Capital city, Kelt.

Cheliano Marquisate mansion.

Sandy followed anxiously behind Rowell as he walked with steady, deliberate strides.

What on earth was to be done about this.

Sandy was so uneasy she felt she might go mad.

Count and Countess Rochelin were worried as well, so Catherine’s whereabouts did need to be found.

But not through Rowell Windhart, Duke of Windhart.

He was known as the Emperor’s cousin and loyal retainer, and if he were the one to find Miss, it was obvious she would be dragged straight to Edwin’s feet and made to kneel.

But with Rowell pressing her so relentlessly right before her eyes, Sandy couldn’t hold out for long.

In the end, Sandy opened her mouth helplessly.

“Miss Vivi of the Cheliano Marquisate arranged the lodgings…”

Even so, it was the same account she had given to Count and Countess Rochelin.

That Catherine had stolen away a horse and fled, and that when she went inside the building Vivi had supposedly arranged, it turned out to be an abandoned ruin.

Unable to return empty-handed, Sandy had combed through the nearby villages with a fine-tooth comb, but it had been too much for one person alone.

The continent was vast, and the land stretched endlessly.

Countryside in every direction.

In the end, Sandy had no choice but to trudge back to Kelt with drooping shoulders. Unable to face Count Carmen and Countess Sabrina, she had briefly stopped by to see Miss Vivi, but there had been nothing to gain from it.

And that had been just this very morning.

Yet here she was, coming to see Miss Vivi again before even a day had passed.

Sandy gazed at Rowell’s back.

Shoulders as broad as the sea, a solid back built from layers of muscle. A tall, imposing frame and measured, disciplined stride. His black hair swayed as he walked, shimmering like it held the Milky Way within it.

In truth, there was no shortage of ladies in high society who admired Rowell.

But since he was constantly heading outside the capital to fight wars large and small, catching a glimpse of his face was as rare as plucking a star from the sky.

‘He is handsome, but still frightening.’

Even so, Sandy felt more goodwill toward Rowell than not. Because he had saved her from that wretched Emperor.

There was just one thing that nagged at her.

“Are you truly going to bring Miss Catherine to His Majesty the Emperor?”

Sandy asked in a voice barely above a whisper.

Rowell stopped dead in his tracks.

Sandy held her breath. She felt as though she had needlessly stirred up his mood by asking such an obvious question.

‘Oh goodness. What a busybody! Why did I have to go and ask something so obvious!’

Sandy blamed herself.

She cautiously lifted her gaze, and her eyes met Rowell’s directly.

“Oh!”

She inhaled sharply without thinking.

Rowell stared at Sandy for a moment, then asked in a flat, even tone.

“What happened?”

“Pardon?”

“I’m asking what reason Lady Rochelin would have to flee from His Majesty the Emperor.”

“Ah, that would be…”

Sandy was flustered.

He hadn’t seemed like the type to be curious about such things.

And for good reason. Rowell was famously known for faithfully carrying out Edwin’s orders regardless of the reason. That must have been why he had gone off to all those countless battlefields without a word of complaint.

In fact, the reason for Catherine’s flight had been asked about at the imperial palace just a short while ago.

“What are you talking about?”

“Bring her back, you say. Has Lady Rochelin actually run away somewhere?”

He had asked twice, but Edwin had been too consumed by rage to think about answering, and Sandy herself had been too panicked worrying about getting struck by Edwin.

Rowell’s questions had been thoroughly buried.

Sandy swallowed dryly.

To think there was someone who didn’t know about this. He was probably the person in all of high society who was the last to hear any gossip.

Well, that made sense. When you were busy with enemy blood spattering in your face, what did idle rumors matter.

Sandy carefully opened her mouth.

“Have you perhaps… heard of ‘Catherine Rochelin’s Scandalous Private Life’?”

“Scandalous… what?”

Rowell was taken aback.

Catherine’s private life was scandalous?

That woman who had looked at men as though they were stones?

A crease formed between Rowell’s brows. He gestured with his chin.

“Go on.”

Sandy spoke without hesitation. It wasn’t a secret by any means. Not knowing about this was essentially the same as having no friends in high society. She even felt a sudden urge to quickly enlighten poor Rowell, who had apparently been in the dark all this time.

“There was a scandal of that sort between her and His Majesty.”

“……”

Sandy reported that rumors were rampant throughout high society claiming Catherine had toyed with Edwin in the night. But she also defended her, insisting that her young lady was innocent, that she had never even been near the Emperor’s bedchamber, and that it was a terrible injustice.

The longer the story went on, the darker Rowell’s expression grew.

The veins on his clenched fist stood out sharply. But Sandy didn’t notice. Rowell’s expression looked the same as it always did.

“In any case, since His Majesty keeps making remarks laden with misunderstanding in front of others, the rumors are not dying down but swelling further.”

“……”

She had explained everything thoroughly because he had asked.

For all her effort, Rowell said nothing in return.

He only let his pale blue eyes gleam with a cold, piercing light.

Sandy felt a chill run down her spine, wondering if she had said something wrong. She carefully called out to him.

“Um… Your Grace?”

“……”

Whatever he was thinking, Rowell only sharpened his gaze like a blade being honed. As his eyes grew increasingly keen, the air seemed to freeze and breathing became difficult.

Sandy decided to simply stay quiet.

Years of service as a maid had taught her that staying still was the best course of action in moments like this. The minds of those above her were truly beyond understanding. Their moods shifted back and forth on a whim within the span of a minute.

It was then.

Rowell spun around sharply.

“Let’s move.”

His stride was faster than before.

As though he was in a hurry to catch Catherine as quickly as possible.

Sandy broke into a cold sweat. No matter how she looked at it, throughout their entire conversation she had been saying that the Emperor was the problem and that her young lady was innocent.

So why did he seem angrier and more determined to catch her faster?

Was this what it meant to be the Emperor’s loyal retainer? Did every train of thought revolve around the Emperor?

“W-Wait for me!”

Sandy hid her unease and hurried after him with quick, small steps.

Thinking that people were truly impossible to understand.

And thinking that this particular person was just, simply, completely, utterly impossible to understand.

– – –

A short while later.

Rowell and Sandy came face to face with Vivi.

“My, Your Grace. I didn’t know you had returned.”

Vivi spoke calmly, though she was visibly startled.

The fact that Duke Rowell Windhart had come to see her was surprising in itself, but knowing at the same time what it meant that he, Edwin’s loyal retainer, had come here sent a chill through her.

Fortunately, Sandy was visible behind Rowell.

It seemed she could deny everything the same way she had that morning.

“I understand you looked into lodgings for Lady Rochelin in the Cheliano territory.”

The polite, measured baritone made Vivi’s heart tremble inwardly.

Rowell, who could be seen only as rarely as beans sprouting in a drought, was admired by many ladies. His achievements on the battlefield, his striking appearance, and his distinguished background all contributed to his popularity, but above all, his gentlemanly manner of speech played no small part.

The fact that a duke who was no less than the Emperor’s own cousin spoke to Vivi with courtesy said it all. He addressed most nobles with respect.

In a world where people scrambled to receive more deference and strutted about with airs, he was the one who showed deference to others.

That didn’t mean he forgot his own position. Stern with his subordinates and courteous in high society, he was the very model of a proper noble.

Vivi crumpled the fondness that had formed without her realizing it and pulled herself together.

‘This man may look impressive, but right now he is the enemy. He’s the villain who’s trying to drag our Catherine away!’

Vivi let out a soft, mournful sound and performed her sorrow with a dramatic, tragic gesture.

“Catherine was struggling so terribly, I only meant for her to get some fresh air…”

“She fled on horseback.”

“Oh dear… yes… I only just heard the news this very morning myself. I don’t know what is to be done.”

She was putting on a masterful performance with an expression steeped in sorrow.

Then Rowell’s gaze shifted to the hand Vivi had pressed to her forehead. More precisely, to the green ring on Vivi’s finger.

“If you don’t mind my asking, who is that for communicating with?”

“Pardon?”

Vivi startled.

Reflexively, she lowered her hand and curled her fingers to hide the ring. Not that it did much to conceal it.

“Whatever do you mean?”

Vivi played dumb for the time being. The reason she could deflect like this was because communication rings and ordinary rings were genuinely indistinguishable in appearance. Without actually activating the function, there was no way to confirm it.

“This is just decorative.”

Vivi wiggled her fingers with a coy, playful air. As if to say, isn’t this ring pretty?

Rowell studied it with a low, settled gaze. His belief that it was a communication ring was based purely on instinct. But it was a conviction-laden instinct.

Perhaps because he had spent so long on battlefields where life and death hung in the balance, all five of his senses and his intuition had developed to a remarkable degree. A talent he had been born with had grown further under the influence of his environment.

‘A lie.’

Rowell knew it instinctively. His animal-like senses were frighteningly accurate. He moved without hesitation to confirm his intuition.

He stepped forward, and Vivi’s eyes went wide with surprise.

“Pardon me.”

Tap, tap.

And he tapped the communication ring.

It all happened in an instant.

Vivi had only seen Rowell approaching; she hadn’t been able to follow with her eyes the moment her hand was taken, nor the moment his index finger tapped the communication ring precisely.

The reversal of the situation sent a chill down her spine. Vivi’s heart pounded rapidly.

‘Please don’t respond. Please!’

She had claimed it was an ordinary piece of jewelry, and if it responded now, what an utter humiliation that would be!

On top of that, the person standing before her was Rowell Windhart!

‘The Emperor’s cousin! An unquestionably loyal retainer!’

Vivi was so tense she felt her breath might stop. The heavy air pressed down on her in the seemingly frozen moment.

Several seconds passed.

The ring was silent.

Thank goodness. It seemed Catherine hadn’t seen the communication request.

Vivi quietly let out a breath of relief.

“The emerald color is quite beautiful.”

Rowell smiled faintly.

Vivi swallowed dryly. She thought that smile was cruel and yet utterly captivating.

Rowell sighed inwardly. He was fairly certain it was a communication ring, but he supposed he was lucky, he thought.

And just as he let go of Vivi’s hand.

“Hey. Vivi. What is it.”

Catherine responded.

“……”

“……”

Rowell and Vivi’s eyes met. A sharp, biting silence fell over them like cold water thrown without warning.

Rowell looked directly into Vivi’s flustered eyes. As though trying to see straight through her.

Vivi squeezed her eyes shut.

Everything was ruined.

There was no denying it. That was unmistakably Catherine’s voice. There wasn’t a noble alive who wouldn’t recognize the voice of Catherine, one of high society’s most celebrated figures.

Then, as if to deliver the final blow, Catherine’s voice came through again.

“Vivi. Can’t you hear me? Answer me.”

“…Uh, um…”

Vivi answered with wavering eyes. Her gaze remained fixed on Rowell the entire time.

Because of that, she failed to notice Sandy standing one step behind him, wearing the face of someone who had just been deeply betrayed.

Rowell looked at Vivi with quiet significance. As if to say, go ahead, let’s see what you do.

While Vivi fumbled, not knowing what to say.

From beyond the communication ring, Catherine began to chatter away.

“I haven’t used this in so long I’d completely forgotten the communication ring even existed. Vivi. How have you been?”

“Oh, yeah! Amy! It’s been so long! I’d totally forgotten this communication ring existed too!”

Vivi pouted and snapped up the bait Catherine had thrown her.

Amy?

The corners of Rowell’s eyes narrowed.