His trembling  hand simply dropped as Daphne walked away.

Leonhardt stared at her gradually retreating figure through his blurry vision and broke into sobs. Clutching his chest at this first experience of loss, he never knew it could hurt this much.

And he began to understand a little of what Daphne must have felt.

‘Come back. Please, just look back at me.’

He watched her intently while wiping away his flowing tears. But Daphne’s steps remained firm and unwavering.

The fear of this being the end swallowed his reason in an instant.

“Daphne!”

Leonhardt shouted and ran down the hill. Seeing that sight, Daphne sighed.

Even if she ran at full speed, the difference in stride length meant she would inevitably be caught. Better to prepare a counterattack right where she stood.

The highly agitated Leonhardt charged toward her as she quickly made her assessment.

That’s when it happened.

A foot suddenly extended from between the garden trees and tripped Leonhardt. With his running momentum added, he literally tumbled head over heels.

Daphne, who had been extremely tense, was so dumbfounded that her mouth fell slightly open.

The person who emerged from between the trees was Kartun. He mockingly said to Leonhardt, who was sprawled on the ground:

“Hey, squirt.”

Despite the pain, the word “squirt” rang clearly in his ears. For a moment, Leonhardt felt like he was seven years old again.

About a decade ago, he really hated that guy who had come to live in Daphne’s home. Despite being only three years apart, he constantly felt intimidated, as if facing a fully grown adult. Gustav had warned him not to act rudely because Kartun’s status was higher than his.

But he hated it. Having him live in the same house as his fiancée was extremely irritating.

So he bullied Kartun whenever he could. Each time, Kartun would call him “squirt” as if he found it amusing.

He hated that composure, that invulnerability that couldn’t be scratched.

Much time had passed, yet Kartun was still stronger than him. Just facing him made Leonhardt feel diminished.

And now, to show such a pathetic sight. Of all people, it had to be him witnessing his miserable rejection.

He lost all will to fight, feeling utterly wretched. He staggered to his feet. Suddenly, a chilling sensation made him quickly look up.

Kartun was approaching him with a terrifying expression.

Killing intent.

Even a sheltered young master could recognize it instantly.

Leonhardt sat back down on the ground and covered his head with both arms as goosebumps spread across his entire body.

Then, Daphne’s sharp cry rang out.

“Stop it!”

Leonhardt unconsciously shed a tear. Even in this deadly terror, he felt gratitude.

Immediately after, Daphne coldly said:

“I don’t want to clean up a corpse in our home.”

Her words pierced his heart. If words were swords, she had effectively disposed of her traitorous fiancé.

Leonhardt slowly lowered his arms.

First, he saw Kartun looking at him with contempt. Then he sensed Daphne standing at a distance.

He couldn’t bear to look at her. He felt too wretched and ashamed.

The young master who had only thought of himself and acted recklessly had now exposed his lowest self before the person he loved.

Kartun passed by Leonhardt, who was sitting on the ground in shame and confusion, and approached Daphne.

“He was your fiancé once. It’s not good for you to see this. Let’s go.”

When he extended his hand toward Daphne, she placed her hand on top of his.

She wanted to avoid conversation as much as possible and leave this place quickly. So she reluctantly accepted his escort.

Leonhardt had lost his senses from the moment he felt the distance growing between himself and Daphne when he started addressing her formally. Now, seeing Daphne walking away under Kartun’s escort, sparks flew from his eyes.

To him, it looked as though Daphne had eagerly placed her hand on Kartun’s, as if she had been waiting for this moment. Consumed by emotion, he wasn’t even aware that he was seeing things incorrectly.

“Daphne!”

Leonhardt quietly called her name through clenched teeth. He wasn’t trying to hold her back or make her look at him.

It was a kind of pledge.

Someday he would have Daphne in his hands again and completely erase today’s events from her mind.

Shortly after, the Marquis’s guards swarmed in.

The maid had been waiting outside the waiting room and belatedly discovered that Leonhardt had escaped through the window. Responding to her report, they had been searching the area when they heard Leonhardt’s shout and came running.

They first checked if Daphne was safe.

“I’m fine.”

Daphne felt Kartun’s arm tensing beneath her hand and gently stroked it. His arm relaxed, and then his sharp voice rang out:

“Lady Daphne, how can such a ruffian be wandering around the Marquis’s residence? If this had happened at the Grand Ducal Palace, it wouldn’t have ended with just a simple disciplinary action.”

At this, the guards all lifted their chins and stood at attention.

Their Adam’s apples trembled as they swallowed nervously at the scolding from the Grand Duke, descendant of those who sealed the monsters and guardian of the Forest of Sleeping Monsters.

“We should have ensured Your Highness’s safety. We apologize for this unfortunate incident.”

“That’s not something for which the lady should apologize.”

His expression toward Daphne was gentle, but his words, meant for the guards to hear, were razor-sharp.

“Thank you for understanding. The Marquis’s household will officially apologize to you later, Your Highness.”

Daphne gestured toward where Leonhardt was and gave the guards a meaningful look.

They exhaled their held breath and moved faster than ever before. Soon they found Leonhardt still sitting on the ground. His legs had given out, and he couldn’t even stand properly.

They didn’t know what punishment they would face because of this rascal of a young master. Their usual politeness had completely vanished.

They practically dragged Leonhardt away and shoved him into the carriage he had arrived in.

Soon after, the chief steward, Anton, appeared among the guards surrounding the carriage.

“Young Duke Mücke, I am giving you a warning on behalf of the Marchioness, so listen carefully.”

Anton spoke without hiding his anger.

“We have judged your actions to be highly inappropriate and distinctly aggressive. Therefore, you are banned from entering the mansion and territory until His Grace the Marquis of Werner sends word otherwise.”

Leonhardt stared ahead with unfocused eyes and then smirked.

“Additionally, we will discuss your punishment through official family channels. If we cannot reach an agreement with a satisfactory outcome, we will not hesitate to take legal action. That is all.”

Anton finished what he had to say and turned around without even a bow. This indicated that Leonhardt was being treated as a ruffian not deserving of courtesy.

The door closed roughly, and the carriage departed. A scream erupted from the receding carriage.

Meanwhile, Kartun and Daphne were walking side by side.

It had been a while since she had released his escorting arm. Daphne seemed lost in deep thought and remained silent, while Kartun quietly stayed by her side.

After a while, the two sat down on a bench. Above them bloomed an abundance of fragrant silk blossom flowers. Whenever the wind blew, the fan-shaped petals released a rich scent.

Daphne still appeared to be deep in thought, while Kartun glared at the gazebo on the hill where the unpleasant incident had occurred.

He spoke first.

“Every time I come, I witness something unpleasant. How long will you endure such treatment?”

But there was no answer.

He gazed at her lips, tightly closed like a clam. Just moments ago, she had nearly experienced something terrible.

He briefly worried if he had been too harsh.

‘Ha, still concerned about her? How ridiculous.’

Always appearing to help her whenever she was in danger. Kartun found this entire situation extremely unpleasant.

He deliberately suppressed his emotions and sat beside her, looking in the same direction.

When another breeze blew the flower fragrance around them, Daphne broke the silence.

“When did Your Highness return?”

As Kartun slowly turned his head to look at Daphne, she met his gaze.

His hazelnut-colored eyes caught the sunlight and sparkled with a dark golden hue.

He carefully took in her rose-gold hair swaying under the deep pink flowers. Even the floral scent was so fragrant it seemed otherworldly.

It had always been like this.

After circling through long years, the woman sitting beside him was persistent. Like a fishhook that once caught, never lets go.

Born as a Grand Duke who knew nothing but fighting monsters to protect his land, he was completely ensnared by her, who then looked at him with an innocent face.

Asking when he had returned.

She said something extraordinary so casually. She shouldn’t make such an innocent expression as if she couldn’t hurt a fly.