The peace of the ducal house was shattered.

“Is there still no word from the Duke today?”

Haley, who was arranging flowers in a vase, flinched at Jane’s question as she absently gazed out the window.

‘It’s been days since Madam has been waiting for the Duke.’

Cain had not returned home since the day Jane had ventured out on a secret outing. It had already been four days.

“Shall I ask the butler?”

Haley gauged Jane’s reaction. After a moment of silence, Jane shook her head belatedly.

Since becoming Jane’s lady-in-waiting, Haley had never felt so anxious.

Jane was as precarious as a candle that could go out at any moment, and Norbert, who seemed to know Cain’s whereabouts, was more sensitive than ever.

“Shall we try sending a telegram?”

“To the gentlemen’s club?”

Haley inhaled sharply. Jane gave a faint smile at her rabbit-like widened eyes.

“Did you think I wouldn’t know Cain is at the gentlemen’s club? I have ears too, you know.”

The reason for Norbert’s darkened complexion was precisely because Cain had set foot in the gentlemen’s club again.

Women, card games, alcohol… It was obvious what went on at the gentlemen’s club.

While many men frequented the gentlemen’s club, it was rare for a man to spend days there.

Most men who visited the gentlemen’s club were conscious of outside scrutiny and returned home late, even if it was after sunrise.

Whether they were too drunk to stand steady, reeked as if they had showered in another woman’s perfume, or had blown a month’s worth of living expenses on card games.

In any case, the unspoken rule among those who used the gentlemen’s club was to sleep at home, but Cain broke that rule and stayed at the club.

For exactly four days.

It took exactly four days for the rumor to spread rampantly that he was bewitched by some woman and staying at the gentlemen’s club.

“Don’t mind the rumors being spouted thoughtlessly. They’re all baseless gossip.”

Jane chuckled. As Haley said, no one had seen Cain consorting with a woman, but it was true that he was not returning home and staying at the gentlemen’s club.

In this situation, which side had more credibility depended on that person’s past conduct.

‘They said he had quite a few women.’

So the embarrassing rumors were circulating after just four days. Whether true or not, it was the seed Cain had sown.

“Are you very angry?”

Jane’s long lashes fluttered. It was an unexpected question.

Was the tightness in her chest because she was angry?

Jane paid attention to the heavy pain pressing on her solar plexus.

She certainly didn’t feel good. But it was subtly different from anger.

What was this feeling?

“Oh dear, I shouldn’t have asked. Of course you’re angry! This won’t do, Madam. I’ll go to the gentlemen’s club and bring him back!”

Misinterpreting Jane’s expression, Haley rolled up her sleeves as if she would chase after him right away.

The way she huffed and puffed, it seemed she could not only bring back Cain but also capture Nathan.

“Just say the word, Madam. I’ll go right now…”

“No, just leave it.”

“Pardon?”

Haley, who had half-turned towards the door, tilted her head to the left.

“I said leave it be.”

While it was unsavory for him to stay at the gentlemen’s club and be embroiled in scandalous rumors, Jane was not ready to face him.

Her time had frozen at the moment four days ago when she heard the shocking words from Cedric.

Without having taken a single step forward, meeting Cain would be poison for Jane.

It was even more so given the situation where she couldn’t immediately leave Somnium House.

‘Just until my thoughts and feelings are sorted out. Until I can face him properly and have a conversation.’

She decided to leave Cain be.

Another stone was added to the weight on Jane’s solar plexus. Only then did she realize the emotion making her uncomfortable was not anger.

Helplessness, frustration, and disappointment.

She had arbitrarily placed expectations on Cain and ended up disappointed.

‘I told him to at least avoid scandalous rumors…’

Jane’s eyes inadvertently fell on Osgar’s painting as she raised her head.

The times when she talked with him while looking at the painting felt distant.

Jane closed her eyes tightly.

“Haley, would you cover that painting with a cloth?”

It was an incomprehensible order, but Haley obeyed without question. Because the voice giving the order sounded like dried-up leaves.

In an atmosphere where it wouldn’t be strange for her to crumble and disappear, Haley silently carried out the order.

* * *

Bang! Nathan set a bottle down on Cain’s desk. Only then did Cain, who had put down a report, look at the bottle and let out a hollow laugh.

Tilting his head and throwing away his cigar, Cain stared intently at Nathan.

“You want me to drink myself to death?”

What Nathan had brought was strong whiskey.

“Please sleep.”

Nathan opened the bottle cap in Cain’s stead. Then he set the bottle down with another bang. There was no glass.

In other words, Nathan was begging with his actions for Cain to please, just drink this strong whiskey, bottle and all, and get some sleep.

“Take it away. I don’t need alcohol.”

“Your Grace, it’s been four days. Four days without lying down or eating properly. Holed up in this dark basement of the gentlemen’s club!”

Nathan raised his voice, unlike his usual self.

“Four days? Has it already been that long?”

Nathan let out a deep sigh.

Cain thought about the time that had passed.

He couldn’t remember how he had ended up at the gentlemen’s club after meeting the masseuse of the previous Duchess of Hastings.

He only remembered Nathan’s reprimand.

After shutting himself in the gentlemen’s club, Cain had collected and read any materials related to the Whitney family’s treason case.

Newspaper articles, court records, even palace records—he had scraped together everything, but the materials were woefully lacking compared to the gravity of the incident.

So starting two days ago, Cain began seeking out individuals connected to the incident seven years prior.

He went out at the crack of dawn and returned here just before the gentlemen’s club officially opened for business.

That was how he had spent the past four days. There wasn’t enough time to uncover the truth.

Especially since Cain had expelled all those involved in the incident seven years ago.

‘It’s as if I covered up our family’s shame with my own hands.’

If what the masseuse said was true, that is.

“You’ve already read those materials dozens of times. I think you must have memorized them by now after reading them that much. Please get some sleep. I’ll wake you when a message arrives from the Black Hawk.”

“If you’re going to nag, get out.”

He waved his hand as if shooing away a bird.

Sleep was too precious to waste. He needed to find out the proper facts to come up with a response and meet Jane.

Reaching that thought, Cain lowered the hand that was about to pick up a cigar.

‘Meet Jane? Meet her and do what?’

If it was the truth, Cain had no right to even apologize.

He couldn’t turn back her lost time or bring the unjustly killed Earl and Countess Whitney back to life, so what was the point of an apology?

Cain thought an empty apology was worse than not apologizing at all.

Then what could he do?

As Cain’s worries deepened, there was a knock.

“It’s Vincent.”

“Come in.”

When the door opened, the clamorous noise of the gentlemen’s club also barged in.

Honeyed words from men trying to win women’s favor, laughter, the sound of money being tossed around—as they all mixed together, Cain’s head throbbed.

He rubbed his forehead.

“Your Grace!”

An alarmed Nathan approached. Cain straightened his posture before he could grab him.

Should he drink some alcohol and try to get some sleep, as Nathan said?

His body, burdened with mental and physical exhaustion, showed signs of acting up.

He couldn’t collapse now, even if he wanted to.

It bothered him that the Queen had mentioned the deaths of the Earl and Countess Whitney to Jane.

What if the Queen revealed the truth to Jane first?

The headache he had barely suppressed revived. Cain closed his eyes tightly, then opened them.

Two giant attendants were looking at him like a cat that had lost its owner.

“Open your eyes properly.”

“What do you mean, we…”

Nathan protested softly.

“You’re being insolent. Who do you think you are?”

Nathan and Vincent, who were worried about him, also looked awful. Not as much as Cain, but they had also gone through a tremendous schedule over the past four days.

“If you have something to say, say it quickly and leave. I have a mountain of things to review.”

“Yes, I understand. But Your Grace, if you could at least eat something…”

Cain’s eyes sharpened. He understood their concern, but expressing it once or twice was enough. Anything more was meddling.

Vincent pressed his lips together tightly. He lowered his head, then raised it and began his report.

“The Black Hawk has taken flight.”

It meant they had found a person related to the incident seven years ago.

“Lead the way.”

Cain abruptly stood up and grabbed his jacket.

“You’re going right now?”

Nathan hurriedly followed Cain.

“Yes, or should I go in a year?”

“That’s not what I meant, Your Grace. There’s a council meeting tomorrow. In the afternoon, you need to go to the business district. It’s about the railroad company.”

“Send a letter of delegation to the council. Leave the railroad company to Lloyd. He may not show it because he’s unusually obsessed with machines and science, but he has basic business sense.”

“Your Grace, work isn’t the problem.”

Cain ruffled his hair irritably.

“Then what’s the problem?”

Cain was in a hurry. It was someone they had barely managed to find by mobilizing all the Black Hawks nationwide. Judging by how they had evaded the blade Cain wielded, they must be a resourceful person.

They might notice suspicious signs around them and flee before he could even meet them.

“You need to manage the old foxes too. If you send a letter of delegation without a word, they’ll be suspicious.”

Nathan’s words made sense.

“Then make up a reason. A reason why I have no choice but to stay at the gentlemen’s club.”

Finishing his words, Cain pushed open the door of the gentlemen’s club and strode out.