“It was my father’s accident.”

“……”

“There were many strange things about the accident, but no one other than me wanted to investigate it in detail. I couldn’t investigate either because I had no one to help me. But now it’s different.”

Riena approached the countess and said, emphasizing each word.

“I will uncover all the truth with Grand Duke Winkler. Can you still hold your head high?”

“What are you talking about now? Are you saying I killed my husband?”

The countess’s voice trembled slightly, though she tried to act nonchalant.

“I didn’t say that, but do you perhaps have a guilty conscience?”

“You, you don’t know the grace of being raised by me…!”

Unable to contain her anger, Countess Dyke raised her right hand high.

And then.

Slap!

Just as she had done at the Dyke estate, she slapped Riena’s cheek with all her might. She glared at Riena, who was dazed and holding her stinging cheek. Riena also stared straight back at her.

This was not the Dyke estate. At the Dyke estate, she had let it go because she didn’t want to cause a scene, but she couldn’t let it go here. This was not just her own problem, but a matter of the Winkler family’s prestige.

However, before Riena could even respond.

“What is the meaning of this?”

A voice that shouldn’t have been heard in this room was heard, and Cassel quickly approached Riena.

“Cassel?”

“Well, Grand Duke. That……”

“Are you all right?”

Without even giving a glance to Countess Dyke and Bianca, he checked on Riena.

“I’m fine…, it’s nothing.”

Riena lowered her head to hide her reddened cheek. The injury from the slap was really nothing. With an ice compress right away, it wouldn’t swell much and would subside.

However, her heart ached more than her cheek. She was ashamed and miserable. She had wanted to show only a perfect appearance to Cassel……

“Please go out and wait. The conversation isn’t over yet.”

Riena barely held back the tears that were about to spill out and pushed Cassel’s chest. However, Cassel did not budge and instead narrowed the distance. Not knowing her heart, he even bent his head to check her face.

“How is this nothing?”

Seeing the red mark that was not completely covered by her hand, he said, unable to hide his anger.

“Is this something trivial to you? Or……”

His sharp eyes turned to Countess Dyke, who was fidgeting.

“Have you been living with this kind of disrespect to the point where it’s nothing?”

Strictly speaking, it was the latter. However, she had an ominous feeling that if she said it straight out, something bad would happen.

But as if Cassel had read the truth in Riena’s silence, he ordered the head butler standing outside.

“What are you doing? Not sending these people back quickly.”

His voice was not very loud, but it had an intimidating force as if he were shouting.

The head butler brought in servants and started to forcibly drag out Countess Dyke and Bianca.

“Grand Duke, you misunderstand! It’s not like that……”

Cassel coldly dismissed the countess, who continued to make excuses until the end.

“Lady Dyke is already my person. Your attitude towards her is the same as towards me.”

“But……”

“Even so, you are her family, so I am letting this pass without questioning your mistake. So it would be better not to test my patience any further.”

As soon as Cassel gave a warning in a stiff voice, the attendants no longer waited and drove out the countess and Bianca from the drawing room.

“It’s a misunderstanding, Grand Duke! Please listen to me…!”

The two tried their best not to be dragged out, but they were eventually kicked out.

“I apologize. I will make sure this doesn’t happen again.”

“……”

The head butler looked at Cassel’s mood and left the drawing room. When the door was firmly closed, only Cassel and Riena were left in the room.

Cassel sat Riena on the sofa and knelt on one knee in front of her.

His eyes were red with an emotion that could be anger or sadness.

“Ah……”

It was exactly the same look as in the dream. The expression of being at a loss and heartbroken at her being hurt, and the touch that was careful even to touch one of her fingers.

The man who seemed to have nothing to fear in the world was fretting over just a small wound of Riena’s.

Riena felt a thrill at the sight of him, but at the same time, her heart ached. It seemed like she occupied such a large part of his life.

If, by any chance, she were to leave this place, would this man be able to endure it?

Until recently, she thought he could.

“I was happy with you, and unhappy without you. I don’t have the confidence to endure that pain again.”

But after hearing those words, Riena thought that maybe Cassel wouldn’t be able to bear it if he was left alone.

Unlike in the dream, Riena was able to move freely. Without knowing, she raised her hand and brushed his eyes with her thumb.

She stroked his cheek with her palm, which seemed to be crying even though he wasn’t shedding tears. Then Cassel carefully took her hand. And then he deeply kissed her palm.

“I didn’t want to see you get hurt anymore.”

His breath on her palm was hot. Enchanted by it, Riena failed to realize that his words contained a subtle implication.

“I kept you by my side to protect you, but why……”

“You already protected me.”

Riena stroked his hair with her other hand that was not caught by him. As she swept back his black hair that had fallen on his forehead, his eyes became more visible.

“If it weren’t for you, I would have inevitably become Baron Rothman’s wife by now. Or if not that……”

Riena smiled bitterly as she recalled Johannes’s face.

“I might have been engaged to Lord Belliard.”

Was it her imagination? Cassel was much more shaken when Johannes’s name came up than when Baron Rothman’s name did. She could see his Adam’s apple going up and down.

“You have already changed my life.”

Riena carefully held his face with both hands and looked into his eyes up close.

“So don’t make that face.”

“……”

“Don’t be sad about this.”

Cassel didn’t say anything more. He closed his eyes tightly and breathed deeply.

Riena waited silently until he gathered his emotions. She could wait as long as it took with him.

Finally, Cassel opened his eyes after sorting out all his emotions and asked.

“What on earth were you talking about with the countess?”

Riena honestly told him.

“It’s obvious. It seems the financial situation of the Dyke family is not very good. Mother was demanding money, saying she didn’t receive a dowry from the Winkler family.”

“……”

“You already paid off debts on behalf of Dyke. But they shamelessly asked for more money. It was such an absurd claim that I was going to ignore it. If it weren’t for Aaron’s story……”

Her throat tightened. Cassel caressed the back of her hand as if it was okay.

Riena managed to continue speaking.

“Aaron is said to be sick. I don’t know if it’s true or not, but according to Mother’s claim, he seems to be sicker than I thought. But she said there is no money to even go see a doctor, so at least save Aaron first.”

It was upsetting. It was painful enough that Aaron was sick, but it was sad that she had to explain this situation to Cassel in such detail.

It was not enough to show him only good sides, so why did she always end up showing him only this kind of appearance?

Riena couldn’t bear to look at Cassel’s face, so she lowered her head and said.

“I don’t want to provide financial support. Because I don’t know where Mother will use it again. But if Aaron is really sick, I can’t turn a blind eye. Aaron may not have followed me well, but he is still my precious younger brother.”

“I understand. I feel a similar emotion towards Noah.”

“……”

“Then what would you like to do? I will follow your wishes.”

Riena mumbled while still keeping her head down.

“If it’s okay, I’d like to send the Winkler family doctor. And provide medicine until Aaron gets better.”

Cassel answered without a moment’s hesitation.

“All right. I’ll have them sent right away.”

“And… can I go with you to check on Aaron?”

“Of course. In return, I will go with you.”

“…Thank you.”

“It’s something I should do.”

“Still, thank you.”

Instead of answering, Cassel pressed his lips firmly on Riena’s hand again before getting up.

“By the way, we should hurry up with the wedding.”