He, who always keeps a close eye on the ducal family’s movements, noticed that they have been recently scouring through the late duke’s legacy.

The report that came in only stated ‘they are looking for something’, but it was obvious that the ‘something’ was the will.

There was only one reason why the ducal family was suddenly acting like this.

A sense of crisis that Oscar, who had an illegitimate child with a commoner, might fall behind in the succession race.

The frantic ducal family was obsessively focused on finding the will, putting aside everything else. They sensed that this was no longer a matter that would end at the level of divorcing Arasila and Demian.

No matter how much Demian divorces Arasila, his position would still be better than Oscar, who had an illegitimate child.

It was certain that they were trying to eliminate the late duke’s will altogether and make it possible for the current duke to designate the successor.

‘Fortunate or unfortunate, neither they nor I have been able to find the will at all.’

Though anxious from the pressure to find it before the ducal family, despite his feelings, the will was not found even after examining all of his grandfather’s assets.

He even investigated if there was anything deposited in the temple under his grandfather’s name, but there was no particular gain.

‘There’s a possibility that he hid it under someone else’s name.’

If so, finding that person would be the key.

Demian, feeling at a loss, let out a sigh. Not a single thing was easily resolved.

When Demian returned home after finishing his work, Arasila had just left to attend the Harriet family’s party, saying she would find out the truth about the scandal.

He expected her return might be quite late, but unexpectedly, she had come back earlier and was waiting for him.

“Wife, you’re back earlier than I thought.”

Demian greeted Arasila, who was sitting on the sofa in the study, as he took a seat opposite her. Arasila nodded lightly.

“Yes, Lady White didn’t resist much and told me the truth. Saved some time.”

“That’s fortunate.”

“Yes, it is fortunate.”

There was a strange lack of energy in her agreeing voice. Golden eyes sharply scanned Arasila.

She seemed slightly more subdued than usual, wearing a face full of thoughts. Even now, in the middle of the conversation, her mind seemed to drift off into contemplation.

Demian rose and carefully moved to sit beside Arasila.

“Did something happen?”

He asked, tilting his head and looking into Arasila’s face affectionately.

It seemed his wife had a lot on her mind right now, so he thought to carefully bring up the subject.

“…I learned a new fact today, and because of that, I’ve come up with a shocking hypothesis.”

“What is it?”

“I can’t be certain, but I think the person behind the scandal might be Frederick himself.”

“…”

As it was one of the possibilities he had already suspected, Demian wasn’t particularly surprised.

Frederick clearly liked Arasila, but because of that, he was the type who would do anything for his own desires.

It was evident from his attitude of constantly picking fights with him without even considering how it might trouble Arasila.

However, he couldn’t honestly tell Arasila, so he remained quiet, but Demian couldn’t help but be surprised by Arasila’s next words.

“I think it’s because he likes me.”

“…Is that so?”

How did she figure that out?

Demian felt conflicted, realizing that the fact he had hoped Arasila would never know had been revealed. At the same time, an uneasy feeling also raised its head.

It seemed that the reason for the complexity in that small head right now was because of Frederick’s unrequited love, but he was curious about exactly which aspect of that was making Arasila’s heart unsettled.

After hesitating, he opened his mouth.

“How do you feel?”

“About what?”

“You said His Highness the Crown Prince likes you. I’m curious how you feel about that fact.”

Demian waited for the answer to come back, tensed up. Arasila turned her head slightly to stare at him.

Whenever those blue, clear eyes resembled his, Demian kept feeling greedy. A selfish greed hoping that at least during their married life, no one would enter her heart.

He hoped that not even Frederick, a close friend and the Crown Prince, would be let inside her line.

Soon, the red, plump lips moved.

“Honestly, I hope it’s just that he’s temporarily gone crazy because life’s been hard for him lately.”

“…?”

“I mean, I hope it’s not true that he likes me. I’ve never thought of Frederick as more than a friend, not even once. I don’t want to, either.”

If there had been even one moment when she viewed Frederick romantically, it would have been difficult to maintain their friendship until now.

Arasila was someone who believed that friendship between men and women was possible, so she had never looked at Frederick in that way.

Seeing her deeply furrowed face, Demian felt the corners of his mouth rising.

Knowing that Frederick didn’t even have a chance made him feel happy.

But he couldn’t reveal such a petty feeling in front of the troubled Arasila, so he suppressed his smile with a cough and asked.

“What do you plan to do from now on?”

“Still, I’m planning to meet and talk with him. There’s still a slight possibility that Frederick might not be the culprit.”

What was important to Arasila right now wasn’t the fact that Frederick liked her. It was confirming whether the scandal that provided the occasion for her expulsion from the magic tower was indeed her friend’s doing.

Only then could she decide how to explain this.

A large hand gently wrapped around Arasila’s hand as she sighed silently.

“You will handle it well, whatever it may be.”

Demian sincerely encouraged his wife.

After all, the relationship with Frederick was a problem she had to resolve. He shouldn’t interfere out of jealousy, nor should he force anything out of insecurity.

Whatever conclusion Arasila reached after her conversation with him, Demian was prepared to accept it as long as it was a direction that satisfied Arasila.

“Just remember one thing. That whatever choice you make will always be the best. So don’t worry and just keep moving forward.”

Feeling the strong support in his words, Arasila felt a corner of her heart warming up.

Perhaps because she had recently experienced doubting her own choices for the first time in her life, Demian’s words resonated more specially.

How strange, how does this person always know what to say that I need to hear?

Suddenly, she remembered the gratitude she hadn’t been able to express. The letter and gift that had been left at the door. She hadn’t had the chance to have such a long conversation with Demian like this, busy unraveling the scandal as soon as she came to her senses.

Arasila cleared her throat and called him in a low voice.

“Demian.”

“Yes.”

“Thank you. For what you just said, and thanks to your letter and gift, I was able to get back up.”

If it weren’t for Demian, it would have taken Arasila a bit longer to recover. She was able to quickly come to her senses because he was by her side.

“I’m glad it was helpful.”

Demian’s lips curved into a smile.

Arasila didn’t know, but he had wasted dozens of sheets of paper to complete that one-line letter.

He had condensed all the feelings he wanted to write in detail into just one line, and he felt good that it seemed to have been properly conveyed along with the necklace.

“I believe in you. Have a good trip.”

“Alright.”

Arasila nodded vigorously. The confidence she could have knowing she wasn’t alone was enveloping her body.

The appointment with Frederick was quickly set. Arasila said she would visit the imperial palace herself to meet him.

She thought it would be better to meet in the imperial palace, which has a stronger official feel, rather than meeting outside, given the situation with the scandal.

“This way, my lady.”

Following the guidance of the servant, Arasila looked outside where loud shouts could be heard as she walked along the corridor leading to the Crown Prince’s palace.

The imperial knights assigned to the Crown Prince’s palace were conducting their training.

Arasila’s gaze, which had been casually scanning them, stopped on a particular knight.

‘Somehow, he seems familiar…’

However, there was no time to leisurely search for that knight in her memory. Upon arriving at the reception room of the Crown Prince’s palace, the servant announced her visit, opened the door, and stepped back.

Arasila entered. The door closed silently, and Frederick, sitting on the sofa, welcomed her with open arms.

“Welcome, Arasila. I’ve been waiting for you since morning.”

“…Really? Do you know why I came?”

“I don’t know, but I’m so happy to see your face. Did something happen that you need my help with?”

Arasila shook her head and sat across from him.

The smiling face seemed to be the Frederick she had known all along.

“I have something I want to ask you.”

“What is it?”

“Our scandal, was it your doing?”

Arasila asked straightforwardly. Frederick, without showing much surprise, leaned back on the sofa leisurely, interlocking his fingers.

“Is that what you came to ask?”

“Answer honestly.”

“It seems like you’ve already decided on the answer before coming?”

He chuckled. At that, Arasila’s eyebrows twitched. She had hoped he would deny it a little, but it seemed unlikely to happen.

“Why did you do it? Is it really because you like me?”

Faced with another direct question, Frederick flinched.

When did she figure that out too? He sighed, running his palm over his face.

“…I didn’t want to confess like this. Yes, that’s right. I’ve liked you for a long time.”

As the affirmative answer flowed from Frederick’s mouth, Arasila clenched her fist tightly. It was truly a truth she didn’t want to hear.

“I was before Earl Vandermir. I recognized you at first sight.”

Whether knowing her feelings or not, Frederick poured out his heart without hesitation. It was an attitude of having nothing to hold back now.

“You create such a scandal because of that? Are you crazy?”

“No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn’t understand why you married Earl Vandermir.”

Frederick leaned his body forward sharply, approaching Arasila. Above his crimson eyes, clingy and moist emotions surfaced.

He spoke in the rough tone characteristic of a person wholly convinced of his own beliefs.

“You’re not that kind of person. You’re not someone easy and frivolous who likes and follows just any man based on their looks or conditions.”

“Frederick.”

“You were an awesome person who could give up everything for your dream. So why Earl Vandermir, why did you break your beliefs to marry that person?”

“Marrying Demian was my choice. You have no right to comment on it.”

“Why not!”

For the first time, Frederick shouted in front of Arasila. It was the rebound of having suppressed his feelings all this time.

Once brought out, he couldn’t put it back in. Like the lid flying off a boiling pot that had passed its critical point, there was nothing to cover his heart.

“If you knew how I felt as I stayed by your side, you couldn’t talk to me like that.”

“No, Frederick. I know now that you hid your true feelings and stayed by my side pretending to be a friend for the past 7 years, in a gloomy and dark manner.”

Arasila replied firmly.

It was painful that what she thought was friendship wasn’t for the other party, and it was very disappointing that this was all there was to the true face of a friend she had trusted.

But still, she continued speaking without wavering.

“I can talk to you like that. The one who doesn’t have the right is you.”

Those words were equivalent to rendering Frederick’s one-sided affection as nothing. Frederick struggled to hold back his face that was trying to contort.

“You didn’t marry Earl Vandermir because you truly loved him anyway.”

“Who are you to judge my feelings?”

“Then tell me. Can you confidently say you truly like the Earl?”

Do I like Demian?

Arasila hesitated for a moment. It wasn’t because she disliked him. It was simply because she had never deeply thought of him romantically.

Frederick, not missing that momentary hesitation, lit up his eyes.

“See, you can’t answer. If you had married him because you really liked him, you wouldn’t have made any calculations. I knew from the start that your heart wasn’t sincere.”

“What do you know…”

Arasila, about to refute, paused. What could the ‘calculation’ Frederick mentioned be?

There was only one thing she had proceeded calculatedly in her relationship with Demian.

Writing a prenuptial contract and getting married.

‘But Frederick shouldn’t know about that?’

If even Arasila’s family doesn’t know, there’s no way Frederick would. Yet, Arasila couldn’t ignore the unsettling feeling from his words.

If Frederick, even if he didn’t know exactly about the contract marriage, knew that something had transpired between Demian and herself…

‘There’s only one way he could know that. He must have investigated Tailor the priest.’

Suddenly, she recalled the imperial knights she had seen on her way. Among all the neat and disciplined ones, there was one person who particularly caught her eye.

A common face that seemed familiar.

Arasila now thought she knew where she had seen him. He was one of the faces in the composite sketch Demian had brought.

She had seen him occasionally escorting Frederick, which is why he seemed familiar when she saw the composite sketch.

As soon as she realized this fact, goosebumps rose on her skin. Arasila glared at Frederick without hiding her contemptuous gaze.

“You, you’ve been following me since before I got married.”