It meant she should leave now that her business was done.

Though Conrad’s attitude was certainly polite, his expression was not.

As he was about to call a maid to see her off with a face showing no hint of regret, Daphne hurriedly stopped him.

“Actually, I have a proposal for you.”

Predictably, she was about to spout more nonsense.

Judging that he had shown enough courtesy as a host, Conrad exhaled a deep breath.

‘It feels like I’ve just wasted time.’

With his patience reaching its limit, he looked at the woman before him with cold eyes.

“Go ahead.”

Then, with a triumphant smile, Daphne proudly said with clearer red eyes than ever.

“We would certainly make perfect partners.”

‘Well, that’s not wrong.’

For the sake of the Asheter family, choosing the Clovis ducal family would be right.

However, as the afterimage of a woman briefly flashed by, Conrad swallowed his melancholy.

Despite his attitude, which was desolate beyond dryness, Daphne resolutely continued.

“Don’t you regret it, Duke Asheter?”

“What do you mean?”

Perhaps judging that she could express her opinion, she raised the corner of her lips crookedly.

“Your marriage to Lady Würetti.”

At that moment, Conrad’s golden eyes trembled slightly.

With uncharacteristically turbid emotions, a self-deprecating smile soon spread across his lips.

‘Marriage to Roina Würetti….’

It had been nearly three years since he married her.

During that time, Roina had craved affection from him, and Conrad, who had avoided her, found the emotional gap between them only deepening.

Perhaps it was only natural.

How could a marriage established out of duty without love be said to benefit anyone?

Even though it was a marriage by imperial command, he should have prevented it by any means necessary.

“…I regret it. Every moment.”

Conrad’s answer that he regretted the marriage was enough to ignite Daphne’s heart.

With a satisfied smile, she continued with her most confident voice yet.

“Then choose me. You won’t regret it.”

At Daphne’s appearance with eyes full of certainty, Conrad raised one corner of his mouth obliquely.

Then, exuding a chilling aura incomparable to moments before, he answered.

“Let’s pretend I didn’t hear that.”

“What…?”

At the man’s rejection without a hint of hesitation, Daphne slightly squinted her eyes as if in disbelief.

Belatedly composing her disgruntled expression, she uncharacteristically spoke at length.

“I thought our interests clearly aligned.”

As Daphne said, the conservative forces of Asheter and Clovis shared the same goal.

To destroy the foundation of the progressive forces trying to weaken imperial authority.

For this purpose, there could be no easier method than the union of two powerful families.

‘That would indeed be a good choice.’

She seemed unable to understand a man who deliberately chose a difficult path with an easy option right in front of him.

After quietly staring at Daphne’s face, clearly showing disappointment, Conrad soon clarified his firm intention.

“Even so, I won’t need your help.”

Conrad’s heartless words contained a kind of warning not to cross the line.

As if hitting an unexpected obstacle, Daphne’s red eyes trembled slightly.

After taking some time to choose her words, she moved her lips and asked.

“Perhaps… is the reason related to Roina Würetti?”

Daphne’s complexion darkened as she asked in a calm tone.

For Conrad, that question was not a concern. The answer was already determined.

However, he had no obligation to tell her. He raised one eyebrow and said.

“I don’t see why I should answer that.”

At Conrad’s voice, cold as ice, Daphne slightly furrowed her brow.

Yet, seemingly tireless, she soon expressed her intention.

“If you choose her to the end, you will surely regret it.”

He had been regretting it all along. The apple he had carelessly touched was merely a fatal poison to him.

If only he could return to the time before he knew Roina, he would never make such a foolish choice.

Conrad exhaled a quiet sigh.

Knowing that the more they stayed together, the more unhappy they would both become, and that the end would ultimately be catastrophic, he still couldn’t let go of Roina.

Whether it was revenge or hatred, it remained difficult to define.

Surely, if he continued like this, he would find the answer someday.

Therefore, he decided to remove the irritating obstacle first.

“Your form of address is incorrect. Please call her Duchess.”

For Daphne, who firmly believed the position of the Asheter family’s lady was still hers, there could be no clearer answer than this.

“Since your business seems to be finished, let me call a maid now.”

“……”

Glancing at her sitting still in her place, Conrad pulled the bell cord without hesitation.

But he didn’t know. That Roina, who hadn’t left the mansion, would soon vanish with only divorce papers left behind.

˗ˋˏ ♡ ˎˊ˗

On the dance floor of the banquet hall, noble children who had completed their debutante ball were dancing.

After watching them for a moment, Roina quietly moved.

She had followed her brother, who was heading to the upper floor of the banquet hall.

Perhaps sensing her presence, Bleon was waiting for her on the third balcony.

Perhaps because he had witnessed the Second Prince’s deteriorated appearance before the banquet began, his expression wasn’t very bright.

“Roina, what’s the matter?”

Nodding once to her brother, Roina spoke in a rather calm voice.

“I’m on my way back from meeting Aila.”

“And?”

She wanted to discover Marquis Würetti’s weakness to prevent her sister’s marriage.

That’s why she sought her brother, who would know what the marquis was planning.

As the heir, Bleon would surely know how to prevent Aila’s marriage.

After carefully choosing her words, Roina opted for a direct approach.

“Aila doesn’t want this marriage. She desperately needs our help.”

“Are you asking me to reveal Father’s weakness?”

“At least you have Father’s trust.”

Bleon exhaled a long sigh and rubbed his forehead.

“Why don’t you choose the easiest method?”

The method he mentioned meant divorce from Conrad.

If Roina chose divorce, Aila would no longer be manipulated by Marquis Würetti.

The condition under which Aila had accepted the Second Prince as her partner was her sister’s divorce.

Though Roina thought Bleon’s words weren’t wrong, she shook her head.

“For now… I can’t do that.”

In the current situation, divorcing Conrad would be no different from opposing Marquis Würetti.

If she did so without any preparation, the damage would fall entirely on Conrad.

‘While connected to him, I can divert Father’s attention.’

At least while Conrad and Roina maintained their marriage, the marquis wouldn’t be able to harm him recklessly.

Therefore, Roina needed to find concrete evidence to distance her father from politics as much as possible.

For this, besides the documents Bleon had given her, she was organizing documents containing circumstances of the marquis’s misconduct.

While she was lost in thought, Bleon murmured in a low voice.

“It would be better to discuss this later.”

Composing his expression, he soon showed an affable smile toward someone behind his sister.

“It’s been a while, brother-in-law.”

“……!”

Startled by the word “brother-in-law,” Roina turned around with wide eyes.

Then Conrad, with a fierce look in his eyes, spoke to Bleon in a cold voice.

“Your nonsense remains the same.”

Despite Conrad’s attitude, showing no intention of hiding his displeasure, Bleon lightly shrugged his shoulders.

“It’s been a while since the three of us have met like this. Of course I’m glad to see you.”

At Bleon’s words, oozing with shamelessness, Conrad clicked his tongue briefly as if dumbfounded.

“It would be better to wet your lips before telling such lies.”