He gestured toward the billiard table.

“Don’t just stand there, come in. By the way, have you had breakfast?”

“I wasn’t in the mood.”

“Oh my. You skipped a meal?”

“I’m curious why you called me to a place like this, of all places.”

“I told you. I just wanted to have a comfortable chat while playing some games.”

“I didn’t come here to play games.”

“Our Duke is more fastidious than most noble ladies, I swear.”

Leopold, who had been looking down at the billiard table, shrugged.

“If you don’t like billiards, shall we play some card games instead?”

It seemed the prince before him wouldn’t be satisfied until they played a game. Half-giving up, Jürgen sighed and approached him.

“It seems too early to play games.”

“We came here to enjoy the festival. We’re here to have fun. Is there such a thing as an appropriate time for games?”

“I’d like to finish this business quickly and……”

Check on Miss Schleicher’s condition. Jürgen’s voice stopped abruptly as he was about to say this. Did he have the right to use the excuse of checking on Diez? It was absurd. What Diez needed was not his care.

If he was thinking of Diez, staying as far away as possible would be the way to help her.

Leopold, who had been staring at Jürgen as he failed to continue his words, showed a smile. It was a smile somewhere between pity and mockery.

“Instead of cards, shall we play a truth game?”

Leopold, who was standing across from him with the cue stick at an angle, asked directly.

“You like Miss Schleicher, don’t you?”

Jürgen’s gaze met his again. Had he finally figured it out? Even if he had noticed, Jürgen couldn’t admit it with his hands up.

“Why do you think so?”

“You’re showing it so obviously, how could I not notice? I’m not a fool, Jürgen.”

“You’re mistaken.”

“Such lies don’t work anymore. Jürgen, you can just be honest. There’s no one here but you and me anyway.”

“I’ll say it again, there is nothing between Miss Schleicher and me. I have never harbored inappropriate feelings for her.”

Damn it, Leopold didn’t seem to have any intention of letting it go. It must be because he was already certain of something. Jürgen could guess what his certainty stemmed from.

The statement that he wouldn’t attend the Victory Day celebration was an intentional lie. After encouraging concerns about Diez being left alone, he had likely spread false information to see how Jürgen would act.

The moment Jürgen brought Diez as his partner, he must have thought all the puzzle pieces fit together.

If that was the case, there was no way to deceive Leopold. Not anymore.

“Sometimes I wonder, Jürgen. I don’t know what you take me for.”

Leopold, who had put down the cue stick, took a step closer to him.

“I’m starting to get tired of pretending to be fooled by obvious lies.”

“Shouldn’t Your Highness be focusing on more important matters?”

“I thought you’d know by now that such talk doesn’t work on me at all.”

“That’s enough.”

Jürgen growled in a low voice. At this point, there was no reason to hold back in front of Leopold.

“I don’t know what has irritated Your Highness so much. If you need to vent your anger on me, do whatever you want. I’m prepared to accept it all.”

“Hmm.”

“Miss Schleicher has nothing to do with me.”

“Are you really saying you have no personal interest in Diez?”

He didn’t even want to think about the intention behind Leopold directly calling Diez by her name.

“Showing kindness to Miss Schleicher is just part of the process of correcting my father’s wrongdoings.”

“Well, if you say so, that must be it.”

Unexpectedly, Leopold seemed to be backing down. Drinking brandy from a glass with ice, he sat on the edge of the billiard table and said,

“Then what are your plans with Miss Schleicher? You don’t seem to intend to keep her by your side forever.”

“……I haven’t decided yet.”

“This time, let me ask from a slightly different perspective. Have you ever asked what Miss Schleicher thinks of you?”

Jürgen didn’t answer. Leopold, who was smiling with the corner of his mouth pulled up, continued.

“You should ask her sometime. Maybe Miss Schleicher doesn’t want to leave your side.”

“You seem to be continuing a conversation unrelated to the investigation.”

“What will you do if Miss Schleicher clings to you, begging to stay by your side?”

He had neither the time nor the leisure to play along with such wordplay. Jürgen, who had no intention of getting further involved, turned his back.

“I trust you’ve said all you wanted to say.”

“Listen, Jürgen. You should properly investigate what kind of deals your father made with those other guys.”

Regardless of his reaction, Leopold continued without stopping.

“You’ll regret it if you don’t pay attention when I give you hints.”

“……I’ll be going now.”

Leaving the game room with somewhat hurried steps, Jürgen stopped in the empty lounge and let out a sigh. He felt hopelessly trapped, as if in a labyrinth with no visible exit.

How long would he have to repeat this?

He couldn’t drag Diez into this exhausting power struggle. She needed to be free from all constraints as soon as the festival ended.

What might she be doing right now? Since Leopold had said he’d finished talking with all the other parties, there was a high probability that Diez had been called in before him.

It seemed certain that she would have faced Leopold directly rather than another investigator. Jürgen turned his steps, hoping that Leopold hadn’t planted unnecessary worries in her mind.

It wasn’t easy to face her with a shameless expression, but he couldn’t ignore her either.

He intended to keep his promise to Diez. To make it known that she was under the Duke’s protection, he needed to stay by her side constantly.

As Jürgen headed toward Room 314, he encountered her in the hallway. It seemed Diez had also been somewhere else and was just returning.

After briefly studying his expression, Diez bent her knees first.

“Good morning, Duke.”

She appeared somewhat tense, but that was all. She was acting as if she had forgotten what had happened at dawn today.

It couldn’t have been an incident easy to shake off. Jürgen had clearly……

Instead of continuing that thought, Jürgen nodded to acknowledge her greeting.

“Miss Schleicher.”

“I was wondering if you’ve already had breakfast.”

“……Why do you ask?”

His attitude became cautious, sensing something strange. His somewhat stiff tone seemed to increase her nervousness.

“W-well. If it’s alright with you, I’d like to have tea time with you.”

Diez had never before requested him to make time for her. Perhaps she had something urgent to discuss. Thinking she might want to ask for his help, Jürgen immediately agreed.

“Very well.”

Diez entered her room first. Soon, a staff member who had been called arrived at their room with a trolley carrying a tea set.

No conversation passed between them while the tea table was being set up. The tension in Diez’s expression had eased considerably. Instead, she seemed lost in thought.

Even after the staff member who had finished setting up left, Diez couldn’t easily open her mouth. Despite clearly appearing to have something to say.

She wouldn’t have asked Jürgen for tea time in the first place if she didn’t have business to discuss.

“What did you want to say?”

He asked first. Only then did Diez finally begin to speak.

“I wanted to talk about the precious promise you made with me.”

“I will keep the promise.”

He wondered. Was she worried about just that?

“There will be no going back on my promise to you, so you don’t need to worry.”

“That’s not it, what I want to say is……”

After taking a small deep breath, Diez raised her gaze to meet Jürgen’s. It was difficult to read her eyes. They looked determined, as if she had resolved to do something, but also seemed resigned in a way.

“I’d like you to take back your promise.”

“What do you mean?”

“I want you to withdraw your promise to let me go.”

Now Jürgen was the one at a loss for words. He stared at Diez with an astonished gaze, momentarily forgetting even the fact that he should hide his expression.

“What’s your intention in saying this?”

“I no longer want to leave the Duke’s residence.”

“I don’t think that’s something that would come out of your mouth.”

“I’m sincere. You know well that I wouldn’t speak empty words about something like this.”

The teacups placed between them gradually cooled. Jürgen’s complexion did the same.

“……Did something happen?”

He asked in a much more subdued voice. His concerned tone made her stomach churn as it clashed with what had happened at dawn today.

She would not be deceived by his kindness.

Never again.

Having made up her mind, Diez finally lied as if rejecting an outstretched hand.

“My feelings have simply changed.”

She couldn’t tell him the truth. Hadn’t Jürgen already told her? Not to misunderstand again. That the meaning she held for him was only that much.

Diez was now confident she wouldn’t be confused anymore. While Jürgen might show temporary kindness, he was a man who could never take her side.

She had no intention of repeating the same mistake again.

She would no longer trust or depend on him.

She had to bear everything alone, and she intended to do so.

Of course, her desire to leave the Duke’s residence and become free was burning strong. There were times when she thought she would do anything if only she could regain her freedom.

She had her own reasons for giving up what she had so desperately wanted.

What frightened her more than living a life bound forever was losing the people she loved.