“I will.”

“You mentioned you had something to say last time.”

Rubbing his weary eyes, he gestured for her to speak. However, the moment when Bleria had truly wanted to ask Damian something had long passed. She started to shake her head but paused.

Now that she had let go of everything, a question came to mind that she could finally ask.

“Why did Eos Liche publish such an article?”

“Probably bluffing since there’s no chance of getting approval anyway.”

“Don’t you think it might have been out of confidence?”

“If they truly believed it, then they’re just some fool duped by crafty lies.”

Damian acted as though there wasn’t even the slightest chance that Eos could be Bleria.

Was it because a child injured by a blade couldn’t possibly survive a fall from a cliff? Or was it because he, too, wanted to deny their father’s sins? Whatever the case, there was no way he’d reveal his true thoughts to such a half-hearted question.

Bleria changed her tone.

“Is it true that Father, under the influence of Dreamer’s Bloom herb, struck Bleria down?”

Damian’s demeanor shifted. The hand that had been rubbing his eyes stopped, and he turned to look at Bleria. His sharp gaze made the hair on the back of her neck stand on end, but she held her head high and met his eyes.

“Who told you that nonsense?”

“There wasn’t any investigation to root out the culprit, was there?”

“Hah.”

He pressed the back of his neck hard enough to leave marks, then stood up.

“So, you’ve taken an interest in those idiotic rumors, I see.”

“…”

“Let me say this just once. There was no mountain keeper present when Bleria fell.”

He started by dismissing the source of the rumor outright.

“The man only appeared much later, sneaking around. I even remember what he said: ‘Why have you come so deep into the mountains? The Dreamer’s Bloom has expanded its territory; there are signs warning about it. Didn’t you see them? It’s dangerous, so you should head back.’ You want to claim someone who witnessed the accident would say such carefree nonsense?”

“Then another witness must have—”

“The only one who saw Bleria fall was Father. So if anyone else is speaking of that day, it’s either conjecture disguised as fact or intentional manipulation. If you want to get swept up in that nonsense, I won’t stop you.”

Damian didn’t raise his voice, but the bloodshot whites of his eyes against his blue irises were a fierce contrast, radiating suppressed anger.

Still, Bleria wasn’t willing to accept his words at face value.

Could someone truly assess the situation precisely while their only sibling was falling off a cliff? Above all, Damian hadn’t denied the rumor that Bleria had been struck with a blade.

“Is it also nonsense that the real one would have a scar on their abdomen?”

“Bleria is dead. That’s all you need to know.”

Even Damian, as he said those words, likely knew they didn’t amount to proof.

After that, he fell silent. Though he denied the possibility that Eos could be the real Bleria, he showed no intention of sharing the full truth.

Perhaps Damian’s version of events was true, but when his argument was all conclusion and no evidence, doubt naturally filled the gaps.

“You were wrong to say no one else was there. Bleria Heaven was present.”

“And?”

“You didn’t see the body with your own eyes, did you?”

“You sound as if you’re hoping Eos Liche really is that child.”

Damian twisted his mouth into a sneer.

“Why? Are you getting tired of your place now that people are starting to suspect? If so, you should just say it outright. Your brilliant sibling finds it hard to follow the words of someone as foolish as me.”

“…I understand. I won’t bring this up again.”

Bleria exhaled lightly, then continued.

“Regardless of Eos Liche, it’s true that there’s no scar on my abdomen. Father would know that as well.”

“Get to the point.”

“Do you remember the promise you made to me five years ago?”

On the day Bleria had first entered the mansion, clueless, Damian had made a promise in a smoke-filled room.

“If you endure until His Grace passes away or it’s revealed you’re an impostor, I’ll reward you handsomely. I even said I’d fake your death and smuggle you out to another country.”

“If Father truly knew the truth, you would’ve been kicked out of the mansion long ago.”

Damian spoke decisively, but then how would he explain the Duke’s changing attitude toward her? A flood of rebuttals came to her mind, but Bleria held back.

Damian likely knew such things better than anyone. She hadn’t brought it up expecting much anyway.

“If that’s all you had to say, let me remind you I’m a busy man.”

She quietly moved toward the door. Just before stepping out, she glanced back.

“Still, you might find out soon, so I’ll say this in advance: you can keep the promised reward.”

“Hah.”

“I’ve already received more than enough. During my time living here, I experienced things I never imagined. So don’t worry about it.”

With those final words, she bowed her head and left the office. Her softly exhaled breaths had somehow grown as hot as a roaring fire.

***

After parting with Damian, Bleria wrote two letters.

One was to Gopher, apologizing for her sudden absence. His reply was short, saying it was fine.

The other was an invitation to someone.

She thought it might be ignored, but the answer came quickly—in person, not in writing.

Mixel Luke Dice grinned as he sat on the sofa in the parlor.

“For you to summon me—it must be nighttime still.”

“Nighttime?”

“Ah, not here. It’s an old saying from where I’m from. It means something so unbelievable happened, the whole day must’ve been a dream.”

Perhaps embarrassed to explain his joke, Mixel Luke cleared his throat and sipped his tea. Despite his rugged demeanor, he drank elegantly.

Hiding her surprise at the contrast, Bleria greeted him.

“Thank you for coming right away.”

“Of course, I came immediately. Who knows when you might change your mind? …Not that I’m calling you fickle.”

“I didn’t think much of it. Did you know that explaining yourself makes it seem worse?”

Mixel Luke feigned exaggerated indignation but soon grew serious, his gaze and voice changing.

“So, why did you call me?”

Bleria lowered her gaze. When her face was reflected in the tea, the situation suddenly felt strangely out of place.

Mixel Luke had constantly provoked and mocked her. He even brought Eos Liche into the picture to pressure her into giving up her position. He was the person who had angered her the most, yet the only one who had offered to help her escape.

He once broke his arm saving her from being injured by an agitated horse.

Despite those moments, she still couldn’t fully trust him.

It was merely a repetition of a situation where she had to rely on someone untrustworthy to survive. Worse yet, she was in a position where she had to seek one-sided help, fully aware that the other person could reject her at any moment.

By this point, she wondered if this humiliating predicament was her destiny.

Even if I ask for help, he might refuse.

He miffs at her, saying she’s only reaching out after holding her head high all this time and now facing death.

But shamelessly enough, Bleria didn’t want to die.

If there was even the slightest chance to increase her odds of survival, the embarrassment of being rejected was a small price to pay.

Bleria exhaled a long breath and asked,

“What do you intend to do, Count?”

“What do you mean?”

“It won’t save your life even if I stop being Bleria Heaven and Eos takes my place.”

Unless Eos became the Duchess of Heaven, there was no way to stop the next Duke of Allnight.

“You’re not planning to taint Gopher with a stain and then die laughing, are you?”

“Of course, I’ll escape.”

“……”

“I know it doesn’t sound impressive, but I’m serious. While overseeing the intelligence division, I noticed the weak points in the network. I’ll buy a title in some small country on the Eastern Continent and live extravagantly with the money I’ve saved up.”

“Will that really satisfy you? I mean─.”

“Of course not.”

Before she could recover from her slip of the tongue, Mixel Luke replied in a heavy tone.

“Though the scandal is vividly painted, it’s obvious I’ll soon live as if it never happened. But life doesn’t always go as planned, does it?”

He pressed his lips together into a tight line before changing his expression.

“For you, I’m probably an example of how life doesn’t go as planned.”

“……”

“Do you resent me?”

“I’m not sure.”

Bleria tilted her glass, moistening her parched throat.

“For now, I just want to think that this is for the best, that I can’t live like this forever.”

“It is for the best.”

He spoke with such certainty, even though it wasn’t his situation. Bleria bit her lip before replying quietly, “Sure.”

“Aren’t you going to ask if Eos Liche is real?”

“Whatever you say, I won’t believe it. I don’t want to waste any more time thinking about him. Besides, I agree with what you said. I can’t know everything, nor can I do everything. I’ll have to stop somewhere and settle for that.”

“…Why does it sound like you’re saying that for my sake?”

His reaction, as though her words pricked at his conscience, was that of someone burdened by unknown guilt. Ignoring his joking remark, Bleria moved to the main point.

“Do you still pity me?”