Whenever the Duke was away from the mansion, Viare would sneak into his study, searching everywhere for clues related to the royal family. However, given the Duke’s meticulous nature, it was unlikely he would store any suspicious items in his study at the mansion. Known for his aversion to being caught, he would not keep any confidential documents in his study.

‘Gaisen must already know their location.’

Her brother did not want Viare to get close to the family’s secrets, so asking him would likely yield no useful information.

‘Then, where could Father hide something…’

“Could it really be in the Cheilo Trading Company?”

It struck Viare that when the Duke was away, the study’s door within the mansion might be open, but the office of the Cheilo Trading Company was always locked.

“Why didn’t I think of that?”

One space in the mansion, inaccessible to her and reserved for her father, was the office of Predik Rouschev in the Cheilo Trading Company.

‘Surely it’s cleaning day today.’

Viare hurriedly put on her coat and headed to her workplace, the Cheilo Trading Company.

As she had expected, the staff at the trading company were busy cleaning. A supervisor, noticing Viare, approached with a puzzled expression.

“Miss, it’s not a working day for you, is it?”

“Yes, I’ve left some documents at the company. Where are the two of them?”

“The Duke and the Young Duke have stepped out for a while.”

“Alright, go back to your work.”

Once he returned to his place, Viare, pretending to go to her office, headed upstairs instead. She acknowledged the greetings from the staff without arousing any suspicion and glanced at a door in the distance.

The largest room in the spacious second-floor corridor was the Duke’s private office. The door seemed to be unlocked.

The only chance to sneak into the office was when the Duke’s personal valet would momentarily leave the room during cleaning. Viare waited for the right moment.

‘Now’s the time.’

Soon, the valet emerged from the Duke’s study to water the plants, giving Viare a window of opportunity.

She quickly slipped into the study unseen.

‘Where could it be?’

Having only been there for official signings, Viare hadn’t paid much attention to the details of the office before. She searched likely places for important documents or items.

The desk surface was immaculately organized with no visible items of interest. The drawers were the same.

About to turn back in disappointment, she heard a faint hollow sound beneath her feet. Investigating, she discovered a hidden space beneath the floorboards.

‘Could Father…’

After ensuring she was alone, Viare hurriedly examined the confidential documents and ledgers in the hidden space. They seemed unremarkable, just ordinary bundles of papers.

‘Should I be relieved…?’

Constantly anxious her father might be deeply involved with the royal family, she breathed a sigh of relief.

But then, as she lifted the last bundle of papers, a safe hidden in the vacant space caught her eye, sending a shock through her.

‘What if all this is a decoy, and the real secrets are inside that safe?’
Viare couldn’t recklessly open the meticulously locked safe, so she hurriedly tidied up, suppressing her complicated feelings. Hearing the Duke and Gaisen conversing downstairs, along with the thudding footsteps of someone approaching, Viare panicked, realizing she might be caught.

Rushing to leave the office, she found the Duke’s valet already nearing the door. Biting her lip in desperation, Viare looked for a hiding place but found none.

‘Then, the only option left is…’

The window. It was the only way she could escape without being noticed, left open for cleaning.

Trembling, she climbed through the window, stepping onto the ledge between floors.

‘Please help me, mother.’

Praying not to be caught and to make a safe escape, Viare swallowed her loud heartbeat.

In the office, the returning valet greeted the Duke.

“Have you arrived, Duke?”

“Yes, is cleaning finished?”

“Yes, Sir.”

“Then, you may leave, but wait…”

“What’s the matter, Sir?”

“Did a rat sneak in?”

“A rat, Sir? That’s unlikely…”

The Duke, with a cold expression, stomped several times on the same spot and then stared out the window.

“I regret this incident. Should have been more careful.”

After reprimanding the valet, he gestured for an aide to escort the valet out.

“And you, catch that rat. It couldn’t have gone far.”

“As you command, Sir.”

At his order, a search party began scouring the area for the suspected intruder.

Carefully stepping away to avoid detection, Viare reached the opposite railing.

But the search party would soon find her, and she couldn’t escape the Duke’s suspicion.

Trying to calm her shaky limbs, she prepared to jump.

‘It’s okay. I won’t die from this fall.’

Viare closed her eyes and stepped into the air.

Thud― Landing awkwardly, she slightly twisted her ankle and had to suppress a groan.

Unable to run fast in this state, she feared being caught by the search party before reaching Tonio.

Alone, injured, in a secluded alley – the scene was suspicious enough.

‘I need to buy more time.’

Limping, she hid in a narrow alleyway, panting heavily. Then she heard someone approach.

‘Please, just pass by.’

“What’s going on here…”

“Isn’t that the Duke?”

A member of the search party stopped someone approaching Viare.

In a critical moment, Viare’s heart raced, and she tried to stay calm.

“I heard you joined the search party, but you’re here.”

“Pleasure to see you again, Duke of Berdeum.”

‘Duke of Berdeum? Could it be…’

Unexpectedly, Viare felt her breath hitch.

Unable to close her agape mouth, she barely managed to control her trembling chin.

“Is that person with you?”

“…Yes.”

“Seems I’ve disturbed your time. I’ll leave first.”

Luckily, the search party member left without seeing Viare’s face.

Alone in the alleyway, the approaching figure inquired about her condition.

“Are you alright?”
Trembling, Viare turned around and felt her heart drop.

‘Sion… it’s really you.’

It was indeed Dension Berdeum. Viare had searched every place filled with their memories, waiting endlessly in places they had been together. Yet, in the past two years, she hadn’t met him – the past had changed.

‘Why… why appear now?’

“Why…”

Viare’s delicate blue-green eyes were on the verge of crumbling into tears.

Struggling to clear her blurred vision, tears streamed down her cheeks.

“Are you hurt?”

“Why did you help me?”

She didn’t resent him, but harsh words she didn’t mean kept slipping out, a habit that hadn’t changed over time. She just wanted to confirm once more if he remembered her.

“I helped because you looked like you needed it. That’s all.”

Yet, Dension’s indifferent voice, filled with calmness, made Viare hide her troubled expression. He used to speak so tenderly when calling her name, but the man before her now had icy eyes.

‘Wishing for the past you might be my selfishness.’

Wiping her tears incompletely, Viare barely composed herself and thanked him.

“Thank you, Duke. I owe it to you.”

“Glad to have been of help.”

Viare watched his retreating figure blankly. She wanted to call out to him, but she no longer had a reason to hold him back.

The current Dension didn’t know her.

Though she understood his situation, accepting it emotionally was too much.

“I missed you so much…”

Overwhelmed with a poignant sensation in her heart, Viare collapsed, tears welling up in her eyes again.

The man she longed for so dearly was lost to her, unable to even exchange words.

She couldn’t promise another meeting, so she dwelled on their brief encounter.

Viare, losing track of time, stared at the spot where he vanished. Whether it was her tears or raindrops wetting the ground, the marks at her feet were vivid.