I jerked my head up in surprise at the unfamiliar touch, and a familiar clean scent washed over me.

My stiff neck relaxed as I quickly looked up.

“I thought you were asleep.”

Carlo was standing beside the bed.

His hair was slightly damp, as if he’d just bathed, as he looked down at me.

“When did you get here…?”

The strange sense of relief I felt the moment I saw him…

Followed by a wave of numbness.

I almost stood up to embrace him out of indescribable joy.

That’s ridiculous…

My heart must have weakened from that brief moment of fear.

Instead of standing, I lowered the blanket I’d been clutching like a shield.

“Was it you who put me in bed, Carlo?”

“Yes.”

Carlo keenly examined my complexion with his deep blue eyes.

I forcibly suppressed my feelings and gazed at him calmly.

Eventually, he spoke in a contemplative voice.

“Did you have a nightmare?”

“…What?”

“Your face is pale.”

Carlo reached out and placed his hand on my forehead.

My heart sank, but I smiled to hide it.

Fortunately, with a man so perceptive, the only light illuminating the room was from the bedside lamp.

“……”

I glanced up at him as he touched my forehead.

His gaze seemed gruff yet earnest as he examined me.

Perhaps it was because he was the man who had protected me most reliably since I arrived here.

My face grew hot without my realizing it, making me slightly flustered.

I hurriedly lowered my gaze.

“Did something happen?”

Just as I slightly twisted my head to remove his touch, he caught my face with one hand.

I knew I’d made a mistake—he was the type to immediately dig deeper if he sensed any concealment.

“Tell me.”

I quickly shook my head, feeling I’d slipped up.

“Just… I think I had a nightmare.”

He immediately narrowed his brow, apparently disliking my evasive answer.

How could I tell him what had happened to me?

I found it difficult to put the scene I’d just witnessed into words.

I saw the past, the Azanie family and Empress Genevieve were there.

It was a memory from when I was ten years old.

I think that’s when the brainwashing to kill you began…

Nothing I could say would be good for him to hear.

It meant they had been preparing to attack St. Berte for a very long time.

It also meant the plan to eliminate Carlo wasn’t something prepared just a few years ago.

Perhaps they were even responsible for the loss of Carlo’s parents and brother.

If they killed the last remaining Grand Duke Hedegen after making him lose everyone, there would be no one left to interfere when they divided all the Hedegen family’s wealth.

In reality, Count Azanie and Empress Genevieve, the two families, had been preparing to eliminate the Hedegen family for a long time.

I was clearly part of that plan.

“……”

Perhaps the reason I couldn’t tell this man about the terrible scene I’d witnessed was…

I might have been afraid of revealing that I was the one who had led the attempt to kill him under the excuse of being brainwashed.

He was a strong protector who looked after me, the only person who cared for me in unexpected moments… someone I’d never met in my life.

At the very least, I wanted to help expose the evil deeds committed by these terrible people and support him until he could reclaim a good life.

“It’s not from overworking.”

“…What?”

“Joseph said you’ve been working too much.”

“No, I haven’t!”

“What do you mean, no?”

He looked me over and spoke in a displeased tone.

“Take a break for a while.”

“You don’t need to do that.”

I’d just started doing something to repay this man and be helpful!

When I hurriedly shook my head, he frowned even more severely.

“You still want to go out?”

“Yes, I do.”

“Do you prefer going out to staying here?”

“……”

“Well?”

He stared at me coldly, pressing for an answer.

I gripped the blanket lightly and chose my words carefully.

“I have to go. It’s my job. It’s what I need to do, and I can’t push it onto others. That’s how many other people got hurt before.”

“……”

“I won’t live as an irresponsible person. And I’m not overworking.”

“……”

“I’ll manage well on my own so you don’t have to worry. So…”

“Do as you wish, then.”

He removed his hand from my face and declared indifferently.

I stared blankly at him as he headed to his bed, then quietly slipped under my covers and lay down.

My mind was still confused by unresolved questions. I had no time to observe his reaction now.

If the two families had brainwashed the young Lea over a long period, arranged her marriage to Carlo, and plotted to kill him, then Genevieve’s reaction still didn’t make sense.

It seemed like she had other intentions in so easily giving up the Hedegen territories she had longed for and turning her back on Count Azanie.

Could she be planning to put Carlo in even greater danger…?

“Carlo.”

When I turned on my side and addressed him, he twisted his head to look at me from where he lay with the back of his hand covering his eyes.

“What.”

“…How about taking Joseph back with you?”

“What?”

“It’s natural for the commander of the guards to protect the Grand Duke, but he’s been away from his post too long because of me.”

As commander of the guards, Joseph was likely the most skilled swordsman. He was essential for Carlo’s protection.

As I stared at him waiting for an answer, Carlo’s gaze grew fiercer.

“Why? Are you tired of being watched now?”

“No, that’s not it…!”

“If that’s not it, then leave things as they are.”

He closed his eyes as if he didn’t want to talk anymore.

“This is a letter His Highness asked me to deliver to you, my lady.”

The next morning, Norbert held out an envelope.

“Did His Highness leave early?”

I had checked his study but couldn’t find him.

He nodded readily at my question.

“He’s always busy during this period. Moreover, he’s even working ahead of schedule…”

“Why would he deliberately work ahead?”

“That would be better heard directly from His Highness.”

Norbert answered with a slight smile.

He seemed to know the reason but was unwilling to tell me.

“…Why are you doing this?”

Even when I showed a more puzzled expression, his lips didn’t budge.

“Hmm, I understand.”

I didn’t press further because Norbert’s expression didn’t seem serious.

I decided to check the letter Carlo had sent first.

“Oh? The sender is… from the Carrisford apothecary?”

I had been wondering about the powder found in my bedroom, curious about what it had been identified as!

But something strange caught my eye.

The sealed envelope showed no signs of having been opened.

“Has His Highness not read it yet?”

“He said you should check it first, my lady.”

He wants me to check first…?

What’s going on with that meticulous man who normally needs to verify everything with his own eyes?

It felt different from his usual behavior to give me the chance to check first.

I hesitated briefly before opening the envelope.

[The analysis of the substance is complete. Please set a time and place, and I will visit to explain in person.

—Yours, Ivan Carrisford]

They had finally determined what the powder was.

If it wasn’t Lamberoo tea powder, what could it be?

I fingered the letter from the Carrisford apothecary and suddenly looked at Norbert.

“Oh! Did he take Joseph with him?”

“Of course not. Commander Joseph is waiting downstairs right now.”

“Sigh…”

I wished he would take Joseph and assign me a different guard…

Carlo probably assigned Joseph to me thinking I might face threats again, but since Count Azanie and Genevieve had been targeting Carlo for a long time, Joseph with his formidable strength should be by his side to protect him.

“Norbert. Please persuade His Highness to take Commander Joseph with him starting tomorrow. I’ll speak to him again this evening too.”

“That will be impossible, my lady.”

“Why?”

Norbert looked at me with a surprised expression.

After a long pause, he hesitantly spoke.

“…Could it be that you haven’t heard?”