The lights came on in the study of the Blemer Grand Ducal residence.

Illuminating the study officially announced the Grand Duke’s return to the capital.

Though he had already reported his return to the Emperor, he needed to attend an Imperial City ball soon to make his presence known in social circles.

Ransel, the second son of Count Wonser and the loyal aide to the Grand Duke of Blemer, hesitated briefly at Kaien’s order.

“Again? The Emperor is not an easy person. Will he readily agree?”

“If not, find his weakness. Use the incompetent prince if necessary.”

The Blemer family was also part of the imperial family, making Kaien a relative of the Emperor. Nevertheless, his words contained no respect or reverence for the Emperor.

“He might make troublesome requests.”

“Making them less troublesome is your job.”

“Yes, that’s true.”

This was the original cold-natured Grand Duke.

Ransel recalled his shock when he secretly discovered the Grand Duke sightseeing flowers after his late return to the capital.

As the demonic beast extermination at the border dragged on in its final stages, the Grand Duke’s mood had sharpened.

Feeling like he was watching a volcano that could erupt at any moment, Ransel sent the Grand Duke to the capital with the excuse that he should report to the Emperor promptly now that the extermination was concluding.

It was more about hoping things wouldn’t get worse rather than expecting improvement.

There were confidants in the capital who knew about the curse.

Worried about what might have happened, Ransel quickly wrapped things up and returned to the capital, only to find the Grand Duke behaving strangely.

Without revealing his identity as Grand Duke, he was being led around by a young lady from an unfamiliar baronet family, smiling all the while.

How entertaining it was to watch!

The man known as the “Bloody Grand Duke” at the border, who made even his own troops tremble in fear, was accepting cake from the young lady at a café with a gentle expression!

At that moment, Ransel felt a sense of mission to connect Lady Rabbit with the Grand Duke.

“More importantly, what about the investigation?”

“Even after meeting with Your Grace, she was guarded, but there were absolutely no meetings with other men.”

“Make sure no useless insects attach themselves to her vicinity.”

Seeing the Grand Duke’s brightened face, Ransel thought of one man.

“If there’s any man close to her, it would be that fellow. They’re close enough to call each other friends. What should we do about him?”

“Do they meet often?”

“They haven’t met for over two months. Perhaps he’s being cautious knowing Your Grace is meeting the young lady. They’ve only exchanged letters.”

“Summon him once. We need to warn him not to harbor any unnecessary thoughts.”

“Yes, then.”

After Ransel left with his orders, Kaien lightly tapped the armrest.

After rejecting a few personal questions about himself, Ivy used that as an excuse to demand they break up.

He disliked seeing Ivy paying attention to Viscount Scott, so he created some work to send him back to his territory, and immediately after hearing this news—

“I was just someone to use temporarily.”

While he thought about Ivy several times a day, wondering how to keep her by his side, she seemed unaffected by their passionate time together.

After they broke up, reports that she was continuing her daily life as usual twisted his insides.

So that she wouldn’t leave his side, even out of fear, he revealed his identity to Ivy under the guise of coincidence, using a peaceful method.

Then she ran away.

[Cursed Blemer.]

A sinister laugh suddenly echoed, but Kaien didn’t even blink.

Soon a dull pain formed in his heart.

Though he should be used to it by now, it felt new every time.

When he opened his shirt collar, a hideous curse mark appeared over his chest where his heart was, writhing blackly like a living parasite.

Kaien’s face contorted further.

“Get out.”

[Well, I wonder how long it will last. How long can that cute little miss who trembled just hearing your infamous reputation in public endure staying by your side?]

The curse that had clung to him since he was abandoned in the forest of demonic beasts was persistent.

It burrowed in at the slightest opening and planted anxiety.

“Get out.”

[Cursed Blemer, she’s a woman who abandoned you once already. Could she not do it twice? Even now, she must be scheming to leave you. So make it impossible for her to even think of abandoning you.]

“That again?”

The insufferable whispers.

[Clear her surroundings and destroy her family. Become her only light. Kidnap her and make her look only at you. Ah, how sweet it would be. Imagine her waiting only for you. Wouldn’t that make you happy?]

“Do you think I would be enchanted by such words? I don’t want to lose her smile.”

[Will you still say that after she runs away? Hehehe.]

The curse’s words continuously fueled his anxiety.

[She will leave you. Even women who approached you hiding their fear behind your looks and position couldn’t endure for long. How long will a woman without feelings for you stay by your side?]

“Get out.”

[Hehehe, you can’t answer, can you? Because you don’t trust her either. Soon you’ll realize I’m right.]

The curse’s laughter faded, leaving an eerie echo.

As silence fell, his chest where the curse mark had been was now clean.

Though it was brief, dealing with the curse seemed to have deepened the fatigue and shadows around his eyes.

Sweat beaded on his furrowed brow, but one corner of Kaien’s lips twisted upward.

“Arrogant bastard.”

The curse, which had been temporarily quiet since meeting Ivy, had begun to move again.

***

“Waaaaaah, Miss. How could this happen? What did I ever do to him?”

Bad things didn’t stop with me but happened to Love as well.

Suddenly, Love’s boyfriend had told her he wanted to break up.

“You haven’t done much for him anyway. You were always just bragging about what he did for you.”

“I gave him my heart! My heart! How can you say such cold things when your maid is suffering?”

“I’m sorry. But he was quite enthusiastic about you, so why did he suddenly want to break up? What reason did he give?”

“Sob, he said it’s because I work for the Baron Rabbit family!”

“What? Your boyfriend is Kyle who delivers groceries, right? He’s not someone who didn’t know you worked for our family, so why suddenly?”

“When I pressed him to tell me, Kyle tearfully confessed he was being threatened by someone.”

“Threatened?”

I had a sense of déjà vu.

This situation feels familiar, like I’ve seen it before.

“Some man came and said he wouldn’t leave him alone if he kept coming to Baron Rabbit’s house, and told him to send a woman or an old man for deliveries instead. Their grandfather is 89 years old—how could he make deliveries? And the only female in that house is his brother’s 6-year-old granddaughter!”

“Oh, what about his brother’s wife?”

“They separated last year. She was unfaithful.”

“Ah, I see……”

“I don’t understand what’s happening at all. I was happy that something good happened to you, but for me it’s a disaster……”

Waaah, Love cried again.

While comforting and consoling her, I thought about who might have done this.

Grand Duke Kaien Blemer.

‘So it finally begins.’

In the novel, the villain removes the men around the female protagonist one by one through accidents or threats.

After clearing the men around the female protagonist and making the Count’s business difficult, he approaches her offering help as the Grand Duke.

At first, the female protagonist is grateful for the villain’s help but refuses, and later finds another solution with the prince’s help, avoiding the villain’s trap.

Then the villain’s methods become more vicious, and he begins to extend his reach to those around her.

‘Clearing the men around her was the second stage of obsession.’

It has now happened to me.

What will happen next?

I comforted the crying Love while anxiously chewing my lip.

***

A knight followed me from a distance.

Others might not have noticed, but I, the person concerned, could see him.

I can guess why he elevated my father’s title. Our family has too little wealth, so he first wants us to taste position and wealth, making the sense of loss greater when we lose it.

“I need to make things flow according to the original story. When Kaien meets the female protagonist Rebecca, he’ll lose interest in me.”

I headed to the dress shop to meet the real-life Rebecca Hemington to see if she was moving according to the novel.

“Oh my, Lady Rabbit! Have you come to check on the dresses you ordered?”

No, I was just passing by the dress shop.

As I was passing the dress shop I had visited with Kaien, the madam somehow spotted me and jumped out, treating me as warmly as a benefactor she hadn’t seen in five years.

My destination was another dress shop a block further.

“Please come in. I’m grateful you entrusted us with your order, but you should still check the progress.”

“Ah, I have other business today.”

“Then please stop by after you finish. Usually a lady’s maid checks the progress, but no one from the Rabbit family has come to see, so I was wondering what was happening.”

Our family isn’t large enough to employ lady’s maids. And if I sent Love, she would make everything according to her own taste.

“Yes, I’ll stop by after I finish my business.”

“Good, the princess visited yesterday and gave us imperial desserts as gifts. I’ll give some especially to you, Lady Rabbit.”

I finally managed to reach my destination, a dress shop one block away, after fending off the clingy madam.

It was a dress shop frequented by young women for its unique and sophisticated designs, and the Countess and female protagonist would come here.

After returning to the Count’s family, the female protagonist spends emotional time with her family.

The Countess, eager to buy anything for the female protagonist who had lived apart for so long, visits the dress shop. There, the female protagonist meets a certain man.

That man, who helps the villain and circles around the female protagonist, eventually falls in love with her.

Outwardly a Count but secretly working as an information broker in the back alleys, a sinister person…

What was his name?

‘It started with “E”…’

As I was pondering, the dress shop door opened, and I heard a welcome voice.

“Ivy! Fancy seeing you here.”

“Edwin!”

A slender man with a shy smile approached me.

His long red hair that reached down to his back looked luscious today as well, and when I stroked it out of habit, Edwin smiled shyly.

Edwin, a year younger than me, is like a puppy—an honest person whose thoughts are clearly visible on his face.

“What brings you to the dress shop? Ivy, you bought six dresses just a few days ago.”

“I was just looking around. What about you?”

Edwin already knew about my dress purchase. Perhaps because he runs a trading company and hears many things, he seemed to know everything even when asked about trivial matters.

“I came to order a gift for my aunt. I wanted to see you, Ivy.”

“Edwin, you always make people feel good. I wanted to see you too. Have you been well?”

Three young ladies looking at dresses glanced our way, casting looks at Edwin.

There were no other customers.

Isn’t today the day Rebecca visits?

When the female protagonist visited the dress shop with the Countess, there was a conversation about visiting a nearby dress shop because the princess had been there the day before.

“Edwin, I have a favor to ask. Do you have time to talk for a moment?”

‘Since we’ve met, I should ask him to find a mage who can remove this choker.’

As I was about to suggest we move elsewhere, the dress shop door opened, and a beautiful woman with aqua-colored hair and purple eyes entered.

I knew at a glance.

It was Rebecca Hemington, the female protagonist.

She was beautiful, but there was something beyond external beauty—a power that drew attention.

“I forgot my hat. Go in first, Rebecca.”

“Yes, Mother.”

Wait, the villain’s helper should have entered the dress shop before Rebecca…

The villain’s helper, a handsome man with red hair, was saved by the villain in the forest of demonic beasts as a child and swore loyalty to him.

He was described in the novel as a pure-hearted man who agonizes over extracting information about the female protagonist he secretly loves and providing it to the villain.

I unconsciously looked at Edwin standing beside me. He tilted his head and smiled at me.

Today his red hair looked even redder than usual.

‘No way. Edwin couldn’t be the villain’s helper who secretly loves Rebecca.’