Henry was growing increasingly anxious.

The king’s demeanor had changed noticeably ever since Ertel appeared. Pedro’s emotional fluctuations had become more pronounced.

“Yes, she has become the Duchess of the House of Juan. So, Your Majesty, you must stop coveting her now.”

“What? Coveting her?”

“Did you think I wouldn’t notice? Your Majesty, it’s obvious that you are quite taken with her.”

“……!”

“You might feel an overwhelming desire to make her your concubine, but you must restrain yourself. She is now the Duchess of Juan, and, moreover, the Duke’s sister is your only concubine. You must conduct yourself with care. Don’t complicate things unnecessarily.”

“Ha….”

“If someone like Ertel is your ideal type, I can discreetly find someone similar for you. At least that way, you can satisfy your desires at night.”

“Enough. That’s not the kind of feelings I have. Fine, I won’t hide it. I can’t keep secrets from you.”

“Yes, Your Majesty, you can’t deceive my eyes.”

“I like Ertel.”

For the first time, Pedro confessed his true feelings.

“And I can’t just leave her alone. That’s why this is so agonizing for me.”

Watching him, Henry’s emotions were conflicted as well.

If things continued like this, he feared a confrontation with Icarus was inevitable.

Pedro, regaining some composure, asked, “By the way, have you completed the investigation into the Leslie family?”

“Yes, the investigation is nearly finished. There’s a single blood relative—a woman named Anna Leslie, who died when she was 15.”

“Are there no other connections?”

“I looked into distant relatives as well, but none were found. I can’t say for certain whether that’s because they don’t exist or because we failed to find them. After all, the family originated from an obscure commoner background.”

“Hmm. Losing her only family during her adolescence must have been a great blow to Ertel.”

For a moment, the king became deeply immersed in Ertel’s grief.

Thinking about how she had lost her only family and struggled to survive alone tugged at his heart.

“What was the cause of death?”

“Well… we couldn’t determine the exact cause. Whether it was illness, sudden death, or murder remains unclear. There were no witnesses, and we don’t even know where the body was buried. We could ask Ertel directly, but…”

“Don’t ask her. It would only reopen old wounds.”

“That’s true, Your Majesty. Even the fact that we’re investigating her background might make her dislike you. I’ll tread carefully.”

“It feels like there’s some hidden secret….”

More than anything, Pedro wanted to know what had driven Ertel to hate Icarus.

He also wanted to understand why she was enduring a marriage with someone she despised.

“Her mother was a maid, wasn’t she? Anna Leslie must have served a noble family from a young age. Find out which family it was.”

“Yes, Your Majesty. That information could indeed be useful. I’ll look into it.”

>><<

“At last, today is the day I present the curriculum I’ve been preparing for you,” Sarah said with a bright smile as she sat across from Ertel at the desk.

Sarah had wholeheartedly welcomed Ertel’s return and had sincerely hoped for it.

Not long ago, she had been worried about Ertel, who had been confined to the stables. She had feared that Icarus might impose severe punishment on her for running away from the wedding.

‘I’m relieved that nothing terrible happened.’

Now, seeing Ertel sitting elegantly as the Duchess of Juan, praised by everyone, Sarah felt a sense of relief.

At the same time, she couldn’t help but wonder how things had turned out this way.

Ertel, noticing Sarah’s confusion, spoke up.

“I am now Ertel de Juan.”

Among the people in the mansion, Sarah was the only one who had witnessed Icarus’s tyranny.

“Sarah, you find this strange, don’t you? My husband once imprisoned me, and now he’s showering me with affection.”

“Yes, to be honest, I can’t quite understand what’s going on between you and the Duke. When I saw how harshly he treated you in the stables, I never imagined there’d be another wedding. Have the two of you truly reconciled?”

Sarah added timidly, “Not that it’s any of my business.”

Ertel, who found it difficult to speak openly, reached out and clasped Sarah’s hands warmly, meeting her gaze with sincerity.

“I’ll tell you when the time is right.”

“……!”

“Until then, will you be on my side?”

Now that she was the Duchess, Ertel intended to expand her ambitions.

She would gather allies, anyone who seemed willing to stand with her, to prepare for her fight against death.

Ertel’s determined eyes sparkled like stars.

Sarah readily accepted her proposal.

“It seems you’re as alone as I am, my lady.”

“…….”

“I can feel it.”

In that moment, an unspoken bond of friendship blossomed between the two women.

Regardless, Sarah opened her book to fulfill her duties as the live-in tutor.

“Today’s first lesson will be on royal etiquette.”

>><<

After the lesson, Ertel spent some time alone.

The vast and sprawling mansion of Juan still had many places she had yet to explore.

As she wandered leisurely, she felt drawn to the underground.

There, she discovered a massive library that resembled a mysterious cave.

It was a timeless space, as if she had stepped into a dream world.

Soft, ethereal beams of light illuminated the library, casting a glow on Ertel.

‘I can’t believe such a place exists.’

The towering bookshelves were filled with countless volumes, and one wall displayed a hand-drawn map.

The map depicted a vision of a unified Eastern Continent, with all its scattered kingdoms brought together.

“……!”

Ertel was taken aback by Icarus’s meticulous planning and ambition, which extended even to drawing a map of the future.

‘His ambition knows no bounds.’

She couldn’t even begin to fathom how many lives would be lost or how much blood would be spilled to realize that dream.

She knew that her own death was part of that plan.

Ertel placed her hand over her left chest, deep in thought.

‘If he gets his hands on this, he’ll try to kill the king immediately.’

Though her time in the royal palace had been brief, she hadn’t forgotten Pedro’s kindness.

Pedro, unaware of her true nature, had asked her to be on his side.

‘What did he see in me to say such a thing?’

The thought of Pedro, who had shown her favor, being on Icarus’s hit list unsettled her.

Of course, her determination to strike back at Icarus remained unchanged.

But she couldn’t predict how things would turn out.

Just as she had failed at the first wedding, she could fail again.

If that happened, her father and all her relatives in the House of Agnes would be executed in retaliation.

The next time she tried, she couldn’t afford to fail.

‘I have to be cautious.’

Resolving herself, Ertel swallowed hard.

She turned her attention from the map to the dusty bookshelves.

One section was filled with books about gemstones.

It seemed Icarus had researched them extensively for his hunts.

Among them, a book titled ‘The Secrets of Gemstones’ caught her eye.

As she flipped through its pages, her eyes stopped on a particular section.

“The Kaiya Stone possesses immense power, but the one who carries it within their body cannot use it. To wield its power, the stone must first be removed from the body.”

It was a cruel and sorrowful passage.

‘There’s nothing good about it. The bearer can’t even use it. It’s practically a curse.’

But as she continued reading, her eyes widened.

There was something she hadn’t known.

“However, unlike ordinary people, the bearer possesses a unique ability: healing. To sustain their lifespan, the bearer is born with the power to heal others. With the intention alone, they can heal others’ wounds. How this ability is utilized determines its influence and impact….”

At that moment—

‘Rustle.’

The sound of someone descending the stairs reached her ears.

It was Icarus, looking for her.

“!”

Hearing his approach, Ertel quickly returned the book to the shelf.

Then, she turned to greet him with a composed smile, as if nothing had happened.

“You’re here?”

Icarus’s eyes narrowed with suspicion as he looked at her.

Her movements had been too conspicuous.

“So, you were here. Were you exploring the mansion?”

Ertel tried hard to conceal her wildly beating heart.

“Yes. Even though I’ve lived here before, I hadn’t explored every corner. I never knew there was such a magnificent library underground.”

“You must have seen the map I hung up.”

“Yes… I saw it.”