76.

“What is it?”

“When I came into the drawing room earlier, I saw Melvin.”

“……”

Lore froze abruptly in his arms. Damn it. No wonder he hadn’t mentioned it, even though she was certain they’d passed each other. What a joke about good luck—he must have been waiting for her to bring it up. Lore inwardly seethed with rage.

For a moment, she considered pretending ignorance, but with him remembering the name so precisely, what would be the point of denying it? She could just ask the butler and find out Melvin’s whereabouts right away.

“I ran into him by chance and brought him in to work as a stable hand.”

“By chance.”

Cardier repeated her words without much sarcasm. Lore got the impression that Cardier was deliberately asking to confirm something—just as she had done to Melvin moments ago.

She hadn’t realized it at the time, but now, on the receiving end, it felt utterly infuriating. Struggling, Lore wriggled out of his embrace.

“Did you reveal your identity to him?”

“Yes.”

Lore snapped back, her tone defiant.

“Why? Is that not allowed?”

But Cardier didn’t take the bait. He remained calm, his eyes like a dawn sea, utterly still without even a ripple.

“What can I say about decisions you’ve made yourself? But… I’m worried about what you might do with that man in your grasp.”

“What do you mean I’ll do? I already said—it was just a coincidence.”

“Lore. Do you really think I don’t know you?”

His tone sounded almost amused, or perhaps slightly intimidated by her angry denial. Damn it, she really had nothing left to say. After a long silence, Cardier asked again.

“Did you specifically choose him to make contact with the Maritime League?”

“Damn it, why ask if you already know everything?”

“I’ll accept that you brought Melvin in. Just promise me you won’t do anything more dangerous.”

“I can’t. I’ll be as careful as I can, but that’s all.”

“Please, Lore.”

Only then did a faint flush appear on his otherwise statue-like face. His lowered voice sounded almost like a wolf’s growl.

“Then use the power of Montrosa instead. Need revenge against Nick? Shall I make him kneel before you right now?”

“You want me to use someone else’s power—something that isn’t even mine—to settle a personal grudge?”

Lore scoffed. Cardier replied with a cold smile.

“You must’ve forgotten, Lore. Now your name carries Montrosa. I’m your husband.”

“‘Lea Lunox Montrosa,’ right? Not Rosetta Montrosa.”

“What difference does that make? I’ve told you I’d give you everything.”

Lore panted heavily, breathing hard. It felt like a meek-looking bastard had suddenly clamped its teeth onto the back of her hand. The two stood locked in a tense standoff, neither willing to yield. It was incomprehensible why he was being so stubborn, especially on a point where she had no intention of compromising.

Did he expect her to quietly accept protection and live meekly? He truly seemed to want to lock her away like a princess in a tower. Beyond the sheer insolence, the audacity of someone so eager to hand over even his spine was astounding.

“You’re not my tool. I didn’t marry you just to use you like this.”

Whatever his original intentions, by now it was sincere. Especially since he had grown to care for her.

If the navy got involved in settling a personal vendetta, the Montrosa family’s public reputation would plummet—no deep thought needed to foresee that. Moreover, Lore had lived with Nick like family for the past thirty years and knew him to some extent. Based on her assessment, it was highly likely that Nick, that bastard, was operating as a privateer for Tilsen.

Typically, privateers targeted in suppression campaigns were minor players. Which meant that for Esperanda’s navy to capture Nick, they’d have to be ready for full-scale war with Tilsen.

Was there anything more horrifying than becoming the cause of war himself? He’d rather board Nick’s ship and personally stab that greedy face than let this happen. As if reading all of this from Lore’s silent expression, Cardier ran his hand through his hair anxiously and tried to persuade her.

“I told you it’s fine. Use whatever money or power you need. I’ll gladly let you use me.”

“You’re completely out of your mind… Are you actually craving war?”

“While I’m away on campaign, I won’t know what you’re up to, Lore. Can’t you understand that?”

“If I were a three-year-old, maybe I’d obediently follow your protection.”

“……”

“Protection! Maybe your intentions were good at first. But in the end, it’ll just drain me dry.”

Her words, spat out in uncontrollable anger, drained all color from Cardier’s face in an instant. He stood frozen, staring blankly at Rosetta. His expression was so deeply shocked it could momentarily extinguish even Lore’s blazing fury.

Only then did Lore realize her slip and bit her lip. But the words were already out—there was no taking them back.

Without a word, Cardier rose from his seat. Unable to bear meeting his wounded eyes any longer, Lore pretended to scrutinize a stain on the carpet. She could feel Cardier’s gaze lingering on her for a long time. Eventually, he barely parted his dry lips.

“Fine. I understand what you said.”

“……”

“Do as you wish.”

It sounded half like surrender, or perhaps just like all his strength had drained away. Rosetta suddenly lifted her head. But Cardier left the drawing room without even looking back.

* * *

After that, for three whole days, Rosetta didn’t see so much as a glimpse of Cardier, not even a single golden hair. Usually, Rosetta was shameless enough to carry on just fine—but a marital quarrel right before his departure? This was deeply unsettling, to the point of making her stomach churn.

The problem was, she couldn’t go and apologize first. Doing so would leave her with no option but to fully accept Cardier’s stance.

Lore stubbornly tried her best not to think about Cardier. Yes, it was pure stubbornness keeping her going. She pretended to carry on with her daily life as if nothing was wrong, but she’d lost herself dozens of times to sudden waves of unease. Even now…

“Um, Captain. You are listening to me, right?”

“Yeah. Go on.”

“……”

Melvin, who had already repeated himself three times, looked at her with clear disbelief, up and down. Then, with a sour expression, he recited the information again.

“……”

“Ah. I didn’t catch the last sentence. Say it once more.”

“……”

If she’d been in the right state of mind to listen, she’d have heard it already. Melvin let out a noticeable sigh and slapped his notebook down with a loud thud.

“Why don’t you just go apologize first, Captain?”

“W-What? Why should I?”

“If you’re going to be this restless, wouldn’t that be better?”

“No… I told you, we didn’t even fight. Got proof?”

Melvin sighed deeply again.

“The young marquis has been giving off icy vibes all week—do you really think no one knows you two fought?”

“……”

“Considering how particular the young marquis has always been, it’s not surprising he’s insisting so much.”

“……”

“I’d do the same. Especially since the woman he loves once died and came back to life…”

Lore glared, making a ‘tch’ sound.

“I told you not to say useless things.”

“I’m just… worried…”

“Fine. Start over. This time I’ll listen properly.”

Melvin shot her one more insolent look, then spoke each word as if slamming it into her ear.

“All the rumors related to Nick in the eastern region are written in that notebook. There are so many… it’d be faster for you to just look yourself.”

Even before he finished speaking, Lore was already flipping through the notebook. She flattened a particular page and tapped it sharply with the back of her hand.

“What’s this?”

Melvin stretched his neck to see what she was pointing at and said, “Ah, that one.”

“It’s true, just as the captain suspected—Nick is indeed leading Tilsen’s privateer fleet. But there are some strange rumors going around too. No matter how high-ranking a privateer fleet commander is, or how prominent in the Maritime League, he’s still a pirate. Yet recently, he’s been frequently contacting high-ranking nobles. Not in Tilsen, but often appearing in Esperanda’s eastern social circles.”

“What’s this about… Who’s the woman he’s seen with?”

“Oh, the daughter of Marquis Blake. Whenever Nick attends events, she accompanies him. Some say they’re lovers, others say she’s just his patron. It’s quite unusual for a pirate to receive noble sponsorship.”

“Are these events frequent?”

“Not very frequent… but they’re in regular contact. Nick has always been good at pretending to be refined and speaking well. Maybe he’s hiding his identity? Or perhaps it’s just someone who looks like him.”

“This might be worth checking out.”

Lore firmly etched the woman’s name into her memory. The daughter of Marquis Blake. It seemed she’d found a lead worth pursuing. Melvin took back the notebook, tucked it into his coat, and continued.

“And two of the tasks you assigned have already been completed. I’ve already found a suitable ship ready to sail at the right moment—only preliminary work remains. The second one will be done soon…”

That was when it happened. Someone knocked on the door of the drawing room. Both Lore and Melvin jolted and looked up at the same time.

“Who is it?”