Olivia recovered quickly. Though the people around her still made a lot of fuss, Olivia took it in stride. It was actually better to be surrounded by noise rather than being alone in a quiet place during times like these.

“Buddy, it’s a chocolate financier. Say ‘ah.’”

The only thing that bothered her was this man, who wouldn’t leave her side for even a second.

“You haven’t been expelled from your family just because your title was revoked. Is it okay for you to just stay here like this?”

Even though Hellebore had stripped him of his title, Marsden was still effectively the head of the Masden family. In fact, the loss of his title had never been officially announced, so he was still practically the head of the family.

“I pleaded with His Majesty and bought some time. You don’t need to worry. Now, open wide.”

Marsden once again held the financier up to Olivia’s lips. With no other choice, she took a bite. A bittersweet taste spread through her mouth.

“No, I don’t get it. It’s not over yet. You don’t know what kind of punishment you might…”

“Here, this time it’s coffee. You call it ‘iced Americano,’ right? I don’t really get the idea of putting ice in coffee, but it’s that sour-free ‘iced Americano’ you like.”

He wouldn’t even give her a chance to talk about serious matters. Despite that, Olivia took the glass of cold coffee from him, craving something refreshing, and drank deeply. She felt a little better.

Originally, Melanie had advised her not to touch anything cold for a while, but Marsden had convinced her otherwise. He argued that since her fever had gone down, eating what she craved would lift her spirits too.

“This is good.”

“Isn’t it?”

“It feels like it’s been ages since I’ve had this.”

Olivia savored the sweetness of the financier and the smoothness of the coffee on her tongue. Marsden watched her with warm eyes.

“You’ve been through a lot. You deserve to enjoy yourself now.”

“But there are still things that need to be dealt with.”

As Olivia’s gaze darkened, Marsden gently poked her cheek, as if to stop her from worrying.

“Happiness doesn’t require everything to be resolved or for the outcome to be perfect, right? You need to put a few pauses and take breaks along the way for it to be happiness.”

“But I’m worried about you. His Majesty still hasn’t made any decisions about what will happen to you for saving my life.”

At first glance, Hellebore might seem like a gentle and easygoing person, but inside, he was more rational and cold-hearted than anyone. He had already forgiven Marsden once and had warned him that he wouldn’t do so again. Olivia was genuinely worried about him.

“Buddy, with you by my side… well, you’ve actually been the one leading the way, but anyway, after coming this far with you, I’ve gained the confidence that I’ll be able to handle whatever happens next.”

Marsden placed the silver tray with the desserts on the side table and climbed onto the bed to sit beside Olivia.

“I have disappointed His Majesty; that’s true. But thankfully, he still trusts me. And he’s truly saddened by the fact that you were once dead… and by Sir Bay’s sacrifice.”

As Olivia rested her head on Marsden’s shoulder, her red hair flowed down softly.

“Besides, he is ‘His Imperial Majesty.’ He greatly values the fact that we prevented the atrocities of the Katlan Kingdom from severely affecting the Empire. If he didn’t acknowledge that contribution, he wouldn’t have postponed his judgment on me.”

Marsden intertwined his fingers tightly with Olivia’s.

“And even if he decides to execute me or something… well, we could just elope.”

“What did you just say?”

Olivia lifted her head slightly in disbelief. Marsden grinned mischievously.

“It might be a bit pathetic, but I don’t want to die. I want to live a little longer with you. So, if they sentence me to death, why don’t we run away together?”

“And what if I refuse?”

“If you refuse, I’d be incredibly, terribly sad, but I’d still be satisfied just living in the same world as you.”

Marsden’s eyes sparkled with a simple happiness that seemed sincere. Olivia smiled faintly in response.

“Let’s see how you do. Let’s catch Gael as soon as possible and earn as much praise as we can from His Majesty. That way, we can live a quiet life, maybe even farming potatoes.”

Since her words indicated acceptance, Marsden leaned in with joy and pressed his forehead against hers.

“And let’s also find a way to eliminate the side effects of the magic. Okay? If something’s wrong with your body, don’t hide it—tell me right away.”

“I will. Strangely enough, ever since you came back to me a few days ago, the side effects haven’t shown up at all. Look at this.”

Marsden unwrapped the bandages on his hand and showed her the inside of his arm. Sure enough, only healed scars remained.

“Of course, they might still appear suddenly, but I’ve taken measures to ensure I get treatment immediately if that happens. And anyway, I’m not going to leave your side. My only concern is that you’ll be shocked when the symptoms show up.”

“It’s more shocking when you get hurt when I’m not around. So think of yourself as a turtle shell and stick close.”

“Of course. You should never leave your turtle.”

As Marsden embraced her large frame, Olivia was gently laid back onto the bed as well. She couldn’t help but burst into laughter at the ticklish sensation.

Marsden looked much better. Compared to how he had been in front of the altar, he was like a different person. Olivia wished for him to remain healthy and happy in the future. Together, of course.

“Marchioness, may I come in?”

When Melanie knocked on the door, Olivia gently pushed Marsden away and answered.

“Yes, come in.”

Melanie, who entered the room, looked a bit thinner, but she had a lively appearance. She shook her head slightly at the two of them, as if she couldn’t believe it.

“With the Duke here, it seems like I don’t have anything to do.”

“We’re putting him to work so he can earn money comfortably, Melanie. Is everything going okay?”

“Yes, the household is running smoothly, and the prison management is going well too. Though Palmer is still causing a fuss.”

“That guy never changes, does he?”

Olivia made a mental note to inspect the prison once things settled down. But then Melanie approached with a more serious expression.

“Marchioness, you’ve received a letter.”

“From whom?”

“It’s from Lady Ronae Bartram.”

Olivia exchanged a glance with Marsden. Then, she accepted the letter and the letter opener from Melanie.

Without hesitation, Olivia began to read the letter. It wasn’t long, so she quickly finished.

“What does it say?” Marsden asked cautiously. Olivia shrugged.

“She wants us to visit her at the Imperial Palace. She says she wants to help us catch Gael.”

* * *

Ronae’s due date was approaching. Fortunately, she was temporarily staying at the Imperial Palace, so there was no need to worry about giving birth in a clean environment. The palace had far better doctors than her family’s estate, so all that remained was for Ronae to deliver a healthy baby.

Olivia deliberately hadn’t contacted Ronae. While it was undeniable that Ronae had been one of the starting points of the tragedy, Olivia no longer harbored any resentment or ill will toward her. She just hoped that Ronae could focus on giving birth safely for now.

“You’ve come, Marchioness.”

When they entered the room where Ronae was staying, she immediately greeted Olivia and Marsden warmly. Lottie, who was beside Ronae, also expressed her happiness at seeing them.

“I heard you were unwell, so I was worried. Are you feeling okay?”

“I’m strong as ever. How about you, Lottie? You must have been really shaken.”

The two, once enemies, had developed a bit of camaraderie during their short time suffering together, and now their interaction carried a warmth that hadn’t existed before.

“I was just locked up somewhere. I’m fine.”

After exchanging pleasantries with Olivia, Lottie fidgeted in front of Marsden. Their last meeting hadn’t exactly been under the best of circumstances, so she felt awkward about what to say.

“It’s been a while, Lady Lottie. I’m truly glad to see you’re safe.”

Marsden extended his hand. Seeing the genuine warmth in his gesture, Lottie smiled and took his hand.

“It’s all thanks to you and the Marchioness. When else would I get to enjoy such luxury?”

Since arriving at the safety of the Imperial Palace, Lottie has been able to rest peacefully for the first time in a long while. Of course, she hadn’t left her sister’s side.

“By the way, Ronae, you said you wanted to help us?”

As Olivia gently broached the main topic, Ronae nodded her head slightly. Lottie stepped back, as if to let them talk.

“Yes, I want to help you all, even if just a little.”

“But you’re due to give birth soon. Are you sure you’ll be okay?”

Olivia perched lightly on the edge of the bed and looked at Ronae. There was no hesitation in Ronae’s eyes.

“That person is completely broken right now. I’m the only one who can deceive him and lead him into a trap.”

“But even if that’s the case, how will you lure Gael? We don’t even know where he is right now.”

No matter how hard they searched, it was like trying to catch a mouse—they couldn’t find him. They even sent someone to check if he was lurking around Bartram Manor, but no one who resembled Gael was found.

“I have an idea. I don’t know if it’ll work, but it’s worth a try.”

“What’s your plan?”

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