“I have to admit the charges so that woman can be punished.”

“What’s the use of that? You’ll be punished too…”

To comfort the sobbing Skaha somehow, Lugard knelt in front of her and kissed the back of Skaha’s hand.

It was the first time they had touched each other like this in such a place.

Emotions burst out like a torrent, and he couldn’t hold back any longer.

“…I love you.”

Thinking that this statement would also be recorded in the archives, he couldn’t help but laugh. Looking at Skaha’s beautiful eyes, momentarily lost, Lugard bowed his head again and pressed his lips against her hand once more.

For Lugard, it was the maximum expression of affection for the precious woman whose fingertips he hadn’t been able to touch for a long time.

“I love you.”

Although it was a blunt and awkward confession, tied to a leash and spitting out such words, it was refreshing inside. Despite being dragged away by the jailer, Lugard laughed.
Looking at Skaha’s reaction, it seemed that the words wouldn’t easily be forgotten by her, not becoming something insignificant.

These days, Skaha appeared in the dreams of the Lady all night, laughing sinisterly with her pretty face, clenching fists alongside her deceased husband. Even though it wasn’t believed to be true, it reached the point where her blood ran cold, as dreams couldn’t be controlled as desired.

Without realizing it, the son had apparently handed over the Lindcoem mansion. He even proclaimed to establish the Duchy and suppress Skaha and Lindcoem altogether.

Phew.

Even as she let out a long sigh, her gaze, while looking around the arranged sponsorship area, was far from casual.

Even amidst the chaotic large-scale hunting competition that had mobilized the Emperor, the Lady calmly commanded the Duchy. Since the men had left for the forest, entertaining guests had become the Lady’s responsibility.

In her heart, she felt that if any of the noble ladies participating in the hunting competition with the ten families had any connection with her son, she could at least bow down.

Honestly, most of the women couldn’t compare to her beauty, so she had abandoned such expectations from the beginning.

“Did you receive a call in the morning? Where did it come from?”

If the Lady had asked Tuan, a different answer might have come out. Tuan was the only servant who knew the fact that the Lady had driven Skaha out of Conwell.

However, in the busy Duchy, Tuan, who was summoned without a break, had various responsibilities. Another servant who assisted Tuan made a hasty response.

“A call from Lindcoem. I believe Princess Erwin left a message for the Duke.”

“What message did she leave?”

“I didn’t hear it, but the butler knows.”

Thus, summoned belatedly, Tuan had no choice but to report the message Skaha left.

“Princess Erwin said she will briefly visit Corb.”

“She said she couldn’t come to Conwell because of illness, so why Corb?”

Due to dreams or the fact that the entire Lindcoem mansion had fallen, the Lady had to control her emotions while speaking in a brazen voice.

“She’s going to visit Lugard.”

As the voices of women coming out with the support started to be heard, the Lady quickly composed her expression. Still, she muttered the name of the guard with a strange connection to Skaha.

Clearly, it was the same name.

“Skaha… No, Princess Erwin, find out what conversation she had with a person named Lugard and bring the record of the meeting.”

The head butler bowed deeply.

Thinking that Tuan, who investigated what conversation the woman who would become the Duchess had with whom, would bring the results to the Lady, Tuan’s mouth seemed to chew on sand.