“…I can’t understand you.”

In truth, she completely understood. She, too, had noticed Elena’s face tense and her demeanor shift subtly whenever Chase acted close to her.

Chase wasn’t entirely delusional. Elena’s behavior had undeniable oddities.

Seeing Astrid hesitate, Chase seized the opportunity.

“Your Grace, please reconsider. As I’ve said, this is the final chance. I will confirm Elena’s feelings.”

“Do whatever you want, My Lord, but I…”

“Aren’t you curious? Whether there’s truly no place in the Grand Duke’s heart for you? Sitting behind an elegant facade gains you nothing. Isn’t it time you were honest?”

Astrid, who prided herself on her sharp tongue, found herself completely disarmed. Chase had stolen all her words in mere moments.

Her mind went blank, unable to form a coherent response.

“I…”

As Astrid faltered, Chase immediately exploited the gap.

“Forgive me for being presumptuous, but I know your feelings aren’t light enough to simply let this go. I understand your heart better than anyone else right now.”

“…”

It was clear Chase intended to use her to provoke Elena’s jealousy.

‘A jealousy ploy… Whatever Chase and Elena might do, Caleb wouldn’t fall for it.’

It seemed impossible, no matter how much she thought about it.

“Caleb won’t care what I do. He doesn’t pay attention to such trivial things…”

Step. Step.

The sound of approaching footsteps made Astrid abruptly stop speaking.

Heavy, measured steps on the damp soil and grass. The steady rhythm of the footfalls told Astrid exactly who it was.

The owner of the approaching footsteps spoke as they came close to them.

“Say that again. What is it I don’t care about?”

“…”

Astrid froze in place, still holding the hand Chase had grabbed, unable to utter a word. Though Caleb’s face was expressionless and his tone calm, Astrid wasn’t fooled.

‘Why is he so angry?’

Unlike Astrid, who was unnerved by Caleb’s intimidating presence, Chase remained composed. He met Caleb’s gaze directly while still holding Astrid’s hand and let out a chuckle.

It was a clear, mocking laugh.

“You insolent…”

“Now, now. Let’s refrain from coarse language in front of a lady, Your Grace,” Chase said smoothly.

For a brief moment, Caleb’s eyes gleamed with a menacing intent. While Astrid fidgeted nervously, Chase looked completely at ease.

Dusting off his knees, Chase rose to his feet and stood face-to-face with Caleb, positioning himself between Astrid and the Grand Duke. His stance seemed as though he was shielding her from danger.

“You mad…” Caleb growled, barely suppressing a curse.

Yet, Chase simply smiled, undeterred, even though one side of his face was still bruised from Caleb’s earlier blow. There wasn’t a hint of fear or hesitation in his demeanor.

“Marquis Chase,” Caleb warned in a low, steely voice. “Stay away from my wife. She is not like Elena.”

Chase didn’t flinch at the threat. Instead, he tilted his head slightly in mock confusion, running a finger along his chin in an exaggerated manner. Astrid thought his gestures were theatrical.

“…She’s not like Elena? In what way, I wonder? I can’t quite follow your meaning, Your Grace.”

“You…”

Caleb’s hand shot out, ready to grab Chase by the collar, but Astrid interjected before he could.

“In what way, indeed?”

“…!”

Caleb’s eyebrows shot up at Astrid’s unexpected interruption.

“Surely, you’re not saying it’s fine for you but not for me?” she added, her voice tinged with defiance.

“What?”

Caleb’s expression shifted to one of disbelief, but Astrid avoided his piercing gaze, muttering under her breath.

“In Croatan society, it’s not even frowned upon for married men and women to have lovers…”

Though spoken softly, her meaning was clear. Caleb’s face twisted with frustration, and he barked her name sharply.

“Astrid!”

“…What?”

“You…”

The informal tone he used pushed Astrid to raise her voice in frustration.

“And why not? I think I make an excellent match.”

Without hesitation, Astrid stepped closer to Chase, standing firmly beside him. Caleb’s dark eyes burned fiercely, like the wild glare of a beast encountered deep in the forest at night.

Her body tensed, instinctively wanting to step back toward Caleb, but she resisted the pull.

‘I’m not going to be an obedient child just because he says so.’

While she didn’t mind when they were alone, being treated like a child in front of Chase was unbearable.

“Astrid, come here. Now,” Caleb demanded, his voice harsh and commanding.

Instead of obeying, Astrid extended her hand to Chase. Smirking, Chase took her hand eagerly and pulled her closer to him.

“…”

In an instant, the fury that had been radiating from Caleb seemed to vanish.

The once-raging fire in his eyes was extinguished, leaving only a cold, oppressive silence between them.

‘Is this really the right thing to do?’ Astrid wondered, her resolve wavering.

Sensing her hesitation, Chase gently squeezed her hand, as if encouraging her to stay strong.

For the first time, Astrid decided to act based on her emotions rather than logic.

‘It’s too late to turn back now.’

The decision, made in a moment of emotional impulse, caused far greater repercussions than she had expected. It seemed she had truly angered Caleb.

Thump, thump.

Her heart raced as she realized she had openly defied him for the first time. Astrid could hardly believe her own actions, but there was no undoing what had been done.

‘…I wish he’d just get mad.’

Watching Caleb’s impassive face was harder to bear than she anticipated. Unable to endure his icy gaze any longer, Astrid finally broke the silence.

“Well? What is it? Do you have more to say?”

Though she tried to sound defiant, the tremor in her voice at the end betrayed her. Frustrated, Astrid bit her lip in irritation.

“…The Crown Prince has passed away. You and I must go to the palace immediately.”

“What?”

Startled by the unexpected news, Astrid let go of Chase’s hand and approached Caleb.

“What are you saying, Caleb? The Crown Prince was in perfect health just recently! If he’s passed away, then the next in line to the throne is…”

“Must be me.”

“…!”

Astrid couldn’t contain her shock. The conversation with Chase had long vanished from her mind.

“Entering the capital without the knights is dangerous.”

“……”

“Caleb, are you listening to me?”

Her chest felt like it would burst. Frustrated, Astrid raised her voice in a manner unlike her usual self. At that, Caleb, slightly furrowing his brow, replied calmly.

“Leading the entire order of knights into the capital is madness. It’s tantamount to declaring open rebellion.”

“I know. Even if you bring only the elite… that’s not an option either. It’s too dangerous. The other nobles aside, Fabiola won’t let you go unchallenged.”

Unable to quell her unease, Astrid paced in small circles, biting her nails as she did so.

Caleb’s dark eyes, watching her quietly, gleamed with a subtle intensity.

“So, you do worry about me after all.”

“…What?”

Astrid, not understanding, asked back. But Caleb didn’t respond. He simply gazed at one spot in silence.

His eyes were fixed on Astrid’s fingertips, now starting to fray from her relentless biting. Another observer, Chase, followed his gaze and smirked with interest.

“For the journey to the capital, Cradoc, Elkan, and… Elena will accompany me.”

“…!”

“Elena is the leader of the Red Blossom Mercenaries, a highly skilled individual. With her in action, the mercenary corps will also mobilize, so you don’t need to worry much about safety.”

Those words sounded like “your concern is unnecessary.”

“…I see. That’s a relief.”

“Astrid, that’s—”

Startled, Caleb attempted to explain, but Chase interjected, cutting him off.

“I’ll join the trip to the capital as well. After all, I must attend the funeral as the marquis’ representative. There’s no need for me to travel separately.”

“…Ah.”

A hint of relief crossed Astrid’s previously clouded face. At least she wouldn’t have to endure an uncomfortable journey between Elena and Caleb.

Seeing her expression, a complicated look surfaced on Caleb’s face—one hard to describe. However, neither Caleb nor Astrid noticed it.

Only one person caught the fleeting expression.

‘Interesting. It’s clear the grand duke’s heart belongs to the grand duchess. But where does your heart lie, Elena?’

Regardless of Elena’s feelings, giving up wasn’t an option. Still, just confirming that the man before him didn’t harbor feelings for Elena soothed Chase’s uncontrollable fury, if only a little.

‘Should I thank the crown prince for dying at just the right time and giving me this opportunity?’

Every time Chase saw the duke and Elena together, he felt an intense urge to kill. At the limits of his patience, it was a relief to verify the state of their hearts.

Even for someone like him, killing Caleb Lionel would require staking his life.