As if her once burning emotions that consumed herself, which were now flowing away calmly like they were nothing, Olivia said coldly.

It was no different from Johan casually blowing away the smoke of a cigar.

Her heart ached. It wasn’t because of the whiskey.

Johan, who knew how to control his thoughts without distraction, was having a hard time lately.

Especially when the subject was Olivia Blanshet.

Johan opened his eyes, which he had been keeping closed.

“So.”

Listening to Maurice’s report, Johan deeply absorbed the smoke of the cigar.

On a early summer night with a breeze, he blew away the hazy smoke without mercy.
“The letter was indeed written by Viscountess Ranslot in a similar situation as before,” sharp daylight made Johan’s tired face apparent. He slowly stroked his chin with fingers adorned with a loose cigar.

“The mastermind is Princess Annblin.”

“Although the butler denies it, the circumstances suggest so.”

“The eyewitness who saw Olivia.”

“She disappeared right after the commotion. Yet.”

Johan’s gaze touched Morris, who stood motionless.

Naturally not a kind gaze, Morris, who seemed to have become a completely useless person in the world, felt unjust.

It was already two in the morning.

Morris had been running around tirelessly, interrogating the butler and uncovering internal spies within the hotel. It would have been nice if you had recognized his efforts a bit.

“I need to see the princess.”

Johan tilted a bottle into an empty glass, muttering. His dry eyes were piercing.

Kidnapping, imprisonment, defamation, obstruction of duty. Aren’t these charges enough?

Daringly, as the culmination of four years of devoted time and investment was ruined.

Johan emptied the glass in one go.

“Now … No.”
“So please return that watch.”

Olivia’s voice echoed in his ears.

Her harsh words struck Johan’s nerves. Since the nerves were contracted, all that was left was for it to explode.

Beyond the dark window, Ranslot Hotel was brightly illuminated from head to toe.

Johan put the cigar in his mouth.

The first night of Leopold Hotel, where no one had fallen asleep, was deepening.

“Disappointing, Ann.”

The gaze of Crown Prince Alex was severe. No matter how much he cherished his sister, he couldn’t be lenient this time.

Why did she have to meddle.

“Johan. Johan Leopold, and it was you who meddled with Ann.”

“I said it has nothing to do with me.”

Annblin’s voice was endlessly calm.

Lifting the handle of the teacup slightly, her elegant gesture was no different from usual. It looked like a white orchid stuck in a vase.

“Ann.”

“Why is everyone doing this to me? Uncle should believe me. Isn’t that right?”

Slightly raising the tea cup and slowly putting it down, Annblin’s eyes that faced Alex were moist.

There was a lot of resentment, as if it was extremely unfair.

Alex sighed.

The current Annblin, who we raised solely with affection after losing her mother at a young age, was now before us.

“Tell me the truth. You have to tell me the truth for me to help.”

“It’s not me. Why would I think of such a despicable act?”

With a hurt look, Annblin looked over her aura beads.

It was an action knowing that she was weak against such expressions. Anger in Alex’s eyes faded.

“I’ll ask you one last time. Are you sure it has nothing to do with you?”

“I don’t know.”

Answering calmly, Annblin moved her gaze beyond the transparent glass window. The sparkling water streams from the grand fountain were refreshing.
It was four years ago, at this time. Back then, when the world was green with the freshness of early summer, and when Edgar and I were lovers.

Now, looking back, there was a time when we had a big argument over something that seems insignificant now.

She, who was angry, went down to the star palace in the southern city, but Edgar brought her back to his side in his own way.

“I will escort you politely.”

The carriage heading towards the star palace suddenly changed direction because of the letter Edgar had sent to the butler.

She didn’t know it would be used like this, the handwritten letter she had treasured like a precious treasure, but once it was snatched away, that was the end.

Since she had already prepared the culprit who would confess to stealing it, as Annblin, she had nothing to fear.

With the considerable cost of silencing, there was no corner where her name leaked from anywhere.

However, being on the verge of being on bail without any results was inevitably frustrating.

It was inconceivable that the sudden actions of the duke were the cause of the exposure.

“I need time to practice.”

As if there was nothing more to say, Annblin stood up from her seat.

“The opponents are Johan. Adding Edgar.”

Seeing the eyes of his sister, whose thoughts were unclear, Alex felt uncomfortable. Holding his temples with his fingers, he spoke.

“They should hope for mercy like me.”

There was nothing he could do but get angry at the unexpected and rash actions of the duke.

“Practice wisdom if you can.”

Having swallowed a deep sigh, Alex stood up from his seat.

As the crown prince left, Annblin, with her eyes wide open, stared somewhere beyond the glass window.

It was infuriating to think that she had only messed up such a simple task.

Annblin began to bite her fingernails.

Now, her future depended on how thick the loyalty of the maid, who had sworn allegiance to her, truly was.