“If anything happens to Andy, I swear I won’t let you get away with it.”

Her sharp voice cut straight through Banton as he gripped the steering wheel. Still half asleep, he yawned and casually changed the subject as the familiar silhouette of the estate came into view in the distance.

“We’re almost there.”

“Don’t try to change the subject.”

“Oh, come on—what exactly do you expect me to do? How was I supposed to know Andrew would mistake alcohol for water and drink it?”

As Banton continued to grumble, Heather crossed her arms and glared at him, letting out a dry, disbelieving laugh.

Since they arrived in the capital the previous night, he had relentlessly pestered her, stopping her from going to see Andrew.

She had trusted him when he said that Andrew would be at the lodging.

But when she got there, the room was empty.

She should have gone after him immediately.

But, once again, Banton had blocked her path, putting on a dramatic show and accusing her of ignoring her dear older brother after they had been apart for so long.

At that moment, Heather felt a deep sense of disgust at the fact that this troublesome man was her brother.

“You know better than anyone how long I’ve been waiting for the day I could dance with Andy!”

“Then just bring him back.”

“As if! He already hates events like balls—now that he’s gone back to the estate, how do you expect me to drag him out again?”

“Just say His Majesty summoned him. What could a mere duke possibly do about it?”

Heather finally lost her patience at his carefree remark. She tapped his arm lightly with her clenched fist, and even at that brief touch, he began to complain exaggeratedly as the car drove through the main gate.

Built in an intricate and imposing style, the Blackwood estate resembled a castle more than a residence.

Its massive stone structure radiated authority and grandeur, and it was so strikingly beautiful that it took one’s breath away.

As soon as they reached the entrance, where the roof edges were dusted with snow, Heather flung open the car door and stepped out.

Her elegant evening gown, chosen for the ball, swayed with her hurried steps.

Banton followed more slowly, stepping out with a hint of irritation. He cast an annoyed glance towards the entrance, where not a single footman had come to greet them, before making his way forward.

“Do they really think they can treat the government this lightly?”

Nevertheless, blood was thicker than water, and the thought of what his sister might have suffered in this place left a bad taste in his mouth.

After all, he knew Andrew’s temperament better than anyone.

Following Heather, he stepped inside.

The interior that greeted him was starkly different from the estate’s grand exterior — it was immaculately clean, almost to an unsettling degree.

Even after all this time, he still found the duke’s taste unexpectedly austere.

With one hand tucked into his pocket, he glanced around and noticed the servants. Their faces were pale as they moved about in hurried urgency.

After all, their master, who had been away for almost a year because of the war, had returned unexpectedly at dawn. It was only natural that the entire household should be thrown into disarray.

As Banton watched them in silence, the butler, Padleton, noticed him and quickly approached, bowing his head.

“M-My lord, when did you arrive? My apologies… everyone has been quite shaken since morning…”

“With all this commotion, what is the lady of the house doing that she hasn’t even shown her face?”

At Banton’s indifferent remark, Padleton’s brows lifted slightly. Catching the look, Banton let out a faint, amused scoff.

“So this is the so-called ghost of Blackwood… hardly even noticeable.”

His murky blond hair framed a pair of dark brown eyes as he swept his gaze across the estate once more.

‘What did that woman even look like again?’

He had only seen her once—at the wedding—and never again since. His memory of her was vague at best. If he couldn’t recall her at all, then she likely hadn’t been particularly striking.

“S-She’s gone!”

At that moment, a maid’s urgent voice rang out from somewhere nearby. One by one, heads turned toward the sound.

Panting for breath, the maid clutched the banister, her face drained of color as she stammered—

“M-My lady… she’s disappeared!”

***

Andrew’s eyes flew open and he felt as if his throat were on fire.

Pressing a hand to his throbbing temple, he pushed himself upright and realized that he was completely n*ked.

Frowning, he turned his head.

His clothes were carelessly scattered on the floor beside the bed.

A ridiculous thought crossed his mind — perhaps some half-forgotten impulse from a dream had driven him mad.

An unfamiliar sensation stirred deep within him, tightening his throat.

His mood darkened instantly.

Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, he started towards the bathroom, but stopped mid-step as a faint scent brushed past him.

It clung to his skin, subtle yet unmistakable: Lily.

His head throbbed harder.

He avoided alcohol not only because he had a low tolerance for it, but also because he hated the way it blurred his memory, leaving everything shrouded in haze.

If not for the lingering image of the woman from the night before, he would never have had such an absurd dream or made the kind of mistake that left him feeling like an inexperienced boy.

His awareness drifted downward once more.

Before his fragile composure could shatter again, he quickened his pace.

Andrew disappeared into the bathroom.

Soon, the sharp sound of running water cut through the silence, breaking the stillness.

“Andy!”

As he stepped out of the shower and toweled his damp hair, someone rushed straight into his arms. Her bright, lemon-colored hair cascaded around her.

The towel tied around his waist loosely became tangled in the soft layers of her voluminous dress.

It was a familiar scent.

A rose-based fragrance — one that Heather had always favored.

As his gaze lowered, he met her clear eyes looking up at him. A soft flush colored her cheeks.

“I’m so glad you made it back safely. What happened yesterday? I was worried.”

“You came with Banton?”

“Yes. My brother brought me here.”

“….”

His cold, unreadable eyes fixed on her through the damp strands of his hair.

Heather sensed his mood and let out a slightly awkward laugh, pressing her cheek lightly against his chest.

Just seeing him made her feel as though she could take flight.

Yet the way he stood rigidly without embracing her stung.

Despite knowing that her actions might irritate him, she couldn’t stop.

“Won’t you hold me?”

“…Go.”

“Hm?”

“I’ll change and come out. Wait outside.”

Heather’s expression lost its brightness at his curt, almost mocking tone.

Looking subdued, she slowly stepped back and he moved away from her without hesitation.

The steady shift of muscle beneath his skin drew her gaze to his broad back as he moved.

Although she hadn’t expected warmth, his coldness still left her feeling dispirited.

“The whole estate is in an uproar because you’ve returned.”

“….”

“It’s so chaotic that no one even noticed I arrived. Not a single person came to greet me.”

She watched his silent figure for a moment, then, as if struck by a pleasant thought, a small smile tugged at her lips.

“But still… I’m so happy. Andy’s back.”

Humming softly to herself, Heather turned towards the bedroom door.

At the same time, Andrew entered the dressing room and selected his clothes with quiet, mechanical precision.

If word of his return had reached the household, there was one person who should have come to him first.

Yet she hadn’t.

The thought was so absurd that he scoffed faintly.

He had returned to Bloodtail.

The presence that always sharpened his senses should have been close by.

But the voice that called out to him was not the soft, fragile one he had been expecting.

“Your Grace!”

Throwing caution to the wind, the butler, Padleton, burst into the duke’s room.

Heather, who had just stepped out, was startled and let out a short cry, but the elderly man paid her no attention. Pale-faced, he hurried straight into the dressing room, where Andrew stood.

A cold, unreadable gaze settled on him.

Andrew was calmly fastening the buttons on his shirt when Padleton suddenly bent deeply at the waist before him as though he had committed a grave offence. His breath came in short, uneven bursts.

Beyond the open door, the hurried footsteps of the servants echoed through the corridor, grating sharply against Andrew’s ears.

“State your business. Briefly.”

“Th-that is…”

Padleton hesitated, his bloodshot eyes trembling as though the words refused to come.

Andrew was not known for his patience.

A faint crease formed between his brows—just as Padleton’s quivering voice finally broke through.

“My lady… has disappeared.”

“…”

“She’s vanished… without a trace.”

“…Who?”

“On the bed—this was left behind…”

Andrew had not noticed anything until it was brought before his eyes.

The document in Padleton’s hands was slightly crumpled, reflecting the tremor running through him.

Andrew’s gaze sharpened as he focused on it.

A divorce paper.

The remnants of last night’s dream flickered at the edge of his vision.

“Are you saying that woman left this behind and disappeared?”

Impossible.

And yet, despite his instinctive denial, the words had already left his lips.

“Find her.”

“…Pardon?”

“She couldn’t have gone far. Find her. No matter what.”

“Y-Yes! At once!”

Under his master’s piercing gaze, Padleton shrank back and hurried out of the room.

Andrew stood there for a moment, staring at the spot where the butler had been standing.

His jaw tightened.

An unfamiliar irritation surged within him.

He couldn’t understand it — he couldn’t fathom the meaning of this sudden, overwhelming agitation.

“Heather.”

Startled, the figure that had been lingering quietly behind the wall stepped forward.

Heather appeared, her face tense, unable to meet the abyss-like depth of his pale eyes.

“Explain.”

“I-I…”

Her voice trembling, she faltered.

Andrew stepped closer.

The sheer weight of his presence seemed to freeze the air.

Heather’s shoulders shook violently.

Overwhelmed, she couldn’t suppress the small, broken hiccup that escaped her lips. She stood frozen beneath his cold, merciless gaze, unable to move.

In the end—

Tears slipped from her eyes.

They fell silently down her cheeks and gathered at the tip of her chin.