Ariel carefully folded the agreement, placed it back into the envelope, and handed it to Deryl.

“So, this is truly the end.”

“…It’s not my place to say, but I sincerely regret that things have come to this, my lady.”

Deryl said, bowing before giving her the Emperor’s decree.

Even in such a grim situation, the exchange was executed with precision.

“Well then, I’ll take my leave…”

“Sir Lowell, may I ask one last favor?”

“…Of course.”

“Please tell Kylance this: that until the very end, I believed in his promise… Make sure he knows.”

“…I will deliver your message, my lady.”

“I promise you this: even if time dulls our emotions, I will remain by your side until my final breath. So please, stay with me forever, Ariel.”

I will only ever look at you.

Those words, once so vivid and unwavering in her memory, returned whenever she closed her eyes. But now, they were nothing more than a fleeting relic of the past.

Ariel exited the drawing room alongside Deryl.

After Deryl and the Grand Duke’s knights departed the Marquisate, Ariel approached Storpfel.

“Sir, here is His Majesty’s decree lifting the lockdown on the Marquisate and canceling her detention. Please take it.”

Storpfel’s typically haughty expression faltered, cracks appearing as he processed the unexpected development.

He scrutinized the decree with disbelief before stepping back.

“…It is indeed an official decree from His Majesty. Following His decrees, the lockdown of the Marquisate and your detention are hereby lifted. With that, we will now take our leave.”

With a stern expression, Storpfel led the imperial knights out of the mansion.

Only then did the tension in Ariel’s body ease, and she let out a quiet breath.

“Ariel, if His Majesty’s decree was issued, does that mean His Grace the Grand Duke intervened for you? I was worried something might have happened between you two since he didn’t attend the funeral, but it seems His Grace truly cares for you. I guess my worries were unnecessary.”

“Yes, it looks like His Grace will ensure the reinvestigation of the Marquisate is handled properly. There must have been a good reason he couldn’t attend the funeral. I misunderstood, Ariel.”

Her aunt and cousin approached her, their faces noticeably brighter than before.

Both had completely misread the situation, believing Kylance had acted to protect her.

Ariel slowly opened her mouth to speak.

“Aunt, cousin, I have something to tell you.”

“Of course, go ahead.”

“As of today, my engagement to His Grace, the Grand Duke, has been annulled. This means… he will no longer be supporting the Blante Marquisate.”

“What…?”

“An annulment? Just like that?”

Her aunt and cousin were visibly stunned.

“From now on, I will take responsibility for the Marquisate. I will do everything in my power to protect it, so I ask for your support.”

“Ariel, are you… really all right?”

Her aunt’s voice was filled with concern, clearly distressed by Ariel’s composed demeanor.

With a soft smile, Ariel replied.

“I’m fine. No… I will be fine. So please, don’t worry about me.”

Ariel was resolute. She would endure because the responsibility of protecting the Blante Marquisate now rested solely on her shoulders. Clenching her fist tightly around the engagement ring she hadn’t yet been able to let go of, she held on as if the pain might distract her from the ache in her heart.

***

After returning from his meeting with the Emperor, Kylance went straight to the Grand Duke’s estate and issued a swift order to clear out Ariel’s room.

To remove everything belonging to his former fiancée in a single day?

The sudden instruction to discard all the furniture left the staff visibly perplexed.

“Lady Blante is no longer my fiancée. She will not be returning to the Grand Duke’s estate, so ensure there is no trace of her. Clear it all out.”

Kylance delivered the command with cold finality before heading directly to his office, not sparing a second thought.

He removed his jacket and handed it to the butler before sitting down at his desk. Then, he casually reached for the stack of documents.

Noticing the tension, the butler left the office, and Lowell, Kylance’s assistant, entered.

Lowell, who had become Kylance’s assistant as soon as Kylance received his Duke title, had been serving him for more than ten years.

He had always admired his lord, but lately, he couldn’t understand anything related to Lady Blante.

However, unable to question his lord, Lowell could only watch with a concerned expression, unsure of what to do.

At that moment, Kylance, sensing Lowell gaze, spoke with a hint of annoyance.

“Lowell, if you have something to say, just say it. Stop staring.”

Lowell lips moved as he hesitated.

He wasn’t sure what to say or if it was even appropriate to inquire about his lord’s personal matters.

“Lowell, speak.”

Kylance’s voice dropped, clearly irritated by Lowell indecision.

After a brief moment of resolve, Lowell cautiously spoke up.

“It’s nothing. I was just lost in thought. I apologize for causing any discomfort.”

After a moment of hesitation, Lowell decided to remain silent.

The annulment agreement had already been sent to Lady Blante, so questioning her now about why Kylance had been so cruel would serve no purpose.

Besides, if his lord had made the decision to end the engagement, there must have been a reason for it, even if his approach had been harsh.

Kylance, still looking at the documents, lifted his gaze.

“You were thinking about the annulment, weren’t you?”

“…I believe there must have been a reason behind your decision, my lord.”

Lowell subtly lowered his head, almost as if to avoid Kylance’s gaze.

Despite his words, the truth was that he still couldn’t make sense of the situation.

What started to seem odd to Lowell was when the sudden evidence of Duke Blante’s involvement in treason came to light.

Kylance had immediately reported it to the Emperor, mentioning that there were signs pointing to the Duke’s participation in treason.

At the time, it had seemed understandable.

Treason was a serious crime, and if Kylance had defended the Duke, it could have drawn the Emperor’s anger toward Blante instead of Kylance.

Since Kylance was both the Emperor’s favored nephew and the Duke, stepping back to avoid further complications had seemed like the right decision for Blante’s sake as well.

However, when Kylance outright rejected the Duke’s plea for assistance, Lowell began to sense something was off.

And then… the private meeting between Kylance and Duke Blante.

It was something that neither Lady Blante nor the Emperor knew, but two days before Duke Blante’s death, Kylance had a secret meeting with him.

Lowell clearly recalled the chilling atmosphere surrounding Kylance that day.

He also remembered the stunned expression on Duke Blante’s face.

Though he wasn’t aware of the details of their conversation, it was after that meeting that Duke Blante ended his life two days later.

That was the moment Lowell first began to doubt his lord.

He wondered if Kylance might have been the one who pushed Duke Blante to his death.

Although Duke Blante had been under investigation and in a difficult situation, he hadn’t been in such dire straits as to resort to suicide.

The look of shock and desperation on Duke Blante’s face haunted Lowell, and he couldn’t shake the feeling that the private meeting had pushed the Duke over the edge.

But Lowell never told anyone.

The private meeting between the Duke and Kylance would remain hidden in his mind forever.

Even if it turned out that Kylance had been the one to drive Duke Blante to take his own life.

He believed it was all for the future of both the Duke and Lady Blante.

That’s right. Lowell had always believed that the two wouldn’t break off their engagement.

If Kylance had been planning to end the engagement because of Duke Blante’s actions, he would have taken immediate action as soon as the investigation began.

Additionally, the relationship between Duke Seyerd and Lady Blante was unlike any other noble relationship.

It was a love that felt destined, with promises of marriage between them. Lowell knew this better than anyone.

He understood just how deeply Kylance had loved Lady Blante.

Even during the busiest times dealing with matters in the north, the Duke had sacrificed his sleep to visit Lady Blante.

Now, in such a critical situation, he was choosing to break off the engagement.

Lady Blante was left in a position where it felt as though she had been stripped of everything.

The future of the Blante family was uncertain, and in a situation where she could even face death at the Emperor’s command, Kylance had let go of Lady Blante’s hand.

If news of the annulment became public, the nobility would turn their backs on the Blante family. Without Duke Seyerd, there would be nothing left of them.

Lady Blante would be completely isolated from noble society. She might even lose her noble status and be forced to live a miserable life.

And the one who had contributed to that fate was… Kylance.

Lowell couldn’t understand how someone who had once loved her so much could be so heartless.

Deep in thought, Lowell suddenly realized that Kylance had remained silent for several minutes.

Slowly, he lifted his gaze, locking eyes with the dark depths of Kylance’s gaze.

“…My lord, if I’ve somehow upset you…”

“No, that’s not it.”

“Then…”

Just as Lowell looked puzzled, Kylance, who had been keeping his lips sealed, finally spoke.

“I was debating whether or not I should tell you something.”