Sophia shed tears as she asked that. Why? She could not understand why Ann always had to stand at the center of this conflict. Ann had not been able to choose any of it.

That child had always done her best. She had used every ounce of strength she had to keep herself from loving Lennox. She had tried not to be swayed by him, and she had worked to move as the Queen Dowager wished. But all that came back to her was endless cold treatment.

“What exactly was Ann supposed to have done?”

She asked, working to keep from unleashing all her built-up anger at once. No matter how strong the bloodline, how could she shield Charlotte so completely. And yet she could not say a proper word to her own son…

No matter that Ann was a commoner, that child had grown up in Ingrid’s palace. It was impossible not to feel attachment to her. And yet…

“There is nothing I can do.”

Ingrid, who had been watching Sophia, answered in a low voice at her wet, desperate cry. It seemed her intensity had eased somewhat, but Sophia could not let her guard down.

“Take Ann and leave.”

“Pardon?”

“Once the broken engagement becomes official, the court will be in an uproar. Would Ann not be at the center of that commotion?”

“Then…”

“Either way, I need to speak with Lennox. It would be good if I could change his mind, but… that will likely be difficult.”

Ingrid narrowed her eyes. Sophia nodded. She was right. Before the broken engagement became an official declaration, Ingrid would have to try to persuade Lennox regardless. Marquis Beauve was her cousin and a close ally. Even setting that aside, she owed them proper compensation for a unilateral dissolution.

But in the process, Rosbon society would grow far more turbulent. She could not keep Ann, already so unstable, in this place any longer. If possible, she wanted to send her out of Rosbon, but she did not want to leave such a fragile child somewhere she could not watch over herself.

“Yes. I will do so.”

“Good.”

“Thank you, Your Highness the Queen Dowager.”

Sophia bowed her head to express her gratitude. Ingrid, who had been watching her in silence, spoke again briefly.

“There is no need for that.”

“But…”

“You should also refrain from entering the palace for a while.”

It was an unexpected thing to say. Sophia moved her lips, then nodded. Ingrid turned her head away.

Sophia watched her retreating figure in the dim light, then turned and walked away. Perhaps she would no longer be able to maintain her connection with the Queen Dowager. Leaving her position as a maid was something she had already considered, so it did not come as much of a surprise, but she had not expected their relationship to unravel in this way.

‘No. This was always going to happen someday. In the end, I will die as that child’s mother.’

Sophia steadied herself. Ingrid was someone precious and dear to her as well, but her choice, in the end, was Ann. Because Ann had no one but her.

There were many people who stood by Ingrid. Duchess Valenska, and her natal family the Ellier house, also provided their support. But Ann? Ann had nothing.

She had lost both parents and come to live in the royal palace, yet she always seemed like duckweed drifting without roots. 

So of course she would never know a day of peace in body or spirit. Sophia could not turn her back on such a foster daughter. She felt guilt for failing to persuade even the family elders, let alone her own husband. So no matter how much she lost, she would take Ann’s side.

***

A week had passed since Ann shut herself away. The season had quietly entered the threshold of autumn. The sweltering heat had thinned, and a cool breeze blew day and night. Lennox stood again today before the closed door of the woman who refused to see him.

“Your Majesty.”

How much time had passed. The attendant who had been urging him to turn back called to him once more. Lennox did not respond. His gaze traced the closed door. He could not forget the face that had gone white and crumbled when he said he would break off the engagement.

There had been not a trace of gladness on her face. She had only stared at him, pale and rigid. He gripped the cold handle, but he could not turn it. Lennox drew his hand back and turned away.

“Your Majesty.”

A familiar voice reached him. He lifted his head and looked at the woman. It was Countess Hervonne. The woman who had grown thin as a skewer in the past several days stood before him. This whole affair seemed to have taken a considerable toll on her.

For the first time, Lennox felt sorry toward her. But he had no way to express it, so he only watched her in silence.

“You came to see Ann. As you know, Ann is ill and finds it difficult to move right now.”

“I know.”

“Then would you follow me this way?”

Countess Hervonne turned. Lennox followed her down the corridor. The place she led him to was a pergola near the ornamental pond. The pillars and roof covered in green ivy rested beautifully in the soft light. Countess Hervonne, who had been walking ahead, came to a stop.

“Alissa told me. That you have come several times to see Ann.”

“I want to know how she is doing.”  

“The same as before. Truthfully, even I do not really know what condition she is in.”  

“Has the royal physician examined her?”

Countess Hervonne nodded at Lennox’s question, but it meant little. Ann’s illness came from the deep depression that had built up inside her.

Count Altuart, her betrothed, had also come several times to see her after the incident, but Ann refused to meet him. At times, even her foster mother could only stand outside the door, not knowing what to do.

But regardless, she would have to move Ann’s lodgings before the weekend. Countess Hervonne had wanted to speak about that.

“It is a meaningless thing. Ann’s illness comes from the depression that has built up inside her.”

“Then what should I do?”

“Your Majesty.”

It was a sincere question. Countess Hervonne found it absurd yet heartbreaking at the same time. Whatever else could be said, Lennox’s feelings were genuine. Even when he had taken Ann by force, there had not been a single thread of falsehood in those feelings. He had always been filled with a pure love for her foster daughter.

“Why do you intend to break off the engagement?”

She was curious. About why he now wanted to break off the engagement with Charlotte. He had never once spoken of breaking it off until now. So she had thought the marriage to Charlotte mattered to him just as much as his love for Ann. So why did he want to break it off?

“Did your mind change because Ann is about to marry Count Altuart? But it was Your Majesty who introduced the count to Ann.”

Until not long ago, he had actively supported the marriage between Ann and Count Altuart. It was only natural, since he had arranged it himself. And in doing so, he had also seemed to keep his own royal marriage in mind. What was the reason for this sudden change in behavior? She could not understand it at all.

“Your Majesty.”

Countess Hervonne narrowed her brows at him as he gave no answer.

“I love Ann.”

“Right now…”

“I do not want to hurt Ann anymore. That is all.”

Lennox, who had been watching the green pond holding the soft light like moonlight beneath the deep blue sky, shifted his gaze to her and answered.

The countess stared at him with an expression that had forgotten words. It was the face of someone who would have slapped her own son. It was insolent, but Lennox could understand it even if she raised her hand against him in this moment.

He found himself pathetic and wretched as well.

“I cannot understand it. No matter what situation Ann found herself in, you never cared until now. You did not even concern yourself with how your feelings hurt her. You only ever wanted to receive Ann’s love.”

Countess Hervonne shook her head. This was not like Lennox. So she needed to know what had changed him. The Lennox she knew would have shown something close to murderous fury at Charlotte and her circle, yet ultimately would have settled things without casting Charlotte aside. 

Even in punishing them, he would have punished Miss Fairvale, Charlotte’s friend, and her parents, making an example for the court nobles of what happened when someone touched his woman. Those had been the methods Lennox had used until now, in the name of protecting his woman. But this time, Lennox had punished Charlotte directly.

He had barred her from entering the court, and Marquis Beauve had his privy council position temporarily stripped. Unlike his mother Ingrid, he had never regarded Marquis Beauve favorably, so starting from this incident, he might gradually push the marquis out of the court entirely.

“I am afraid.”

After a long silence, Lennox answered in a near whisper. He loosely curled his fist and then released it.

“Your foster daughter may not love me. But for me, something like that cannot happen.”

Lennox let out a short laugh. He thought of the woman he had seen several days ago. She had faced him with a pale, flushed face, looking sick and exhausted. It was entirely different from the way she had smiled with color in her cheeks in front of Hughies. He had come to realize at some point that Ann no longer showed him that kind of face.