“Pardon? What do you mean……”

Roina’s purple eyes trembled finely at the woman’s sudden apology.

Adeline added with a voice clearly showing remorse:

“I’ve been troubled all this time about not being able to take your side at that tea party.”

‘Ah, she’s talking about the incident with Daphne.’

Roina understood completely.

In that situation, anyone would have found it difficult to step forward easily.

If they had rashly intervened, they could have ended up in the same position as her, isolated from society.

Therefore, Roina lightly shook her head as if it were nothing:

“You don’t need to apologize for that. It was a situation that could be misunderstood.”

When she answered in a calm voice, Adeline murmured softly:

“You’re still as kind as ever, Duchess.”

“……?”

At the woman’s meaningful words, when Roina tilted her head to one side, the countess lightly moistened her throat before continuing:

“It was long ago so you might not remember, but I once received your help.”

“My help?”

Roina, who couldn’t understand at all, showed a puzzled look.

Then Adeline, with a faint smile, brought up a past story that she couldn’t remember.

Three years ago, Countess Rikeran had come up to the capital to make her debut, she said.

Since she had shown the southern accent at the time, it hadn’t been easy to adapt to society.

In a situation where no one approached her, Roina’s help had been truly great strength, she conveyed.

“After that, when I came back up to the capital, I couldn’t meet you, Duchess.”

“……I see.”

Roina thought she could vaguely understand why she had helped Adeline.

‘She probably reminded me of Aila and I was concerned.’

She could only guess that she had looked after the countess while thinking of her sister left alone at the marquisate residence.

“I really wanted to convey my gratitude.”

Adeline, who added that she was glad she could convey it even if late, sent eyes full of goodwill.

“If it’s alright with you, could we have tea time together often from now on?”

“Of course. Please take care of me from now on, Countess.”

Though building friendship with someone as an adult felt somewhat awkward, Roina found that goodwill comforting.

※※※

“Having to look at state affairs on such a beautiful day!”

The emperor, quietly looking at the window where warm autumn sunlight was filtering through, grumbled softly as if in anguish.

After the state council meeting ended, two men were having tea in the emperor’s office.

Though he spoke that way, knowing that the emperor was more meticulous than anyone in overseeing state affairs, Conrad didn’t respond particularly.

When he just silently lifted his teacup, Cedric stroked his chin and asked:

“You, is there something going on lately?”

Conrad, taking a sip of tea, put down his teacup without changing his expression at all.

“Nothing at all.”

At that firm answer, the emperor clicked his tongue saying there was no fortress like that, then soon showed interested eyes.

“It was probably after the banquet, wasn’t it? When your mood became subdued.”

Well, it wasn’t wrong. Conrad had been swept up in unknown emotions ever since the banquet.

But since he didn’t know the cause himself, he didn’t want to discuss this.

However, there was something he wanted to ask the emperor.

Recalling the events from the banquet, Conrad asked in a dry voice:

“I’d like to know what conversation you had with my wife.”

He couldn’t understand himself why he was curious about Roina’s affairs.

He only judged that he couldn’t just stand by and watch her irritating behavior.

At those words, the emperor, who had shown a puzzled expression briefly, squinted his eyes slightly and said:

“What, the duchess didn’t tell you?”

When Cedric let out a hollow laugh asking how little trust the two had, Conrad’s face hardened somewhat.

If it hadn’t been for the imperial decree in the first place, he wouldn’t be having tea and pointless conversation like this.

Since it seemed better to return to the estate and examine even one more document, he was about to get up from his seat.

“Then I’ll take my leave—”

Knock knock—

At that moment, with light knocking sounds, the emperor’s aide appeared.

“Your Majesty, there’s an urgent matter to report.”

“Yes, speak quickly.”

The aide approached Cedric sitting at the head seat and whispered something quietly, and the two exchanged words several times.

Just as Conrad, showing indifferent eyes, lifted his pocket watch to check the time—

Puhaha—!

Cedric’s eyes flashed, then he burst into loud laughter and showed a satisfied smile.

“Just as the duchess said.”

The emperor’s eyes were filled with tears from laughing so much.

“Your Majesty, shall we proceed as planned?”

To the aide’s polite yet careful question, Cedric answered with interesting eyes:

“Yes, send an invitation personally to Duchess Asheter.”

“I shall obey your command.”

When the aide closed the door and left, Conrad slightly narrowed his brow and asked:

“What exactly are you planning to do?”

“Well, what do you mean?”

Cedric, who asked back nonchalantly, stirred the teacup in front of him with a teaspoon.

Still, Conrad, who had no intention of backing down, urged for an answer:

“Please tell me. It concerns my wife as well.”

Cedric, who had been quietly listening to those words, made a somewhat puzzled expression, then frowned.

“There’s inconsistency in your words and actions. Since when have you looked after your wife like that?”

“……”

Conrad was momentarily at a loss for words. Because the emperor’s words weren’t wrong.

Cedric, carefully observing his dry eyes, shrugged his shoulders slightly and added:

“It’s not that I don’t understand you. But the duchess is innocent, isn’t she?”

“……”

“Of course, it’s ultimately for you to handle.”

Conrad didn’t give any particular answer and just kept his mouth tightly shut.

Then he quietly mulled over the emperor’s words.

‘Roina Würetti is innocent……’

Conrad knew how Roina had been living at the ducal residence.

That she had to endure the servants’ disrespectful gazes simply for being Marquis Würetti’s daughter.

Still, he hadn’t tried to deeply understand her situation, and even knowing, he had turned away.

That’s how much he wanted to stop caring about Roina.

‘All misfortune began under Marquis Würetti’s leadership.’

Asheter’s thriving construction business had staggered overnight due to someone’s sabotage.

The complex building being constructed in the capital’s center had collapsed just before completion.

The fact that there had been problems with the mixture during mortar pouring work was revealed belatedly. As was whose instigation it had been.

Many workers lost their lives due to the accident, and others became unemployed.

Investors demanded penalty compensation from the Asheter family, wanting to recover their investments.

The previous duke, bearing heavy responsibility, tried to manage somehow, but eventually all the burden became his alone.

When even the imperial family, which had to consider public sentiment, couldn’t easily step forward, the previous duke finally signed an unfair contract with Marquis Würetti, who extended his hand.

‘Never dreaming that all of this was the marquis’s plan to devour the ducal family.’

The sixteen-year-old boy who had lost his family suddenly ascended to the ducal position.

What was left to him was a diary that was like his father’s last will.

In the diary were written all the clauses of what contract the previous duke had signed with Marquis Würetti.

Though Conrad learned this fact only after losing all his family.

“Brother, is this all the relics that came from Father’s study?”

“Yes. I’ll handle the cleanup, so you go upstairs now.”

The death of the previous Duke Asheter wasn’t an accident as known to the world.

The duke, unable to endure Marquis Würetti’s unreasonable demands, had taken his own life.

Theor’s choice to hide this fact even from his younger brother was entirely to protect his family and house.

The closer he got to the truth, the only thing left to him was despair.