***

The Schutzman estate, where she had returned just yesterday, was preparing for a grand banquet. It was to welcome Hendrik of Ansonaisen, who was due to arrive today. Not that the reason truly mattered — lately, there had been banquets at the estate nearly every night. The pretext was just a formality.

After being dragged back to the estate, Henrietta was confined to her room, ultimately missing Grayson’s lesson the previous day.

She was finally allowed to leave at midday today to make up for it.

As she watched Grayson scribbling intently, Henrietta ran her dry fingers over the cover of the book she was holding.

Tucked inside was a train ticket, now useless.

‘I hope I can leave by tonight.’

She had sent a messenger early that morning to purchase a new one.

However, the real issue was figuring out how to slip out of the estate unnoticed amid the sea of guests gathered for the huge banquet.

The duke had looked for her again the night before, but she hadn’t responded.

She had darkened the room completely, locked the door and pretended to be asleep.

With her ears covered, she forced herself to rest, unaware if Robert had actually come to her door.

One night she could endure.

But the thought of many nights like that was unbearable.

“I said I wouldn’t run away because I hadn’t done anything wrong.”

Yet even now, Henrietta wanted to run.

Contradicting what she had told Robert in the carriage, she wished she could escape right then and there.

Letting out a long sigh, she moved closer to the window.

Spring flowers were in full bloom, a gentle breeze was blowing and the leaves were beginning to change colour. People dressed in vibrant clothes filled the garden.

Lost in thought about how she would continue to live from now on, Henrietta watched elegant carriages arriving in the main estate garden.

She was relieved that the estate was much more chaotic than usual today.

“Teacher, I’m done.”

Grayson’s sudden voice brought her back to the present, and she turned with a start.

Now aged twelve, Grayson tilted his head slightly as he looked over the notebook he had just written in.

His legs had noticeably lengthened lately — he was crossing that delicate boundary between childhood and boyhood.

“Already?”

Grayson had divided the passage she had assigned into paragraphs, writing a theme and reflection for each.

This was the part he found most difficult, but it was also Henrietta’s favourite part of the lesson.

She always took joy in seeing literature interpreted through the eyes of a child.

“You’re getting better and better, Grayson.”

At her praise, Grayson blushed shyly.

These days, they only had lessons twice a week, but from the age of seven to ten, they had spent time together almost daily.

Separated from his mother, the boy often struggled to sleep at night.

On such nights, Henrietta would read to him and act as a nanny.

Seeing him grow up to be kind and upright was a joy for her, too.

Henrietta gently patted Grayson’s soft hair in praise and continued to carefully review his work.

A quick glance at the clock told her there was still plenty of time before the train’s departure.

***

Having gone several days without proper sleep, Robert remained at the banquet, doing his best to hide his discomfort. On any other day, he would have greeted his guests and then retired to his study, but today was different.

The nobles, who had arrived at the Schutzman estate as soon as news of the banquet had spread, were more animated than ever. This was the first meeting between Robert and Hendrik, as well as the first encounter between the Schutzman family and the new Ansonaisen heir. No noble would choose to stay indoors and miss witnessing such a significant and thrilling moment firsthand.

Even Robert cared how the newspapers would describe their meeting the next day. Yet he couldn’t bring himself to focus on any of it.

The night before last, Pierre had come to him with a letter from Henrietta. It was a short note saying that she wouldn’t be returning to the estate that night.

At first, he had simply laughed.

Henrietta was a smart woman — smarter than any other woman Robert had ever known. She knew that he would eventually marry someone else. And yet she always looked at him as though she were parched for water. He couldn’t bring himself to push away her hand when she reached it out to him in quiet desperation.

Two years ago, an unspoken rule had formed between them. Though it was never said aloud, Henrietta must have known about it.

They had known each other for ten years, and had been lovers for two of them. A long time.

Now, after all those years together, the two of them were on the brink of a new chapter.

“He’s here.”

Pierre gestured towards the cause of Robert’s sleepless nights.

There he stood, drawing the attention of the crowd with his radiant smile.

Hendrik van Ansonaisen.

Just days ago, he had been nothing more than a child beyond Robert’s concern.

Shortly after receiving Henrietta’s letter, Robert heard that Hendrik had left the estate that night, too.

In this country, no nobleman leaves home without at least a coat.

A noble’s outing is never such a casual affair.

But Hendrik was a discarded royal.

He had lived a free life in a foreign land — what did such petty formalities mean to him?

“Shall I bring him over right away?”

Although it was rather irreverent to refer to royalty in this way, Robert didn’t reprimand Pierre.

“Leave him be for now.”

Robert tilted the glass in his hand and silently watched Hendrik.

Like a well-oiled machine, Hendrik flashed a perfectly poised smile at the people around him, again and again.

For a moment, Robert recalled the rumours.

Hadn’t it been said that Hendrik was already adored by the noblewomen of the Huntingford Kingdom by the time he was barely thirteen or fourteen?

There were even whispers that anyone who laid eyes on him would be left breathless by his beauty.

Once he had become an adult, rumour had it that he had had a scandalous affair with the kingdom’s most beloved princess.

Judging by the way the women in front of him blushed so deeply that their makeup seemed superfluous, regardless of age, those rumours were probably true.

Yet that same Hendrik had vanished from the estate with his lover two nights ago.

At first, Henrietta’s declaration that she intended to leave the estate seemed like nothing more than petulance.

It was an impulsive mix of sincerity and resolve stirred by news of his engagement.

No matter how different Henrietta might be from other women, she was still a woman.

So, generously, Robert had decided to give her some space.

A tantrum like this was par for the course for a beloved mistress.

Perhaps he even thought it was better than her reacting coldly and indifferently without showing any trace of jealousy.

But that night, Robert learned something that kept him awake until morning:

Henrietta and Hendrik had left the estate together in the same carriage.

Robert immediately began tracking Hendrik’s movements.

Not long after, he received unexpected news from the guards assigned to Prince William.

Hendrik had failed to appear at the casino where he was due to meet William.

Robert’s patience finally began to wear thin at this moment.

How much time had passed since then?

A long time passed after the pitch-black night had twisted his insides before Hendrik’s whereabouts were finally confirmed.

He had arrived at a hotel in the city and immediately purchased a variety of items intended for a woman.

Upon hearing this, a wave of unexpected tracking and questioning began across Haytesfield.

They hunted down the driver of the hired carriage Henrietta had taken, stormed the office of the agent who had met with her and Hendrik, and ultimately forced the agent to reveal the address of the house she had just purchased.

By then, the sun had risen. While the rest of the world awoke in peaceful silence, Robert’s world was spinning.

Ultimately, he went to the house himself to get her.

The single-storey home was small but well kept. The fence was sturdy, and the flowers were in bloom.

‘Should I burn it down?’

Lost in this thought, he heard Henrietta’s voice behind him.

Her tone was calm, as though nothing had happened.

Hearing it made his chest tighten and he had to tilt his head back slightly to breathe.

When he grabbed her arm, the items she had been carrying fell to the ground with a loud clatter.

He was seething — the same woman who had once smiled gently in his arms was now out buying flowerpots to tend in her new home.

And the bracelet was gone. The only piece of jewellery he had ever seen her wear was no longer on her wrist.

“An excellent banquet, truly.”

The soft voice broke Robert’s train of thought.

Hendrik had somehow approached without making a sound and now stood before him with effortless grace.

As soon as Robert and Hendrik faced each other, all eyes in the ballroom turned towards them.

“Not at all.”

“I only mean to say, it’s impressive that the ducal house would take the initiative to host a banquet in honour of a royal’s return. The idea alone is admirable.”

Hendrik’s characteristic tone, lightly tapping his temple as he spoke, carried not a trace of bitterness or mockery.

Seasoned nobles accustomed to sly jabs and veiled barbs found it almost impossible to tell whether he was being genuine or sarcastic.

Instead of responding, Robert called over a passing attendant and handed Hendrik a glass of wine.

Hendrik swirled the drink in his mouth as if savouring it, then lifted both corners of his mouth evenly in a smooth, practised smile.

“I heard you were rather busy the other night.”

“So much effort was spent looking for a grown man like me.”

This was clearly a hint that news of what had happened inside the estate had leaked beyond its walls.