Episode 70

“What do you mean by that?”

Yvonne was the only one surprised by Yurian’s words. Marquess Rohan remained unfazed, calmly slicing into his salmon steak. After a moment, he swapped his plate with Yvonne’s.

“I was just joking.”

“Your sense of humor is rather low, Grand Duke Leonhardt.”

“I hear that often.”

Marquess Rohan found Yurian’s probing question amusing. Yurian glanced meaningfully at Yvonne before turning his attention back to Marquess Rohan. However, Marquess Rohan, appearing only mildly interested in Yurian, was entirely focused on his wife.

“As I mentioned to His Majesty yesterday, it seems I will be staying at this estate during my time in Apentina.”

“….”

“Did you agree to that, my dear?”

“…Yes. I’m sorry, my lady. It’s just coming back to me now.”

Marquess Rohan immediately apologized, feeling the weight of Yvonne’s incredulous glare. Something had indeed been off about him yesterday. No matter how much he drank, it was unlike him to allow someone like Yurian, practically a rival, to stay at their home.

“You joked earlier that I might have tampered with your memories, Your Grace.”

“Yes.”

“In that case, let me ask you: Did you tamper with the wine you brought me yesterday? There are abilities out there that can increase one’s affection, albeit weakly.”

“Yes. The winemaker has such an ability. The wine was originally intended for the King, but I thought you might appreciate it more.”

Although an ability that slightly increased affection wouldn’t have a significant impact, it was still famous that a renowned winemaker used this ability in their craft. However, it didn’t alter feelings in any profound way, so it was hard to take issue with it.

Moreover, if Yurian had given Marquess Rohan something intended for the King, it wasn’t something he could easily criticize.

Marquess Rohan looked at Yurian with confusion, but when he noticed Yvonne’s cold expression as she picked at her food, he started to break out in a cold sweat.

“Even so, what I said yesterday was merely drunken talk. Perhaps it would be better if you stayed at the palace as originally planned.”

“How could I go back on my word after I’ve already declined His Majesty’s offer?”

Yurian’s expression was one of complete victory, but Yvonne responded with a slight, dismissive laugh.

“Well, there’s nothing to be done then.”

“My lady… I’m sorry.”

“It’s alright. I believe that even Kess can make mistakes. You’ve been so perfect up until now that I’ve sometimes almost forgotten you’re human.”

Yvonne intentionally spoke more gently. Although Marquess Rohan knew this about her, he couldn’t help but feel his eyes redden with emotion.

However, Yurian’s reaction to this exchange was silence, leading to the conversation dying out during breakfast.

* * *

Knock, knock.

“Yes?”

Yvonne was working in her office. As the Duchess, she had numerous responsibilities to attend to, including managing the affairs of the duchy and overseeing various charitable activities.

“It’s me.”

“Don’t come in. Speak from the other side of the door.”

Yvonne didn’t rise from her seat, instead responding firmly. Yurian, respecting her words, remained outside the door as he addressed her from a distance.

“I am a guest here, you know.”

“Even unwelcome guests are still guests.”

Yvonne knew exactly why he was behaving this way. Even if memories were erased from the mind, the body retained them. Although memories were said to be erased, it was more accurate to say that they were obscured, like black paint covering them, making them invisible.

Thus, she understood why he was so fixated on her.

It was a mix of hatred and a need for retribution.

He must have wanted to compensate for the humiliation and anger he felt because of her.

She intended to keep her distance and avoid him until he left, maintaining a safe buffer. However, she couldn’t entirely ignore him due to the King’s command.

“I’m busy.”

“So am I.”

“Is the envoy here to relax?”

“A person can’t work all the time.”

Yvonne found it inconvenient that he chose this time, when Marquess Rohan was away at the palace, to approach her.

“Why not ask one of the other young ladies?”

“I’d prefer if the Duchess could assist me.”

“I’m not the Grand Duke’s wife. Perhaps you should ask an unmarried lady.”

“In the Bricesys Empire, divorce and remarriage are common.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“You’ve been keeping your distance, so I thought I’d lighten the mood with a joke.”

Yurian’s fox-like smile as he spoke made Yvonne feel both frustrated and oddly nostalgic.

“It’s strange to want to get closer to a married person. Besides, didn’t you say yesterday that you wanted to imprison me?”

“I must apologize for that. I drank too much and spoke nonsense.”

Yvonne knew he wasn’t lying. As proof, he didn’t avert his gaze and continued to smile boldly.

“Ha.”

She sighed, took off her glasses, and looked at him.

“You look good with glasses.”

“…”

“They make you look intellectually beautiful.”

“And without them, do I look foolishly beautiful?”

“Without them, you look…”

Yurian almost let slip something inappropriate but caught himself just in time.

“And without them?”

Yvonne pressed, sensing a victory in their verbal sparring. Yurian’s face flushed as he lowered his head.

“I won’t say.”

“Then I’ll go without them and look foolish.”

His chest felt strange as she teased him like this. He thought, perhaps he truly did want to kill her. But if that were the case, why did it feel like his chest was tickling, as though he had swallowed butterflies?

* * *

In the end, things went as Yurian had hoped.

Yvonne, accompanied by two knights and two maids, joined Yurian at the plaza.

“That statue represents the first king of Apentina receiving his powers from the goddess,” she explained.

“It’s outdated,” Yurian remarked.

“Yes.”

Yvonne answered indifferently, but it reminded her of what she had said the first time she visited this place with Marquess Rohan.

‘The fountain statue is so outdated.’

‘You’re right, my lady.’

‘I don’t care for statues that have faded like that.’

‘If you dislike it, then so do I.’

She had always felt uncomfortable with how Marquess Rohan’s likes and dislikes seemed to mirror her own, as if her preferences dictated his.

The statue of the king receiving power from the goddess had water flowing from it, creating a fountain as it cascaded down and then shot back up.

“Why did you ask to come here alone?”

Yurian had been clearly uncomfortable with the situation, and so the knights and maids trailed twenty paces behind them, far enough not to hear their conversation but close enough to see their actions.

“I wanted to apologize for what I said yesterday.”

“You already apologized earlier.”

“I was flustered earlier. I meant to apologize after we arrived, but I was so taken aback that I did it right away.”

“If you wanted to apologize, you should have respected my wishes when I said I didn’t want to come.”

“That was thoughtless of me.”

Yurian knew why he had acted as he did—he simply wanted to spend time with her. The apology was just an excuse; he really just wanted to talk with her, to share the same experiences and feelings as they spent time together.

It drove him mad, knowing that she was already someone else’s wife, yet his body and mind kept telling him that she didn’t love her husband. This conflict between his mind and heart was unbearable.

But that ended yesterday.

“Do you know what this is?”

“That’s the ring His Majesty wears every day.”

“Then you must know that His Majesty’s ability is nullification.”

“Yes.”

“This ring can store His Majesty’s power. It holds about ten years’ worth.”

Yvonne felt a sudden wave of anxiety. She thought she knew why he was showing her this, and why he was telling her these things.

“Somehow, when I wear this ring, I get the feeling that the Duchess didn’t marry the Duke out of love.”

Yurian smiled at her in a way that made it impossible to read his intentions. Yvonne’s palms began to sweat, her gloves suddenly feeling uncomfortable.

“Why don’t you tell me the truth? Did you really marry him out of love?”

Yvonne was conflicted, his probing words and affectionate gaze only adding to her confusion.

“What are you trying to say?”

She realized she needed to tell Marquess Rohan about this immediately, but at the same time, she understood that she couldn’t easily escape from this situation.

“You already know what I want to hear.”

Yurian, still wearing the ring, seemed to be recalling something more each time he looked at her.

It was as though something he had tried to bury deep under water was beginning to surface, like ink bleeding out uncontrollably.

It was an emotion he could no longer suppress.