“I’ll take my leave now.”

Her voice was quiet. Without thinking, Ruben quickly asked, “Are you feeling unwell?”

“No, it’s just that you haven’t seen each other in a while. Please continue talking.”

“I can accompany you…”

“That won’t be necessary.”

Ruben, who had stood up to escort her back to the mansion, paused at her refusal.

Something was off about Helia. She was unnervingly calm, unnervingly passive. If he hadn’t accompanied her, she would have likely insisted, even dragged him out, under the pretense of politeness. Yet she was now turning him away. Why? No matter how much he thought about it, he couldn’t understand.

As Ruben remained speechless, Lette stood up gracefully.

“I’ll accompany her.”

“Lette.”

Ruben called out her name in a tone that urged her to reconsider. But Lette ignored him, smiling gently and focusing only on Helia.

Helia looked Lette up and down as if trying to understand her motives. Yet, Lette’s smile never wavered.

“Surely, we women must have things to discuss.”

Lette’s tone was so warm, so gentle. Helia studied her intently before nodding.

“You’re right, then.”

Without waiting for Lette, Helia turned sharply and began walking away. Lette excused herself from the two men and quickly followed Helia. Ruben watched them disappear from view with a worried expression.

“I really don’t understand what Lette is thinking,” Ruben muttered as he entered the second parlor, which was being prepared for the special guests. Caros only smiled serenely in response.

“I’m sure Lette has her own reasons.”

Now that they were alone, the formal titles had disappeared. There was just the godfather and his proud son, standing in place of friends. Caros’ voice, filled with compassion, carried the warmth of a father comforting his child.

“But that woman is dangerous.”

Ruben spoke low, almost like a warning, as if facing a wild animal. Even he found the description absurd.

Dangerous? What power did a small woman like her have to be dangerous? Her waist was so tiny it could be encircled by a single hand, her neck delicate enough to be grasped quickly. Her power—such as it was—came from a monarchy on the verge of collapse. A powerless princess using her fleeting authority like a weapon.

That was Helia Bailey.

And yet, she was always so confident. She held her chin high, her back straight, and when facing someone she deemed an enemy, she would crush them without hesitation. She knew how to wound others, and instead of showing compassion, she wielded their weaknesses against them. People often said she had inherited her father’s blood. It wasn’t an incorrect assessment—she was a tiny tyrant.

“Lette is no longer a child.”

“I know.”

Yes, Ruben knew. Lette wasn’t the same fragile, innocent girl she used to be. In fact, she might even be more potent than him now. She could lead people, handle high positions, and maintain a gentle demeanor. His worry was that the remnants of that younger version of her—the one he had left behind—lingered in his mind.

He couldn’t help but recall the day they first met and the day he left her behind. The woman who relentlessly pushed the younger girl and the frightened little one who trembled before her.

“I’ve heard Lette is also leading the revolutionary forces.”

“Yes.”

“Two outstanding rebels, and now I have no face to show my friends in the afterlife.”

Though he said this, Caros still wore a serene smile. He, too, was concerned about the crumbling kingdom. As the godfather of both children and nobleman of the kingdom, he could not look away from the downfall. Though he wasn’t actively involved, he would lend a hand if needed. His role was enough—he would have done the same if his old friends were still alive.

“Then what are you worried about?”

“You already know.”

Ruben clenched his fist tightly. His large hand trembled slightly.

“She drove my master to his death, and as if that wasn’t enough, she even tried to kill Lette.”

Even now, when he closed his eyes, the memories of that day were vivid.

It had been just another winter night. After training with his master, he relaxed in warm water and dried his hair. Will brought him a rich cocoa. His body relaxed, and his eyelids grew heavy. He could feel the warmth of others watching him with gentle smiles.

It was a perfectly peaceful day. While he calmly prepared to go to bed, he had no idea that his master was going through something entirely different.

“My lord!”

In the early morning, before the sun had risen, Will burst through the bedroom door. It was an act of rudeness he had never committed before and never would again.

“What’s wrong?”

The black-haired boy slowly woke up, his voice hoarse from sleep. He was still too young to be called “my lord.”

When he forced his eyes open, he saw that Will’s face was already pale with fear. The color drained from Will’s face to the point that he looked like he had no blood left in him. The boy snapped awake at the sight. Something terrible must have happened. Otherwise, Will, usually so composed, wouldn’t act this way. This ominous feeling was not unfamiliar. It reminded him of when his parents died in a carriage accident…

“They’re about to execute Lord Klein!”

“…What?”

“They say he will be executed for the crime of attempting to kill a member of the royal family…”

Will’s voice quivered, almost breaking into sobs, and the words barely made sense.

It was absurd. Just a few hours ago, his master had spent time sparring with him. He had even bid him goodbye with a promise to meet tomorrow. But now, in a single night, a charge of regicide? The boy’s mind went blank.

“Tell me more clearly.”

“Last night, Queen Kate consumed poison and passed away.”

The news that followed was even more shocking. At that moment, the boy’s thoughts shifted, and strangely, the first person who came to mind was not the poor, deceased queen but the young girl even younger than him. The little girl couldn’t even cry out loud when her grandfather passed away. It hadn’t even been a year. Where was she now? Was she hiding alone somewhere, swallowing her sobs? The boy’s concern grew.

But then the following statement caused his worry to vanish into an empty, white void.

“However, Princess Helia testified that Lord Klein was the one who brought the poison to the queen…”

“What?”

The boy laughed in disbelief. Could this person be talking nonsense? Was there another princess in this country he didn’t know about? The princess he knew wouldn’t have done such a thing. It was impossible…

“I know it’s hard to believe, but it’s the truth. The messenger reported that Princess Helia personally came forward as a witness. Because a royal testified, the execution will be carried out without trial.”

The boy felt a dizzying sensation, and before he could process it, he was already running out of the room.

“My lord!”

“It’s impossible! I have to see the princess myself.”

“You can’t go! You don’t know what you might get involved in if you leave now…”

“I can’t just stand by and watch my master be executed!”

Ignoring the pleas of his subordinates, the boy climbed onto his horse. He couldn’t sit still any longer. He was confident the princess would listen to him if he took action. He didn’t doubt it for a second.

The horse galloped at full speed, but strangely, the boy’s heart was racing wildly. The ominous feeling spread from his feet all the way through his body.

At the palace, a solemn atmosphere already hung in the air. The servants were all dressed in black, creeping. The boy was the only one riding his horse at full speed among them.

“Where is Her Highness?”

The boy asked a passing maid when he arrived at the Lily Palace. Seeing the cold, tense look on his face, the maid also became uneasy and replied nervously.

“She, she just woke up and is preparing for the funeral…”

The boy dashed toward the parlor without waiting for the maid to finish. His heart pounded louder, but he couldn’t afford to care. He had to see her, no matter what, even if his heart felt like it might explode.

“Duke.”

A woman with dark brown hair and soft brown eyes, dressed in black, called out to him gently. It was the princess’s maid.

“I must see the princess immediately.”