“There must have been a good reason. You know your sister doesn’t always handle clean tasks, don’t you? It seems she had some covert business to attend to, away from the servants’ eyes.”

“…Are you saying that sister used the excuse of being sick and secluded herself to carry out a task you assigned? Does that make sense? You’re the head of this family, Father. What could this ‘secret task’ be that even you don’t know about?”

“I don’t know about that. Well, your sister must have had her reasons. Just pretend you didn’t see anything.”

I let out a sigh of relief at the Duke’s words. Fortunately, it seemed the Duke didn’t suspect me much yet. Just then, Danae, seemingly irritated by the Duke’s nonchalant response, raised her voice and said:

“Ha! So you’re saying you trust sister more than me, Father?”

“Danae, calm down.”

“It’s because your actions are so frustrating! Do you think I’m doing this for no reason? Sister has been acting strange lately! She used to always smile stupidly at me, but these days she sometimes looks at me with cold eyes like ice and says things that get on my nerves! You have no idea how chilling those words and that gaze are!”

“Well. Aren’t you just being overly sensitive again?”

I smiled quietly as I listened to the Duke’s words.

‘That’s what you get for not behaving properly, Danae.’

As I was inwardly mocking Danae, she burst out in frustration.

“No! Absolutely not! Ha, why are you so desperate to take sister’s side? The person you should really trust is me! Not sister! Do you think sister would be loyal to you knowing what happened to Uncle?”

“Danae!”

At those words, the Duke, who had been listening to her words as if they were insignificant, suddenly stood up.

The Duke, his face red with excitement, glared at her as if dumbfounded and shouted.

“The more I hear, the more unbelievable your words become! No matter how angry you are, can’t you distinguish between what should and shouldn’t be said!”

“…Fa-Father…”

“I’ve always called you cute and pretty, but now you’re looking down on your own father! It’s fortunate that I made sure your sister and the servants couldn’t come near the reception room, otherwise what if someone had heard those words of yours! Don’t you know we’d all be finished if that fact came to light!”

“…I’m sorry, Father. But you won’t believe what I’m saying…”

“Again, again! More excuses! Last time, and the time before that! You’ve seen how your father’s work gets ruined because of you every time, shouldn’t you know to reflect and restrain yourself! I really raised my child wrong! If you had even a fraction of your sister’s calmness and composure, I wouldn’t be this angry!”

Danae’s eyes sharpened at the sight of the Duke shouting while comparing her to me. Danae glared at the Duke with tears in her eyes and screamed.

“Father! How can you say such harsh things! What makes me worse than that wench!”

“I don’t want to hear it, so get out right now! No, I’ll leave! Go back to your bedroom immediately because I don’t want to see you! And don’t take a single step outside your bedroom until I give you permission! Of course, I won’t give you a single penny of allowance during that time, so keep that in mind!”

“Father! Father!”

The Duke ruthlessly shook off Danae’s grasping hand and left the reception room. Danae sat down on the floor of the reception room and cried, screaming like a child throwing a tantrum.

Even the Duke, who had always been lenient with Danae no matter what mistake she made, seemed unable to tolerate her pointing out his wrongdoing of killing his own brother. I stared at her wailing with an expressionless face.

‘How does it feel when the person you love doesn’t take your side, Danae? Do you now understand how upsetting and heartbreaking that is?’

I twisted one corner of my mouth up in a mocking smile at her.

However, my mockery towards Danae didn’t last long. I hardened my expression.

‘But I never thought Danae would deduce that far just from seeing my robe.’

The Duke took my side this time, but there was no guarantee he would believe me and take my side next time.

Danae had already started to suspect me. From now on, if I showed even the slightest suspicious behavior, she would tell the Duke everything like she did today.

The Duke would scold Danae for saying such things again, but if this situation repeated, he would eventually fall for her words and start to suspect me. In the end, he would scheme to cast me out.

‘I can’t let my guard down.’

I quietly slipped out of the secret passage, making that resolution.

Meanwhile.

Recently, a strange rumor spread among the socialites of Royal Street in the imperial capital.

The protagonist of this rumor was Duke Elliot Francis Haven, the only son of Princess Liz and the head of the Haven ducal family. The nobles gathered in small groups to gossip about this rumor.

“Did you hear that rumor, Baroness Vyes?”

“Oh my, what rumor?”

“Countess Lumaine was saying that Duke Haven bought a brooch with a star sapphire as big as an egg! The jewel was so large and beautiful that the Duke had to sell one of his mansions to buy it!”

“Oh my, oh my! Why on earth did he buy such a large jewel?”

“How clueless! Do you think he bought it to give as a gift to one of his knights? Of course, he bought it to give as a present to a young lady from a noble family!”

“Oh my! That cold-hearted man has someone in his heart? Who could this young lady be?”

“I don’t know! But what’s certain is that the young lady was among the ladies who attended the birthday party of… Miles was it? Anyway, that viscount’s daughter who recently disappeared! Wouldn’t the Duke have attended the party, even buying a gift for Viscount Miles’ daughter, just to see a certain lady?”

“Oh my!”

“Do you know what’s even more surprising? My goodness, they say the Duke is unrequitedly in love with that young lady! The man who has never even glanced at any lady until now!”

“Oh my, oh my! Who could this young lady be! I simply can’t bear the curiosity!”

The rumor spread uncontrollably fast as it was passed from mouth to mouth.

The noble ladies were curious about who this lady might be, who could potentially become the future Duchess of Haven, and the young ladies from noble families who had attended Viscount Miles’ party cautiously speculated and felt excited, wondering if they might be the one.

The rumor that spread like this went around and around, eventually reaching my ears.

When I heard this rumor, I was secretly embroidering his initials on a handkerchief I had made as a gift for the Duke. I hid the handkerchief under my dress to avoid being caught by Annie, then stared at her with a dumb expression as she relayed the rumor, and said:

“…So, you’re saying that’s all the nobles talk about when they get together these days?”

“Yes, young miss. I heard that some vain noble young ladies came forward claiming to be the protagonist of the rumor, but they only ended up embarrassing themselves when the brooches they presented as evidence turned out to be fake or had terrible jewels.”

Annie answered in a cheerful voice. At her words, I hardened my expression and lowered my gaze.

‘I did ask Duke Haven to pretend to have feelings for me in exchange for helping him have an affair, and so the Duke did act as if he had subtle feelings for me a few times. …But I never expected rumors to spread this quickly.’

I bit my lower lip hard in anxiety.

It was good that rumors spread as I had intended. But the situation was not good at all.

‘I never expected such rumors to spread at this point when Danae is suspecting my betrayal.’

I recalled Danae’s behavior from a few days ago.

When I guided her to the reception room instead of my bedroom, she openly showed her disappointment. Judging from her behavior and the conversation between her and the Duke, Danae’s intention was obvious. Danae wanted to search my bedroom. She probably wanted to find evidence to turn her suspicion into certainty.

As my thoughts reached this point, I felt even more anxious.

‘Danae will definitely try to search my bedroom when I’m away. The maids won’t be able to stop her, and she’ll turn my bedroom upside down looking for evidence.’

I felt my mind becoming complicated. There was no evidence left in my bedroom that I had been in contact with the Duke, but I still couldn’t feel at ease. Like this time, Danae might find evidence of my betrayal from an aspect I never expected.

But I couldn’t stay cooped up in my bedroom all day just to prevent her from searching it.

‘I need to remove anything that might raise even the slightest suspicion in her.’

Thinking this, I quietly stared at the drawer of my dressing table. It was the drawer containing the Duke’s handkerchief and brooch.

The drawer was firmly locked, and I always carried the key with me. But that wouldn’t stop Danae from opening that drawer.

‘It’s regrettable, but I have no choice but to return the brooch.’

With a bitter smile, I tightly grasped the handkerchief hidden under my dress. I used to take out those items and caress them whenever I felt difficult or troubled, but now I wouldn’t be able to do that anymore. It was regrettable, but I couldn’t risk exposing my identity just because of regret.

I composed myself and said to Annie:

“I’m going out tonight. Call for a carriage. Don’t forget to be extra careful not to let any word leak out this time too.”

“Yes, young miss.”

Annie bowed her head in courtesy and went out. I took out the handkerchief I was making again. I had to finish it before nightfall.