The Twins family gathered in front of the elaborately prepared table for dinner.

Bianca seemed delighted to see so many family members gathered after a long time.

However, her cute smile slowly faded in front of Vincent’s face.

With a worried expression, Bianca slowly opened her mouth as she observed Vincent.

“It’s been a while since I’ve seen Vincent… It’s nice to see him, but…”

“Huh?”

“What happened to you? Did you go on another monster hunt?”

Given Vincent’s face now, it was even more battered than before dinner started.

‘During that short time before the dinner started, what on earth happened?’

I gazed at Vincent’s face with a bewildered expression.
The jaw that had received Cedric’s punch was certainly bruised and swollen.

There was a bruise on one eye socket, and blood stained the corner of his lips.

“This is all your brother’s doing, Bianca.”

Vincent pulled out a gauze stained with blood from his nostrils and extended his lower lip.

“What? Would the Duke really say that…”

“He really did. That guy is more jealous and ambitious than I thought!”

Although Vincent taunted Cedric loudly, Cedric continued to cut his steak, pretending not to see.

Vincent, who was glaring at him, suddenly pushed a fork onto Cedric’s plate.

Then Cedric, who hadn’t touched the salad yet, began to shove it into his mouth, ignoring Vincent.

“What are you doing?”

Cedric asked with a displeased expression, and Vincent twisted his lips playfully.

“If you’re not going to eat it, give it to me, you greedy one.”

“Who said I’m not going to eat it?”

“You’re not eating it.”

“I’m savoring it.”

“You seem to like savoring.”

Entering the conversation between Vincent and Cedric, who casually discussed, Cedric suddenly sighed with irritation.

“Vincent, whether I do something with what’s mine or not, what does it have to do with you?”

“If you’re not going to eat it, why savor it?”

“……Here we go again.”

In the rapidly chilling atmosphere between the two, I blinked my eyes in the middle.

Kind Bianca, sensing the awkwardness, tried to share her salad with both of them.

‘How much can they love salad to have such profound conversations?’

Moreover, it wasn’t even meat; it was just a salad.

I couldn’t understand, especially considering Cedric felt the same way about salad.

It was when Cedric, with even more stern eyes, glared at Vincent.

“If you don’t cherish what’s by your side and leave it alone, guys like me might greedily snatch it all away.”

Vincent, gulping down a glass of red wine like water, continued to speak with a wicked grin.

“So, take good care of it while it’s still there, Duke.”

At the same time, in the Dark Mansion.

Adrian ordered the servants to rest and sent most of them away.

He wandered around the quiet mansion alone for a while.

Finally entering the Duke’s room, he was tidying up what was necessary before Rebecca returned.

Adrian absentmindedly approached the window as bright light seeped in from the Light Mansion.

Bright light pouring in from the Light Mansion.

It seemed that Vincent’s festive dinner was in full swing.

‘I wonder if the Duchess is doing well.’

Suddenly curious, Adrian’s expression sank even more melancholy.

In the past, he would have been relieved that Rebecca was with Cedric.

He genuinely felt sorry for the Duchess, who was always sad and deteriorating, and sincerely hoped she would be happy.

However, when did it start?

Every time he saw her with Cedric, he felt a subtle discomfort.
It was since witnessing them exchange kisses at the party held at Count Dmitri’s mansion.

And just a moment ago, when Cedric hugged Rebecca as if taking her away from him, Adrian finally became sure of his own feelings.

He already held Rebecca deep in his heart.

As a woman other than the Duchess, she wished that she would look back at him.

Lost in contemplation while thinking of Rebecca, Adrian raised his head.

‘That’s not right.’

They were already a married couple, and even harboring such feelings was disrespectful.

Moreover, it was Rebecca who loved Cedric madly.

He couldn’t interfere with Rebecca’s happiness because of his own selfish desires.

At the moment when he vowed to somehow suppress his feelings for Rebecca.

Rustle―.

A strong wind coming in through the open window scattered and unfolded the newspapers that were stacked on the table all around.

Rebecca had been diligently reading and collecting recent clippings.

Hastily closing the window and picking up the scattered items for a while, Adrian’s movement suddenly stopped.

‘…Why did she collect only these articles?’

Most of the articles Rebecca recently clipped were advertisements for mansion sales.

Some were circled in red, and others had star marks drawn on them.

It seemed like traces of urgently finding a place to leave and live, as if leaving the current location.

As Adrian examined them, his brow gradually furrowed.

‘Could it be the reason you two recently started living separately…’

Recently, Rebecca’s attitude, where her interest in Cedric had noticeably decreased, was already strange.

Moreover, when he recalled her efforts to increase her personal property, everything seemed to fit together.

‘Your Grace is considering divorcing Duke, and leaving this castle.’

Although he shouldn’t dare to wish for someone else’s misfortune.

In that moment, Adrian couldn’t simply ignore the small hope that arose in his heart.

So he needed to check if his guess was correct.

If it were true, he might be able to convey his genuine feelings to Rebecca.

‘Maybe I can make Your Grace happy.’

Not wishing for another man’s heart to turn toward her, but as someone who already had sincere feelings toward her.

A desire arose.

To see Rebecca’s beautiful smile not as a butler but as a lover.