I had no intention of just letting this matter slide.

But after thinking about it alone for too long, it felt like a situation where I should be angry, yet it also seemed like something I could just overlook. So, I wanted to have a conversation with Reus to determine the specific punishment.

I also wanted to convey my thoughts on differentiating the level of punishment, believing that Verodica’s group was more at fault than Elia.

However, before I could properly express my various thoughts, I blurted out defensive words out of unfounded fear, only fueling the anger further.

My mouth went completely dry from the ominous atmosphere emanating from Reus.

But since I brought up the topic, I felt the need to express my thoughts in as much detail as possible, so I managed to call out his name in a small voice.

“Reus…”

“I’m listening. Go on.”

“If I had intended to just let it go, I wouldn’t have brought it up in the first place.”

“…”

“I merely… wasn’t sure how to handle this matter on my own. I wanted to have a conversation with you, Reus.”

Perhaps because I clearly stated that I had no intention of just letting it slide, Reus’ anger subsided a little.

“However… I thought that having Elia bear all the responsibility didn’t seem like the right direction either. So, after hearing everything, I’m suggesting we think about how to resolve this matter. Clearly warn Elia, and while talking with the Marquis couple, try to find a compromise and determine the punishment…”

“I roughly understand what you’re saying, but I’ll pretend I didn’t hear the part about using it as a favor.”

Although I hadn’t even mentioned what the compromise was yet, Reus rejected it coldly without even pretending to consider it.

“Why, why?”

“As I said, I still have no intention of considering such a trivial thing as a favor.”

“Weren’t you the one who said I could use it anytime, Reus…!”

I spoke with a voice full of injustice, but I had no choice but to close my mouth soon.

“Don’t you think it’s too much to ask me to overlook someone else’s child’s wrongdoing in exchange for saving your life?”

“…”

If you put it that way, what can I even say…?

It was so persuasive that I almost foolishly replied, ‘That’s true.’

I don’t know how that man is so good with words despite not being talkative.

“Anyway, you’re refusing…?”

“Yes, that’s how it turned out.”

“…Then don’t say anything is fine in the first place.”

“I can hear you, Roel.”

“I spoke very quietly, but I guess you heard it… I’m sorry, Your Grace.”

“How long are you going to keep calling me ‘Your Grace’? I don’t like hearing it.”

I don’t know why I naturally blurted out this title again after promising not to do so. This was clearly my mistake, so I quickly apologized.

“…I’m sorry.”

At that, Reus made a somewhat displeased expression.

“What, again… You apologize so quickly.”

“That’s one thing, and this is another…”

“Try being so assertive to someone who has wronged you.”

“…”

How does he never say anything wrong, that man?

Faced with Reus’ high combat power today, I ended up losing my spirit.

* * *

Somehow, yesterday’s discussion about the Pilaren Marquis family ended up being vague. Reus suggested we continue the conversation today, so I was feeling a bit relieved, but when I woke up, Reus was nowhere to be seen.

I quickly changed my clothes and headed to Loteo.

“His Majesty went to the Pilaren Marquis’ residence today.”

“What? Where…?”

“To the Pilaren Marquis’ residence, Your Highness. I believe His Majesty won’t return until after dinner time.”

Even when I foolishly asked again about what I had clearly heard, Loteo kindly answered without any sign of annoyance.

It was the time between breakfast and lunch, but after hearing the story, I somehow lost my appetite and skipped both meals. I paced back and forth in the bedroom restlessly without eating a single bite.

‘Wait a minute. Maybe he’s in the office?’

It had been some time since I stayed at the ducal castle. I had at least grasped Reus’ habit of always stopping by the office when returning to the castle, even if there was nothing special.

‘Right, he’ll definitely stop by the office first before coming to the bedroom.’

I immediately headed to Reus’ office.

How long did I wait like that? As the day drew to a close, Reus arrived at the ducal castle, just as Loteo had said.

“You were here in the office when I was told you weren’t in the bedroom?”

“Ah… I thought you would stop by the office before going to the bedroom.”

Reus, who quickly approached, sat me back down in the chair I had abruptly risen from and sat next to me.

“What’s so urgent again?”

“You went to the Pilaren Marquis’ residence, didn’t you?”

“That’s right. Is that such a big deal that you skipped meals?”

I wanted to quickly talk about the Pilaren Marquis’ residence, but Reus kept bringing up other things, maybe on purpose.

“I heard you skipped both breakfast and lunch.”

“I wasn’t hungry, so I did that. So, what happened…?”

With a slightly dissatisfied expression, Reus handed me a paper envelope.

“What is this?”

“The minimum courtesy you should receive.”

With a somewhat uneasy feeling, I opened the envelope and found a considerable amount of documents inside.

The document at the very top was a land transfer document.

Skimming through it quickly, it seemed to contain information about the Pilaren Marquis transferring ownership of a small mountain range he owned to me.

I had anticipated that it wouldn’t end with just a conversation when Reus left for the Marquis’ residence, but I never thought I would receive a mountain range like this.

“I’m not sure how far your idea of a compromise goes, but this is as far as I can concede.”

That means…

“Did the conversation with the Pilaren Marquis conclude well?”

Although his face still showed a slight hint of reluctance, he nodded his head as if he had no choice.

“From your perspective, yes.”

After yesterday’s conversation, seeing Reus’ reaction, I thought it would be impossible to let it pass easily. He even left like that in the morning, so I was prepared to some extent, thinking that this matter wouldn’t end quietly…

To this extent, from Reus’ standpoint, it was really considered quietly letting it go. The fact that he resolved the matter as much as possible in the way I wanted, even compromising his own decision, was both surprising and deeply appreciated.

“Thank you, Reus…”

“I don’t want to receive gratitude for something like this.”

“Apart from letting it go to this extent, actually… I thought it would be inevitable even if my opinion was ignored. But you took my opinion into account as much as possible. I’m really grateful.”

Reus, who had been facing me, tilted his head slightly more.

“You’re treating me too poorly, even if I’m a fake husband.”

“What…?”

“I didn’t expect you to think of me as a ruffian to that degree…”

“Why, why are you saying that…!”

“Why am I saying that? If you think I won’t listen to a single opinion, it’s all the same.”

“It’s a completely different story…! Don’t distort my words like that…”

Then Reus let out a very faint laugh.

“It’s already past the point of distortion when you think I’m unpleasant. Even my smile is unpleasant to see-”

“When, when did I say that!”

This man is really going to cause trouble? Now he’s even bringing up things I didn’t say.

“Didn’t you say it to my face? That my smile is unpleasant.”

“So when did I ever say that!”

“Before you begged for that melon ice cream.”

“…”

Hearing the story from the ducal couple’s bedroom, which I had completely forgotten about, my mouth automatically shut.

“You hugged my neck and said I was warm, then out of nowhere, you told me not to smile-”

“Stop…! Please, stop it…”

I unknowingly covered Reus’ mouth with both hands, feeling like my face would burst if I kept listening to what happened that day.

It was a sudden action, but fortunately, Reus didn’t seem particularly angry.

“Can’t you please forget about that day? It was a mistake…”

As I slowly removed my hands, Reus immediately replied as if he had been waiting.

“What else can I do when you cover my mouth and tell me not to speak?”

He answered obediently for once.

“It was so memorable that I can’t guarantee I’ll forget it… But since you want me to, I won’t bring it up anymore.”

His words were smooth, but in the end, he had no intention of forgetting.

Realizing that further conversation would only make things worse for me, I abruptly stood up.

“If we’re done talking, I’m going to leave.”

But before I could take a step, Reus grabbed my hand and naturally sat me down next to him.

“We’re not done talking yet, so stay a little longer. Don’t you need to know what happened in Pilaren?”

I wanted to run out of the office right away, but I was also curious about what happened at the Marquis’ residence, so I soon relaxed. Only then did Reus naturally let go of my hand that he had been holding.

“As you said, they had a weakness. It seems that Flora found out about her secretly meeting with a commoner man.”

Of course, I never expected this kind of involvement…

‘I knew there was something going on between them.’

Listening to the story, the person Elia had been secretly meeting until two years ago was the son of a servant who had worked at the Pilaren Marquis’ residence. And it seemed that this wasn’t the first time a problem had arisen between the two.

“They attempted to elope once before coming of age, didn’t they?”

“Elope…?”

After the residence was turned upside down like that, the father and son left the Marquis’ residence on their own, and Elia promised never to attempt such a thing again, settling the matter for the time being.

However, the two continued to meet in secret without their respective parents knowing, and Verodica somehow found out about it.

‘Did she even investigate the Rochette Duke’s servants to approach me?’

What was the point of all that…?

Perhaps because I learned through Casien that people’s hearts cannot be changed through effort, Verodica’s actions felt even more futile.