As Shafri entered the mansion, she took off her thin cape and handed it to the butler.
“Where is Dru?”
“The Duke is in his office. I’ll let the Duke know you’re here, so please wait a moment. Tea is prepared in the reception room.”
“That’s fine. I’ll take care of it myself.”
Despite being asked to wait, Shafri walked past the butler and headed to the second floor where the office was located. She knew the layout of the Talion mansion perfectly well, so she didn’t need any guidance.
The knights in the mansion couldn’t help but follow Shafri with their eyes.
Her bright apricot-colored dress, fitting for the season, clung tightly to her upper body, revealing the curves of her breasts and waist. With each step, the outline of her hips became prominent beneath the high-quality fabric, giving off a peculiar sensuality.
“I heard there was bad news.”
The butler muttered to himself as he watched Shafri’s back.
No one stopped Shafri as she strode through the mansion alone. With her status as the master’s fiancée for the past year and having known him for 14 years, she was one of the most familiar faces to the servants in the Talion household, second only to the former Duke Neoren and Drushia.
Before Shafri reached the office, someone came running hurriedly from behind.
“Lady Myheller. Good day!”
“Lord Orka, it’s been a while.”
The person who had urgently followed her was Mihail Orka, an aide who had just entered his late twenties. Shafri greeted him with a smile full of affection.
“I heard you haven’t been back in the capital long. Where are you rushing off to?”
“Ah, yes. I have some instructions to follow. Are you here to see the Duke?”
“Would you announce me?”
“Ah, yes.”
When the two arrived at the office, Mihail knocked on the door.
“Your Grace, it’s Mihail.”
“Come in.”
As soon as permission was granted, Mihail quickly stepped inside.
“Your Grace, it seems our knights’ reports were correct. That day…”
Recognizing Shafri standing outside the door, Drushia raised his hand to cut off Mihail’s words. Startled, Mihail closed his mouth and stopped.
“Shafri, when did you arrive? Why didn’t you wait in the reception room?”
As soon as she faced Drushia, Shafri’s expression changed. By simply lowering the corners of her eyes slightly, her face became sorrowful as if she might cry.
“Dru. Haven’t you heard the news?”
“Ah, right. I heard that Baroness Hennessy was injured in the fire at the poorhouse.”
Recalling the report he had received belatedly, Drushia furrowed his brow. When she received such a dry response, Shafri bit her lip.
Mihail surreptitiously glanced at Shafri, while Kalf, who had arrived earlier, indifferently averted his gaze to the window.
“They’re still recovering the bodies. They’ve found more than ten corpses so far, and considering how many people were there, they don’t know how many more they’ll find.”
In front of a woman seeking comfort, Drushia recited the situation in a businesslike manner. Shafri’s face grew dejected, as if resigned.
“Two maids who went with Baroness Hennessy are also missing. If any identity tags turn up, let me know.”
“This matter falls under the jurisdiction of the Security Force. They’ll likely visit the Myheller mansion as soon as they confirm anything.”
“But why were you there, Dru?”
“I happened to be at the Rantal branch office. Because of the deployment issue.”
“I heard it was arson. I was told the Security Force and knights are working together.”
Drushia tapped the table with his hand while looking at Shafri.
“Shafri, what should we do? It seems difficult for me to spare time today. I think it would be better if we set up an appointment to meet next time.”
He particularly emphasized the phrase “set up an appointment.” While Drushia never reprimanded Shafri for acting as she pleased, he occasionally drew a line like this.
“Dru, I have something to ask you.”
Realizing that this was the real purpose of her visit to the Talion mansion, Drushia signaled to his two aides. They bowed lightly and went outside the office to wait.
Before the door was completely closed, Shafri brought up the main point.
“Do you know how long it’s been since we last met?”
“Come to think of it, I’ve been busy continuously since the banquet.”
Drushia muttered as if just realizing it.
She was angry at his indifferent attitude, but she couldn’t throw a tantrum. His attitude had always been the same, both before and after their engagement.
An old friend who could visit without an appointment. A relationship where Drushia never yearned to see her first. Despite being so close, she couldn’t cross that final visible line before her.
“So what did you want to ask me?”
Shafri calmed her troubled mind and recalled the purpose of her visit to the mansion.
“At the banquet that day, was it you who did it?”
“What do you mean?”
“There was a commotion at the banquet. Because Lord Oclein’s mistress attended. And I heard Baron Crowny was the one who brought that woman.”
It couldn’t have been a coincidence. Igraine and Talion had continuously gathered information about each other. Drushia must have known about the mistress for a long time.
“Ah.”
Belatedly understanding what she meant, Drushia responded.
“You mean Kalf bringing Lady Schwern to the banquet.”
Recalling the memory, Drushia’s expression became peculiar. For the first time, emotion appeared on the face of the man who had been dry throughout.
Shafri’s voice involuntarily rose.
“Did you order it? Why on earth?”
“Lady Igraine is…”
Drushia quietly stroked his chin, deep in thought. It looked like he was trying to recall a memory or explore his own vague feelings. Shafri’s anxiety grew even more.
“She’s an adversary. She deserves that much consideration.”
“What? What does that mean?”
“After spending years growling at each other, I didn’t like seeing her ruined by being tied down to such a man.”
Perhaps even hate is a form of attachment. He didn’t mind criticizing and tormenting her himself, but he didn’t like seeing her suffer at someone else’s hands. So he had stepped in to break things up.
Ashika’s fiancé was not only shameless but also insane. Attacking a woman who requested to break off the engagement—what a bastard. Recalling what happened in the council chamber, Drushia’s eyes grew cold.
Shafri’s eyes narrowed sharply at his response.
“You call that an explanation? What do you care if that woman’s fiancé cheats or has illegitimate children? Shouldn’t you be happy if things go wrong? Wouldn’t it be more satisfying if their marriage was bad and they had no children, cutting off Igraine’s lineage?”
“Shafri!”
Drushia’s face crumpled in anger. But Shafri didn’t stop.
“Why are you upset? You and your family’s knights all grind your teeth at the mention of Igraine. Desperate to get at her, and your knights are always itching for a fistfight whenever they cross paths. Acting like mortal enemies, but why? Have you forgotten the people who had to hold funerals with empty coffins because of Duke Igraine, unable to find even their bodies?”
“Shafri, enough!”
There was a loud bang as he slammed his fist on the desk. The inkwell jumped from Drushia’s punch and fell to the floor.
“Never, bring that up again.”
A voice barely suppressing rage. Among the “people who had to hold funerals with empty coffins” that Shafri mentioned was Drushia himself. Drushia had lost his parents at the age of twelve and never found their bodies.
“…I’m sorry.”
Shafri apologized, but she didn’t look particularly sorry.
Thinking back, Drushia’s gaze was often directed at Ashika. At social gatherings, at imperial events when they inevitably encountered each other, Drushia would frown yet somehow end up looking at Ashika.
At that time, she thought it was due to displeasure or anger. But now she had doubts.
Even if it was merely interest, Shafri couldn’t accept it. So occasionally, she needed to remind him—of the relationship between the two families, to prevent Drushia from thinking otherwise.
“Baroness Hennessy’s funeral will be held soon. Since she has no family, we’ll hold a simple ceremony on our side. As your fiancée, I’d like you to attend that day.”
“I’ll send a letter.”
His response was stiff and sharp. Shafri looked at Drushia with a face that seemed about to cry, but no further comfort or kind words came back.
Instead, his eyes, suppressing anger, emitted a terrifying blue light, refusing to allow any further approach. With a wounded heart, Shafri left the office without saying goodbye.
“Take care, Lady Myheller.”
“Ah, goodbye.”
Kalf and Mihail, who had been waiting outside the door, awkwardly greeted her.
Shafri, who had elegantly visited the mansion, left the Talion estate with a dejected expression.
Kalf and Mihail cautiously reentered the office. They needed to continue the report that had been interrupted by Shafri’s visit.
“Um, Your Grace.”
Mihail was the first to speak to Drushia, who was standing with a stern expression.
“The Baroness Hennessy’s accident must be distressing for her. I heard she stayed at the Myheller mansion since childhood.”
It was advice aimed at his excessively indifferent master, suggesting he should have offered a warm word of comfort. However, Drushia’s answer was resolute.
“They weren’t close.”
“Pardon?”
“She must have been shocked. But they weren’t close enough for her to mourn the Baroness’s death.”
“Even so…”
Seeing Drushia close his mouth, Mihail also swallowed his words.
Whenever Shafri acted like this, Drushia was perplexed. He knew she had mood swings, but sometimes when she displayed emotions that didn’t make sense and demanded empathy, it was difficult to handle.
‘Still, she is Shafri.’
That’s what he thought each time and let it pass. But even for Shafri, today was too much.
Drushia cursed as he looked at the ink spilled across the floor. His already low mood had been completely ruined by Shafri’s visit.
“So, what was the report you were about to give?”
“Ah, yes. It seems it was indeed arson.”
Mihail answered immediately, startled. Drushia silently waited for the report to continue.
“There were multiple ignition points, not just one, and traces of oil were found. Additionally, a considerable number of bodies couldn’t be retrieved from the intensive care isolation ward. According to a staff member, more than thirty people were there that day.”
“That many? Is that normal?”
“That’s what’s strange. Since it was an intensive care isolation ward, it usually doesn’t accommodate many people. That day was unusually crowded.”
Drushia quietly pondered Mihail’s report. He could have let it go, but something bothered him.
“What did our knights witness?”
“Well…, the knights’ reports about seeing the Igraine family’s carriage were true. And not only that.”
Mihail became cautious when the topic of Igraine came up. Drushia’s expression was difficult to read.
“They saw a woman believed to be the Young Duchess Igraine at the fire scene. A young woman with black hair and black eyes was accompanied by a knight, and the knight was a woman. It’s presumed to have been Sir Berth.”
“Lady Igraine was at the fire scene?”
This time, even Drushia was surprised.
“And this isn’t certain, but…”
Seeing Mihail hesitate, Drushia’s brow furrowed.
“Don’t beat around the bush.”
“Ah, yes. There was a witness who saw a suspicious person boarding the Igraine family’s carriage.”
“The Igraine carriage? Are you saying Lady Igraine is involved?”
Drushia’s face visibly hardened.
