“Do you wish for me to simply leave you be? Please speak freely. I intend to respect your thoughts as much as possible.”

“If you help me…… I would be truly grateful. But……”

Tears burst forth without her realizing it. She thought herself foolish. What was there to cry about?

Jürgen had told her not to show tears again……

As Diez hurriedly wiped her tears, Jürgen looked at her with complicated emotions before standing up from his seat. Even in her distracted state, Diez accepted the handkerchief the Duke offered and rubbed it against her eyes.

The meal was probably the last thing on his mind now.

With that thought, Jürgen took Diez’s hand and helped her to her feet.

“Shall we take a walk?”

Though she had visited the garden several times, this was her first time walking there with Jürgen. Whenever she came here, her gloomy mood would often improve.

But for some reason, this time she couldn’t appreciate the beautiful flowers at all.

While strolling through the garden beside him, Diez barely managed to calm herself. She still tightly clutched the handkerchief Jürgen had lent her.

Matching his pace to Diez’s steps, he quietly asked from beside her.

“Are you feeling better now.”

“I’m sorry for being difficult.”

“Let’s put such words aside from now on.”

A question suddenly occurred to her. She had thought Jürgen was a kind man, but he had never treated her this well before.

Why had he changed? His attitude seemed to have shifted dramatically since she had fallen ill with a cold.

Perhaps the conversation they had in the dark bedroom wasn’t a dream after all?

Jürgen no longer pressured her or spoke harsh words. Until recently, he had treated Diez as an annoying nuisance. Just as she was getting used to such treatment, what had changed his heart?

He had definitely changed.

Except for the fact that he tried to avoid making eye contact with Diez whenever possible.

“I will keep my promise. I won’t force you to leave the mansion before you’re ready.”

“……”

“But as I said before, you cannot stay here forever.”

“I…… know that.”

“Of course, what happens to you, how you’re treated outside might not concern me. By then, nothing would connect you and me. I could simply look the other way and that would be it.”

Diez’s hands twitched secretly, feeling as if he had read the thoughts she had kept to herself.

“But I can’t do that.”

Jürgen’s voice sounded like a deep sigh.

“Miss Schleicher. I’m not sure if I’ve told you this before.”

“What is it……”

“That I despise my dead father more than anyone else.”

Diez couldn’t bring herself to answer. Of course, Jürgen had never directly told her this. But how could she not know?

There must have been a reason for his cold expression in front of his father’s grave.

“I hated him. I didn’t even want to mention my father. Of course, that remains true now.”

Even the birds that had been chirping nearby had disappeared. As if they dared not interrupt his words.

“From his youth, he had a pathological fondness for rolling around with women. As you know, he was a man with terrible and vulgar tastes. I didn’t want to become a son like him. No, I can’t count how many times I resolved to erase all the disgusting traces he buried in my family.”

“Is that why you changed all the furniture in the mansion?”

“Even the feeling of inheriting the mansion where he lived was unpleasant.”

Diez’s gaze naturally fell to the ground. She could somewhat anticipate what would follow.

“When I was just a young lord, I left the mansion entirely. I tried not to pay any attention to what my father was doing.”

“……”

“Then when I first met you, I thought that I should have stopped my father somehow.”

When she first met him, Jürgen had given her the coldest, most rigid look. It was a moment that made her give up on many things about her future life.

Was it not simply because he found me disgusting?

“What happened to you is clearly my responsibility as well.”

“……If the late Duke hadn’t taken me, I would have fallen into an even more terrible abyss.”

“He whipped you to satisfy his desires. I cannot call this the best choice. Leaving such marks on your body, how could……”

He seemed to become agitated but then rubbed his forehead, trying to calm himself. It was difficult to read Jürgen’s now subdued expression.

He was no longer the perfect Duke that Diez knew. She couldn’t understand. Why was he suffering like this? Because he couldn’t stop his father?

“My mind was in turmoil whenever I saw you.”

He confessed as if in a confession booth.

“That’s why I had to be cold. I was afraid to show my true feelings in front of you. I thought I had to hide them somehow. So I chose the easiest way. Cowardly.”

“……Your Grace, you’ve done nothing wrong to me.”

“Can you state that with such certainty?”

His bitter smile made him seem like a completely different man, unfamiliar. It was strange. Though this was clearly the first time he showed this side, it felt oddly familiar.

“Miss Schleicher. I’ve decided to overturn and settle all of my father’s terrible mistakes. That’s why I cannot simply ignore you. Of course, it’s probably just hypocritical behavior. But I have no intention of sitting idly by. Because someday you’ll have to leave my mansion and live your own life.”

The two, who had stopped walking, stood side by side at the edge of the garden. Of course, the flowers blooming all around had already lost their meaning.

“My invitation for you to be my partner isn’t just for the reason I mentioned earlier.”

“……”

“There, I intend to restore your status. At least to prevent people from whispering behind your back. There aren’t many who would have the nerve to mess with a lady directly protected by a Duke.”

“……Your Grace.”

“So come with me. Let me help you in whatever small way I can. I don’t care what happens to me, but you mustn’t end up that way. If I see you becoming unhappy, I……”

Jürgen’s eyes, which had been suppressing his surging emotions, sharpened once more. It was the very expression he usually showed.

“I’ve talked too much. I should stop taking up your time now. I’ll leave the preparations to the servants, so please rest comfortably until then.”

“Your Grace, I…!”

Diez called out to his retreating back, but Jürgen neither turned around nor responded to her call.

He only hoped that Diez hadn’t noticed how he suffered from self-loathing so severe that he wanted to strangle himself throughout his confession.

* * *

Around the same time. A leisurely tea time was being held at another royal villa located on the outskirts of the capital.

Sitting across from Leopold was his younger brother, the second prince, Albert. Although Albert was pouring out countless nagging words toward him, Leopold decided to enjoy this time anyway.

It wasn’t the first time he’d heard nagging. If he thought of his brother’s mouth as a gramophone horn, it was like listening to a somewhat noisy radio.

“Stop annoying Father, Leo. You’ll be succeeding him soon. Show a more serious attitude as the heir to the throne. Do you know who gets the brunt of Father’s bad mood?”

“I think I’m taking things seriously enough.”

“You’re always just thinking about going out to play. Do you think Father doesn’t see that?”

“If I’m really not to his liking, he could just pass the throne to you.”

Leopold grinned at his brother, who was glaring at him, dumbfounded.

“I’d welcome it with open arms if he’d let me pass that shackle on to you.”

“Stop talking nonsense.”

“Keep your mouth shut unless you’re willing to wear the crown instead. You don’t even know how fortunate you are to live your whole life as a prince with minimal responsibilities.”

“I just don’t want to suffer through Father’s hysteria. Do you know how anxious I’ve been, worried that you might say you won’t attend the Victory Day celebration this time? I’m the one who has to listen to your share of nagging while you’re out gallivanting.”

“Right, you’ve had it tough. That’s why I only have you, brother.”

Albert, who had been sighing with discontent, rested his chin on the tea table and asked,

“What change of heart made you agree to attend this time?”

“You were just worried that I might not attend.”

“Of course it’s fortunate, but now I’m wondering if you’ve finally come to your senses.”

“Just, no special reason.”

Leopold, with his legs crossed and comfortably leaning against the chair’s backrest, spoke in the most relaxed tone ever.

“It’s a boring commemorative festival, but I thought this one might actually be enjoyable.”

“You know Father will be watching from nearby, right?”

“I won’t do anything strange. What do you take me for?”

“Your track record has been quite colorful.”

Of course, Leopold hadn’t decided to attend just to wave his hand as the crown prince. He would have plenty of that after inheriting the throne.

There was something else that enticed him.

“I just want to try to get closer to Jürgen this time.”

He deliberately lied to Jürgen. He wanted to see how Jürgen would react if he said he wouldn’t go to the festival.

News would come soon. That news would surely reveal many things.

He felt no guilt. Wasn’t Jürgen the one who lied first?

At least Leopold believed so. That Jürgen had tried to fabricate lies in front of him.

Not interested in Miss Schleicher, huh.