Chapter 22

Euphrasia could not take her eyes off Eric, who stood motionless as though nailed to the spot.  

She found herself overwhelmed by an indescribable emotion.  

The rather far-fetched plan to obtain the elixir from the Emperor, as expected, ended in failure.  

She didn’t even have the chance to speak to the Emperor.  

However, when an unexpected opportunity arose to acquire the elixir through the delegation from the Kingdom of Kettlin, a flood of belated thoughts swirled in her mind, leaving her dizzy.  

Above all, she couldn’t stop recalling how she had stubbornly insisted in front of Eric, making her face flush with heat.  

Of course, she had been angry at his high-handed declaration. She had felt humiliated and remained disappointed by his lighthearted behavior.  

But there was no denying that her overly emotional insistence on drinking the Elixir of Truth was unlike her usual self.  

Why had she been so disappointed and angry? Euphrasia couldn’t clearly explain her feelings at the time.  

Behind Eric, who seemed dumbfounded, she noticed Leopold’s rather flustered expression.  

She was curious why two people with no apparent connection were together, but she didn’t bother voicing her thoughts.  

Perhaps they had met by coincidence and exchanged introductions, just as she had once briefly spoken with Sir Albert.  

‘Come to think of it, wasn’t the delegation led by the First Prince? Why hasn’t he drawn any attention during this banquet?’  

Euphrasia was unaware of the common sense of the times, which dictated that nobles or royalty of high rank would never join a delegation.  

Suppressing her growing curiosity about the delegation, Euphrasia gave Leopold a brief nod of acknowledgment.  

Then, she naturally climbed into the Herrington ducal carriage and spoke.  

“I’m tired. Let’s go back.”  

The tone of her voice, stiff and awkward, was so unfamiliar that she could hardly believe it came from her own mouth.  

Seated in a corner inside the carriage, Euphrasia sank deeply into her seat.  

Eric, still dumbfounded and casting a cold glance at Leopold, eventually boarded the carriage as well.  

The two maintained an ambiguous distance, sitting in silence. No conversation passed between them.  

The carriage moved at a moderate pace toward the Duke’s estate.  

Euphrasia was uncertain about how to approach Eric.  

Pressing her throbbing forehead, she closed her eyes.  

Before she knew it, she must have dozed off.  

“Madam, Madam!”  

The faint voice of the old butler reached her ears. As she rubbed her eyes and sat up, Demian greeted her with a warm smile.  

“You must have been exhausted from the banquet.”  

“Butler? No, I’m fine. I feel much better after a little nap… Haam.”  

A yawn escaped her lips, accompanied by a tear. Feeling embarrassed, she glanced at the old butler, who looked at her with a mix of pity and pride.  

“I understand. The maids have warmed your bed and prepared a hot bath, so you can relax and sleep soundly.”  

“Thank you.”  

Still groggy, Euphrasia felt a sense of emptiness.  

The seat beside her in the carriage was conspicuously empty. Following her gaze, Demian added awkwardly,  

“The Duke has gone to the drawing room. He has suddenly become quite busy.”  

“Busy? Isn’t it too late for that?”  

“Well, now that you mention it, it is late. In about two hours, the sun will rise.”  

As Demian spoke, the pitch-black sky had already begun to lighten with a bluish dawn.  

Taking out the pocket watch from his coat, Demian checked the time and shook his head with a chuckle.  

“But what can we do? It’s the Duke’s own doing.”  

The new Madam of the ducal household, still trying to grasp the situation, tilted her head in confusion. The old butler extended a courteous hand to her.  

With Demian’s help, Euphrasia stepped out of the carriage, only to gasp at the sight before her.  

“What on earth is this?”  

Despite the late hour, the ducal estate was brightly lit, with splendid carriages coming and going in a steady stream.  

“Rumors are a frightening thing, aren’t they? Depending on their weight, some can shake the entire Empire in just a few hours.”  

The old butler gently patted the back of her hand.  

“You must have endured much hardship. On behalf of the staff of the Herrington Dukedom, I sincerely welcome you, our new Madam, to the family.”  

“Ah…”  

Though his words seemed random and unconnected, Euphrasia could sense the old butler’s sincerity.  

It made her feel a little emotional.  

What had she done since arriving here? The most she had accomplished was causing a scene with her self-harm and hiding in her room like a frightened animal.  

Still, through Demian, she could piece together the situation to some extent.  

Eric’s shocking declaration at the banquet earlier that day.  

The gifts piling up in real-time in the carriages were undoubtedly for the Duchess of Herrington and the Young Master of Herrington.  

“If you’re curious, you might want to stop by the drawing room for a quick look before you rest.”  

The old butler subtly suggested.  

“While you’re at it, you could bring a light snack for the Duke, who must be hard at work. Who knows? Perhaps you’ll soon have a younger sibling for Young Master Louis.”  

It was a playful, mischievous joke, but half-serious in tone.  

In truth, Demian was in an exceptionally good mood. Staying up all night at his age didn’t bother him at all.  

The bold incident Eric had caused at the banquet was enough to make the old butler’s heart race as though he were still young.  

Demian recalled a secret he had kept to himself. The subtle emotions between Eric and Euphrasia no longer seemed to be his secret alone.  

While the old butler wore a pleased expression, Euphrasia awkwardly smiled and shook her head. She had no intention of going to see Eric herself.  

There was something more important to her.  

“Where’s Louis?”  

The chilly dawn air cleared her head, and her first concern was for the child.  

In the Herrington household, where children were precious, they had officially announced Louis as the young Duke.  

If his legitimacy were proven, Eric, true to his nature, could easily go back on his promise to release her and the child.  

Yes, that’s the kind of man he is.  

Arrogant, petty, rude, frivolous, insufferable, manipulative, stubborn, and obstinate…  

“Young Master Louis is sleeping. The nanny fed him well, bathed him, and put him to bed comfortably. He’s so sociable and gentle that he doesn’t even shy away from strangers.”  

The tension in her furrowed brow eased, and her stiff expression softened.  

Her mind, which had been noisy with thoughts of Eric, suddenly went blank.  

It was Demian’s calm explanation that helped her.  

“In your room, Madam. Ah, I should have anticipated that you’d want to see the Young Master. My apologies. I’ll escort you to your room immediately.”  

Had he really kept his promise to return the child, even temporarily entrusted to the nanny? Why?  

Wasn’t he the kind of man who treated promises as trivial as dust?  

She tried to maintain her negative thoughts about him, but it wasn’t easy.  

She couldn’t help but remember the rare moments when Eric had shown his human side.  

What was his true nature? What did he want from me to torment me so persistently?  

“…Alright. I’d like to rest. You should rest too, Butler.”  

Acknowledging her own inability to freely criticize Eric anymore, Euphrasia felt her strength drain away.  

The exhaustion returned, making her body feel as heavy as water-soaked cotton.  

Demian led her into the ducal estate, and once in her room, Euphrasia hugged Louis tightly and fell asleep as if she had fainted.  

She wanted to escape reality and rest without thinking about anything.  

***

However, reality did not allow her even a moment of peace.  

“Madam! The Duke has asked for you to be brought to him! There are piles of gifts waiting for you!”  

“Let me help you get dressed! The Duke has been waiting for you in the drawing room for quite some time!”  

“Young Master Louis is as beautiful, handsome, and adorable as ever today! There are plenty of gifts for him too, so why don’t you both head to the drawing room together?”  

“Sara! Don’t ask such obvious things! You’re talking too much in front of Madam!”  

“You were just as excited about the pile of gifts! Weren’t you the one suggesting that we bring Young Master Louis along to look at them? Elena, stop pretending to be so reserved in front of Madam!”  

It was a vague time between morning and noon.  

Sara and Elena had come into Euphrasia’s room, chattering away as they woke her from her late sleep.  

The maids, since the preparation for the imperial ball, had grown noticeably more comfortable around Euphrasia.  

Just like back then, the two were once again bickering, creating a lively and cheerful atmosphere.  

But Euphrasia couldn’t smile brightly at them as she had before.  

The maids, sensing the gloomy mood of the Duchess, immediately stopped their chatter.  

From that point on, everything proceeded in a quiet atmosphere.  

After washing her face and changing into clean clothes, Euphrasia picked up Louis, who had already been awake and quietly playing with a mobile.  

Her decision to follow the Duke’s orders wasn’t out of simple compliance but rather out of curiosity about the “gifts for Madam” that had been mentioned.  

Perhaps the First Prince of the Kingdom of Kettlin had sent the Elixir of Truth early in the morning.  

If so, she could drink the elixir immediately and start a new life with Louis…  

‘Has he grown a little taller? His weight seems to have increased slightly too.’  

As she was about to leave the room, Euphrasia paused and carefully examined Louis.