Usually good-natured with the servants, Vincent invited Logan to a small drinking gathering attended only by the men of the Count’s estate. As both a nobleman and a businessman, Logan enjoyed hearing the stories of people from all walks of life, so he accepted the invitation.

Admired by women and respected by men, the Duke of Fraser naturally drew attention wherever he went. But tonight was different.

The gathering had been arranged to welcome Joshua, who had returned to Rosedale after a long absence. He, not the Duke, was the true center of attention that evening.

“To think we’d see a face so rare even in the capital here in Rosedale!”

“Haha, my apologies. I was buried in research papers and barely left the university.”

“How many years has it been since you were last in Rosedale?”

“I stopped by briefly before enrolling… so, three years.”

Showing his enthusiasm, Vincent poured Joshua a drink himself.

Joshua, who occasionally shared a drink with Vincent in the capital, naturally clinked glasses with him. Despite their clear status difference, Vincent’s easy-going manner meant Joshua could treat him like an ordinary university senior.

“Do students still kiss the ‘Weeping Lady’ statue before graduation?”

“Of course. It hasn’t been that long since you graduated, Young Master Vincent. During graduation season, the guards have to stand watch all night because people still try to kiss the statue at dawn.”

“There was a rumor that if you kissed it, you’d meet a beauty at the graduation ceremony.”

Vincent burst into laughter.

“I was going to try it myself, but I didn’t. I even asked Logan to come with me, but he wasn’t interested at all.”

Vincent raised his glass and nodded towards Logan. Logan, however, did not respond. Seemingly uninterested in the conversation, he simply continued drinking.

“It’s just a rumor anyway.”

“When did you grow up so much? When you first came, it was fun teasing you. What about romance? Have you at least dated anyone?”

“No. I’m not popular like you, Young Master…”

Joshua scratched his cheek awkwardly in response to Vincent’s question. Despite becoming a chemist who made headlines, he remained as shy as ever.

“Haha! Don’t give me that. Everyone can see that people are lining up to hire the future professor from Elverton University. Are you telling me you’re not popular? Be honest — aren’t your standards just too high?”

Vincent laughed loudly and slapped Joshua on the shoulder. Others joined in the teasing.

“Or maybe you’re hiding a sweetheart somewhere?”

Vincent slung an arm around Joshua’s shoulders and pulled him close. Joshua’s cheeks gradually turned red as Vincent bombarded him with playful questions.

“Look at that! There’s something! What is it? Hurry up and say it!”

Even after several drinks, Joshua’s face had remained composed until now. Seeing his face flush, Vincent grinned as though he had finally caught something. He lightly tapped Joshua on the head as he teased him. After a long moment of hesitation, Joshua spoke carefully.

“The truth is… I’m planning to propose to Bella.”

The fingers holding Logan’s glass stiffened mid-air.

He had remained silent throughout, but now he shifted his gaze sharply towards Joshua.

The once boisterous table fell silent at the seriousness of his tone.

“Uh… hey, con—congratulations! You two have been close for a long time.”

“R-right. She’s pretty enough.”

“She’s quiet, sure, but that might not be a bad thing for a wife.”

Vincent was the first to break the awkward silence. The other men quickly chimed in, offering words of support.

“I haven’t proposed yet. I plan to do so properly after I graduate and secure a professorship. I still don’t have enough savings for a wedding…”

Joshua smiled shyly; simply thinking of Bella seemed to make him happy.

“Hey, why does this year’s top bachelor candidate look so unsure? You’re smart, aren’t you? And you’re not bad-looking either! OK, you’re shorter than me, but that doesn’t mean you’re short!”

Vincent patted Joshua on the back to encourage him.

It seemed certain that Bella would gladly accept his proposal. As Vincent had said, Joshua was a good match for her. There was no apparent reason why a maid like Bella would refuse him.

Everyone at the table shared that belief.

Everyone, that is, except one person.

Fueled by drink and Joshua’s confession, the gathering turned once more to tales of romance and continued late into the night.

***

It was well past midnight, and the duke still had not returned.

Bella paced restlessly through the duke’s bedroom, her gaze drifting once again towards the mantelpiece clock. This was the third time she had checked it. The faint ticking of the second hand echoed sharply through the quiet room.

She coughed softly and pulled her cardigan tighter around her shoulders. Her throat had felt scratchy since the afternoon, and by evening she had developed a persistent chill.

‘When will he return?’

She felt as though she was coming down with a fever. Nevertheless, she could not bring herself to leave. Much as she wanted to return to her room, take her medicine and go to sleep, she felt she had to wait up for the duke.

Just as she began to worry that something might have happened to him — he always returned by midnight at the latest after drinking with the young master — there was a knock at the door.

Knock, knock.

She opened it and froze at the unexpected sight.

“Joshua?”

She hadn’t imagined she would see him at this hour.

“Good. I knocked just in case. You’re still awake.”

Joshua smiled faintly, his face flushed from drink. Slung heavily over his shoulder was the duke, completely limp.

“His Grace drank far too much.”

“And the young master?”

“The stable hand took him. Everyone else was too drunk to escort both of them.”

Bella stared in shock at the duke. It was the first time she had seen him so intoxicated that he could not even support himself.

“If you don’t mind, may I come in?”

Exhausted from supporting the weight of the larger man, Joshua asked in a weak voice.

Only then did Bella come to her senses and step aside. Joshua steadied the Duke’s slipping body and carried him inside, his legs dragging along the floor. Even when he was laid on the neatly made bed, the duke did not stir.

“I should go.”

“Thank you for bringing His Grace to his room. You must be tired.”

Bella spoke gently to Joshua, who was struggling to catch his breath. Seeing how exhausted he was from the late-night gathering, she couldn’t bear to keep him there any longer.

After seeing him off, she returned to the bedside and looked down at the unconscious duke.

Why had he drunk so much? He was usually much more disciplined. She had never seen him in such a state before.

Kneeling beside the bed, she watched him with quiet concern. Despite her body shivering with fever and her head feeling strangely light, she could not bring herself to leave him unattended.

She removed his shoes, then reached for the jacket hanging halfway off his left shoulder. However, the heavy fabric, trapped beneath his weight, refused to budge.

“Your Grace, could you just shift a little…”

She pushed with all her might, but he didn’t move. After tugging at his sleeve, she finally looked down at him, feeling frustrated but keeping quiet.

It seemed she would have to give up on the jacket.

After picking up the shoes that had fallen to the floor, Bella stood up. She had meant to fetch water for when he woke up the next morning, but suddenly her wrist was seized.

“Don’t go.”

The voice was low and rough.

Bella froze and turned around.

She had thought Logan was in a deep sleep, but he slowly lifted his eyelids.