After the salon ended, on the way back to the Duke’s palace, I casually brought up the topic of Iris to Reus.

“I heard Her Highness invited you several times.”

“It’s nothing. I declined them all.”

Reus answered without hesitation, seeming not to care much as he said. Moreover, his very indifferent expression made me feel a bit calmer about my uneasy feelings.

“It seemed like you were still concerned about the birthday banquet incident. She asked me to tell you she was really grateful to you that day.”

“Is that so?”

Reus replied nonchalantly and suddenly wrapped a blanket around my shoulders, which appeared out of nowhere.

“…Reus usually ignores whatever I say, doesn’t he?”

“How could I dare to ignore you.”

Reus let out a short laugh, as if slightly exasperated.

“You’re the one who doesn’t have much interest in me. If anyone should feel hurt, it should be me, not you making such an expression.”

“Me…?”

Had I ever acted as shamelessly as Reus?

‘Even though he lies more than I do, and always pretends to listen to me while deceiving me…’

But Reus even raised his eyebrows slightly as if he really couldn’t remember.

While I was thinking about whether I had really done that, seeing his expression of betrayal, Reus began to continue speaking as if pleased.

“These days, you keep avoiding conversations even when I haven’t done anything wrong.”

That was because I couldn’t help feeling embarrassed whenever I saw Reus after realizing his feelings.

‘By the way, he seems to know he’s done something wrong.’

It was fortunate that he was aware of it.

“You keep falling asleep in another bedroom at the slightest chance.”

That too… I couldn’t help it because I became conscious of Reus’s words that he sleeps better when I’m there, and instead, I couldn’t fall asleep.

And anyway, even if I fell asleep in another room, I always woke up in the marital bedroom, so I decided to let this one go.

“Even now, you’re not looking at me, Roël.”

“That’s because the street looks really pretty…”

“Didn’t you look at the street to your heart’s content earlier?”

“The night view is different…”

“Won’t you give me some attention now?”

Although his tone was clearly the same as usual, for some reason it sounded like whining to my ears, so I squeezed my eyes shut.

Then I subtly turned my body and fixed my gaze out the window. Reus then fidgeted with the hand he was holding, as if somewhat miffed.

“There’s not much to see, what could be so pretty?”

“Since we can’t come often, I should look as much as I can now-”

But suddenly, I was startled by the closing curtains and my shoulders automatically jumped up.

“Reus, you scared me…!”

I turned around to scold him, but was surprised again by how close Reus was, causing my body to jump once more.

Somehow, this man didn’t seem to have any intention of moving back. Thanks to that, as I kept leaning my upper body back, my back hit the carriage wall with a thud.

“Y-you’re too close, Reus…”

I said, unable to move back any further, but Reus just raised an eyebrow once as if to say ‘Is that so?’

Feeling embarrassed to keep facing him in this state, I slowly turned my head. His dissatisfied gaze pierced right next to my face.

After silently looking down at me for a moment, Reus pulled up the blanket that had slipped off my shoulders while I was avoiding him.

Just as I thought it was going to pass like this and my heart started to calm down, a question came abruptly.

“If I bring you every day, will you give me attention then?”

“…No.”

“Why?”

As I stubbornly kept my mouth shut, Reus, who had been wrapping the blanket around me, tightly tied it as if displeased. Then he lightly tugged on the tied part.

Since I was already unable to move, I easily lost my balance and ended up bumping my forehead against Reus’s shoulder.

“If you keep avoiding me, I’ll really just follow you around from now on.”

“…Reus, you can’t do that because you’re the head of the family.”

“You’re the Duchess too, so shouldn’t you not avoid me?”

I was at a loss for words again, but soon answered.

“You’re real, and I’m… fake, aren’t I?”

Reus’s body stiffened for a moment at my answer. He seemed about to say something, but soon closed his mouth completely. Then he helped me up with a somewhat dejected touch.

Although it wasn’t my intention to push him away, Reus seemed a bit upset and didn’t bother me anymore.

After returning to the Duke’s palace, peaceful days continued for a while.

I left the office while working. I had come out for a moment to get some fresh air, but the hallway was very quiet.

It wasn’t just quiet in a simple sense, but eerily silent as if I was left alone in the Duke’s palace. Feeling an unwelcome sense of déjà vu, I tilted my head for a moment and walked to the stairs.

My office is located on the third floor, so normally I should have been able to hear the sound of servants passing by from below. But the lower floor was also unnaturally quiet.

Thinking I should find someone, when I arrived on the first floor, Millie suddenly appeared from somewhere and ran to me, looking somewhat surprised.

“Your Highness!”

“Ah, Millie.”

“Aren’t you supposed to be working now?”

“I am, but I came out because it was stuffy… I thought I’d take a short walk.”

“Um… Dessert! Shall I bring dessert to your office?”

“Huh? Suddenly?”

“Yes! I was just about to go to your office anyway!”

“Dessert is fine. By the way, do you know where Roteo is?”

As I was about to move, Millie’s expression became troubled.

Until she suddenly talked about dessert, I hadn’t felt anything strange, but Millie’s actions trying to keep me in place somehow made my suspicion that something might be wrong in the Duke’s palace turn into certainty.

“Millie, where is the Duke now?”

Reus, who hadn’t said anything about going out, should have been working in his office like me right now. But of course, he wouldn’t be in his office.

“Well, I’m not sure…”

“I wonder if he’ll be in the lobby if I go check?”

As I was about to take another step, Millie jumped in surprise and blocked my way.

“Ah, or shall I bring you something to drink?”

“Is the Duke in the lobby by any chance?”

“…Huh? No?”

Without asking further, I immediately started walking. Millie followed behind me, panting.

“Your Highness, why are you suddenly going to the lobby? If you need anything, please tell me.”

“No, it’s alright.”

“Or, shall I quickly tell the butler that you’re calling for him instead?”

I quickened my pace with an uneasy heart. When I arrived at the lobby, I saw all the servants who hadn’t been visible before gathered there.

Soon the servants who noticed me were surprised like Millie, and then they all averted their eyes as if troubled. I quickly passed by the servants and headed towards the wide open door.

As soon as I did, I heard an unfamiliar man’s voice.

“I cannot leave until I see Her Highness the Duchess.”

At the bottom of the stairs, a knight and Reus were facing off. The emblem engraved on the knight’s solid silver armor – it was the eagle symbolizing the Asilite Imperial Family.

‘The Imperial Family sent someone…’

But then Reus drew his sword, and soon murmured in a chilling voice.

“No need to leave. I never intended to send you back in the first place…”

“Reus!”

I quickly ran down the stairs at the momentum that seemed like he would cut down the person in front of him at any moment. Seeing me, Reus dropped his sword.

Then, as if he had never threatened the other party, he erased his dangerous expression and strode up the stairs.

But he couldn’t hide the frustration that seeped through under his surprised expression.

“What on earth is going on?”

“Roël, it’s nothing. If you stay inside for a moment, I’ll take care of this and explain everything…”

“I heard what that knight was saying. It seems he’s looking for me.”

Reus looked like he wanted to drag me away even forcibly, but he couldn’t bring himself to do so. Soon, the imperial knight who had been looking for me also approached us. The knight paid his respects.

“I am honored to meet Your Highness, the Duchess of Rocheter. I am Aisen, the captain of the 2nd Knight Order of the Asilite Imperial Family.”

“You may raise your head.”

Aisen, who straightened his upper body, had an impression that seemed to lack any flexibility even at a glance.

Perhaps it was because of such a personality that the Emperor sent this knight to the Duke’s palace. To somehow deliver an order that could not be refused to me.

“Following His Majesty’s orders, I have visited the Duke’s palace to deliver an imperial edict to Her Highness the Duchess of Rocheter.”

The content of the imperial edict that Aisen recited was simple. The Duchess of Rocheter is to enter the palace promptly in accordance with the Emperor’s command. It was the moment our surrounding peace was shattered.

Sir Aisen, who delivered the Emperor’s command, immediately left the Duke’s palace, and Reus and I came to the office. Somehow, I had a feeling that this wasn’t the first attempt by the Emperor to summon me to the Imperial Palace.

‘Even Theron had expressed before that I should know by now…’

Perhaps Reus had been unilaterally refusing for longer than I expected.

“Since when?”

“…”

As expected, Reus couldn’t give a precise answer.

“Reus…”

“I’ll make sure this doesn’t happen again in the future.”

“Like what you were about to do earlier?”

“…”

“You know better than anyone that this won’t end just by hiding it from me. And if you keep doing this, it will surely interfere with your plans-”

“There’s no reason for you to bear that burden.”

Both my words and Reus’s words were correct. But I couldn’t just stand by and watch either.

I couldn’t leave right away, and as long as I was here, it was obvious that Reus would act indecisively, even if it meant harm would come to him.

“I’ll meet His Majesty the Emperor.”

“You cannot.”

“You know that if we keep avoiding like this, the pressure will only intensify, Reus.”

“Still, you cannot.”

Reus was very adamant. His tense face seemed to be saying that this was absolutely non-negotiable.

But in the end, it was a matter that concerned the well-being of both of us… or perhaps even more than that, so I couldn’t back down either.

“I understand your wishes, Reus.”

“Then…”

“If that’s your wish, I’ll go by myself.”