It was the first time I saw Grand Duke Usith.

‘A shameless person who killed Jade’s parents, deceived them with a carriage accident, and seized the position of Grand Elder…’

Both in the original work and now, he committed crimes without change.

Perhaps the chilling sensation I felt when I encountered him was a warning to instinctively avoid him.

‘But why did Grand Duke Usith come to Retan Prison?’

And in this heat, with his robe flipped inside out as if trying to hide his identity?

‘Did he come to see Sharlin? Why?’

It was strange. Grand Duke Usith shouldn’t know that the child Sharlin gave birth to was his own bloodline.

Then what reason could he have for coming to see her?

‘If Grand Duke Usith knew that child was his bloodline, Sharlin wouldn’t have come to ask Jade for adoption. Until now, Sharlin had been hiding in the Rowe domain…’

Of course, it’s possible he didn’t come to see Sharlin…

‘I want to confirm if he came to visit Sharlin, but I can’t.’

It was ambiguous since I couldn’t follow him to check if they met.

‘I should tell Jade when I get back. That I saw Grand Duke Usith here.’

Even after coming outside, the dark energy surrounding the tower made me inexplicably tired, so I hastened my steps.

“Elder brother, I’m here!”

“…Ayla?”

As the door opened and a cheerful voice reached him, Jade started to get up but sat back down.

“What’s this, why did you stop getting up? Get up again! Get up and welcome me!”

He thought Larien, who had gone to Retan Prison early in the morning saying she had something to tell Sharlin, had returned.

‘Why isn’t she coming?’

Instead of her coming, only his noisy younger sister barged in.

His mood rapidly worsened.

“Elder brother, you thought I was elder sister and welcomed me, right? That’s really too much.”

Ayla, sitting on the sofa opposite, grumbled repeatedly.

“Your business. Briefly.”

Ayla approached, taking out a document from her bosom.

Unable to see, he naturally became extremely sensitive to her movements and reflexively pulled his body back.

“What’s this, why are you like this? Am I going to hit you or something?”

Ayla, still unaware of the situation, found Jade’s behavior strange.

“What is this?”

Jade asked, unable to see what kind of document she had brought.

“Geez. Do I have to read it for you too? Ugh, well, I’m in the position of asking a favor, so I guess I have no choice.”

Ayla read the document in a clear voice.

The document was none other than a promissory note stating that Jade himself would lend money to Ayla.

“I’ll pay it back soon! Lend it to me!”

“How much?”

“It’s written there. 500 million arks. Hm? Give it.”

Jade tapped his fingers, pondering.

Even if he gave twice that amount, it wouldn’t make a dent in Rowe’s finances.

The problem was that he had already given quite a lot of property as Ayla’s dowry.

‘I gave the Salome Castle just as personal property, but I must have given quite a lot as dowry…’

He couldn’t understand how she had already used up that dowry when they hadn’t been married for long.

‘Does Viscount Lumiere have a gambling habit?’

After thinking deeply, he began to suspect if she had caused an accident that couldn’t be resolved even with the dowry.

“…Did you cause an accident? The longer it takes, the more you’ll have to compensate, so confess quickly now.”

“Elder brother. Do you think I only cause accidents? It’s not like that. I came to borrow the cost needed to buy a new mansion.”

“…What about your dowry?”

“I’ll use that later. For when I urgently need it.”

Since it wasn’t an accident, he thought it would be better to sign quickly and send her away.

‘Usually, the signature goes here at the bottom.’

He continued signing, recalling Larien who used to point out where to sign.

“Elder brother, you don’t want to lend it?”

Ayla looked at him and heaved a deep sigh.

“Get the check from the butler. He should be calculating the ledger right now.”

“Will the butler give it to me if he sees this document? He’ll think I forged elder brother’s signature.”

At Ayla’s criticism, he realized he had found the wrong place to sign.

Flustered, he ran his hand through his hair. As his lips dried up and he was choosing what to say…

“Elder brother. Be honest. You can’t see, can you?”

In the end, Ayla figured it out.

There was no point in deceiving anymore, so he honestly confessed.

“…It was unavoidable to save Blanche. With the holy power going berserk, I had to absorb it myself.”

“The nanny said that… Father also lost his sight because of that…”

Feeling her worried gaze, he immediately answered.

That he was fine. That it was nothing.

“I knew this would happen. It’s no big deal. No one knows except Larien and you.”

“No big deal? No one knows? Elder brother. If I noticed it right away, don’t you think others will too?”

“…”

“I thought something was off. From thinking I was elder sister when you saw me come in, to avoiding me when I approached, to signing in the wrong place.”

The sound of footsteps moving towards the window was heard after continuous deep sighs.

“Ayla?”

“It’s fortunate that I know this method, what if I didn’t.”

By the window was a pot of unknown plants that Father used to grow. As I remember, it seemed to have small orange-colored fruits.

‘What method is she talking about?’

The pot was always there, managed by the butler, so I didn’t pay much attention to it.

“Eat this.”

Ayla picked a fruit, peeled it, and held it out in front of Jade. The sour smell made him not want to eat it.

“…What do you think that is.”

“Just eat it quickly!”

She forcibly opened Jade’s mouth as he turned his head refusing, and poured it in.

The juice spread in his mouth.

‘What could this be…’

He frowned at the sourness and pressed his brows together.

“I don’t remember clearly because I was too young, but I once secretly ate this after seeing Father eat it.”

Ayla, who was making satisfied noises, added an explanation.

“That’s when Mother scolded me for the first time. She said this was like Father’s medicine.”

“Medicine?”

“She definitely said Father’s eyesight started to return thanks to this fruit… Well, is it not working?”

Actually, after swallowing the fruit, his previously unseeing eyes began to clear up hazily.

“I can… see.”

Though blurry, focus gradually returned and shapes started to become visible.

“See! Keep eating it steadily. Even if it doesn’t return right away, it will eventually be fully restored.”

“Thank you, Ayla.”

“Don’t express gratitude with words, but with something else.”

She meant to continue the conversation about the promissory note from earlier.

Jade nodded with a sneer.

“I’ll tell the butler later. To visit Viscount Lumiere’s residence with a check. You don’t need to write a promissory note. I don’t care if you pay it back or not.”

“As expected. This is why having a wealthy family is so reassuring and abundant.”

Ayla, brightened again, hummed happily.

“Since I’m here, I should go see elder sister and Blanche. Where are they?”

“Larien went out, and Blanche was playing with Mary.”

“Is it far? Elder sister would like it too.”

At Ayla’s reaction of wanting to tell Larien about his eyesight returning, Jade felt uncomfortable for a moment.

He didn’t want to tell her. If she knew his eyesight had returned, he feared she might go back to Earl Boston’s residence.

The excuse to call Larien here would also disappear.

When working, when eating meals, when having food…

He didn’t want to lose the situation where she was always by his side, paying attention to him.

“Don’t tell Larien. About the fruit too.”

“You’re going to pretend your eyes still can’t see to elder sister? Why on earth? She’s already worried enough to stay here.”

Ayla fired back quickly, as if she couldn’t understand him.

Jade pressed his lips together, not wanting to answer that reason.

‘If she knows it’s because I want to receive Larien’s attention, she’ll surely make a fuss.’

He was also ashamed, knowing it was an absurd excuse even to himself.

“How long do you plan to deceive her? Forever?”

“I’ll tell her later, so don’t worry about it.”

“Elder brother. What if elder sister finds out? Don’t you know how scary she is when she gets angry?”

Ayla shuddered, wrapping her shoulders as if just the thought was frightening.

‘She is scary when angry.’

It’s not like his eyesight has fully returned, so couldn’t he just say he wanted to tell her when it was certain?

“I think it would be better to tell her… Well, do as you wish. If that’s what you really want, I won’t bring it up again. Just keep eating that well.”

Ayla clicked her tongue and grabbed the doorknob.

“Wait, I hear something outside.”

Ayla swallowed dryly in confusion.

“Elder brother. I think someone was listening outside. It’s not elder sister, is it?”

At Ayla’s whispered words, Jade’s heart beat violently.

‘Has Larien returned?’

Larien, who heard that he was planning to deceive her, might take Blanche and leave.

‘I haven’t even properly deceived her yet. Like this, so soon… How much did she hear?’

Now that he could see, she probably wouldn’t meet him anymore.

“Ah, elder sister. Th-that’s not it, I wasn’t planning to deceive you, it’s just that elder brother said not to tell-”

The frightened Ayla claimed she had nothing to do with this as she slowly opened the door.

Through that gap, light brown hair with violet-tinged sea-colored eyes were visible.

‘It seems to be Larien.’

Jade’s eyes were still blurry, so he could only distinguish colors.

‘What should I say?’

Seeing Larien’s colors, he was dejected and busy thinking of excuses.

Ayla’s stuttering tone from nervousness disappeared, and she suddenly burst into laughter.

“Elder sister, why have you become so small!”

“Aunt. When did you arrive?”

At last, Blanche’s voice reached Jade’s ears.