Dimidius blinked for a moment and thought he saw a vision of Olentia. She caressed her face and disappeared like bubbles. Dimidius wanted to reach out right away, but he couldn’t. His heavy eyelids closed again.

After a long time, Dimidius raised his upper body. His whole body ached from sleeping in an uncomfortable position, but his mind felt clearer than before. It seemed that people needed to sleep after all.

It felt like Olentia appeared in his dream, and it felt very realistic. His face tingled and felt hot as if she had really caressed it.

Dimidius often dreamed of Olentia, so he naturally thought it wasn’t real.

Dimidius put on the mask that had fallen beside him and had a simple dinner brought by the attendants. Today, he wanted to work a bit more leisurely. After finishing his meal, he felt like taking a walk.

Dimidius went out of the Grand Duchy Palace and entered the conservatory garden. Unexpectedly, there was someone else in the conservatory garden. It was Olentia, whom he hadn’t seen since morning.

Olentia’s eyes, which were already large, widened even more as if surprised to see him.

“Your Highness? What brings you here?”

At her question, Dimidius unknowingly raised the corners of his mouth. Not that it would be visible because of the mask anyway.

“This is my space. I also come here for walks from time to time.”

“I see. I had something to tell Your Highness, so this is perfect.”

“What is it…?”

When Dimidius stared at Olentia, she hesitated for a moment before answering.

“Is there any other entrance to the Grand Duchy Palace besides the main gate? Like a secret passage!”

“Why do you ask?”

Dimidius couldn’t understand what Olentia was concerned about.

But Olentia spoke with a more firm voice.

“If there is one, I think it’s best to close it off. I heard that there were people who attacked the Grand Duchy Palace five years ago. If so, I think all doors except the main gate should be closed.”

Olentia’s words made sense. But it was still difficult to understand why she suddenly said such a thing.

Dimidius tilted his head and approached her.

“Did something happen? Did the Crown Prince say something?”

Olentia looked puzzled.

“Why His Highness the Crown Prince? Is it related to this matter?”

It seemed that Olentia had only heard about the attack on the Grand Duchy Palace, but didn’t know who was behind it. Dimidius was about to tell her, but he just closed his mouth. He felt there was no point in saying anything when nothing had been clearly identified.

Dimidius lightly placed his hand on her shoulder and guided her steps.

“It’s nothing. As for doors other than the main gate… There is a door on the north side of the Grand Duchy Palace that is not used now.”

Olentia carefully stepped forward, her eyes sparkling. Now that Olentia was so concerned, Dimidius thought that the door should definitely be closed off. It was just a door that he and his mother Lilith used to go in and out of to play in the forest when he was young anyway.

Going to the forest with Lilith was truly a lot of fun. They camouflaged with leaves, climbed trees together, and fed small animal friends.

It felt like a distant memory, but it also felt like it was vividly coming to life before his eyes.

When Dimidius remained silent, Olentia spoke with a lively face.

“I heard you use rose petals when washing. I heard it all from the head butler. Were you ignoring my question about liking roses because you were embarrassed about that?”

For a moment, Dimidius had nothing to say. He used rose petals to hide his face reflected in the water. But Olentia seemed to think he used them for ambience or skin beauty.

Dimidius ran his fingers through his hair for a moment. He was puzzled about how to clear up this misunderstanding.

After a long time, Dimidius looked at the roses around him and spoke.

“I only use them because I dislike seeing my face reflected in the water, Lady.”

It felt like it had been a long time since he had been so honest, and his heart was pounding.

Olentia blinked her eyes rapidly as if surprised by his words. It felt like time and space had stopped for a moment. Was it because he had been honest with his feelings after such a long time?

Only his and her breathing filled the conservatory garden.

Then Olentia apologized.

“I, I didn’t know that. I’m sorry, Your Highness.”

Dimidius didn’t want Olentia to apologize. He waved his hand from side to side and knelt on one knee in front of the roses for a moment.

He liked roses when he was young, too.

Dimidius unknowingly said to Olentia.

“Everyone hates red eyes, but when I was young, I liked my eyes that were the same as my mother’s, so I picked roses and gave them to her. Saying that they were really pretty eyes that resembled roses.”

Back then, when he couldn’t understand people’s contempt, the red roses looked prettier and more affectionate because they resembled his eyes. They also felt special because they were eyes that weren’t common in the Bonus Empire.

Dimidius also had a pure and bright time like that.

At that moment, Olentia’s hand climbed up his back. Olentia lowered her head, looked at Dimidius with the roses, and smiled brightly.

Her eyes crinkled like a crescent moon and her mouth bloomed wide.

It seemed like she was genuinely pleased to hear his story, not out of comfort or sympathy.

Dimidius had no idea that Olentia would react this way.

Dimidius suddenly felt his heart race, swallowed his saliva, and stood up from his spot. His fingertips tingled as if he had fallen for her again.

‘She’ll leave anyway. She won’t be able to stay by my side for long either.’

Even his mother Lilith had left, so he didn’t think Olentia, a complete stranger, would stay by his side.

Even so, at the Belial Mask Festival, he wrote down a wish that she would stay by his side for a long, long time. It was a truly contradictory feeling. Trapped in a sense of defeat that she wouldn’t stay by his side, yet wishing for her to stay.

Dimidius came to his senses and left the conservatory garden. Olentia asked him why he was acting that way from the side, but he had nothing to say.

In the conservatory garden, Dimidius was really strange. I was happy that he seemed to be revealing his true feelings, but then he suddenly turned cold again and went out of the conservatory garden. I couldn’t understand what was going on.

“What did I do wrong? What on earth?”

I couldn’t understand at all, so I went back to my room and pondered for a long time.

But first, I had to find out who was behind the assassins who attacked the Grand Duchy Palace five years ago. It was easy for someone who had made a mistake once to make it again. I had no choice but to suspect that mastermind for this premonitory dream as well.

Olentia sat her escort knight Podion in front of her and said with a serious face.

“Do you know who was behind the assassins who attacked the Grand Duchy Palace five years ago?”

Then Podion’s face noticeably darkened. He stuttered as if flustered.

“No, that’s… I… It’s a bit difficult for me to say.”

It seemed that there was a tremendous mastermind hiding behind it.

Olentia grabbed his hand on the desk and spoke again.

“I’m the lady of the Grand Duchy Palace. Doesn’t it not make sense for me not to know?”

“Then ask His Highness the Grand Duke directly.”

“I’m asking you because it doesn’t seem like he’ll tell me.”

In the conservatory garden, he suddenly turned cold, so it seemed a bit difficult to ask Dimidius.

Then Podion let out a deep sigh. It was the first time seeing him look so troubled except when she confessed to him.

When Podion showed signs of worrying, Olentia spoke more firmly.

“It’s an order, Podion. Tell me now.”

Podion twitched the hand under her hand and barely opened his mouth.

“It’s Her Majesty the Empress. Of course, it’s not certain since there’s no physical evidence or testimony.”

Olentia nodded her head seriously, thinking of the Empress she had met at the Founding Festival ball. At that time, the Empress blatantly spewed anger at Dimidius. In the eyes of the devout Empress, was the half-demon Grand Duke like a thorn in her side?

Even so, they’re family!

Olentia grabbed her dress and exhaled roughly.

It made sense that Dimidius disliked Crown Prince Legalis, the Empress’s son.

Meanwhile, Podion spoke urgently with a slightly reddened face.

“I’m telling you honestly because you’re the madam. Because you’re the one protecting the Grand Duchy Palace together with His Highness the Grand Duke.”

Olentia muttered quietly.

“Yes… I’ll protect it.”

Dimidius.

The Dimidius in the premonitory dream was badly wounded. He may be half-demon, but if the wound was deep, he could die. I couldn’t leave him like that. Olentia’s desire to protect Dimidius was so intense that she felt unfamiliar with herself.

Olentia had Legalis called out separately through Bobby. The location was in front of the fountain. It probably wouldn’t look good to go into a room together, so she planned to make it seem like they met naturally in front of the fountain.

Legalis had handprints on his neck and his face was distorted. Without asking what had happened, it seemed obvious.

In the end, Dimidius attacked him. She had hoped he would handle it quietly, but she thought it might be difficult.

Olentia said to him coldly.

“Please return to the imperial palace now, Your Highness the Crown Prince.”

Then Legalis wore a bitter smile. It was a clear mockery.

“Are you trying to kick me out as a couple?”

“Do you know about the attack on the Grand Duchy Palace five years ago?”

Legalis shrugged his shoulders with a puzzled look. It was a truly brazen attitude. This seemed to be Legalis’s true nature.

“Well… I think I heard such a rumor, but I’m not sure.”