120.

After a brief pause, Benedict gritted his teeth and asked again.

“Why?”

“You’re already overextending yourself because of Marquis Offenheir, aren’t you?” Elze replied calmly.

“……”

Benedict’s mouth clamped shut. He couldn’t deny it—Marquis Offenheir’s interference had made things difficult for the Schmaikel Trading Company. He was frustrated by his inability to refute her words.

“And if the Duke finds out that you and I had a private conversation, he will certainly be displeased.”

“That’s not important—!”

“You know very well that it ‘is’ important.”

Elze interrupted, her thin, weary smile deepening. It was a smile devoid of life, like a wilting flower ready to fall.

“I don’t want anyone else to suffer because of me.”

“Lady Lepherian…”

“So… I’m truly fine.”

Her smile widened slightly, though it held no warmth.

“Thank you for worrying about me and for offering your help. But..”

She said, her voice gentle but firm.

“I’m alright. Please, just go back.”

“……”

Benedict’s face contorted with frustration.

Meanwhile, Marguerite stood off to the side, watching their exchange with amusement, as though it were some sort of entertaining spectacle.

* * *

Back at the mansion, I couldn’t stop replaying my conversation with Benedict in my mind.

[I don’t want anyone else to suffer because of me.]

Lies.

I let out a bitter laugh.

What a hypocritical thing to say.

‘The truth is, I wasn’t even thinking about Benedict’s struggles. I was just…’

I bit my lip hard.

‘No matter how hard I try, I won’t be able to escape.’

No matter how powerful the Luneberg family had become, they couldn’t survive if they openly defied Kalleid, the most prestigious family in the empire.

It was a losing battle.

‘And if it’s a battle I’m going to lose anyway, why sacrifice Benedict?’

It was better to stay on Benedict’s good side, at least for now.

I had uttered those sweet, empty words—about protecting him from harm—knowing full well they were just to soothe his pride.

“……”

A deep sense of self-loathing washed over me.

I hated how easily I fell into the habit of reading the room, catering to others’ whims, and ensuring I stayed in their good graces.

How long would I have to keep living like this?

‘Enough, stop thinking about it,’ I told myself, trying to cut off the spiral of negative thoughts.

Instead, I focused on something else I had noticed earlier.

‘What did Marguerite do to Sir Mason?’

At first, Sir Mason had clearly been about to refuse her request.

Despite everything, he was loyal to Lucian, and there was no reason for him to disobey the Duke’s strict orders.

But then…

[Benedict just wants to see Elze. Could you please let him meet her for a little while?]

 

Marguerite had said, and suddenly…

 

[Fine, just five minutes. I’ll allow it because of Lady Marguerite.]

 

Sir Mason’s attitude had flipped in an instant, as easily as turning a hand over.

The whole scene had felt strange.

And…

‘I felt something off in the air,’ I thought.

It was likely magic.

In this world, the only inexplicable force I could think of was magic.

But…

‘Could Marguerite really control magic that easily?’

Was it because she was the heroine of this world, given a special ability like the magic deficiency that allowed her to calm Lucian’s outbursts?

But that wasn’t what troubled me the most.

More than Marguerite’s unique abilities…

‘I’m just an ordinary person.’

A cold sensation gripped my heart, as if I had swallowed a large piece of ice.

‘…So why can I sense magic?’

* * *

“What? The little Duke of Kalleid is heading to the capital soon?”

Dante raised an eyebrow, momentarily distracted from the documents he had been reviewing.

Liam bowed respectfully. “Yes, we just received the report. It seems there was a disagreement between the Duke of Kalleid and the Count of Luneberg over the matter.”

“Is that so?”

Thud.

Dante tossed the papers onto his desk and leaned on his hand, muttering to himself.

“So, she’ll be going with him, won’t she?”

“That’s likely.”

“Hm.”

Dante narrowed his eyes.

Although he referred to Lucian dismissively as “the little Duke,” he couldn’t deny Lucian’s political prowess when he first claimed the title. Lucian had thoroughly crushed the Craig Viscount family, making it impossible for other families to challenge him. He even pressured Offenheir through his connections with the imperial family, which had impressed even Dante at the time.

But now…

“Why is he acting like half his brain is missing?”

If it were Dante, he would have hidden Elze away, making sure no one could find her. No matter how powerful Kalleid was, openly opposing the Marquisate of Offenheir was risky.

Moreover, if Dante had been in Lucian’s position, he would have attacked Kalleid without hesitation, even if he had to deal with Lucian’s injury. Dante wasn’t lying when he said he regretted not crushing Lucian’s head.

The only thing that held him back was Elze.

Lucian surely knew that too.

‘And yet, he’s choosing to display her in public…’

Elze had a poor reputation in social circles. Associating with Lucian only gave people more reason to attack her.

It was as if Lucian was flaunting his possession of her.

…Like a trophy.

“This doesn’t sit well with me.”

Dante clicked his tongue before speaking again.

“Keep a close watch on their movements.”

“Yes, my lord.”

Though he responded quickly, Liam hesitated before leaving, shuffling awkwardly.

Dante gave him a sideways glance. “What is it? If you have something to say, spit it out.”

“Well… perhaps you should rest a little, Marquis.”

Liam finally spoke up, as if gathering his courage.

“You look exhausted. It’s been three nights since you last slept.”

Liam sighed internally.

‘The Marquis always takes things to the extreme.’

In the past, Dante had been drowning in alcohol and cigarettes, waking up screaming from nightmares. But now, he was completely absorbed in work, not sleeping at all.

At first, Liam thought this was an improvement, but now he wasn’t so sure.

In the end, Dante was still running himself into the ground, just in a different way. And the core of it all was still… Elze.

“If you collapse from exhaustion, it will only complicate things when you try to bring Lady Lepherian back.”

Even though Liam knew Dante would likely ignore him, he used Elze as an excuse, hoping it would sway him.

To his surprise…

“Fine.”

“Pardon?”

Liam’s eyes widened in disbelief at Dante’s unexpected response.

Dante shrugged.

“You told me to rest, didn’t you?”

“Y-yes, but…”

“So, I will.”

To show that he meant what he said, Dante stood up and began walking toward the door.

As he approached, he glanced back at Liam with an indifferent expression.

“What are you waiting for? Aren’t you coming?”

“I-I’m coming!”

Liam hurriedly followed after him, still baffled.

* * *

For the first time in a long while, Dante set aside his documents and headed to Elze’s old bedroom.

“……”

The room was untouched, exactly as it had been the day Elze left.

The servants had attempted to clean and organize it, but Dante had stopped them.

And so, everything remained frozen in time.

“…Elze.”

Dante whispered softly.

“Are you happy now?”

A bitter smile tugged at his lips.

“Are things better for you now than when you were with me?”

“……”

The room’s empty silence offered no answer.

Dante’s gaze lingered on the room for a while longer before he slowly walked over to the chair by the bed.

How many times had he sat in that chair in despair?

How many times had he clung to Elze as she withered away, begging her to stay with him?

But now, he found himself questioning whether any of it had been the right thing to do.

Had he, by forcing her to stay, only become a burden to her?

Had his very presence weighed her down?

With a heavy sigh, Dante slumped into the chair.

He closed his eyes.

And darkness swallowed his vision.