“……Well, of course.”

Edward, who had been rolling his eyes, chuckled a moment later and said.

“I have that sheet music too.”

“As expected.”

Ariana raised her eyes in frustration.

Edward was further pleased by her agitated appearance.

Surely, that wench’s sore spot seemed to be in his grasp now.

Yes, Ariana used to follow my maternal grandfather well when she was young. Eduardo also used to dote on Ariana, calling her ‘our granddaughter’ all the time.

Recalling the memories of his younger days that irked him, Edward smiled crookedly.

“Give it back. It’s my sheet music. It’s my music that grandfather made just for me.”

“My, my, Duchess Heigenberg.”

Edward chuckled and shook his head.

“You’re not even a Lopez person anymore. If it’s grandfather’s sheet music, it’s our family heirloom, and I can’t give it to an outsider.”

Sparks flew in Ariana’s eyes.

“You’re not making sense. Where did you hide it? In the study’s safe?”

That was a point Edward was curious about too.

Judging by Ariana’s reaction, it was certain that an unpublished sheet music existed, but where on earth was it sleeping?

Not in the study’s safe. As soon as he became the head of the family, he searched there first, but all he found was Part 3 of ‘Fantasy Butterfly’.

As Edward pondered in silence, Ariana took a deep breath.

“Step aside. I’ll go look for myself.”

“Where do you think you’re going?”

“Now that I know the sheet music still exists, I won’t leave until I get it back. I’ll search thoroughly, not just the safe but also the secret compartment inside it!”

‘……Secret compartment?’

Edward froze as if struck by lightning.

There’s a separate secret compartment inside the safe?

It was the first time he’d heard of this. However…

Thinking about it, it wasn’t impossible. It was common for nobles to have more secret spaces inside their safes.

‘Why does only this wench know about it?’

That damn old man. There’s a limit to favoritism.

While he hesitated for a moment, Ariana tried to leave the room. Edward hurriedly blocked her way.

“You’re crazy. You’re going to rummage through a place that’s not even your home anymore? Want to be stopped by the guards and be humiliated? If the duchess does such a thing, it will tarnish the name of the duke’s family.”

Mentioning the duke’s family seemed to have an effect as Ariana flinched. Edward sneered.

“Go back quietly, you damned wench. Do you think you own the world now that you’ve become a duchess? Even so, you, you haven’t even captured the duke’s affection.”

Contrary to his expectations that she would strut around annoyingly as soon as she became a duchess, Ariana had secluded herself right after the wedding.

What else could be the reason for not attending even a single social event as a couple?

If a wife is pretty, a husband naturally wants to show her off wherever he goes, but instead, he’s hiding her away – the reason was obvious.

“So stop talking and just-”

Knock, knock knock!

Just then, an urgent knocking sound was heard.

“Ma, master. I think you should come out.”

“What’s the fuss about? I’ll come out when I’m ready, so wait.”

“Well, I think you should come out right now…!”

As Edward looked at the door in irritation, it was at that moment.

The servant hurriedly reported.

“Duke Heigenberg has come to visit!”

“…What?”

Edward’s eyes widened.

* * *

“……”

The moment the man appeared beyond the door, the party fell into silence.

Towering height and exquisitely handsome features as if drawn. Above all, crimson eyes sharp enough to cut just by glancing.

There was no one in this place who couldn’t guess the man’s name.

“I heard my wife came out for an outing here.”

Dante spoke, looking around at the faces turned towards him in hushed silence.

“Has anyone seen her?”

People hurriedly exchanged glances and whispered at the weighty question.

“Goodness. The Duke himself…”

“Wh-where did the Duchess go?”

“She moved with the Count earlier, didn’t she? I haven’t seen her since then…”

“Qu… quickly, let’s find her.”

Elena was among those flustered.

‘Did he really come to look for sister?’

So he hadn’t lost interest in Ariana after all?

With Edward absent, Elena should have been the one to greet the noble guest, but she couldn’t bring herself to speak.

She recalled the memory of mistaking Dante, who came as a guest on Lucas and Ariana’s wedding day, for coming to see her.

But that had been her misunderstanding.

How shocked and angry she had been when she witnessed Dante kissing Ariana.

Seeing him now, searching for Ariana with such fierce eyes, it felt like those emotions were being revived.

Unlike the stiff Elena, Adolf’s eyes lit up as he approached Dante to make his acquaintance.

“Your Grace! I introduced myself before, didn’t I? It’s an honor to meet you again. I’m Adolf Schmitt, whom I greeted last time-”

“I’m not in the mood for trivial greetings right now.”

A chilling voice cut off Adolf’s words.

Dante looked around the banquet hall with eyes dripping with displeasure.

“I haven’t seen my wife for half a day, you see.”

“I-I’m sorry.”

Adolf hurriedly bowed his head.

‘Just because of half a day…?’

‘My goodness. The newlyweds are indeed passionate.’

‘There were subtle rumors that the Duchess wasn’t favored… but that’s not true at all?’

“So.”

Dante opened his mouth amidst the busy exchange of glances.

“Where is my wife?”

He demanded, casting his gaze over the frozen crowd.

The red irises made no attempt to hide their impatient thirst.

A young man who unfortunately met his eyes trembled as he spoke.

“Th-the Duchess moved to talk with the Count a little while ago…”

“Alone with the Count?”

“Ye-yes. That’s what it… seemed like…”

Tsk.

Dante clicked his tongue softly and muttered some curse under his breath.

Uncontained killing intent suddenly expanded as if about to explode.

People now deeply understood why this man, who had seemed merely handsome and scary, was called the terrible nightmare of the battlefield and a murderer.

Someone please bring the Duchess to this person.

Is this how it feels when we’ve encountered a beast out of its cage and have no bait in our hands?

The people who were enjoying the party until just now were now desperately searching for Ariana with one mind and heart.

“Your Grace.”

At that moment, an elderly butler stepped forward before him.

“I will guide you to where the Duchess is.”

“Lead the way.”

People admired the butler’s courage as they watched the backs of the two in hushed silence.

The servant who had been desperately calling out towards the room in the middle of the corridor spotted him and startled.

“Master! The Duke is looking for the Duchess right now, so please hurry… Eek!”

Ignoring the servant who had fallen on his bottom, Dante strode forward and violently flung open the door.

“What! I said I’d be out soon, how dare you- Gasp.”

From inside the room, Edward with a terrified expression and Ariana with equally round eyes like a rabbit both looked at him simultaneously.

Dante put on a crooked smile.

“If it isn’t my damned brother-in-law.”

“Your… Grace.”

Edward’s entire body froze like stone. Never had the word ‘brother-in-law’ sounded so menacing as it did today.

There was no time to question whether it was right for him to be called a brother-in-law.

Dante turned to look at Ariana. When he saw that her surprised eyes were tinged red, his crimson eyes hardened terrifyingly.

“Did you make my wife cry?”

“It-it’s a misunderstanding.”

Edward’s mouth went completely dry.

Dante took one step, drawing very close to Edward. The more apparent difference in physique up close overwhelmed Edward.

“It would be best not to lay a hand or mouth carelessly on Ariana.”

A large hand grabbed Edward’s collar and lifted him up.

“Gu-guh, what is this-”

Edward’s eyes bulged as he dangled in mid-air.

Tears began to form in his eyes due to the difficulty breathing.

“My wife may have been generous enough to let it go with just a kick to the shin.”

Dante curled his lips fiercely.

“But I’m not.”

Only after Edward’s eyes were stained even redder than Ariana’s did Dante seem satisfied and release his collar.

“Cough, cough!”

Edward collapsed to the floor, coughing violently.

Edward’s complexion turned pale with humiliation and shame.

It seemed the Duke knew about the time he had slapped Ariana’s cheek in anger when she had visited home last time.

Damn wench, she had already tattled about that!

Anger surged, but Edward couldn’t say a word.

Standing before those arrogantly looking down eyes, he felt like a cornered mouse.

It was humiliating and shameful, but instinct warned him. He shouldn’t talk back even a single word.

‘Damn it… Wasn’t she just being neglected?’

Isn’t that the look of a male protecting his precious thing!

Filled with terror, Edward felt dismayed.

‘What if Ariana begs the Duke to let her search the secret safe?’

In Edward’s mind, it was already a given fact that there were unpublished sheet music inside the secret compartment of the safe.

Until just now, he hadn’t even known of its existence, but now it had become a treasure he absolutely couldn’t lose.

Fortunately, instead of whining to the Duke and tattling, Ariana asked with a slightly puzzled face.

“Your Grace. How did you come here?”

“My wife sure knows how to say hurtful things.”

At that moment, the onlookers doubted their eyes.

The fierce gaze from just moments ago melted instantly as if touched by a warm breeze.

Dante smiled brightly and wrapped one arm around Ariana’s waist.

A small exclamation of “Oh my” burst out from among the crowd of spectators who had followed silently.

“I went home and you weren’t there. So I had no choice but to come looking for you.”

A thick and sweet voice as if honey was dripping.

The noble ladies blushed as they stole glances at the scene.

In the center of the pouring gazes, Ariana opened her mouth with a troubled expression.

“I’m sorry for making you come all this way… but I was planning to return soon.”

“You should.”

Dante smiled brightly as he continued.

“Because you have to perform tonight too.”

“……”

Tonight and performance.

At those two words, Ariana unconsciously bit her lower lip.

As the Duchess’s cheeks reddened, the noble ladies’ eyes sparkled as they exchanged whispers behind their fans.

“Do you think they exchanged love songs?”

“They’re talking non-stop. My, their marital harmony is really good.”

The couple’s appearance was the very image of a perfect pair who couldn’t take their eyes off each other for even a moment.

The rumor that the Duchess was being neglected and thus not appearing in social circles would be completely dispelled after tonight.

Watching that scene, Elena quietly gritted her teeth.