Very soon, rumors of what had transpired between the newlyweds that night would spread throughout the castle like wildfire. And if nothing was done, she would be branded as a woman incapable of fulfilling her marital duties. Then the Archduke would never approach her again.
_I need to regain this man's interest before the situation becomes irreversible._
But how?
Asella bit her lip, her mind racing. _Tomorrow morning? Probably early. No—that wouldn't be wise. Better at noon. After lunch. It's far easier to win someone's favor when they're satisfied than when they're hungry._
_Don't be afraid, Asella. This must be done. It **must** be done._
But would he even consent to see her after everything that had happened?
_So be it. If they refuse me entry, I'll wait outside his door. Either way, I need to apologize._
_Will he give me another chance?_
Her heart sank at the thought. The image of a man pouring cold fury upon her without hesitation surfaced unbidden in her mind. That eerily muffled voice still echoed in her ears, impossible to forget.
_It's terrifying. But you have to do it. Because you need to protect Mariel._
Thin streams of tears flowed from her blue eyes for so long that the fabric of the pillowcase beneath her head grew damp, then soaked through entirely.
Asella squeezed her eyes shut. _Hopefully, this man's anger will cool overnight. Even just a little._
She couldn't hold back any longer. Muffled sobs filled the dark, empty room until exhaustion finally claimed her.
---
Margot paused outside the Grand Duchess's bedroom door. It was still very early—the pale light of dawn had barely touched the castle walls. But she had been informed that the Archduke was already occupied in his study, so the Countess decided it would be entirely appropriate to attend to her mistress.
"Your Highness! This is Margot. May I come in?"
"Come in." The voice was calm and soft, unchanged from before.
But something was wrong.
Margot felt an uncomfortable prickle of awareness. _I need to be careful,_ she decided. Since her mistress had refused to even bathe in front of strangers, Margot reasonably assumed it would be difficult for Asella to reveal the intimate details of her wedding night. Especially since this had been her first experience.
"Your Highness!"
The moment Margot stepped into the bedroom, she understood everything.
The young woman sat quietly on the edge of the bed, already dressed in her morning attire. Her appearance was immaculate—not a hair out of place. But the bed remained perfectly made, the sheets undisturbed, the pillows still arranged with geometric precision.
The signs were unmistakable.
However, Margot betrayed nothing. She immediately dismissed the maids waiting outside the door, informing them that she would personally attend to Madame Benvito today. Servants in the castle were trained to guard their tongues carefully. But one could never be too cautious.
Then Margot turned to Asella as if nothing were amiss.
"Shall I serve you breakfast, Your Highness?"
"Thank you for your concern."
---
Asella had barely finished her breakfast when the Countess spoke again. Margot hesitated for a moment, uncertain whether to deliver this particular news today. But then she decided—the princess would discover the truth regardless.
"Mariel's tutor was scheduled to arrive today."
"Is there a problem?" Asella kept her voice measured, deliberately calm.
But Margot noticed the subtle twitch that ran through the woman's small frame. _What in heaven's name happened between them last night?_
"However... certain circumstances have arisen. He won't be able to come."
Asella's heart plummeted. Her vision blurred at the edges, and her chest began to pound with such force she could feel each heartbeat in her throat. She could barely form words.
"The tutor... was cancelled?" Her voice emerged as little more than a whisper. "Where—where is His Highness now?"
---
## — The Archduke's Study —
The luxurious carpet swallowed the sound of the two women's hurried footsteps as they navigated the castle's labyrinthine corridors.
"This way!" Margot turned sharply into a wide archway.
Asella followed, her hands clasped so tightly before her that her knuckles had gone white—a prayerful gesture, though she wasn't certain to whom she was praying.
The corridor stretched before her with impossibly high ceilings, adorned with luxurious tapestries and masterpieces by renowned artists. Even the elaborate carvings on the columns supporting the vaulted roof rivaled the value of the rarest paintings. After what felt like an eternity, a massive oak door appeared before them, its surface covered in exquisite embossed designs depicting scenes of ancient battles and noble crests.
The footmen flanking the entrance noticed the women's approach and bowed their heads low in a gesture of deep respect.
"This is it," Margot said quietly. "His Highness's study."
Asella nodded, acknowledging the explanation. The heavy oak door loomed before her, impossibly intimidating.
"I'd rather wait until he comes out," she murmured.
However, Margot caught her eye and winked—a gesture so unexpected that Asella nearly gasped. Before she could protest, the Countess had already ordered a maid to announce the Grand Duchess's arrival.
"Your Highness! Her Highness, the Grand Duchess, has come to see you."
Asella bit her lip so hard she tasted copper. _What if he refuses? What if I'm sent away? What if he never wants to see me again?_
But the door slowly opened, and Raizen emerged to greet her.
"Please, Your Highness." He stepped aside, gesturing for her to enter.
Asella blinked in confusion. Raizen was the Archduke's most trusted aide—his right hand in all matters. Surely he knew what had transpired between his master and his new bride. There was no way such information wouldn't have reached him.
And yet, he remained perfectly polite.
"I'll wait outside while you speak." He offered a short, formal bow, and the door closed behind her with a soft but final _thud_.
---
The Archduke's study was striking in its grandeur. The interior had been designed in dark, formal tones—deep mahogany paneling, rich burgundy drapes, furniture upholstered in black leather. A massive desk, clearly custom-made and worth more than most noble houses, sat at the far end of the room beside a wall of incredibly tall windows that flooded the space with pale morning light.
When Asella entered, Calix didn't react.
The man behind the desk continued leafing through documents with studied indifference, as though she hadn't entered at all. Asella hesitated near the doorway, oppressed by the haughty atmosphere and uncertain how close she was permitted to approach.
The heavy silence stretched on.
And on.
"Well?" Calix finally spoke, his tone glacial. He didn't look up from his papers. "How long do you intend to stand there? Do you have business with me?"
His already low voice had become even more muffled, barely betraying an undercurrent of something she couldn't quite identify.
Asella nervously tucked her treacherous hands into her wide cuffs, hiding their trembling. She felt as though she were balancing on a rope stretched across a bottomless chasm—one misstep, and she would fall into darkness.
"Are you going to speak? Or did you come to waste my time?"
That cold, muffled voice frightened her so much that she clenched her fists until her nails bit into her palms. Still, he refused to meet her eyes.
Asella closed her eyes. Drew a shaking breath. Opened them again.
"Yesterday..." Her voice emerged barely above a whisper. "I would like to apologize."
She wanted to say something eloquent, something convincing. But she had never been particularly skilled with words. So she forced out her carefully prepared phrases with difficulty, praying that the fine powder on her face would conceal the too-obvious traces of her sleepless night.
"What's the point?" Calix finally looked up from his papers, pinning her with a cold, assessing gaze. "Aren't you rather late in realizing this? The night is long past."
Terror clawed at Asella's chest. But she couldn't allow this conversation to end like this.
"I didn't know where to find you. In the middle of the night."
"So you decided to wait until dawn?"
"When I came to my senses, I felt... I felt deeply ashamed."
Calix's mouth twisted into a cynical smile that held no warmth.
"And yet, you look remarkably well-rested. You clearly had sufficient time to consider your wardrobe."
"This dress—" She wanted to explain that she had chosen it specifically for this meeting, hoping to make a favorable impression. But the words died in her throat. He would never believe her.
"Looking at you," he continued, each word sharp as broken glass, "I understand perfectly well how _devastated_ you were."
"You've misunderstood—"
"**Enough!**" His voice cracked through the air like a whip. "Leave. Now."
The words struck her like a physical blow. A death sentence.
But Asella didn't move.
_I can't leave like this. If I retreat now, it will be the end—for me **and** for Mariel. I have to find a way to reach him. When I walked through that door, I knew he would greet me with hostility. There's nothing to fear that I haven't already anticipated. If necessary, I can kneel. I **will** kneel._
"Forgive me."
"Did you not hear me? I told you to leave."
"But I can explain everything—"
"I don't want to hear it."
"It won't take long at all. I have no intention of wasting your precious time." She drew a ragged breath. "Please, Your Highness. I'm begging you."
Calix found himself unable to tear his gaze from the woman standing before him. She was trembling—her entire body quivering like a leaf caught in a storm. Her voice had taken on a pleading quality that bordered on desperation. So pitiful...
He had promised himself he would never forgive her, no matter what words she offered. But now, watching her frail figure struggle to remain upright, Calix couldn't hold onto his anger. Instead, he grew increasingly unsettled.
_Fine. I can hardly throw her out by force._
He rested his chin on the back of his hand and fixed her with a hard stare.
"Speak."
Asella, recognizing this as her final opportunity, chose her words with painstaking care.
"I know you cannot forgive me for what happened. Not truly."
Silence.
"With my foolish actions, I have earned Your Highness's displeasure..." She felt the weight of his intense gaze pressing down upon her. Unable to resist the pressure, she bit her lip hard enough to make it sting.
After a full minute of suffocating silence, the Archduke's handsome features arranged themselves into an expression of cold disappointment.
"Is that all?"
Asella fought to maintain her composure. Her mouth had gone completely dry. Her voice refused to cooperate. But she forced herself to continue, clenching her fingers so tightly that her nails carved crescents into her palms. She would not cry. She _would not_ cry.
"If you give me one more chance..." The words scraped past her throat. "I can do it. I can manage. I will fulfill my duty as a wife."
"**Stop.**" Calix's interruption was brutal, cutting through her desperate appeal. "I don't derive pleasure from forcing women. This was your first night. If you had been honest with me—if I had known you found my touch repulsive—I wouldn't have laid a finger on you."
"But I don't hate it!" The words burst from her lips before she could stop them. "I truly don't. What happened last night... it will never happen again. I swear it."
"**Silence!**" Calix's command echoed through the study.
He couldn't bear it anymore. The sight of this woman humiliating herself before him, teetering on the edge of tears because she was being forced to discuss something that clearly terrified her—it was unbearable.
"I don't need your hollow promises. I'm not going to force you to do anything you don't want." The words emerged before he could stop them.
He regretted them instantly.
It was as though a dam had shattered. Tears spilled down Asella's cheeks in silver streams, falling faster than she could blink them away.
"What are you—wait, there's no need to—"
"What am I supposed to do?" The words came out broken, fractured by sobs. "My little sister..."
"What?" Calix's brow furrowed as he strained to understand the words breaking through her weeping.
She tried to turn away, to hide her face, but her body wouldn't obey. Her legs buckled beneath her, and she began to sink toward the floor.
"**Asella!**"
In an instant, he launched himself from his seat. Crossing the distance between them in three swift strides, he caught her by the waist before she could collapse. Asella found herself pressed against his hard chest, and through the blur of her tears, she struggled to raise her eyes to meet his.
At that moment, something sharp and unexpected pierced the deepest recesses of Calix's heart.
"Why?" His voice had lost its sharp edge, replaced by something rawer. "Why are you so desperate?"
"You promised me..." She choked on her tears, barely able to speak. "You promised to help Mariel... to get her into the Academy..."
Her words were fragmented, interrupted by uncontrollable sobs. But he understood them nonetheless.
_So that's what this is about._
She had discovered that Mariel's tutor couldn't come due to unforeseen circumstances. And she had assumed—immediately, without question—that it was his revenge for her rejection. She genuinely believed him capable of harming a child simply because she had refused to share his bed.
_What kind of monster does this woman think I am?_
He felt his anger rising again, hot and bitter.
When the atmosphere around her suddenly turned suffocatingly cold, Asella shuddered and tensed in his arms.
_Damn it._
Calix wrestled his fury under control. He didn't want to frighten her any more than he already had.
"The teacher who was supposed to tutor Mariel..." He kept his voice carefully measured. "He received an unexpected professorship at the Academy. He had no choice but to cancel. Raizen is already looking into the matter, and a replacement tutor will arrive shortly."
Asella's sobs faltered. She stared up at him with reddened, disbelieving eyes.
"So stop crying."
She fell silent, though a few hiccupping breaths still escaped her. Slowly, hesitantly, she raised her tear-stained face to search his expression for the truth.
Looking into those devastated blue eyes, Calix felt something inside him slip dangerously out of control. For reasons he couldn't begin to explain, he found himself unable to hold her gaze.
_I can't stay near her like this. I need to leave. **Immediately**._