“A misunderstanding? An explanation? When we’ve come this far, is that even necessary?”

Having barely swallowed her heightened emotions, she continued.

“I’ve already heard all the explanations.”

“…Explanations?”

“You know how much I loved children, don’t you?”

Even just seeing passing children was lovely—how much lovelier would a child I bore myself have been?

Thea had wanted to marry him and create a beautiful family. Though that had ended before it could even bloom, thanks to a stale scheme.

“Answer me. Why… did you accept your father’s orders? It wasn’t just because of the curse, was it?”

At her appearance bringing up what had hurt most, he decided he could no longer hide.

“Because otherwise you would’ve had the same sorrow. I didn’t want you to get hurt.”

At the word hurt, Thea raised both hands to cover her face. Did he even know what he’d just said?

When he’d already inflicted countless wounds, saying he didn’t want her to get hurt.

There could be no more ridiculous story than this.

“Honey.”

“…Yes.”

“Didn’t you ever think your half-baked consideration might have hurt me more?”

Sometimes actions passed off as consideration could become sharp daggers that stabbed. The situation before her eyes right now was exactly that.

He needed to know that the wrong choice had lingered so long that things had now reached a point of no return.

* * *

“Is that really true?”

Deeply shocked, Margaret dropped the old map in her hands to the floor. She’d heard a report that all the masters of this family were trapped at the Grand Duke’s estate.

Being at the Grand Duke’s estate at this time was dangerous. Especially if the contents in her hands were true.

“I need to go rescue the master right now!”

“What’s wrong, Lady Margaret?”

The one asking carefully was the butler. He’d come to Margaret as soon as Thea left, following her request to inform him when she went out.

But the moment the report that she’d gone to the Grand Duke’s estate dropped, Margaret jumped in shock and showed tremendous anxiety.

Realizing something major had happened, the butler clasped both hands together and stared at Margaret.

Like asking her to tell him why she was so anxious.

At the gaze approaching clearly, Margaret looked at the butler.

“Is there a carriage available to go to the Grand Duke’s estate right now?”

“There is, but you need to tell me why you’re going. Unless you’re the family’s master, I can lend it to you after confirmation.”

“It’s a long story… Hmm, should I explain precisely?”

“No. Just briefly is fine.”

At those words, Margaret seemed lost in thought for a moment, rolling her eyes around, but soon opened her mouth.

“The Winter couple is in danger. The Grand Duchess is trying to involve them in treason. Seems the position of Grand Duchess wasn’t enough for her. She’s trying to swallow an entire country?”

Margaret lightly pointed with her chin at the report that had fallen to the floor. The reports scribbled there were all about the Grand Duchess’s suspicious movements.

“Tr-treason? The young master would absolutely never do such a thing.”

“No, but the longer they stay at the Grand Duke’s estate, the more it’ll become grounds for suspicion. Especially when there are already many rumors that the Count is conspiring with the Grand Duke, and now Lady Thea has gone there…”

Even if this wasn’t intentional, to others it would look like groundwork for participating in treason. Moreover, hadn’t Count Yut also been taken hostage, caught in the Grand Duchess’s schemes?

Just when Margaret was muttering that troublesome matters kept continuing, an employee from the trading company came looking for her.

“Lady Margaret, are you busy?”

“A little, why?”

“There are some supplies you need to check.”

“Supplies to check? I didn’t hear anything about goods coming in today.”

Finding it strange, she tilted her head, and the moment the employee looked at the items piled in the corridor, sweat began beading along Margaret’s spine.

A bad feeling rang dangerously from behind.

“Where did these supplies come from?”

“Just a moment. I’ll check.”

The employee ran to the other side and began asking the workers bringing the cargo into the estate. From what could be heard briefly: the Grand Duke’s estate, nearly a ton of goods.

And information that they were astronomically expensive items.

One of her worries had landed right in front of her. It seemed they were trying to sneak them in while the master was away.

Just when she’d been about to rescue the masters at the Grand Duke’s estate, this happened—she hurriedly raised her head toward the butler.

“I need to go to the mistress immediately.”

“Right now?”

“When evil deeds have entered the house, how much bigger must the trouble be for the masters at the main location? They’re surely in difficulty, unable to do this or that.”

She began stamping her feet, saying this was obvious without even looking.

“Goodness, the masters are in difficulty.”

“Butler, didn’t you see? How cunning and fox-like the Grand Duchess is. There’s more than one or two nobles who’ve melted under that woman’s tongue.”

When Margaret joked that they’d be swallowed in one bite if they let their guard down even slightly, the butler, though not knowing well but sensing it was an extremely urgent situation, decided to prepare the carriage without asking for more reasons.

Rules weren’t important when the family’s survival was at stake.

The moment the butler made his firm decision, Margaret’s mouth opened urgently again.

“Oh right, and put these items in the family’s temporary warehouse. They absolutely never entered the Count’s estate. Got it?”

When she repeatedly urged with a stiffly hardened face, the butler fell silent with an equally serious expression.

Before leaving, the butler, who’d strongly felt her intent to extract a promise, nodded without realizing it.

* * *

Though she’d slightly revealed the depth of her emotions, Thea, who ultimately hadn’t gotten what she wanted, sat in a nest-shaped chair and only looked down at the book in her hands.

She’d brought it to read, but perhaps because her mind was troubled, the letters wouldn’t enter her eyes.

Probably because of the expression she’d seen before parting with her husband.

Why had he made such an expression?

“I’m the one who got hurt… why did you seem more hurt?”

No matter how much she asked and retraced, no answer came. How could she know the inner thoughts that he, the person involved, wouldn’t tell her?

Just when she was only blinking, thinking she’d reached a difficult matter—

A maid who’d carefully entered the bedroom spoke to Thea.

“Countess Winter, someone named Margaret says she’s planning to come here—how should I respond?”

“Margaret is coming here?”

Why would she suddenly come? She wasn’t someone who’d visit without notice.

When her eyes widened in confusion, the maid gently continued, “Yes, she said she’d arrive before evening.”

Thea could tell Margaret had left quite some time ago.

“Was there any other contact?”

“No, only that she was coming.”

Margaret wouldn’t move so recklessly. She hadn’t entrusted her with the trading company’s management for nothing.

That such a person had moved meant she’d encountered some ominous news.

And ominous enough to rush to where Thea was.

Feeling bad thoughts creeping up, she glanced once at the maid still standing there blankly.

Neat attire, a perfectly tied necktie. And the cleanly cut bob seemed to show her personality.

Probably the type who didn’t like conveying others’ words.

Thea’s eye for people was accurate. Her intuition from operating the trading company and managing the Winter family told her so.

In a reality showing not a speck of falsehood, Margaret’s coming seemed certain.

Then there was one thing Thea needed to do here.

“She didn’t say what business brought her?”

“No, she only said she needed to see Countess Winter.”

“She said she needed to see me… enough to come without notice.”

Thea handed the book in her hands to the maid.

It didn’t seem like the time to be reading. Too suspicious, far too suspicious. Normally Margaret would explain reasons following the five Ws and one H, but strangely she’d been evasive.

Carefully examining the current situation, Thea decided to trust the ominous feeling.

“Where is Count Winter?”

“He said his head hurt, so he’s currently receiving herbal treatment with a doctor called in.”

It seemed the cause was the small argument they’d had earlier.

“Really? Then could you tell him I’d like to have dinner together? Since someone from the family is coming, I’d like to receive them together.”

“Of course. Is there anything else you need?”

“I don’t think so.”

She wanted to rest until Margaret arrived, though she quickly realized it was only wishful thinking.  

Whether thirty minutes passed swiftly or Margaret arrived sooner than expected—  

The moment she closed her eyes and held her breath, she could hear the sound of heavy shoe heels gradually approaching the bedroom where Thea stayed.  

Soon, rough breathing accompanied the knocking on the door.  

When the maid opened it, Margaret stood outside, her clothes disheveled and panting heavily.

At that sight, Thea raised one hand and spoke to the maid.

“Bring two cups of tea.”

“What kind should I bring?”

“Two cups of something mild, please.”

When she waved her hand like saying this order should be enough, the maid disappeared from between them with quick steps.

With the surroundings quickly organized, Thea asked Margaret.

“What brought you here without even contacting me?”

“There’s an important matter, so I had no choice but to come urgently. I’m sorry.”

“Nothing to be sorry about. So what is it?”

At her tone suggesting she wasn’t someone who’d suddenly visit, Margaret walked to an empty seat but only gripped the chair tightly with both hands without sitting.

It was the posture of someone trembling in fear, chased by something.

At that scene, she intuited something serious had happened.

She straightened her previously slanted posture and lowered her voice.