“It’s already agreed with my husband, and I want to leave this place.”

“Your Grace.”

Joan bit her lip, seemingly shocked.

“But I don’t want my husband to know. I have plans, but I need someone to execute them for me. Can you help?”

Eve’s heart was beating wildly.

If Joan refused, she planned to leave the mansion and cross the border without any preparation.

It must be difficult to answer such an enormous request right after returning home.

How strange must it seem that the ducal couple, known for their harmonious relationship, would suddenly divorce?

If she opposed, Eve would have to choose another option.

It would be an extremely difficult path.

Anxiously watching Joan’s dark eyes, she pressed her thumb into her palm under the desk.

“I don’t know where to begin.”

Joan finally spoke, swallowing hard.

She mumbled as if she had memorized lines in her head, then took a deep breath.

She looks like she might pass out, Eve thought, just as Joan rapidly blurted out:

“Your Grace, wouldn’t you like to meet your parents?”

“What?”

She seemed somewhat excited, breathing heavily in a manner unlike her usual self.

“What do you mean? Parents? My parents passed away.”

Joan scratched her cheek with a troubled expression.

“I was too hasty. Let me rephrase. The King and Queen of Hessen wish to see you.”

“They do? Ah… so that’s why.”

The face of her godmother who had wanted to adopt her flickered before her eyes.

Eve smiled gently at Joan, who was tilting her head in confusion.

“I would like to be their adopted daughter, but I’m not qualified. And I don’t want to lie to them anymore.”

“Lie? What do you mean by not qualified, Your Grace?”

“I… actually.”

Eve became afraid that Joan might change her attitude upon learning that she was actually a commoner.

But suddenly, Joan grabbed Eve’s hands under the desk and shook them.

“I know everything. Your Grace, you are more than qualified. I can guarantee it. Now please listen carefully to what I have to say.”

“Alright.”

Eve nodded unconsciously at Joan’s words, “I know everything.” She sat dazed before the new truth pouring from Joan’s lips.

A miraculous story that seemed more like fiction than truth began to fill the room.

“…My mother is alive?”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

Joan’s voice trembled slightly as she answered.

Monica, the mother who had raised her.

“My mother… is Joan’s older sister?”

She had been a noble.

“Yes. When I went to New Hampshire to find my sister after I grew up, it was pouring rain. It was truly fate. I found my sister abandoned like a rag on a mountain path.”

“Oh… how terrible. Was she badly hurt?”

“…Yes.”

A cautious answer came back.

Afraid that Eve would be distressed, Joan added:

“As I told you earlier, she’s much better now.”

“Thank you. I’m sorry I couldn’t help my mother… I couldn’t save her when she was dragged away covered in blood.”

Large teardrops fell from her beautiful, contorted eyes. Joan wiped her eyes with a handkerchief and said:

“And you should meet your real parents too.”

“Yes. I can’t believe they are my… parents. To think that I was Melissa’s twin sister…”

Her hands trembled on her knees.

And Joan’s hands, holding Eve’s, trembled too.

“Mom.”

Eve’s sorrow, which she had kept layered in her heart without showing it, fell down like streams of water.

Eventually, she buried her face in Joan’s shoulder and cried.

Like a child who had lost her mother and found her again.

To her heart’s content.

* * *

“Manual for Receiving Distinguished Guests at the Coronation”

“List of Attendees for the Groundbreaking Ceremony”

Victor received the documents that Kay was handing over.

“Here are the documents you requested, Your Grace.”

“Thank you for your hard work. Please handle this. It’s the guest list for invitations.”

“Yes, understood.”

The office was bustling with activity.

The crown prince’s coronation would be held in two weeks, and the groundbreaking ceremony for the Mikhail family’s long-cherished high-end residential complex project was in a week.

That day was also Eve’s birthday.

With estate matters on top of everything else, work was overflowing.

He was working through the schedule with his aide Kay, even staying late.

In the midst of this, good news was delivered through the head maid Joan.

“Is that true?”

“Yes, Your Grace. Her Grace said she would look forward to a grand birthday banquet.”

Joan relayed the message as Eve had asked her to, then left. As the office door closed, Victor’s expression, stiff with fatigue, softened.

“Ah… what a relief.”

A smile of relief spread across his face.

He put down his pen, pushed back his chair, and ran his hand through his hair.

It seemed she had changed her mind about leaving.

Perhaps he wasn’t tired because of work after all.

‘I realized love because of you, so I can’t let you go.’

‘Why do you call my feelings lies? I must hold a splendid and luxurious birthday banquet. So she will never forget and will remember me forever.’

“Anyway, since I’ve already eliminated all escape routes, she can’t leave.”

An arrogant smile played on his lips.

Everything was going smoothly.

Even Lurie, whom he had met at the marquis’s mansion last time, said she would withdraw her proposal.

“Her Majesty the Queen summoned me and told me to keep quiet about the Duchess. Are you really doing this? After promising to answer me. When did you go see Her Majesty?”

He had sweated profusely trying to calm down the furious Lyudmila, but he had put out the urgent fire.

Of course, by offering a diamond mine.

“Fine. With Her Majesty’s request, I’ll keep my mouth shut for now. But I haven’t given up, brother.”

He didn’t believe Lyudmila’s words. It was just a temporary measure.

The problem was what lay ahead. He needed a way to protect Eve even after the coronation.

A way to keep her, a commoner, by his side.

If that fact spread, his vassals would rise up.

It was a headache.

As Kay said, the only option was to hide the fact that she was a commoner as much as possible.

But how?

“I’ll think about how to do it later.”

The marble supply issue remained unresolved. He had found marble mines on another continent, but transportation was a problem.

‘The transportation costs are more enormous than I thought.’

“Your Grace!”

Kay, who had briefly left his seat, ran into the office.

“What is it?”

Victor cast a glance at him while pressing his fingers between his eyebrows.

“Iberia is offering mining rights to a marble quarry!”

“What? Why would Duke Winder suddenly do that?”

The young head of the Winder family had consistently reversed contracts. Investigation had revealed Lyudmila’s influence behind this. But now the duke was mentioning mining rights?

“No. Former Duke Duncan Winder, the previous head of the family, has sent a telegram proposing a contract for mining rights to his personal quarry!”

“Really?”

Victor jumped up from his chair. He rushed over and took the telegram that Kay was holding.

“Duke Mikhail, I would like to discuss mining rights for my personally owned marble quarry. As I am unwell, could you come to Iberia? I hope you will come immediately upon receiving this.

-Former Duke Duncan Winder.”

Something unbelievable had happened.

Was it because of the thrilling hunt they had enjoyed at the hunting grounds?

Suddenly, Duncan’s statement about repaying his debt to Eve flashed through his mind.

Victor left the office immediately to find Eve.

She was walking her dog in the garden with Carrol and a maid, as usual.

Eve was holding up a fallen leaf to the sky.

Then she placed a maple leaf between the pages of her book.

“Eve.”

“Yes?”

Her white face turning toward him was so lovely.

“Did you by chance ask the former Duke Duncan of Iberia? About the marble?”

“No. I didn’t say anything.”

“Really? Former Duke Duncan sent a telegram proposing a marble contract.”

“Really? That’s wonderful for you. You needed marble, right?”

“Yes. I’m truly happy.”

Well, the atmosphere at the hunting grounds hadn’t been bad.

Did he make this gesture out of gratitude to Eve?

Whatever the reason, it was good.

“I think it’s thanks to you. I need to go on a business trip to Iberia.”

“Really?”

A faint disappointment shadowed her face.

“Don’t worry. I’ll be back before your birthday banquet.”

“Don’t overwork yourself.”

“I’ll be back soon.”

Victor left a small kiss on her white cheek with his red lips and ran toward the mansion entrance.
After a few steps, he turned back, wrapped his arm around Eve’s waist, and pulled her close.

He parted her lips with his finger and traced her soft, warm inner lip.

“I’ll be back soon.”

“Have a safe trip. I’ll be here.”

“Good.”

She waved her hand to reassure Victor, who kept looking back.

Seeing him so happy like a child made her feel a little sad.

‘Goodbye, Victor. Don’t look for me.’

Everything had gone according to plan.

He had completely fallen for her act.

As soon as the carriage carrying Victor Mikhail and Kay Walker left the mansion, she went out.

“Ralph, I’m going out.”

“Yes, Madam. Enjoy your shopping.”

The head butler Ralph and the servants came out to the entrance to see her off.

Thinking that this was her last performance as a duchess, Eve felt strange and couldn’t smile properly.

Joan, standing next to Ralph, smiled at her.

She had wanted to come along, but this was Joan’s workplace, and if they both disappeared, Duke Victor might trace Monica Olivier’s whereabouts. Eve had asked Joan to rent a carriage in advance and load her packed belongings. After much deliberation, she had put the diamond necklace she had received from Victor in her luggage. She feared that leaving it behind might make her more reluctant to leave.

“Yes. Goodbye, everyone.”

Eve stepped onto the carriage steps resolutely, leaving behind Ralph, who raised his eyebrows in confusion.

Standing on the steps, she turned to take one last look at the mansion.

Her first arrival here and her time with Duke Victor seemed to flash before her eyes like a panorama.

Eve took a deep breath and climbed fully into the carriage.

“Let’s go.”

“Yes, Madam.”

It would be a long outing from which she would never return.

She hoped that the gift she left behind would become the “worst” for him.