Everything resembled his brother.

That’s why he couldn’t feel affection for her.

In the deep recesses of the Emperor’s heart, there was a suspicion that Diana might not be his daughter.

He thought Diana belonged to his brother’s bloodline, and that’s why he killed her mother.

Diana shuddered at the eerie gaze of the Emperor looking at her.

His gaze was unsettling and couldn’t be considered normal.

Diana was overwhelmed by her father’s gaze.

However, she couldn’t back down like this. With trembling lips, she managed to open her mouth.
“I… I saw everything. That day, I saw Father personally administering poison to Uncle.”

The once serene expression on the Emperor’s face instantly twisted coldly.

‘Saw it…? How? There was clearly no one there.’

On the day the crime occurred, Diana hid in a storage-like room, playing hide-and-seek with the Duke. Waiting for the Duke with bated breath, she blinked and woke up at the sound of Emperor Seon and her father entering.

Rubbing her blurry eyes, just as she was about to call him ‘Father,’ Diana found herself forced to cover her mouth.

Her father was putting something into the powerless Uncle’s mouth.

Force-feeding an unknown liquid to the semi-unconscious Emperor Seon.

The young Diana covered her mouth at the sight, trembling with fear. Then, she lost consciousness.

A few hours later, when she regained her senses, she quickly checked the room. Apart from her, no one was there.

‘Yes, I thought it was just a dream.’

She had thought it was a terrifying dream. However, she couldn’t shake off the uneasiness.

Diana went to check on the perfectly healthy Uncle to confirm his condition.

And there, she found the unconscious Duke in the art storage room to the east of the palace.

“You killed him in the room where artworks are kept, to the east of the palace.”

“….!”

The Emperor trembled at Diana’s words.

It wasn’t just talk. Her words were accurate.

“I saw everything.”

There are no perfect secrets in the world; could it be that his own daughter witnessed his crime?

The Emperor let out a low sigh, still staring at her with his nose gently brushing against hers.

Diana involuntarily tensed at her father’s chilling gaze.

It was the gaze of a beast that could tear her throat at any moment.

“….Diana.”

Speaking with his lips trembling, he continued in a low voice.

“What do you think of me? Just as the deaths shocked you, I still miss my brother.”

The Emperor slowly caressed her face.

“You really resemble my brother. It’s hard to believe you’re my daughter.”

The Emperor’s touch held no affection.

“Especially… your eyes now. It makes me think of my brother’s eyes, as if I’m looking into his eyes, my child.”

Considering it was the gaze of someone expressing missing, it was an unexpectedly aggressive expression.

“Rest. And stop unnecessary delusions now. You’re old enough to get married, yet still confusing dreams and reality. It’s truly pathetic.”

With those words, the Emperor turned away from Diana.

“…Father!”

Although Diana belatedly called out to her father, he seemed to have no intention of turning back.
The Emperor hardened his expression and left Diana’s room like that.

He boarded the carriage returning to the Artem Territory with the Duke.

The Duke’s gaze towards him seemed somewhat burdensome.

Sitting beside Rose, he turned his body completely and stared at Rose.

Rose glanced at the Duke next to her.

‘Does he have something to say?’

Seeing the intense gaze, there must be something, but…

‘He might not be looking at me, but staring into the void.’

Rose moved hesitantly, and the Duke’s eyes naturally followed her.

It wasn’t a misconception. Duke Artem was gazing at her fixedly.

“Um… Duke.”

Rose called the Duke first.

“Yeah.”

“Do you, by any chance, have something to say…”

As Rose blurred the end of her sentence, the Duke seemed to hesitate and then opened his mouth.

“The confession at the ball was quite memorable.”

“Ah…!”

She had completely forgotten that she had made a non-confession confession to him.

‘Right. I forgot to explain it to the Duke!’

In Rose’s eyes, he seemed to be urging her to explain.

‘He might have felt uncomfortable. I, who recently divorced, publicly confessed.’

Perhaps he might think that my confession blocked his bright future…

Moreover, I confessed with completely impure intentions. He might feel terribly uncomfortable because I used him as a means to separate Eric.

Rose quickly lowered her head and apologized.

“I’m really sorry. If it made you uncomfortable, I apologize!”

To Rose, it was just a means to separate Eric, but he didn’t feel that way.

The Duke found Rose’s helpless appearance just cute.

Her bravery in trying to assert herself in front of numerous nobles felt quite impressive.

Wiping the cold sweat on her forehead, Rose said, “Please forget everything I said. I never intended to block the Duke’s path.”

Although it was just a means to separate Eric for Rose, the Duke didn’t perceive it that way.

Confused by Rose’s desperate appearance, the Duke casually opened his mouth.

“It’s okay.”

Rose finally felt relieved at the Duke’s smile.

But it was short-lived. She became momentarily stupefied by the Duke’s next words.

“Just marry me.”

“Cough, cough!”

Marriage? Did I hear correctly?

The Duke, who had come back to life after being on the brink of death, suddenly became bizarre.