Darkwood Forest lay between the Royal Palace and Willow Manor. It had earned its name from the towering wild trees with dark leaves that stretched toward the sky. According to what I had learned from the ducal library, the first ingredient I needed to find—a phoenix feather—could be found in this forest.

According to an old book of legends I had discovered in the library, the forest was the natural habitat of phoenixes. While the book hadn't provided much information on how to actually catch one, it was worth a try.

There had been a small incident just before I left the manor.

I was getting ready in my room while Sarah made the final adjustments to my dress. Unfortunately, since I couldn't exactly tell anyone I was going into the forest to hunt a phoenix, I looked more like a noblewoman preparing for a tea party than an adventurer.

As I sat there worrying, there was a knock on the door.

It was Owen.

For a moment, the old butler simply stared at the preparations inside the room with a baffled expression.

"My Lady... are you attending some sort of gathering?" he asked.

"No, Owen," I replied in an almost sing-song voice. "I'm only going for a walk."

"Oh, a walk? That's a wonderful idea, My Lady, but..."

"But what?"

"Your father wishes to see you."

I felt Sarah's hands tremble for a brief moment as she adjusted my dress.

Frowning, I looked at Owen.

"About the interrogation?"

"Most likely, My Lady. He didn't specify the reason, but he's waiting for you in the greenhouse."

"Very well. I'll come once I'm ready."

The moment I saw the greenhouse, I realized it was much larger than I had expected.

The glass structure stood in the sunniest part of the duchy's vast rear garden, surrounded by lush green lawns.

When Owen opened the door for me, a sweet breeze brushed against my face.

I stared inside, speechless.

Back in my old world, I had spent plenty of time in greenhouses thanks to my mother. She would tend to her flowers in one corner while I wandered around aimlessly, usually tripping over flowerpots and falling face-first into piles of fertilizer.

Still...

This greenhouse was different.

Every inch of the space, all the way up to the glass ceiling, was filled with flowers and plants.

The colorful blossoms unique to this world dazzled my eyes.

As I breathed in the sweet scent drifting through the air, my gaze landed on a sitting area arranged near the side of the greenhouse.

Two chairs had been placed close together.

In one of them sat Duke Willow, watching me with a strange expression on his face.

Our eyes met.

You old bastard! How long have you been watching me?!

The smile vanished from my face.

I quickly walked over and stopped in front of him before giving a small curtsy.

"Father."

"What is that outfit?" he asked.

"What?"

"Your clothes."

I glanced down at my ruby-red dress.

It looked perfectly fine to me.

"Why are you dressed up?" the Duke asked.

"For a walk."

"In that dress?"

"Yes, in this dress. I don't think my clothing choices concern you."

Duke Willow's gaze suddenly sharpened.

I had probably crossed a line.

His aged brown eyes stared into mine as though trying to pierce straight through me.

Slowly, the Duke opened his mouth.

Despite myself, I tensed.

"Sit."

Without arguing, I lowered myself into the empty chair across from him.

The Duke let out a tired sigh.

"You know," he said after a while, "you're becoming more and more like her."

I froze.

"This greenhouse belonged to her. I had it built a few days after our wedding. Even when she was pregnant with you, she hardly ever left it. There were days when she wouldn't even look at me."

The person he was talking about was obviously Lilith.

Though his expression remained neutral, there was a strange warmth in his voice.

For a brief moment, I felt sorry for him.

It sounded as though he had once genuinely loved her.

Right up until he had the poor woman executed for infidelity.

Personally, I didn't think it counted as betrayal at all.

Lilith had already been pregnant before she married Charlie.

Since her marriage to him had been arranged, there couldn't have been anything between them beforehand.

But if the Duke still didn't know Beatrice wasn't his biological daughter...

Then Lilith and that man named Leonard must have met again later and gotten caught.

Right?

While I was drowning in my own thoughts, the Duke had already recovered his composure and cast aside his moment of sentimentality.

"According to the spies I have in the palace, the interrogation went well. Is that true?" he asked suddenly.

"Yes," I answered quickly. "His Highness didn't question me much. I suppose my statement was already included in the report."

"Good."

The Duke looked thoughtful.

"But... what's this business about dance lessons?"

Despite myself, I felt my face heat up.

That idiot Liam...

"His Highness asked me to be his partner at his birthday ball. The lessons are... because the Crown Prince will be the star of the event, and he wants me to be worthy of standing beside him."

In reality, Liam hadn't asked.

He had ordered me.

And somehow, even now, I was still trying to cover for him.

"And you accepted?" the Duke asked, his voice suddenly cold.

"Matthew?"

The name caught me completely off guard.

"Are you really dating that bastard Matthew?"

That was what Liam had asked me during the interrogation.

So...

"Things are serious with Matthew Tobias, Beatrice," the Duke said. "You're already nineteen years old. You'll be marrying him soon."

A loud ringing filled my ears.

I stared blankly at the old man without really seeing him.

Duke Willow continued as though discussing the weather.

"You don't have time to play house with the Crown Prince. The delegation will be arriving shortly."

"W-What delegation?" I stammered.

"What else?" Beatrice's so-called father replied in a lifeless voice.

"The engagement delegation, of course."