Since the First Prince had decided to cast him aside, he couldn’t just sit still either.

He had to prepare for it.

That’s why he had unusually requested a private audience with the First Prince first.

Normally, given the First Prince’s personality, he would have said something about how a duke could dare request to meet with royalty first, but the First Prince was quiet.

Recently, the First Prince hadn’t assigned Astaire any work.

He had thoroughly excluded the duke from his affairs.

Astaire knew. That he was trying to isolate him from Avont Empire politics like an island in the sea.

Of course, the Seyfried ducal family, which had been part of Avont’s founding history, wouldn’t be ignored by people over just this much.

He needed to meet directly and find out his true intentions.

That was the purpose of today’s meeting.

“Duke, it’s been a while.”

“It’s been a while, First Prince. I should have visited sooner.”

Astaire greeted the First Prince using the exact etiquette for honoring royalty.

“Cut the sweet talk. What’s your business?”

When he raised his head, the First Prince was looking down at him with a gaze sharper than before.

Astaire didn’t avoid his gaze.

“So what does the duke have to say?”

“This isn’t something to discuss here. May we go inside to talk?”

However, unexpected words flowed from the First Prince’s mouth.

“Since this is such a sudden meeting, that might be difficult.”

Anyone could see it was a rebuff at the door.

But Astaire wasn’t flustered.

“Then I’ll speak here.”

“What?”

Astaire approached the First Prince closely. Because he was much taller than the First Prince, the duke had to bend his waist slightly for the small royal.

Watching him, the First Prince ground his teeth.

Did this duke know that even such trivial things stimulated his inferiority complex?

“Speak quickly. I don’t have time.”

“Yes.”

Astaire soon whispered something in the First Prince’s ear.

What is it?

Even Germo, who was standing far away, felt his ears perk up with curiosity.

What Astaire had to say to the First Prince wasn’t as long as expected.

Maybe just a word or two? 

Afterward, Astaire moved away from the First Prince again, performed the greeting for royalty, and turned around. Germo, who had been behind him, approached and asked.

“Are you finished already?”

“Yes.”

Astaire smiled coldly.

“I’ve said what I needed to say.”

From now on, he just needed to prepare.

As Germo followed Astaire, he turned his head very slightly to look toward the First Prince.

He thought he would have gone inside the palace already, but surprisingly, First Prince Carlos was still standing in place.

With fists clenched tight.

With teeth clenched.

For a moment, Germo’s eyes met Carlos’s.

The eyes of a cobra containing powerful poison said to kill dozens of people. Germo got goosebumps and quickly turned his head.

“What are you doing? Not following?”

“Yes, I apologize!”

Astaire, who had gone much farther ahead, turned around and shouted at Germo. Germo quickly hastened his steps to follow his superior.

Somehow, soon.

It felt like a bloody storm would blow through Avont Empire politics.

He had that ominous premonition.

* * *

“My lady. Please, just try one bite.”

The head butler stamped his feet watching Daphne, who was refusing meals entirely.

Regardless, Daphne was unmoved.

“I’m fine.”

It was already the dozenth time repeating those words.

The head butler felt like a stone had been placed on his chest.

“Since my lady won’t eat anything at all, this old man feels like he’ll die of worry. Please, for my sake, eat just a little.”

“No.”

Daphne quietly closed her eyes and lay down on the bed.

Naturally, since she hadn’t eaten all day, her stomach growled and a headache arose. Even just sitting up made the world spin.

Still, Daphne absolutely wouldn’t open her mouth.

“You probably put sleeping pills in that appetizing food again, didn’t you?”

The head butler said nothing.

“…”

“I won’t keep being a victim either. I won’t be kept by His Grace forever.”

Though her body lacked energy, her voice was sharp. It was a voice that felt like stubborn rubber that could never be broken no matter how hard you tried.

The head butler let out a deep sigh.

“My lady, if you continue like this, I’ll call the doctor to examine your condition.”

“That’s pointless.”

“My lady!”

The head butler raised his voice in frustration, then eventually bowed deeply apologetically.

“I apologize for raising my voice. But at this rate…”

Good heavens, someone might starve to death in the duke’s estate of all places.

And that person was Duchess Seyfried.

The head butler shook his head trying to erase the terrible imagination.

“Do as you please.”

“Pardon?”

“But I don’t feel like eating. My stomach isn’t well.”

It was already the second time. That Daphne had skipped meals with the excuse of not feeling well.

Even when he brought easy-to-digest soup, Daphne was unmoved.

“Ugh…”

“My lady! Are you alright?”

Of course she wasn’t alright. Not eating meals and just lying down dizzy—her body couldn’t be in a normal state.

“My lady! My lady!”

Daphne eventually lost consciousness.

The butler stamped his feet seeing Daphne lying pale like a corpse, not responding no matter how much he called, then hurriedly summoned the doctor.

While the duchess’s bedroom was in an uproar.

The sound of a horse neighing came from outside.

Hastily pulling back the curtain, he saw Astaire’s pitch-black carriage entering the duke’s estate.

“What’s going on?”

Soon Astaire, noticing the commotion in the estate, came upstairs and asked.

Daphne collapsed.

The doctor and head butler examining such a Daphne.

Astaire’s pupils looking at them lost focus and shook.

“My lady kept refusing meals and finally collapsed.”

The head butler answered on behalf of the doctor who was busy examining her. Cold sweat trickled down his temples. He had been to hell several times today.

“Collapsed?”

Astaire asked back in disbelief.

“If you refuse meals for a long time, collapsing from malnutrition isn’t strange, Your Grace.”

The doctor, who had finally removed the stethoscope from Daphne’s body, added.

Astaire’s eyes clouded for a moment.

The man squeezed his eyes shut briefly, then opened them.

Daphne collapsed?

That one trivial fact created a series of ripples in the duke’s lake-deep, unfathomable heart.

“…Somehow.”

“Pardon?”

When the duke muttered something in a small voice, the doctor who didn’t hear properly asked back.

“Make her regain consciousness somehow!”

Astaire shouted loudly. Seeing him again, he was clenching his teeth like he was suppressing anger.

“Yes, I’ll do my best.”

The doctor also trembled as he answered, seeing Duke Seyfried openly express anger like this for the first time.

“Daphne.”

Astaire approached the lying Daphne in just a few steps. Then he spat out her name like chewing it.

“Wake up.”

A short, firm command.

It was such a chilling command that anyone, even a dead person, would flinch and wake up if they heard it.

Yet Daphne still lay quietly like a corpse.

Astaire reached out and touched Daphne’s face. It was cold like ice.

“Is she dead?”

For a moment he even had that thought, and the man was seized by a feeling like someone was scraping out his heart.

“No, she’s not dead. But she continues in this state…”

The doctor couldn’t continue. He just swallowed hard. Astaire’s eyes were murderous, like he would kill someone right now.

“Save her. Somehow.”

He was planning to do that anyway.

If the duchess became endangered, he truly felt like he would be in danger too.

They really do have a good relationship.

The doctor thought so.

The doctor, who commuted rather than always residing at the duke’s estate, didn’t know the details of the ducal couple’s peculiar relationship.

“I’ll do my best.”

“I don’t need words.”

Astaire said that and left the estate.

Thud. The sound of the door closing was particularly loud. It seemed to show the man’s anxiety.

Just when it seemed that way.

Astaire came back and asked, “Is there anything else I can do?”

“No, nothing…”

The doctor was planning to tell him to leave everything to him for now.

“Good, then.”

Only then did Astaire completely leave the duchess’s bedroom.

* * *

Daphne was dreaming.

“Daphne.”

Because Astaire called her in an impossibly sweet voice, Daphne immediately realized she was dreaming.

There was no way he would call her so affectionately in reality. Unless he was acting.

“Daphne.”

Slowly, he stroked Daphne’s cheek.

Strangely, his warmth was soft like a feather, so Daphne quietly closed her eyes.

That’s when it happened.

“Here.”

Astaire handed her a bouquet.

The bouquet’s appearance was familiar, so Daphne quietly lowered her head to look at it. She soon recalled where she had seen that bouquet.

Nostalgia Roses. The rose bouquet she had sold to Astaire when he visited during her flower booth at the Academy.

Back then, Astaire said he was giving the bouquet for a “woman.”

Daphne stared blankly down at the bouquet. Then she looked at Astaire with disbelieving eyes.

“It’s yours.”

Surprisingly, Astaire said with a bright smile.

Only then did Daphne realize she was dreaming. Because Astaire wasn’t someone who would buy flowers to give to a woman. She knew that better than anyone.

No. Come to think of it, there was that woman.

Reina Melanian. Even in her dreams, she had to recall that terrible name.

Astaire’s woman, who had tried to feed her abortifacient medicine.

The memory of that time was still vivid. The image of Reina lightly kissing Astaire’s cheek.

Why didn’t Astaire push her away?

That was the second time she had seen Astaire alone with that woman. At least the first time, Astaire had tried to hold her back and explain. Though it was pathetic.

But the second time.

He didn’t say anything or show any action.

Daphne saw it as Astaire essentially admitting his relationship with Reina.

Was it because of that incident? Recently, Reina hadn’t been visiting the duke’s estate.

‘Then they’re probably meeting alone at Astaire’s workplace.’

Thinking that, Daphne frowned.

“What’s wrong, Daphne?”

Astaire asked, puzzled.

“I don’t need it.”

Daphne returned the bouquet to Astaire. This bouquet had a different owner.

“You should give it to someone else, not me.”

“Why?”

Astaire asked back in a tone that genuinely didn’t understand.

How long would he keep pretending not to know?

And this man who tormented her even in dreams was terrible.

“I hate you.”

Daphne even felt a sense of pleasure watching Astaire’s face contort. More, more, more. She wished he would show a ruined face.

“You’re terrible.”

He frowned and his lips twitched like he was about to say something.

“Never appear before me again.”