After staying at the office until midnight, Chloe emerged from the dim corridor. Her tired feet walked along the now-familiar path.

Along with the cool night breeze came memories of Andert. Though she had turned away coldly, she couldn’t eliminate all the thoughts that surfaced moment by moment.

「I will come back exactly two weeks later.」

He had said two weeks then, so about ten days remained now.

She couldn’t know what conclusion he would bring. But since nothing would change, she only hoped it wouldn’t become a meaningless war of attrition for both of them. Pressing down the empty space in her heart, Chloe entered her small room.

***

Andert regained consciousness on the third day after being bedridden with soaring fever. Until then, he had repeatedly fallen into deep sleep due to his burning temperature even after briefly regaining consciousness.

As soon as his fever broke and his mind cleared, Andert immediately left his bed. Though Roman, who had been watching over him, tried repeatedly to stop him, it was useless.

“You shouldn’t strain yourself yet. Please rest at least until tomorrow.”

Though Roman earnestly pleaded as they headed to the study, the black satin slippers didn’t slow down at all. Andert, who had walked in silence throughout, only spoke just before the study door closed.

“Has anything happened meanwhile?”

“Actually, there’s something I needed to tell you right away. The Duke sent a telegram yesterday evening.”

“……”

He stopped abruptly at the report that the Duke had personally sent a message. Duke Dietrich had been living in virtual seclusion since his illness worsened.

What business could Father have so suddenly? Andert, who hadn’t yet recovered his strength, frowned.

“Here it is.”

Roman, who crossed the study, hurriedly handed over the letter placed on the desk. Andert, looking even more haggard after several days, immediately checked its contents.

「Visit as soon as possible.
There are urgent matters to discuss, so definitely before this week ends.
Don’t forget to bring a lawyer.
— Winston Dietrich」

The telegram was short and concise. Come as soon as possible with a lawyer. He furrowed his brow trying to read between those few lines.

“Were there any other notable matters?”

“Actually, the Duchess sent me a message a few days ago. She was asking to confirm if the rumors circulating about House Dietrich were true.”

Roman relayed everything that had happened without hesitation. There was no hesitation in his answer as he had been keeping everything for his master who prioritized all matters.

When Fabiana came up during the conversation, Andert’s eyes sank deeper, but that was all. He hadn’t expected to be able to keep all this quiet forever.

What he wanted to know was how the Duke’s telegram might be connected to Fabiana.

The Duke and Duchess seemed worse than strangers at times, yet surprisingly united on unexpected matters. It was a strange symbiotic relationship where they didn’t trust each other but would readily help the other for their own benefit.

Anyway, since the Duke had summoned him, he had to go once. He checked the date with expressionless eyes. Since it was already Friday, time was tight given the request not to let the week pass.

After organizing his thoughts, Andert looked up.

“Send someone to Daniel. Tell him to bring all the pending documents as well.”

“…Yes. I’ll tell him to come right away.”

Roman, who seemed to have aged years in just days, had no choice but to withdraw. Though he wanted to try dissuading him more, it would clearly be pointless.

If only he would rest at least until the weekend, no, even just until tomorrow.

Leaving behind appeals that wouldn’t reach his master, Roman immediately sent a servant to Daniel.

The lawyer, who had been enjoying a sweet rest, entered the Duke’s mansion in less than 30 minutes. Moreover, he came carrying not only a thick briefcase of documents but an armful of additional papers that couldn’t fit inside.

Before Daniel could say anything, orders flew at him.

“Skip the greetings and start right away. Most urgent matters first.”

Andert’s attitude was no different than usual, getting straight to the point without any unnecessary words. Except for his haggard appearance and the fact that he was wearing a robe.

He was a man who always maintained proper outdoor attire in any space except the bedroom. To see the master reviewing documents while loosely tied in a black robe…

From this unexpected sight, Daniel could only guess that his condition hadn’t fully recovered.

“Are there any legal issues with the newly merging company?”

“No. We plan to proceed as soon as the bond purchase is complete. As there are no particular issues, we’ll ensure court approval is finished by the end of this year.”

“Finish it by September.”

“…Yes, understood.”

Though it seemed impossible, Daniel didn’t raise any particular objections. It seemed he had been unknowingly trained during his time following Andert’s grueling pace.

After that, he simply accepted the endless stream of confirmations and notifications. Finally, the last report he had brought was handed over. The meeting that had stretched over five hours was finally nearing its end.

Daniel organized the signed documents to one side.

But contrary to his expectation that he could leave soon, Andert remained seated on the sofa. Of course, he couldn’t leave first without permission.

Receiving continued criticism and directions would have been better. The continuing silence while facing such a difficult person in front of him was rather painful. Unable to bear the stillness, Daniel began reviewing the stacked documents again.

And only when those documents were nearly depleted did Andert finally speak.

“Was my note to Chloe delivered properly?”

“Ah, yes. I received a report from the person sent on the errand. They said it was properly delivered to Lady Dietrich at the residence that morning.”

Despite the immediate answer, he showed no reaction. Since he appeared to be thinking about something, Daniel could only keep quiet without interrupting. After a while, a hoarse voice came without warning.

“Chloe… said the only thing she wants from me is divorce.”

“……”

“She said she really doesn’t need anything else. Except separating from me.”

“……”

“For Chloe, that really was the end.”

“……”

Daniel seriously contemplated for a moment whether he should answer. Surely the other person didn’t expect a response.

Though he had guessed, it seemed Andert had experienced a change of heart in Bergen. For someone who never revealed his thoughts to suddenly say such things.

But if that really was the last time, was there any reason to go back to Bergen? Daniel felt curiosity rising in his throat, but he swallowed it down habitually.

Click. Andert, who had been holding his fountain pen all along, put it down and stood up from the sofa.

“We’ll be going to Lyon tomorrow morning, so prepare accordingly.”

“Do you mean you’ll be visiting the Duke’s residence directly, Your Grace?”

It was an unexpected order. Andert rarely set foot in the Duke’s residence unless it was a special day. As far as Daniel knew, there was no reason for him to visit there now.

But as usual, he didn’t give a detailed explanation. Only one precaution was added.

“It’s an unofficial visit, so keep it confidential from others.”

“Yes. I’ll make the preparations.”

Daniel bowed his head immediately after gathering the documents.

If he was to go, it was his duty to follow him to the entrance of hell at the least, if not all the way in. Whether he knew the reason or not. Moreover, Lyon, where the Duke’s residence was located, was only half a day’s train ride from the capital.

“Let’s end it for today.”

“Yes. I’ll see you tomorrow. Rest well.”

As Daniel left, Andert raised his body that had not yet fully recovered. Having never been this sick before, the creaking body felt quite unfamiliar.

“No need to follow. I’ll go alone.”

After leaving the study, he dismissed even Roman before climbing the stairs.

His steps, taken one by one, led him to the bedroom that had lost its owner. Though it seemed to be cleaned regularly, the unoccupied space was filled with a certain coldness. Andert sat down on the bed covered with neatly arranged sheets.

He had left a message to Chloe, who had bid farewell, saying he would visit her again. Perhaps it was a unilateral notification, but in fact, it was a memo he had written carefully, one character at a time. However, he couldn’t know how Chloe, whose heart was already firmly closed, would have interpreted the card.

No matter how positively he thinks about it, it probably wasn’t in a good way.

Considering her calm eyes even at the moment when she spoke of the end, it was natural.

Chloe probably doesn’t know. The fact that he had rewritten that short message five times so he could leave it. That the first memo he ever sent to her was right after receiving a farewell notice.

The situation where he and Chloe seemed to be running in increasingly different directions, rather than parallel lines, was unsatisfactory.

On top of that was the Duke’s summons, which he rarely sought out separately. His mind, which had barely regained consciousness after a few days, repeatedly swirled in confusion.

“Hah……”

Andert, exhaling a frustrated breath, ran his hand through his disheveled hair.

For now, he would know exactly what his father’s business was once they met. But Chloe… The two of them had different beginnings from the start. So does that mean their endings would be different too?