A note was in Cain’s hand. It was a message from the black hawk.

Flower petals are fluttering around the griffin.

The griffin was the symbol of House Hastings. And the flower petals meant the Rose Faction.

So it meant that the Rose Faction was lurking around the Somnium mansion.

Cain unrolled the crumpled note by rolling his thumb. Combining the numbers written at the end of the note revealed a date.

From the day Jane came home until now.

Just looking at the note, it seemed Jane had brought the Rose Faction to Somnium House.

Cain became lost in thought as he crumpled the note he had checked into a ball.

Seeing the Rose Faction flyer found in Jane’s house last time and this note now strengthened the hypothesis that Jane had been in contact with the Rose Faction from before.

However, according to the black hawk’s preliminary investigation, she had never met with the Rose Faction.

Rather, she thoroughly ignored the Rose Faction. She ignored speeches held in the square and threw flyers someone handed out into the trash.

But that alone was not enough to conclude that there was no connection between the Rose Faction and Jane.

The Whitneys were skilled at acting and had a natural talent for deceiving others.

Hadn’t even the Duke of Hastings been deceived by Count Whitney?

And the end of that was death.

‘I went too far.’

Anyway, if there was a connection between the Rose Faction and Jane, it would show at some point.

There would be changes in Jane’s behavior.

Cain decided to wait for that time and cleared his unnecessary thoughts.

He moved near the fireplace to burn the note.

“Your Excellency, you should come out.”

As he was watching the note burn in the fire, Nathan entered.

“Miss Jane has come to visit. Along with young master Joseph.”

A faint change flickered and disappeared in Cain’s emotionless eyes.

He tossed away the cigar that had been between his fingers.

Nathan glanced at his expression. When he rolled his eyes like that, it meant he had something to say a hundred times out of a hundred.

“Speak.”

“There is one more guest.”

“Mary?”

“No.”

Nathan took a deep breath. I hope he doesn’t get irritated.

“It’s Mrs. Themis.”

One of Cain’s eyebrows raised. He tapped the desk with his index finger.

Jane, Joseph, Mrs. Themis.

What reason could there be for the three of them to be together?

No matter how much he thought about it, he couldn’t find a connection between the three.

“Shall I tell them to come in?”

Nathan broke Cain’s contemplation. Cain stood up with a displeased look, flicking his hand.

“Let’s go to the reception room.”

Nathan led the way. He opened the door connected to the conference room. It was on the opposite side of the door connected to Cain’s office.

The reception room with a high ceiling and large windows appeared.

The marble floor gave a momentarily cold feeling, but the light coming in through the floor-to-ceiling windows neutralized the atmosphere.

There was a grand piano on one side, and an unlit fireplace on the opposite side.

“It’s chilly, shall I light the fireplace?”

“What time do you think we have to start a fire? We don’t have time for a long conversation. Let them in.”

Cain had no intention of staying long in the reception room. He sat in a single-person sofa and crossed his legs.

“This way, please.”

As he heard Nathan guiding them in after opening the reception room door, Cain habitually reached for a cigar but stopped.

He didn’t feel like smoking a cigar in front of a young child.

This is why children were troublesome. They put unreasonable restrictions on one’s actions.

Cain rubbed his eyes, which had become sore from not sleeping properly for days.

“Your Grace! Please, please listen to me!”

At that moment, Mrs. Themis, who had rushed in through the open door, spoke as if pleading. Cain removed his hand from his eyelids.

Mrs. Themis was not in good condition. Her pale face and anxiously trembling eyes caught Cain’s attention.

“What’s the matter, madam.”

“I didn’t know. I never imagined that child would be Your Grace’s child. A young master running through the corridors! It’s unthinkable in House Hastings, which properly teaches etiquette. So…”

“Just a moment.”

Cain raised his hand. Mrs. Themis’s voice was too high and hysterical, making it unpleasant to listen to.

Cain slightly turned his body to look at Jane. Jane tightened her hand on the back of Joseph’s head as if she didn’t want to show him to anyone.

Joseph was just panting with his face buried in Jane’s neck.

“Explain what happened, Jane.”

“Your Grace! It would be better if I explained rather than Jane…”

“Jane.”

Cain cut off Mrs. Themis’s words and called Jane’s name in a low voice.

Jane swallowed hard. She had come to see him because she was so angry, but she wasn’t sure if he would believe her words.

Cain stared intently at Jane. Seeing Jane with her mouth tightly shut and a face full of dissatisfaction made his chest feel tight. Cain habitually reached for a cigar but then clicked his tongue.

He didn’t want to wait any longer. Just as Cain was about to rise,

“Mrs. Themis.”

Finally, Jane’s mouth, which had been closed like a clam, opened. Cain quietly sat back in his chair.

Jane raised her gaze, which she had lowered to avoid Cain’s eyes.

To show that her words were sincere, she looked straight into Cain’s razor-sharp gaze.

“She abused Joseph.”

“That’s not true! I was teaching Joseph etiquette…”

Jane turned sharply to Mrs. Themis. She was fed up with Mrs. Themis, who refused to admit her wrongdoing to the end. Jane quickly continued speaking before she could spout nonsense.

“She disgraced House Hastings and treated Joseph like a child without roots.”

“That’s not it, I was educating him. Yes, education! The young master needs education. I will take charge and educate him properly. I will teach him properly…”

Cain stood up as if he didn’t want to hear any more. Just by standing up, he who was more than a head taller than others exuded an intimidating aura.

Cain’s face was expressionless, but everyone could tell he was angry.

He approached Jane unhurriedly. And he reached out and grasped Jane’s chin. Her eyes and the tip of her nose were red.

Cain knew all too well what this expression of swallowed tears meant.

She felt wronged and angry.

“Is what you said true?”

Jane nodded. Though it was a small movement because her chin was held, it was enough to convey her intention.

Cain let go of Jane’s chin and looked at Joseph’s small head. Jane turned her body as if to protect Joseph from that unkind gaze.

Cain’s eyes sharpened. You turn your back on me to protect Joseph? Jane’s attitude was irritating.

He didn’t like Joseph either. Joseph was young and weak.

While Mrs. Themis’s actions and words may have been excessive, it was an accurate point that Joseph was not befitting of House Hastings.

That’s why he had called Jane in, but if she was going to coddle him, he wasn’t sure if Joseph would be properly educated.

The more he thought about it, the more frustrated he felt. Cain deliberately cut off his thoughts about Jane and Joseph.

“Mrs. Themis, you don’t need to come from tomorrow.”

Cain fired Mrs. Themis with just one sentence. His emotionless tone left no room for reconsideration.

“Nathan, escort the lady out.”

It was a polite phrase, but its meaning was a harsh expulsion.

“Your Grace! Your Grace, please listen to me… That fox-like woman is lying to Your Grace… Your Graaaace!”

Mrs. Themis showed behavior unbefitting of an etiquette teacher as she was dragged out by Nathan.

Even after the door closed, her scream-like excuses flowed into the reception room.

‘Aunt really misjudged that person.’

Cain felt a slight disappointment even towards Burnett. He let out a low sigh.

“…Thank you.”

In the silence after Mrs. Themis’s screams had completely subsided, a thread-like voice rang out.

“You were still here?”

Cain said gruffly. It was such a cold tone that Joseph’s back, held in Jane’s arms, flinched.

Cain turned away from Joseph, who had started trembling slightly.

Small, weak, and insignificant.

Jane and Joseph were the same.

They didn’t look like they belonged in House Hastings, which was strong, enterprising, and showed courageous attitudes anywhere.

In that respect, Mrs. Themis’s criticism was accurate.

“I have something to say to you.”

“I’m not in the mood to talk to you.”

Cain flatly refused and withdrew even the gaze he had been giving to Jane.

He sat on the sofa and buried his back deeply. He crossed his legs arrogantly and tilted his head back. His protruding Adam’s apple moved slowly up and down.

He hadn’t slept properly for a single day since Jane came. That fatigue suddenly rushed in.

It was always like this when he saw Jane. His insides twisted, and he felt tired.

He thought he was fine not seeing her for the past few days, but looking at that miserable face made him feel irritated.

She looks like a victim, how annoying.

Cain couldn’t grant Mary’s request.

But.

“I want to talk now.”

Jane insisted. Cain completely ignored Jane. Jane sighed and put Joseph down.

“Joseph, can you go to your room alone? I have something to discuss with the Duke.”

So you’re going to speak after all.

Joseph got down from Jane’s arms and scurried out on his small feet. The sound of the door closing quite firmly followed.

And Jane moved. Jane’s shadow fell over Cain’s face as he had his eyes closed with his head tilted back.

Cain slowly opened his eyes. Jane filled his indifferent eyes, but soon disappeared. It was because Cain closed his eyes again.

“Speak.”

He was clearly showing how bothersome this was.