Ever since the day he was stripped of his position as the heir, Lloyd had been breaking every single object in his room.

“How could this be! How!”

His authority as the heir and even his family inheritance rights were completely taken away.

The process was also a blow to his pride.

Lloyd was dragged away without even being given a chance to speak to the Grand Duke.

None of the Grand Ducal family’s retainers who witnessed it stepped forward to stop the Grand Duke.

A great sense of betrayal washed over him at the fact that those who had been pledging loyalty to him until now remained silent.

But the part he found most difficult to accept was undoubtedly the Grand Duke’s decision.

“Who else can inherit this family if not me! Who!”

He slammed the desk with all his might.

Even though the loud banging sound must have echoed outside the room, no one came in to check on him.

In the past, the servants would have come in to dissuade him.

They would have been worried, saying what if he hurt his delicate hands.

But now, there was no one in the Grand Ducal residence who cared about Lloyd.

However, that didn’t mean they had completely taken their eyes off Lloyd.

Whenever he went out of the room, the servants’ sharp gazes followed him.

Lloyd knew well what those gazes meant.

The family’s troublemaker.

Someone who always needed to be watched because they didn’t know what problems he might cause.

So whenever those gazes fell on him, Lloyd became enraged.

‘These people used to cower in fear at a single word from me.’

But now, they showed a defiant attitude.

Lloyd couldn’t understand why their attitudes had changed.

One could think it was simply because he was stripped of his heir status, but there was another, bigger reason for their change of heart.

It was the fact that their true masters were the Grand Duke and Duchess, not Lloyd.

No matter how much Lloyd was their biological child, his disgraceful behavior and the trouble he caused the family could not be easily overlooked.

Especially the rumors related to Curtis Street were the worst.

How much the Grand Ducal couple had suffered due to the suspicions that the family’s wealth was flowing in that direction.

Regardless of whether it was true or not, the rumors themselves were shameful enough.

These things piled up and eventually led to him losing the trust of even the servants.

Lloyd headed to the window, feeling frustrated. He thought looking at the scenery outside might calm his mind a little.

As he reached the window, his eyes suddenly widened.

“Why are you here?”

Among the countless people visible outside the window, there was one person who stood out.

Beautiful hair like sculpted silver and cold blue eyes befitting her.

Clea was here at the Grand Ducal residence right now.

Lloyd couldn’t believe she had come.

Why on earth had she come here?

There was only one thing that came to mind.

The revocation of his inheritance rights, but he thought that couldn’t be it.

The Grand Duke hadn’t officially announced it to the imperial family yet, so there was no way Clea could know about it.

At that moment, a thought flashed through his mind.

‘Could it be that she came to see me?’

If someone else heard that, they would have recited his past behavior, asking what nonsense he was spouting.

But there was no one around him.

He reached out his hand towards the window.

Watching Clea face the Grand Ducal couple with a smile, Lloyd bit his lip.

His heart was still filled with denial.

‘The days I spent with you were definitely like hell.’

The reason he had been kind to Clea in the beginning was because she seemed more pathetic than him.

He thought if he became close to her and stayed by her side, he could hide himself under her shadow.

In reality, Clea did show incompetent behavior, just as he had thought.

But the situation suddenly changed in a few years.

The incompetent Clea, who always prioritized her fiancé’s feelings above all else, suddenly changed.

Being compared to the newly competent Clea was a huge blow to his pride.

So he agreed to turn his fiancée into a villainess.

Because that way, he could hide his incompetence once again.

“But why are my thoughts changing now that she’s here?”

Lloyd had definitely disliked her very much.

Breaking off the engagement with her was something he had desperately wanted.

Because only then could he meet Aria openly and proudly.

But ever since he broke off the engagement with Clea, his life had gone downhill.

Aria’s attitude towards him, which had been friendly, completely changed, and his relationship with Admund, with whom he had maintained a relatively good relationship, also fell apart.

On top of that, the family chastised him for not cherishing her.

It was a complete disaster.

Lloyd looked at Clea.

“If you were to say you want to get back together…”

He shifted his gaze to the wardrobe.

He knew their relationship had ended long ago, but he still hoped.

Thinking that he wished Clea had come here to see him, he began taking out the clothes one by one.

Recalling his memories, he was looking for the clothes Clea had liked.

But soon, Lloyd’s movements stopped.

“Father will interfere again, won’t he?”

He thought the Grand Duke would surely prevent him from meeting Clea.

Since the Grand Ducal couple cherished Clea dearly, they wouldn’t want him approaching her.

Lloyd knew this well, but he didn’t give up easily.

Lloyd looked around.

‘I need to attract attention.’

Suddenly, a fireplace with embers that hadn’t completely died out and a knife caught his eye.

His eyes were shining brightly as he looked at the two things.

* * *

Upon learning what kind of conversation Clea had come for, the Grand Duke guided her to the most secure room in the mansion.

It was a place where no one except the key members of the Grand Ducal family could enter.

So only Clea, Rupia, and the Grand Ducal couple entered the room.

Thinking of any eventuality, the Grand Duke sent a look to the newly appointed butler.

It was a signal not to let anyone approach this area. Especially Lloyd, even more so.

The butler understood the signal and bowed deeply.

Only after seeing that did the Grand Duke feel relieved.

And soon the conversation began.

“May I know why you gave the Lysander Ring to Admund?”

Clea brought up the main point.

The Lysander Ring.

Except for Rupia, everyone present knew what kind of meaning that item held.

Because at the time Clea had found and returned this item, there were only three people present: Clea and the Grand Ducal couple.

“Actually, we were going to tell you soon.”

On the other hand, upon hearing Clea’s question, the Grand Ducal couple realized that the time had finally come.

Thinking that right before the wedding was the most timely, the two of them spoke.

“We no longer want to entrust the family to Lloyd. It seemed clear that if that child were to inherit the family, the Grand Ducal House would collapse.”

“Is there any reason why you suddenly thought that way?”

“You probably know well why, don’t you? You, who have been watching closely by his side.”

Clea did not deny the Grand Duke’s words.

She also knew well the things Lloyd had been doing.

Until now, she hadn’t felt the need to inform the two of them.

Because it was obvious that if she did, Lloyd would accuse her of tattling and torment her again.

The Grand Ducal couple also had no intention of reprimanding Clea. They still felt sorry towards her.

They felt guilty for causing her so much trouble in many ways because of their incompetent son.

“Then are you thinking of giving the Grand Dukedom to Admund?”

“Unfortunately, he doesn’t seem to have the intention of inheriting the Grand Dukedom. The burden he’s already shouldering would be heavy enough in the first place.”

On the way here, Clea had thought.

That they would abandon Lloyd and pass the Grand Dukedom to Admund.

Otherwise, there would be no reason to give the Lysander Ring to Admund.

But they said Admund was unlikely to inherit the Grand Dukedom.

Then there was only one thing left.

“You will be the successor.”

Clea was a little surprised.

It wasn’t something she hadn’t thought of at all, but did she really have the qualifications to inherit the title?

At least if it were Admund, even she could understand. So on the way to the Grand Ducal residence, she had constantly denied it.

However, they were clearly nominating Clea. Saying that the next successor was not Admund, but herself.

“I don’t know if I have the qualifications for that.”

“You are the one who found that ring, so you are fully qualified.”

“Will the Grand Ducal family’s retainers agree? For me, who doesn’t share a drop of blood, to inherit the title just for finding a single ring is a bit…”

“Persuading the retainers has already been taken care of.”

Unlike Lloyd, the Grand Duke was decisive in his work.

He had already created a situation where Clea only had to make a choice.

Clea looked at the Grand Ducal couple. They seemed to wish for her to inherit the Grand Dukedom.

‘If it were me, I wouldn’t want Lloyd to inherit either.’

It was difficult for her to readily accept.

She doubted whether she was truly qualified to inherit the Percy family that they had built.

“We don’t want an answer right away. Our intentions won’t change, so take your time to think and answer.”

The Grand Ducal couple did not urge her.

They were willing to wait forever.

Until Clea said she would inherit the Percy family.

In fact, inheriting the Grand Dukedom was a very attractive offer for Clea. Anyone with ambition would never refuse this offer.

There were many people around her who wanted to protect her. But she herself lacked the power to protect herself.

Now that she was becoming the Crown Princess, she had no family to call her own.

The Odoi family was going to be destroyed by her own hands.

If she accepted the offer, she would become a member of the Grand Ducal family. It couldn’t be a more attractive offer.

‘Especially since the only means Aria has to attack me will completely disappear.’

Clea smiled inwardly, thinking about what expression Aria would make when she heard this news.

“I’ve always thought it would be nice if this place was my home.”

“Clea.”

“I don’t think there’s any reason to refuse this offer.”

The moment Clea accepted the offer, feeling grateful to the two people who still treated her warmly.

“What is the meaning of this!”

A voice of someone uninvited to this gathering was heard from outside the door.