Everyone knew why Duke Hersher had come here.

All the people present looked at one person. The one whose expression had notably worsened.

“Do you know why the duke has come all the way here to meet me?”

At Clea’s mocking voice, Aria bit her lip and glared.

But there were few words that could come out of her mouth.

At most, she might ask to please stop Duke Hersher from entering, but Aria’s pride wouldn’t allow it.

“What will you do?”

To Oberon’s following question, Clea smiled coldly.

“What else? Since the duke has personally come all this way, I should meet him.”

Duke Hersher hadn’t made an appointment before coming. But even so, Clea enjoyed this situation.

“I’ll be going now.”

On the other hand, Aria wanted to escape somehow.

There was no reason for the duke to meet Clea separately.

Even if there was a reason to meet, normally the duke wouldn’t break etiquette like this.

With people’s attention already focused on her, there was no reason to act in a way that would cause gossip.

Yet if he had personally come here, there was only one reason.

The duke had made a decision favorable to Clea for the sake of his family.

Even if she ran away, it was unavoidable to face him in this situation when Clea grabbed Aria’s wrist.

“Where are you going? I don’t think our conversation is over yet.”

“Let go. You never intended to accept my deal in the first place.”

Aria tried her best to pull her caught wrist free, but ultimately failed.

On the terrace, Clea had only complied with her wishes because she had no intention of letting go.

Now it was different.

Completely overpowered, Aria glared at Clea as if to kill her.

However, Clea casually avoided that unpleasant gaze and signaled to Oberon.

Confirming the signal, Oberon nodded and stepped outside.

After Oberon went out, Clea released Aria’s wrist.

Aria immediately ran to the door and tried to open it. But the door wouldn’t open at all.

“Open it now!”

Clea ignored Aria’s shout.

A moment later, footsteps were heard from outside and soon the door opened.

Though it was the door she had so desperately wanted to open, Aria couldn’t bring herself to go through it.

“Father.”

“I greet you, Lady Clea.”

Duke Hersher was standing there.

Though the two made eye contact, they didn’t exchange greetings.

Even though Aria called the duke first, he ignored it and immediately looked towards Clea.

“I apologize for coming so suddenly without notice.”

“It’s alright. If there’s urgent business, I can understand.”

For a moment, Aria felt the duke was like a different person.

She couldn’t believe that her father, who had always seemed so lofty, was now showing a polite demeanor and using honorifics to Clea.

In contrast, the duke calmly accepted the reality.

He knew well that in this situation where Clea and Admund’s marriage was a fait accompli, continuing to be stubborn would only make things worse for himself.

So he wanted to choose to correct his attitude even now, if possible.

Though he hadn’t wanted it to happen so suddenly like today.

“Please sit over here.”

“Come here.”

“…Yes, Father.”

As Clea guided them to seats, the duke held out his hand to Aria.

Looking at that hand, Aria was reluctant. But it wasn’t a situation where she could ignore it either, so Aria reluctantly took his hand.

The duke applied pressure to the hand he held.

As if it hurt a little, Aria tried to let go, but the duke didn’t release it at all.

Having arrived late, he couldn’t know what conversation had taken place with Clea.

So he applied wordless pressure. Warning not to make any more mistakes.

‘Do you know? Even this action is all for your sake.’

Not missing this, Clea observed Aria’s expression.

If the duke had intended to give up on Aria, they would have parted ways long ago. Everything would have been blamed on her, and she would have borne all responsibility.

Not knowing this, Aria was glaring at the hand clasped with the duke’s while frowning.

“So what is the reason you came to see me?”

When Clea asked, Duke Hersher bowed his head before beginning the main conversation.

“On behalf of our family, I wish to apologize for the incident committed against Lady Clea.”

“An incident, you say.”

At the word ‘incident’, Clea looked at Aria beside her.

It was to check if the duke properly knew about that day’s events.

As expected, Aria, not very skilled at maintaining a poker face, openly showed an uneasy expression.

Seeing that expression, Clea could infer:

‘The duke still doesn’t know the truth.’

The duke was simply mistaken that a maid had acted recklessly for Aria’s sake.

The previous actions to silence were taken out of anxiety that the maid might point to Aria as the instigator who incited her.

He didn’t know that the maid had merely sacrificed herself to save her mistress, and that Aria was the real culprit who tried to harm Clea.

Not knowing the proper facts means the duke has no idea how precarious a situation he is in.

If he knew the truth, he wouldn’t have handled the incident this way.

The difference between knowing and not knowing is very large.

If he knew and was still acting this way, it would be like issuing a challenge to her, but if he didn’t know, this behavior could be a gesture of reconciliation.

But can everything be forgiven just because he doesn’t know? All the things that happened in the past.

“We will compensate in any way we can.”

At Duke Hersher’s words, Clea assessed the current situation.

If it were her usual self, she would have proposed a fairly reasonable deal.

Demanding one of the major mines owned by House Hersher, or a prime piece of land.

“I’m sorry, but I won’t accept compensation.”

“…Anything will do. Please tell us.”

But Clea overturned the board.

There was no reason for her to comply with this arrangement, and at the same time, the moment she complied, it would be interpreted as accepting the apology.

So Clea’s response was this:

“As my feelings are not yet sorted out, I don’t want to discuss it now.”

Saying that I’m not yet ready to forgive you.

At her firm words, the duke tasted bitterness in his mouth.

He had intended to somehow obtain forgiveness here.

As she thought, he was prepared to accept all demands, whether it be their main source of income like mines and land, or something else.

If he gave up that much, people might see the sincerity and the atmosphere could change somewhat.

However, Clea did not allow it.

At a point where the person concerned does not permit it, seeking forgiveness recklessly would obviously backfire.

So he pulled out another card.

“And I also wish to offer words of congratulation.”

“Father.”

Aria wanted to stop the duke’s words.

Seeing Clea blend in so naturally as if she were the mistress of the imperial palace made her feel sick to her stomach.

When she thought that everything Clea was now enjoying had all been hers, she wanted to reclaim it somehow.

And now with the duke directly offering congratulatory messages, it was truly maddening.

“I sincerely congratulate you on ascending to the position of Crown Princess, Lady Clea.”

Looking back at what the duke said when he first entered this place, it was already a foregone conclusion.

There was only one reason why someone of the duke’s stature would use the honorific ‘Lady’ for a woman who no longer even had a family.

But Aria denied it to the end. At least, she believed it was impossible for her to become the Crown Princess.

She was terminally ill, and she was the only noble lady suitable for Admund.

“Could you say those words again at a future occasion? I’d like to hear those words from you again, Duke, in front of everyone.”

“If that is your wish, I will do so.”

As it wasn’t a particularly difficult request, the duke readily agreed.

Clea becoming Crown Princess was already decided.

Congratulating her in front of everyone would make them appear on good terms, which was rather good for the duke.

Meanwhile, Aria’s expression was rotting away.

She looked at Duke Hersher with an expression full of resentment, then glared at Clea with a gaze mixed with hostility.

Clea also hadn’t thought Aria would compose herself to this extent.

So Clea intended to give Aria a grace period.

‘During the time I give you, go ahead and struggle all you want.’

The more she struggled, it was too obvious how the situation would unfold in the end.

Clea had wanted to let Aria know all this time. What results her actions would lead to in the end.

Having said what they needed to say, the two rose from their seats.

In fact, Aria seemed to have more to say, but was forced to stand up by the duke.

Lastly, Clea approached Aria and greeted her.

“Ah yes, and I’ll definitely attend your wedding.”

Aria didn’t answer and only glared.

For Clea, that was sufficient answer, so she said with a bright smile:

“You two really seem to suit each other well. I hope it lasts a lifetime.”