“That is right. And Viscount Vikander has also stood by Henrik's side.”
“My father will likely demand I bring him something as proof of betrayal.”
The sight of Dane and Rose taking turns to speak showcased the trust between the married couple, which was quite satisfying.
Despite the gravity of the situation, Bill had almost let a pleased smile slip out without realizing it.
“That will likely be something to secure an advantageous position when Henrik launches an all-out attack on Schmaichel.”
“We will lure the enemies who believe that into a trap.”
Dane nodded and continued.
“Manage the atmosphere within the castle well until then. Make sure others don't do anything foolish because their loyalty runs ahead of them like yours. Understood?”
“…Yes.”
Bill bit his lip tightly in sheer embarrassment.
‘Seriously, did you have to act so convincingly...’
He had no idea how much the servants had pleaded with him.
‘It was the first time I ever saw the two of you fight by raising your voices like that!’
‘The office was completely trashed! Everything was scattered everywhere, it was a total disaster!’
Because of that, he had come fretting and worrying, genuinely believing the two had separated...
Recalling the determination he had upon entering the room earlier, and the passionate tirade he had unleashed in front of the two, he wanted to find a mouse hole to crawl into.
“Your remark earlier...”
Just as Dane's gaze sharpened like a flash of lightning,
“Dane.”
Rose tightened her arm intertwined with Dane's.
Squeeze.
Rose's chest pressed lightly against Dane's body. At that, Dane's gaze softened as if it had never been sharp.
“…I will let it go, for Rose's sake.”
“You humble me, Your Excellency.”
Bill shook his head inwardly.
As expected, I must unconditionally take my lady's side. That's how I survive. No, that's how Schmaichel remains peaceful.
“And, for the time being, you will personally manage the candles in my bedroom and office. Joel might try to check on them.”
“Understood.”
Bill clasped his trembling hands together and bowed his head deeply.
“I will follow your orders, Your Excellency.”
At any rate, he was simply relieved to know the couple had not actually fallen out. That was all he thought.
All that was left now was to do his utmost to carry out their orders.
“Then... you will be using separate bedrooms from today onward.”
Bill's eyes gleamed with profound meaning.
“Leave it to me.”
**
That evening, in Rose's bedroom.
“Really?”
Sonya was overjoyed, looking as if she might jump in surprise.
“I can really go sleep at the staff quarters?”
“Yes. Lune alone will be enough, so go on.”
“Thank you, my lady!”
At Rose's words, Sonya didn't hold back and backed away with quick, light steps.
The bed in the antechamber was small and hard. Curling up to sleep there and having to rush over even if called by the master in the middle of the night was the daily life of a maid.
Being excused from such a grueling schedule was truly special treatment.
‘As expected, my lady recognized my value.’
Before closing the bedroom door and leaving, Sonya's gaze landed on Helena, who remained in the room.
Flutter.
Sonya waved her hand at Helena as if to show off, and then,
Click.
closed the door.
“…Someone's excited.”
Helena let out a hollow laugh at the sight.
“She used to cower every time she saw me, so I guess she had a lot of pent-up energy.”
“I'm just grateful she bought it so easily.”
Rose chuckled as she responded.
Helena also shrugged before approaching Rose, who was sitting at the vanity.
“Now, my lady. Let's get you dressed quickly. The master will be here soon.”
“Thank you, Helena.”
Anticipation and excitement shimmered in Rose's eyes as she sat looking into the mirror.
“…So pretty. Too pretty.”
Helena murmured almost like a sigh as she watched her.
An ordinary maid would fabricate lies to please her master. However, Helena was in a position where she didn't need to do that.
Therefore, the words just now were sincere, springing from deep within Helena's heart.
‘She really has gotten prettier...’
At first, Helena had thought she was a naive and clumsy woman.
But at some point, she began to feel that Rose's face was glowing. Wearing confidence and conviction like armor, wielding her husband's love like a weapon.
‘Rose.’
Especially whenever Dane called her, Rose's face softened warmly like the spring sun.
Even Helena found it difficult to dare belittle that face. Because it was the very essence of a beloved woman's beauty.
“Phew.”
Rose swept a hand over her chest as she looked at herself in the mirror. She seemed to be trembling at the thought of Dane visiting her soon.
“……”
Watching that sight, it was inevitable for Helena to feel envy and jealousy slowly creeping up inside her.
‘I had braced myself, but...’
That time she had greeted Dane in front of the Arsil Orphanage when he arrived with Rose.
Helena had already foreseen that she would be placed in such a fate. However, human emotions were difficult to control by will alone.
Trying her best not to let ugly envy reveal itself on her face, making sure her hands didn't become nervous while brushing Rose's hair, was the best she could do.
Helena suppressed her pounding heart and took a step back.
“…Now, I'll be out in the hallway.”
“Helena.”
Rose briefly grabbed the wrist of Helena, who was about to leave.
“…Thank you.”
Gratitude and guilt coexisted on Rose's face.
If it had been any other time, she would have shot back, ‘Just raise my wages!’ but for this moment, Helena couldn't bring herself to do so.
“…Ahaha.”
She simply smiled and stepped back.
Click.
Standing in the hallway after closing the bedroom door,
“…Haa.”
Helena let out a long sigh.
The hallway was quiet. It was thanks to the butler, Bill, having already adjusted the patrol routes this way.
As she stood in the quiet hallway for a moment,
Thud.
a familiar presence approached.
It was Dane, walking with a somewhat more urgent and hasty pace than usual.
“Helena.”
Wondering just how heated his body must be to rush here so quickly, Helena ended up smiling bitterly.
‘Just once...’
It would be a lie to say she hadn't entertained a fantasy that crossed the line.
She wanted to wait for him naked in that room. She wanted to cling to him.
But...
Even if she did, she would only be coldly cast aside.
‘What am I doing.’
Just imagining the moment Dane coldly pushed her away was agonizing.
It would become impossible to stay by his side ever again.
‘Even if I can't have his love... guarding the master and cleaning up after him like this is my role alone.’
Helena tried her best to soothe her bitter feelings.
Tap, tap, tap.
Helena knocked on the door to signal Rose inside.
“My lady is inside.”
Then, she motioned with her chin as if telling him to go in quickly.
"Master, try not to take too long. My legs are getting sore."
Dane let out a short chuckle at Helena's playful whining.
“It must be tough on you.”
That short smile at least slightly stitched up Helena's torn and tattered heart.
Click.
As Dane opened the door,
“Dane.”
Rose, who had been waiting, greeted him with open arms. Dane approached Rose as if drawn in by a magnet and embraced her.
Thud.
Immediately after, the door closed.
In that split second, she felt that there was no room for her to squeeze her way in there, and that the bond between the two had become much firmer and stickier than before.
‘Yeah, there's no way those two would ever break up.’
Even when the two had their brief fight, she could tell that Dane was suffering greatly, even if he didn't show it.
It comforted her more to see him happy beside someone else than to watch him struggle by her side.
Even if she wasn't the one who could make him happy...
“--.”
“---.”
The couple's intimate laughter sounded like it could be heard through the door before fading away.
“……”
Helena stood by the door for a moment, fiddling with her dagger, then
Step.
completely retreated to the wall on the opposite side of the hallway.
Because nothing could make her feel more miserable than standing there and eavesdropping on the sounds from inside.
“Hah.”
Helena muttered, idly tossing her dagger.
“In the past, at least dealing with assassins had its perks.”
But at some point, the raids completely stopped.
Probably from the time Dane was diligently roaming around with Kasto.
“Phew.”
Helena sighed uncharacteristically and looked out the window.
The night was too long.
For her.
**
Dane's office.
Joel carefully checked Dane's pulse with a prudent touch.
“Hmm...”
Joel's eyes gleamed sharply.
He meticulously examined the tip of Dane's lips and the thin veins at the end of his wrist.
‘…That's strange.’
The Velvet Wisp that Joel had accumulated in Dane's body did not outwardly manifest any symptoms.
It only activated under special conditions—namely, when mana rapidly activated or when a large amount of mana was suddenly used.
However, even now, in his normal state, minute symptoms just before a mana backflow were being observed.
‘Don't tell me...’
When Dane was trapped in the Kalmar Mine.
Joel had confirmed that Dane exhibited mana backflow symptoms. For the time being, he had covered it up by claiming it was a symptom experienced by those trapped under rubble.
He had been periodically monitoring Dane's body since then, and suddenly, these abnormal symptoms were discovered in Dane's body.
It meant someone had tampered with Dane's body.
‘It wouldn't be Bill, Selma, or Fabri, so there's only one person left.’
Either Rose had done something to Dane's body, or the aftermath of her magical research had affected him, one of the two.
It didn't matter to Joel which one it was. It was the perfect opportunity to pin his own crime on Rose.
“Your Excellency.”
While spinning his gears busily, Joel asked with a calm exterior.
“Have you been feeling tired lately?”
“I suppose I am tired.”
Dane rubbed his forehead and answered irritably.
“Because that woman comes to pester me at every chance she gets... It's driving me crazy.”
That woman.
Joel held his breath, realizing who that title referred to.
‘So it has come to this after all.’
He had defended her so much, and suppressed his own suspicions, even getting angry.
In the end, it was just a fleeting love.
A fiercely burning passion ended as quickly as it had briefly arrived.
‘That's what love is...’
Joel scoffed to himself as he recalled the brief love that had visited him as well.
His love was shorter than Dane's, but the traces it left were vivid.
The bond of flesh and blood was a fearsome thing. Unable to sever it, he had betrayed the master he had served his whole life, and even resorted to becoming an accomplice like this.
‘I am sorry, Your Excellency.’
While thinking that internally, Joel's eyes quickly scanned the surroundings.
He confirmed through Bill that the candles in Dane's office and bedroom were being used without issue.
As the personal physician, checking the room's candles too often could seem suspicious, so he was avoiding it as much as possible.
‘Good, then shall I slowly try planting the seeds?’
The circumstantial evidence was sufficient.
Now that Dane and Rose appeared to have grown apart, even if Joel sprinkled a little water, the sprout of suspicion would grow rapidly.
“I merely follow Your Excellency's will.”
Joel spoke in a manner that seemed to step back.
Even if their love seemed to have cooled now, needlessly provoking Dane might cause him to instinctively defend Rose.
Therefore, instead of telling Dane to kick Rose out,
“You, who will soon become the complete master of Schmaichel, what is there to hesitate about?”
He gently urged him, implying that the decision was entirely in Dane's hands.
“…Because she is still useful, for now.”
Sure enough, Dane swallowed a sigh and replied coldly.
“Her talent in magical scholarship is excellent. If I pair her with Andersen, they should be able to extract something.”
“As expected, Your Excellency has a plan.”
Joel bowed his head deeply.
As expected, Dane's cold nature had not changed. He had cherished his wife so much, but once the love had cooled, only thorough calculation remained.
‘If that's the case...’
Joel decided to try sprinkling a bit more water.
“Your Excellency, forgive my audacity.”
Wearing his mask of a prudent physician, he carefully opened his mouth.
“There are a few symptoms that should not be taken lightly.”