‘Ridiculous.’

Ruben mentally chastised himself, finding it absurd. He and Helia were not in a position to reject each other. Their relationship had soured long ago. There was no room for refusal in a bond that had already fractured. And even if there were, it should have been a cause for relief, not discomfort. Yet despite this, irritation continued to well up.

“Women do have their secrets, you know. I trust you’ll understand.”

Whether she sensed his unease or not, Helia’s tone remained as composed as ever, with a slight, knowing smile as if asserting a perfectly natural right. Ruben finally turned away from her brazen eyes and spoke in a low voice.

“As you wish.”

“If that’s what you say.”

Helia replied lightly and returned to the steak before her as if their conversation were now trivial.

Perhaps it was sharing a meal with someone he disliked, but Ruben felt an uncomfortable twist in his stomach. He quietly placed his utensils down. Just then, Helia, who had taken a bite of her steak, looked at him curiously.

“Are you not eating, Duke?”

“I don’t have much appetite either.”

Ruben dabbed at his mouth with a napkin. From a distance, Will watched the situation with concern.

However, Helia paid him no mind and resumed her meal in full view. Her poised manner as she cut her steak and brought it to her lips was impeccably elegant. Her slow, deliberate pace seemed almost taunting, but he could say nothing.

It seemed she hadn’t meant her lack of appetite after all. It was a needless worry. Ruben sighed inwardly.

The two finally rose from their seats only after they finished the last drop of tea that accompanied dessert.

They walked side by side toward the dining hall’s entrance, where Ruben was the first to break the silence.

“Well then, take care going back.”

“Aren’t you going to escort me?”

Helia blinked dramatically, feigning surprise. Even though they were merely walking within the manor, Helia insisted on his escort as though walking alone would be a grave oversight. It was her way—she was exceptionally skilled in demanding things from others.

“I wonder if the other ladies know how indifferent you can be,” she teased, amused. Ruben, who felt a wave of weariness with her constant remarks involving other women, chose to keep silent once more. Helia wasn’t owed an explanation, especially since he had no particular attachment to them.

“Fine, let’s go.”

To keep her quiet, Ruben chose to yield.

The carriage moved leisurely, but time seemed to race for Helia. She glanced out the window, then spoke almost impatiently, unable to suppress her thoughts.

“Come by my residence tomorrow afternoon.”

It sounded more like an order than an invitation. Ruben stifled his irritation as he asked, “What do you need?”

“You invited me to dinner, didn’t you? I should at least offer you tea, shouldn’t I?” Helia responded, slightly exasperated. If she genuinely had his interests in mind, doing nothing would have been better, but Ruben held back from saying so. Pointless criticism would only provoke a torrent of scathing remarks from her.

“If I say I don’t have the time, would you accept that?”

“Well, that doesn’t seem like a strong enough excuse.”

Helia tilted her head, a gesture Ruben found increasingly irksome.

“Is that an order, then?”

Upon hearing that, Helia paused briefly, then burst into laughter. She caught Ruben’s gaze and, after a moment, replied.

“If it has to be an order for you to move, then so be it.”

So it was indeed an order. He’d never visit her alone if it had been up to him. Helia was adept at wielding her authority with a certain ruthlessness.

Ruben nodded slightly in acknowledgment. His own feelings weren’t needed here.

Before long, the carriage arrived at Helia’s residence. Ruben rose first.

“You don’t have to step out.”

Ruben retorted dryly, “Are you calling me rude again?”

Without waiting for a response, he leaped lightly from the carriage and extended a hand. Helia glanced at his outstretched hand. It was bare, without a glove, just as her own was; there was no need for gloves for a private dinner at home.

‘This is exactly…,’ Helia thought, gently placing her fingertips onto his as if handling a delicate, fragile treasure. It wasn’t a gesture fitting for an adult man, but Ruben found her touch faintly ticklish and somewhat amusing.

“Then, I’ll be off.”

Ruben escorted her to the door and gave her a respectful bow while Helia nodded, offering a brief farewell.

“Yes, I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Ruben only gave a slight nod before turning back to the carriage, not once looking back. Helia watched him walk away, his back steady and unyielding, never glancing behind.

✥✥✥

The next day, Ruben arrived at Helia’s residence in the late afternoon. He was delayed by work, which he didn’t mind; it meant spending less time with her.

Just as he was setting foot in the heart of her residence, the Star Garden, he heard a sharp, echoing sound.

*Slap.*

A faint moan followed. A sense of dread urged him to quicken his pace. In the distance, he saw people gathered. His eyes narrowed.

As he drew closer, the scene became clearer. A maid was on the ground, holding her cheek, while Helia stood with a cold expression, her hand raised. The rest of the servants, clearly frightened, stood in a circle around them.

“What is going on here?”

His voice turned icy, and everyone instinctively looked at him. But Helia ignored him, her face indifferent as she sneered.

“The maids here could use some retraining.”

“…”

“To think she would dare try to touch a royal family member.”

Helia removed her silk glove and threw it aside as if she’d touched something filthy. The maid, whose face had drained of color, looked devastated as the discarded glove fluttered.

“I… I was just trying to drape a shawl over you because of the breeze…”

“And who do you think you are to speak in my presence?”

“…”

“Should I have you flogged to teach you a proper lesson?”

Flogging? She’d never witnessed such punishment for over a decade working at the duchy. Ruben, their lord, never required his servants to live under such constant anxiety.

For this reason, even the Duke, often regarded as a cold figure, was a caring master within this residence. The maid, experiencing fear like never before, lowered her head.

Ruben stood there, his face hardened as though at a loss for words. In truth, this was a sight he had grown weary of, a scene he had seen countless times near her. Helia was unchanged, wielding her power tyrannically and imposing her will on others. She couldn’t rid herself of her old habits.

“Stop this.”

Ruben stepped forward, positioning himself between the maid and Helia, just as long ago when he’d shielded Lette from her. A flicker of emotion crossed Helia’s eyes.

It was a nightmare replayed before her. And this time, not even for that other girl—just a mere maid. The kind and gentle Duke Ruben Effenberg repeatedly opposed her for others. Turned his back on her. Drifted away from her.

“If you insist on punishment, direct it toward me. I am the master of this household; therefore, the faults of its people are my own.”

The maid looked up at Ruben as though he were her savior, her expression almost that of someone seeing a knight come to their rescue.

After a brief silence, Helia sneered with biting sarcasm.

“What a touching display of loyalty between master and servant.”

“…”

“The Duke of Effenberg truly has a gentle heart. He can’t even stand to see a mere maid scolded.”

As harsh as she was to him. She swallowed the words that almost slipped out, feeling a bitterness on her tongue as if she’d downed something exceedingly sour.

Once, in those days now covered in the dust of memories, he had been a different man. Like a planet orbiting a single star, he revolved around her, kind and tender, always devoted. But what did any of that mean now?

Helia broke free from her thoughts and smiled, a captivating yet cold smile.

“It wouldn’t be right to offend my invited guest.”

“…”

“Please, sit, Your Grace.”