“You, really….”

After checking my expression, Casien let out a clear laugh and rested his forehead on my shoulder.

While I was genuinely angry, it was extremely irritating to see Casien mocking my appearance as if nothing I did mattered.

So I blurted out an unplanned lie.

“…I found a man.”

I truly had no intention of telling such a lie. But seeing him unaffected even in this chaos, I couldn’t just let him go.

I had to see that arrogant face distort at least once, no matter what.

I crafted a plausible lie.

“I’ve fallen in love with that man, so I don’t think I’ll be coming back to you.”

“…..”

“I’m sorry, Casien. What should I do?”

I was worried about how he would react, but Casien’s face suddenly crumpled. At the same time, I felt the arms around my waist loosen slightly. I seized the opportunity to quickly escape from Casien’s embrace.

“If you understand what I said, now leave.”

Then, without hesitation, I turned and strode towards the door.

I was about to turn the doorknob immediately, but Casien followed and grabbed my hand, preventing my action. The doorknob rattled and returned to its original position.

I struggled to break free from Casien’s grasp, but it didn’t budge.

“Won’t you let go? Remove your hand, Casien.”

I used all my strength to pull my hand away, but Casien ignored it and continued with what he wanted to say.

“Alright, I understand you’re angry. I’m sorry, Roel. I know how angry you are… It’s okay to be angry… But please… don’t lie about having another man.”

His voice trembled occasionally, as if the fact that I, who had been playing in the palm of his hand, had cheated on him like he did was quite hurtful to his pride.

It was a bit satisfying to see him lose his composure over such a simple lie when he hadn’t even flinched at all my crying, begging, and everything else I had done.

“Why would I lie about this? Right, Casien? You know how much I fear my mother.”

At my words driving the final nail, Casien, who always maintained a calm smile, gritted his teeth and barely contained his anger.

“So, Casien, will you please leave now? No matter what you say, I won’t be engaged or married to you.”

Instead of a response, Casien’s facial muscles twitched. I ignored it and tried to turn the doorknob again.

But soon I felt a strong grip on my hand, and the doorknob returned to its place once more.

“Casien, please, enough already…!”

“Who is he.”

“…..”

“Who is that man?”

“…That’s-”

It was just a moment of hesitation. I opened my mouth to answer immediately, but Casien’s laughter pouring down from above was faster.

“It’s a lie, isn’t it?”

“…No, it’s not.”

“Really? Then tell me who it is, Roel.”

“Even if I tell you, you probably won’t know…”

“Ah-, Roel.”

Casien, who let out a small groan while calling my name, suddenly embraced me from behind. He rested his forehead on my shoulder as if collapsing and couldn’t stop laughing.

“Of course. There’s no way you could leave me.”

“No, I…!”

Knock knock knock-!

The heightened atmosphere dissipated disappointingly quickly at the sound of someone’s urgent knocking.

Casien, who had his eyes closed, frowned. Taking advantage of that moment, I quickly slipped out of his embrace.

Soon, the door opened slightly.

“Roel…! Ah, there you are.”

I naturally thought it would be a servant, but the person who opened the door was my mother, Feria.

Usually, even when Casien visited the mansion, she didn’t bother to look in, so why now…

“Casien. I have something important to tell Roel, so may I borrow my daughter for a moment?”

“Of course.”

As Casien answered with a fresh smile, Feria pulled me out with quite urgent hands.

After taking me a bit far from the emergency room, Feria let go of my hand after turning one corner.

“Mother, what’s the matter…?”

“Roel. Grand Duke Rocheter has come to see you.”

“What…?”

Grand Duke Rocheter?

If it’s a Grand Duke in this empire, there’s only one…?

While I was repeating to myself that it couldn’t be, Feria grabbed my arm tightly and pressed me with a fierce tone.

“You…! Did you make some mistake with the Grand Duke?”

“What? No! That’s impossible…”

“Otherwise, why would he come to the Count’s house looking for you! Think carefully. Is there something you made a mistake about and forgot!”

Feria urged nervously, but all I could do was shake my head.

Even though we had bumped into each other at the Imperial Palace, would Reus come in person for such a trivial matter?

‘Absolutely not.’

Although Reus disliked me, he never showed it openly enough for others to notice or blatantly rebuked me. So it wouldn’t be because of that mistake that he came to the Ibel Count’s residence.

Unless it was about what happened in the Forest of Silence a week ago…

At least judging by Feria’s reaction, it seems I didn’t say anything unnecessary, which is fortunate, but that doesn’t erase the bewildering feeling.

Before the confusion had fully subsided, Feria pushed my back, and I had no choice but to move my feet.

* * *

It’s been a while since I arrived in front of the reception room, but I’ve been hesitating to enter.

And for good reason, Reus… that Reus has come to the Count’s residence in person!

No matter how I think about it, there’s no reason for him to visit unless it’s because of what happened in the Forest of Silence.

‘How on earth did he find out?’

Even if Reus has monstrous vitality, is it possible for him to recognize me right away?

In the forest, his consciousness was completely cut off, so he wouldn’t remember how he arrived in Anas.

If he regained his memories, it would only be from when he briefly regained consciousness in Anas… and even then, he just barely blinked his blurry eyes once, as if he couldn’t see well?

In my nervousness, I even bit my nails, which I had never done before. Meanwhile, time kept passing.

After pacing back and forth in front of the door for a long time, I finally made up my mind.

‘If I delay any longer, it will only raise more suspicion. For now… let’s go in.’

Stay calm, Roel.

Even if he brings up that incident, I can just play dumb. There’s no evidence, and it’s not like I’ll die right away if I deny it, right?

And if I say it wasn’t me, he’ll quickly lose interest.

‘He’s the kind of person who reacts half-heartedly to everything and then lets it go.’

I took a deep breath and carefully opened the door and entered.

The reception room was quiet to the point of silence.

The sound of the door closing broke the stillness, and Reus turned his gaze, which had been fixed on empty space, towards me.

But to my surprise, Reus was exactly the same as usual.

‘What…?’

If he came because of that day, even if he disliked me, shouldn’t he show some sign of gratitude… or at least pretend to be glad to see me?

But there was no change to be found at all.

The unique arrogance that only someone who has never bowed to anyone in their life can possess. An expressionless face that never loses its coolness. Everything was the same.

Especially his indifferent gaze, which felt boringly familiar.

So naturally, I found myself thinking:

‘Maybe he didn’t come because of that day?’

Though full of questions, I greeted him first.

“I am honored to meet you, Your Grace the Grand Duke.”

Reus gestured with his eyes as if to say the greeting was done and to quickly take a seat. I sat down opposite Reus, not letting my guard down.

I thought he might speak first, but as expected, no sound came.

In the end, as it had always been, it was my role to break the ice.

“Have you been well, Your Grace…?”

Instead of an answer, an unreadable gaze fell upon me. Reus, who had been tapping the table with his index finger, finally opened his mouth.

“It seems I have been, and it seems I haven’t.”

“Pardon…?”

“It means I’ve been doing fairly well.”

Usually, it was hard to even get a yes or no, but somehow the conversation continued.

Reus’s attitude, which even gave the illusion of being sincere, made it increasingly unclear whether this was just a whim or if he was trying to bring up what happened a week ago.

Unaware that my brow was increasingly furrowing, I pondered various possibilities.

Was there a mistake I had made and forgotten, as Feria suggested? Had I unknowingly done something to incur his displeasure? Or perhaps…

‘Could it really be because of the incident that day…?’

At that moment, Reus’s index finger, which had been lightly tapping the table, struck it with a sharp tap.

As our eyes met, Reus tilted his head slightly.

“By the way, Lady Ibel.”

“…Yes, Your Grace.”

“You’re not asking why I suddenly visited.”

“…..”

“Were you already expecting why I came?”

His tone was ambiguous – it was unclear whether it was a soliloquy, a question, or an observation.

For a moment, I was greatly flustered, but I tried not to show it.

“No… Not at all.”

“I thought you knew.”

“I… I don’t quite understand what you mean… I was just waiting for Your Grace to tell me…”

Reus raised one eyebrow slightly and then slowly nodded. Somehow, it seemed like he was saying, ‘I knew you’d say that,’ which sent a chill down my spine.

If he’s going to be this cryptic, it might be better if he just openly mentioned that day’s incident.

‘Then at least I could deny it and drive him away!’

But Reus never moved according to my wishes.

Without saying anything more, he took something out from his person and carelessly placed it on the table.