The study was a complete mess. Or rather, it wasn’t the study itself, but the minds of the people inside it, that had been shattered.

Herald stared at the spot where Ariadne had made her dramatic declaration before storming out, then let out a long, exhausted sigh.

“Will you really let my lady leave just like that?”

“She said she wanted to leave.”

“Your Grace, Lady Ariadne returning to her family estate is not a good choice.”

“When has any choice in this house ever been a good one?”

Kieron’s voice was tight with anger.

‘And after all that, why did he insist on having a tea time in the first place?!’

Herald pressed a hand to his forehead, muttering inwardly all the complaints he could never speak aloud.

“So because it wasn’t a good choice the first time, you intend to let it remain a bad choice forever?”

Derrick was the one who asked that question.

Are you really going to leave things ruined just because they started wrong?

“Your Grace. Regardless of how it happened, it was you who chose to marry my lady and to take whatever advantages came with that marriage.”

Even if there had been external pressure, the final decision was Kieron’s.

He had chosen to marry Ariadne, along with all the advantages that came with it.

Although the Marquis of Peyton had threatened to tear the dukedom apart if Kieron refused to marry his daughter, Derrick doubted that Ariadne would ever have allowed Kieron to be put in danger because of her. Given her nature, she would never have done that.

Even if the marriage had never happened, Kieron probably would not have faced any serious consequences.

Derrick spoke with the wisdom that comes with having lived long enough to see the world’s patterns clearly.

Ultimately, no matter the circumstances or the pressure, it was Kieron himself who agreed to the marriage.

“So what are you saying, that I’m the one at fault?”

“I’m not talking about blame, Your Grace. I’m saying that just because the choice wasn’t entirely voluntary doesn’t mean you can avoid responsibility for its outcome.”

In other words, he had a duty to face the consequences.

“I’ve said it many times before—my lady needs attentive care. She is gentle, fragile even—you must look after her.”

“You call that fragile? She just shouted and stormed around on her own.”

“She wasn’t like that at the beginning, was she?”

In response to Derrick’s quiet reply, Kieron fell silent.

His first impression had been a good one. He was calm and quiet, and a little shy — Kieron had even found this endearing.

It was the conditions imposed on him by Marquis Peyton that had ruined everything.

Kieron clicked his tongue, recalling the timid young girl he would probably never see again.

“So you’re saying: even if the marriage was forced, since I made the final decision, I must take responsibility for it?”

“Every moment in life is a choice, Your Grace. Even just now, you could have chosen not to get angry and spoken with her instead.”

Derrick meant that every emotion Kieron acted on, every word he chose, every reaction he gave—
all of it was still his choice. And he had to answer for the consequences.

“What an infuriating logic.”

Kieron muttered under his breath as he dragged a hand through his hair.

“So. Are you telling me to go after her and drag back someone who said she wants to leave?”

“If Your Grace can do it, that would be the best outcome.”

“Head Butler, the way you say it makes it sound like I must do that. As if that’s the responsible choice.”

“You may take it that way.”

Derrick nodded calmly.

Even in the face of his master’s sharp gaze, he didn’t flinch in the slightest.

Herald, who normally shrank back and avoided eye contact whenever Kieron sounded even mildly displeased, suddenly found a new reason to respect Derrick.

‘So he had guts this whole time?’

Watching his master hesitate, Herald couldn’t help silently admiring Derrick.

Somehow… it felt like Kieron might actually listen.

“I don’t want it to look pathetic.”

“Everyone will think Your Grace is being wise.”

Herald’s instinct was exactly right. Kieron looked displeased and reluctant, but he still moved.

Just how far did Derrick’s influence reach?

Herald stared at him, admiration clear in his eyes.

“Then, Your Grace, please go.”

“Y-yes, please go!”

They completely missed the chance to properly see him off because Kieron strode out without a word. Once they confirmed he was out of sight, Herald clapped his hands openly.

“You’re incredible, Head Butler!”

“What exactly do you mean?”

“You made His Grace move. He never bends once he’s set on something!”

Herald shook his head, saying Kieron’s stubbornness was unbeatable. Derrick only gave a faint, humble smile.

“He gives way when there is good reason.”

“He’s never listened to me even once.”

“Then perhaps you simply don’t know him well enough.”

Derrick answered it so matter-of-factly that Herald could only stare, speechless.

‘More than five years of service—how much longer did he need to know him?’

He let out a heavy sigh, revising his opinion that Derrick was just a dull, humorless man. Either way, he could only hope things would turn out well.

***

Still fuming, Ariadne stormed back to her room and shouted toward Jay, who had been tidying up.

“Pack my things, Jay!”

“P-pardon?”

Jay froze with a dumbfounded expression, still holding a cleaning cloth. She blinked at Ariadne, utterly confused, and Ariadne let out a deep, exhausted sigh.

“I’m going to stay at the Peyton estate for a while. Pack enough clothes.”

She calmly explained the situation, step by step.

Only then did Jay nod as if everything finally made sense.

“You should’ve just gone with the young masters.”

Setting the cloth aside, Jay wiped her hands on her apron. Once she began untying it—ready to pack in earnest—Ariadne let out a long, weary sigh.

“I know. I should’ve said I’d go with them when they left earlier. I shouldn’t have been stubborn.”

She muttered the words, her expression downcast. For this gentle young lady to storm in and reverse her decision so abruptly could only have one cause in this household: the master.

Seeing Ariadne’s sudden gloom, Jay could easily guess what had happened.

“Did something happen with His Grace?”

“…Nothing happened. We just had a difference in opinion.”

“For something that ‘didn’t happen,’ your expression says otherwise. You looked furious when you came in, my lady.”

Jay shook her head, waving her hands dramatically as she reenacted Ariadne’s earlier expression. Then she began packing the jewelry Ariadne used most often.

“I honestly thought you’d had a huge fight with someone.”

“And who would even bother arguing with me if I wanted to fight?”

“Oh, come now, my lady. Everyone in this household adores you. Even if you picked a fight on purpose, I doubt anyone would fight back.”

Jay responded with an intentionally brighter smile.

Seeing it, Ariadne felt some of her frustration ease.

At least there were people here who liked her. She should be grateful for that alone.

She followed Jay’s quick movements with a faint smile and began to help.

“I’ll take care of the dresses, Jay. I just have to bring them out, right?”

“Please sit, my lady. I’ll pack everything.”

“I just… want to leave quickly, that’s all.”

Ariadne gave a wry smile. She wanted to leave as soon as possible.

Now that she had made up her mind, she found herself missing her family even more. Earlier, she had only seen her brothers, so she hadn’t realized, but now she longed for her parents at the estate and her sisters-in-law, whom she hadn’t seen in a very long time.

She was also looking forward to meeting Sylvia, the princess engaged to marry Heidel.

“I wonder how Margaret is doing.”

“I believe the nanny is still at the marquisate. Oh—then you’ll see her today for the first time in a while, won’t you?”

“It’s been a long time for all of them. I think I’ve visited the marquisate only a handful of times since I married.”

Above all, Ariadne wanted to see her nanny, who had always offered her timely and wise advice.

Thinking of all the people she had missed, Ariadne hurried on.

If she was going anyway, the sooner the better.

She planned to spend time with her parents and stay a few days at her brothers’ houses.

She was especially keen to visit her second brother, as she had never visited his home since they got married around the same time.

“When I go this time, maybe I’ll stay at Hermes’s house for a night.”

“He’d definitely say yes, my lady.”

“I just hope my sister-in-law won’t feel uncomfortable.”

Ariadne chatted lightly, her expression far softer than before.

Just as they were packing with full concentration—

“My lady.”

The voice neither of them wanted to hear at that moment drifted into the room.