"Of course, there were those who didn't remain silent. But after the Duke demonstrated what would happen to those who incited further gossip..." Mason's voice trailed off. "Everything went quiet."
"Demonstrated? What exactly did he do?"
"The Pembrokes are a family of immense power and wealth. Ruining the life of a simple servant—and his entire family—is nothing to them."
Judging by the way Mason avoided elaborating, one could surmise these were not pleasant memories to revisit.
Adelina sank into thought. If there had been any doubt surrounding the late Duchess's death, the proper course of action would have been to investigate thoroughly. After all, concealing the truth merely to preserve the family's honor...
_It's tantamount to admitting the rumors are true._
The thought sent a chill crawling down her spine.
"The Duke of Pembroke... Does Alexio know about these rumors?"
"The entire Pembroke estate knows of them. My master as well."
"I see." The girl's heart constricted with sympathy for her husband. She couldn't even imagine what it must be like—living under the same roof as someone who may have **murdered** your own mother. Now she understood why Alexio harbored such open hostility toward his stepmother and half-brother.
_"Mix the blood of the princess and the Pembrokes? Your blood is too precious. It would be humiliating to taint it with the Pembrokes. That is something that must never happen."_
The girl recalled Alexio's words from when he had first proposed their sham marriage. Adelina hadn't fully grasped the meaning behind them at the time, but now everything fell into place with unsettling clarity. Alexio didn't simply **dislike** the Pembroke family—he felt contempt for them. Hatred. Perhaps even revulsion so profound that no words could adequately express it.
_But..._
If her husband despised the family so deeply, why did he work so tirelessly for its prosperity? Whatever he accomplished, the achievements would be credited to the Duke of Pembroke—to the very name he seemed to loathe. This contradiction struck her as profoundly strange, but Adelina recognized she had no right to ask such questions. They weren't a real couple, and therefore any supposed future held no relevance to her situation. Her assigned role was to serve as duchess for three years. Nothing more.
Feeling strangely melancholy, she tried to push these unnecessary feelings aside. _Not all questions in the world deserve answers. Sometimes the wisest course is simply not to dig too deep._
"Thank you, Mason. Thanks to you, I now have a much clearer understanding of my duties as duchess."
"I'm glad I could be of assistance. Do you have any other questions?"
"Yes," Adelina replied, allowing a slight smile to grace her lips. "Do you know Luka well? I imagine if he takes after Alexio at all, he must be quite a handsome child. He also seems rather hardworking, so I'm very much looking forward to meeting him."
"Uh... Well, yes?.. I suppose they do resemble each other, in a way..."
"I see. Now I only wish to meet him more."
"Y-yes..." Mason, who had recounted the earlier story with remarkable composure, now appeared thoroughly taken aback. He seemed entirely unaware that Adelina possessed any knowledge of Luka whatsoever.
"There's no need to be nervous. Alexio explained everything to me before the wedding and asked for my understanding."
"I see. His Lordship didn't inform me of this arrangement..."
"Since even you, as his butler, were not made aware, I assume the adoption papers have not yet been prepared?"
"Adoption?"
"Yes. I plan to adopt Luka and make him the official heir. Alexio is worried that the boy won't be able to inherit the title otherwise, so I'd like to expedite the process." Adelina spoke with perfect calm, as though discussing something utterly trivial.
_Adopt a child and make him heir?_ This was a consideration usually raised when considerable time had passed since a wedding and the couple still hadn't managed to conceive. However, the ducal couple's ceremony had taken place only a **month** ago! Mason couldn't conceal his astonishment and fumbled for the handkerchief in his pocket, dabbing at the perspiration beading on his forehead. A servant's duty was never to question his master's decisions, but this time, events were unfolding far too bizarrely.
As if entirely oblivious to the man's confusion, Adelina continued in her measured tone.
"Lady Pembroke will almost certainly oppose this, so I want to resolve the matter as quickly as possible—without causing unnecessary commotion. Is there anyone I can confide in regarding this process?"
"His Lordship usually entrusts important matters to his assistant, Simeon."
"Then I believe it would be wise for me to do the same." The girl was already acquainted with the Duke's assistant. Although their interactions had been limited, the man was unlikely to ignore a direct request from the Duchess.
While she was contemplating her next steps, the door swung wide open and an uninvited guest burst into the room.
"**Adelina!**"
It was Prince Arthur, his face flushed with barely contained fury.
---
## — The Drawing Room —
"As expected, I married her off to the **right** man."
Seated in the lavish drawing room, Prince Arthur surveyed his surroundings while suppressing a self-satisfied chuckle. Wherever his gaze fell, everything **glittered** with opulence—gilded frames, crystal chandeliers, silk wallpaper that probably cost more per yard than most families earned in a year. The prince found the overall aesthetic somewhat gaudy, truth be told, but given the obvious cost of every item, such minor quibbles could be forgiven.
He had heard much about the Duke of Pembroke's legendary wealth. It was said his fortune rivaled that of the royal family itself. However, Arthur had always believed that no matter how much a half-blooded duke managed to earn, he couldn't possibly have amassed **such** riches. People likely exaggerated simply to highlight how successfully the man had leveraged his position. That was what the noble prince had assumed.
But upon setting foot across the estate's threshold, Arthur realized the rumors weren't exaggerated in the slightest. The Duke of Pembroke was **extraordinarily** wealthy.
_And my daughter became the mistress of this house._
One could not wish for anything better.
This marriage had occurred at the Duke of Pembroke's insistent request. On his way to the drawing room, Prince Arthur had overheard servants whispering about how much the Duke **adored** his wife. The prince had no idea when they had first met or become so close—he had never permitted his daughter to leave the house unaccompanied. But if the gossip proved true... If the Duke genuinely doted on his wife, then all it would take was a few whispered words in the right ear, and Alexio would be prepared to give her anything she desired.
_If everything proceeds smoothly, I could extract far more than what was initially promised._
Everything would depend on how skillfully Adelina could please the Duke. In truth, his daughter wasn't exactly someone one could rely upon for such... **delicate** matters. But since the Duke appeared so thoroughly infatuated with his own wife, perhaps the girl possessed hidden talents Arthur had never suspected.
_She inherited her beauty from me, after all._
This was probably the most valuable inheritance Adelina had ever received from her father.
And quite possibly the **only** one.
"Welcome, Father-in-law."
While Prince Arthur was occupied constructing elaborate castles in the air, the drawing room door swung open and the Duke of Pembroke appeared. Previously, Arthur would have maintained his position, greeting the younger man with aristocratic hauteur. But now the circumstances were different.
"Son-in-law!" the prince exclaimed with effusive warmth, rising immediately to greet Alexio.
"I had intended to visit you in Roche with Adelina, but it seems you've gotten ahead of me."
"What difference does it make who visits whom? We're **family** now, after all—we can see each other whenever we please."
"Family. Of course."
Alexio didn't miss the prince's deliberate emphasis on the word. The guest's transparent intentions brought the faintest smile to the duke's lips, but Arthur—entirely misreading the subtext—beamed with satisfaction.
"Yes, **family!** We became a proper family after the ceremony and honeymoon." The prince deliberately introduced the topic of their honeymoon to gauge the Duke's reaction. "You returned to the capital earlier than planned, I heard. Did something happen? If Adelina caused any trouble, do let me know. I'll discipline her properly."
"Not at all. The honeymoon was wonderful. Urgent business matters arose quite suddenly that required my presence here."
"Is that so? Well, that's wonderful to hear." Prince Arthur released a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. The general atmosphere within the mansion suggested everything had been proceeding smoothly, but only after hearing the Duke's direct confirmation did Arthur finally allow himself to relax.
"Have you come all this way merely to inquire after my wife and myself?"
"Hm, well, I need to pay a visit to Marquis Rossi, so I thought I'd stop by to see you as well. Besides..." Arthur paused meaningfully. "We still have some unfinished business between us."
"Unfinished?" Alexio understood perfectly well what the prince was attempting to say, but he feigned ignorance, tilting his head with an expression of mild confusion.
Feeling a prickle of unease, Arthur cleared his throat.
"I'm referring to the **ransom**."