Carl frowned at the meaningful smile Franz gave as he looked at Celeste’s baby.

What was the meaning behind that smile? Whatever it was, he was truly an unpleasant fellow. Just a leech on the imperial family, squandering the national treasury without doing any work.

The 10 or so minutes wasted on the platform felt like such a waste. Muttering that even 1 minute was too precious to waste on such a person, Carl boarded the carriage. Clovis followed, getting into the carriage as well.

“We had no idea the Grand Duke Toskur would come.”

“I sent a telegram to the Count’s mansion, so the news should have reached there sufficiently.”

“Even so, we didn’t predict he would come out to the platform to greet her. He’s not the type to see off or greet women.”

“He’s trying to make the circulating rumors into reality…”

Though he rarely showed emotion outwardly, he would let his guard down a bit when alone with Clovis like this. Perhaps that’s why a faint wrinkle appeared between Carl’s brows.

“Speaking of circulating rumors.”

Ah, belatedly recalling the rumors about Grand Duke Toskur and Countess Louisette, Clovis quickly closed his mouth.

That’s right. The two were publicly known lovers, and were even praised as a well-matched pair.

However, since almost no one had directly witnessed them together, opinions were divided on whether it was just an unfounded rumor or the truth. At least until he came to greet Countess Louisette at the train station today.

His Highness Grand Duke Franz, handsome and known for neither stopping women who came nor chasing after those who left, had spread rumors of affairs with countless women. But since he was in a position with nothing to lose, he never gave special treatment to anyone.

So many thought his relationship with Countess Louisette would just be another scandal floating around the capital before being forgotten by people.

But the Grand Duke himself, in person, led his knights to greet the Countess returning from the provinces.

This was no ordinary matter. It was a huge scandal that would likely be splashed across the front pages of the tabloids covering royal gossip as early as tomorrow.

“We’ll return to the imperial palace.”

“No.”

“Pardon?”

“We should do as that imperial leech expects. Follow Countess Louisette.”

“You mean go to Countess Louisette’s mansion? To escort her as Grand Duke Toskur said?”

The lover of Grand Duke Toskur, escorted home by Grand Duke Albrecht, his rival? This was perfect fodder for the socialite gossipmongers to spin tales about.

“Have you forgotten why Countess Louisette returned to the capital with us?”

“Ah… not escorting, but surveillance.”

She had returned to the capital as a suspect to cooperate with the investigation into the Duke of Swabia’s murder case. Carl, as the chief investigator, accompanying her to the mansion was closer to surveillance than protection.

The carriage that left the train station drove on and on, passing through Kleber Square. After passing through Kleber Street, the capital’s busiest area, and heading east along the Manus River, a lone hill rises up – the entire property belonging to the Louisette family.

The magnificent mansion located in the best spot on the hill boasted a scale that seemed no less than the imperial palace at first glance.

Though he had caught a glimpse of the Louisette mansion from afar while surveying the Manus River for imperial events, this was his first time entering. Following Celeste into the mansion, Carl immediately requested a private audience with her.

He was the type of man who needed to resolve his curiosity and uncover any suspicions to feel at ease. Such a personality was very helpful in his work as the chief of the imperial investigation bureau.

The place the family butler guided them to was a cozy study that seemed perfect for having a private conversation.

However, Celeste, who entered with him, looked around awkwardly as if visiting for the first time, despite it being her own home. Could she really have lost all her memories? Carl was still half-doubting her claim of having lost all her memories.

“I’ll ask directly. I’m not one for beating around the bush.”

Seeming flustered, Celeste started coughing. Guessing at the reason for her flustered reaction, Carl finally voiced the curiosity he had held since Clovis told him that Valerie looked exactly like him.

“Is Valerie my child?”

He hadn’t expected to get an easy answer. If her claims were true, Celeste really wouldn’t know who the child’s father was.

But the matter of Valerie’s biological father was actually something he could have asked privately after waiting for the summons date to be set for the investigation into the Duke of Swabia’s poisoning case.

Nevertheless, chasing her to her home to ask such a question was actually quite unlike him. Moreover, though he hid it well, Carl had actually come to the Count’s mansion without any composure.

“I asked if Valerie is my child.”

The rumors of Grand Duke Toskur and Countess Louisette being in that kind of relationship were something he had been hearing for years. Carl, who had long thought it was none of his business who Franz, branded as the imperial family’s leech for his messy and promiscuous private life, met or what he did, had no interest.

Moreover, the number of women mentioned as his partners was uncountable on one hand. It was unknown how many of those countless women were actually real lovers.

Celeste Aisha Louisette. The only daughter of the Louisette family, counted among the wealthiest in the empire, she was the most envied woman in the capital. With her outstanding beauty and solid family background, she lacked for nothing.

So perhaps it was only natural for rumors to circulate about her and Franz, infamous for making even roadside flowers blush with his handsome looks.

However, for Carl, who had focused on maintaining his dignity as royalty and disciplining himself, the rumors about those two were of no interest to him. At least until 2 years ago, when Celeste suddenly came to find him…

“Are you going to try to brush this off by saying you have no memory this time as well?”

At first, he thought the child’s blue eyes were the spitting image of Franz. In fact, for a child who had just turned one, her features were so distinct that, though he hated to admit it, he wondered if they were related by blood. After all, the two were known to be lovers.

“I really have no memory. I’m not lying.”

I don’t know anything. I don’t remember. Celeste’s face as she repeated those words really did look wronged. Her brows were furrowed and her mouth turned down as if frustrated. It was an expression he had seen somewhere before.

When was it, that night 2 years ago?

“That night.”

“Pardon?”

“Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten even that night, Celeste.”

But he also had circumstances to doubt the inside story of Valerie’s birth. Didn’t the timing match up appropriately? If Valerie’s blue eyes resembled not Franz but himself, as Clovis said, it would make sense.

“I haven’t forgotten that night for even a moment.”