Chapter 32
When I stared straight at him and spoke, the Duke looked back at me and let out a sigh.
“I came to apologize.”
“……”
“Things have changed a great deal since you first came here alone, before the whole affair with the Third Prince began. I realized I haven’t treated you properly. I feel sorry for having caused you unnecessary stress.”
“It’s fine.”
I turned my head away. Now that he was lowering himself and apologizing, I didn’t know what to say.
“Just sign the divorce papers as soon as possible. And after that, I’d prefer we never see each other again.”
“……”
The Duke stared at me, his gaze unwavering even as I avoided looking him in the eye.
“When this business is over, I’ll return and sign the divorce papers. But there’s one condition.”
“……What is it?”
“I’ll respect your decision as stated in the contract, but you must accept the money I give you.”
“What money…?”
I stopped mid-question when I realized what he meant.
He was referring to the sum written in the contract—the financial support promised from the ducal house in the event of a divorce.
“I don’t need the money.”
At my answer, he looked at me. I continued.
“No matter how much it is, or how generous the support, I don’t want it.”
“……What do you mean?”
“I didn’t agree to help Diana for money in the first place. It feels like it would taint my sincerity.”
If I accepted the money from House Hydrian as written in the contract, I could live the rest of my life in comfort—travel wherever I wanted, do whatever I pleased, without ever worrying about livelihood.
But to me, there were things far more valuable than that.
“And taking the money would make me feel like I was still tied to the Duke’s house. I don’t want that.”
“I just thought it would be proper to compensate you fairly for all the trouble you’ve been through.”
A silence fell between us. Then—thump, thump, thump—hurried footsteps sounded from outside.
Someone was running toward the house. The footsteps stopped right in front of my door.
With a bang, the door flew open, and the person who burst in was none other than Nick.
“Father!”
Nick darted across the room like an arrow, rushing into the bedroom where the Duke and I faced each other.
He looked back and forth between our grave faces, then spread his arms wide, standing between us—his back to me, facing the Duke.
“Mother was with me!”
“……”
“……”
The Duke and I both turned to look at Nick. The silence thickened before he spoke again.
“I begged Mother to go for a walk with me because I wanted to spend more time together. It wasn’t her fault that she went out secretly—it was mine. So if you’re going to scold someone, scold me.”
Even amid the sudden chaos, the Duke seemed to glance my way, trying to judge the truth in Nick’s words.
I could only stare at Nick in bewilderment.
He hadn’t been with me all night. We hadn’t even met.
Then why… was he lying to the Duke for my sake?
The Duke’s eyes glinted faintly as he looked between us. He was just about to speak—
When the door burst open again.
A uniformed man stepped in, breathing heavily as if he’d run all the way here. I recognized him immediately as the commander of the imperial knights dispatched from the palace—the Duke’s right-hand man and the one commanding the troops stationed in Lorentia.
The man looked at the three of us and said,
“My apologies for interrupting, Your Grace.”
He turned toward the Duke.
“It’s an emergency.”
“……”
“Someone believed to be His Highness, the Third Prince, is approaching the gallery.”
Tap, tap.
The three of us left the house and hurried toward the gallery.
It didn’t take long to reach it, since it was nearby.
And when we arrived, a spectacular sight unfolded before us.
Knights stood in perfect formation, motionless, staring straight ahead, their breath held.
I steadied my breathing and turned my head toward where their gazes were fixed.
The dawn was breaking.
A vast sun was rising, sweeping away the chill of early morning.
The wind brushed through the golden fields, sending ripples across the grain like waves of light—and those golden waves reached one man.
Step by step, a man was walking along the straight path toward the gallery, cutting through the wind.
Each long stride carried a sense of quiet majesty.
With every step, his black cloak billowed grandly behind him, as if flaunting its weight and dignity.
Not even a single bird sang; everyone held their breath as they watched him approach.
As he walked, he lifted the hood of his cloak.
The sunlight fell upon his silver hair, catching the sheen of warmth and cold that coexisted strangely together.
Beneath it appeared a face of striking beauty.
And then—those eyes.
Brilliant blue eyes, the same ones captured in the Third Prince’s portraits.
Almost everyone had heard of them, but few had ever seen them in person.
Now, that face—his face—was revealed to the world.
“……It’s His Highness, the Third Prince.”
The knight commander murmured the words in awe, staring at the man.
The Duke spoke.
“Attend His Highness.”
At his command, the knights who had been standing in line surged forward toward Adolf.
They surrounded him tightly, forming a living wall of spears.
When Adolf finally came to stand before the Duke, everyone around dropped to one knee.
“We greet His Highness, the Third Prince!”
The knights from the imperial palace cried out in unison, their voices resounding powerfully.
It was an overwhelming sight—the entire formation kneeling as one sent chills down my spine.
Nick and I also bowed low before the Third Prince.
After giving a formal bow, the Duke straightened and spoke.
“It’s been a long time, Your Highness. You’ve grown into a fine man over these seven years.”
“I was already a grown man seven years ago,” Adolf replied. “Just a little older now, that’s all.”
“You’re still the same as ever. I wondered what sort of person you might have become over the years, but it seems you’ve kept your playful nature.”
Though their words were courteous, an undercurrent of tension ran through the exchange.
Keeping my head slightly bowed, I listened as they spoke.
“……You made the right choice,” said the Duke. “By revealing yourself, you’ve spared us a great deal of unnecessary effort.”
“If I’d cared about that, Duke Hydrian, I’d have revealed myself long ago. It wouldn’t have taken seven years.”
Adolf’s reply was cool, but his gaze flickered briefly toward me.
“I simply changed my mind. Running away was starting to get tiresome.”
“……Whatever the reason, His Majesty will be overjoyed to hear of your return.”
The Duke spoke again, but Adolf didn’t answer.
“Since Your Highness has been away from the palace for so long, your health will be examined as soon as you return. But before that, the royal physician who accompanied us can perform a preliminary check here at the gallery.”
The knight corps had prepared for this moment perfectly—supplies, security, and all.
At the Duke’s gesture toward the gallery, Adolf quietly stepped inside.
The palace physician welcomed him and began a brief examination.
The Duke immediately began issuing orders to the knight commander.
“Send word to His Majesty that we’ve found the Third Prince. If His Highness’s condition permits, we’ll depart for the capital before noon. Make preparations.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
With Adolf’s appearance, the heavy tension that had hung over everyone began to dissolve.
One by one, people exhaled in relief at the rediscovery of the long-missing prince.
“……”
And amid it all, I suddenly realized something—
The time had come for me to part ways with Adolf.
The stranger who had once been a familiar visitor to my small gallery would no longer come by.
When he’d said “I’ll see you later,” I had already sensed it—
He had intended to end his long journey with this visit.
It had been his decision, and all I could do was respect it.
It was his life; I had no right to interfere.
All I wanted was to help him make the best choice—to find the courage to do so.
So I told him the words he needed to hear.
Above all, he had wanted to go back.
The lion carved into the sculpture in the corner of his tent—the symbol of the Fontrich royal family—had told me everything.
The moment I saw it, I could feel what he must have been thinking when he bought it.
But as I advised him that day, I hadn’t realized one thing—
That soon it would become difficult to see him again.
The pleasant days in my little gallery, chatting and laughing with Arwin, would no longer exist.
I respected his choice and would always wish him well.
But still, the emptiness had already begun to creep in.
He had always been there in the morning, taking his usual seat.
We had shared countless trivial conversations, and laughter.
Now, fiddling absently with my hair, I felt a strange ache in my chest.
And then—through the glass door of the gallery—our eyes met. Adolf was looking at me.
“……?”
Startled out of my thoughts, I looked back. He smiled gently, then whispered something to the knight beside him.
The knight nodded, stepped out of the gallery, and said to me,
“Madam, His Highness wishes to speak with you.”
“Pardon?”
“Please, come inside.”
