“What did you say was your reason for working so hard? Was it debt?”

Carlo asked suddenly while casually cutting meat at breakfast.

An hour earlier, I had abruptly woken up and opened my eyes to find Carlo in bed. More precisely, he was already awake, half-leaning against the bed.

He held a book in one hand while holding my hand with the other.

“Um… isn’t it uncomfortable reading like that?”

“You acted like something terrible would happen if I let go.”

Did I?

But wasn’t it Carlo who was holding my hand…?

Thinking it entirely possible that I might have done such a strange thing in my sleep, I was lost in thought when he put down his book.

“Let’s have breakfast now.”

He squeezed my hand once more before finally letting go and saying that.

Now back to the present, I answered Carlo while spearing fruit with my fork.

“It’s not just because of debt.”

“Then?”

“Many people have suffered or been harmed because of me.”

“……”

“You, for one, but also Norbert, Medlin, the servants here… the Langchester Bank branch managers who follow you… Mariette who had to clean up after me… Many people at December… There might even be other victims I don’t know about.”

“……”

“So I… um… I thought it would be good if I could help somehow, or make amends for the hurt I’ve caused.”

He silently watched me, then put down his knife and drank some water.

As I picked up another piece of fruit and put it in my mouth, I heard his voice after he set down his cup.

“Then do it properly.”

“What?”

“If there’s something you want to do, do it all.”

I stared blankly at his calm tone, then suddenly felt goosebumps.

What he just said…

“Do… everything I want?”

“If you want, I’ll be your tool, your backdrop.”

He nodded readily while gazing at me.

“If necessary, I’ll create a world for you.”

“……”

“Go ahead. Do everything you want.”

A bewildered feeling washed over me.

I was speechless, my mouth opening and closing before I unconsciously took a deep breath.

It was something I never expected to hear—no, more than that, I never dreamed this man would say such things. I couldn’t tell if this was reality.

Wasn’t Carlo always the one telling me not to do things?

As I stared at him with wide eyes, Carlo picked up his knife again.

“Are you really going to support me like that?”

“Yes.”

Though his response was blunt, it was clearly affirmative, and I smiled, quickly covering my face with both hands.

I bit my lip to suppress the wide grin that escaped, stared at Carlo for a while, then hurriedly picked up my fork again to focus on my meal.

“Except men, alcohol, and going out alone.”

Huh? Did I hear wrong?

I looked up at him, doubting my ears.

“Wasn’t that last part a bit strange?”

“What?”

“No, just now…”

“You want to meet men?”

“No, that’s not it.”

“You want to drink alcohol?”

“Well, if necessary, alcohol might…”

“And go out without permission?”

“Then how is that doing as I please? Besides, of course I need to go out…!”

“That’s the most dangerous.”

Dangerous? His expression grew serious as he maintained a cool tone.

“Have you forgotten there are people trying to put you in danger?”

“Ah…”

“That’s why I told you to always bring Joseph with you.”

“Aah…”

“So going out is possible. It’s just difficult to go alone. This is already an incredible consideration. Don’t you think?”

“…Is that what it is?”

It felt like surveillance to me, but it was just consideration?

“That’s right.”

“Oh…”

I nodded as if entranced while listening to him.

Well, I almost drowned in the river. Plus, the culprit hasn’t been caught yet.

His words made me uncomfortable, but they made enough sense that I couldn’t think of a rebuttal.

Carlo watched my reaction closely and faintly lifted the corner of his mouth.

“Your Highness.”

As we finished eating and were about to have tea, Norbert entered the breakfast room with slightly quicker steps than usual.

Norbert’s expression seemed no different from normal, but somehow the atmosphere felt tense.

What’s happening…?

I watched curiously as Norbert approached Carlo.

“A letter has arrived for Your Highness, and I believe you should check it now.”

Norbert bowed and began speaking quietly into Carlo’s ear, presumably explaining about the letter.

This made me even more curious, as I could no longer understand the content of the letter or the situation.

Carlo maintained his usual bored, indifferent expression, making it impossible to gauge the situation from his demeanor.

Norbert also revealed nothing beyond a vaguely strange atmosphere.

“……”

Eventually, Carlo rose from his seat.

“Is something wrong?”

“No.”

He replied concisely and glanced at me.

“I’ll be in the study. Go for a walk with that lion… Odin.”

Carlo smiled at me briefly before heading to the study with Norbert.

What kind of letter could have come for him…?

For some reason, a chill ran through my heart.

It was understandable why Norbert was flustered.

Anonymous letters were usually handled at Norbert’s level, but this time it was impossible.

Carlo quietly looked down at the letter placed on the desk.

The already opened envelope bore a familiar seal.

It was a seal with the Hedegen family crest in the center, a lion on the left and a god supporting the crest on the right, with a rose engraved below.

It belonged to the Grand Duchess.

“……”

Someone had kept the Grand Duchess’s letter and sent it to him anonymously.

Carlo silently opened the envelope and took out its contents.

A neat piece of paper came out in his hand.

As he spread the paper on the dark mahogany desk, Carlo’s gaze instantly hardened.

Norbert, watching beside him, froze as well.

“…Seems like she drew the structure of the castle.”

Carlo let out a dry laugh and took a deep breath.

Though it was only a small part of this castle, the paper showed the Great Hall and the direction of staircases.

Small writing indicated which corridors connected where.

To prevent enemy attacks, St. Berte Castle was built in the middle of a vast meadow alongside a grand canal.

Beyond the meadow, massive forests surrounded the castle, creating a landscape where anyone crossing the forest and approaching across the flat meadow would inevitably be spotted.

While Carlo was away at the northern front in Northcheshire for a long time due to war, the Grand Duchess had remained in this castle, gradually figuring out and meticulously drawing its structure.

With strict control over outsiders’ access, and even those permitted entry being restricted to limited areas, no outsider in history had ever managed to learn the entire interior of St. Berte Castle.

If she had sent a letter with such carefully drawn details of the castle’s interior, then yes, figuring out the structure must have been relatively easy.

“…Could someone have sent this to frame Her Ladyship?”

Norbert, standing beside him, spoke in a heavy tone.

Though framed as a question, it sounded different in meaning.

Carlo glanced at him and smirked.

“Is that what you want to believe?”

“……”

At Carlo’s response, Norbert closed his mouth, hiding his distress.

Carlo’s finger, resting on the letter, tapped the table mindlessly yet rhythmically.

Norbert looked at the young Grand Duke, whose thoughts were inscrutable, then gazed down at the letter with mixed emotions.

The letter was unimaginable coming from the current Grand Duchess, and Norbert couldn’t help the indescribable bitterness that washed over him.

On the day the Grand Duke returned from the front and entered the tea room, intruders somehow broke through the window at precisely the right time…

And today’s letter from the Grand Duchess showed the Great Hall, which she first encountered upon entering this castle, suggesting when she began mapping St. Berte’s structure.

It was a moment that made it clear the Grand Duchess was one of the culprits involved in the St. Berte attack.

Norbert’s eyes squeezed shut.

Thud—

At that moment, the sound of paper brushing against the desk was heard.

When Norbert opened his eyes with a sigh, the paper in Carlo’s hand was being mercilessly torn.

“……!”

Startled, Norbert looked at him, but Carlo tore the paper nonchalantly and eventually turned toward the fireplace.

Norbert stared at Carlo’s back, speechless, wondering what was happening.

Tap—!

With one gesture from him, the fireplace ignited.

As the firewood began to crackle and burn, Carlo stared at the blazing flames and tossed the letter into them without hesitation.

Norbert’s eyes widened as his heart sank.

“Your Highness…!”

Carlo spoke while looking down at the letter, now blackening as it was engulfed in bright red flames.

“I’ve made my decision, Norbert.”

Carlo slowly turned around at the sound of Norbert’s startled footsteps rushing toward him.

“I’ve decided to let the Grand Duchess live in this castle.”