The Duchess has escaped. It happened while the Grand Duke was on an expedition.

"Your Highness, the servants say that the only thing that disappeared from her residence was her clothes."

"Precious items or accessories."

"They seemed to remain untouched."

At the aide's words, The large man’s brow wrinkled, one side of his mouth lifted.

She took only a few clothes with her on her escape.

His wife ran away, leaving everything he had given her. He knew intuitively what this meant.

She was trying to erase the time she lived here as his wife. She dared to hope that he would forget her forever.

The Grand Duke opened his mouth in a cool, quiet voice.

"Have you heard anything from the knights yet?”

"We received a message that they are continuing to track Her Highness' carriage. It looks like they will be able to successfully siege it soon."

"If she resists, tell them to bring her in, even if it's by force."

The Grand Duke's stern gaze reached the wedding ring on his ring finger.

His wife had been on the run for five days, completely outrunning the castle servants, but the Grand Duke had managed to locate her within half a day of his return to the castle.

She would soon be back in her original position. There was no reason to be nervous.

But the impatience coming up from his chest kept bothering him.

She should never have run away like this. Now that she was his wife, she had to feel the pain beside him even if she was sick. Even if it was painful, she had to suffer in his eyes.

Julia Caesar, if ever died, had to die in his territory.

He closed his bloodshot eyes loosely. The Grand Duke did his best to suppress his raging emotions.

"Your Highness!”

At that moment, one of the knights stomped in the office. The knight, who was out of breath, continued sluggishly.

"Ah, Your Highness…She’s gone!”

"What do you mean?"

The Grand Duke asked in a sharp tone.

"… We clearly confirmed that she was in the carriage many times, but after we surrounded the carriage, the Duchess was not there.

We have no idea what was going on…Ah!”

In the blink of an eye, the Grand Duke approached and drew his sword from his waist. A sharp gaze fell on the knight, as if he was about to cut off his head.

"Don’t talk nonsense. Tell me where did she disappear to?"

"Ah, we've been searching the neighborhood with the garrison, but there's no witness, no trace….”

"You b*st*rds.”

Throwing the sword on the floor, the Grand Duke roughly swept his black hair.

"I'll go myself. Prepare the horses."

"Yes, sir!"

The Grand Duke gritted his teeth. He shouldn't have left the job to those incompetent people. He didn't think it would be easy for them to get Julia back immediately, if he didn't act directly.

"Your Highness, I believe that Her Highness has a helper. How could she have disappeared by herself with that many knights chasing her?”

The aide who was following the Grand Duke opened his mouth cautiously. Then, at that moment, it suddenly came to the Grand Duke's mind.

There was a priest who had come a few months ago to bless the Grand Duke's castle. His wife seemed to be quite close to him.

"Lloyd, you go to the temple of Ilion and find the priest who blessed the castle. She may be hiding there. Search every corner.”

"Yes, sir!"

If that priest was helping Julia escape, he must have used his holy power.

If he was using his holy power, it would not be difficult for him to hide her presence or distract the Grand Duke’s attention for a while.

The blue veins appeared on the back of the Grand Duke's hand as he held the reins. The mere thought that Julia might be with another man filled him with unspeakable rage.

But underneath it all, he felt disgusted with himself for being so heartless towards her all these years.

He knew. He knew that Julia's departure was ultimately his own fault.

"Search everywhere, don't miss a single thing."

The Grand Duke searched every building in the city.

Some knights were deployed to search even the small private houses.

The Grand Duke escaped the city walls with the other knights. As they entered the vicinity of the carriage station, there was a rush of people heading for other areas.

When the road was blocked, the Grand Duke’s procession came to a halt.

"Your Highness, please come around…"

"Wait.”

His gaze stopped near the crowded ticket booth, or more precisely on one of the women in the crowd.

For a brief moment, he could see Julia's face. Sure enough, it was her.

"Your Highness.”

The Grand Duke, dismounting from his horse, rushed into the crowd. He hurried to his feet, glaring at the back of the woman in a hooded robe.

"Julia!"

Perhaps unaware of his shout, the woman did not turn around and continued walking. He caught up with her at once, grabbed her by the shoulders and turned her around.

As he flipped her hood back, the woman revealed a panicked face, widened her eyes. It was not Julia.

"Damn it!”

The hesitant woman slowly backed away as he said the abusive language with an angry face.

Then, just as the woman was about to turn away completely, the pendant that was on her neck caught his eye unexpectedly.

Before he had time to remember what it was, his body moved first. The Grand Duke grabbed the woman's arm and cut off the string of the pendant that was on her neck at once.

"…!"

The string of the metallic pendant broke into pieces. The woman shook off the Grand Duke's hand with startled eyes.

At the same time, a strong light shone around her.

Soon the unfamiliar face gradually changed into the face of the woman he knew so well.

Pale face. Light brown hair. Frightened blue eyes.

This woman looking at him with a stiff face was his wife Julia.

“Ha.”

He smiled faintly with a complicated expression. The panicked look on his wife's face made him feel miserable instead of angry.

With what kind of eyes should he face his wife who even dared to disguise to escape from him?

"Oh, how did you know?"

Julia muttered with a disappointed look on her face. She didn't have the slightest idea that she would be caught so vainly either.

He gripped the pendant in his hand tightly as if he was crushing it, and said,

"This pendant, I could feel its faint power.”

"Oh ….…”

Julia bit her lower lip in dismay. The Grand Duke pulled her by the hand.

"Now go back. That's enough trouble for me."

Before Julia knew it, the approaching knights had surrounded the two of them tightly. There was nowhere to run.

With her eyes squeezed shut, Julia was gently dragged away by him. There was nothing more she could do when the pendant was taken away.

Moving to where he had tied the horse, he picked her up in one fluid motion over the saddle. Naturally, he climbed in behind her and pulled her close into his arms.

"Julia."

"…"

The Grand Duke watched her for a moment without getting a reply, then quickly tugged on the reins.

Her light brown hair fluttered and tickled his neck. They ran for a while without a word of conversation.

Julia was already in his arms. There was no need to be anxious anymore. But his anxiety was not going to disappear any time soon.

It seemed as if she would dissipate like smoke at any moment.

Having escaped safely from the city, they entered the forest path. A procession of knights moved forward, protecting the Grand Duke and his wife.

The Grand Duke stared at Julia's small back. He wanted to know what expression she had on her face. Whatever it was, he wanted to hear her voice confirm her presence.

"Your Highness."

At that moment she called him in a quiet voice. The end of her voice was cracked.

The Grand Duke slowed his hurried pace and listened to her. Julia turned and looked at him.

"….. I don’t feel good. Let’s take a break.”

He could see a hint of tiredness on her face. He was troubled for a while, but soon stopped running. The knights who were riding nearby also stopped.

They had to run more for a few more hours in order to reach the castle. It would definitely be too much for her physical strength.

The Grand Duke said something to the approaching knight. With a silent bow, the knight disappeared immediately to the other side.

"I told him to bring the wagon. It won't take long."

"Yes.”

Julia dismounted from the horse and passed him numbly, then sat down on the grass far away from him.

The Grand Duke shooed away the knights who were following him and approached her.

Julia crouched down and patted the hem of her robe meaninglessly. He looked at her delicate hands with prominent joints and murmured.

"You seem to be thinner.”

"…"

“Where have you been staying the whole time?"

Julia made no reply, but lowered her head deeper. The Grand Duke did not give in and continued to throw questions.

"Did you see the priest of Ilion?"

"…And the pendant, I'm sure he gave it to you."

Julia’s hand flinched at the muttering words. The Grand Duke, who did not miss the sight, continued in a cool tone.

"If you don't want to answer, then do so. I can just catch him and ask.”

"Please don't hurt an innocent person. That man has nothing to do with me.”

When Julia, who had been silent, unexpectedly replied, the Grand Duke wrinkled his brow. She faced her husband squarely with a downward glance.

"Why are you looking for me?"

She had this look on her face that said she couldn't understand the situation. She even looked a little angry. The Grand Duke spoke in a cold tone with a sultry feeling in his heart.

"Are there any men who could sit still while their wives are gone?"

"…Was I a wife to Your Highness?"

Julia lifted her lips weakly. The Grand Duke's lips moved in a complicated expression, but he quickly gulped it down. His heart throbbed as if it was stabbed with something.

Julia, who was staring at him, raised herself up. Then she walked along the woodland path.

He understood that Julia meant that she wanted to be alone. But he couldn’t let her be. The Grand Duke followed her at some distance.

Julia, who had been walking for a long time without saying a word, stopped. The Grand Duke stopped with her, and his brow furrowed at the open sight.

Beneath a sheer cliff, a strong river was flowing. She didn’t know there was such a place in this forest.

"Julia, come here.”

Just as the Grand Duke called out to her with an ominous premonition, she turned around and pulled something out of her pocket.

"You…."

The Grand Duke stared at her with a slightly perplexed look in his eyes. Julia pointed a knife at him.

Her hands trembled finely as she grasped the hilt of the knife. The Grand Duke, who paused for a moment as if in shock, immediately killed his expression and approached her. Julia stepped back.

"Don't come any closer. If you get any closer, I'm really going to stab you…"

“Do as you please."

She would never stab him. Good-natured Julia Caesar could never do anything to hurt others.

That was his wife, as he had seen her so far.

The Grand Duke took a few large steps forward, and Julia moved back with a jittery movement.

If he got stabbed by that knife here, she would be sorry and come back to his side. Then she could hit him as many times as she wanted, with a sword or a gun.

"Wait, Julia."

His nonchalant face cracked at the moment the blade turned in an aborted direction.

The knife that had been aimed at him was now pointed at herself.

"Damn it, put that knife down!"

Julia plunged the knife further into her neck when her husband approached closer.

Red fresh blood flowed down from her white neck. In that state, she slowly backed away. The Grand Duke was shaking frantically as he came to a stop. He knew that if he came any closer, Julia was really going to cut her throat.

"Darn it… don't move anymore! It was my fault, I’m sorry…"

The more she retreated, the more the Grand Duke looked as if he was dying and prayed fervently.

The longer he lingered, unable to approach, the closer Julia got to the edge of the cliff.

"Please, don't. It’s all my fault. I will do as you wish. Julia…."

The Grand Duke shuddered, unable to hide his reddened eyes. It was hard to believe that he was such a cold and heartless husband.

Julia smiled bitterly. That look in his eyes, his words….at one time he was all she had. Days when she was deflected dozens of times and crumbled in a single glance.

These are the times she loved him while she was in loneliness.

Standing on the edge of the cliff, Julia slowly carving the face of the husband who had once been her world into her eyes.

"…… It's too late."

If not now, she would never be able to leave him forever. She would come to love him again.

"The unhappiness I have experienced is enough for me."

She wanted to be happy now.

"Julia!"

Staring at her desperate husband, Julia threw herself down the cliff.

Julia sat on the opposite side of the table and glanced at the man tilting his glass.

Fernan Caesar, the man who at the age of twenty-six had led the imperial wars to victory and inherited the Grand Dukedom.

He was a man of splendid beauty and solid outward appearance befitting his dignity, and even his light shirt shone.

He was a man that one could not help but had to steal a glance. The fact that this man, who looked so perfect, was her husband, was something unbelievable to Julia.

"Why don't you stop looking and eat?"

The sudden sound of his low voice startled Julia and she dropped her fork.

Fernan looked up and stared at her numbly.

"Yes, yes…"

Julia blushed and picked up a small piece of bread on her plate. She couldn't look up, embarrassed that she had been caught stealing a glance.

While she was squirreling away the bread and stirring the stale soup around, the servant brought our new dishes.

Julia, who was quietly cutting the steak, glanced up to check on him. He was only emptying his champagne glass, as if this time was boring him.

‘Should we continue our conversation? What kind of conversations do normal couples have at mealtime?’

While Julia was thinking, Fernan got up from his seat.

"I’ll leave first."

With a few words he left the dining room. He did not look at her for even a moment.

Julia gazed blankly at his empty seat and put down the tableware. She didn't want to eat more.

Julia stood up, unable to eat half of her food, and walked briskly to her room.

In spite of the fact that they had been married for several months, she had never been able to carry on any kind of dialogue with Fernan.

In fact, with the exception of the occasional mealtime, she rarely even saw him.

He had always been away for as short as three days and as long as a month.

So naturally she hadn’t had time to get to know him.

Somehow, she felt like they were worse off than others.

"Your Highness, are you here? Did you enjoy your meal?"

As Julia entered the bedroom, the maidservant who was tidying the bedding welcomed her with a smile. It was Melissa, who had been assigned as her full-time servant.

"Yes….”

Julia entered the dressing room and Melissa, who had followed her, helped her get dressed. After putting on a thin slip dress and a gown, Julia came out of the bedroom again.

"Oh, I received a letter at noon, but I forgot to tell you about it."

Melissa pulled the letter out of her pocket. Julia's expression darkened slightly. She felt as if she didn't need to see the letter to know who it came from.

After Melissa had left, Julia opened the envelope and checked the contents. Naturally, the sender was her father.

[Julia, to my daughter.

You haven't answered the letter I sent you last time. I'm worried, so I wrote a new letter and sent it to you. I hope you are settled in your new home. I am looking forward to hearing good news from you every day. I will try to visit you at the castle soon.]

The letter was brief, containing only its purpose. Julia sighed heavily after plunging the letter into the letter storage box.

Her father, Marquis Elody, had gained the most through this marriage.

He had used Fernan’s fame as a war hero to expand his business and maintain close ties with the imperial family, thus increasing the prestige of the family line.

Still, he couldn't get enough, and now he was forcing Julia to have a child with the Grand Duke by sending her letters periodically and putting pressure on her to do so.

The reasoning was that with an heir, this marriage would flow in a more stable direction. Julia had a subtle expression on her face as she pondered. She hadn't even had her wedding night with Fernan yet.

Children and heirs or something like that still seemed a long way away, but there was a need to develop a relationship with him.

‘We won’t stay this way forever.’

‘Don't be too impatient.’

Now that they were husband and wife, they had many days together. Julia lay down on the bed and slowly drew a picture of her husband.

From a long time ago until now, he has always been a beautiful and wonderful man.

It had been nine years since Julia first saw him. Julia, who was reminiscing about the past, fell asleep at some point.

As she slept, a gentle smile was drawn on her lips.

***

Nine years ago, it was the summer when she was 13. It was also the day Julia visited the Imperial Palace for the first time in her life.

"How can a lowlife enter a banquet hall?"

But before she could set foot in the banquet hall, Julia was thrown by a rough hand into a small room deep inside the Imperial Palace.

It was the habitual abuse of the Marquis, who did not recognize Julia as his daughter.

"You stay here and be quiet. I’ll call you when the banquet is over.”

"Oh, father!”

Boom! Julia quickly withdrew her outstretched hand as she looked at the door, which closed with a loud bang. Looking around with trembling eyes, she saw nothing but a dimly lit interior hanging in the air. As she stood there frightened, she heard a loud playing sound announcing the banquet.

Gasp.

Crouching down, Julia began to sob aloud.

The distant noise of the banquet hall made the young Julia even sadder.

‘Was it wrong for me to be excited for the first time in a pretty dress and riding in a fancy carriage?’

Her vision was blurred by tears that trickled from her eyes.

It was then that she saw a long shadow above her.

She looked up and saw a tall man looking down at her with a blank expression on his face. The man slowly bent his knees as he stared at Julia, who shook in surprise.

When their eyes were all at the same level, she could finally see the man's face clearly.

"Why are you crying?”

Black hair covered by the darkness. Golden eyes that shine alone even in a pitch-black room.

For a man, his face was so beautiful that it caught Julia’s gaze.

To the frightened Julia, the man gently held out his hand.

"…"

Julia's eyes widened.

‘Why would he offer his hand to a girl like me…?’

Confused, but Julia couldn't ignore his hand.

Fidgeting and gently grasping his fingertips, he eventually led her to a small door on one wall.

There was a terrace.

Unlike the pitch-black room, the light of the sunset was just emerging over the terrace.

"Don't cry, I'll stay with you."

He was gorgeously dressed, and it looked as if he should be in the banquet hall, not in this secluded little room.

Strangely enough, however, he seemed quite accustomed to sitting here alone.

He didn't ask her anything, nor did he say anything to her.

He just held her hand for a while.

Strangely enough, her sad and sorrowful heart gradually disappeared while she was with the man.

As such, he didn't leave his seat until the sunset had completely faded and the moonlight began to leak out.

Holding his large, linked hands tightly, Julia realized for the first time how warm someone's hands were.

It was the first time. It was the first time someone had held her hand like this without hesitation.

When she finally heard the sound of the music announcing the end of the banquet, Julia hesitated and asked him for the first time.

“Can you tell me your name…?”

At the small question, he silently lowered his eyelids and then slowly lifted them up again.

The golden eyes that appeared at that moment were brighter and more beautiful to the young Julia's eyes than the moon in the sky.

"Fernan."

"…"

"If we meet again someday, I'll tell you my name then.”

That was the last conversation she had with the man.

After that day, Julia saw him again at the ceremony two days later.

The man was at the very front of the imperial army leaving for the war of conquest.

That would be Fernan Seyrev Formene. The emperor's only nephew and the commander of the imperial army in this war.

The man, whom she met in an old small room, was such an incredible man. Julia learned belatedly that the day of the banquet where she met him was actually a ceremony for the safe return of the Imperial troops going to war.

Without even having a chance to meet again, the mysterious man left for the battlefield.

But even after that, Julia could not easily forget that day.

Even after a long time, Fernan returned as a war hero.

And for a long time after he returned, Julia would watch him from afar.

The man who was no longer the boy in her memories, had become the most famous person in the empire.

A year after that.

Surprisingly, it was at the meeting where the matchmaking took place that Julia met him face to face. On that day, her father said to her,

"Julia, you will be married to the Grand Duke.”

After the war, that man, Fernan, was given the Northern Caesar's territory and inherited the Grand Dukedom.

That gentleman in her memory, who seemed too noble and distant, was the very man she was to marry.

****

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The next day, Julia woke up earlier than usual and hurriedly prepared to go out.

Dressed in a frilly white dress, she stared at her reflection in the mirror.

She still wasn't used to the sight of three maids helping her dress up.

Before this marriage happened, she didn’t have any maids helping her. Julia was not a Young Lady, but a daughter of the Marquis’s mistress.

Since her mother was a commoner, she could not officially become the second wife of the Marquis. So according to the procedure, Julia wasn’t the Marquis’s daughter either.

However, after giving birth to her first son, the Marquise’s wife was diagnosed as infertile and could not have any more children.

That was why the Marquis had Julia formally admitted to his family while concealing the fact that she was his illegitimate daughter.

"Julia, you are the best commodity for valuable work.”

As can be seen from the word ‘commodity', it means a political marriage, ‘something of value', which the Marquis was always in the habit of saying.

A father who wanted to make a profit by putting his daughter on the line.

To him, Julia was just a tool to sell to a good place and increase his position.

Julia was well aware that for aristocrats, marriage was mostly a political tool, but she still wanted to have a marriage that combined love.

Having grown up in an environment where there was no family love, she wanted a home filled with love.

So when this marriage was arranged, Julia began to believe in the existence of God for the first time.

That man who she had never forgotten…. He was now her husband.

"Duchess, are you going to see His Highness off?"

At the sound of the servant's voice awakening her thoughts, Julia finally snapped out of the long standing memory that had lasted since last night. Looking up, she saw the servants smiling at her as they finished her makeup. Julia felt somewhat embarrassed.

Stroking her hair, Julia replied.

"Yes. I don't get to see him very often, so I just wanted to say hello."

"I'm sure His Highness will be very pleased."

Julia smiled awkwardly and stood up from her seat. I was a little embarrassed that her attempt at a light greeting seemed to be interpreted as a big deal.

‘But if I make a little effort like this, I can get closer to him, right?’

‘I hope His Highness wishes to be closer to me, too.’

Unlike Julia, who had never forgotten him, Fernan did not seem to remember her.

But she kept the promise she made to him that day, to meet him again like this, to let him know her name.

Julia came out of her bedroom and immediately went downstairs to the lobby. She saw the servants lined up in front of the entrance.

When the servants spotted Julia, they all bowed to her at once. She nodded lightly. Shortly after, Fernan entered the central staircase through a long corridor.

"…"

He entered the hall with a leisurely gait, dressed in a black uniform decorated with gold thread. Julia gazed at the figure in a daze.

The splendid conquest, masterfully woven over his broad shoulders and a strong body, suited him very well. He was a beautiful man that Julia had always admired since she first saw him a long time ago.

"Grand Duke."

Fernan walked casually past the servants, spotted Julia, and suddenly stopped. His cold gaze sank still on her.

“What are you doing here?"

Julia flinched as he asked in a tone that was colder than his gaze.

It was because the eyes looking down at her at the tall height felt somehow intimidating.

Julia looked up at him, who seemed to be cold, and replied with a puzzled look on her face.

"Uh…I wanted to give Your Highness my morning greetings."

“Morning greetings?”

Immediately a twisted sneer broke out on his sculpted face.

"I don't know what you are expecting.”

Julia froze in place, her eyes wide open.

Did he think that she was expecting something? Julia hurriedly opened her mouth to clear up the misunderstanding.

"Um, there is no other meaning. I just wanted to see His Highness off…”

"Well, I guess you're starting to want to be a hostess."

At the obviously sarcastic remark, Julia fell silent, her ears turning red.

‘I shouldn’t have done this.’

Her heart began to tremble madly in confusion, which was also in her head.

She could feel the servants watching her. Julia bowed deeply.

Fernan, who was looking down at her, continued to speak in a slightly calmer, but emotionless tone.

"If there's anything you want, you can have it. Whether it's remodeling the castle, buying jewels, or throwing a party, I don't care which."

"…"

“But I do not want to see you in the morning, so please refrain from doing this.”

His expressionless face told all. ‘Don’t expect anything from me. There will be no affection or warmth between us.’

Fernan thus walked straight past the frozen Julia.

The servants who had been watching her scattered to other places, and Julia was left alone in the lobby.

‘Did I do something wrong?’

The number of times she had seen and interacted with Fernan after their marriage was too few to count. He was always busy and not always very talkative.

In the meantime, she couldn't think of what mistake she had made.

Fernan left the castle on their wedding night, leaving the bride behind, saying he had business to attend to. But Julia was content with all that, even that.

That was, until he looked down at her with cold eyes earlier.

"…"

She stood there for a moment in a daze, her expression deliberately set. But she just couldn't hide her sinking heart.

While she forced herself to walk, Fernan’s cold voice echoed in her ear. It seemed to chill her to the core.

***

Marquis Elody slowly looked around the parlor and savored the tea.

It was a desolate and dreary interior. Like Fernan, the lord of the castle.

After lightly clicking his tongue, he snapped at his daughter.

"What does your husband do and not show up?”

"……he has a lot of political work."

Julia replied distantly and grabbed her teacup. Her father, whom she had not seen in a long time, remained only difficult and inconvenient.

The Marquis looked disgruntled and berated Fernan, then quickly changed the subject.

"Why are you so thin? There is nothing more ugly than a skinny girl.”

“Well, that's just because I have no appetite.”

The Marquis then looked her up and down and asked,

"Are you pregnant?”

"What?”

Startled, Julia hastily put down her teacup.

"No, I’m not."

"Why are you so surprised if you're not? You should be ashamed.”

Julia’s body shook out of habit at the Marquis's light rebuke. She didn't want to talk about the subject anymore, but he didn't seem to plan on stopping.

"Do you get intimate regularly?"

It wasn't the best conversation to have with her father, but Julia nodded, not showing any displeasure.

She couldn’t tell him the truth. Her father would probably go ballistic if he knew that she didn't even have her wedding night.

She didn't even have a chance to get close to Fernan. He was as busy as ever, and the only dinners they had together often ended without a word.

"I said it many times. It is only when you have children that this marriage will be perfect."

"…"

"…When you have children, your place is secured. He’s an arrogant man. I don’t know what he’s thinking.”

Julia kept her gaze down and grabbed her hand. Every time the Marquis spoke in a critical tone about Fernan, she did not know how to react.

“Fortunately you have a face. What would you do if you only looked like wood…tsk.”

""…"

"So hold on to him tightly now so he doesn't go out."

Julia nodded hesitantly and hoped that this tough time would end soon.

The Marquis looked at her with a very unreliable look and took something out of his pocket. It was a small medicine bottle filled with liquid.

"Take it. Men use it often to improve their drive. Just one sip will do the trick, so you have to use a small amount."

Julia blinked curiously. She didn't know why her father gave her a medicine that was good for men.

The Marquis furrowed his brow in frustration, and then quickly said in a meaningful tone,

"The Grand Duke has a lot of work with no time to rest. Then he’s likely to lose his stamina."

"…"

"Before you and him become intimate, give it to him secretly. He won't notice it if you put it in water or wine."

Julia inadvertently accepted the medicine bottle. The Marquis realized that she still didn't understand the meaning of this potion, but he didn't open his mouth anymore.

Julia felt somewhat abhorrent, but since she was in front of the Marquis, she had no choice but to put the medicine away. However, she was still concerned about ‘giving it to him secretly’, so she planned to call the pharmacist later to make sure that the medicine was safe.

After a while, the Marquis left the castle, saying that he would go see Fernan in person.

Sigh….

Returning to her bedroom, Julia put the medicine bottle in her drawer and closed it tightly with a sigh.

After dealing with her difficult and dour father, all her energy left her body.

***

Fernan was conducting his political affairs in his other mansion in the northern part of Caesar. The mansion was relatively small in size and was private, with only a few servants and lieutenants having access to it.

With the main castle comparable to the Imperial Palace, the reason for having a separate residence was simple. He needed a private space that no one could invade.

And now, Fernan was facing an uninvited guest who had invaded his space without permission.

"Hahahaha, no matter how long I waited at the castle, you didn't show up, so I came here directly. I hope it wasn't too rude."

Marquis Elody entered the office with a nice smile. Then he saw Fernan staring at him coldly and he was flabbergasted.

After Fernan put down the document he was reading, he gestured with his chin. It meant to sit down. The Marquis' smile was distorted by his attitude as if Fernan was treating his subordinates.

"I'm busy, so just keep it simple."

Fernan stared at the Marquis, his legs arrogantly crossed. The Marquis put on his good-natured face again and pulled out a letter from his pocket.

“I understand that you have work to handle, but you should not treat the person who came with a message from His Majesty like this.”

The Marquis put the letter on the table and smiled triumphantly. Fernan twisted up one side of his lips.

"His Majesty is so casual about it. How could he send the decrepit from far away to deliver a mere letter? That's right. Now that I look at you, the job suits you well.”

The Marquis's face instantly turned red and blue. Perhaps his self-esteem got hurt, the Marquis, who was silent for a while, forced his lips to bend.

"Hahaha…what shall I do? His Majesty's only nephew is not loyal to the imperial family, so he wants to correct the discipline even if he has to use this old man."

"Loyalty…"

Fernan chuckled as he lowered his eyes halfway. The more powerful Fernan became, the more the Emperor tried to oppress him in this way.

Tilting his head slowly in disgust, Fernan stared at the Marquis's face.

Dark brown hair and blue eyes. He naturally reminded him of his wife, Julia.

“Just marrying the Marquis's daughter was too much loyalty for me.”

Because of that loyalty, according to the emperor, Fernan became a commander at the age of seventeen and fought in the imperial war.

After several years of fighting for the empire relentlessly, the result was an unwanted marriage.

To the Emperor's dog, Marquis Elody's daughter.