The palace garden was quickly cleaned up, and as the sun set, a considerable amount of outdoor lighting was lit throughout the garden. As the boisterous laughter and loud music faded away, the dazed mind slowly began to return.

“How did you get here? Ah! Edward is a nobleman of the empire, right?”

Edward smiled gently as always at the sight of Ariel asking and answering herself. As he came out, he took off his stuffy hat. There was no need to hide anymore.

“Was this what you meant by having business? The birthday party? Or the competition?”

“This is the business, and it’s because of the competition. Our company is involved, you know.”

“Then why didn’t you say anything yesterday?”

Edward chuckled softly at the questions that came without pause.

“I couldn’t decide whether to come directly or ask for a favor. By the way, we need to grow our company diligently now, don’t we?”

“Yes. But I’m sorry for making only Edward busier.”

Ariel, who was trying to dismiss her apology with a broad smile, slumped down on a bench that appeared in front of her. It was a bright spot with outdoor lighting nearby.

“Let’s sit here for a moment. My legs hurt from standing for so long today.”

“Well, you must have been tired from cooking yourself.”

“Did you see? How did everyone recognize me when I hid it so perfectly?”

Edward’s smile deepened at the sight of her tilting her head.

Edward carefully examined Ariel, who had finally calmed down. A faint smile appeared on his lips as his gaze reached her neck. It wasn’t the necklace he had given her. It seemed to suit Ariel quite well.

But the current necklace seemed to suit her even better. A jewel the same color as Ariel’s eyes.

“The necklace suits you well.”

“Right? The duke also said it was pretty.”

Edward’s eyes dimmed a little at the sight of her smiling brightly and lifting her head to the sky. However, by the time Ariel’s gaze turned back to him, he had returned to being the Edward Camellon that she always loved so much.

***

“Congratulations on today’s victory. As expected, you live up to your reputation.”

Kaius nodded lightly in response to the people who kept offering words of congratulations. He returned to his seat with polite smiles and occasional words of humility, but Ariel was nowhere to be seen.

Kaius looked around carefully once more but couldn’t find her. He thought she might have gone out to the terrace because of the noise, but she wasn’t there either. Then the only place left was the garden. The garden was clearly visible from the terrace, and there were enough outdoor lights to illuminate the darkness.

As his eyes slowly scanned the garden, he saw Ariel. With Edward Camellon, whom she liked. Smiling prettily.

***

“Here you are. Congratulations, Kaius.”

A familiar voice was heard while he was leaning on the railing smoking a cigar. Rashid von Baltesran, a close friend, appeared, but Kaius only nodded slightly without even turning his gaze.

“You won’t even show your face because I came late?”

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that all the carrier pigeons in the empire came from the Baltesran Marquis family. They developed special feed to call them to desired locations and make them travel long distances. For that reason, Rashid was always traveling around the continent looking for special birds. He had said there was no need to come to today’s competition. Yet he made sure to make time. As long as it was about Kaius.

“I was there when they were selecting the judges. I just left my seat for a while after I was eliminated.”

Rashid, who approached from the side while complaining, held out a glass of alcohol while resting his elbows on the railing just like Kaius. Kaius’s Adam’s apple visibly moved as he drank from the glass with the hand not holding the cigar.

“Who is it?”

Rashid knew that the duchess was where Kaius’s gaze was directed. With an unfamiliar man. Although it wasn’t a question expecting an answer, Kaius was, as always, expressionless and silent.

“The fact that he attended the banquet means he’s a nobleman of the empire, and he seems quite close to your wife to the point of taking off his jacket and draping it over her, so he must be someone connected to Letiana. Who is he?”

Rashid, who had been looking puzzled, shifted his gaze to Kaius. His emotionless eyes were looking at the empty glass. Rashid opened the terrace door and snapped his fingers. When a servant approached, he asked for a bottle of alcohol.

“The carrier pigeon?”

Rashid’s eyebrows raised at the unexpected question. At that moment, the terrace door opened again and the servant handed over the bottle of alcohol. Rashid chuckled as he emptied the refilled glass.

“I brought it. The palace’s main gate is probably quite noisy right now.”

Kaius’s mouth, which had laughed briefly, closed again.

“I heard your wife’s performance today was remarkable. That she captured the heart of the Empress Dowager. And on top of that, you received the dragon’s heart and the tears of Talitroia that you had obtained with difficulty?”

Rashid saw Kaius nodding slowly. It was the refilled glass of alcohol that opened his tightly closed lips. Kaius’s gaze naturally turned to his wife as he stubbed out the finished cigar in the ashtray.

“It’s difficult for many nobles to even see the face of the Empress Dowager no matter how hard they try, but to capture her heart at once. What an amazing wife you have.”

Rashid looked at Kaius with a strange gaze as he gently curved the corners of his lips.

It seemed that she had captured not only the Empress Dowager’s heart.

“Perhaps today’s victory might be because of your wife.”

As he muttered as if talking to himself, the terrace door opened, and Rashid glanced in that direction.

“Who do we have here. Isn’t it Baron Demian, who is being hailed as today’s chef?”

Demian, whose face had turned red at Rashid’s laughing remark, bowed deeply to the two men.

“Your Excellency. I have something to tell you.”

Rashid let out a surprised exclamation and quickly looked around as Demian suddenly knelt down. Fortunately, they were the only ones on the terrace. He walked briskly to the front of the terrace door and leaned against it. Such a sight would never be good for today’s two protagonists.

Demian had noticed that His Excellency had found out that the duchess was the assistant who helped with the cooking, and had come to confess his sin.

Kaius slowly turned his body and looked down at Demian.

“What’s the matter?”

Demian’s shoulders flinched at the emotionless voice and he glanced at Rashid behind him.

“Speak. It’s alright.”

“I’m sorry. I realized belatedly that there was a problem with my elbow. The duchess noticed it, so it’s all my fault, so for the duchess…”

“That’s enough. It’s already over, so go back and treat your arm.”

“But, then the duchess…”

“Baron Demian. That’s not your concern. Go back now.”

At the low command, Demian hesitantly stood up. He tried to open his lips again several times but faced with Kaius’s cold gaze, he reluctantly left the terrace.

“What’s this about? I heard there was one more missing female cook. Don’t tell me.”

Rashid asked with a dumbfounded expression, but all that came back was silence. But he knows. What that silence means. Rashid’s gaze naturally shifted to the duchess.

That such a beautiful and modest-looking woman put on an apron and grilled steaks? And Kaius watched it all along? It was quite an astounding situation, and he knew he shouldn’t tease, but he kept chuckling.

“Damn, I should have seen your face directly.”

Finally, Rashid burst into laughter.

***

“I apologize, Your Majesty the Empress.”

Empress Catherine, who had left the banquet early, sat across from Rosalyn Vianne on a sofa in her private office.

“Have some tea, Miss Rosalyn.”

Despite her soft tone, Empress Catherine’s eyes were cold.

“I clearly informed them of Demian’s location, but it seems they didn’t handle the matter properly.”

Rosalyn didn’t just watch the indifferent duke all year round. There were plenty of men who would come running if she just reached out. She had asked her man on the day she left to extract information according to the empress’s conditions. And it was very successful, but the fools couldn’t even properly injure that mere chef.

“I didn’t call you to ask about something that’s already over, so let’s stop talking about that.”

“Then what you promised me…”

Rosalyn looked at Empress Catherine’s expression.

“There’s no justification for a divorce now. Moreover, she’s a woman who has caught the eye of the Empress Dowager. It means we can’t carelessly interfere.”

Rosalyn’s eyes began to waver. She had been firmly believing only in Empress Catherine, but the answer came back that it was impossible.

“Unless an unfortunate accident happens…”

Rosalyn unconsciously swallowed dry saliva at Empress Catherine’s quietly uttered words.

“But only if she gets injured so severely that she can’t recover even with a potion, or loses her life. But accidents don’t happen that easily, so that won’t be easy either.”

Empress Catherine smiled gently as she moistened her lips with a teacup. She had no intention of leaving alone the woman who had ruined her work and even taken Emperor Hart’s attention. Moreover, there was a greedy woman willing to do it for her.

“Furthermore, once she returns to the duke’s residence soon, the duchess will become very safe, so the risk of accidents will disappear. I’m not sure when I’ll be able to help Miss Rosalyn.”

“I understand. Then I’ll take my leave now.”

***

The bench where Ariel had been sitting was empty.

As Kaius looked at that scene, which felt almost desolate, an inexplicable emptiness suddenly invaded his heart. Casting his gaze a bit further, he saw Ariel on the fir tree path. That man, Edward, was there too.

Seeing that sight felt like a heavy stone was placed on his chest.

Would she be wearing it today too? That bracelet Ariel had made for him.

He should have pretended not to know and thrown it into the fireplace that day. Like the opal necklace Edward had given to Ariel. If he had done that, he wouldn’t have needed to feel this humiliation.

Kaius, who had been silently looking at the empty bench for a long time, looked at Rashid.

“I’ll take the carrier pigeon next time.”

“Why? Where are you going?”

Kaius answered by opening the terrace door and began to stride across the banquet hall with wide steps.