“T-That is, strictly speaking, a royal… w-w-warrant…”

Just as the terrified Baron barely managed to stammer out a response—

“…Hrk!”

“Tell him this is the last time my patience will tolerate this crude barrier.”

An invisible force gripped the Baron by the collar and hurled him outside the manor’s front gate.

Thud. He crashed onto the dirt ground and coughed violently before scrambling back to the manor.

‘Damn it, that whelp, relying on nothing but his bloodline…!’

What connection did he have to the royal family as a collateral descendant? His Highness the Crown Prince had promised to take care of everything soon—

The Baron, who returned as pale as a ghost, trembling hands clutching his quill, began to write a letter.

[After Sir Raven departed yesterday, I encountered the Grand Duke of Norhart. He demands that Lady Lure be left alone. Otherwise, he will personally bring the matter before the Council.]

At that point, Baron Alterman hesitated.

‘Can I even say this? What if it displeases His Highness?’

After much deliberation, he squeezed his eyes shut and hurriedly jotted down the words he had hesitated to write.

[His mention of the barrier is suspicious. Could he be attempting to smuggle her out? His Highness’s barrier is strong, so such a thing should be impossible, but please consider this the naive concern of a fool who knows not how the First Blood of Arcadia operates.]

After quickly folding and sealing the letter, he summoned a courier and ordered him to deliver it immediately to the royal capital.

‘With the steward still absent, the letter will be delivered as soon as the courier meets him.’

The manor’s steward, Raven, was employed at the manor but was loyal to Michael. Michael had placed him as both a contact and a watchdog to maintain control over the Baron.

‘If they miss each other and botch this, that steward bastard will glare at me with those chilling eyes…’

Just imagining it sent a shudder down the Baron’s spine.

Yet, he finished lunch, tended to his afternoon affairs, and even completed his dinner—

Still, neither the courier nor the steward returned.

There was no word from them either.

The Baron, uneasy, spent the evening pacing restlessly in his office.

‘I’m feeling anxious…’

Before fleeing in terror from the Grand Duke’s presence, he should have found a way to intimidate the Lure girl once more.

‘Moving all her belongings would take at least half a day. She couldn’t have fled already, right? Without the steward, I can’t even spy on the secret place.’

Come to think of it, the mansion’s furnishings were deliberately left in disarray, yet she hadn’t complained once.

‘Having been pampered her whole life, I expected her to go on a hunger strike or something. Has she changed now that she’s at death’s door?’

He tried to distract himself with other thoughts, but his unease wouldn’t fade.

‘Just in case, I should check if anything is amiss.’

The Baron hurriedly left the manor.

While at it, he planned to warn Odelia never to dream of marrying Norhart.

‘By this hour, the Grand Duke should be long gone.’

Thinking cowardly thoughts without a shred of self-awareness, he arrived at Lure’s villa.

‘…Huh?’

Beyond the iron gate, Lure’s villa was completely dark. Not a single light was on.

‘Damn it!’

The sight before him turned his worst fears into reality.

“…It seems she really has escaped.”

Even worse! The Baron turned like a malfunctioning puppet, forcing an awkward smile at the prince’s ominous confidant.

The steward of the manor, Raven, stood there, his teal eyes gleaming coldly even in the dark of night.

***

Upon hearing my story, the Grand Duke immediately summoned the Baron to the mansion.

I’m worried that provoking him might make things worse, but at the same time, I was grateful that he was stepping in.

‘An enemy of my enemy is an ally, I suppose. Given the situation, it’s clear that Michael is watching me.’

Holding Angie in my arms, I stood by the window overlooking the garden, watching the Grand Duke confront the Baron.

Seeing the Baron, who had shouted at me and thrown his weight around, shrink before a man taller and of higher status than himself—

‘…It leaves a bitter taste. Things aren’t any different here either.’

Of course, I couldn’t deny that it was satisfying to watch.

Whatever was said, the Baron obediently left the garden. His footsteps were unsteady as if he might collapse at any moment, a clear sign of his fear.

After terrifying someone so thoroughly, the Grand Duke returned to me with a calm expression and seamlessly took Angie from my arms.

“What did the Baron say?”

“Not much.”

‘Not much? More like he couldn’t say anything…’

Recalling the overwhelming pressure that had radiated from the Grand Duke even through the window, I felt the slightest hint of pity for the Baron.

“Didn’t you summon him to ask about the barrier?”

“Sometimes, silence is a better answer than a hundred words.”

“Are you really saying that His Highness Michael is monitoring me?”

As I pressed him for an answer, the Grand Duke gazed at me, studying my expression.

His silence stretched a little too long, and just as the heat of embarrassment crept into my cheeks—

“Let’s start moving now.”

“Huh?”

All of a sudden?

Hiccup—Angie’s small hiccup made it seem as if she had understood and was startled.

“I don’t want to leave my beloved fiancée in a place so pitiful that it doesn’t even recognize its master.”

The Grand Duke’s voice carried a firm resolve.

“No, I mean, even if I agreed to relocate to the Grand Duchy, isn’t this a bit too soon…?”

“In response to your question—yes. And as you might have already suspected, that man seems to be acting as Michael’s eyes and ears.”

“I had a feeling…”

The way he oddly took Michael’s side—it turns out he really was.

He was supposed to be Lure’s vassal, but did he already foresee the downfall of a traitor’s house and keep his distance from the start?

‘But then again, whenever I called Lure a traitor, the Grand Duke would always make that strange expression…’

As if there was another truth behind Lure’s fate.

I was staring up at him, full of doubt, when—

“What? Is there a problem?”

“Well, I don’t know what exactly you discussed with the Baron, but… wouldn’t moving this quickly look suspicious?”

“If a woman declared a traitor and a man who petitioned for her—only to be placed under house arrest—blatantly ignored the Crown Prince’s lackey’s warning? Absolutely.”

A smirk played on the Grand Duke’s lips.

It was unmistakably sarcasm, repeating the words I had used to deflect his past marriage proposals.

“Judging by how that man was acting, Michael has probably already been informed by now. As you might have noticed, he’s a textbook coward. If he wasn’t backed by someone, he wouldn’t have dared to act so recklessly while knowing I was on your side.”

For once, the Grand Duke was talking at length. It almost felt like… an explanation.

Ever since I told him I had lost many of my memories, his gaze had felt a little warmer.

‘Ugh, I must be out of my mind. Since when was the ruthless villain of the original novel—the fearsome Grand Duke of the North—ever warm or kind?’

I let out a small chuckle at my own absurd thought, but he seemed to interpret it as a reaction to his words.

Expressionless as always, he continued speaking.

“That’s why we need to move as quickly as possible. If we delay, Michael might issue some absurd decree.”

“You mean one that would force me to stay in Meldorf?”

“To be precise, one that keeps you inside that barrier. He seems to have absolute faith in the barrier he set up…”

A brief scoff escaped the Grand Duke’s lips.

Ah, again.

His hostility toward Michael always leaned more toward disdain—practically contempt.

“I wonder how baffled he’ll be when he realizes the mansion is empty overnight.”

“Wait, can we really keep this a secret?”

I instinctively lowered my voice and stepped closer. Sensing my wariness, the man tilted his head slightly, offering his ear.

“Your Grace—”

“Cedrion.”

“…Anyway, it would look suspicious that you came here and then I suddenly left that same night.”

“You suspect there might be an informant inside the mansion?”

His deep voice rumbled close, and I gave a small nod. Though I had closed the parlor door just in case, I couldn’t shake my caution.

Mila, Paul, and Hans—whom I had hired after coming to Meldorf—had served the Baron’s family far longer than they had served me.

Not to mention, they were all introduced by the Baron himself.

“Don’t worry. The staff of the Blue Roof Manor are innocent.”

“Huh?”

“Franz visited a few days ago, didn’t he?”

“Yes, but…”

How does that prove anything?

All he did was meet me in the garden, move to the parlor, and then leave.

“Franz is meticulous. He wouldn’t allow anything that could harm Norhart.”

“That sounds an awful lot like you’re saying he investigated my staff.”

“Naturally. If you’re going to continue living comfortably, you’d need them with you, wouldn’t you? Once you move, they’ll likely be transferred as well. Any responsible employer would verify them in advance.”

Again, his detailed explanation carried a subtle gentleness.

Gentleness? From this man? I must be imagining things.

But one thing was certain—his attitude toward me had shifted.

‘The nanny said she didn’t know anything, but there’s no doubt Odelia and the Grand Duke share some history. Did he feel hurt when I acted like I didn’t know him, and now that he realizes I truly lost my memories, he’s treating me differently…?’

When he first heard about Michael and the barrier, his reaction seemed less about political hostility and more like… anger over Odelia’s treatment.

The fall of Lure’s family, the connection between the Baron and Michael—

All I had wanted was a quiet final year of life, yet I felt as if I’d been swept into a storm beyond my control.

‘If I’m the villainess of the original novel, that means I’m the ultimate antagonist of this world. Lying low and fading away was never an option to begin with.’

Fine. If things were going to be like this anyway, I might as well get closer to the Grand Duke and uncover the truth.

Because right now, he was the only external ally I had.