Perhaps he found Diez rude and showed his displeasure. After all, it was Diez who had stared at Jürgen first.

Her momentary annoyance at her friend for causing a misunderstanding quickly subsided.

It’s not like I’ll ever exchange even a single word with him anyway.

With that thought, Diez closed her eyes and let out a small sigh.

“But how did you notice the young duke was looking at me?”

There was no answer from Bernadette for a long time. When Diez came to her senses, the chamber music that had been tickling her ears had also stopped.

Opening her eyes again, Diez stared blankly at the ceiling opposite her before coming to her senses.

Ah, it was indeed a dream.

Buried in thick blankets, she turned to lie on her side. She had been too sick to notice until now, but she had been moved to a much larger and more beautiful room. The bed was also incomparably larger and softer than the one she had been using.

Why didn’t they move me to my own room?

Come to think of it, she seemed to have exchanged a few words with Jürgen last night…… but she couldn’t remember exactly what they had talked about.

I think Jürgen wiped my forehead with a wet cloth.

Perhaps that too had been a dream.

Thanks to taking medicine and getting plenty of rest, her body felt much lighter. The fever seemed to have subsided somewhat.

Running outside on a day of pouring rain. She thought she had done something deserving of a severe scolding, but fortunately, Jürgen seemed to have let it pass.

Why did I do that? Even if I was worried, still.

Who am I to worry about someone……

Just then, someone knocked on the door. Naturally, it wasn’t Jürgen but a maid who made her presence known.

“Miss Schleicher, may I come in?”

“Please come in.”

She still wasn’t used to the noticeably more polite attitude of the servants. The maid who appeared in the room asked with her hands clasped,

“Are you feeling any better?”

“I think I’m much better. Thank you for asking.”

“I came to ask if you would like your meal sent up to your room. If it’s difficult for you to come down to the dining room, we can help you have your meal in the bedroom.”

“I’m not so ill that I can’t leave the room.”

Was it already time for lunch? After checking the table clock, Diez hesitantly continued,

“Well, I’m not very hungry though.”

“You must eat at least a little.”

The maid’s attitude was firm.

“The Duke specifically instructed us not to let you miss any meals.”

If Jürgen had said so, there was nothing she could do.

“Then I’ll come down to the dining room.”

Wearing a light robe over her nightgown, Diez followed the maid to the dining room. The servants were just setting up a meal for her.

Though she had thought she wasn’t hungry, seeing the food made her feel a bit peckish.

Most of the items arranged on the large table were soft and non-irritating foods. Just as she was thinking it looked like a meal prepared for an ailing noble lady, a servant standing nearby said,

“These are dishes the Duke personally selected and instructed us to prepare.”

Jürgen……? Unable to ask directly and hesitating, Diez soon picked up the silver cutlery. The warm cream soup tasted good. But why had Jürgen gone so far as to personally select and instruct the menu?

He had occasionally shown kindness before, but he had never been this attentive.

A strange and foolish thought suddenly crossed her mind.

As if he wanted to apologize for her suffering from a cold.

Of course, that was absurd. Jürgen was not a man who seemed suited to apologizing to anyone.

Whatever his intentions were, one thing was certain.

Diez’s life was improving significantly thanks to Jürgen. At least he was trying to treat her not as a mere debtor but as an equal human being.

I want to show my gratitude somehow too.

While deeply pondering a good way to do so, Diez emptied the bowl of soup that had been served for her.

The military supply company that the Duke of Klaus had been operating for generations was now also a refuge for Jürgen. A place where he could be free from everything that cluttered his mind. At the company, he wouldn’t have to encounter any unwanted visitors either.

Time passed quickly as he discussed business with executives and reviewed various tasks. Feeling that he was finally finding the right direction again, his mood, which had been rising and falling like a tidal wave, settled into calmness.

A secretary approached Jürgen, who was sitting in an office exclusively for him, reviewing documents.

“Your Grace, here are the documents you requested.”

Jürgen took the file without any particular response, and the secretary continued his report.

“In about two weeks, a large festival will be held in the city of Gota to commemorate Victory Day.”

“Has that time come already.”

About 20 years ago, there was a great war so significant that it was considered a war that bet on the fate of the Empire. The day they achieved victory in that war, which had claimed many lives, remained one of the most important commemorative days in the Empire ever since.

If it had simply ended with a festival being held, there would have been no need for the secretary to report it to Jürgen.

On Victory Day, dignitaries from allied nations and businessmen would also gather in one place. As someone who held the Empire’s military industry in his hands, Jürgen couldn’t possibly miss such an occasion.

Although he disliked places crowded with all sorts of people, it was unavoidable now that he had taken the position representing his family. Feeling as if his head was already throbbing, Jürgen rubbed his temple and sighed softly.

“I have no choice. I’ll have to attend.”

“Then I’ll schedule accordingly for that day, Your Grace.”

“Do I need to stay there for about a week this time as well?”

“You should expect anywhere from a week to ten days. I’ll report the exact schedule as soon as it’s available.”

Leaving the mansion wasn’t a big issue. Even without the festival, he would frequently need to visit other regions or countries for business in the future.

Moreover, the city of Gota that the secretary mentioned wasn’t that far from the capital where Jürgen was staying. As Jürgen was thinking about being away from the mansion for about ten days, a name he had momentarily forgotten suddenly came to mind.

If he left the mansion, Diez would naturally be left there alone. Of course, there would be servants with her, so perhaps saying she would be “alone” wasn’t quite accurate.

But would it be alright to keep her out of his sight for at least a week?

He was concerned. Eventually, Jürgen couldn’t help but ask a question that wasn’t in his plans.

“Have you secured the list of attendees?”

“Ah, about that…… Since we’re still confirming attendance, it will take about two days before the list is finalized.”

“His Highness the Prince……”

Jürgen, who was about to ask something more, shifted his gaze back to the documents and hardened his voice.

“Never mind. I almost asked something unnecessary.”

It was obvious that Prince Leopold would attend the same event. How could a man who was soon to ascend to the throne not show his face at the Victory Day festival?

If so, he could be somewhat relieved. At least he wouldn’t have to worry about him approaching Diez while Jürgen was away.

‘Why do I even have to worry about such things?’

The secretary delivered another report to the Duke, who was holding the documents but was clearly lost in other thoughts.

“Will you be attending the party His Highness the Prince has invited you to?”

Was that today already? Whether his words about wanting to enjoy himself fully before ascending to the throne were sincere or not, he had been hosting parties more frequently than before.

Jürgen was often invited to his parties as well. So much so that he had the useless thought that perhaps the Prince was holding parties just to send him these annoying invitations.

If he didn’t attend without a valid reason, who knew what fault the Prince might find to bother Jürgen.

How long would he have to keep repeating this?

Even with that thought, Jürgen gave a brief answer.

“I’ll attend.”

The royal villa, located 400 kilometers to the west, was one of Leopold’s most preferred places. Because he absolutely refused to remove Jürgen from the guest list, the road to the villa had long become familiar to Jürgen as well.

He had no choice. This time, he lacked a sufficient excuse not to attend.

It was naturally going to be a tiring affair, but more than that, having to waste time on this kind of power struggle made him sigh.

Jürgen returned to the ducal residence to change. The feeling of tying a white satin ribbon tie over his formal attire was, of course, not pleasant at all.

‘I already feel like resting.’

After completing his preparations with the help of servants, Jürgen left the mansion again and stood in front of his car. Suddenly aware of a presence that caught his attention, he turned his head and hesitated momentarily.

Diez was approaching from the path leading to the back garden. She seemed somewhat at a loss, as if she too hadn’t expected to encounter Jürgen.

After awkwardly fidgeting, Diez soon collected herself and showed her respect by slightly lifting the hem of her skirt.

“You’re here, Your Grace.”

Jürgen unconsciously readjusted the ribbon tie under his collar. It was still difficult for him to look her straight in the eye.

“Why are you outside?”

“I, I wanted to take a walk. The weather seems especially nice today……”