As soon as the door opened, Eida was seen proudly stroking her son’s nameplate with her hand.

Edric asked without preamble.

“What brings you here?”

“That’s quite a stiff greeting for a mother you haven’t seen in a long time.”

Eida calmly looked over his shoulder.

“What will others think?”

At those words, the aides who were peeking through the open door quickly averted their gaze.

Edric spoke, not minding.

“You’re still conscious of others’ eyes. I don’t care if I appear unfilial or not.”

“I don’t care about that either. I’m just worried our situation might reach my daughter-in-law’s ears.”

“…”

“She still doesn’t know, does she?”

Edric knew at this point he should take a step back.

“Please sit.”

His calm voice was underlaid with anger. He signaled to Anton. Anton then left, closing the door immediately.

Seated, Eida carefully examined everything from the office furniture to the wallpaper pattern, as if gauging how remarkable her son was.

“Anyone would think you were the Crown Prince. Well, you practically are.”

“To others and in reality, the Crown Prince is His Highness Lucius, not me.”

“There’s no need for modesty between us.”

Just as he was about to refute, there was a knock and Calen entered.

Sensing a vague discomfort, he tried to quickly disappear after setting down tea and snacks. But Eida expressed her gratitude with a kind smile.

“It smells lovely. I’ll enjoy it. Thank you, Baron Hardy.”

“I-It’s an honor, my lady.”

Calen couldn’t hide his flustered expression when the lady addressed him warmly, knowing his name and title.

He bowed over ten times until he exited the room.

“Well then, en-enjoy your time.”

Edric disliked his mother’s composure and feigned kindness.

As soon as Calen left, he spoke immediately.

“It seems we’ve exchanged enough greetings, so I’d like to hear the main point now.”

“There is no main point.”

Eida said, savoring the tea.

“I just stopped by to see your face briefly after entering the palace to meet Her Majesty the Empress. She personally sent a letter.”

“Do you think I don’t know you, Mother?”

“No. Rather, the problem is that you know me too well.”

Eida continued with a relaxed smile.

“You know me too well, so you let your guard down. As a result, you suffered a painful experience, didn’t you?”

“…”

“You still have a long way to go, Edric. Well, if you have a long way to go, others must be at an unattainable level.”

Eida calmly admonished her son, touching only on his sore spots.

Edric felt as if he was facing another version of himself. And he felt self-loathing at how terrible that feeling was.

‘Is this how Melly felt when dealing with me?’

He didn’t care about others, but he feared most that he might have appeared that way in her eyes.

“I heard your wife is pregnant with your second child?”

When Melly’s name came from her lips, Edric felt as if someone was choking him.

“As a mother-in-law, I’d like to give her a gift. What do you think would be nice?”

She spoke immediately without waiting for Edric’s answer.

“How about a baby’s first outfit?”

“…”

“I’ll send a pretty one soon. Whether to use it or not is your decision.”

The lady who concluded her words with a shrug of her shoulders seemed to think she had sufficiently tormented her son and rose from her seat without lingering.

“What do you want?”

Edric said.

At that, the corners of Eida’s mouth, who had turned away, curved gently.

“What I want?”

But she tilted her head as if she had never thought about it before and was considering it for the first time now.

“Well, I don’t have anything like that.”

“…”

“If I had to say, perhaps soaking in the hot springs at the Renisis villa. I’ve developed some skin rashes lately, you see.”

She continued in the manner of a mother trying to reassure her son not to worry.

“Well, it’s fine. They’ll disappear if I rest leisurely for a while, so don’t worry too much.”

She opened the door. Then, looking over her shoulder, she said affectionately.

“No need to see me out, you’re busy. I love you, my son.”

The aides outside all stood up. They bowed deeply and were delighted by Eida’s few kind words.

“Thank you for helping my son. Please let me treat you to a meal sometime.”

“You’re too kind…”

Edric, already utterly devastated, didn’t hear his mother’s act.

A moment later, Wilson entered.

“Your Excellency…”

He was the only person besides Edric who could detect the poisonous atmosphere in this seemingly cheerful office.

“We just received word from Ronix territory…”

“No need to explain.”

Wilson tried to explain why Eida had come here, but Edric cut him off. Whether Eida had bribed people with money or threatened them with the Empress’s letter, it didn’t matter now.

All he could do was either do as his mother wished or confess the truth to Melly.

No, telling Melly about his mother’s misdeeds had now become unavoidable.

Because there are no eternal secrets in this world.

‘But I can delay it. Until after Melly gives birth.’

“Wilson.”

Edric’s voice was thick with resignation like never before.

“Issue an entry permit for the Renisis villa to my mother.”

Wilson’s eyes widened for a moment, then slowly returned to normal. It was because he judged that he would have made the same choice if he were Edric.

“Thanks to you, it was enjoyable, Melly. Thank you for inviting me.”

“It was a delightful time for me too, Margaret.”

Melly saw off Marchioness Rollins, who had visited the ducal residence, at the entrance.

Although the relationship started through their husbands’ friendship, the wives had become closer now to the point of calling each other by name. Melly liked Margaret’s modest attire and her attitude of seeking deep relationships.

She waved until the carriage carrying the marchioness disappeared. Then, about to turn back, she decided to take a stroll around the garden since she was already out.

Oz, who had been watching from the entrance, quickly followed.

“The weather has gotten much warmer.”

“It’s still a bit chilly though.”

Oz draped a shawl over her shoulders.

The once barren lawn was starting to show hints of green.

Even the bare magnolia tree branches had tiny new buds peeking out. In a few days, pretty flower buds would likely form.

Melly was delighted to discover signs of spring throughout the garden.

Just as she was about to turn onto the stone path leading to the back garden.

She saw Edric beyond the boxwood hedge.

He was sitting in a marble gazebo positioned to face the mansion.

‘He’s back again without saying anything.’

Just like last night.

For a moment, Melly thought he might be staying briefly to smoke.

He had quit smoking since learning of Melly’s pregnancy.

But no smoke flowed from his lips. He was just staring at a point in space, lost in thought.

Melly slowly moved her feet.

A twig on the gravel snapped under Melly’s feet with a crack. Only then did Edric turn his gaze.

He stood up with a face that showed no surprise at all.

“What brings you here?”

“That’s what I want to ask.”

Melly said as she stepped up the stairs.

“Why are you here without saying you’re back?”

“I finished work early. I was just getting some air before going inside.”

He took Melly’s hand and led her to where he had been sitting.

“The spring breeze feels nice and warm.”

As his warm arm wrapped around her shoulders, the strange sense of discomfort disappeared. Melly admired the early spring garden with him.

Though it was the garden she had always seen, viewing it with him from beyond the gazebo felt new, like looking at a world inside a frame.

“What did you do today?”

Edric asked. Melly told him about Marchioness Rollins’ visit.

“It was an enjoyable time. Margaret is such a delightful person.”

Melly talked about their conversation, and Edric listened with sparkling eyes. But Melly somehow felt his thoughts were elsewhere.

No, it seemed like he was desperately clinging to Melly’s story to prevent his thoughts from wandering elsewhere.

‘Does he have something troubling him?’

Well, he must have had some worry to linger here instead of going straight home.

She tried to guess what might be bothering him. Then, pushing aside a few things that came to mind, she continued the remaining conversation.

It was part of the discussion she had with Margaret, a bit of debate on the topic that couples should have no secrets.

“Margaret says couples should share everything. Even past mistakes.”

“And you? What did you say?”

Edric asked.

“I said I don’t think that’s always necessary.”

“…Why?”

“Because sometimes knowing can be poisonous.”

Her words matched exactly with what Edric was thinking now, but that’s why it made him more troubled.

“Yes. There are such cases…”

Edric sighed and continued.

“But there are no eternal secrets. Whether it becomes poison or medicine, that’s for the listener to decide. The speaker doesn’t have the right to choose.”

“That’s true.”

“…”

“But one can choose the right timing, I suppose.”

Edric silently gazed at Melly, who cheerfully uttered words that might come back to her like a boomerang.

In fact, he had planned to say that if she later reproached him ‘why didn’t you tell me sooner’ when he confessed.

‘It wasn’t the right timing then.’

But now that excuse seemed pathetically inadequate.

There is no such thing as timing in the first place. It’s just dressing up a lack of courage with plausible words.

So he needs to speak before it’s too late.

“Melly.”

His voice sounded grave even to his own ears.

“I have something to tell you. It’s about something from long ago…”