“Why are you just staring at it without drinking? Do you think I would give you something undrinkable?”

Grand Duke Usith showed his disappointment as he urged Jade.

Everyone around glanced this way and whispered.

“I was already upset that you proceeded with Ayla’s wedding without consulting me, but let’s forget about it over this glass of wine.”

People began to react as if he was ignoring the kindness of his uncle, who had been holding memorial banquets for the late Marquis and Marchioness Rowe for over a decade.

While Grand Duke Usith’s title was higher than Marquis Jade, he was also the elder of the Rowe family and could be considered their retainer.

Because of this, glances poured in as if Jade was looking down on Grand Duke Usith.

It would be better to just drink it, but somehow it didn’t feel right.

Jade swirled the wine with a sour expression.

‘Could there be poison in the wine?’

If it weren’t for the suspicion that something might be in the wine, he would have drunk it long ago.

“…It seems you have many grievances against me, Grand Uncle.”

“How can I not, when you haven’t visited for so long and have been keeping so many secrets from me? I’ve been your guardian since you were young, like a father and son…”

Father and son.

How shameless, to say that on the anniversary of Jade’s father’s death, whom he had killed.

“…The wine is delicious. May I know what was blended into it?”

Jade finally swallowed the wine slowly while staring at Grand Duke Usith.

“Well, a craftsman made it, but even I don’t know the exact recipe.”

With the murderous aura between them, I found it hard to even breathe properly beside them.

‘I guess there wasn’t poison in the wine after all.’

Of course, it would be foolish to put poison in wine served directly in front of so many people.

“Earl Boston, please drink as well. You must be thirsty after your long journey.”

Grand Duke Usith’s gaze fixed on me. I was quite perplexed.

‘Even if there’s no poison, it’s still dangerous.’

There might be a baby in my womb.

‘Remember, you should be careful with food and stressful situations for a while. If you’re pregnant, miscarriages are common in the early stages.’

The doctor’s words in Lecah lingered in my mind, making it difficult to part my lips.

‘If there is a baby, and something happens because I drink this wine now…?’

But it was also ambiguous to make excuses about not drinking because of a baby.

‘Moreover, I already had Blanche out of wedlock. That alone is enough for people to gossip about, let alone the existence of a second child.’

Right. There’s no need to say unnecessary things…

‘It should be fine if I just put it to my lips and hold it in my mouth for a moment.’

I smiled at Grand Duke Usith and parted my lips to drink the wine.

At that moment, Jade snatched the glass from my hand and drank the wine instead.

‘Why is he doing this?’

The surprised glances from those gathered around, including Grand Duke Usith and myself, showed that no one had expected this.

“Earl Boston has a grape allergy, so I drank it instead. Is that alright?”

“Of, of course. Rather, I should apologize to the Earl. I didn’t know you had an allergy.”

I didn’t have a grape allergy. Jade knew all the allergies I had.

‘Even though he already confirmed there was no poison by drinking it himself… Why….’

I wondered why he lied to prevent me from drinking the wine, even though he knew it wasn’t poisoned.

“Grand Duke Usith offered it with good intentions, so I felt bad refusing. Though I have a grape allergy, it’s not severe, so I was going to drink it.”

I answered following Jade’s lie to clarify the situation for now.

“Now that I see it, the relationship between Earl Boston and our nephew seems unusual. Knowing even what allergies he has.”

Grand Duke Usith scrutinized me from head to toe with a chilling gaze.

“…Is it because they’re cousins?”

And he muttered in a very low voice.

‘So now he’s sarcastically implying that I’m keeping Diane by my side as a replacement for the dead person because she’s my cousin.’

It didn’t feel good, but it was awkward to argue.

Just then, a young woman approached Grand Duke Usith’s side.

‘I haven’t heard that Grand Duke Usith had a daughter.’

She didn’t even look much like him.

“Darling.”

I was inwardly shocked by the term of address that came from the young woman’s mouth.

‘The Duchess?’

I knew he had remarried. However, the new Duchess was so young that when she was with Grand Duke Usith, she looked like his daughter.

“It’s an honor to meet you, Your Grace. I am Earl Diane Boston.”

I greeted the Grand Duchess calmly, pretending to be composed.

“Oh my. It’s nice to meet you, Earl Boston. You came with Marquis Rowe.”

The Grand Duchess responded gently.

Watching this, Grand Duke Usith frowned, seeming displeased.

“It’s understandable for Earl Boston as it’s your first meeting, but there’s no need to be so formal with Jade. You are his grand-aunt, after all.”

The Grand Duchess just smiled awkwardly at her husband’s reprimand.

‘The Duke’s words aren’t wrong. Even if it’s a remarriage and she’s young, the Duchess is Jade’s grand-aunt. But as a retainer of the Rowe family, it’s right to address Jade respectfully.’

Jade, who had been silent until now, spoke.

“Grand-aunt. Please feel free to address me comfortably.”

As Jade took the initiative to bow his head, even Grand Duke Usith relaxed his furrowed brow.

He seemed satisfied with Jade’s immediate submission.

“Darling. We should greet the other guests now.”

“That’s right. We’ve been delayed a bit. Jade, let’s talk again later.”

Grand Duke Usith and the Duchess moved to greet other people.

‘It’s fortunate that the Duchess tactfully led the Duke away, but Jade’s complexion looks too bad.’

It seemed too pale to be just because of Grand Duke Usith; his face had turned ghostly white.

“Jade. If you’re not feeling well, do you want to rest in the lounge for a moment?”

“…The memorial service will start soon. There will be talk if I’m not there.”

Jade shook his head, clenching his fist tightly as if determined to endure.

‘Right. It’s not just anything, but the memorial service for the late Marquis and Marchioness Rowe… With Ayla not here, Jade can’t be absent.’

Moreover, there was the task of placing lilies on the two coffins on the platform.

“Then I’ll support you, let’s go to a less crowded corner for a moment.”

I moved Jade to a secluded space.

Jade leaned weakly against the wall, his responses becoming slower, and his breathing shallow.

“Jade. What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell…?”

Worried about him, I asked quietly near his ear.

“There was… Clementine… in the wine.”

“Clementine…?”

“It’s not… life-threatening, but… when consumed, the nerves… stiffen, and it feels like… my throat is tightly blocked.”

Even if it wasn’t life-threatening, those symptoms indicated it was poison.

“What? Then why did you drink the wine knowing that?”

“…I’ve had a resistance to Clementine since childhood, so small amounts are fine.”

So that’s why he hesitated but eventually accepted and drank the wine.

But in that state, he drank my portion too, which was certainly not a small amount.

He drank enough to cause an immediate reaction and strain his body like this.

‘Oh no, he drank mine too…’

I should have either drunk it myself or pretended to drop it due to a weak grip.

“It’s okay. After some time passes, my mind will clear and return to normal. I have a resistance, and it’s not fatal in itself.”

Jade forced a bitter smile, trying to reassure me.

Just then, Ayla and Viscount Lumiere Young-sik entered the entrance, looking around.

“Jade. Ayla’s here.”

“…That’s good timing. Now that Ayla’s here, I’ll go out for a moment to get some fresh air.”

“Are you going alone?”

“I just need to walk for a bit. Stay with Ayla.”

Jade gestured for Ayla to come over as he headed out of the hall.

“Sister. You were here. Where did brother go? His complexion looked bad, did something happen?”

If I told her that the wine Grand Duke Usith gave had Clementine in it, she would surely worry.

“He said he’s going for a short walk outside. He’ll be back soon, so don’t worry.”

I made up an excuse, not wanting to worry Ayla, whose eyes were red as if she had been crying.

“By the way, didn’t you say you’d come when the second part started?”

“I arrived a bit early. I just greeted them and left quickly.”

While chatting with Ayla, I caught sight of Grand Duke Usith’s suspicious behavior.

‘That’s not the Duchess, who is it?’

He exchanged glances with a blonde woman in the banquet hall, then moved his chin towards where Jade had gone.

The woman, looking very tense, moved towards where Jade had left.

I was shocked by the woman’s face that I glimpsed as she passed by.

‘Sharlin Winst…?’

Though her hair color was different, her features were unmistakably hers.

So she hadn’t died from the epidemic in prison.

“Ayla. I’m going to bring Jade back.”

With an uneasy feeling, I followed Sharlin, barely suppressing my trembling hands.

Jade was standing in the middle of the corridor, his back turned.

“…!”

Sharlin, upon discovering him, pulled out a sharp dagger from her bosom.

‘He’s eaten Clementine, so his reactions are slow. Even if I tell him to dodge, it would be useless.’

Sharlin was quietly approaching Jade with the dagger raised.

“Jade!”

Just as she was about to plunge the dagger, I ran with all my might and pushed Jade aside.

Sharlin’s swinging dagger grazed my waist and fell.