’ could only mean Theodora Byron, couldn’t it?’

It was absurd — not to mention revolting — that the same woman who mocked Bibi’s death was now being deemed ‘proper’.

But if Kenneth chose to see her that way, that was his business.

Just as it was Ariana’s right to find that assessment so repulsive that she couldn’t bring herself to meet his gaze.

“…I’m sorry, Your Grace.”

“……”

“I’ll do my best to cover it up and attend as expected. I apologize for causing concern—”

However, as she wasn’t looking at him, she failed to notice him approaching. So, when he suddenly reached out and tilted her chin upwards, her heart skipped a beat.

His deep teal eyes locked onto hers, as if he could read her thoughts.

It was irrational, but for a moment, Ariana feared he could really read her mind. Then came his unexpected question.

“Your leg.”

“…Pardon?”

“How’s your ankle?”

“……?”

Ariana blinked in surprise.

‘Can he see the bandages under the hem of my dress?’

The lace hem of her skirt covered it well, and she made sure to wear slippers too.

“I hurt my left side a bit, but it’s not too bad…”

“That’s a relief. You should take better care of your body. It’s the only thing you’ve got.”

“…”

Ariana quickly wiped the confused look off her face and bit her lip.

‘Don’t be upset. There’s no need to feel insulted. I was always seen as something to be used for that anyway.’

She shouldn’t just suffer; she needed to seize the opportunity presented by his words.

“Even if I’m a little damaged, it won’t be a problem when we share a bed.”