Chapter 28

Eric was well aware that his words were merely an excuse to buy time, a subconscious threat born out of urgency. However, the excuse brought memories of their night together to the forefront, and the word “us” in the threat echoed endlessly in his ears. For some reason, he felt incredibly embarrassed to look at her directly. In the end, Eric tightly shut his eyes.

Euphrasia gazed steadily at Eric’s reaction. A desperate light flickered in her eyes, and her trembling lips created small wrinkles on her chin.  

“…You’re right. I was too hasty. I apologize for not considering that you, Your Grace, need ample rest.”  

Euphrasia, pressing down her words with difficulty, took a step closer to him. The situation Eric had anticipated did not occur. Startled, Eric flinched and turned his gaze forward again. His flustered steps became clumsy, and as he stepped forward, the distance between them suddenly shortened.  

Caught in an awkward position, Eric found himself almost enveloping Euphrasia’s petite frame. He froze in place.  

“Gasp.”  

Unintentionally, Euphrasia held her breath. Her face was just short of touching Eric’s chest. His faint scent, mixed with a trace of blood, wafted over her. Euphrasia’s eyelashes trembled. Up close, his injuries were far worse than she had imagined.  

Eric hadn’t even changed his clothes properly. His shirt was a mess—wrinkled, torn, and splattered with dried, sticky blood. Through the gaps in his hastily buttoned shirt, a long scar was visible.  

‘Because of me…’ 

If only she hadn’t stubbornly insisted on drinking the Elixir of Truth until the end, he wouldn’t have sustained such a scar. Euphrasia lifted her trembling hand and placed it against his chest.  

“Ah.”  

At the same time, Eric sharply inhaled through his teeth.  

“Does it hurt a lot?”  

“…No, not really.”  

“Liar.”  

Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump.  

Eric’s heartbeat, pounding fiercely, resonated through her fingertips. She had something she wanted to ask him.  

‘Did you kill me?’  

The answer to a past event that would never occur again. He would never give her that answer. Her assumption that he was the one who killed her, and her subsequent attempts to escape from him, now seemed futile.  

Of course, there was still a slim chance. Without a clearly identified culprit, it was possible that Eric had been the one who poisoned the bridal chamber. Alternatively, even if he wasn’t the culprit, the poison could have entered under his silent acquiescence.  

Even so, at the very least, she shouldn’t have assumed from the beginning that he was the culprit. She should have taken a step back and objectively reconsidered the situation at least once.  

She had thought he was selfish and narrow-minded, but now she realized that the truly narrow-minded one was…  

‘Me.’

Euphrasia carefully withdrew her hand and rested her forehead against Eric’s chest. Unanswered questions still lingered everywhere.  

Foremost among them was why the Kingdom of Kettlin had tried to kill her. But there were also personal questions about Eric that kept piling up.  

Among the many personal questions, the one that occupied the most space in her mind was:  

‘Since the night we spent together… has it only been me who remembers that night?’ 

However, Euphrasia couldn’t voice any of these thoughts. Resting her forehead against Eric’s chest, she shook her head slightly and finally managed to whisper one thing.  

“It’s a mess.”  

“Yes, it’s a complete mess. I feel filthy to the point of madness. I need to wash up.”  

Eric’s voice, oddly stiff, responded. Euphrasia simply nodded quietly.  

The real mess was in her head. Amid the whirlwind of complex emotions, the only thing she could express to him was:  

“I’m sorry.”  

Her genuine apology. Her body, practically leaning against his, trembled slightly. Euphrasia’s changed demeanor left Eric bewildered.  

“It’s fine. It doesn’t hurt at all. Really.”  

From the start, it wasn’t something she needed to apologize for. Drinking the Elixir of Truth recklessly had been Eric’s decision.  

‘Is she feeling guilty?’  

Eric surmised that she was blaming herself for the scar on his chest and feeling remorseful. It was the best conclusion he could draw, as he had no way of knowing the intricate changes in Euphrasia’s emotions.  

Eric slowly raised his arms. After hesitating briefly, he wrapped them firmly around Euphrasia. Sharing his warmth, he hoped it would ease her trembling, even a little.  

For a moment, time seemed to stand still.  

“Eek!”  

It had been a long time. 

A servant of the ducal household, Hans, who had entered the backyard without much thought, let out a gasping scream of astonishment.  

The sight of the Madam clinging to the Duke’s half-open shirt was shocking enough! Hans, who had inadvertently witnessed the intimate moment of his masters, flushed red and quickly retreated.  

“Guests from the Imperial Palace are waiting! They have requested to meet you in the study!”  

Hans’s overreaction turned a trivial situation into something much bigger. Startled, Eric and Euphrasia quickly separated, awkwardly clearing their throats.  

“Guests from the Imperial Palace?”  

Eric asked curiously, glancing down at his disheveled appearance. It seemed he needed to tidy up his clothes first. 

Should I ask them to wait a moment? 

As he pondered, Eric sneaked a glance at Euphrasia.  

“Welcoming guests is usually the lady of the house’s responsibility.”  

It wasn’t necessary, but he wanted her to do it. For some reason, he vaguely expected she wouldn’t refuse.  

Euphrasia’s lips, pressed together in hesitation, moved slightly.  

“Alright. I’ll greet them briefly until you’re ready, Your Grace.”  

Eric’s face lit up instantly. Euphrasia smiled faintly but had a slight blush on her cheeks.  

“Madam, I’ll escort you.”  

Walking ahead, Hans resolved to share what he had just witnessed with every servant in the Duke’s household.  

***

And at the sight before him, Eric immediately regretted his decision.  

While cleaning the blood that had clotted over his wounds and tidying his attire, his heart showed no sign of calming. Euphrasia’s markedly changed demeanor felt more and more unfamiliar the more he thought about it.  

Eric convinced himself that Euphrasia’s change in attitude stemmed from guilt. He believed that the scar on his chest had triggered her remorse, leading her to display emotions that were unlike her usual self.  

However, whatever emotions lay beneath it didn’t matter to him. What mattered was that their relationship had finally returned to square one.  

Now, they could truly get to know each other for who they were and judge what kind of people they were. Perhaps they could even define, with clarity, the feelings they held for each other—feelings they had yet to fully understand.  

Eric’s steps toward the study quickened.  

But the moment he opened the door to the study, the faint hope and anticipation he had felt vanished in an instant.  

“Leopold? The guest from the Imperial Palace is that insolent Prince?”  

“Yes, Your Grace. His Majesty has ordered that the First Prince of the Kingdom of Kettlin stay here at the Duke’s residence.”  

“Ha. By whose authority?”  

At Eric’s sharp question, the courtier from the Imperial Palace nodded. Standing before him was the chamberlain of the Imperial Palace, one of the Emperor’s closest aides.  

Eric glared at the chamberlain, his expression one of disbelief. However, the chamberlain, unfazed, continued with his prepared response.  

“It is not something we can enforce, but His Majesty has instructed that you read the letter he has sent and make your decision afterward.”  

The chamberlain handed over a sealed envelope.  

The Emperor, who had issued the order to expel Leopold, had hastily written down his hypothesis and entrusted it to the chamberlain. Under the pretense of guiding Leopold to the ducal residence, the chamberlain had accompanied him and successfully delivered the Emperor’s discreet message.  

“Oh, and His Majesty also mentioned that it wouldn’t be a bad idea to establish a proper rapport with the Prince of Kettlin during this opportunity.”  

“A rapport, you say.”  

“Recently, His Majesty has been putting considerable effort into the Kingdom of Kettlin. With the Prince’s cooperation, we may be able to open the kingdom’s borders and secure exclusive trade agreements.”  

Having said all he needed to, the chamberlain left without hesitation.  

Before opening the envelope, Eric glanced toward the study’s window. From where he stood, he could clearly see the backyard of the building.  

The spot where he and Euphrasia had been standing just moments ago now showed her and that damned Leopold together.  

‘If I had known the guest was that bastard…’  

He would never have let Euphrasia go out there.  

Never in his wildest dreams had he imagined that Leopold would return so quickly, this time accompanied by the chamberlain of the Imperial Palace.  

Eric’s brow twitched irritably.  

Setting aside his personal distaste, Leopold was inherently suspicious. Regardless of what was written in the Emperor’s letter, Eric had no intention of allowing the Prince of Kettlin to remain in his home.  

Slamming the window shut in frustration, Eric moved swiftly, leaving the study without hesitation.