However, as Lucas’s gaze toward him remained unchanged, he seemed to understand the situation and turned away with slumped shoulders.

Nevertheless, his choice was still his ‘title’.

Lucas didn’t even watch the Baron leave the office as he picked up another document and asked his secretary.

“You’ve sent a summons to Dalton as well?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“Tell them I want definite punishment, with no leniency just because she’s a woman.”

“Yes, President.”

“At times like this… I think the old days might have been better. When private revenge was allowed, and the sword took precedence over the law… Such barbaric times.”

A sharp killing intent emanated from Lucas. The secretary looked at him with a start, even though it wasn’t directed at him. Lucas then smiled and waved his hand dismissively.

“Don’t worry. I have no intention of becoming a murderer or a criminal.”

His life is far too precious for that.

There’s barely enough time to dream of a future with the woman he loves, so he couldn’t waste that time by dirtying his hands.

However, Baron Anticia and Giana Dalton would have to pay the price for their crimes.

Not by his hand, but by the hands of the law and society.

“Oh, and make sure that not only that woman but also her father are never seen in social circles again.”

The royal court would probably revoke the barony that Dalton had received. After all, the reality was that they had to be mindful of a ‘wealthy commoner businessman’ rather than a mere baron.

Lucas smiled coldly and flipped through the documents again.

There were quite a few people, newspapers, and magazines involved in this incident. Those who had made false reports claiming to be from their academy days, and all the publications that had printed those articles would all pay the appropriate price.

⟨With this incident, quite a few newspapers and magazines will disappear. Should I venture into that field as well?⟩

⟨Please refrain, President? A collusion between capital and the press. What kind of monster are you trying to create?⟩

He suddenly remembered how Giselle had seriously rejected the joke he had made this morning.

“It was a joke with some sincerity behind it……”

“Excuse me? What did you just say, President?”

The secretary, who had been reviewing Lucas’s instructions, asked awkwardly as if he had missed his words.

“It’s nothing. Hmm… Well then.”

He touched his chin, then smiled and shook his head before standing up. The secretary saw this and said, “Ah,” with a smile.

“I’ll be leaving for the day.”

“Yes, I’ll have the car ready.”

The secretary, who had become accustomed to Lucas’s ‘early departure’ in recent days, smiled calmly as he spoke.

It was hard to believe these were the same two people who had just been exchanging such grim conversations.

Lucas glanced at the outside scenery, which was too early for leaving work, and scratched the bridge of his nose.

He was aware that his departure time was getting earlier with each passing day.

* * *

“Huh?”

Giselle was drinking tea and reading a newspaper when she involuntarily let out a loud exclamation.

This startled the cat that had been lazily spending time sprawled on one side of the table, causing it to puff up its tail and jump down to the floor.

“Hisss!”

“Oh, sorry. I’m sorry, Elizabeth.”

Lucas, who had been reading another newspaper, looked at her with a puzzled expression. Giselle hurriedly waved her hands after trying to soothe the cat, noticing his gaze.

“No, it’s nothing. That… Ah! Shouldn’t you finish your tea quickly and go to work?”

“There’s no need to rush.”

Perhaps his former self, who hated wasting even a minute or a second, would have felt differently.

But now he had grown accustomed to these times spent with Giselle—when there was no need to do anything in particular.

No, it would be fair to say that these days he was even enjoying it.

“N-No! While you’re leaving work early, shouldn’t you at least go to work on time, or rather, a bit early?”

The person who knew this fact better than anyone was Giselle herself, yet she urged him as if something serious had happened.

Drink quickly, quickly.

Lucas thought she might pour the remaining tea into his mouth and smiled before standing up. Giselle promptly folded even the newspaper he had been reading and put it away.

As if to prevent Lucas from sitting down again to read the newspaper.

“……Hmm.”

Lucas narrowed his eyes as he put on his outer garment and attached cufflinks to his sleeves, as Giselle was encouraging.

‘There’s something going on.’

What could it be?

What on earth was she plotting with that small head of hers?

He silently looked down at Giselle as she adjusted his attire, muttering to himself.

She seemed to be trying to hide her expression, but her flushed face was clearly visible to Lucas.

‘Well… it’s nice to see anyway.’

Lucas was about to ask what she was hiding but decided against it.

After losing the baby, her body had recovered significantly, but her heart hadn’t fully healed, and Giselle’s complexion still often darkened.

So seeing her with an excited expression for once was something he welcomed.

Besides, if she wanted to hide something, it was a husband’s duty to pretend not to notice.

Lucas swallowed his smile and then spoke as a thought occurred to him.

“How about lunch today?”

“……Lunch?”

“Yes. I was thinking we could meet for lunch together. You haven’t been out for a long time.”

He took advantage of her good mood to suggest meeting outside for once. But contrary to his expectations, Giselle responded with a lukewarm reaction and a troubled expression.

“Um… that’s, a bit……”

“Why, don’t you want to?”

Lucas’s expression darkened as he had been hoping she would agree since she seemed to be in a better mood than usual, but perhaps she wasn’t feeling well enough to go out yet.

Seeing this, Giselle shook her head and explained.

“It’s not that, I think I need to go out to take care of some personal business.”

“……Personal business?”

“Yes.”

Giselle nodded in response to his question with her lips pressed together. Her gaze seemed to say not to ask any further.

“Hmm……”

Lucas’s eyes narrowed again as he looked at Giselle. Sensing this, she subtly turned her head to the side to avoid his gaze.

Lucas had to suppress a laugh at Giselle’s attitude, stubbornly refusing to look at him.

‘This is no different than openly declaring that you’re being suspicious!’

He looked at Giselle, who was practically screaming ‘suspicion’ with her whole body, with amused eyes, then calmly spoke as if he hadn’t noticed anything.

“Well, if that’s the case, it can’t be helped. Then later… no, perhaps we should take a trip sometime? I have a villa in the north with beautiful scenery. The lake in front of it is good for fishing, and it’s nice to walk around its perimeter.”

……or so I’ve heard.

Lucas recalled what the broker had told him about the villa he had never visited since purchasing it.

But Giselle, who couldn’t know this, opened her eyes wide at his words and said with a voice tinged with amusement.

“You have a villa near a lake too? You seem to secretly like being near water. Like the seaside we went to before……”

“Well……”

Lucas didn’t want to give the unromantic answer that he had simply purchased it as an investment, so he equivocated. Then he kissed her cheek lightly and spoke.

“I’ll be going now. Have a good time on your outing too.”

“Yes.”

She responded by kissing his cheek and then adjusted his attire once more.

As they went downstairs together to see him off, Giselle tried to calm her pounding heart.

To be honest, she couldn’t think about villas or anything else. She just wanted to send him off to work and go to the bank.

The news Giselle had discovered while reading the newspaper earlier was related to her investment.

It was news informing her that she had become wealthy.

‘Good heavens….. How much profit did I make?’

She restrained her urge to grab Lucas and cheer as she saw him off.

She planned to go to the bank today to verify the profit rate with her own eyes, then reveal it to him.

* * *

After finishing lunch with Stella, Giselle promptly ventured out.

Not only Stella but all the employees rejoiced as if it were their own good fortune when they heard she was breaking her seclusion to go out after such a long time.

‘……Everyone must have been worried about me.’

She felt somewhat embarrassed and muttered to herself.

Now she could see the hearts she hadn’t noticed when she was immersed in her solitary grief.

Not just Lucas and Stella, but also the nanny, the head maid, those who attended to her, and all the other employees had been heartbroken.