“It’s so obvious.”

The crumpled letter from the Crown Prince was held in Casius’s hand.

Eric, who had entered the office on business, quickly raised his head at the voice he heard as soon as he entered.

“Is something wrong?”

Seeing the letter held in the Duke’s hand, Eric quickly assessed the current situation.

The paper that was undoubtedly sent by Crown Prince Trashi. Letters from the imperial family never brought good news to the ducal family.

“There’s serious unrest due to an epidemic caused by flooding in the duchy. He’s telling me to resolve it personally.”

“Since when has His Highness the Crown Prince cared about the complaints of village residents?”

Eric snorted in disbelief at the Duke’s words.

“He’s bringing up how I turned back the carriage on the way to inspect the flooded villages. He’s probably thinking of holding me responsible, saying the Duke isn’t taking care of his domain.”

“So that’s what he’s taking issue with.”

“Moreover, there are rumors in the capital about there being two suns.”

He knew that Casius’s red eyes had become a topic of conversation again after standing next to the Crown Prince at the celebration held by the Empress.

It was also well known that Trashi was in a very bad mood because of this, and that the servants in the Crown Prince’s palace were dwindling in number.

The Duke felt Trashi’s current actions were all too predictable.

“He wants us out of his sight. He’s telling the Duke and Duchess to personally handle the flood recovery and raise public sentiment.”

The Duke lifted the letter he had crumpled and began to read it again.

Trashi had often tried to get rid of the Duke when he was in a bad mood. He had even attempted to eliminate him on occasion.

It was a very familiar situation for the Duke, but unlike usual, there was something bothersome in the letter. It was that the Duke and Duchess should go together.

“Will you go together?”

“Of course not. Why would I need to share every little detail of the duchy?”

The Duke gave a curt reply to Eric’s question.

It’s a village that has already been damaged once by flooding and has been hit again. Going to the harvest festival together is one thing, but going to such a desolate place together is another matter.

Casius had no intention of taking Adeline along.

He ordered the selection of personnel to be dispatched to the village in question and dismissed Eric.

Casius, who had been away from the townhouse for a long time, had planned to stay in the capital for a while.

However, finding himself in a situation where he suddenly had to return to the duchy, he was hurriedly handling his affairs.

It was when he might have lost track of time due to the curtains being drawn in the office.

“You’re going to the duchy?”

Adeline burst into the office, striding in.

“It seems Cologne, one of our duchies, has suffered severe flood damage. The public sentiment is grim, so I’m thinking of going for an inspection.”

“I want to go too.”

Casius frowned and put down his pen. Then he got up and approached her.

“Adeline, it’s desolate there now. It’s not a place a noblewoman raised as you can endure.”

“Anywhere is better than here!”

Casius was perplexed by Adeline’s sudden behavior. Why was she being so stubborn when he was telling her to stay comfortably in the capital?

“I’ll go to Cologne alone. You stay here safely.”

Casius stroked Adeline’s hair.

Adeline snatched her hair away from the Duke’s hand, seemingly exasperated by his patronizing gesture.

“This is the capital! What am I supposed to do if I encounter His Highness the Crown Prince without you?”

Recalling the Crown Prince’s crazed gaze, Adeline felt goosebumps rising on her skin.

Her face contorted at the mere thought, finding it horrifying.

“Adeline, you won’t encounter the Crown Prince. Knights will continue to guard the mansion. Only a minimum number of people will head to the duchy.”

“Are you saying that I alone in the mansion without the Duke would mean nothing to the Crown Prince!”

Adeline couldn’t hear any of Casius’s words.

“I’ll protect you no matter what happens. Let’s sleep for now and talk tomorrow.”

Casius pulled Adeline by the waist to calm her down and forcibly led her to the bedroom.

Laid on the bed in the bedroom, led by him, Adeline continued to urge.

“Take me with you. I don’t want to be alone here.”

“Enough, I’m going for flood recovery. You’ll only be a hindrance there.”

“How would I be a hindrance? I’m the Duchess after all.”

Casius deliberately spoke coldly to break Adeline’s stubbornness.

“It would be troublesome if you got hurt or sick after taking you to the flood-affected area. Moreover, if I were to take you to that desolate Cologne, do you think the Marquis would stay quiet? If you don’t want to make things difficult for me, stay obediently in the mansion.”

Adeline knew well that she wouldn’t be of any help even if she went along.

At his cold voice, Adeline could no longer insist and quietly closed her eyes.

The awkwardness that arose after this day continued until the Duke left for Cologne two days later.

News that Duke Torpeo had left for Cologne was delivered to the Crown Prince’s palace.

“Was that handled well?”

“Yes. A trustworthy person has followed.”

Upon hearing of the Duke’s departure, the Crown Prince was having a certain conversation with his attendant standing beside him.

The person conversing with the Crown Prince was dressed as an attendant, but unlike other palace attendants, he had a large and burly build.

“I won’t tolerate the same mistake as last time.”

“I will convey that there will be no failure.”

While the conversation between Trashi and the attendant was ongoing, the Empress’s lady-in-waiting suddenly visited the Crown Prince’s bedroom.

“I seek an audience with Your Highness.”

The door swung open wide, and Larie standing behind the lady-in-waiting greeted Trashi.

Larie had stopped by the palace for a wedding dress fitting. After finishing her schedule, she was about to return when, unable to refuse the Empress’s suggestion to spend time with the Crown Prince before leaving, she came to see the Crown Prince.

The lady-in-waiting who guided Larie to the bedroom disappeared as if having fulfilled her duty, and the attendant who had been conversing with the Crown Prince also quietly left the bedroom at Larie’s appearance.

Only Larie and Trashi were left in the Crown Prince’s bedroom.

Trashi, in a much better mood due to the news of the Duke’s departure, rose from his seat to escort Larie.

“Ah.”

Larie flinched at Trashi’s movement. Startled by her own involuntary reaction, Larie let out a short exclamation.

Trashi, disregarding Larie’s behavior, began to take a step closer.

As the Crown Prince approached, Larie began to slowly back away. It was because she couldn’t bear the overwhelming fear.

The feet that had been moving one step at a time soon found no more ground to step on, blocked by the door.

“My lady.”

Larie flinched again at the Crown Prince’s gesture and tightly closed her eyes.

The Crown Prince had merely extended his hand to escort Larie. Yet she acted as if she were seeing a monster despite his show of kindness.

The mood that had been quite good until just now was completely ruined by Larie’s behavior.

“P-Please.”

With her chin lifted by the Crown Prince’s rough touch, Larie began to plead.

The fear of feeling her throat being choked again like the previous night came rushing back. Unable to endure the fear, Larie began to gasp for breath.

“Tell me, my lady. Why do you look at me like I’m vermin?”

Seeing Adeline’s eyes filled with both contempt and fear, Trashi’s mood hit rock bottom.

“S-Stop.”

With her chin lifted by the Crown Prince’s rough touch, Larie began to plead.

The fear of feeling her throat being choked again like the previous night came rushing back. Unable to endure the fear, Larie began to gasp for breath.

“Am I going to eat you alive?”

Suddenly irritated, the Crown Prince grasped both of Larie’s hands with his remaining hand.

Trashi held the bound hands with fierce strength to prevent them from moving.

Tears began to form in Larie’s eyes from the pain surging through her wrists. The sight of Larie struggling in pain was further stimulating Trashi’s sadistic tendencies.

“Ah. You’re soon to be the Crown Princess, it’s not bad to fulfill your duties in advance.”

Trashi licked his lips and began to wipe away the tears gathered in Larie’s eyes with his mouth.

“Hiccup.”

As Larie resisted more fiercely, feeling creeped out by the sensation, the Crown Prince threw her towards the sofa.

As Larie could only groan, unable to move due to the dull pain spreading through her back, the Crown Prince finally smiled with satisfaction and strode towards her.

“I prefer an obedient Crown Princess. My lady.”

“You can’t… do this to me.”

Disregarding Larie’s words, Trashi continued to push her.

“Her Majesty the Empress…”

It was when Larie, though barely able to hold herself up due to the pain, was trying to protest to the Crown Prince, seemingly unable to bear this humiliating situation.

At the mention of “Her Majesty the Empress” from Larie’s mouth, Trashi’s eyes flashed with anger.

“Ah. How tiresome. Are you bringing up my mother?”

In rising anger, Trashi threw a vase that was within reach.

“Ah.”

The shards of the broken vase flew up and once again left a hairline scratch on Larie’s cheek.

“Crown Prince, even if the lady becomes a corpse, I will hold a soul wedding with Larie’s body at the forefront. Remember that.”

At that moment, the words the Empress had earnestly implored to him flashed through Trashi’s mind.

The heated lust began to cool down. Soon losing interest, Trashi left the bedroom, leaving Larie behind.

After a considerable amount of time had passed, Larie, having tidied up her appearance, was able to leave the Crown Prince’s bedroom.

Although Larie was trying to act as if nothing had happened as she left the Crown Prince’s palace, it was impossible for a noble lady to perfectly arrange her attire by herself.

Seeing Larie’s disheveled state, the palace servants began to whisper among themselves, and rumors about the poor relationship between the Crown Prince and Larie began to spread from within the palace to the capital.

“Did you see Lady Larie? She had a large bandage on her cheek.”

“I heard she was scratched by a rose thorn?”

“Oh my. But Lady Larie seems to get injured every time she enters the palace?”

Larie began to receive small and large injuries every time she met the Crown Prince, and seeing this, the nobles began to exchange all sorts of speculative words along with rumors of discord.

“Surely not. Could His Highness the Crown Prince still be…”

“Could that rumor be true?”

When the Crown Prince was in a bad mood, Larie would receive such large injuries that she couldn’t appear in social circles for a while, and because of this, rumors of discord between the Crown Prince and Larie began to grow even more widespread.