“Welcome, Lady Marte.”

“Are you waiting for Viscount Elsen?”

“Yes. I’ve been told he’ll be returning soon.”

“I see.”

“They say he may arrive today.”

Kallian had sent a messenger to Elliope as soon as the conflict in Nahir was over. Since then, Elliope had been waiting for Kallian. The end was in sight.

“Oh, today?”

“Though it’s not certain.”

When Charlotte heard that Kallian would be returning, her eyes lit up strangely.

“You seem to be in a good mood, Lady Marte.”

“Of course I’m glad the viscount is coming back.”

“Is His Grace treating you well? I heard you were invited to the Grand Duke’s residence yesterday.”

Lately Theodor had been calling Charlotte a lot. It was a good sign for Elliope.

“Oh.”

Charlotte gave a subtle smile. Elliope jumped slightly and asked.

“Surely it can’t be… but is the Grand Duke treating you badly?”

“No, he treats me very well.”

“Of course, that must be the case.”

Charlotte tilted her head slightly and asked.

“You seem quite sure that His Grace treats me well, Your Highness.”

“How could His Grace mistreat someone as lovely as you?”

Elliope gave a confident answer based on her own experience.

Charlotte smiled seductively.

“You’re too kind, Your Highness.”

“Not at all. You truly deserve such treatment.”

“I’m glad to hear that. I’ve been suggesting various things to His Grace lately, and it seems he’s quite taken to them.”

It was clear what Charlotte had suggested to Theodor.

‘Probably something that would provoke him even more.’

Perhaps Charlotte had used subtle methods to stir his mind.

‘I hope she continues to corrupt him.’

Just then Charlotte asked,

“By the way, what happened to the knights?”

“They had some business.”

Kallian had hastily assigned some knights to guard her before he left.

Even the Knights had been unusually busy since Kallian’s clash with the Crown Prince of Seor on the Nahir Plains. Today he had gone to a strategy meeting with the other knights after asking for Elliope’s understanding. 

“So today the guards…?” 

Charlotte muttered to herself, suddenly clapping her hands as if she remembered something important. 

“Ah! I almost forgot to tell you something.” 

“To me” 

“Yes. On my way back from the Grand Duke’s residence, the steward asked me to deliver something to you.”

As she spoke, Charlotte pulled something from the inside pocket of her dress. It was an envelope sealed with the insignia of Duke Ilmos.

“He asked me to give this to Your Highness.”

Elliope glanced at the envelope before taking it. Just as she was about to put the letter in her pocket, Charlotte spoke again.

“Shouldn’t you open it now?”

“…”

“They said it was urgent.”

‘If it’s so urgent, why is it being handed to me now?’

Elliope thought as she opened the envelope. Inside she recognised the steward’s handwriting, which she had seen many times in her past life.

[Lady Elliope Elsen, Viscountess, please come at once. The Royal Ambassador has something to discuss regarding your discharge.]

“Discharge, not treatment.”

Her brow furrowed slightly at being treated like a criminal, but the news of an answer was certainly good news. After all, that was the reason Kallian had protested before leaving for Nahir.

At the very end of the letter, the royal ambassador’s signature and seal were stamped, giving instant credibility to its contents. 

‘How much calculation has gone into this?’ 

The Emperor was always keenly aware of his own advantage. It seemed that today, after much deliberation over the Nahir Plains, he had finally come to a decision. 

‘To give an answer only after something has happened..’ 

It was quite a coincidence, but there was nothing to be done about it. Elliope let out a small sigh.

“If I go to Nahir, the Imperial Family will be forced to respond.” 

“I hope you can receive that response in my place.”

she remembered Kallian whispering.

“What does it say?”

“It says I should come to the Grand Duke’s residence. The royal ambassador has prepared an answer.”

Charlotte’s eyes sparkled at these words.

“Then I’ll go with you.”

“Didn’t you just come from the Grand Duke’s residence?”

“Still, it’s an outing with Your Highness. It’s worth going again.”

Charlotte continued whispering with a smile. 

“I’ve been a bit disappointed, you know. You haven’t taken me out since the first day. Even when I suggested we visit the Grand Duke’s residence, you always sent me alone.” 

“…”

“When I think about it, it’s really too much. You were the one who introduced me, but you left me alone to meet the Grand Duke.”

‘Wouldn’t that be better for you, too?’

Elliope thought to herself, but just nodded. 

“I don’t think it’s necessary to see the Grand Duke…” 

“Oh dear, you don’t think His Grace still holds a grudge over the incident with Your Highness, do you?” 

Charlotte twirled the ends of her hair between her fingers, her voice light and playful. 

“After speaking to him directly, I realised that he’s not such a narrow-minded person. In fact, he has quite a generous heart.”

“…”

“Besides, I’m sure His Highness has already put the disagreement between the Grand Duke and Viscount Kallian behind him. He even mentioned that it would be perfectly fine for the Grand Duke to join her as a concubine.”

As she spoke, framing it as a great act of forgiveness, Charlotte casually crossed her arms over Elliope’s.

“Let’s go quickly.”

“Wait. The knights for escort…”

Elliope tried to call the knights, who were in a meeting. But Charlotte quickly cut her off.

“How can you have time for that when the ambassador is giving an answer? We need to hear it now!”

“But…”

“The escort is also with my carriage! Just take him with you!”

Charlotte said, pulling Elliope forcibly into the carriage.

“Quick, to the Grand Duke’s residence!”

At Charlotte’s urging, the carriage drove away quickly. Elliope spoke with a strange expression on her face.

“It seems you’re even more excited than Lady Marte.”

“Your Highness is finally getting an answer. And also…”

“And also?”

“They say the viscount might return today, right? He’ll probably stop by the Grand Duke’s residence first to report.”

“…”

“You might see the viscount at the Grand Duke’s residence first. What do you think? It’s a good idea, isn’t it?”

Elliope tried to suppress the frown that was forming on her face. It was clear that Charlotte’s excitement came from the thought of seeing Kallian. 

Elliope disliked the fact that Charlotte still seemed interested in Kallian, even after meeting Theodor. 

‘Haven’t they developed a deeper relationship by now?’

As these thoughts crossed her mind, Charlotte continued to speak. 

“Are you worried about visiting the Grand Duke’s residence? Do you think His Grace is still angry with you?”

“It’s not that.” 

“Isn’t it? If Your Highness is worried, there’s nothing we can do. Guilt isn’t something that goes away easily.”

“…” 

Elliope saw no reason to reply and instead remained silent, pretending to be tired. Soon Charlotte fell silent as well. 

Outside the carriage, the streets seemed calm, but there was an undercurrent of tension. The noticeable increase in guards was enough to arouse suspicion. 

“Maybe I should have brought a weapon.” 

The thought crossed her mind, but this was Charlotte’s carriage – not Kallian’s. Unlike his, it was unlikely to be loaded with weapons. 

The same uneasy atmosphere seemed to have settled over the Grand Duke’s residence. 

“…Viscountess.”

The steward, who now regarded Elliope almost as an enemy, led her into the coldest and most worn waiting room. 

“The ambassador will call for you shortly. Please wait here.”

Despite the steward’s cold tone, Elliope offered a faint smile. Tucked away in such an isolated corner, she was unlikely to run into Theodor – which brought her a small sense of relief. 

“…Hmph.” 

Perhaps irritated by her reaction, Baron Taleon let out a series of angry sounds. 

“Lady Marte, please come this way.” 

Charlotte, accompanied by the steward, immediately went to meet Theodor. 

Left alone in the chilly waiting room, Elliope found herself undisturbed. Rather than feeling insulted, she was simply relieved.

‘If I were in a place with others, I wouldn’t be able to escape their stares.’ 

Because of Kallian’s recent actions, Elliope had begun to attract more attention. Even when she stayed in her room, the guards had to turn away visitors who came just to catch a glimpse of her. 

As she wandered around the waiting room, she noticed several small alcoves built into the walls, each with narrow windows. Some of them had sofas. 

As she sat down for a moment, her eyes fell on the courtyard. 

Below, several guards moved about in a state of heightened alert. Perhaps because of what had happened on the plains, the area was more heavily fortified than usual. 

Elliope let out a small sigh. 

‘What answer could they have given?’

She felt uneasy about the Emperor’s possible reaction. If it was only to give Kallian more responsibility, then whatever happened, she would have to lodge a formal protest. 

His absence made her uneasy, and the risks he was taking only added to her worries. 

‘I’m tired of all this.’ 

More than anything, she wanted to return to Elsen territory and lock herself away in the viscount’s residence. Of course, if Kallian were there with her, locked away together… she knew exactly what would happen. But still…

Only now did Elliope realise that she had actually begun to welcome Kallian’s advances. No matter where they were, he always stayed close to her – and strangely, she never found it unreasonable. He wasn’t crazy. 

Had it not been for her lingering worries about Theodor, she might never have rejected him back then. 

Now she longed for the warmth of his body. 

‘It was only a few days ago.’ 

The thought brought a small smile to her lips. 

Just then, the door to the waiting room creaked open.