Henrietta could feel the sharp, low voice cutting through her like a blade. It was addressed only to her. Edna smiled as if nothing had happened and took a step closer to the duke.

“I’ve come to make a request.”

“Please, have a seat first.”

Their polite exchange sounded so composed and civilised. Henrietta felt as if she were the only one standing n*ked in the room. Under Pierre’s cold glare, she quickly left the study.

Thud.

The door closed behind her and the long corridor spun around her.

What had just happened? What had she done all this time?

Could all those moments that she had thought were filled with love have faded so suddenly and completely?

Even if she had been the only one cherishing the relationship until yesterday, Robert had certainly been her lover.

Yet everything changed with a single word from him.

Feeling dizzy, Henrietta put her hand against the wall and stopped walking.

She couldn’t bring herself to go upstairs. Then she remembered that she hadn’t eaten anything since a light breakfast the previous day.

If she didn’t eat soon, she would end up collapsing disgracefully in the hallway.

Recalling the empty bedroom at the end of the corridor, she decided to go there instead.

Henrietta pushed away from the wall and slowly opened the door. True to its reputation, the room was filled with sunlight streaming in at an angle.

She carefully closed the door behind her, trying not to make a sound, and slid down to the floor. Overwhelmed by the chaos swirling inside her, she buried her face in her hands.

“So it’s the lady from yesterday.”

But the peace didn’t last long.

A strange man’s voice echoed from the room she had thought was empty.

Startled, she sprang to her feet. The big man stood with the light behind him, casting shadows across his face and forcing her to squint.

“Who are you?”

“I don’t think that’s a question you should be asking after barging into someone else’s room.”

He replied, towelling his hair as he slowly approached her. It was only then that Henrietta realised that the man, who had seemed shrouded in shadow, was actually almost n*ked, wearing only a towel loosely wrapped around his waist.

The sheer visual shock left her speechless. Her mouth hung open in stunned silence as he continued to walk towards her.

“Could it be… you’re the duke’s gift to me?”

He clicked his tongue and shook his head in disbelief.

“Don’t tell me they still keep that kind of tradition around here? If not, then…”

He studied her for a moment, like a hunter eyeing his prey. Then, the corners of his lips curled up as he stepped even closer.

The shadow he cast could easily swallow Henrietta whole.

“An assassin?”

It was only when his shadow covered her head that she finally got a clear look at his face.

“You don’t look nearly competent enough for that.”

His eyes were a deep shade of blue, like the sea. And those eyes… They were unmistakably familiar.

“Ah…”

“You do remember me.”

He said, his gaze mirroring his own recognition. He tossed the towel over his shoulder with a flick and took another step towards her. Startled by the movement, Henrietta flattened herself against the door like a frightened frog. She managed to part her lips and barely got the words out:

“Did you happen to be the one who saved me from drowning yesterday?”

“If there wasn’t another woman who drowned yesterday, then yes.”

“Yes, that’s right. I was the only one who fell into the water yesterday. But please, don’t come any closer.”

At her urgent shout, he stopped in his tracks and raised his hands above his head. With each movement, it seemed as if the muscles covering his body were asserting their presence one by one.

“Of course, I’ll do as the lady wishes. There’s no need to be so frightened. As you can see, I’m the one who should be embarrassed, since I’m the one who’s undressed.”

He spoke gently and gave a casual shrug, as if to reassure her.

“Pardon?”

“I’m not going to eat you.”

When he took a step back, Henrietta let out a long breath. Then she quickly straightened her posture.

“First of all, I’m sorry. I thought this room was empty.”

“Well, I only arrived at this estate yesterday.”

He said, motioning for her to take a seat. He then turned around naturally.

“I’m not the type to post a guard outside my door either.”

It was only after he had turned away that Henrietta began to regain her composure.

“No, it was still my mistake. I truly apologise for the intrusion. Well, then… I’ll be going now.”

“Stay, It’s nice to have a memorable encounter every time we meet, but if you just leave like this, it won’t feel special—it’ll just feel weird. Let’s greet each other properly once I’m dressed. Assuming you’re not here to assassinate me, of course.”

Without waiting for her reply, he turned and headed into the dressing room at the back of the chamber.

He had asked for a proper introduction, and it would be rude to disappear like a fugitive. Especially towards the man who had saved her life.

Henrietta quietly sat down in the seat he had indicated.

Someone had only stayed in the once-empty room for a day, yet the atmosphere already felt completely different to how she remembered it.

The situation was chaotic, but it was also a relief in a way.

She wanted to thank him, but she felt oddly hesitant to seek him out in public.

Before long, the man returned with two glasses and a large bottle of liquor.

He was wearing only a white shirt that wasn’t fully buttoned — clearly not one for dressing properly.

He strolled over at a leisurely pace and dropped into the seat beside her. ‘Dropped’ wasn’t quite the right word, though — there hadn’t been a sound.

Even in his relaxed, casual state, there was something unmistakably aristocratic about him from head to toe.

As he sat opposite her, everything behind him seemed to blur into a haze.

She had thick, jet-black hair; a luminous complexion; slightly angled eyebrows; and eyes so beautiful that they seemed almost otherworldly.

His face was the kind that you might not clearly remember once he turned away, yet he would linger in your memory through a flood of sensations.

He was beautiful — so much so that the word ‘handsome’ seemed inadequate.

There was something about him that simply drew the eye.

“Are you all right?”

Their eyes met, and he gave a brief smile. Reflexively, Henrietta’s eyebrows twitched ever so slightly.

“Pardon? What do you mean…?”

“I was asking if you’d be alright with liquor instead of tea. It felt a little awkward to have someone bring you tea at a time like this. Honestly, you look like you could use a drink.”

“Yes. Thank you.”

Henrietta didn’t decline. She’d started feeling parched the moment he walked in carrying the glasses.

He slid the glass towards her and poured the liquor slowly.

“It’s a light drink. After what you went through yesterday, just one glass should be enough.”

Hendrik looked at the woman, whose gaze was fixed on the glass.

Her hair was tied back in a neat bun with not a strand out of place. She wore a stiff, old-fashioned brown dress with a high collar that reached the base of her neck and seemed almost stifling.

It was clear that she had made a determined effort to appear plain, perhaps even unattractive. But all that effort was completely in vain.

She had a high, gently curved forehead, an elegant nose and pale, almost translucent skin. Her lips had an inexplicable hue that no tint could replicate.

Hendrik took a sip of his drink. He couldn’t help but wonder how much more beautiful she would look if she simply let her hair down.

Even so, this kind of behaviour was unlike him.

Yes, the woman intrigued him and stirred his curiosity, but if she had simply entered the wrong room, he should have accepted her apology and let her go.

“Were you running away from something?”

Yet, for some reason, he didn’t want to let her leave. Was it because she was the lover of an enemy?

Or did he want to keep her because she reminded him of his mother, whose face had already faded from his memory?

“Yes?”

Startled, Henrietta met his gaze, which lingered on her for a moment longer than before.

The soft clink of his glass hitting the table broke the awkward silence.

“I asked if you came in here thinking the room was empty or if you were hiding.”

Henrietta inhaled sharply. She knew she should deny it immediately. That would be the proper response from any sane woman meeting a stranger for the first time.

And yet, the words wouldn’t come. Was it because lying to this man would make her feel even more pitiful?

“First, I just want to thank you sincerely for saving my life.”

She said instead, changing the subject. Thankfully, the man didn’t press her further about the situation.

“Shouldn’t introductions come first?”

As she looked at him, a strange thought crossed her mind.

If she told him who she really was and how lowly her position had become, would his polite tone disappear?

The thought passed quickly, and Henrietta scoffed inwardly at herself, straightening her back with resolve.

What difference would a few more minutes of his respect make anyway?

The only defence Henrietta had ever relied on to brace herself against others’ harsh, cutting remarks was the slight lift of her chin — a small act of pride to shield herself.

“I’m the governess at the Schutzman estate. Just Henrietta will do.”

“A governess… I see.”

As he fell silent, she smoothed the wrinkles in her skirt lightly with her hands. She had introduced herself and offered her thanks — now it was time to leave.

She didn’t know who the man in front of her was, but the fact that he was staying in the main house suggested that he was an important guest. Once she left, the chances of crossing paths with him again were slim, even by accident.

“What subject do you teach?”

“Pardon?”

But he didn’t let her go so easily. Startled, she quickly lifted her gaze. Yet his face showed no sign of mockery.

“I asked what it is that your students learn from you.”

It was a question she’d never been asked before. Henrietta blinked in surprise. Not even Robert, her employer, had ever asked her about her studies or her teaching methods.