Cabelased was reading a newspaper while languidly leaning back on the reception room sofa under the midday sunlight.

The difference from last time was that he was wearing his usual perfect suit.

His long legs crossed while sitting posture was arrogant yet elegant, and the blue suit that fit his muscular body perfectly added a cold yet strangely trustworthy impression.

It was when Jieselgrante, standing quietly at the entrance of the reception room, was following his figure with her eyes, like a painting.

Cabelased’s low voice fell in the reception room.

“How long are you going to stand there?”

It seems he had been pretending not to know despite being aware of her arrival.

“Have you been well? I’m glad you noticed my arrival, even if belatedly. I was hesitant to disturb you as you seemed focused.”

Despite her somewhat sarcastic words, no displeasure could be found on Cabelased’s face.

As Jieselgrante sat down across from him, Cabelased put down the newspaper he was holding on the table and raised his gaze to look at her.

And he said.

“Thanks to you. I express my gratitude for the young lady’s consideration.”

Cabelased finished speaking and slightly raised the corners of his mouth.

It could be considered a rather aristocratic response, but his attitude was enough to make Jieselgrante’s brow furrow.

Jieselgrante stared blankly at his face.

‘Something… seems different from usual.’

She couldn’t pinpoint it, but somehow she couldn’t shake off that feeling.

Similarly, Cabelased, who had been staring blankly at her face, soon continued speaking.

“It seems you’ve developed a new hobby.”

“…A hobby, you say? What do you mean by that?”

“I hear you’re passionate about discovering emerging artists? I didn’t know you had such a deep appreciation for art.”

She smiled, curving her eyes, and said.

“I’m trying to take up a hobby befitting a duke’s young lady, even if just now.”

“Not bad.”

Cabelased, who had been nodding his head as if understanding, suddenly stiffened his expression and added.

“I hope you weren’t trying to find the woman in the portrait you secretly glimpsed without permission in an unoccupied space?”

Since Cabelased had first mentioned what she had wanted to ask but couldn’t, she no longer needed to hesitate.

Jieselgrante immediately opened her mouth.

“It’s a question I’ve been wanting to ask all along, and I’m grateful that you brought it up first, Duke.”

“…”

“I’ll ask straightforwardly. What is your relationship with the late Empress?”

If the relationship between the late Empress and Cabelased was as she suspected, she thought he would be greatly surprised, angry, or greatly agitated.

But contrary to her expectations, Cabelased was as calm as ever.

No, his excessively composed reaction might rather be an indicator of his tension.

“It seems you want to hear the truth.”

Cabelased murmured, looking straight into her eyes.

Jieselgrante immediately nodded.

“If you learn the truth, everything will be different from before. Can you handle it? The truth you seek to know is very dangerous. To both you and me.”

Despite Cabelased’s threat, Jieselgrante looked straight into his red eyes and asked back.

“If I hear the truth, what will change and how?”

“Many things will change. First of all, we’ll need to redefine the relationship between you and me.”

Jieselgrante’s brow furrowed slightly at his incomprehensible words. But he paid no mind and added.

“And one more thing…”

Saying so, Cabelased unbuttoned one button of his shirt.

But that wasn’t the end.

Jieselgrante could only swallow dry saliva at the sight of him slowly unbuttoning from the top down.

Eventually, the mark on his broad chest was revealed.

“…Is this the reason you couldn’t take your eyes off my body that day?”

She didn’t give any answer, but Cabelased immediately continued.

“Judging by your expression, it seems I’m right. You already seem to know what this means.”

She hesitated for a moment at his searching gaze, but soon nodded.

And she said.

“The mark on your chest is… the mark that you are a descendant of heaven, Duke.”

Jieselgrante uttered those words with difficulty.

If Cabelased was the rightful descendant of heaven of the Faysis Empire, what exactly was Trinity’s existence?

Such thoughts invaded her mind.

“…”

Suddenly her breathing became rapid, and then she found it hard to breathe.

Perhaps it was because facing the truth she had hoped wasn’t true was too painful.

When she barely managed to exhale her labored breath, a ringing sound filled her ears.

“…Jiesel? Jieselgrante!”

Cabelased’s voice calling her name urgently reverberated in her head.

“It seems the young lady is unusually late today…”

The butler, who had been staring out the window which had already grown dark, finally decided to report this fact.

Mikhail, who happened to be with Duke Amaterasu at the time, asked.

“Jiesel hasn’t returned yet?”

“Yes…”

As the butler nodded, this time Duke Amaterasu asked.

“Where did she say she was going?”

“Well…”

Just as the butler was about to answer, a maid walked into the reception room where the three were.

Their gazes converged on the letter in her hand.

“The young lady has sent a letter.”

Naturally, questions arose on the faces of Duke Amaterasu and Mikhail as to why she had sent a letter instead of returning.

“…!”

Duke Amaterasu and Mikhail couldn’t hide their shock upon confirming the contents of the letter.

Sensing that something big had happened, the butler quickly signaled the maid with his eyes to leave.

And only after the maid had left the reception room did he ask.

“What’s the matter?”

At the butler’s question, Duke Amaterasu frowned severely, and Mikhail, who had been watching his reaction, lowered his voice considerably and said.

“It says Jiesel is staying out overnight.”

“…Pardon?”

To the butler who asked again in surprise, Duke Amaterasu added.

“At the Kardia Duke’s mansion, no less.”

The letter contained other surprising facts as well.

It stated that the Greykin Count’s daughter was currently staying at the Kardia Duke’s mansion, and that she was with her, so not to worry.

Even Duke Amaterasu and Mikhail, who had always been on Jieselgrante’s side, couldn’t let today’s incident slide.

“We must go to the Kardia Duke’s mansion right away.”

As Duke Amaterasu rose from his seat, Mikhail also agreed and stood up.

The momentum of the two was unusual, as if they would rush to the Kardia Duke’s mansion and grab Cabelased by the collar right away.

“But Your Grace, this might actually be a good thing.”

Duke Amaterasu frowned fiercely and glared at the butler who had said such unbelievable words.

“A good thing? Do you think that makes any sense?”

Jieselgrante wasn’t even engaged yet.

If it became known outside that an unmarried woman was staying at a man’s mansion without being married, it would surely tarnish Jieselgrante’s reputation.

And the butler was well aware of this fact.

Instead of strongly asserting his opinion, the butler slightly bowed his head.

Mikhail, who had been growling with his brow furrowed as well, suddenly opened his eyes wide.

“Father!”

Only then did Duke Amaterasu turn to Mikhail, still frowning deeply.

“Come to think of it, this might really be a good thing. At least for Jiesel…”

The butler picked up on Mikhail’s words.

“That’s right, Your Grace. Although it’s a custom that has disappeared recently, in the past, there were quite a few young ladies who received bridal training at their fiancé’s mansion before marriage, weren’t there?”

Despite the butler’s persuasion, Duke Amaterasu’s furrowed brow showed no sign of relaxing.

“Knowing Cabel’s impulsive personality, he might have the grand intention of making their courtship a fait accompli at this opportunity.”

Mikhail added, but Duke Amaterasu was still lost in thought.

His wife had also prepared for their marriage at the Amaterasu Duke’s mansion in advance of their wedding.

Of course, it was really for her to receive teachings from the previous Duchess Amaterasu.

But it had been a long time since the previous Duchess Kardia had returned to her maiden home after the death of the previous Duke Kardia.

So it didn’t make sense to bring her into the family early before marriage to teach her, as they had done in the past.

As she blinked her eyes while lying on her side in bed, the interior of an unfamiliar bedroom came into view.

Jieselgrante blankly stared at the unfamiliar bedroom for a while.

Although her body wasn’t tired at all, she didn’t want to get up from the bed, so she just lay still.

Until Cabelased came to the bedroom he had given her.

Knock knock.

The sound of knocking on the door rang out, but she didn’t answer and curled up on her side in bed.

But contrary to her expectation that he would leave soon if there was no answer, the bedroom door creaked open.

“I can hardly understand.”

Cabelased said as he approached the bed where she was lying.

His voice was slightly lower than usual. His tone also seemed a bit more gentle.

That was probably because he thought her heart was too tender to face the truth in this situation.

She was about to hear an important fact from Cabelased before she fainted.

Soon, Cabelased’s voice brought her back to reality once again.

“Was the fact that I am the current Emperor’s son such a great shock to you?”