“His Majesty summoned me.”

“His Majesty? Could it be that he wants to put you in charge of the Imperial Knights?”

If that were to happen, he could be with Jean as they had been on the battlefield.

That would make this tedious knightly life much more enjoyable.

“I doubt it.”

Laurel’s expression darkened at Jean’s firm response.

The quick-witted Laurel immediately realized why the Emperor had summoned Jean to the palace.

It must be to hear an explanation about the scandal that had caused such a stir in Carlisle and the social circles.

“Could it be about that rumor…”

“It’s a groundless rumor. No fool would marry someone they’ve never even seen.”

Laurel’s expression brightened slightly, as if relieved.

While Sage, who had no interest in social circles, was happy at the thought that Jean might marry the Duchess of Roxburgh, Laurel felt the opposite.

Not only was he concerned about rumors that the Duchess of Roxburgh was a monster covered in scars from head to toe, but he was more worried about the Emperor’s opposition if the two noble families formed an alliance through marriage.

‘The Emperor would never welcome it. He’s such a coward that he even took away the Black Knights because he fears the Duke.’

Seeing Laurel’s expression darken, Jean patted his shoulder.

“Don’t worry. There won’t be any marriage. Now, I should get going.”

“I’ll visit your mansion soon. Or rather, I’ll see you at Ranke. Today is the day.”

“Ranke. It would be good to stretch my body after so long.”

Jean nodded and hurriedly left the training grounds.

He could see Sage, who had been watching the knights’ training on Laurel’s orders, waving his arm widely in farewell.

Jean acknowledged Sage with a glance, then hastened his steps toward the Emperor’s office.

* * *

“It seems the Duke is running late. I should bring more tea.”

Marian, the head maid who had been chatting with Roen, picked up the porcelain teapot.

She seemed concerned about Roen waiting indefinitely as her master’s return was delayed.

‘This is unexpected. Unlike their cold-natured master, all the employees seem to have warm hearts.’

Roen smiled at Marian and said:

“Marian, if you’re worried about me, it’s fine. After all, I’m the one who visited without making an appointment. So please don’t worry about me.”

Marian’s smile deepened for a moment.

“I am concerned, but I also don’t want to send away a guest who has visited after so long. So please wait a little longer. I’ll be right back. If there’s anything else you’d like, please let me know. Our cook, Jeremy, is showing off his skills for once.”

“It seems there haven’t been many visitors to the Duke’s mansion lately.”

“The master dislikes visitors. There haven’t been any notable visitors since the previous Duke passed away, and for the past five years, he’s been away at war, so that says it all.”

“I hope more people will visit the mansion from now on. Especially since it seems such a waste to let the cook’s skills go unused.”

Roen said as she put the last piece of scone in her mouth.

Marian felt somewhat relieved.

Although she had taken a liking to Roen, this was their first meeting.

When Alex the butler had asked her to prepare tea and scones for a guest who had arrived while the master was out, she had initially flared up in anger.

Yet here she was, completely captivated by this stranger after spending just a few hours with her.

“Please visit often. Oh, where did you say your shop was located?”

“In the center of Carlisle’s commercial district. You’re always welcome, Marian, so please do come by.”

Marian nodded and left the reception room.

Left alone, Roen stood up and approached the window.

She could see Alex the butler standing in front of the entrance, as if Jean was returning.

Soon a carriage crossed the garden and stopped at the entrance, and Jean, dressed in a black coat, stepped out.

When Alex approached him and said something, his brow furrowed. Then, without warning, his silver-blue eyes flew to Roen.

A slight shiver ran through her body, as if his cold gaze had sent a chill through her.

Instinctively clenching her fists, she gave a slight nod toward him as he frowned at her.

By the time she raised her head, he had already disappeared inside the entrance with Alex.

“Did you have to show your dislike so openly?”

If looks could kill, Roen would have been dead from his gaze just now.

Suddenly, Cecil’s words came to mind.

Cecil had said that even the coldest and most cruel beast of a man behaves differently toward the woman he loves.

“Is that really true? Would he also treat his woman…”

If by some miracle her plan succeeded…

Roen returned to her seat with a determined expression, waiting for Jean to enter. It was time to tame the beast.

* * *

“Nothing unusual happened, I presume?”

“No. There’s been no contact from the Roxburgh mansion.”

Jean nodded and was about to enter when Alex quickly added:

“There’s a guest waiting for you.”

“A guest?”

Jean stopped and frowned.

“Was there a formal request for a visit?”

“No, there wasn’t.”

“Send them away. Surely you haven’t forgotten just because I’ve been away from the mansion for five years?”

“I haven’t forgotten the principle that visitors are never allowed under any circumstances.”

Despite knowing this, Alex had let an uninvited guest into the mansion.

For the competent and perceptive Alex to make such a choice meant this guest was important enough to break the rule, at least in his eyes.

Who could it be?

Jean’s gaze turned toward the reception room window.

It was Simonetta.

A bright smile adorned Simonetta’s beautiful face as she stood bathed in sunlight through the glass window.

He exhaled slowly with a strange sense of relief. The oppressive feeling in his chest also lightened considerably.

Jean frowned at this unfamiliar sensation washing over him.

She was an uninvited guest who had entered his home without permission while he was away—he should rightfully feel displeased.

Yet instead of irritation, his sharp nerves gradually softened.

Perplexed by his own emotions toward Simonetta, Jean’s face became even more rigid than usual.

“Did she say why she came?”

“She said she came to deliver something for a client.”

“A client?”

Ah, now he remembered she ran a general store. Perhaps a customer had asked her to deliver something.

“How long has she been waiting?”

“She arrived shortly after you left, so a little over three hours.”

Jean nodded at Alex’s answer and entered the mansion.

He handed his coat to Alex and headed toward the reception room.

His steps felt light, as if he were looking forward to this unexpected meeting.

“Shall I prepare tea?”

“Stronger than usual. I’m tired. And have a carriage ready by eight. I’m going to Ranke.”

“I’ll prepare it right away.”

As Alex headed to the kitchen, Jean stood in front of the reception room.

The stiffness around his mouth softened with an unfamiliar anticipation. However, he himself was unaware of this as he opened the door.

Without knocking, the reception room door opened and Jean entered.

Roen waited for him in silence.

His gaze lingered on her face for a while before moving to the table.

On the table were the teacups she had used while waiting with Marian and a plate with crumbs from the finished scones.

“Ah, since the wait was long…”

After speaking as if making an excuse, Roen continued, trying to ease the awkward atmosphere.

“Everyone employed at the mansion seems so kind. They’re all very polite. They’ve been so hospitable to an uninvited guest like me that I was able to wait comfortably.”

“It seems so.”

Jean nodded stiffly and walked to the table.

She claimed to be a merchant, and she appeared to be quite skilled. She must be, to have won over the notoriously fastidious Marian.

While Jean took his seat, Roen stood in place as if waiting for his permission.

The sunlight pouring in behind her illuminated her like a halo.

Jean thought her face was strangely captivating.

She radiated a vitality that was incomparable to the hothouse flowers of high society.

And that confident dignity drew people in.

Jean deliberately looked away and said in a dry voice:

“You’ve been waiting for quite some time?”

His tone suggested he was reproaching her for waiting so long without taking the hint to leave.

‘Why is he glaring at me like that? It’s as if he’s about to devour me.’

Since entering the reception room, Jean had been staring at her with the eyes of a predator surveying its prey before a hunt.

Roen’s mouth went dry with tension under his intense gaze.

“Ahem. I knew it was rude, but I couldn’t leave because of my promise to my client. Please forgive my rudeness.”

As she cleared her throat and unconsciously licked her dry lips with her tongue, his gaze grew even sharper.

“…Don’t do that.”

“Pardon?”

What was he telling her not to do?

Unable to understand the situation, Roen looked at him with a puzzled expression.

He frowned severely and snapped coldly:

“Stop licking your lips like a cat. It’s irritating.”

What was he talking about now?

It seemed he was now picking a fight over her moistening her own lips with her tongue.

Though Roen found his unreasonable complaint absurd, she struggled to control her emotions.

“I apologize if I offended you. From now on, I won’t engage in such vulgar behavior as licking my lips like an animal.”

When she looked at him with an expression that said ‘Is that better now?’, he again knit his brows as if that too displeased him.

‘What does he want from me?’

Roen inwardly screamed in frustration. But she quickly composed herself and looked at Jean with a calm expression.

She had decided that responding emotionally to his every provocation would be unwise.

“Fine. Let’s see what this important appointment with your client is that made you wait here, wasting your time.”

Thankfully, he seemed willing to talk and gave her a chance to speak.

“Here. This is a love letter sent by Lady Greensburgh, the Count’s daughter.”

Jean’s eyes sharpened. He tilted his head askew, as if he couldn’t believe what he had just heard.

“A love letter? To me?”