Roina stood like a stone statue at her father’s groundless criticism.

Things must not be going his way; Marquis Würetti seemed to need someone to vent his frustration on.

Just like now, pinning all blame on his daughter.

“Having negotiated with me, you must know well that you need to show plausible results.”

“……”

When Roina didn’t readily answer, Marquis Würetti urged her with a fierce glare.

“Yet I haven’t heard of any progress whatsoever.”

Trying to gauge whether his daughter was dull-witted or simply stupid, the marquis shook his head and clicked his tongue.

After looking at her father for a moment, Roina answered in a deliberately calm voice.

“I need more time. You know well how deeply cautious that man is.”

The marquis surely knew this was an impossible task from the beginning.

Just as Roina was trying to erase the self-deprecating smile spreading across her lips,

“This father also doesn’t wish to pursue other avenues.”

Marquis Würetti unfolded a document and tossed it onto the desk.

Inside were portraits of men with their personal information listed in rows.

Checking the document, Roina couldn’t hide her bewilderment.

“Who are these people?”

The marquis looked over the document she was holding as if wondering why she would ask such an obvious question.

“Look them over in advance. They’re your potential future husbands.”

“…Future husbands?”

“If only I could simply wait, trusting your word.”

“……”

This was surely prepared with the possibility of their negotiation falling through in mind.

If Roina couldn’t bear Conrad’s heir, her value as a duchess would disappear.

In the end, it was essentially a warning from the marquis.

‘He’s telling me not to even think about making excuses and stalling for time.’

With a twisted smile, Roina spoke with a resentful voice.

“Father, I told you I would handle it myself!”

“When exactly! Until when!”

Bang—!

The marquis sprang up from his seat. Then, roughly grabbing his daughter’s chin, he said.

“You must know that your fine beauty will soon fade.”

This was purely a threat. If she didn’t show effort, he would k*ll Conrad and arrange another marriage for her.

When Roina let out a sigh close to a hollow laugh, the marquis clicked his tongue and lowered his hand.

Still not satisfied, he ran his hand through his hair and said.

“I hope you won’t disappoint me further. Even rebellion should be done in moderation.”

Saying he had no expectations whatsoever, the marquis picked up a cigar.

After lighting it, he took several deep drags and exhaled a long stream of smoke.

Just as his mood seemed to improve and he relaxed his furrowed brow.

Knock knock—.

“I came to report something… and I see a welcome face.”

Bleon stepped into the bleak office with an affable smile.

After examining the business expense report his son handed him, the marquis shifted his gaze to his daughter.

“You may go now, Roina.”

“Surely you’re not sending her away in this state?”

Suddenly placing his hand on Roina’s shoulder, Bleon asked while looking at the wound on her face.

Though his tone was calm as usual, there was a certain coldness in his question.

Raising an eyebrow obliquely, the marquis stared at his son anew.

“Bleon, I don’t understand why you’re trying to interfere in this matter.”

The marquis wasn’t one to let this slide easily, despite his deep trust in his heir.

After some silence, Bleon added in his characteristically languid and soft voice.

“If others saw this, they would certainly misunderstand. They’d say a father is abusing his child.”

“……”

“When in reality, it’s merely discipline.”

At his words that he would take his sister and give her ointment, the marquis reluctantly nodded.

“Very well, your point makes sense.”

˗ˋˏ ♡ ˎˊ˗

Leaving the marquis’s office, Roina inwardly marveled at her brother’s natural acting.

She hadn’t expected him to cleverly use her message requesting to meet when she visited the trading company.

When they were some distance from the office, Roina looked up at him and said.

“A wound this minor will heal quickly.”

Lightly shrugging his shoulders, Bleon lazily pulled up the corners of his mouth.

“Well, I wonder if your husband would think so.”

“……”

Though Conrad wouldn’t care about his wife anyway, his brother’s thoughts seemed different.

Perhaps this was befitting of the Würetti heir, thoroughly calculating situations and looking far ahead.

While Roina was lost in thought, the two had reached the compounding room of the Dillon Trading Company.

Fortunately, they were alone in the room.

“The trading company has just received some effective ointment.”

At his words that the wound wasn’t severe and would heal quickly, Roina calmly nodded.

Handing her an ointment taken from the display cabinet, Bleon quietly asked.

“So your reason for wanting to meet today, is it to continue our unfinished conversation?”

At her brother’s question getting straight to the point, she gave him a more solemn look.

“Yes, that’s right.”

At the recent banquet held at the imperial palace, Roina had sought his advice on how to prevent Aila’s marriage.

‘No one would be more suitable to help with this matter than my brother.’

Of course, she had considered contacting the Fraise comital family, her mother’s maiden home.

But she had heard that when her mother married her father, she cut ties with the count’s family due to their strong opposition.

Moreover, the count’s family, already distant from politics, could hardly stop the marquis’s autocracy.

“I’d like you to think about yourself first, not just Aila.”

Slightly furrowing his brow, Bleon exhaled a deep sigh and said.

“You must know well that Father is very angry about the Madam’s incident.”

His opinion was this: given the timing, it would be easy to arouse their father’s suspicion.

Though Bleon was working behind the scenes now, they couldn’t ignore the possibility that Roina might be revealed as the one who spread the rumors.

So rather than making a threatening proposal to the marquis right away, he meant they should carefully monitor the situation a bit longer.

“Roina, you tend to lose your rationality when it comes to Aila.”

“……”

Since her brother’s words weren’t wrong, Roina couldn’t particularly refute them.

Regarding matters related to Aila, she was always worried, accompanied by impatience and anxiety.

As she remained silent without denying it, Bleon, wearing a faint smile, handed her a document he took from his br*ast pocket.

“I’ve already given you most things, but use this when you truly deem it necessary.”

“This is….”

The document he handed contained information about a black market established by Marquis Würetti in the capital’s dark zone.

There, the marquis was making enormous profits by switching authentic auction items with counterfeits.

Nodding lightly, Bleon said with a meaningful smile.

“It should be enough to leave a stain on his reputation.”

If this information were made public, the marquis would not only lose a source of income but also suffer damage to his honor.

After silently examining the document, Roina looked at her brother with a somewhat dubious expression.

‘My brother clearly said he was on my side.’

She found it difficult to fully accept Bleon’s words.

Their relationship had already grown distant around the time Roina came of age.

Therefore, she couldn’t believe that she had confided in her brother during her past married life.

Thinking he might have other reasons, Roina casually posed a question.

“Why… are you helping me, brother?”

“My answer remains the same now as before. I simply have different aspirations than Father.”

“……”

Bleon didn’t seem inclined to explain the specific reason.

Checking his pocket watch, he quietly added.

“It would be best to think about avoiding suspicion first.”

“Yes, I’ll head back now.”

Trying to organize her unsettled feelings, Roina moved with heavy steps.

While heading to the carriage with Astor, she felt his gaze constantly on her.

At this, she tilted her head slightly and looked at her guard knight, who turned his head away in apparent surprise.