***

“He’s gotten himself a woman, you say?”

The man, puffing on his pipe, furrowed his brows. The aide nodded and continued.

“Yes. But there’s something peculiar about it.”

“What is it?”

“No one has seen the woman.”

“You’re sure there’s a woman?”

“That much is certain. Once every two months, the Duke, Sir Fernon, and an aide disappear for a few days and then return, and they always buy a bunch of presents before they go, flowers and things that women might use.”

“Hmm?”

But nobody had seen the woman?

The wrinkles on the man’s forehead deepened with the perplexing situation.

“Perhaps…”

The aide, who was hesitant to speak because he was not sure, but with a look of determination on his face, he leaned closer to the man and whispered in a low voice.

“Do you remember the rumors that passed down in that family? There is a rumor that the first duchess, who was said to be from another world, had an unusual appearance and unusual abilities, and left a gift to her descendants at the end of her life.”

“And why does that matter?”

“Afterwards, no one has ever discovered the gifts, not even the first Duke of Astina. It has become practically a forgotten rumor. But, perhaps… the current Duke of Astina might have found those gifts.”

The aide, having shared this information, straightened up again.

“Of course, it’s just my speculation, but given the Duke’s disappearance within the mansion for several days, it’s not entirely impossible.”

Certainly, if he had gone outside to meet a woman, there’s no way he wouldn’t have known. People who enjoy gossiping can’t keep quiet. The man, who had been lost in thought, tapping the desk with his fingers, considered the aide’s words and then spoke, leaving room for more possibilities.

“Find out more. About the remaining gift at the Duke’s mansion and everything related to the woman.”

“Understood.”

The aide bowed and left, leaving the man alone. With a wry smile, he took a sip from his pipe, exhaling the smoke slowly. Amidst the dissipating smoke, a low voice mingled.

“I wonder if this woman is genuine.”

* * *

Gradually, a dark curtain descended upon the sky.

“Hmm.”

Lying face down on the pillow, absentmindedly fumbling with his hands to find Ria’s warmth, Rune’s eyes suddenly flickered open.

The sensation of the cold blanket was the only thing he felt, and he was alone on the bed. Rune, staring at the empty space for a moment, sat up and poured water into the glass on the bedside table, gulping it down in large swallows.

However, the emptiness that enveloped him didn’t disappear. Setting the glass back on the table, he ran his hand through his hair and turned his gaze out of the window, where neon signs flickered.

His reflection in the glass was so different from the one he’d shown her before he fell asleep. It was different because it was his true self: cold, merciless, and indifferent to others.

Considering his experiences from childhood, where he was left alone, he had learned about the world far too early. Those who approached him were those whose only purpose was for their own security and profit. It was natural for his demeanor to be like that.

Even now, there were many who approached him with hidden motives. In particular, since he became an adult, many women had forced their way into his bed, all aiming to fill the vacant position of the empty duchess seat. Many women willingly offered themselves.

He didn’t bother stopping those women one by one. It was more accurate to say he left them be.

He wasn’t affectionate enough to reject each one, and above all, they were not the type to easily retreat after such a rejection. Women who enjoyed the torment of a night’s hope would naturally distance themselves after seeing him spend another night with someone else. As long as they didn’t bother him, he paid no attention to what women did in his mansion.

After all, being a duchess was a role that would end in a day.

As a result, he became more indifferent to others. There was nothing he couldn’t do with the family name in his hands and his own power, so if anyone tried to cross the line, he’d just stomp them down like an ant in passing. Then it would be quiet again.

But there was one person who irritated him.

Eden Carlisle. A duke like him.

The bastard was always flirting with the woman he spent the night with, offering her a gift or something, and then taking her away.

Although Rune wasn’t interested in women in the first place, whether Eden took them away or not didn’t matter to him. However, Eden’s constant interference in such a manner was quite annoying.

Initially, Eden’s interests were not women either. He didn’t spend more than a night with twisted women like himself.

“Tsk.”

Rune’s thoughts flowed naturally to that damn man, making his mood sour. His eyes turned even colder, like ice. As he stood up from the bed, to run his hot head in cold water, he turned his head and saw a small post-it note attached to the vanity mirror.

Immediately, his expression softened, as if warm spring had arrived. His smile widened and his steps were quick as he approached the mirror.

He carefully peeled off the post-it note, carefully, as if holding onto something precious, and with each character, he read the lovely handwriting that resembled hers.

[ I might be late, I don’t think I’ll be there until late at night…. But I’ll be there, so when you wake up, make sure you have dinner. Okay? – Ria]

“Okay.”

Even though there was no one listening, he spoke his response out loud and cherished the post-it note. His mood instantly improved.

However, soon a dark expression clouded his face as a thought crossed his mind.

“How should I say… I want to take her with me.”

She’d been thinking of him as the CEO of a foreign company. When she first met him, she saw his hair and eye color and asked him if he was a foreigner. She couldn’t understand what he was saying and it had led to such an extended misunderstanding.

In truth, she wasn’t even from his world.

For someone who had no interest in others and even treated them like passing dust particles, there was a reason for him to hide his true self from her, and he concealed his identity and kept his true nature hidden as he made a few nights of binding the noose.

He had first seen her in the mirror.

By chance, in an underground vault, he discovered a mirror that had somehow captivated him. He dusted it off and brought it to his room, feeling an inexplicable pull towards it. The mirror had been a gift left behind by the former Duchess for her descendants.

At first, the mirror had no special features other than the commonly known functions. It was somewhat disappointing compared to the curiosity and anticipation he had. But on the night of the full moon, when the moonlight reflected off the mirror, he witnessed an amazing sight.

A world he had never seen before appeared within the mirror. And at the center of it, there was a beautiful woman with dark black hair like the night sky and clear chestnut-colored eyes.

Although people around her were filled with the same color, he only saw her. As if by magic, he was gradually drawn in.

It was from that moment that he began cutting off the approaching women one by one.

Whenever she smiled brightly, he felt happy too. When tears rolled down her cheeks, he wanted to wipe them away immediately for her. And when vile creatures eyed her maliciously, he wanted to grab their throats and twist them.

Because of her, he experienced various emotions. Above all, he realized he could feel such intense obsession and possessiveness towards someone else.

From then on, whenever there was a full moon, he spent the nights watching her.

Sometimes, he found release watching her bathe. Initially, he resisted the animalistic urge, but after her image persisted even when she was gone, he began rationalizing it as an unavoidable act.

After spending a few months like that, he eventually started looking for a way to meet her. He focused on that alone day and night.

Then, three months later, he finally found a way.