Inside the carriage returning from the funeral, Lea sat opposite Terran. She spent the entire time looking out the window at the passing scenery of Revon city.

Though foreign, it wasn’t much different from the capital of Galdencia. However, Lea felt a burning gaze directed at her.

‘Why is he looking at me like he wants to burn me alive?’

It was awkward and uncomfortable to the point of death.

Meanwhile, Terran’s suspicions about Grace deepened.

‘So Grace knows how to comfort others too.’

It was quite surprising. Grace was the most self-centered woman of all. She had a strong tendency to only do what she liked in the world she created for herself.

‘It was strange from the moment she said she would attend Lea Hamilton’s funeral.’

Grace found it bothersome to even visit her brother at his local estate once a month.

‘She shouldn’t know Lea Hamilton.’

He felt an urge to confirm it somehow. But Grace spoke first.

“Duke Courtois, do you have Miss Hamilton’s necklace?”

Lea swallowed dry saliva as she waited for his answer. Since Allen had also looked for the necklace at the funeral, it wasn’t an out-of-place question.

“I knew it was Lea Hamilton’s body when I saw the necklace…”

Lea was relieved at his answer.

That meant Terran was keeping the necklace. The question was where it was. Still, it was fortunate that Terran hadn’t given the necklace to Allen.

“But why didn’t you give the necklace to the bereaved family?”

“Because that necklace belongs to the head of the Hamilton merchant guild. Isn’t it right to return it to its rightful owner?”

“I… see.”

“There are some suspicious aspects too.”

‘Suspicious aspects?’

Lea wanted to ask Terran for details, but he tightly closed his mouth and turned his gaze out the window.

Once again, silence hung between them.

A moment later, Terran broke Lea’s reverie with unexpected words.

“It would be better not to get close to Allen MacDowell.”

“What? W-why?”

Lea was startled. No one had acknowledged her father’s innocence.

Yet Terran seemed to be making a statement suspecting Allen instead.

“It seems he’s been gathering information about Richard Hamilton for a long time. When Empress Theresa tried to confiscate the guild’s assets, that man ended up gaining management rights. Isn’t that strange?”

‘Because that bastard is the culprit.’

Lea’s lips trembled, but she couldn’t bring herself to utter the truth.

Allen probably persuaded the empress that he was the person who knew the situation best, mentioning the employees attached to the guild.

He must have also sought sympathy by claiming that he and the MacDowell family were victims too.

Looking back, she was a woman who had only struggled to climb trees, completely unaware of the dangers lurking in the forest.

‘Lea, your head was full of nothing but flowers.’

She found it hard to suppress her frustration at how pathetic she was.

Before discussing Allen’s betrayal, it was harder to forgive herself for being so foolish as to be deceived by him.

Lea sensed that Terran was looking into matters concerning the Hamilton merchant guild. If so, he must also know what happened to her father.

“Was the head of the Hamilton guild executed?”

Lea managed to speak with difficulty. No, even as she spoke, her heart was pounding so hard.

“I heard he avoided execution. Other guild heads and close acquaintances intervened and pleaded with the empress to spare his life, but he was imprisoned on Reef Island.”

“Reef Island?”

Reef Island, located in the middle of the sea, was a prison for traitors and those with impure ideologies.

Once imprisoned there, one could never return home for life. When they died, their bodies were simply thrown into the sea.

Still, as long as her father was alive, there was hope that she could meet him somehow.

There was a famous anecdote that Count Montes had escaped from that island long ago.

‘Indeed, humans are the most frightening.’

Lea’s lungs were filled with anger. She wanted to pour out all the resentment inside her, but she barely held back.

‘It’s enough that Father is alive.’

She would dedicate her entire life to rescuing him from Reef Island prison.

Lea hid her trembling hands in the folds of her skirt.

But Terran did not take his eyes off her, whose expression changed moment by moment as he spoke.

* * *

Even after returning to the mansion, Lea could think of nothing but the necklace.

How should she ask Terran naturally? She needed to find the necklace to get her hands on the Hamilton guild’s memorandum.

‘Should I tell the truth to the Duke, that I’m Lea Hamilton?’

What if she said she somehow possessed Grace’s body and asked for his help from now on? She couldn’t imagine how Terran would react.

‘He wouldn’t believe me. Even I still find it hard to accept.’

He might think she was crazy and have her committed to a mental hospital.

Just then, Pauline returned to the room to attend to her.

“Pauline, where is Duke Courtois?”

“Are you gradually returning to your old self?”

“What do you mean?”

“You haven’t paid any attention to the Duke since you fell seriously ill.”

It seems Grace’s whole world revolved around Terran. Lea felt sorry for her for no reason.

Lea put her hand on her chest and whispered inwardly.

‘Grace, you’ve done enough. You can stop now. A one-sided love will destroy your soul.’

A dangerous love that made her lose everything, just like herself.

From now on, she would never be able to trust anyone again, nor would it be possible to fall in love again. The cells of love within her had been buried in the ground along with Lea Hamilton.

“He’s in his study. Doctor Wilson came.”

Lea came to her senses at Pauline’s words.

“I’ll go by myself.”

Lea left the room almost running, not wanting Pauline to notice her agitated emotions.

It seemed too much to reveal her identity to Terran. Even she was still in an unstable state, her mind in turmoil.

Before she knew it, she had arrived in front of his study. But through the half-open door, she could hear the conversation between two men.

Lea waited behind the door for the conversation between Terran and Doctor Wilson to end.

“Wilson, are the test results out?”

When Terran asked in an agitated tone, Wilson couldn’t answer for a while. Then he slowly began to speak.

“I’m sorry to have to tell you this.”

“It’s alright, just tell me the truth.”

“The test results are in, and you are no longer capable of male function.”

“Damn it! Goddammit!”

Terran cursed and raged.

“Are you sure? No errors?”

“How many times have you been tested? The injury you sustained during the war is the cause. I don’t know what words of comfort to offer.”

“An impotent man doesn’t need any comfort! Wilson!”

Terran shouted at Wilson in anger.

Meanwhile, Lea, who had unintentionally overheard the conversation between the two, covered her mouth with her hand. She almost made a sound, having heard such shocking words.

‘The Duke can’t perform as a man?’

At that moment, the sound of furniture breaking came from inside. It seemed Terran was throwing things while shouting in anger.

Terrified, Lea ran down the opposite corridor towards the second-floor stairs. Her mind was blank the whole way to her room.

‘So that’s why the Duke was cold to Grace?’

Indeed, it was a trial hard for a man to bear.

Lea now understood the cause of the deep shadow on Terran’s face.

She had heard from Pauline before that Terran had suffered many injuries, big and small, while participating in the war with Wales.

How difficult it must have been to fight in a fierce and cruel war for seven years. And now to have acquired such a major disability, Terran’s despair was unfathomable.

‘And I misunderstood him as an indifferent man…’

Lea regretted judging people so hastily.

* * *

Terran collapsed onto the sofa, breathing heavily. He roughly brushed back his disheveled bangs.

“Wilson, keep the test results about Aiden a secret.”

“Of course. But it will be difficult to hide it from Lord Aiden for long, won’t it?”

“No, hide it for life if possible.”

Wilson shook his head at Terran’s words. The patient himself would find out first anyway…

The Duke’s order was as futile as trying to cover the sky with one’s palm.

“It’s not your fault, Your Grace.”

“No, it is my fault. It’s a tragedy that occurred due to the injury Aiden sustained in battle in my place.”

Terran clutched his head with both hands, anguished.

Because of him, the Bizac baronial line would end. How could he not be affected?

Doctor Wilson brought Terran a sedative and water. After taking the medicine, Terran regained his composure after about 20 minutes.

“Wilson, there’s something I want to ask.”

“Please speak.”

“When a person recovers from a severe illness, do they sometimes become a completely different person?”

Terran was puzzled by Grace’s extreme change. It wasn’t just a small change; the Grace he knew had disappeared.

“It can happen. Physical pain can also change a person’s mind.”

Terran didn’t know how to take Wilson’s words.

He had never heard of someone who couldn’t speak a foreign language suddenly becoming fluent after being severely ill.

Moreover, he was now confused by contradictory emotions.

‘I like the changed Grace, to be honest.’