In the atmosphere flowing with murderous cold air, the Grand Duke’s household servants who’d followed kept swallowing their saliva.

Eventually, when that stopped—

“What do you want from me? I think I’ve given you plenty.”

“You’ve given everything? You still haven’t returned the most important person. Even if you give me many treasures, when you haven’t given the most important treasure, how can I back down?”

At those words, the Grand Duchess slightly raised the corners of her mouth and blinked.

“Oh dear. I haven’t told you something important. Count Yut… can’t return. He made a grave mistake during his travels and is being held hostage.”

At the word hostage, Acel’s back seemed to turn cold. The Grand Duchess had never intended to return him from the start.

From the very beginning, not even sparing the effort to bind his ankles.

But why? For what reason won’t she leave the Yut family alone?

Why?

‘I can’t understand.’

There shouldn’t have been any reason to earn her displeasure.

‘Why is she showing such hostility?’

When his mouth felt parched, a strange atmosphere began creeping in. Though she didn’t speak, strangely she’d poke and disappear, then poke and disappear again.

Just when it started grating on his nerves, the Grand Duchess removed the fox fur stole around her neck.

“How is Countess Winter doing?”

“She’s doing very well.”

“Really? For someone who dislikes the family, she’s doing remarkably well.”

The Grand Duchess’s words had barbs hidden in them. At her painfully piercing tone, his head tilted involuntarily.

Clear hostility had come again. This time, hatred directed at Thea showed prominently.

Given her personality, she wasn’t someone who’d fight with anyone—so why was she receiving such emotions?

Just when he thought some major misunderstanding had occurred—

The butler walked between them and spoke carefully.

“Countess Winter has arrived.”

Acel was the one who reacted to those words.

“My wife is here? I didn’t receive any indication she was coming… What’s going on?”

“She said she came because she was worried since you hadn’t contacted her.”

“I see, my wife… came because she was worried about me.”

An indescribable emotion brushed past his skin and disappeared. They’d fought badly before she left, yet he couldn’t believe she’d come just because she was worried.

It was behavior she’d absolutely never show normally.

He felt pleased yet worried about Thea walking into this den, unable to say anything, when—

The Grand Duchess snorted and began sneering.

“I guess the rumors about your poor relationship are all lies. Coming like sparks have fallen on her feet just because she hasn’t seen you for a few days.”

“Couldn’t that be natural? As a married couple, she’d have reason to worry.”

“Yes, married couple… What lovely words.”

The Grand Duchess, reciting that there were no better words than these, turned her head to the other side. After that, she stared absently at tree branches swaying in the gentle breeze.

“Count.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“Do you remember? When marriage talks went between us.”

“Yes, I remember. It’s already been over ten years. We were quite young then.”

Just when he’d refreshed his hazy memories, the Grand Duchess lightly touched her pale fingertips together and smiled longingly.

“Back then, I wonder why you refused. There’s no one else as good as you.”

“Doesn’t the Grand Duke treat you well? The Grand Duke is surely a better man than me.”

Perceptive as he was, he could tell why the Grand Duchess was grumbling. Why she’d picked this pointless fight.

‘She must have fought with the Grand Duke.’

Quite badly at that.

In this easily readable situation, Acel calmly gazed at the Grand Duchess and said, “It’s already a past matter, so it’s best not to bring it up anymore. Our respective spouses are breathing right here, aren’t they?”

Despite him openly showing discomfort, nothing changed. The Grand Duchess kept flicking her fingers and glancing at the butler.

“What if I spirited you away from this place… what would you do?”

“I’m not sure what you mean.”

When he pretended not to know while knowing, the Grand Duchess briefly called the butler. Soon after whispering something several times, the butler withdrew.

“Now only the two of us remain.”

The Grand Duchess slowly rose from her seat and came before him.

“What if I love you?”

“Your Highness, you go too far.”

“Let me show you it’s not too far.”

The Grand Duchess lightly ran her tongue over her glossy lips, then lowered her head and kissed his mouth.

A hot tongue invaded inside, and when pale hands descended lower to touch his chest, a calm voice arrived.

“…You seemed peaceful.”

Thanks to that, his gaze naturally turned toward Thea. Her thick fur coat and leather gloves indicated the weather outside wasn’t very good.

“Ah…”

Thea looked extremely flustered.

When she froze stiffly, not knowing where to place her eyes—

He pushed away the Grand Duchess much faster than that and hurriedly rose from his seat to approach Thea’s side.

“Why did someone whose health isn’t good come all the way here?”

At his tone containing slight reproach, Thea stared at him blankly.

“Did I… come somewhere I shouldn’t have?”

At her tone asking if it was because she’d interrupted his pleasant time with the Grand Duchess, Acel flinched.

When he didn’t immediately make excuses, Thea pulled off her fur coat.

Then she handed it to the maid standing beside her. Like telling her to hang it on the coat rack herself.

After that, Thea, who’d been gently examining the atelier’s interior, blinked.

She couldn’t have imagined this place was so splendid.

The Grand Duke’s estate she’d heard about in rumors was supposed to be a place where you could feel old-world charm, but that was impossible with the current atelier and the estate scenery she’d seen coming here.

Rather, the disorganized scene made exhaustion wash over her.

Having lightly concluded this train of thought, Thea once again opened her mouth toward the Grand Duchess with a crumbling smile.

“Grand Duchess. I hope you’ve been well. It’s been a while since we last met.”

“Indeed, Countess Winter seems to be staying healthy, which is fortunate. I heard your health wasn’t good.”

“It must be due to Winter County’s weather. It’s such an unpredictable place.”

When Thea, who’d responded monotonously, tried to sit in an empty seat, Acel hurriedly began arranging the spot for her. At the appearance of what anyone would see as an affectionate married couple, the Grand Duchess’s lips jutted out.

“So, Countess Winter. What did you have to say to me that you came to visit?”

“I came because I was worried the Count was staying too long.”

“Really? Is that truly all?”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

At the clear hostility, Thea flinched momentarily but soon pretended nothing was wrong, adopting a posture of examining the patterns on the table in front of her.

How well that would work was uncertain, but—

“Countess Winter.”

When about ten lines of the table pattern had passed, the Grand Duchess called Thea. When she tilted her head as though asking why she’d called, there existed a Grand Duchess harboring inexplicable jealousy.

Though she couldn’t understand why such jealousy was directed at her—

“Yes, please speak.”

“Count Yut has gone to a very distant place… You didn’t receive any other indication, did you?”

At those words, Thea furrowed her brow slightly. She couldn’t quite understand what was being said.

“…Indication?”

“Oh my, I sent a separate letter to the Yut family—didn’t you receive it?”

“No, I didn’t hear anything separately.”

“Really? Then I suppose I should inform you using this opportunity.”

Along with a voice clicking her tongue softly, the Grand Duchess’s explanation began.

“Your birth mother, the Countess, told me. She said funds were lacking and asked if there was a good solution. So I offered a very good proposal.”

At the word proposal, the back of her neck began to tingle. A premonition that she shouldn’t hear this stood on end.

That it wasn’t a mistaken feeling could be known thanks to the words that immediately followed.

“The Count happened to be held hostage at the time. When he returned, it seemed he wouldn’t be able to function properly as a person, so I gave three castles and territories in the eastern village as compensation. Probably, there won’t be any difficulties with funding shortages going forward.”

Though the Grand Duchess added that they were decent granary regions, Thea’s teeth ground together from anger. It was called hostage, but she realized he’d disappeared due to the Grand Duchess’s malice.

Last time too, she’d been someone frantic to somehow deal with a noble she disliked. But if such results appeared before her eyes, even without seeing, it had been a cruel deed.

For uttering one irritating remark, she must have used the pretext of hostage to reduce him to nothing.

Otherwise, there was no way she’d give granary regions to the Yut family as compensation.

The Grand Duchess that Thea knew was an extremely cunning and moody person.

She had surely committed the act and later found it uncomfortable to recall. She must have at least gained permission from the pliable Countess.  

When the situation became apparent, Thea’s face turned pale, and as her body swayed, he quickly caught her.

“Are you dizzy?”

“I couldn’t sleep, so I guess that’s why.”

“I thought so. Someone who already has low blood pressure… what will you do if you overexert yourself?”

When Thea clamped her mouth shut like a clam at his tone full of concern, he spoke to the Grand Duchess still standing upright.

“My wife seems quite unwell. Let’s rest briefly and visit again next time.”

“Do that. Oh right, since it seems difficult to go far, I’ll prepare a bedroom for the couple to use.”

“Then I can only be grateful.”

He bowed his head and raised it, then supported Thea as they left the atelier. The whole way, they felt the Grand Duchess’s gaze from behind, but neither said anything.

Because they knew nothing would be resolved even if they tried.