The blood of iron.

Jerard swallowed his smile as he looked at the Duke of Zenova, whose expression remained unchanged even in front of his own ruined face.

He slowly scanned Jerard from bottom to top with his piercingly cold blue eyes.

No emotions were revealed in the duke’s gaze. He simply moved his gaze and looked at Jerard with eyes that had reached a conclusion.

“I didn’t expect you to agree.”

“Me neither. I didn’t expect you to come looking for me.”

Damian, who subtly shifted his gaze to Jerard’s wounds, looked at them as if it was only natural.

As a man who had been on the battlefield for a long time, he must have known how the wounds would turn out even as he inflicted them.

“Count Shannon, your wounds……”

Eriel, who appeared startled, widened her eyes upon seeing Jerard’s wounds.

Her green eyes, which seemed to ask for an explanation, glanced at the Duke of Zenova.

Just as expected.

Jerard caught a glimpse of hope as he confirmed right before his eyes that his thoughts were not wrong.

It was clear that the duke had not properly told Eriel about him hitting Jerard.

Being a man of few words, and it being an unpleasant story, he would not have deliberately told her.

But did the duke know? The fact that such things piled up one by one and planted distrust in Eriel’s heart.

Trust was not something that crumbled in an instant. It slowly, very slowly slipped away like sand through fingers.

Of course, the duke who had lived outside for a long time would not know such things well.

His only duties were war and politics, so how could he have tried to protect his family at home?

“Eriel.”

Despite Eriel’s questioning gaze, the Duke of Zenova smiled smoothly and placed his hand on her shoulder.

It was just a very small physical contact, but Jerard unknowingly flinched at the sight.

He tried to endure the sight before his eyes, biting the tender flesh inside his closed mouth.

The metallic taste of blood spread pungently inside his mouth.

“It seems Count Shannon has more to discuss with me. I’m sorry, but could you give us a moment?”

The duke’s hand tapping Eriel’s shoulder was filled with affection.

Even though he knew it was deliberate in front of him, his heart ached.

Eriel’s gaze shifted from the duke back to him. Her green eyes were filled with worry.

Jerard could take pride in knowing what was contained in her eyes better than the duke.

He could tell what his friend of several decades was thinking just by looking into her eyes.

Jerard had a different level of time with her compared to the duke, who had only spent a few nights together with her at most.

Clenching his fists tightly, Jerard reminded himself of the weapon of memories he possessed and opened his heart a little more.

“Haha. It’s alright. I didn’t come to see the duke today. I came to see the duchess.”

Although the duke’s gaze was directly fixed on him, Jerard ignored it as if he didn’t care at all and turned his head towards Eriel.

“I have something I must tell the duchess. I think I need to talk about the gloves.”

“That… I’ve already told her, so Count Shannon just needs to apologize to my wife.”

“No. It’s not about that. It’s about the reason why the duchess came to see me at the launching ceremony.”

Jerard’s gaze and Eriel’s gaze collided in midair.

“That too……”

The duke tried to finish his words, but Eriel, who had read something in Jerard’s brief eye contact, reached out her hand to the duke.

“Damian. Would it be alright to hear what Count Shannon has to say? As long as you’re not uncomfortable with it.”

Eriel pleaded with the duke, who was narrowing his brows. When the duke’s decision did not come out immediately, Eriel shifted her gaze and looked at Jerard.

“I want to have a conversation. Count Shannon. You spoke as if you knew how I would ask about the gloves.”

Meeting Eriel’s straightforward gaze, Jerard felt a little disappointed and hurt by her.

As soon as Eriel saw Jerard’s wounds, she must have known that the duke had hit him.

Nevertheless, she showed even more interest in the story about the gloves. She didn’t even express any worrying words.

It was true that he had lied about the rumors regarding the gloves, but this was unlike Eriel.

Eriel, who seemed to be the first to worry about Jerard’s wounds. Contrary to his thoughts, Eriel had erased such feelings with a single mention of the gloves after showing a glimmer of concern.

“If that’s what you want. ……Count Shannon. I invite you to the drawing room.”

The duke’s stiffened face turned towards Jerard.

The duke seemed quite displeased with Eriel’s words about hearing Jerard’s story.

If he had been Eriel’s husband, he would have rather felt relieved upon reading the change in Eriel’s attitude.

The foolish duke.

That’s why Eriel shouldn’t be by your side.

“Thank you for treating me like this despite my sudden visit.”

Jerard bowed his head and headed to the drawing room.

*

“Young lady, you shouldn’t do this.”

The butler whispered quietly in the hallway. However, the young lady, who had her ear pressed tightly against the door of the drawing room, had no intention of moving at all.

“Shh.”

Rather, she frowned as if the butler’s words were noisy, raising one finger to make a shushing gesture. Then she pressed her ear even more tightly against the door.

It seemed that the young lady had come out, pretending to have gone to her room since Count Shannon entered the mansion.

The maid who had followed her came down with small steps, looking distressed along with the young lady.

Perhaps the young lady had outstanding abilities in other areas.

The butler sighed and dismissed the maid who had come with them. As everyone left the hallway, the butler whispered to the young lady in a quiet voice.

“Young lady, please excuse me for a moment.”

Then he quickly inserted his hands between the young lady’s arms that were attached to the door.

Lifting the young lady’s body, which was as light as a feather, the butler quickly left the hallway.

Lucy, who was now carried on the butler’s shoulder like a piece of luggage, shouted in a small voice into the butler’s ear.

“Butler! No, you can’t. I have to listen. Ugh….. No.”

Lucy’s short arms reached out towards the drawing room, but she was only getting farther and farther away from it.

*

A slightly bustling sound came from outside the drawing room.

As Damian’s gaze momentarily paused towards the door, Eriel and Count Shannon moved to the table inside the drawing room.

Furrowing his brows, Damian tilted his head towards the outside that had quickly become quiet and turned his body.

At that very moment, the light coming through the window fully illuminated Count Shannon.

Damian, who was about to avert his gaze from the unpleasant face of the count, realized that Count Shannon’s slowly moving eyes were scanning the interior of the drawing room.

Count Shannon’s eye smile, which folded as softly as the warm sunlight, soon turned towards Eriel.

“Your taste doesn’t seem to have changed.”

……Ah.

With a single word from Count Shannon, Eriel’s surprised gaze immediately reached Damian.

Even though Eriel had not made a mistake, she was being mindful of Damian.

But why did that sharply scratch his heart? Only then, and through the mouth of Count Shannon, did he realize that there was no place in the mansion untouched by Eriel’s hand.

Eriel hurriedly turned her head towards the count and cut off his words with a firm voice.

“Count Shannon. I would prefer if we could directly get to the point rather than engaging in such small talk. It doesn’t seem to be a situation for casual conversation.”

“Oh, my apologies.”

Count Shannon, who immediately apologized, lowered his eyes.

Damian found it unpleasant to even look at the two of them like that.

He didn’t even want to see Eriel maintaining a stern attitude while looking at Count Shannon. He just didn’t want to see anything…….

Damian approached the table.

“Eriel.”

Damian turned Eriel’s gaze back to himself.

Even getting angry, only at him. Only at him.

Damian gently took Eriel’s hand and raised it.

Eriel’s eyes wavered at Damian’s lips pressed against the back of her hand. It was an unusual physical contact for him.

“Please give us a moment.”

“……Damian.”

Eriel’s gaze briefly avoided Damian. She glanced at Count Shannon and nodded.

Although he had said it would be for a moment, Eriel must have understood Damian’s desire not to see her conversing with the count.

Eriel continued speaking to Count Shannon.

“There is no difference between me hearing it and my husband hearing it, so I would prefer if you could tell that story to my husband. Oh, and an apology is not necessary. I didn’t think it was a situation serious enough to forgive in the first place. Although it’s true that you lied to me, Count Shannon, the unpleasant gaze of the nobles is not your fault.”

“But I……”

Eriel unusually interrupted the other person’s words midway.

“Just because I say an apology is unnecessary doesn’t mean the wrongdoing disappears. If you have even the slightest bit of remorse, please follow my decision. The words you intended to say to me, you can say all of them to my husband.”

At Eriel’s words, Jerard burst into laughter.

“Oh dear…… It seems you’re mistaken, Duchess.”

Jerard’s eyes curved gently.

“I came here to give you the answers to the questions you were going to ask me, not to have a conversation with the duke.”