That evening, Juju was having dinner in the Duke's dining hall. Ruslan was with her.

Ruslan, as the acting Duke, sat at the head of the table, and Juju, by his side, diligently played the part of his beloved mistress.

It didn't require much effort. Dressing in pretty clothes, eating delicious food, and chatting with the Count was enough.

Even with just that, the maids lined up against the walls kept glancing over with envious eyes.

Ruslan elegantly dissected his steamed trout as he spoke.

"It's been bothering me, you always wearing hand-me-downs. When we go to the capital, I'll get you something new."

"Will you really? I wonder what's in fashion this year."

"I'll have to get a catalog. Is there anything else you're particularly fond of? Be it a dessert or a hobby, I'll look into anything within reason."

"I'm not picky, I like meat, and I'm good at dancing, but anything to pass the time is fine. Oh, I hate reading, chess, and card games."

"I'll keep that in mind. I want to avoid forcing a taste for vegetables or the intricacies of strategy on you. I want to be a man who respects his lover."

Honestly, this isn't some childish game. Where did he learn to mimic this gentleman act?

Juju let out a soft chuckle and put a butter-drenched mushroom into her mouth. She hadn’t used to enjoy them, but her taste had changed. Anything that didn't taste like sawdust or dirt was delicious.

At the same time, she felt strange. Buttered mushrooms were a dish the Emperor had loved since he was a child.

‘Back then, I was only trying to match Albert's tastes.’

She forced herself to read the poems he liked and tried to enjoy the mushrooms he adored. The friends he made became Charlotte's friends.

How ridiculous must she have seemed to her old comrades. To them, Charlotte wasn't a full person but rather an accessory to Albert.

As a result, the moment the Emperor abandoned her, they too turned their backs.

‘Just you wait until I leave this place. I’ll show you what pain of broken knees feels like.’

She stabbed her fork into the mille-feuille that had come for dessert, smashing it. She had a burning desire to rush into the Imperial Palace and take revenge on them all.

Ruslan, who had been watching her, spoke tentatively.

"They've used rowan berries in the mille-feuille today."

"Huh? Oh, it's not raspberry."

"This jam is rowan berry jam, a specialty of the north. Try it in your tea. It calms the mind."

"......"

Was her mood that obvious? Or was he simply eager to play the part of a caring lover?

Juju felt strangely moved as she opened the jar of jam Ruslan had handed to her. After taking a small spoonful and dropping it into her cup, a warm fragrance rose from the glass.

As she sipped it, a strange tartness spread over her tongue. Her heart, which had been burning, on the verge of exploding, calmed down. She felt comforted.

“It’s a taste of the North. Do you like it?”

“...Yeah. So, that's how you drink it."

Juju hesitated for a moment before saying,

"Thank you. For telling me."

"It's nothing."

They were enjoying a cozy dessert time when the dining hall doors burst open.

"Is it fun, giggling while you eat?"

Juju looked up in surprise. A girl with curly black hair and red eyes was walking into the dining hall with heavy steps.

Duchess Dorothea scowled, her face contorted with displeasure, and slumped into a chair at the opposite end of the long table. Her piercing eyes darted back and forth between them.

‘She barely leaves her room, so why?’

Juju recalled the whispers among the staff as she wondered.

It was true; the siblings had been on bad terms recently.

The relationship between the Duchess and Count Kaitel was currently strained.

The rightful heir to Duke Licht was his own daughter, Dorothea. However, she was only sixteen and frail. The control of the family was in the hands of Ruslan, the adopted son and adult.

This was already a delicate issue for Dorothea, but after an attempted poisoning incident, she had started to openly suspect Ruslan.

Her favorite maid had fallen sick from poison. It was clear that Dorothea had originally been the target. The fear that she might die suddenly, like her mother, must have been consuming her.

And in the midst of all this, the maid who had barely survived had suddenly become the Count's lover.

For Dorothea, this was another shock.

Knowing this, Juju deliberately avoided contacting Dorothea. It seemed like it would unnecessarily provoke her. She also felt a sense of guilt for deceiving someone so close to the body’s real owner.

Dorothea, who had barged into the dining hall, looked as if she was prepared for a confrontation.

Ruslan slowly stirred his tea and greeted her.

"It's a surprise to see you in the dining hall, sister. Did you get your full nap time today?"

"I came out even if I had to push myself. In case you all forget who the heir of this family is!"

Dorothea replied fiercely. On the other hand, Ruslan was calm.

"That's admirable responsibility. No need to rush. Until you reach adulthood and your title is transferred, you should rest.”

“Just because you’re a few years older, you act like the head of the house while being a proxy Duke…! I truly hate you!”

Dorothea exploded, slamming her fist on the table. She suddenly covered her mouth and coughed violently. A nearby maid quickly rushed to her side.

“Take deep breaths. One, two.”

“Get away! Ruslan, do you think I can’t do anything? The doctor you manipulated confessed to me. You sent that teapot!”

Just then, a servant brought in an old man with a grief-stricken face and forced him to kneel.

Dorothea glared at the man as if she were going to kill him, then suddenly turned her eyes to Juju.

“Juju, why are you there?! You're my maid!”

Juju’s hand, which had been aimlessly fiddling with her plate, froze. Before she could respond, Dorothea continued.

“She was suspicious, so I took away her first cup! And you brazenly took her for treatment and laid your hands on her? I’ve heard it all, Linde told me! You put her in your next room to sleep!”

“Milady, please calm down. You’ll trigger another seizure!”

“Why did you pretend to grieve on my mother's funeral? You tried to poison me! Do you think I will hand over the Licht Dukedom to the likes of you?!”

Dorothea, who had been sobbing, coughed and her shoulders heaved. The maid wrapped her breathing apparatus in her apron and tried to calm her.

Ruslan expressionlessly stared down at his teacup. He slowly turned his head and gave an order to Semyon.

“Take the Duchess back to her room. The shock of the late Duke’s death has caused her to imagine terrible things. As for the doctor, give him a sum to apologize and send him away.”

“You should be the one to leave this house!”

“Oh, of course, I'll leave. I'll be gone in a few days, even if you don’t tell me to.”

"What?"

Ruslan gestured with his eyes towards the back. Semyon explained instead.

“We received word a few days ago. A prisoner escaped from the Ice Prison and froze to death. They managed to retrieve the body, but he massacred the guards while escaping. As you know, that prisoner's name was….”

Dorothea flinched and moved closer into the maid’s arm.

“The villainess, Charlotte!”

“Yes. Even that terrible villainess couldn’t have survived the blizzard. The Ice Prison is under the direct control of the Emperor, but since it’s located in the north, it is our responsibility to manage it and report on the northern affairs.”

"So, you're going to the capital because of that. Surely a sister who is always sick can't travel that far, right?"

Dorothea bit her lip, filled with resentment.

"Don't ever come back."

"Oh, don't worry. I want to establish a foundation in the capital while I have this opportunity."

"Don't interfere with my territory! Don't you interfere, a child who doesn't even know our uncle's face!"

"Of course, a wise sister like you will do well, just like your mother, even without me."

Then, Ruslan suddenly reached out his arm. In an instant, Juju was pulled and ended up sitting on his lap.

His body was close to hers. His arm, which had wrapped around her shoulder, moved slowly upwards, his fingertips touching her cheek. For him, it was quite a bold move.

"But, I will take your maid with me."

“Are you crazy?!”

"She wanted it herself.”

“Juju!”

The girl's voice trembled at the end of her sentence.

Surely not, it must be a joke, a look that doesn't give up on the last bit of hope.

Inside Juju, Charlotte was moved by a strange sense of sympathy. The memories of taking care of the sick young lady weren't her own, but she kept having these illusions.

But she is not the Juju that she once knew.

It is better to make sure the connection is completely cut off at this opportunity.

Juju pulled the man's finger and bit the tip gently. Then, as if overwhelmed with emotion, she leaned on his neck and let out a sigh.

"Promise me you won't go back on your word."

“Do you take the acting Duke for a fool? The moment we arrive, I will summon the most expensive tailor. I’ll make you the most beautiful woman in the capital.”

Ruslan's hands were slower to react than his words, but he quickly began to stroke Juju's hair and back. Juju, as if empowered by the man's display, turned and smiled sweetly, trying to put on a show.

And then, she spoke to Dorothea, who had stiffened at the scene before her eyes.

"I'm sorry, Milady. The Count wants me to stay by his side.”

“You…!”

“I don’t think I can live without the Count either. He’s loved me so much every night…”

“You fool!”

Dorothea finally stormed out of the dining hall.

It was later that Juju heard that she had collapsed in her room and cried for a long time.

Juju felt a little sorry for her. No matter what the truth was, the situation, from the outside, painted a picture of a step-brother pushing his sister out to steal the family's position.

It must have been a difficult trial for a girl who had just lost her mother.

"But, in reality, you've pushed the Duchess out of the Emperor's sight, right? If you're the one with the power, then no one will pay attention to the Duchess in the shadows."

On the day of departure, Juju finally asked.

Ruslan, who was checking the preparations for the carriage, pretended not to know.

"It was a trick to get access to the Duke's finances."

"It must be tiring to play the villain on purpose. Are you okay with being hated?"

Then, Ruslan's expression deepened.

"...Because she's the child that my benefactor asked me to look after. Rather than letting her, who carries the Licht name, get involved, it's better for me, who has nothing, to bear the burden of wrong doing."

Ruslan’s black hair fluttered in the wind. It was a fake color, imitating the family's trait, but perhaps because of the initial impression it made, it looked good on Juju's eyes.

Even though they were holding hands and pretending to be lovers, she realized that he was the complete opposite of her, who was driven by hatred.

‘A hope, perhaps?’

A man who smells like the snow of a distant land, even dressed in black.

The carriage was ready. As they were about to depart for the capital, a man hurriedly ran over from the other side. It was one of the stable hands from the mansion.

"C, Count! Count Kaitel!"

"It’s a crucial moment, what is it?"

The stable hand bowed and replied.

"Well, it’s very late, but will you allow me to come with you? Ahem, seeing the Imperial Palace has always been a dream of mine and I’ve realized I must do it now or never. We have more than enough stable hands, but having an extra will help out the horses."

At that moment, Juju suddenly realized.

Ruslan had acted as if he had profited from the Duke’s death. He had pretended to try to poison Dorothea.

This was to make the perpetrator who had delivered the poison to the Duke believe that he was his accomplice.

「The doctor you manipulated confessed to me. You sent that teapot!」

Ah.

「You have three options. Run away, find out who it is and negotiate, or do both.」

If Dorothea questioned the doctor and found out the fabricated truth, and if it happened to be just before the departure date, it was all part of his plan….

“It's a long journey. Having more people complicates things."

"Please, I really hope you’ll allow me! I'm sure I will be of help to the Count!"

Only then did Ruslan reluctantly agree.

"Then come along. There's no food prepared for you, but we'll manage somehow."

The stable hand thanked him repeatedly and joined the group.

Ruslan got into the carriage and closed the door. Juju quietly asked.

"When will you kill him?"

Ruslan seemed a bit surprised, but then he gave a slight smile.

"Around the time this carriage passes over Mount Gwinte."

So it was fine that there was no meal for him.

The curtain of revenge had been raised. No eating is allowed after the opening.

Emperor Albert walked through the vast corridors of the Imperial Palace.

The Imperial Palace was built to commemorate the achievements of the previous Emperor who had established the Empire. Every corner of the palace gleamed with gold decorations as if to boast of his unmatched achievements.

Albert, as the next ruler, should have walked confidently, but today, his steps were not like that. In fact, they felt increasingly heavy.

When he reached the secret meeting room, he looked at the figures gathered inside.

As promised, they were all there. These were his closest aides, known as the ‘Four Heroes,’ who had been with him since his days as a prince.

In a somber tone, Albert called out their names one by one.

"Irene, Pascalina, Jonathan, Dietrich. Thank you for coming. The reason I've gathered you all here is because unexpected news has reached us."

The eyes of the four people turned towards the Emperor.

Albert cleared his throat and spoke.

"Lotte is dead."