Duke Artyom found the situation, which was not beyond his expectations, to be not funny at all. He had been sending cunning glances from the banquet hall.

“You’ve become a real joke, Duke Plier.”

The moment Rosé spat out her testimony, the sight of Duke Plier, who had been palefaced, was utterly ridiculous.

He must be taking his anger out on some poor innocent by now, unable to contain his rage.

He stared down at the followers of Duke Plier who were rolling at his feet. The blue pupils visible between his long eyelashes were chillingly eerie.

In Duke Artyom’s eyes, a slow rising anger was ingrained, indescribable in words.

The Emperor and Empress left the world, and he left the palace as if he was chased. And he settled in the north without any ties. At the cost of the lives of many nobles who followed him, he barely saved his life….

He was only thirteen years old. He was far from enough to face his uncle who had seized the imperial power.

“How dare they, to point a sword at me.”

In their eyes, it seems the Duke still looked like a powerless child.

A goodfornothing who only knows how to cause trouble.

Duke Artyom’s gaze was fixed on the chilled bodies.

“Deal with the rest.”

As a dry command devoid of any emotion echoed, the masked man silently nodded.

Leaving the aftermath to his subordinate, the Duke left his seat. Then, he moved his steps slowly towards the lake behind the mansion.

His shadow was reflecting on the calm lakeside. He plunged his hand, soaked in fatigue, into the lake water.

The cold that he felt running over his hand. The red blood spread out like smoke, rippling.

The hand, which had been hidden thickly, was now revealed as pale as ever.

Duke Artyom, who was cleaning his hand, paused as he saw his reflection on the lakeside. The shimmering waves settled down quietly.

“…… It does look misleading.”

His reflection on the other side of the lake, dyed in blood, was creepily full of life.

‘I’m really sorry for misunderstanding at first. I didn’t know because I was trying to save Duke Bled….’

Duke Artyom recalled Rosé, who had been with him until now.

Her face, her peachy cheeks flushed, looking at him with an unsure expression.

The Duke, with his mouth tightly closed, was looking at his reflection on the lake.

His bloodsoaked figure was entwined as if restrained. His hollow gaze was vibrant as a beast starved for days.

He lied to Rosé.

It was because he was examining Duke Bled’s body that it happened.

Actually, it was the blood of Duke Plier’s followers who tried to frame him……

He didn’t kill Duke Bled, but his hands were not free of blood. Even if it was to protect his own life.

‘Although the rumors say so…… I think you seem kinder than expected.’

Kind……

The Duke was indeed a person very far from kindness.

Rather, he was a person filled with brutal vengeance.

She would never show a smile like today if she knew his true self.

Duke thought about Rosé’s face, looking at him with a warm smile, as if holding a warm sunlight.

Her softly curved eyes and deeply carved dimples were quite clear.

Seeing her eyes filled with fear again, like in the beginning, wouldn’t be a pleasant thing.

“What to do. I don’t want to disappoint her.”

His husky voice faintly echoed. An ambiguous statement came out, his face held a faint smile.

Three days had passed since the end of the banquet. Since then, the Grand Duke began to act strangely.

“Neran, are there any letters for me?”

At the Duke’s words, the butler Neran flinched and stared at him.

‘Why on earth is he behaving like this…’

He looked at Grand Duke Artyom with a baffled expression. Since the day after the banquet, he had been asking to check for letters every day as if he was waiting for someone.

And that too, once every hour.

He had a lot of work to do, and it was very uncomfortable for the butler to ask only this all day long.

Still, Neran had to answer the Duke’s question, so he hesitantly started checking for letters.

“Yes. There’s a letter from the royal palace…”

“Not that one.”

As soon as Neran mentioned the royal palace, Grand Duke Artyom frowned and cut off Neran’s words.

“If not that, there’s nothing special.”

“…What about any visitors?”

“Did you not tell me to drive away anyone who comes to visit, Your Grace?”

Artyom, who had been anxiously tapping his hand on the desk, paused and glared at Neran with eerie eyes.

“When did I. Did I really drive someone away?”

There was a blue venom in his dark eyes. It was a fierce gaze as if he would swallow the butler at any moment.

“No, not a single ant is stirring.”

‘And when did you say… you always tell me to drive them away.’

Neran wanted to blurt out these words, but he could not say anything in face of the Duke’s glaring expression.

‘She said she would contact me first, but it’s been three days and still no news.’

Grand Duke Artyom was quite irritable waiting for Rosé’s contact. Of course, he seemed completely unaware of it himself.

Could something have happened to her? He frowned thinking of Eric, who treated Rosé roughly as if she was an object.

Neran was puzzled by the sight of the Duke, who seemed somewhat anxious.

‘Why is he suddenly behaving this way, as if he’s waiting for someone’s contact…’

It was strange because it was the Duke who had told him to drive away all his friends and cousins. Then,

“She’s here.”

Artyom, who had been looking out the window, suddenly got up from his seat.

Could it be the person he was waiting for? His face looked somewhat excited.