Why am I suffering like this? I won’t see him again after a little while. I’ve endured much worse things without feeling this much pain.

It hurt so much that she thought she might really die. The fact that she couldn’t understand herself made her suffer even more.

Would there ever come a day when life got better?

Life, which she had thought was improving, had already betrayed her once.

If such a moment came again, what should she do then? Would she be able to endure it?

The thought crossed her mind that it might be better to die. For a very brief moment, Diez continued this line of thought.

Would death truly free me from everything? How would the world react if I died? No one would mourn me. They might even act as if it were inevitable. They’d say, “She seemed to be struggling along, but in the end, she ended up like that.”

If I died, what about my parents? The moment her parents, who might still be alive somewhere, came to mind, Diez shook her head and straightened her thoughts.

She had to survive and find her parents. Of course, they might not welcome a daughter who had experienced such dishonorable things, but…… she wanted to see her parents’ faces one last time, if nothing else.

She regretted fleeing when she had encountered her father at the salon she had visited alone. It had been a reflexive action born from the thought that she had become an impure being.

She shouldn’t have done that.

Her parents loved her. Even when she first set foot in Duke Klaus’s residence, she had resolved never to forget that fact, but in the end, she ran away from her father whom she had met after so long.

Next time I meet father, I’ll definitely show him.

That I am still a daughter who loves her parents, and that I’ve endured until now for them.

For the sake of not bringing them bad news, Diez had to endure. I can’t die. I have to live. At least for now, I shouldn’t think like that.

After calming her mind while staying in the warm water, Diez left the bathroom in a robe when she felt somewhat composed.

Though she climbed onto the bed, she didn’t have the confidence to fall asleep right away. She was afraid that what she had just experienced would appear in her dreams.

I wish something good would happen. Even something trivial would be fine.

She desperately longed for a small happiness more than ever before. Knowing that such a thing wouldn’t come to her, Diez closed her eyes and thought, intending to at least imagine it:

What did I like again?

When did I feel happy……?

Although there must have been times when she lived happily, when she tried to recall her childhood, she couldn’t think of anything suitable.

As she was struggling to think of something worth imagining, Diez suddenly opened her eyes. Someone was knocking on the door. At that moment, only one person came to mind.

Should I answer?

While she was conflicted, unable to do anything, a woman asked from beyond the door.

“Miss, are you in there?”

It wasn’t Jürgen who had come looking for her. Somewhat relieved to hear a woman’s voice, Diez got up and carefully opened the door.

A female staff member in a black uniform was standing at the door with a trolley. With a ceremonial smile, she asked once more.

“Are you Diez Schleicher?”

“……Yes, I am.”

“A gentleman has sent room service for you. Would you allow me to come in for a moment? I’d like to set it up on the table.”

The first thing that came to mind was confusion. She didn’t have any relationship with someone who would send her room service. Surely Jürgen wouldn’t have sent such a thing.

“Are you sure it’s for me?”

“If you are Miss Schleicher staying in room 314, then yes, I’m sure.”

The room number and her name all pointed to Diez. Finally, Diez stepped aside to let the female staff member enter.

What was soon laid out on the table was an evening tea set with beautifully cut and plated fruits and snacks. It looked appetizing, but who on earth would send such a thing to her?

“Excuse me, may I ask one thing?”

“By all means.”

“I’d like to know the name of the gentleman who sent this to me.”

“Ah, when he requested the room service, he didn’t provide his name. Instead, he asked us to deliver a note with it. Perhaps it’s written in there.”

After finishing setting the table, the female staff member left the room with the trolley. Left alone again, Diez stared blankly at the sweet-looking fruit before lowering her gaze toward the teapot.

Underneath it was indeed a small folded note. Diez took out the note, unfolded it, and checked its contents.

If you need a friend to talk to, call me!

Internal phone: 8592

From Leopold

P.S. Call me later if you want. Just don’t forget the number.

Enjoy your meal.

It seemed this hotel had an internal phone system connecting the rooms. Diez stared blankly at the telephone that happened to be nearby.

She didn’t feel like talking to anyone yet. Perhaps her mind would change after putting something sweet in her mouth.

She first folded the note and tucked it under the table, then picked up a grape and ate it. The grape was not only sweet but also seedless.

Only then did a faint memory surface.

What she had loved as a child was eating sweet fruit after meals.

* * *

Leopold returned to his room earlier than others. Though he usually didn’t mind mingling with people and getting drunk, this particular banquet wasn’t one he attended for that purpose.

About an hour later, after the fireworks that had brilliantly decorated the sky ended.

An incident occurred that couldn’t help but draw the attention of everyone gathered at the banquet.

Leopold, who had been sitting alone on the balcony reserved for royalty, following only the back of Diez Schleicher, didn’t regret coming up to the balcony. From where he sat, he had the best view of what Jürgen had done.

Though he had known Jürgen since childhood, it was the first time he had seen him so excited. Sitting in a plush velvet-covered chair with his legs crossed, Leopold leaned slightly forward and looked down at Jürgen’s back with an interested gaze.

The man who had always thoroughly controlled himself in front of others was now mercilessly beating another man in front of numerous nobles. Judging by the look of it, he had clearly lost his senses.

All because someone had laid hands on Diez Schleicher.

Leopold burst into brief laughter watching the scene. Though it was certainly amusing, part of him felt irritated by the Duke before his eyes.

You dare lie so easily in front of me?

Soon after, Diez intervened, unable to watch anymore. Jürgen, who seemed to be coming to his senses, exchanged a few words with her before picking her up and leaving the banquet hall.

Leopold, who had been watching Jürgen’s back until he completely disappeared, rose from his seat to follow him.

Walking through the still quiet corridor, he entered the room prepared for him, first removing his jacket and loosening the bow tie that had been choking his neck. As he did so, he calmly imagined. He had already confirmed that the two were using separate rooms.

Did Jürgen take Schleicher to his own room? Or did he take her directly to her room?

Though he could easily resolve this question by asking a staff member, Leopold decided to guess for himself instead.

He picked up the receiver and dialed the number for the front desk. Not long after, a staff member answered the phone.

Somehow knowing the call was from royalty, the staff greeted him respectfully.

“I’ve answered the phone, Your Highness. How may I assist you?”

“I don’t know who’s responsible, but I’m getting tired of being called ‘Your Highness.’ It’s always irritating when people who don’t know their place try to challenge me.”

“Pardon?”

“Just talking to myself, so forget it. Where is the room assigned to Miss Diez Schleicher?”

“I’ll check right away.”

The staff didn’t keep Leopold waiting long.

“The lady you mentioned has been assigned room 314.”

“The room key?”

“Since it’s not here, it seems she has checked in.”

“I see. I’ll call again if I need anything else.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

After hanging up the receiver, Leopold sank into the armchair and became lost in thought. So he took her to the lady’s room, not his own.

Even to Leopold, it seemed a wise choice, and also very like Jürgen. After all, carrying a disheveled lady directly to his own room would be tantamount to openly suggesting there was something between them.

It was almost a proven fact that Jürgen liked Diez Schleicher. But from Leopold’s perspective, he still hadn’t shaken off the compulsions that remained within him.

Wasn’t Jürgen the one who tried to avoid women altogether, not wanting to follow in his father’s footsteps? It wouldn’t be strange for him to be especially cautious around his late father’s former mistress.

But Jürgen’s actions were somewhat contradictory.

Not only had he appeared with Diez Schleicher as his partner, but he had also beaten a noble’s son to a pulp for trying to insult her.

Especially that last act was not something a man who wanted to appear uninvolved with Diez would do.

Unless he had decided to mark Schleicher as his woman.

But Jürgen wouldn’t have gone that far. At least not the Jürgen that Leopold knew.