If Rafez were being honest, he felt almost grateful to the cold that had taken hold of Lacy.

It had helped bring them closer, after all.

Without it, things between them could never have reached this point. And thanks to it, Lacy seemed to be settling into the Grand Duchy a little more as well.

In any case — having left Lacy to rest, Rafez turned to the business that had brought him to the Grand Duchy.

“Well?”

The old man standing before Rafez carefully opened the bottle on the table and brought it to his nose. He inhaled with great deliberation. Both Rafez and the person standing beside him watched in held breath.

“……I must say, I have never seen this poison before either.”

On the night of their arrival at the Grand Duchy, Rafez had slipped out of the estate and sought out Hayden — an expert in poisons and medicines — and shown him the poison. But the answer he received was the same: it was something Hayden had never encountered, and was beyond his abilities to identify. And so Hayden’s own master had been brought in.

But the old man’s answer was the same.

Just as Rafez was turning away in disappointment——

“And yet — this grassy scent. I feel as though I’ve caught it somewhere before. This would be a poison made from that plant.”

The old man brought the bottle to his nose once more and spoke.

“Then — if we could find that plant——”

Rafez’s eyes lit up, and the old man gave a nod.

“Yes — it would be a poison originating from wherever that plant grows. Most poisons currently found within the empire are either colorless and odorless, carry a scent like alcohol, or are bitter — one of those three. But this poison presents differently, which may actually make it easier to identify.”

“Can you remember where you smelled this scent before? Where you encountered it?”

“……That would be difficult. The plants I’ve come across over the years number far more than one or two. If only I could taste it — that would help. Which is precisely what makes poisons so difficult to identify.”

“Master!”

At the old man’s words as he held the bottle, Hayden cried out first in alarm.

Rafez himself startled for a moment — but quickly steadied himself and said,

“That won’t be possible.”

The old man smiled and set the bottle back down.

“A jest, ha ha. But — might the former Grand Duke perhaps remember the taste?”

Hayden had apparently told him everything already — the old man knew that Louis had been poisoned.

Then again, it had been unavoidable from the moment the poison was shown to him.

“It was mixed into wine at the time. My father’s memory and senses have dulled since the poisoning. It would have barely touched his lips — he likely couldn’t have tasted it.”

“A poison mixed into wine, and yet even the slightest contact is enough to deliver a fatal blow.”

“……If he had tasted it, would he still be alive today?”

The old man shook his head. He seemed never to have encountered anything like it. Of course, all poisons were made to kill — but this one had clearly been crafted with a specific person’s death in mind.

“Within mere seconds of being swallowed, the victim vomits blood and collapses.”

Rafez recalled it again.

Lacy, vomiting blood after drinking the poison.

It had clearly been a poison meant to kill Louis — and now that it had come to light that Lacy had carried it since childhood, House Lennon was undoubtedly behind it. And yet the outcome had been Lacy’s own death.

By her own hand, no less.

Rafez quietly clenched his fist. That ache in his chest was stirring again.

“Would you be willing to entrust this to me?”

The old man, who had been watching Rafez, spoke up.

“Master — shall we divide it between us for safekeeping?”

“Yes — even a small amount will do.”

Hayden suggested it with a cautious glance at Rafez, and Rafez gave a nod at last.

It wasn’t that he didn’t trust the old man — but this was something he had been searching for all this time.

“I will identify this plant. However long it takes.”

“Couldn’t we search through botanical records? There’s the imperial compendium as well——”

“No — it won’t be in the imperial compendium. None of the plants catalogued there carry a scent like this.”

“Pardon? But the compendium covers an enormous number of plant varieties.”

“Then I leave it in your hands.”

Rafez rose from his seat first. Hayden followed shortly after.

“I’m sorry. For being of no help.”

Hayden was Rafez’s friend. They had met at the academy — their areas of interest were different, but it was precisely those differences that had made them useful to each other.

If Hayden hadn’t devoted himself to the study of poisons and medicine, Rafez would have had no one to turn to, no outlet for any of this. It had been Hayden who first told him, when Louis was poisoned, that the substance was something rare and impossible to obtain through ordinary means.

“Not at all. If anything, I’m sorry for burdening you with something so difficult.”

“Burden? This is what comes with House Felista’s affairs — nothing about it is ever easy.”

“I suppose not.”

“Even so — the fact that you trust me with something like this means a great deal. It means you truly trust me. Isn’t that right, Your Highness?”

Hayden smiled at Rafez, and Rafez felt some of the weight lift as he gave a nod.

“Don’t worry. The ones who tried to kill your father — I’ll find them, and make sure they pay for it.”

The conviction in Hayden’s voice resonated with Rafez — and yet it left him feeling not entirely relieved.

He couldn’t say why.

* * *

“Ah — about the room next door you mentioned before. Is it available to use?”

Lacy, sitting quietly in her room, asked Karin as she came up with tea and desserts.

The sun was beginning to set. Last night had been an unavoidable mistake — but she had absolutely no intention of letting the same thing happen tonight.

“The physician did say the cold could spread — it wouldn’t do to pass it to His Highness.”

She added a surface-level reason quickly.

“That’s true, of course. But the room hasn’t been tidied yet, and it would be difficult for us to clear it on our own without authorization…… If you need it tonight, I can ask the Former Grand Duchess and have it arranged.”

“Ah — no, that’s all right. I simply didn’t want to impose on His Highness.”

At Karin’s mention of asking Graine, Lacy declined at once. If Graine heard, she would immediately understand that Lacy didn’t want to share a room.

“There’s no need to worry on that account, Your Highness. His Highness said he won’t be back tonight. It seems he has other matters to attend to while he’s out.”

“……I see.”

Lacy had nearly said that’s a relief — and caught herself just in time, fidgeting with her lips to keep the words from slipping out.

“It’s been so long since His Highness last came to the Grand Duchy — there must be a great deal for him to see to. Please don’t feel too slighted.”

“Yes, thank you.”

“Not at all. But Your Highness — how long do you intend to speak formally to me?”

Karin had been about to leave, then hesitated — and decided to say it while the thought was fresh.

From Karin’s perspective, Lacy had been more of a figure to be wary of than someone to grow close to — but the more she interacted with her, the less like a stranger she seemed. Graine too, and Ra——

Rafez too seemed to be accepting her as Grand Duchess — and whatever lay ahead was impossible to know, but if anything, the one most out of place here was surely Lacy.

“Pardon?”

“There is no need for Your Highness to speak formally to someone beneath you like me. Is it because I make you uncomfortable? Perhaps you find it harder to be casual with people who put you on edge?”

Lacy was caught off guard. Karin had seemed a little warmer than Glen — but she hadn’t expected a conversation like this.

Then again — Siz wasn’t here, and Karin was the person she crossed paths with most in Siz’s place. Perhaps it was only a matter of time.

“You were the daughter of a ducal house, Your Highness. Every time you speak formally to me, it feels strange to hear. Surely you weren’t like this at the ducal house either?”

At the mention of the ducal house, Lacy found herself with nothing left to say. Talking about House Lennon inside House Felista’s estate.

“I don’t mean anything by it — I know this is uncomfortable for you, Your Highness. But I wanted to say that you don’t need to be quite so guarded. At the end of the day, I am simply a servant in your employ.”

Karin bowed and left the room.

Lacy was taken aback — but it didn’t take long to realize it had been Karin’s way of looking out for her. All this time at the capital estate, she had lived under nothing but surveillance and wariness. No one had ever spoken to her the way Karin just had.

She couldn’t let her guard down entirely — but it was a comfort she hadn’t expected.

“Hoo — was that all right?”

Meanwhile, Karin leaned against the wall outside the room and let out a quiet breath.

She had been genuinely flustered when Lacy brought up the room next door.

The room had already been tidied — but because of what Rafez had said, she couldn’t let on. That single sentence of his had carried a weight that was hard to ignore.

“You may go. And don’t mention the other room to the Grand Duchess again.”

It had seemed like nothing much — and yet it had landed with a heaviness that was difficult to shake.

And thinking about it, the one who had arranged for the two of them to share a room in the first place was Graine. Which meant preparing the room next door was something Graine wouldn’t want either.

Karin gave a small nod and moved on to her next task.

* * *

Click.

Lacy stirred at the sound of the door. She sat up in bed. The night before had passed without incident — she had fallen asleep alone, and now it was the next day.

True to Graine’s word that the Grand Duchy rarely saw rain, there had been no rain or thunder since that first downpour she had been caught in.

Sunlight was still coming through the window. A warm morning.

Until his voice reached her, that is.

Lacy had been certain she was alone in the room — and at the sound of Rafez’s voice, sleep vanished from her in an instant. She rubbed her eyes and opened them wide, and there he was, right in front of her, apparently just out of the bathroom, dressed in a robe.

“……What are you doing?”

“What does it look like? I came out of the bath. Can’t you tell?”

That wasn’t the answer she had been looking for. It hadn’t really been a question to begin with. It was just——

The sight before her sent an unexpected jolt straight to her heart.

The robe hung loosely open, revealing his torso. What caught the eye most was the defined chest and abdomen. And on the left side of his chest — a scar.

“No — that’s not what I mean. Why are you here——”

“This is my room, Lennon.”

Rafez was drying his wet hair with a towel.

“If I woke you, I’m sorry. You can go back to sleep.”

“No, I’m fine.”

Lacy shook her head and pulled herself together. Right now, she simply wanted to get out of this room.

Rafez moved toward her.

“Or would you like to fall asleep in my arms again, like last time?”