“Thank you. Really, thank you…”

His face, unexpectedly serene for a duke who had commanded an empire, must have recalled the nightmare of Ariel’s death upon hearing the accident news.

Lea felt sorry for Dmitry, who had worried about her until she returned to the capital.

“I won’t forget the favor of protecting my granddaughter.”

“No, it was something I should have done, so don’t feel burdened…”

Edward politely expressed his gratitude to the Belarus Duke. As Lea watched the two, she hesitated under the unfamiliar gaze she felt from behind.

Certainly, Emma’s eyes were unmistakably fixed on her.

At first, it was unbelievable. The fact that she had been betrayed by Emma.

Emma had been her exclusive maid, who had opened her heart to Lea since she entered the Belarus estate.

However, when the actions of Emma, who had been guarding her side, turned out to be all lies, Lea trembled for several days.

‘How could you do this.’

Every time she saw Emma, who had tried to kill Akhia, Lea’s anger boiled. Even after several days, she couldn’t look Emma in the eye when she recalled that fact.

She wanted to rush over and ask why she had betrayed her. Now she had to endure and be patient.

‘To make Hwang Taehu fall into the trap, I have to deceive Emma first.’

Emma was a bait to lead Hwang Taehu to the edge of the cliff.

She gazed at Emma with a pitiful look outwardly, while inside, she sharpened the knife in anticipation of the day when Hwang Taehu and the spider fell into the abyss.

“Grandfather, I’ll go up now.”

“Go ahead.”

As soon as Dmitry gave permission, Lea turned and left. Dmitry, who had been holding Lea, looked at her back climbing the stairs and felt his heart tighten.

He hadn’t allowed the two of them to marry to see his deeply wounded granddaughter in this state.

Lea’s unhappiness cut deep into Dmitry’s heart like a sharp blade.

Lea lay on the bed with closed eyes, her face as pale as a sheet of paper.

Seeing her lifeless face, Emma couldn’t help but rejoice inwardly.

Becoming a widow immediately after declaring her marriage to Duke Heidern. Emma silently smiled at Lea’s pitiful situation.
“Miss is the darling of the duke’s family, so honestly, it doesn’t matter, right?”

She, who was once a commoner like me, experienced a life-changing moment in an instant. Losing one husband wouldn’t make much difference, would it?

Thanks to Lea, who closed her eyes, Emma comfortably searched every corner of the bedroom. After confirming that there were no suspicious items or changes in the bedroom, Emma spoke to Lea.

“Miss, then rest.”

With a gentle touch, she pulled up the blanket to Lea’s neck and left the room. Lea, who had been lying still as if dead until Emma left the bedroom, opened her eyes.

Getting up, she checked every corner of the room. She searched just in case, but fortunately, it didn’t seem like Emma was trying to kill her.

Only then did a feeling of relief flood in, and Lea sat on the edge of the bed. Pretending not to have an appetite, she had eaten a little, but now her stomach growled.

‘Is the duke doing well?’

Akhia had said he would come soon, but he hadn’t set a specific date.

Not being by his side made her worry. What if he was not in good health? What if there were side effects? Maybe he missed her just as much.

It was a moment when she was immersed in such thoughts.

Lea, it’s me, Dmitry. May I come in for a moment?

With a brief knocking sound, Dmitry’s voice came. The duke approached Lea, who was sitting on the bed.

“What’s the matter?”

“Well… A letter has arrived for you from the palace.”

“A letter? From the emperor?”

At the mention of the palace, an image of Illei naturally came to Lea’s mind. Her forehead wrinkled at the thought that it might be a letter from the emperor aiming for Akhia’s empty seat.

Dmitry handed Lea a letter with a luxurious seal.

“No, it’s an invitation from Empress Hwang. She personally came to deliver it, inviting you to the tea party.”

Reading the invitation, Lea’s fingertips trembled slightly. The reason for Hwang Taehu’s invitation was clear.

‘To see my appearance.’

As evidence of that, the recipient on the invitation was ‘Duchess Heidern.’ Dmitry, watching her read the invitation, spoke to Lea with a concerned voice.

“Lea, if you don’t want to go, you don’t have to. I can convey your refusal…”

“No, I will go.”

Lea decided to respond to the invitation. Even without that, she wanted to talk to the empress at least once.

‘Because she will be an enemy I have to face in the future.’

And she wouldn’t just let go of those who had harmed her husband.

Her eyes shone with determination.