Evan instructed the steward to make all necessary preparations for our excursion. I simply had to ready myself to leave.

Yes, he’s coming with me, but that won’t stop me from getting my hands on a lustrous fortune. My new pretext—quietly accompanying my husband to the races—made my plan all the better.

Speaking of my husband, Evan spent most of his time burrowed in the library to study. Good gracious. Books again after years of them at the academy? It was beyond me.

I suppose this is why Laria and Evan never had a chance to become a loving couple. It’s a challenge to even see him.

I didn’t see much of him after breakfast. Alone, I enjoyed another peaceful day, much like those before his return.

That same afternoon, a package addressed to me arrived containing the one hundred exquisitely crafted handkerchiefs that the duke had ordered for me. Each must have been costly since they varied in design and pattern, no two alike.

I wish I had been granted coins instead of these...

For a second, I felt pressured to spit out as much blood as the handkerchiefs could hold. But it was very thoughtful of him, and I owed him my gratitude, at least. With that realization, I decided to go and thank him personally. The handkerchief he gave me the day before was still clean since I hadn’t had any episodes since then, so I could return it to the duke.

But... Returning the cloth doesn’t exactly say “thank you,” does it?

So I asked Lisa to bring me a card. Then I thoughtfully composed a few lines and walked toward the duke’s chamber. He was easy to locate since he only left his study when he had guests or events. I slowed to a halt before the imposing doors.

“Father? It’s me, Laria.” I gently tapped the door with my knuckles and awaited his call. “Are you busy? I would like to share something with you if you’ll allow me.”

“Come in,” he said, and I hurried in.

It was a picturesque sight. The duke was sat behind his writing desk, perusing a stack of documents.

Goodness. It’s remarkable how alike he and Evan are.

The way he maintained a rigidly upright posture in his seat greatly reminded me of Evan last night.

“Have I caught you at a bad time?”

“Perhaps,” he replied, neither confirming nor denying it. “It’s wise to toil now so that I may have a day to spare in these busy times.”

Is he planning to go somewhere? Why would he take a day off? Well, it wasn’t my concern. He was probably hard at work drawing up some evil plan befitting his character. In reality, he was quite a busy man. After Duchess Icardes’ passing, it became widely known that the candles in the ducal chamber never went out before dawn.

“I received the handkerchiefs you sent me. Thank you, Father.” I bowed reverently and handed back his handkerchief along with my card. “I am returning this to you. The card serves as a token of my gratitude.”

“Oh?”

The duke proceeded to open the card on the spot. The contents weren’t anything impressive, just some words expressing my gratitude to him, and a little bit about wanting to talk to him more and other filial things. If there was a noteworthy detail in the card, I suppose it was the small doodle I had scribbled next to my lines. It was a sorry finishing touch but necessary because the card would have seemed too insincere without it. Besides, everyone knows pictures are the magic solution to bare letters.

“And what would this be?” he asked, frowning and pointing at my tiny masterpiece. “Is this a drawing of three tiny beasts?”

I couldn’t believe my ears. “N-no...” I pointed at the picture, tremors coursing through me. “Th-this is you. This is Evan. And I’m here. It’s the three of us getting along.”

Was he angered by my bad artwork? I had a secret weapon for situations like this.

Cough. No response. Cough, cough.

Unfortunate. Seems like I really had nothing left in me.

I mustn’t make him suspicious.

Unable to rely on my coughs any longer, I rested my hand over my brow and wobbled a little.

“My apologies, Father. I got a little woozy for a moment.” Then, as if I had broken the dizzy spell, I shut my eyes and quickly changed the subject. “I will excuse myself...”

“What?” he asked.

“I don’t want to trouble you any longer.” As I carefully retreated toward the door, I caught one of his brows arching.

“Was that all you had to say to me?”

“Yes, Father,” I replied.

“Are you sure?”

“Well... Of course.”

“Really now?” he probed further.

Saying yes to him filled me with dread.

“Maybe the dizziness has impacted your memory,” he noted.

I took a moment to mull things over. My gratitude was known, and his handkerchief was returned. That can only mean—

“I am... so sorry for the inadequate drawing. I won’t draw a thing in the future.”

Oh, it was a low blow! But against the most powerful man in this universe, I had no choice but to bear the ego sting.

“This,” he started. Having caught sight of his furrowing brow, I almost let out a hiccup. “You said this is supposed to be a drawing of us three.”

“Well... It is.”

“And you want us to be merry, yes?” he asked.

Was my earlier assumption wrong? I looked around the room in desperation, as if I could find the right answer hidden in the walls.

“This doesn’t remind you of anything?” He sighed and placed the pen down. “Didn’t you say you wanted to go on a picnic together?”

No way.

“I didn’t expect such a young soul to speak with a forked tongue.”

I gazed down at the stacks of documents on his desk. When he said he had a spare day... No, it couldn’t possibly—

Ah, yes! How could I have forgotten? With the realization dawning on me, I gave a hasty reply, “Father! You were right, the awful wooziness plaguing me has been burning holes in my memory. There is another thing I want to bring up.”

“Oh?”

“I made plans to accompany Evan to the races in two days.”

“I see,” he replied immediately. His furrowed expression softened ever so slightly.

“It would be delightful if you joined us, Father! We could have a picnic there together.” My response was halfhearted at first, but then I realized he had the power to end my life if he detected anything less than genuine from me, which made me almost scream out in the end. “Brilliant! The three of us will go together. I can hardly wait. If you’ve already made plans, we’ll just have to hope for a next time. But I can’t be so unlucky today. Father, you will come with us to the horse races, won’t you?” I begged him with my hands clasped.

He cleared his throat once, and I could sense the man was about to give me a positive answer.

“Very well,” he replied automatically, then reached for his pen again. “I have no interest in the races. Yet I cannot deny the request of a sickly child.”

“Thank you. Oh, thank you!” I exclaimed as loud as I could. “I’m thrilled you agreed. It will be a most wonderful trip!”

“How crassly dramatic of you,” he said dryly.

“I swear that I—” Cough, cough. This time, without even trying, I coughed up some blood. Ha! The timing couldn’t be any better!

I knew I wasn’t yet loved or favored by him, so I had to appeal to him with my terminal condition. I stole a glance at Duke Klaudin and continued to heave my lungs for more but to no avail. My body had been steadily recovering since I got to the estate. Slowly but surely, the red phlegm was diminishing with each passing day.

“I-I should really go now.”

Not wanting him to notice the reduced amount of blood I was coughing up, I shuffled out of the duke’s chamber as fast as I could.

For the rest of that day, I was unable to see Evan. He buried himself in the reading room and didn’t come out to visit me, not even once. He came back to our room late at night when I was asleep and would leave before I woke. I had no idea he was this much of a bookworm.

It’s difficult to call this a normal marriage.

Besides breakfast, he did not join me for other meals. I felt like I had misconstrued his enthusiasm for our trip to the races as a sign that he was growing fond of me. Mixed signals, perhaps.

I just wanted to go to the horse races. Did the thought mortify him that much?

Anyway, I got to see my husband when the scheduled day finally arrived. He looked disheveled, and sure enough, the moment he got into our carriage, the boy began to drift off.

Looks like he wanted no part of this, not the races or my company. And I’m quite sure he’d prefer to be buried in his books.

He was a huge mystery to me. But it’s not all too unexpected since he would become an unfeeling adult, incapable of understanding anyone around him.

While he napped, I coughed up more blood. Very good. These bloody coughs haven’t been easy to come by. But, serendipity, sometimes you’re a kind friend!

Each blood-infused retch seen by Duke Klaudin was worth its maximal value.

The duke, with an inscrutable expression painted on his face, stared at me for a moment, then shifted his gaze out through the carriage window.