Creak—

The old door opened, and Rafez paused for a moment at the unfamiliar sight he had not seen in a long time.

The moment he stepped inside, the scent of wood and paper reached him.

It felt as though he had entered another world. The atmosphere was completely different from the usual Grand Ducal House. Because an entire floor had been turned into a library, the space was very large, yet it carried a coziness that seemed to wrap around whoever entered.

“Your Highness.”

Hearing the door open, Mollys came over to Rafez and greeted him.

“This place… It feels like it has been a long time.”

“I imagine it would. Do you remember when you last came here?”

“Who knows. I don’t know either.”

Rafez tried to recall the memory, but when he could not remember at all, he furrowed his brow.

Seeing him like that, Mollys seemed to glimpse his childhood self overlapping with the man before him.

That child who used to drag over thick, heavy books far too large for his small body, open them, and diligently try to read content he could not even understand.

Rafez silently took a step forward.

He had come after hearing Lacy was here, yet Lacy herself was nowhere to be seen. Instead, only the books in the vast library gradually entered his eyes.

Some looked like books he had read before, while others seemed entirely unfamiliar.

It was a strange feeling.

Then, at some point, Rafez’s steps came to a stop.

The orange light of sunset was falling over Lacy’s face as she slept, leaning against the shelf beside the window.

It was a sight that robbed him of words.

Rafez approached her carefully, cautious even of the sound of his footsteps—and even his breathing. In the silence, the sound of her sleeping breath reassured him.

When had it become like this?

When had I begun wanting you to live instead of die?

He carefully reached out and moved aside her long black hair. Then he saw the book she was using as a pillow.

It was not written in standard imperial language, but in a language he did not recognize.

“She was curious about the old books, so I took them out for her.”

When Rafez silently turned his head to look at Mollys, Mollys immediately understood and answered quietly.

But even at that small voice, Lacy woke and opened her eyes.

“…Did you sleep well?”

Though he felt a little disappointed, Rafez soon sat in the chair beside Lacy.

“I apologize for waking you. I was only curious about what book you had been reading, so I took a brief look.”

“No.”

Lacy lifted her head and narrowed her eyes against the sunset light.

But soon, the light striking her eyes disappeared. Only then did she open her eyes wide and saw someone’s hand shielding her from the glare.

Her gaze followed the hand up along the arm, until it reached Rafez’s face.

“It’s the first time I’ve seen you sleep so deeply. Even at night, you don’t seem to fall into a deep sleep.”

“I was just reminded of the past…”

“But I didn’t know you were interested in old books. Even my father tried to throw them away. Everyone treats them like trash. They’re written in languages that can no longer be interpreted, and the few translations that exist are all vague myths or absurd tales.”

“I was only curious because I had heard about them.”

“I heard there was once a time when they were popular because people believed they contained something remarkable. The imperial family must have kept them in the imperial library because they considered them treasures too. But what can be done with books no one can even read?”

As Rafez uncharacteristically rambled on, Lacy widened her eyes and asked,

“Then why did you not throw them away, Your Highness?”

Rafez smiled.

“Who knows. Perhaps I once thought I could interpret them? No, perhaps I thought someone would be able to read them someday. To tell the truth, I’m not sure. I don’t remember.”

No.

He remembered clearly.

His childhood self, standing in Louis’s way when Louis had said he would throw the books away.

But he could not understand why he had gone that far.

Perhaps it had simply felt as though he should not let that happen.

“Let us go down and have dinner now.”

* * *

Rose silently watched the two men.

The atmosphere from just a moment ago and the atmosphere now were very different.

Edward was still smiling, though.

“Edward.”

“I am only worried about you, Duke.”

“About me? You are more likely worried that you will suffer damage because of this matter.”

“How could we divide the damage between us as though we were strangers? We are in the same boat. It hurts me when you say things like that.”

Hereis calmly took another sip of tea, then nodded.

There was no point lying to someone who already knew everything anyway.

“It is true that I acted hastily. But I did not act without a way out.”

“Duke, how about watching things for the time being instead?”

“…What do you mean?”

“As I said, the situation in the Grand Ducal House is changing rapidly, and its movements in particular are unusual. And right now, we do not even know when war may break out.”

“Do you also think, like His Majesty, that the Grand Duke should be sent back to the battlefield?”

“That is something no one knows. What do you think, Duke?”

Hereis held his tongue and gave no answer.

Edward waited for a reply, then soon tossed out one short sentence.

“Stop killing Lacy.”

“Edward.”

It was a remark that crossed the line.

“Isn’t it truly pleasant to see Lacy and Rafez getting along? I find it rather interesting to watch what will become of those two.”

“Do you think that is something you should say?”

Clack.

Hereis set down his teacup so hard it seemed it might break, making no effort to hide his anger.

Edward was the type to hold his words back, then throw out a single remark now and then. But even so, he had never crossed the line the way he had today.

“Ah, because it is the Grand Ducal House? What does that matter? What has Rafez done wrong?”

“Rafez is Louis’s son!”

“That is exactly why I am saying this. Because the person who would suffer most from seeing the two of them get along is none other than Louis.”

At Edward’s cold words, Hereis felt as though he had been struck awake.

“That is why they are talking about taking in a mistress and all that, is it not? The longer Lacy holds out, the more the Grand Ducal House suffers.”

Hereis nodded silently and fell into thought.

When he had heard the news that Rafez would take in a mistress, he had felt a sense of crisis, but at the same time, he had thought it was the perfect opportunity. That was why he had tried to poison Lacy according to the plan.

“I understand very well that the current situation is a good opportunity to drive the Grand Ducal House into a corner. But I believe an even better opportunity will come. And even without pushing it toward a murder charge, there may be a better way, don’t you think?”

“…What do you mean by that?”

“From the beginning, what was discussed in this marriage was not necessarily only Lacy’s death, was it?”

“So, you are saying we should use Lacy? A child who may die at any moment? You want her to keep enduring in that place?”

“Then do you believe death would be better?”

“The duke has a point.”

In the middle of the tense argument between the two men, Rose suddenly intervened.

“Rose?”

“If I may offer my opinion here, I also want Lacy to live even a little longer.”

“That is exactly what I wished to say, my lady.”

Rather than speaking, Hereis looked at Rose, but Rose also revealed her firm resolve.

“You know very well that is not what Lacy wants.”

“But Lacy has been alive until now. I can no longer know what that child wants.”

Rose was not wrong.

In the first place, all Lacy had to do was drink the poison, yet he could not understand why nothing had happened until now.

“In that case, I will arrange a meeting.”

Hereis had no choice but to acknowledge it now.

It was time to face Lacy again.

* * *

“Your Highness, are you not afraid there may be poison in it?”

Lacy spoke as she looked at the simply prepared dishes on the long table.

The head chef and the people who had been in the kitchen at that time had been narrowed down as suspects, and the remaining staff were working in the kitchen, but for now, the food could not help being simple.

Honestly, it would not have been strange if they refused to eat food made in the kitchen at all right now.

“How long has it been since the incident? Do you think they would try something again in that short time?”

Rafez replied casually as he cut into his steak.

“And besides, their target is not me, is it? Duke Lennon has no intention of killing me with his own hands.”

At Rafez’s words, Lacy looked at him in surprise.

Seeing her reaction, Rafez lifted the corner of his mouth.

“You’re wondering how I know that? If he meant to kill me directly, he would not have sent me to the battlefield. He would not have avoided me until now either.”

He could not say for certain what the reason was.

But Rafez was sure of it.

It was an instinct he could not explain.

“You know my father well, Your Highness.”

“Yes, I suppose I do. Even though I have never faced him alone.”

Though he had never directly faced Duke Hereis Lennon and fought him, whenever he confronted someone else, he had always felt that Hereis was behind them in the end.

After all, it was likely thanks to him that the reckless, thoughtless Emperor had managed to hold on until now.

“And thanks to that, you and I are married and sitting across from each other like this.”

“…I suppose so.”