When the sound of Rubica’s footsteps stopped, Edgar dropped his fork and knife. The servants gulped hard fearing the nervousness that was on his face.

The duke looked like he would run to his wife and whisper words of love if only she said anything.

“Ann.”

However, the person Rubica called in the hallway wasn’t Edgar. It was the housekeeper who was always loyally by her side.

“… I think I was wrong about the mana quartz. Just please do it like you always did.”

“What? Oh, yes, yes, of course.”

Soon, she moved again. The servants and the maids met each other’s eyes for a second, but they couldn’t even guess what Rubica was talking about.

Only Carl understood and was deeply relieved until he looked at Edgar.

He was empty, he was sitting still with an empty expression.

He didn’t move even after the sound of Rubica’s footsteps faded away. Time passed. Nobody could say a word to the duke, but then he abruptly stood up.

“Shit!”

Then, he threw his napkin away and ran to the duchess’ chamber.

***

Rubica let the maids serve her. Ann recommended her a bath, thinking warm water would melt both her stress and frozen heart.

However, Rubica shook her head. For now, she didn’t want to do anything.

She looked at the panels’ pattern that had looked so elegant just yesterday, but now it didn’t bring her any feelings.

She was just tired of everything. She managed to get changed into a nightdress and sat down on a nearby sofa.

Her body felt so heavy, and she couldn’t even get to the bed.

“Your Grace, you must be very tired.”

“Do you want me to massage your legs?”

A clever maid brought her a console and put it under her legs.

At first, Rubica had found such a treatment too much, so she smiled and thanked even after she got used to it.

But now, she didn’t have enough energy to put up that smile. She felt hollow.

Nothing could reach her now, and being grateful was something she couldn’t afford now.

“No, it’s okay.”

Rubica barely managed to say that. She looked exhausted, so Ann gave a silent order with her eyes and the maids immediately left.

“Your Grace.”

Ann carefully called Rubica and dropped her head.

“I’m sorry.”

Rubica wasn’t surprised to hear the sudden apology as she knew what Ann was apologizing about. Ann waited for her to tell her how disappointed she was, but what Rubica said after a short silence wasn’t what she had been expecting.

“No. You only did what you had to do for Claymore, so how can I blame you for doing your duty as the housekeeper? I rather thank you for stopping me from making a foolish decision and carrying it out.”

Although she said that, she clearly looked heartbroken, therefore Ann didn’t know what to say.

It would have been better if Rubica was mad at her for tipping Edgar off. She had determined to endure it if Rubica never trusted her again, but not like this.

“Your Grace, I will never do it again.”

Ann’s voice trembled. However, Rubica felt very tired as she shook her head. She didn’t have enough energy to point out it was already the second time.

Letting out your anger is something you do only when you have expectations and love for the person. Rubica had abandoned all that a long time ago.

“No. I thank you for stopping me. Please do it again if I ever make another foolish choice.”

If Rubica was trying to tear apart and grind Ann’s heart, she was doing excellently. However, Rubica really meant it, she wasn’t scolding her at all.

Ann couldn’t guess if she was supposed to kneel down and beg for mercy or ask her to change her mind again, knowing it was crazy.

“Ann, I’m tired. I want to go to bed now.”

Rubica stretched out her hand. Her body had no strength and she couldn’t even get up from the sofa. She had always been proud of her health.

She didn’t add walking in the garden till she sweated as part of her afternoon routine because Edgar recommended it, she walked and walked to prepare for the war that was about to come.

And now, she was full of energy like the maids who did all the rough work. But strangely, this evening, she was so tired.

She got help from Ann and managed to get up from the sofa and lie on the bed.

“I want to sleep now. Please turn off the lights.”

Her eyes closed as soon as her head hit the bed. She didn’t have any energy left to wait for Edgar. And, what good was that going to be? She was nothing to him.

“… okay.”

Ann hesitated for a long time, but eventually she blew out the candles and dragged the duvet up to Rubica’s shoulders.

Then, she heard a bumping sound, and it was followed by the sound of someone running toward the room.

Ann knew what that sound meant and clenched her teeth.

Late. It was way too late. This wasn’t the time.

“Rubi…”

Edgar opened the door and called Rubica’s name, but a wrinkled hand covered his lips.

Edgar had to shut his mouth at seeing the woman, who had always been kind to him, being stern.

“She’s asleep.”

That was merciless. He glanced at the clock and it wasn’t even midnight. Rubica had just come into the bedroom. It was too early to go to bed.

“At least I can talk to her for a moment.”

“No.”

Ann spoke through clenched teeth.

Men. They are all so senseless.

“No?”

Ann didn’t say more and dragged Edgar out of the room. Then, she closed the door quietly and made the servants leave. She was worried the matter about mana quartz could be a problem when it leaked out to the people.

“What did you do to convince her?”

Edgar hesitated as it was quite embarrassing to explain. It had been a couple’s conversation, and he cared more about Rubica being alone in the room.

He glanced at the door and Ann had to suppress a groan. Edgar looked like he was about to push her aside and go in at any moment.

“She is very disappointed and tired. If you force her to wake up to talk now, it will only make her close her heart even more. It’s not the right way.”

Ann’s plea made Edgar come to his senses. ‘It will only make her close her heart even more.’ It was as if someone was pouring a bucket of cold water on him. He hadn’t paid attention to how Rubica would take in his actions.

“Then what should I do now?”

He sent a distress signal to the only advisor he had. He had never asked other’s help to solve a problem as he mostly took care of his issues on his own.

However, even he couldn’t take care of this alone.

The housekeeper had lived longer than he had and had been taking care of people for all her life, so he had to depend on her.

Plus, Ann cared about Rubica more than anyone else.

‘Shit.’

He wished to be the person who spent the most time with her. If only he could… he would have done it. He could be with her only in the short night hours and that was painful.

After he met Rubica, he cursed the sun that never rested and came up every day.

It hadn’t been this serious. Even he himself was surprised at the rage that suddenly came up. And, that rage would melt away in less than a second when he looked at a person and that person smiled at him.

Moreover, it made him feel like he was walking on the clouds.

“Your Grace, please tell me how you convinced her.”

Ann gravely asked to the lost Edgar. He managed to calm down and recited every word of the conversation he had had with Rubica. As he was the man with the best memory in the continent, it wasn’t that hard.

“You did that?”

Ann looked a little troubled at hearing all that.

Edgar had logically explained to Rubica why dispatching adventurers was needed and what kind of meaning getting mana quartz had. Strictly speaking, his method hadn’t been wrong.

However, not everything in the world happened like that. A child didn’t grow up to be good just because he had enough food and a place to live.

Sometimes, a child who grew up without enough food and wandering around the street turned out to be better.

Depending on whether there was someone who gave great love and went through the obstacles together, one can think of something trivial as big or something big as very trivial.

“Let me ask you this for the last time. When she took back what she said and told you she was sorry, did you say you were sorry as well?”

Edgar looked back into his memories. However, no matter how hard he searched, he couldn’t remember him apologizing to Rubica.

Only then, Edgar realized what kind of huge mistake he had made.

She didn’t take his hand. She looked away from him. That hurt so much that he had missed what kind of wound he had left on her heart.

“… I didn’t.”

Ann tutted, but she didn’t blame Edgar. He was only 25. At that age, it was easy to think one could control everything with logic. Instead, she was rather surprised by Rubica.