Chapter 5.2

Finally, the awkward and uncomfortable meal ended, and just as she thought she was free and about to return to her room—  

“Come to my room when everyone’s asleep.”  

The Grand Duke whispered as he passed by her, causing her heart to drop to the floor.  

To his room? Alone? Why?  

What did he plan to do after everyone was asleep?  

Her heart, which had momentarily stopped, began to race wildly.  

All sorts of thoughts she couldn’t say aloud flashed through her mind.  

Was it the swimsuit I wore at the beach today? Did it have an effect? That tiger? He acted like he wasn’t interested, but maybe it was actually his type.  

That had to be it. The Grand Duke had finally noticed her charm.  

She dashed to her room, practically flying, and flung open the wardrobe.  

Without hesitation, she picked the most delicate and revealing outfit she had brought—a thin dress she had packed for particularly hot nights.  

It was almost like a slip in design, and though she wondered if it might be too much, she thought this was the least she could wear.  

She then took out the pearl earrings the Grand Duke had gifted her and put them on, tying her hair up high to show them off.  

Finally, she applied a bright red lipstick she rarely used, layering it several times.  

She waited for the night to deepen, and when the quiet and secretive hour arrived, she sneaked off to the Grand Duke’s room unnoticed.  

‘This feels like a dream.’  

With a pounding heart, she opened the door, only to realize that dreams were meant to stay in the realm of sleep.  

“Oh, welcome.”  

It wasn’t the Grand Duke who greeted her but Lennon.  

Sitting on the sofa, sipping tea, he smiled lightly and stood up as soon as he saw her.  

The shawl draped over her shoulders slipped off her slumped posture and fell weakly to the floor.  

As the cool air touched her bare skin, she felt a shiver, but she couldn’t even think of picking up the shawl.  

How foolish I was. What had I been imagining all by myself?  

No, this was entirely the Grand Duke’s fault.  

If he was going to be with Lennon, he should’ve said so in the first place. Why make me misunderstand?  

Who wouldn’t have gotten their hopes up after such a secretive whisper?  

“What did you call me here for?”  

She couldn’t hide her disappointment, and her voice came out sulky.  

“Pfft.”  

Lennon turned his head to the side, clearly trying to suppress laughter.  

He had definitely realized what kind of expectations she had when she came here.  

She felt her face flush red with embarrassment as the humiliation washed over her.  

“Come, have a seat.”  

Lennon suppressed his chuckle and gestured for her to sit.  

The Grand Duke, who had been sitting with his back to the door, alternated his gaze between her and Lennon.  

Raising one eyebrow, he suddenly furrowed his brow and asked,  

“Why is your face red all of a sudden?”  

“Who—who says my face is red?”  

Whose fault did he think this was? Why did he look annoyed?  

“And what’s with that outfit? It’s bedtime, but that doesn’t mean you had to come in your nightgown.”  

“It’s not a nightgown!”  

The louder her voice grew, the more Lennon’s shoulders shook with suppressed laughter.  

If he was going to laugh like that, he might as well laugh openly. 

Holding back his laughter like this seemed to make it hard for him to breathe.  

“Then why do you look like that?”  

Did he really not know why I looked like this? The Grand Duke must have sold his sense of awareness somewhere.  

“It’s because it’s hot.”  

“Hot? Right now?”  

“I thought it would be… but it’s a bit chilly.”  

“Of course. The temperature drops sharply after sunset here. Didn’t you know that?”  

She knew it well. The drastic temperature changes on Anes Island were common knowledge in this kingdom.  

“Why does it matter? She looks lovely.”  

At Lennon’s comment, the Grand Duke hesitated for a moment before muttering in displeasure.  

“Don’t get the wrong idea. Ninety percent of what that man says is flattery. The other ten percent is lies.”  

‘Hah. Can’t he at least offer a compliment, even if it’s just empty words like Lennon’s?’  

She let out a short sigh.  

“I’m not misunderstanding anything. So, what’s the real reason? Why did you call me here in the dead of night, to your room, in secret?”  

“Uh, uh…”  

The Grand Duke flinched slightly at every word she uttered. His expression looked as if he was wondering, ‘Did I really say that?’ He seemed to have only just realized the nuance of his earlier words.  

‘Was I so insignificant to him that he didn’t think twice about what he said?’  

She had spent the entire evening dwelling on his words, wondering and hoping. Now, her nose stung with suppressed emotions.  

As she bowed her head, something soft landed on her lap.  

“Cover yourself with that, at least. I don’t know where to look.”  

She immediately raised her head to meet the Grand Duke’s gaze, but he avoided her eyes with a cough.  

‘Why does this make me want to laugh?’  

Even she thought she was being too simple-minded, but she couldn’t help it. The disappointment she had felt moments earlier vanished instantly.  

“It’s nothing serious. I just wanted to ask you something. Do you remember what you said to the Baron during dinner earlier?”  

“Are you talking about the Principality of Morgan?”  

“Yes. Why did you think that?”  

So, he called me here just for that?

She couldn’t help but wonder what was so significant about the mention of the Principality of Morgan that had caused the Lord and the Baron to react so strongly.  

Her curiosity grew, but she decided to answer the Grand Duke’s question first.  

“During dinner, I saw the Baron cut a piece of steak and place it on a separate plate.”  

Both the Grand Duke and Lennon looked at her as if to ask, ‘And so what?’  

“There’s an interesting custom in the Principality of Morgan. Before eating the main dish, they always set aside a piece of meat. It’s an offering to their god.”  

“Hmm. Couldn’t it just be that the portion was too large, so he set some aside in advance?”  

“Just one piece? Most people would leave leftovers if that were the case.”  

“Or maybe he was cutting off a burnt part?”  

Lennon and the Grand Duke seemed either skeptical of her explanation or intent on exploring every possibility.  

“There’s one more thing. In Morgan, lamb is referred to as the ‘Grace of the Gods.’”  

“Ah, yes. I’ve heard that phrase before.”  

The Grand Duke stroked his chin thoughtfully as he murmured.  

“In Morgan mythology, there’s a passage about a god descending on a lamb. Perhaps because of this, the people of the Principality of Morgan believe that eating lamb makes one sacred.”  

“Don’t most cultures avoid eating animals considered sacred?”  

“I wouldn’t know. That’s just how they see it.”  

She wasn’t a spokesperson for Morgan, after all. She was merely recounting what she’d heard.   

“How do you know so much about Morgan, Lady Elena?”  

Lennon, who had been quietly listening, finally voiced his curiosity.  

“I remembered something my father told me. He often dealt with envoys from various nations, so he shared many stories with me when I was young.”  

Her father, who had been the Minister of Finance, had hosted numerous meals with envoys from neighboring countries to facilitate negotiations.  

Whenever he learned something interesting about their customs or traditions, he would remember it and share it with her.  

As a child, she had cherished those moments when her ever-busy father focused solely on her.  

“He sounds like a kind father.”  

“Yes, he truly was.”  

“If it’s something you heard as a child, isn’t there a chance you could be mistaken? Perhaps you’re confusing it with another country.”  

The Grand Duke asked again, clearly wanting to be thorough. His cautious demeanor suggested that this matter was of significant importance.  

“I’ve told you before—I may not excel in many things, but my memory is exceptional. I’m certain.”  

“That’s an answer I like.”  

“Did it help?”  

“Quite a lot.”  

The Grand Duke’s eyes curved in satisfaction.  

“So, what exactly is going on? This vacation was just an excuse, wasn’t it?”  

“Sometimes, you show more insight than I give you credit for.”

Who are you to talk about awareness? 

Elena thought to herself. While she usually wouldn’t claim to be more perceptive than the Grand Duke, at least for today, she could confidently say she had the upper hand.  

“Wouldn’t it be better for Lady Elena to know as well?”  

At Lennon’s suggestion, she swallowed nervously.  

After a brief silence, the Grand Duke gave a small nod, and Elena was told everything.  

The issue of Anes Island’s pearls, the suspicions surrounding the Lord, and the Emperor’s secret order to uncover the truth.  

Even the possibility that this matter might be connected to the Principality of Morgan.  

“So, what do we do now?”  

“The best course of action would be to catch them in the act.”  

The Grand Duke spoke calmly.  

“That’s true. If we catch them red-handed, they won’t be able to deny it.”  

“If Baron Harrison is indeed connected to the Principality of Morgan, there will definitely be a transaction taking place this time.”  

“The timing couldn’t be more perfect. There’s bound to be a secret ledger somewhere.”  

“You’ve got good instincts. Getting our hands on that ledger would also be a good approach.”  

“Then we have two directions to focus on: catching them at the scene or finding evidence of the forged ledger.”

Lennon, who had been organizing the situation, summarized it neatly.

She added with a grin, feeling a little thrill as though she had become a secret agent.

“Wouldn’t it be even better if we did both?”