“Yes. Rex personally confirmed it. Our infiltrator in the mansion used a sedative on the Duke, and Rex verified that he had fallen into a deep sleep. And no matter who the Duke is, it’s difficult to survive in the flames.”

As the Empress’s sharp, narrowed gaze reached the man, he hastily added,

“Moreover, Bella Ruse’s daughter screamed while watching the burning mansion. Like someone who lost her mind. It is rumored that she has been shutting herself off from food and drink. She is undoubtedly dead.”

The Empress gripped the table and turned away.

‘Dead…’

Since the man entered, the Empress’s heart had started beating rapidly. But when she heard from the assassin’s mouth that he had died, a shiver ran through her entire body.

It wasn’t the death of Akhia that she so desired!

The Empress struggled to suppress the laughter that kept trying to burst out.

Akhia Heydern, that damn guy, is dead.

Now there is no obstacle to impede her and her plans.

‘Yes. No one to block my way anymore.’

Now she alone would command Croatea.

“To Rex, no, to Jakkal, go down yourself. Stay in the territory and keep an eye on Bella Ruse’s daughter.”

The Empress’s straight gaze landed on Jakkal. His gaze towards her showed no signs of wavering.

‘Even if others don’t know, I can trust this guy.’

He had been following her faithfully since Ilay was born.

“Yes.”

Jakkal stepped back, and the Empress sat back at the table. The feeling of pent-up frustration seemed to dissipate.

The Empress wrapped her face in her hands. Slowly, her shoulders shook, and eventually, laughter filled the garden.

Lea stared blankly into the void. The Belaruse Duke’s mansion, once a symbol of luxury, was engulfed in a sudden blaze.

The opulence vanished, replaced by the blackened ruins of the mansion.

That wasn’t all. Several people were injured while fleeing the sudden fire.

‘And…’

Edward also said that Akhia couldn’t escape the flames.

‘Impossible.’

At first, she couldn’t believe it. The precious Belaruse mansion, with traces of her mother, was burning.

And that Akhia, who hadn’t managed to escape, was inside the mansion. Initially, Lea thought it was all a dream.

However, in front of her denial of reality, the only thing presented to Lea was a lifeless body. A man who emerged from the collapsed bedroom of the mansion.

Though his face was gruesome, charred to the point of being unrecognizable, everyone insisted that he was Akhia.

[No!!! It can’t be the Duke!] […….] [Edward, sir! Take a look once! How can this be the Duke! Huh?!] Pay attention to translate the names and genders of the following characters accurately and consistently.

Now translate the following Korean paragraph verbatim into English.

And just give me English translation in the output.

She who had been wailing in front of the deceased duke’s body eventually lost consciousness after days of shedding tears.

When she suddenly regained consciousness, it was in the Alensia Territory. For safety reasons, Lea was in Alensia with Edward.

“Madam, please try to eat this.”

Emma, who approached her, placed a plate with clear soup in front of her. Despite several days passing since then, Lea couldn’t believe Akhia’s death and kept absentmindedly staring.

Emma’s face, which had been looking at Lea’s pale face like a piece of white paper, darkened.

“It’s a big problem if you don’t eat anything like this.”

In response to Emma’s words, Lea, who had been briefly staring at her, turned her head. It was a clear refusal to eat.

It was a moment when Emma, who reluctantly brought the meal, put it on the table. A brief knock was heard, and Edward entered.

“Are you still like this?”

He glanced at the tray, which showed no signs of being touched, and asked Emma.

“Yes. She still refuses to eat anything.”

“Leave us. I’ll talk to her.”

After Emma left, he walked to the quiet bedroom. He approached Lea’s bed, who was still staring into space.

“Lady. The deceased duke won’t come back just because you abstain from eating.”

At Edward’s somewhat harsh words, Lea turned her head abruptly. It seemed she wanted to retort to Edward’s words, which were more like a reproach than comforting.

“You seem to listen only when I speak about the duke.”

Lea felt as if her pent-up emotions would burst at the slightest touch. And now Edward was poking at that part of her.

Edward, who had been looking at Lea with a stern gaze, stood up.

Then he reached out to her.

“I have something to show you.”

Lea followed Edward’s lead. After leaving the mansion and crossing the garden, they arrived at none other than the greenhouse.

And upon entering the greenhouse, Lea’s gaze was captivated by a particular tree.

“This is…”

The only thing that could cure Akhia and her side effects.

Lea looked at the Reparatio tree in front of her and smiled bitterly, thinking she had found a clue to the cure for the side effects.

“Now it doesn’t matter anymore.”

After a long time staring blankly at the tree, Lea shook her head. It was painful just to stand in front of the Reparatio tree.

No, just living and breathing alone was hell.

“Akhia…”

As Lea, who had no strength left, was about to break down in front of the tree, a familiar fragrance wafted through the air.

Or maybe Edward, who had momentarily left, entered the greenhouse. Lea wiped away her tears, thinking it might be him.

At that moment, a familiar and dearly missed voice quietly echoed through the greenhouse.

“Lea.”

Whether she was dreaming or hearing hallucinations from longing too much, the voice resounded quietly in the greenhouse.

‘Whose voice is this…’

The voice she missed so much and longed for echoed softly in the greenhouse.

Lea turned her stiffened head with great effort, and there, in the direction where the wind was blowing.

“…Duke?”

Akhia was standing.