“Yes, I’m a little nervous.”

“I’d like to say the same thing, but honestly, I hadn’t been nervous at all, so I have nothing to say.”

“I see.”

“I said it only to make you smile somehow.”

Raymond then tried to give a small smile, but it was too late. The marquis waved one hand to brush it off, then he moved onto the next topic.

“As for your wedding, it might be a little difficult for me to attend.”

“Is that so?”

“Mmh. There’s a lot of things I must prepare for as well. Still, I’ll make sure to send gifts that won’t disappoint you.”

Raymond’s expression was still stiff, that’s why the marquis brought this up on purpose, but rather than lightening up, the mood seemed to have hardened even further.

Raymond did not usually show his true feelings in front of the marquis. Or perhaps it was because of the topic he chose to bring up?

The marquis probed.

“Is it because of your fiancée? It’s Catherine’s daughter, correct?”

“Yes, that’s right. Did you know her?”

The marquis stroked his chin.

“There was a time that I tried to pursue her. Does she look like her mother?”

“I’m not quite sure as I’ve never met the Madam, but everyone else says that she looks just like my fiancée. Some say that she’s even more beautiful.”

At this, the marquis laughed. Nonetheless, he insisted on commenting on yet another thing.

“She must be pretty.”

“Yes.”

Raymond answered briefly. Carynne was certainly pretty.

The marquis leaned in slightly and spoke with a slightly teasing tone.

“And I’m sure she brought up some strange things, too. Is she also obsessed with true love?”

“..Yes. How do you know?”

Raymond felt a little antsy. Just as he had expected, Carynne’s illness was hereditary.

However, the marquis’ expression was not so grim. As he leaned back once more, he spoke.

“Yes, well, that’s also one of her charms, but.. It’s quite a peculiar charm.”

The marquis laughed jovially.

Raymond had to wonder if the deceased Lady Catherine was a strange person like Carynne. Or was it because Marquis Penceir and Lady Catherine weren’t very close, that’s why he didn’t know?

“If she’s that pretty, she’d still look attractive no matter what’s in her head.”

It seemed like it’s the latter.

With a hint of displeasure in his tone, Raymond warned the marquis.

“Marquis, you’re talking about my soon-to-be wife’s mother.”

“Frightening. Anyway, she was charming. It had been refreshing to have heard her say that she wanted only one love of her life.”

“Aren’t most women like that?”

The marquis raised one finger and wagged it in disagreement.

“Will you marry only for love?”

“Yes.”

Raymond replied. He would marry only for love. Raymond thought that marriage was something that couldn’t be done only when there was no love between the two people involved.

“Haha, that’s really funny.”

Since things turned out well, he seemed to be in a good mood.

So that’s possible, too. Raymond was bewildered by the urgent command that was handed down to him from the royal palace. It wasn’t like he didn’t expect it, but right now, Raymond was really about to retire.

He had already delegated most of his work, and he had returned his state-issued guns. With the situation that he was in right now, it would be difficult to say that he was still a soldier.

“In any case, she had some odd sides to her, but I still liked her. And even after she got married to Hare, I still wished to be friends with her. It had been impossible though since she was no longer in high society. Make sure not to do that after you get married, alright? If your wife will keep staying at home, the annoying problem of children will come soon after.”

“I see.”

“Honestly, I didn’t expect that she’d choose Hare. Right, it seems like she really married just for love. There were more men around her—richer, higher-ranking—but Hare was still the one she chose. Well, he’s not a bad match for a woman. Hare was pretty good-looking as well.”

Raymond recalled Crown Prince Gueuze. He’s an obsessed man.

At first, Raymond thought that Crown Prince Gueuze, who was like a thorn at Raymond’s side, was just trying to use Carynne as a tool of revenge against Raymond. However, the crown prince’s obsession ran deeper and even worse than that.

“Did Crown Prince Gueuze ask for Lady Catherine’s hand in marriage as well? Is that why he’s so obsessed with Carynne?”

“What? Haha.”

At Raymond’s words, Marquis Penceir started guffawing.

In response, Raymond felt a little flustered.

“Ahem, right. Sorry. Give me a second.”

“Did I speak out of turn?”

The marquis shook his head.

“I know that you love your fiancée very much. Right. She must be breathtakingly lovely. But her mother, Catherine, hails from a count’s household. Whereas Crown Prince Gueuze is the heir to the throne.”

“But Madam Catherine’s maternal grandmother was Grand Duchess Catryn, so I’m under the impression that her status wouldn’t be that far off.”

Raymond’s face turned a little red.

“Even if she’s Grand Duchess Catryn’s granddaughter, the problem lies with Catherine’s mother. She’s Countess Cailyn, if you know her. Really, their maternal lineage married too much for love. As much as they wanted to choose for themselves, their daughters would have more limited options because of that.”

“I see.”

“Still, I guess it’s not unprecedented, so Crown Prince Gueuze might have proposed to Catherine with the resolve to give up his right to the throne. But he didn’t.”

“How do you know?”

“I know. His Highness Gueuze once talked to me about it.”

Marquis Penceir was a close relative of Gueuze. Even if they were rivals in love with Catherine, they weren’t serious rivals. Marquis Penceir was a pragmatic man.

“He said that he’d let Catherine marry the right man, then later make her his mistress.”

“Ha.”

“Right. Even if she’s a count’s daughter, she’s still a grand duchess’ granddaughter. With pedigree like that, do you think she’d choose to become a whore? She wouldn’t have tolerated the thought.”

“I see.”

“But Gueuze likely didn’t want to give up the throne either. Actually, it wouldn’t make any sense—to give up the throne just for a lover.”

Knock, knock.

Someone knocked on the window of the carriage. Raymond reached over and opened the window.

“What’s going on?”

“Sir Raymond, there’s a problem.”

The first person who was addressed was Raymond instead of the Marquis.

And Raymond had a hunch on what had happened.

Carynne.

“We’ve been contacted that Lady Carynne is missing.”

* * *

Carynne threw the dagger n the floor.

“No.”

It’s not anything worth thinking about.

All Gueuze would be able to offer Carynne was death. Perhaps torture as well, perhaps rape, too. Carynne has had enough of it all.

She’d rather stop at one person blackmailing her, and that was Dullan. After all, what he’s dangling at her was the method to the ‘true death’ that she could achieve in the future.

“I don’t want to do it.”

If Carynne would kill, then it would be a kill for herself, not someone else. She did not want to do anything that would conform to Crown Prince Gueuze’s desires.

What she wanted to do was to live her own way.

Even if it’s at the risk of her own life.

“Hmm, how unexpected.”

“....”

“I thought you’d understand me.”

“How would I be able to understand Your Highness?”

Watching Carynne stand defiant against him, Crown Prince Gueuze bent down to pick up the blade-less dagger. He did not look too displeased, however something’s odd.

Crown Prince Gueuze asked.

“Didn’t you kill Lord Hare, your father?”

“..Is there any evidence pointing towards that conclusion? Your Highness has mentioned it before, that you do not have any evidence.”

Crown Prince Gueuze pressed a finger over Carynne’s mouth. The corners of his eyes were bent.

“Good grief, what you said just now is evidence enough. It seems like you’re not used to it yet.”

If Carynne was a truly innocent person, she wouldn’t have mentioned the lack of evidence. She would have just said, ‘No, I did not kill him’. Only the culprit would contest the lack of evidence, for that very suspect would know whether there was evidence left behind or not.

After Crown Prince Gueuze pointed this out, Carynne bit her lower lip.

“If you start to get a little more used to killing people, you’ll be able to hide them more naturally.”

“..I do not know what you’re talking about.”

With a disbelieving expression, Crown Prince Gueuze answered.

“With a position like mine, I tend to get a hold of many different kinds of information. Why are you still being so staunch in the midst of all this? Is it because you believe in Sir Raymond?”

That’s probably not the case.

“I..”

Carynne knew that, despite everything, Raymond chose her, but she still could not believe in him completely.

Because, even if she was by Raymond’s side, she kept dying.

Carynne did not owe an explanation to Crown Prince Gueuze, however.

“..I don’t know.”

Did he interpret her ambiguous answer as a yes? Crown Prince Gueuze narrowed his eyes and turned his back on her.

Carynne clutched the dagger tighter and stared at his neck.

If she were to stab him right in the neck.. No, there’s no blade on this dagger. She wouldn’t be able to kill him with one stroke. If she attempted to do so, she’d immediately be subdued by him. Then, she would become one of the many ornaments on the wall.

Vividly, Carynne could imagine what the process would be like.

t/n: I’m not very sure if it’s a mistake on the author’s part, but when the grand duchess had been mentioned before, her name was ‘Carla’, but it’s ‘Catryn’ here instead.