“Your Highness, I’ve prepared what you requested.”

Adrian handed me the newspaper with a gentle smile.

“How is your stay at the Dark Mansion? Is there anything uncomfortable?”

It’s already been a week since I came to the Dark Mansion.

Life here has become familiar.

Above all, the butler Adrian’s help, watching over me day and night, was instrumental in making that happen.

“Not at all. It’s extremely comfortable.”

I answered casually while flipping through the newspaper to find the economics section.

Adrian exhaled softly as if relieved and smiled brightly.

“I’m so glad, Your Highness.”

As he began pouring tea into my cup, he continued in a low voice.

“The artworks you mentioned have been traded with the shop offering the highest price. It’s the Alpier Shop in the capital.”

“Oh? How much do you think it will amount to?”

“The total is expected to be around 1.87 billion ruts.”

Before moving to the Dark Mansion.

I asked Adrian to dispose of the artworks that Rebecca had collected over the years.

When Mina wondered about the reason, I told her it was to reduce moving luggage.

But in fact, there was a different reason.

‘I will surely make you wander through the mud in rags.’

I snorted softly as I recalled the words left by Duke Bold.

‘Well, let’s see if things go your way.’

The divorce law of the Western Empire was an unexpected obstacle for me.

In case a woman divorces, the alimony is transferred to her family, and its disposal is decided by the head of the family.

That was the imperial law, but it seemed customary for the head of the family to immediately hand over the alimony to the divorcee herself.

‘But that miser Duke Bold is unlikely to follow the custom.’

Duke Bold’s sudden visit was certainly unpleasant, but it was also fortunate in a way.

Thanks to his petty threats, what I needed to prepare for became even clearer.

‘I found out that although the alimony might be handed over to the family… personal assets owned before the divorce are not at all, Duke Bold.’

I decided to maximize my personal assets until the divorce was announced.

‘Thanks to the original work, I definitely know how to increase wealth in this world!’

I was reading through the economics section of the newspaper carefully when I slightly raised the corners of my mouth.

It was after seeing an analysis article about the ‘Demon World Commodity Futures Market’.

“Adrian, put the money from selling the artworks in a personal vault at the bank. There will soon be a suitable place to invest.”

“Did you just say… invest?”

“Yes. Oh! Make sure my family absolutely doesn’t find out.”

“Yes, I will do as you say, Your Highness…”

“Then I’ll leave it to you.”

“…I really didn’t know Your Highness was interested in such fields.”

Adrian’s lips curved into a smile as he blinked repeatedly in surprise.

“It’s truly like a dream to be able to learn about aspects of Your Highness that I didn’t know while serving you closely.”

I stared blankly at Adrian’s face, now blooming with a smile.

‘Is this really such a dreamlike thing?’

Come to think of it, Adrian had been unable to hide his happiness since the moment he learned I was moving to the Dark Mansion.

Since then, he’s been following me around, even volunteering as a personal secretary.

Each time, he marveled at my every action as if it was amazing that I was living and breathing before him.

‘Here it comes, I sense it. Could this be…’

As I stared blankly at the smiling Adrian, a mischievous thought suddenly occurred to me.

Glancing behind Adrian, I saw Mina gazing at his back with dreamy eyes.

“Wait, come closer for a moment.”

At my words, Adrian approached the sofa where I was sitting and slowly bent down.

His neatly tied blonde hair flowed softly over his shoulders.

A fresh floral scent that might waft from a dawn garden brushed my nose.

Adrian looked up at me, his violet eyes curved into crescents.

“What is it, Your Highness?”

It was a gentle baritone voice that resembled his smile.

I moved closer to Adrian’s ear and whispered.

“Adrian, I’m just asking in case… ”

Adrian nodded with a serious expression that seemed ready to answer anything.

His Adam’s apple dropped deeply and rose again.

“By any chance… are you in love with me?”

At the mischievous question, the violet eyes shook greatly.

I stared down at Adrian, trying hard to hold back the laughter that was escaping.

Then I could see a red tinge gradually seeping into his face.

“T-That… How could I dare to… Your Highness…”

“Really?”

When I asked again as if doubtful, Adrian hesitated, looking for a place to put his gaze with an even redder face.

At a reaction much more intense than I had expected, I finally burst out laughing.

Mina, standing at a distance, stretched her neck and tilted her head this way and that as if dying of curiosity.

“Haha, it’s a joke, a joke! When Adrian reacts so seriously, even I who made the joke feel embarrassed.”

At the mischievous teasing, Adrian gently bit his lower lip while touching his reddened ears.

Just as a slight tremor appeared at the corner of his lips, it was then.

“…Ah, I forgot for a moment that I had news to deliver to you.”

Adrian hurriedly stepped back, touching his reddened nape.

Thinking this was an attempt to change the subject, I looked at Adrian with a sly smile.

“Suddenly? What kind of news?”

However, Adrian hesitated for a moment with a troubled expression before barely parting his lips.

“Actually, it might not be very welcome news to Your Highness.”

He carefully continued after a short pause.

“Lady Bianca… is said to be returning to the Light Mansion tomorrow.”

At the sudden news, I looked at Adrian with round eyes.

“Lady Bianca is coming back? And tomorrow at that?”

“…I’m sorry to deliver such news, Your Highness.”

Adrian’s face darkened.

He seemed to think I would be displeased at the news of Lady Bianca’s return.

‘Well, it’s understandable for Adrian to think that way.’

The previous Grand Duke couple passed away before their late-born daughter Bianca even turned one.

It was natural for Cedric to cherish his younger sister even more.

But Rebecca, the obsessive woman, wouldn’t just sit back and watch.

Bianca fled to the capital to escape Rebecca’s tyranny, and she returned to the northern Grand Duchy right after Rebecca was confined to the tower.

However, now is much earlier than when Bianca returned to the Grand Duchy in the original work.

Only the timing was different, but as I thought that events were unfolding as in the original, I suddenly felt uneasy.

‘No matter how hard I try, could it be that only the timing changes but my ending remains the same…?’

I shook my head vigorously.

Even if I can’t avoid a predetermined ending, I can’t just sit idle, can I?

‘I just need to do what I can do now, step by step. For now…’

It was then, as I was trying to control my anxiety.

“Your Highness, regarding the welcoming ceremony for Lady Bianca… I suppose it would be difficult for you to attend?”

“Welcoming ceremony?”

“Yes. The Grand Duke’s mansion did extend an invitation, but they said if you don’t wish to, you don’t have to come out…”

I shook my head firmly.

“No, I must go.”

Adrian blinked his eyes with an expression of disbelief.

“Your Highness, are you… really alright with that?”

“Of course. I will definitely attend the welcoming ceremony that day.”

Who is Bianca?

Isn’t she Cedric’s precious youngest sister whom he cherishes and laments over?

Gaining Bianca’s favor would be beneficial to me in many ways.

‘I can’t miss the welcoming ceremony when I need to gain her favor. Ah, it would be better if I gave a welcome gift…’

After being lost in thought for a while.

‘…Ah!’

Finally, as a good idea came to mind, I hurriedly turned my head towards Adrian.

“Adrian, you said you’d do anything for me, right?”

“Of course, Your Highness. Has a task finally arisen that I can do for you?”

Adrian’s face lit up with joy.

I smiled gently at him.

“Yes, it’s something only Adrian can do for me.”

* * *

That night, in the bedroom of the Grand Duke’s mansion.

Cedric had already prepared for bed hours ago.

But sleep wouldn’t come, and in the end, he could only pace by the window again today.

Cedric sat on the windowsill with a sigh tinged with fatigue.

He wore a red nightgown and held a glass of whiskey in one hand.

After looking down at the darkened Light Garden below the open window for a moment.

Cedric’s gaze habitually turned towards the Dark Mansion.

The conversation he had with his aide earlier today came to Cedric’s mind as he was lost in thought for a while.

‘Ask the Duchess if she will attend Lady Bianca’s welcoming ceremony.’

‘Pardon? With all due respect, did you just say to invite Her Highness to that event?’

‘…Yes.’

The aide couldn’t hide his surprise.

It was a decision made thinking it would be better to do so, even if just to maintain the appearance of continuing their married life.

But soon after, Cedric was surprised at the fact that he had made such a decision thoughtlessly.

‘To think I personally invited Rebecca to Bianca’s welcoming ceremony.’

Until now, Cedric had done everything he could to prevent the two from meeting.

The fact that he casually invited Rebecca was more and more surprising the more he thought about it.

‘My guard must have been lowered. We’re already divorced, and… it’s true that Rebecca has changed as if she’s a different person.’

After moving residences, Rebecca disappeared from sight for good, just as she had said.

As if… she had never existed in his life even once.

‘Once the divorce is finalized, I’ll leave for the Dark Mansion right away. Then we won’t have to see each other anymore.’

Cedric took a swig of whiskey as he recalled Rebecca’s words out of habit.

It was then, when he casually turned his head towards the Dark Mansion again.

Cedric’s gaze was momentarily captured by a familiar figure strolling through the Dark Garden.

A woman walking through the Dark Garden wearing a thick shawl over a white chemise.

It was Rebecca.

Cedric couldn’t take his eyes off her for a while, seeing her appearance after a long time.

‘…Does she still not know about the ‘Devil’s Gift’?’

Watching Rebecca just walking through the pitch-dark garden, Cedric recalled their first night.

That day, Cedric had intended to return straight to Rebecca after coming back from Mount Manakin.

On their wedding night, he wanted to see her face light up with a bright smile while looking at the ‘Devil’s Gift’.

‘But in the end, until our marriage came to an end… I never showed it to her even once.’

Cedric lowered his gaze and let out a self-deprecating laugh.

As he slowly raised his head to look for Rebecca again, it was just for a moment.

Cedric’s brow gradually began to crease after finally spotting her.

It was after seeing another man standing beside Rebecca.