“I only explained His Majesty’s position. I never said I would stand by and do nothing.” 

“Then what do you intend to do next? Will you try to convince His Majesty yourself?” 

“I will find another way to bring down the Marquis of Blante’s household. Just be patient and wait.” 

The Duchess’s lips curled into a bitter smile as she stared at Kylance, who spoke with a detached calm, as if the matter were someone else’s concern. 

“Wait, you say… Until when? Until the Marquis of Blante’s household rises from the ashes?” 

Kylance’s brow furrowed, but the Duchess continued her mocking tone without hesitation. 

“Your attitude towards the enemy who murdered your parents is remarkably calm. No, calm isn’t the right word – you’re downright forgiving. How generous of you.” 

“Aunt.” 

Kylance called to her in a parched voice, but the Duchess continued, her voice sharp with suppressed anger. 

“‘Wait,’ you say, but that’s just an excuse. You’ve already given up everything. All because you’ve lost your senses over a mere woman.” 

“I have never done such a thing.” 

Kylance’s voice was cold and firm, but the Duchess shook her head deliberately, as if to emphasise her disbelief.

“If your father could see you now… how devastated he would be. To think that his own child would hesitate before the enemy who took his life and speak of patience. It would surely bring tears of blood to his eyes.” 

“Kylance, never forget: the death of your parents was not an accident. You must uncover the truth and right the injustice of their deaths.” 

The memory of his parents’ unjust death – how could he ever erase it? These words had been repeated to him endlessly throughout his life and had taken root in his soul. 

A growing edge of anger sharpened Kylance’s tone. 

“Watch your words, Aunt. Seeking justice for my parents’ deaths is my life’s work. I will not sit idly by. The Marquis of Blante’s household will be destroyed – completely.” 

The image of the shattered carriage tumbling off the cliff, the unrecognisable remains of his parents’ mangled bodies inside – it was burned into his mind. 

Kylance had never forgotten it. Not even for a moment. 

No, it was impossible to forget. 

The memory was so horrifying that it would remain etched in his mind until the day he died. 

Kylance continued, locking eyes with the Duchess as if weighing the truth behind her words. 

“In the end, Ariel is the only one left in the Marquis’ household.” 

His voice was calm, his gaze cold as he spoke. 

“If the only child and heir the Marquis valued more than his own life crumbles, then the Marquis’ household will be finished. The foundation has already been laid; it won’t be difficult to see it through.” 

He had already brought misfortune into her life. 

At her father’s funeral, the man who had been her guiding light had given her an annulment. 

In a single moment, she lost her parents and the person she loved. 

All because of him. 

He felt no remorse. After all, she was the daughter of his enemy. 

Of course, not knowing her identity from the start complicated his feelings. But he wasn’t stupid enough to abandon the memory of his parents for the sake of love. 

Even if the lingering pain never faded, he would not stop. 

That was why he had left her so ruthlessly, causing her immense suffering – as if to take revenge on the late Marquis through her. 

The Duchess, her expression hard, fixed him with her gaze and asked, 

“Do you really want Ariel Blante to be unhappy?” 

“What exactly do you mean?” 

“When the Tower Master came to her aid, you stood by and did nothing. I was so worried that the Tower Master might support the Marquis of Blante that I went straight to His Majesty that very day. But you sent money to the Marquis’ household instead.” 

Kylance’s composure wavered, a crack forming in his stoic expression. How could the Duchess know what had happened in the Grand Duke’s household? 

“…You planted someone in the Grand Duke’s household, didn’t you?” 

Though Kylance’s voice was calm and measured, the Duchess continued, unaware of the change in his demeanour. 

“Yes, I did. Your actions after the death of the Marquis of Blante were far too disturbing.” 

“No matter how disturbed you were, you must realise that crossing such a line is unacceptable.

His piercing gaze was fixed on the Duchess. Even if she was like a mother to him, the act of infiltrating the Grand Duke’s household was beyond forgiveness. 

“It was you who made it impossible for me to trust you. If you really wanted Ariel Blante to suffer, you wouldn’t have stopped at breaking off the engagement. You would have taken advantage of His Majesty’s anger and had her imprisoned.” 

“…” 

“But you didn’t. Even now, you speak of ruining her only as a secondary option, while you continue to seek alternative methods. Isn’t that the truth?” 

Kylance remained silent, his gaze fixed on the Duchess. Unlike before, there was no warmth in his eyes. Noticing the change, the Duchess looked away for a moment before continuing. 

“I may not have given birth to you, but I have raised you for over a decade. Do you really think I don’t understand you?” 

Her piercing gaze met his again, unflinching. 

“…” 

“You still haven’t really left Lady Blante behind. That foolish lingering attachment has shackled you, made you turn away from the injustice of your parents’ deaths.” 

“Kylance, I love you. My son.” 

“Kylance, I love you.”

His father’s and Ariel’s voices echoed in his mind. 

Slowly, Kylance closed his eyes before opening them again, his expression hardening with determination. 

“No. I will see this revenge through to its absolute completion.” 

It was a resolution he had made countless times before, and he repeated it once more. 

The Duchess, watching him intently, spoke. 

“Then prove it.” 

“What exactly do you mean?” 

“Go to His Majesty and personally request the complete destruction of the Marquis de Blante’s household.” 

“Aunt.”Kylance said, his eyebrows knitting at her unreasonable suggestion. 

But the Duchess stood firm, refusing to budge. 

“It may cause His Majesty some strain, but not enough to threaten the stability of his reign. If you appeal to him seriously, he will act. His Majesty really cares about you.” 

“…” 

“So if you really haven’t forgotten the death of your parents, and if you have no lingering attachment to Lady Blante, go to His Majesty and ask for the complete destruction of the Marquis of Blante’s household. Do this and I will never again question your sincerity.”

To ask for the destruction of the Marquis de Blante’s household in his own words. 

It wasn’t an impossible task. 

It was something well within his power. And perhaps, as the Duchess suggested, the Emperor could be persuaded. After all, the Emperor’s fondness for him was undeniable. 

If it came to that, the Marquis de Blante’s household would disappear from the Empire completely. 

And she would… 

Kylance clenched his cold, trembling fingers into a fist and remained silent. 

“I will take your answer from your actions,” the Duchess said, clicking her tongue before leaving the garden. 

Until then, he said nothing. 

Kylance stood still, his expression unreadable, staring at the spot where the Duchess had just been. 

A suffocating sensation gripped him and he hastily unbuttoned his collar, his labored breath echoing through the quiet garden. 

“Haah…” 

A wry smile tugged at his lips. 

For the Duchess was right. 

Sending money through Lowell to the Marquis of Blante’s household today was anything but logical. 

He had tried to rationalise it as mere pity, a feeble attempt to console himself. 

But the truth was that he could never pity Ariel. She had never been a fleeting or insignificant presence to him. 

From the moment they first met until now, Kylance had always risked everything for Ariel. 

He had loved her enough to give her everything, but he had decided to destroy her, even if it meant sacrificing everything he had. 

The daughter of the enemy who had mercilessly murdered his parents. 

She had to face the same despair he had, losing his parents in an instant. 

She had to endure the same agony that he had endured as a child, knowing that his parents had been killed but unable to seek justice. A child who had gritted his teeth and fought to survive, to defend the northern territories. 

And so he had carried out his resolve without faltering. 

But now, on the brink of exterminating the Marquis of Blante’s household, he found himself hesitating, considering an unnecessarily complicated path over the simple one. 

Was he beginning to feel remorse? 

A cold, bitter smile curved Kylance’s lips. 

There was no turning back now. 

Isn’t that right? Even if he had any remaining attachment, it was far too late to turn back. He had come too far. 

There was no going back. 

The answer was already decided – unchangeable and inevitable. And yet… if it really came to that. 

If I succeed in destroying the Marquis of Blante’s household. 

“…you will break.” 

The thought of it sent a dull, aching throb through his chest. 

It was because he still hadn’t let her go completely. 

He had to let go. Erase her completely – from his mind, from his heart. 

For if he couldn’t, it would be he who would break in the end… 

Kylance let out a heavy sigh, his eyes fixed on the brittle, empty branches above. 

At that moment, the last trembling leaf, barely clinging on, broke free and fell silently to the ground. 

As the leaf fell gently to the ground, a sudden chill ran through Kylance’s chest. An ominous sense of foreboding sent a shiver down his spine. 

“Your Highness, Sir Deryl Lowes has asked to speak with you.” 

Kylance, his gaze lingering on the dry leaf now lying on the floor, brushed a weary hand across his face before rising from his seat. 

“Have him brought to my office.” 

—

“The Tower Master guaranteed her?” 

Kylance’s expression hardened as he listened to Deryl’s report. 

Thinking he must have misunderstood, he asked again, but Deryl’s answer remained unchanged. 

“Yes, Your Highness. The Tower Master has guaranteed the Marquis of Blante’s household.” 

Following Kylance’s orders, Deryl had been investigating the Tower Master and keeping a close eye on the Marquis of Blante’s household. 

And now this unexpected revelation. 

It was highly likely that the Tower Master would seek out Lady Blante again. And as expected, he turned up at the Marquis of Blante’s household – much sooner than expected. 

After receiving a report from the surveillance team, Deryl immediately made his way to the Marquis’ residence. However, as the surveillance was covert, he couldn’t enter the estate directly to assess the situation. 

Instead, he followed a Kuno Trading carriage that had left the estate. Once in a secluded area, Deryl intercepted the carriage and managed to extract information about the Tower Master. 

Specifically, the fact that the Tower Master had guaranteed the Marquis of Blante’s debts.