At that moment, the faces of the maids, who seemed ready to answer anything, gradually turned awkward with an awkward smile.

“T-that’s something we can’t casually talk about…”

“Maybe… you should ask His Grace… Is that… okay? Haha…”

Seeing their reaction, I felt even more suspicious.

‘What could Lillian’s Heart be that they’re so hesitant to mention it? And why is Duke Bold so agitated about it?’

The maids’ hesitant laughter indicated that there must be a good reason if they were reluctant to mention it, even though they had promised to help with anything.

‘Even in the original work, it wasn’t mentioned, so if the maids are hesitant to talk about it, there must be a reason, probably because it’s something important to Cedric.’

Despite our relationship becoming closer than before, Cedric wouldn’t tell me something so important.
“I wouldn’t want to reveal secrets I’ve kept even from my beloved lover to someone who, at best, remains just a friend.”

With such thoughts, even the moment when Adrian confessed to him, Cedric couldn’t help but feel pathetic as he recalled Cedric’s face.

That night, as Cedric spent time in his private study, the last report of the day was handed to him.

“On that day, a report about unusual incidents inside the castle.”

In various places of the Twins’ family castle, unseen eyes and ears were hidden.

The advisor reported the collected information to Cedric every night.

However, it was routine that there was nothing special.

At that moment, when Cedric was casually flipping through the documents, Cedric’s eyes gradually widened.

“Marquis Bold came and threatened Rebecca?”

The advisor nodded quietly.

“Yes. He caused a commotion while heavily drunk, demanding something promised.”

With a suspicious expression, the advisor lowered his voice slightly.

“That ‘something’… could it possibly not be ‘Lillian’s Heart’?”

Marquis Bold and Rebecca.

Cedric, who had been suspecting that the two of them were after Lillian’s Heart, was now getting the news.

The advisor thought that Cedric would surely be interested in this news.

Cedric’s gaze became even more piercing.

Seeing him like that, the advisor thought that his expectations were not wrong.

“What about Rebecca?”

“…Yes?”

“Is Rebecca okay?”

An unexpected question flowed out.

Caught off guard by Cedric’s unexpected reaction, the advisor couldn’t easily continue speaking.

At Cedric’s urging, he slammed the table.

“Marquis Bold tried to push Rebecca against the wall and strangle her throat? Is everything written here true?”

A faint sense of anger flashed in Cedric’s eyes.

It was rare for him to be so openly angry, or rather, to express his emotions so thoroughly.

Seeing this unfamiliar side of him, the advisor couldn’t articulate his words easily.

“Y-yes, everything is true, but…”

When the advisor looked for Cedric’s reaction, it was at that moment.

“Whatever that madman Marquis wants is no longer important.”

“…Yes?”

“If what he truly wants is Lillian’s Heart, Rebecca might have been threatened by my father so far because of that. Isn’t that right?”

“Yes? Oh, yes. Considering the current situation where you and Marquis Bold are at odds, that thought does seem reasonable, but…”

The advisor, who had been flustered all along, suddenly raised his head.

‘My Lord, perhaps Lady Bee’s real purpose might not be Lillian’s Heart?’

He had once said something like that and had his pride shattered by Cedric.

‘As the Duke’s advisor, he seemed excessively naive.’

Cedric’s gaze, as cold as a frozen snake, swept over the advisor.

At that moment, the advisor inexplicably shivered, recalling the scene where he was sharply rebuked by Cedric.
“Why is he acting like this now when he was clearly different before?”

When it came to matters concerning the Duchess, Cedric was absolutely skeptical, a stark contrast to how he used to be. To exaggerate a bit, Cedric, in his current state, wouldn’t readily believe if someone claimed that Rebecca herself was aiming for Lillian’s Heart.

“A person… can change this much?”

Barely regaining his composure, the advisor spoke up again.

“A-are there any other issues?”

“What else?”

“The maids of the Dark Mansion, in their enthusiasm to protect Your Highness, committed violence. Although their memories have been erased, if anything goes wrong, it could become a problem in noble society.”

In that moment, Cedric abruptly stood up from his seat.

“We must reward those maids immediately.”

“…”

“If they had buried them in the Demon Realm Forest without anyone noticing, they would have received an even greater reward. It’s a bit regrettable.”

“…?”

He was clearly hearing what His Grace was saying… why couldn’t he understand anything?

Gradually, some rational suspicion arose in the advisor’s mind.

“Could it be that Lord Vincent is mimicking our Grand Duke again? Another time?”

Vincent, who occasionally played pranks by transforming into Cedric’s appearance.

The advisor cautiously approached Cedric.

“Your Highness, let me just check for a moment…”

The advisor grabbed Cedric’s hand and held it over the Duke’s seal.

Even if it were Vincent, he couldn’t move it recklessly because of the security enchantment on the Duke’s seal.

‘This is definitely one of Lord Vincent’s pranks.’

The advisor was convinced, but the seal moved easily, as if it were empty.

Swoosh.

Cedric looked at the advisor, who held onto his hand like a vice, and furrowed his brow.

“…What are you doing now? Are you finally losing your mind?”

However, the advisor just blinked his eyes in a dazed expression.

Seeing him like that, Cedric, who found it somewhat pitiful, spoke again.

“Stop doing pointless things and prepare a reward for the maids immediately.”

“Now? Right away?”

“Yes, I’m planning to go to the Duchess’s residence soon, so do it quickly.”

Cedric, saying that, resumed skimming through the documents.

His face, at that moment, seemed to resemble that of a man genuinely worried about his beloved woman.

‘Is His Grace genuinely concerned for Lady Bee, whom he disliked so much?’

Ah, that couldn’t be.

It was at that moment when the advisor laughed at himself for having such foolish thoughts.

“I guess I need to see with my own eyes whether Rebecca is okay to be able to sleep peacefully.”

Cedric, speaking as if pondering, hastily left his private study.

The advisor could only watch his retreating figure in embarrassment.

“Y-your Grace, what did you just say…?”

Even the advisor began to doubt his own mental state.

‘Is it possible that I’ve gone insane as His Grace mentioned?’

Even the slow blinking of his eyes ceased momentarily.

The advisor, questioning his own sanity, hurriedly followed Cedric, who was heading towards the Dark Mansion.