Karl Winger’s black carriage entered the Tartien garden.

Maria rushed to the lobby with her face flushed pink.

She took special care of the summer garden this year, never expecting it would shine like this.

Maria’s heart raced seeing Karl Winger’s magnificent black carriage driving through the mansion she had decorated.

‘This is it. This is where that man belongs.’

She suppressed her excited breathing while waiting for the black carriage to stop in front of her.

Soon, the black carriage door opened and Karl Winger appeared, dazzling handsome like always.

He slowly lowered his gaze then gradually turned it to her.

Though he showed not a hint of a smile, Maria felt electricity coursing through her whole body.

“Lady Tartien.”

He approached with slow steps and held out a yellow bouquet.

‘Another yellow bouquet?’

Maria startled for a moment and looked back and forth between the bouquet and him.

He sent a bouquet full of yellow roses last time with his reply, and this time he brought a bouquet full of various yellow flowers.

Actually, Maria had enough of yellow flowers.

Not only did her father and Landers cherish those yellow flowers obsessively, but everyone who came to this mansion also went crazy over those flowers.

Everyone around the House of Tartien was addicted to those flowers.

But for her, who was extremely sensitive to flower addiction and immune to antidotes, those flowers just felt like enemies.

‘This isn’t exius. And this man still doesn’t know anything.’

Maria carefully composed her expression and received the bouquet with a happy face.

“You agreed to call me Maria.”

Her voice was ticklish like fluttering petals.

Karl nodded and indifferently granted her request.

“Maria.”

Ah, she felt like going crazy.

Just hearing her name from his lips made her head spin.

Maria felt a dizzy ecstasy while taking his arm.

“Welcome, Count Cissus. Would you like to spend some time with me before we properly start the meal?”

“Don’t I need to greet the duke and young duke separately?”

“Father and brother are currently attending to other guests. Ah! The guests already ate before coming so they won’t dine separately, so don’t worry about it.”

Karl casually asked in an indifferent voice to Maria’s words.

“Ah. Could today be that card game day?”

“What? Oh, yes. That, that…… Yes, that’s right. So originally it was that day but……”

The surprised Maria unconsciously stammered and got flustered.

Karl gave her a gentle smile.

In an instant, Maria’s wariness melted away.

“I seem to have startled you. I apologize.”

“Oh, no! But, how did you know about that card game, Count Cissus? That was just our small friendly gathering……”

“Where there’s a will, there’s a way.”

“Pardon?”

“I naturally came to know while wanting to connect with House Tartien.”

Even at Karl’s attempt to gloss over his words, Maria’s face showed deep emotion.

“So much……”

She gripped Karl’s arm tightly, already on the verge of tears.

Karl glanced at her without any particular emotion before turning his gaze to the window.

He saw Gustav driving his carriage.

And a bit further away, Tartien’s gardener watched Gustav.

He was the very man Karl had planted.

His people were slowly starting to move.

‘I wonder if Chris and the twins arrived safely.’

Though he hadn’t had time to check, Chris and the twins would handle things well enough.

Karl looked at the dimming sky briefly while clenching and unclenching his fist.

The dull tension rising from his toes pleasantly stimulated him.

“Shall we go this way?”

Karl smiled despite his displeasure at Maria subtly pressing against him.

No matter how uncomfortable and disagreeable, today he had to smile generously toward Maria Tartien.

Karl planned to blow up this place today.

* * *

Though it somewhat late for lunch, the table was set with a feast.

Maria and Karl sat at the table first, waiting for Schultz and Landers.

They would probably be in the second-floor study.

Karl moistened his lips with an aperitif while recalling the mansion blueprints he had obtained beforehand.

‘I’m quite eager to see what state Landers will be in.’

Karl thought that reason alone was enough to appear here putting on airs.

He should have smashed his face more thoroughly.

If not that, then he should have cut off his remaining fingers too.

Thinking about it afterward only left regret.

It felt like too light a payback compared to what he had done.

‘……I’d like to drag him to Lumiere and let her deliver a blow herself.’

He couldn’t do that yet.

When Lumiere’s memories became whole, that would be when she could stomp on him herself.

“Speaking of which, Lumiere came here to paint, right?”

“……What?”

Maria startled at the unexpected topic and stared at him.

“Hic!”

She was so surprised she even hiccuped.

“W-what do you mean all of a sudden……”

“I heard she painted your portrait. How unfortunate. Though I know every single painting Lumiere has done, that’s the one I’ll never get to see.”

That was a lie.

He kept Maria’s portrait well preserved in another of his residences.

When he first saw that painting, Karl couldn’t help feeling regret.

‘She didn’t need to put so much effort into painting a woman like this……’

Did Lumiere know?

That her painting would be used to negotiate her lover’s marriage?

It was the first time he hated looking at one of Lumiere’s paintings.

Karl had it preciously wrapped and tucked away in a corner.

It was a nuisance he could neither throw away nor keep close.

‘……Only the painter’s effort was wasted.’

He unknowingly stared at Maria with cold eyes before quickly changing his expression upon seeing her flustered face.

“The wait is boring, so I’d like to hear about that time. Yes, how was working with her? She’s not a talkative type, so she probably didn’t entertain you much.”

“T-that……”

Maria bit her lip with a troubled face.

Actually, she felt more displeasure than trouble.

How dare he bring up that woman in front of her?

In this place where he came at her invitation!

She shot him a rather resentful look.

“Maria?”

He still urged Maria with a smiling face.

She lowered her eyes, finding it hard to hide her increasingly stiffening expression.

Maria wasn’t good at this sort of thing.

Things like hiding emotions or smilingly probing others.

She never needed such skills.

She had always been at the pinnacle of high society.

There was no need or reason to hide.

“Well, she……”

So now she found it too difficult to handle the situation with sophistication and skill.

She couldn’t figure out what face to make or what words to say.

Fortunately, a savior appeared to rescue her.

“Would this old man be allowed to join whatever interesting conversation you’re having?”

Schultz Tartien entered the banquet hall with a cheerful face.

‘Whew, saved.’

Maria visibly showed relief while jumping up from her seat.

“Father!”

“Maria, you look especially radiant today. Though when were you not pretty.”

Schultz embraced Maria lightly while pretending to be a gentle father.

Maria hugged him affectionately too, matching his rhythm.

Anyway, they were indeed a well-matched father and daughter.

“It’s been a while, Count Cissus.”

“Good to see you, Duke Tartien. It’s the first time since the last palace banquet. You still look healthy.”

Karl and Schultz shook hands while exchanging superficial greetings.

“Healthy, you say? You might be surprised to know how rotten this old man is inside.”

Schultz sat down with a kindly smile.

Maria and Karl also found their seats.

It was a peculiar three-way confrontation.

“Life is naturally full of ups and downs. When there’s bad, there’s good, and when there’s good, there’s bad.”

Schultz looked at Karl with a strange expression at his words.

Karl met his gaze with an expression hard to read.