“Did you just say… His Majesty the Emperor?”

I was confused. I’d heard he had been bedridden with a chronic illness for a long time, so why would he be looking for Carlo?

“Sometimes when he wakes up with a clear mind, he calls for his close associates. He must have heard that His Highness has arrived,” Violet explained softly.

The chief chamberlain entered through the door opened by the doorkeeper and greeted us respectfully.

Carlo glanced at the chief chamberlain, then suddenly turned to look at me.

“Um, go ahead. I wanted to wash up anyway.”

I quickly spoke up, thinking he might be concerned about leaving me alone after promising not to.

He stared at me with a hesitant gaze.

Since he hadn’t actually mentioned anything about it, I smiled awkwardly, feeling I might have spoken unnecessarily.

Did I misunderstand…?

“I’ll help you. I’ve served the Empress, so I’ve watched how the ladies attend to her baths.”

Violet eagerly chimed in, and Carlo turned his head without any particular reaction.

“Do that.”

Well… he was always a man of few words.

I kept feeling strange, but decided it was nothing important.

“I want to apologize again. My mother specifically instructed me never to leave your side…”

Violet carefully spoke while brushing my hair.

The bathtub, with a few drops of essential oil, was releasing a subtle rose fragrance.

“In my opinion, this accident would have happened regardless. One way or another.”

I concluded that if this was their reason for inviting me, they would have put me in danger at any moment.

Just as the fireworks festival began on the ship, someone climbed up the ladder, grabbed my neck, and pulled me into the river.

Everything was dark, and my screams were drowned out by the sound of fireworks, impossible for anyone to hear.

It was the perfect timing to kill me.

Which side could it have been?

Or perhaps both the imperial family and the Azanie family planned it together?

“Take care. I’ll be in touch.”

Dillan had promised me a future meeting.

His promise of a future meeting might mean he hadn’t anticipated this incident.

Of course, it could also be a strategy to deceive me, but…

“By the way, Lady Lea, everyone was truly shocked earlier. The Grand Duke completely changed the game.”

“What?”

Confused by her sudden comment, I turned to look at Violet as she poured warm water over my head.

She wore an excited expression, like someone who had just read a thrilling romance novel.

“Many nobles are now in the corridor, holding their breath and peeking around. They keep asking the doorkeepers how the Grand Duchess is doing and if there’s any improvement.”

“Isn’t that normal after an accident…?”

“It’s their reaction to the Grand Duke showing signs of taking action. They’re all wondering which side they should align with now. The Grand Duke has never shown such an attitude before.”

I was momentarily speechless at Violet’s answer.

“…He’s never shown such an attitude?”

“Yes! That’s why everyone interpreted it as the Grand Duke warning the imperial family. When the imperial family said it was too dark to find the culprit and they would search at daybreak, the Grand Duke insisted it had to be done immediately.”

“……”

“Until now, the Grand Duke has never shown opposition or participation in imperial affairs. He’s always been indifferent. That’s why everyone previously considered him a… hmm…”

Violet suddenly covered her mouth with a look of dismay.

I stared at her blankly, then made a gesture of covering my lips, indicating I would keep her secret.

“I won’t tell Carlo. What did everyone say about him?”

“…I can’t. My mother told me not to speak carelessly.”

“I won’t let Mariette know either.”

When I grinned reassuringly, Violet hesitated for a moment, then spoke hesitantly like a schoolgirl confiding in a friend.

“…Actually, everyone calls the Grand Duke an arrogant bystander.”

“A… bystander?”

“The Grand Duke rarely visits the imperial palace since the Emperor collapsed, and he never accepts invitations. It’s the same with social gatherings among nobles.”

To summarize Violet’s explanation:

After the Emperor collapsed, Grand Duke Hedegen never responded to imperial summons.

The Empress and Crown Prince resented this but couldn’t find justification to punish him.

They couldn’t treat him carelessly because the Grand Duke’s capabilities far exceeded those of the incompetent imperial family in protecting and developing the empire.

Even commoners praised the Hedegen family for sustaining the empire.

Moreover, nobles thought the Hedegen family might someday claim the throne. Because of this, the imperial family was keeping him in check, while the Grand Duke pretended not to notice and remained a bystander.

In particular, those growing dissatisfied with the incompetent imperial family called him an “arrogant bystander,” saying he was excessively indifferent to politics.

“The Grand Duke never takes action except in battle, and has been solely focused on family business. His appearance at this banquet with you, Lady Lea, and his immediate dismissal of the imperial opinion were truly unprecedented. Moreover, he was absolutely furious when he saw you injured…”

“…Furious?”

“Of course! He was terrifying!”

I could certainly sense that he was angry, but…

His fierce demeanor seemed almost like a hallucination compared to his usual impassive self when I saw him earlier, making me think I had misinterpreted.

“So people think this might be the signal flare for the Grand Duke’s change.”

“……”

“Even if only to protect his beloved wife.”

“Haha, love… really?”

“What else would you call it? I nearly screamed!”

I’ve decided to call it cooperation.

We’re just trying to look like a convincing couple to others.

When I hugged my knees in the bathtub without responding, Violet, perhaps thinking I felt cold, quickly poured warm water over my shoulders.

“But some people claim it’s all for show. Those already aligned with the Empress say so. Even though they’re family…”

“…Was it Lily?”

“Ha, it shows again. This is exactly why my mother begged me to keep my mouth shut.”

I couldn’t help but smile at the dejected Violet—she looked so cute.

“So all these wavering nobles have been bribing the doorkeepers, begging them not to tell the Grand Duchess if they loiter outside the door tomorrow morning.”

“Huh? Bribes?”

“Oh my, of course. It happens all the time here. Everyone needs to spy on each other. So I gave the doorkeepers double what the others offered. I asked them why everyone was giving them money, since I needed to report to you. They told me everything.”

“So… nobles will be coming and going outside this door from dawn?”

“Yes, they’ve even set up a schedule. They plan to take turns listening from dawn until morning.”

Wow… Is this even possible? And it’s common?

Violet’s eyes sparkled with excitement as if sharing a secret.

“Everyone sees this as a matter of life and death. Whether to maintain close ties with the Empress as before, or to side with the Grand Duke…”

Violet glanced at me shyly, blushing as if to say, “So you understand what you need to do, right?”

“But there’s nothing to worry about. It’s fine even if I don’t report this. Judging from the Grand Duke’s behavior earlier, your passionate newlywed relationship is already evident, isn’t it? Eek! Who knew the Grand Duke could be so passionate! It’s like a novel! Oh, this is also a secret from my mother. She always emphasizes that I must remain proper, okay?”

Violet quickly hid her blushing cheeks as she made her request.

I couldn’t bring myself to tell such an adorable Violet not to expect any passionate relationship.

I could only laugh awkwardly.

When Carlo returned from his audience with the Emperor and entered the bedroom, I peeked outside to see if any nobles were there.

However, they were so skilled at concealing themselves while eavesdropping that none were visible.

Since they apparently did this often… well, perhaps it was natural they wouldn’t be caught.

As I turned away from the door, I watched Carlo removing his jacket.

Before mentioning what Violet had told me, I should properly thank him first, right?

After all, he had saved me from danger more than once.

The reason I keep wanting to smile has absolutely nothing to do with what Violet said.

It’s definitely not because I’m tickled by the thought that he rescued me passionately, or because he suddenly seems like a tsundere. Ahem.

“Thank you so much for saving me earlier.”

I scurried over to him, looked up, and smiled brightly.

He was silently untying his cravat while staring at something, then twisted his head to look down at me.

His expression seemed a bit blank, but that was normal for him.

“I thought it would be right to talk again when I was thinking clearly…”

“I would have done the same for anyone.”

His indifferent tone made the back of my head go cold.

“I would have done the same no matter who fell in.”

He finished untying his cravat as if discussing something trivial, then calmly shifted his gaze away from me.

I blinked blankly for a moment.

“Even if it had been a stray dog. I would have done the same.”

A stray dog…

My face stung as if I’d just realized I’d been slapped.

I was still staring at him, speechless, when suddenly I heard footsteps rapidly approaching from a distance, as if something had happened.