On this early morning, when the refreshing sunlight poured in through the window, Akia and Dmitry sat facing each other in Duke Belarus’s study.

Akia had come to find Dmitry right after finishing breakfast. Judging by how urgently he sought him out, there must be some matter at hand.

Duke Belarus, with a somewhat gloomy gaze as if trying to read Akia’s inner thoughts from his eyes, caught Akia’s eye.

“Yeah. Did the Duke come to me with something to say on this early morning?”

Dmitry asked, sipping the hot steaming black tea. After finishing breakfast, he had intended to call Lea and have a teatime in the garden.

He felt a bit disappointed because of Akia’s early arrival, disrupting the timing.

“I heard you asked Lea to stay here a bit longer.”

“That’s right. Being alone on my daughter’s birthday is a bit lonely. I asked her to stay a few more days. Is there a problem?”

Akia’s eyebrows twitched at Duke Belarus’s shameless gaze. Lea was clearly her own person, but Dmitry was trying to draw her into his territory.

‘What is he thinking?’

In Dmitry’s serpent-like gaze, no emotion could be read. In the end, giving up on any meaningful exploration, Akia asked directly.

“If by any chance, you have ‘certain’ feelings for Lea and treat her well, it would be better to abandon that idea. Shouldn’t you spend your old age peacefully?”

Akia’s pupils glinted sharply.

Although he was treated almost like a child, hearing Duke Belarus’s words that Lea was special made Akia ponder. Lea, whom he had met not long ago, why would she be considered special?

No matter how much he thought about it, it was strange. Why did Duke Belarus want Lea to stay here?

As the endless questions continued to nag at him, Dmitry, who was observing Akia, muttered to himself.

‘Threatening me over the topic of my granddaughter.’

An encounter where the young prince, who didn’t even meet his eyes properly, was now looking him in the eye like this. Duke Belarus realized that quite a long time had passed.

Duke Belarus, who had a strange expression, slowly lowered the teacup he had picked up.

“Duke Heidern.”

A chilling voice calling Akia from Dmitry echoed. The gaze of Dmitry, who had been interestingly wavering while looking at Akia, changed in an instant.

“The knife you’re holding is all rusty now. I wonder if you can even properly peel an apple with that knife.”

As Dmitry said that, he picked up a delicately colored apple. Although expressed in a roundabout way, Akia understood his intention right away.

Even if Akia had regained his health, he was still an incompetent man who had lost everything to his cousin. Dmitry, who heard a few days ago that Akia had been buried in the mines in another territory, didn’t care much, as he didn’t know the whereabouts of Duke Heidern.

Moreover, the fact that the weak Duke had come all the way to this northern territory was rather irritating.

All of this was the story before he knew the apothecary named Lea.

‘It almost went wrong for Lea.’

Now, he heard Dmitry asking, ‘Do you have the confidence to protect Lea without any power?’ Even if Akia became healthy, in the eyes of the world, he was still an incompetent man who had everything taken away by his cousin.

Dmitry, who a few days ago heard that Akia had been buried in the mines in another territory, at that time, he was slightly surprised by the news of the burial, but it didn’t matter much.

In fact, he didn’t know the life or death of Duke Heidern.

Moreover, the fact that the weak Duke had come all the way to this northern territory was rather irritating.

All of this was the story before he knew the apothecary named Lea.

‘It almost went wrong for Lea.’
Looking back, it was indeed a dangerously close incident. He might have miserably lost the child, who could potentially be his granddaughter.

He immediately ordered someone to bring the record of the incident related to the mine collapse. While Dmitry was investigating the mine incident, he discovered something strange.

‘Someone intentionally buried the entrance to the mine.’

Dmitry had recently learned that Cox, the person in charge, brought in rotten wood to embezzle the budget for that place.

Realizing it too late, by the time he tried to take action, the mine had already collapsed.

Moreover, when Akia entered the mine, the cause of the entrance collapse was unrelated to the previous mine incident.

‘The wood materials used at the entrance were in good condition.’

The mine entrance was constructed centuries ago. In all that time, the support beams had never collapsed.

‘But for it to suddenly collapse like this.’

There’s only one answer.

‘Someone planned it.’

Dmitry’s sharp gaze fell on Akia. He was clenching his fist, as if finding his previous words unpleasant.

Yes, he probably wouldn’t want to admit his incompetence.

‘But eventually, he’ll have to admit it.’

Because of that incompetence, Lea was almost harmed. Dmitry’s lips curved into a meaningfully ambiguous smile.

“The Duke asked me to develop hot springs.”