“Welcome, Your Grace.”

As agreed, the Grand Duchess arrived at the building where the Grand Duke’s quarters were prepared. The servants waiting in front of the door all bowed their heads simultaneously.

“His Grace is waiting for you.”

Pierre, standing in front of the servants, greeted Aidel with a kind smile.

“Then, please have a comfortable night.”

“Thank you. Everyone, get some rest.”

Aidel greeted them and entered the Grand Duke’s room through the door that the servants opened on both sides.

As the door closed behind her, the tension hidden beneath her calm face emerged. Aidel took a short deep breath to calm her fluttering heart.

Regaining her resolute expression, Aidel stared straight ahead. Following the lamp lights along the short carpeted corridor, a large space unfolded before her eyes.

It was the Grand Duke’s bedroom, structured similarly to the Grand Duchess’s bedroom. The white moonlight entering through the large terrace window that filled one wall illuminated the dim bedroom.

Caeron, standing in front of that window, turned around feeling her presence along with her scent.

“You’re here.”

“Did you wait long?”

Thanks to Bien, who had been particularly attentive in helping her bathe today, her visit was slightly later than expected.

“Well. Even if I did, I wasn’t bored. I was looking forward to it. For you to come.”

As his gaze settled on her, causing her heartbeat to intensify, Aidel slightly furrowed her brow as if embarrassed.

“Will you come closer? Over here.”

As if drawn by his gentle call, Aidel slowly moved her steps.

As her body trembled more the closer she got to him, Aidel tightly gripped the hem of her nightdress with both hands. Even though it wasn’t the first time being alone with him, perhaps due to the atmosphere of the night, a sense of tension washed over her.

Caeron too, as her scent intensified with the closing distance, slightly clenched and unclenched his fist. The muscles under his robe became taut with heat. It felt as if every cell in his body was rising up and clamoring.

Aidel stopped her steps leaving one step’s distance between them. While trying to hide the nervous look in her eyes under eyelashes trembling like grass leaves in a gentle breeze.

A subtle silence settled between the two.

Aidel’s lips quivered as if hesitating on which words to speak first. Watching her, Caeron spoke first.

“I heard you had something to say.”

At his words, Aidel’s body flinched.

“Well…”

Now at a loss for how to unfold the story about Empress Dowager Meriel, Aidel trailed off unlike herself.

“It’s been a while since we talked… and since today is the last day in the Grand Duchy…”

At her seemingly disjointed words, he chuckled ‘heh’ and pointed towards the table with his chin.

“If you want to chat, sit down.”

On the table, light desserts including fruit and wine were prepared.

“Pierre prepared it with care, saying to have a good time.”

As Aidel sat down following Caeron, he poured wine into the glass placed in front of her.

“If you’re nervous, drink a little. But don’t get too drunk.”

He added with a voice tinged with laughter, as if trying to ease her tension.

“A drunken you is a bit hard to handle.”

He was probably referring to her drinking wine alone and getting drunk on their first night.

Although her face flushed hot, she felt her tension easing at his joke.

‘What story should I start with?’

Throughout her time at the Grand Duchy, she had pondered and pondered again about her feelings for him while thinking of him. She wanted to convey those feelings to him slowly, without rushing.

‘Yes, let’s start with that story.’

Having recalled a suitable topic to naturally start the conversation, she opened her mouth.

“While you were away… I looked around the Grand Duchy.”

“I see. Where did you look around?”

“I went to the gallery.”

“The Grand Duchy has many notable paintings worth seeing. The previous Roman duke family was generous in supporting artists.”

“That’s right. Beautiful paintings were on display.”

“Which painting did you like the most among them?”

“Umm… Your portrait…”

As Aidel answered with blushing cheeks as if shy, Caeron’s lips curved deeply.

He wore a satisfied expression at her answer that among the numerous paintings, the portrait of himself was the one she liked the most.

“You know how to say such things… Your flattery has improved.”

“It’s not just empty words.”

Aidel looked at him straight on with shining eyes as if it was truly so. Now it was time to bring up the subject of conversation.

“I saw a portrait of you and Empress Dowager Meriel together.”

As soon as he heard those words, Caeron’s face, which had been gazing at her with a gentle expression, instantly hardened.

“…I see.”

After a moment of silence, he answered briefly as if indifferent.

“It was my first time seeing it. The image of you and the Empress Dowager together. You two looked very alike.”

“That’s right. I definitely took after her.”

Though he spoke lightly as if joking, there was not a trace of laughter in his eyes.

“…What kind of person was Empress Dowager Meriel?”

“…!”

At Aidel’s question, a flash of agitation swept across Caeron’s face.

“I’ve been curious for a while. What kind of person your mother was…”

“…”

“From what I know, I heard she was beautiful, wise, and strong.”

“…”

“Since I can only meet her through portraits now… I’d like to hear more about her.”

And about what truth is hidden regarding the Empress Dowager’s death. Swallowing the question she couldn’t yet ask, Aidel conveyed her intention once again to him who remained silent throughout.

‘Mother…’

As he recalled Meriel, Caeron’s eyelids trembled as if convulsing at the emotions mixing like shards. As if hiding that agitation, he closed and opened his eyes.

“…I don’t think you need to know more than what you already know.”

Caeron drew a firm line with eyes that had settled coldly. As if to say there was no need for personal stories in a contractual relationship formed officially.

At his reaction, Aidel felt a sharp pain in her chest. Although it was something she had anticipated and worried about beforehand, experiencing it firsthand was more painful than she had thought.

‘I already knew about the relationship between him and me. Don’t back down just because you’re hurt.’

She pressed her chest area firmly as if comforting herself.

‘I’m conveying my honest feelings. So that I can open his heart and get closer.’

“I… want to be your strength.”

Aidel’s moist, sparkling eyes looked at him with earnest will.

“Since leaving the Count’s family and coming to the Grand Duke’s family, my life has changed.”

She, who had lived adrift without a place to belong, feeling oppressed, felt at ease for the first time within the Grand Duke’s family.

Meeting people who became her strength there, her world, which had been confined to a palm-sized book, expanded to a size that could not be covered with one hand.

“You firmly supported me so that I could achieve my goals.”

Entering the Imperial University, overseeing the administration of the imperial people and improving their lives…

She was able to accomplish things that she couldn’t have realized on her own with his support.

“Even in life-threatening situations, you always saved me.”

When she fell into the sea due to an accident on their honeymoon, when she was kidnapped and almost sold as a slave…

In urgent situations, whenever she opened her eyes, it was always him who had saved her and stayed by her side.

“Now I want to be your strength by your side. If you’re fighting alone, I want to fight together, and if you fall into crisis, I want to save you.”

It was her sincere feeling that wasn’t in the clauses of the marriage contract she had signed with him.

“Like Empress Dowager Meriel who sincerely loved the late Emperor.”

“…!”

His pupils, which had been fluctuating while listening to her confession, expanded and froze coldly at her following words.

“I sincerely…”

“Stop!”

In that moment, Caeron cut off her words sharply.

He clenched his fist tightly with his face deeply furrowed. His complexion was so pale it seemed as if all blood had drained from it.

Seeing him with a pained expression like a severely wounded beast, Aidel’s eyes shook violently.

“Caeron…”

It’s not that she hadn’t anticipated his reaction while preparing alone to confess her sincerity. She was also prepared for the possibility that her sincerity might not reach him.

However, this reaction of his was unexpected. He who sharply cut her off as if he didn’t want to hear more of her confession…

‘Why is he making an even more pained expression…?’

Aidel unconsciously rose from her seat and approached him. She carefully cupped his face with both hands.

“Are you alright…?”

All the air surrounding him seemed to be immersed in pitch-black darkness. His deep blue eyes were sunk in an abyss of unfathomable depth.

She had seen him like this before. It was on the last night of their honeymoon on the island.

His eyes, which had been burning passionately throughout the trip, froze from the moment he gazed at the setting sea. Aidel’s nose tingled as she recalled his demeanor that felt affectionate yet ruthless while spending the night together.

“If it’s because of my feelings… I love you…”

“Aidel.”

Breaking the silence, he cut off her words again. Caeron called her name in a low voice, while slowly removing her hands that were cupping his face.

“Yes…?”

“Those feelings, they’re a misunderstanding.”

“What do you mean…”

“As you said… I will be your strength by your side. I will eliminate anything that threatens you, and if you fall into danger, I will save you.”

Caeron returned the sincerity she had conveyed exactly as it was.

“That is the condition of our contract, and my partnership with you.”

“No, my feelings are…!”

“Your feelings are a kind of ‘comradeship’. Derived from our cooperative relationship.”

“…!”

“I too feel a similar affection for you. I will help you as a partner, as a comrade, so that you can fulfill your intentions without being broken.”

Those words felt too kind, making them even more painful.

“Until the contract period ends, and you can leave the Grand Duke’s family and become independent on your own.”

At that moment, the tears that had been welling up in her eyes fell to the floor with a thud, like a severed heart.