The Grand Duchess in the Interrogation Room

The Grand Duchess looked perfectly at ease sitting in the Royal Guard's interrogation room. And why wouldn't she? Since it was highly unusual to interrogate a high-ranking foreign dignitary like a visiting duchess, the interrogation room had been set up in the officers' training room of the Royal Guard building. That very training room was where the Grand Duke had personally brought the Grand Duchess to practice dancing. On top of that, the Royal Guard building was her actual workplace, and the man sitting across from her was her husband. It was only natural she felt comfortable.

With that thought, Curtis asked his wife, "Is it good?"

Chloe, who was just about to scoop up a spoonful of braised chicken broth loaded with onions and carrots, flinched. For the record, the chicken had already been completely dismantled, leaving nothing but a pile of bones. Seeing her embarrassed expression made him chuckle in disbelief. She was truly a clown.

"I told you I was hungry before the grand banquet," she muttered.

"I ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠wasn't trying to scold you."

"Well, it sounded like a scolding to me."

Even as she grumbled, she didn't put down her spoon. She certainly had a healthy appetite.

"And since His Majesty won't even let us go home, I had to sleep in the aide's office in this dress. I couldn't exactly walk down to the cafeteria looking like this."

It was true. Regardless of the banquet being over, the King had ordered that the primary subjects of the investigation were not to go home until the inquiry was fully complete, claiming they might destroy evidence. Thanks to that, Chloe had slept in the aide's office from yesterday, when the investigation began, until this morning. And in her evening gown, no less. Even now, well into the afternoon, she was still wearing the exact same dress from yesterday.

Despite showing up to the interrogation room in such uncomfortable attire, Chloe had shamelessly complained about being hungry the moment she sat down. In the end, she had requested and received chicken stew from the Royal Guard dining hall, just as she used to when working overtime in the aide's office. However, eating chicken stew in that elaborate gown looked like quite a struggle.

"I believe Julia brought you some indoor clothes," Curtis remarked.

When he asked without much thought, Chloe scratched her cheek with a slightly awkward expression.

"Well... it's just, you know. It's not the kind of outfit I should be wearing while lounging around the Royal Guard headquarters."

"Is that so?"

"Besides, Your Grace has been conducting investigations all night in your banquet attire too."

He was. Curtis was also still dressed in his formal banquet attire, complete with brilliant medals and decorations. Only after Chloe pointed it out did he realize what he was wearing. Frowning slightly, he called out to one of the two sentries standing outside the interrogation room.

"Go to my estate and fetch a spare uniform. Bring one for the Grand Duchess as well."

"Yes, Your Grace!"

Chloe pursed her lips in surprise. "Did you seriously not realize until now?"

"If I had, I would have changed."

He truly hadn't. Last night had been far too chaotic, and he had been conducting non-stop investigations ever since.

"Fair enough."

"What do you mean, 'fair enough'?"

"It's not my place to spell it out, but I hope my dear husband takes this valuable opportunity to reflect on his usual behavior."

Curtis glared at her, but his Grand Duchess merely shrugged. Then, she went a step further, adding, "Why don't we proceed with the interrogation until the uniforms arrive?"

If that was what she wanted, he had no choice but to oblige. Curtis lightly flipped through the documents and asked, "What is it you want to hear from the Duchess of ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Glintland?"

"There has to be a reason she pulled a stunt like this," Chloe replied, lightly scratching her neck. When he pressed her about the slight redness on the side of her neck, she mentioned she must have been grazed by a shard when she shattered the glass vase yesterday.

"She may have her reasons, but whatever they are, they don't justify insulting you."

At his response, Chloe pursed her lips again in admiration. "Oh."

"What?"

When he asked irritably, she grinned. "For a second there, it really sounded like Your Grace loves me."

"Are you still half-asleep?"

Before her words could even sink in, a harsh retort slipped out reflexively. It was absurd how she just snickered and began tidying up her stew bowl despite his scolding, so he added a few more words.

"Keep in mind the weight of the name Berk."

"Well, still, if anyone else heard that, they'd definitely think Your Grace loves me. It sounded quite convincing. If possible, try to say things like that when we're around other people rather than when we're alone..."

"Enough."

Her endless babble made his palms itch with a strange sensation, so he finally cut her off. Curtis continued irritably, "In truth, there's no need for you to even be here. Every piece of testimony points ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠to Isabelle la Glintland's trickery."

"What about the Duchess of Glintland herself?"

"She's keeping her mouth shut."

In stark contrast to the numerous witnesses, Isabelle la Glintland, who had been detained in the Royal Guard holding facility since last night, had not uttered a single word since the banquet ended.

"Should she really be staying silent like this?"

As Chloe spoke, her eyes drifted toward the newspapers piled next to her. The headlines, which cleverly packaged and obscured the events of last night's banquet, caught her eye.

Any mention of the King, who had so blatantly tried to corner the Grand Duchess, had been completely erased. It was impossible for last night's events to go unreported, especially since the King himself had actively encouraged the press to cover the diplomatic banquet. Had things gone according to the King's plans, the story of the Grand Duchess being publicly humiliated would have been splashed across every front page.

"And then His Majesty would have forced a divorce between you and me. If that had happened, even if he had overreached, he could have spun it as an unavoidable decision made to preserve the honor of the royal family."

But the plan had backfired. Now, the one who had tarnished the honor of the Ivannes royal family was the Duchess of Glintland. This morning's papers reported last night's events as a minor mishap—a petty attempt by the Duchess of Glintland to keep the Grand Duchess in check. After all, it would be highly problematic for the press to openly write that the King had barked up the wrong tree. Still, they couldn't cover up everything. While they avoided direct criticism of the royal family, a few articles subtly pointed out the King's blunder. Furthermore, there were far too many witnesses to the vase incident at last night's banquet. Among the nobles invited by the Grand Duchess, a significant number were on poor terms with the King.

"So, His Majesty will likely want to dispose of the Duchess of Glintland as quickly as possible."

"But she's a diplomatic envoy. He can't just deal with her however he pleases."

"Last night, two vice-ministers of foreign affairs applied for indefinite leave. They've likely been sent to Glintland as secret envoys."

At those words, Chloe's complexion paled. "Will it be an assassination?"

"Most likely."

"Can they really just kill someone of duchess rank and sweep it under the rug like that...?"

"They can."

Cutting Chloe off, Curtis slid the documents he had been flipping through toward her. Chloe took the papers absentmindedly, but as she read the unexpected contents, her eyes widened and she began to devour the text.

"When did ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠you get this..."

"Before I married you, when I received intelligence that marriage talks were being arranged, I started gathering information."

Curtis had thoroughly investigated the woman proposed as his bride and subsequently called off the marriage talks. Normally, information gathering would have ended there. However, even after his marriage, Curtis had instructed his spies to continue monitoring her. Isabelle la Glintland's refusal to return home immediately and her lingering presence in the capital were far too suspicious. Theodora de Tornier, who had been temporarily reassigned from the 8th Regiment, had played a significant role in this intelligence operation.

"Looking into the circumstances before she suddenly appeared in the Glintland royal court, it turns out she has a child. She seems to have hidden it flawlessly, though."

"My word..."

"In the first place, what the Glintland royal family wanted was me. They didn't care who my partner was, so they just brought in whoever they could find."

Their sole objective was to secure Curtis Shan Berk as the Soleria Marcher Marquis. To achieve this, they chose a beautiful, lovely woman capable of captivating men. And, crucially, a woman whose death would mean nothing to them if things went awry.

"...If we leave things as they are, she'll disappear on her way back home."

Chloe could clearly envision the woman's future. They couldn't let her pay the price as 'the woman who unintentionally insulted the Ivannes royal family.' Even if Glintland had proposed the marriage, wasn't it the King of Ivannes who had eagerly jumped on the bandwagon? If the matter became a public scandal, Ivannes would inevitably have to express its regrets to Glintland. From Glintland's perspective, they had plotted together, but they would be the ones unfairly taking the fall. Therefore, rather than being punished, the woman would likely be sent back quietly with a polite, apologetic farewell. And on her journey home, she would be attacked and killed by vagrants, bandits, or some other convenient threat.

"It's none of my concern," Curtis said flatly.

"Well, I'm a bit concerned."

"Worry about your own state first."

"What's wrong with my state?"

"You look filthy."

Chloe glared at him with an irritated expression. Strangely, that made him smile.

"I washed up in the aide's office, you know!"

"Talk to me after you change your clothes."

"Your Grace hasn't changed either!"

"I am naturally a very clean person. My clothes don't bother me, but yours are quite eyesores."

In truth, what bothered him most was that despite having food brought to her, she couldn't even eat properly for fear of spilling it on that uncomfortable dress. Of course, he had no intention of saying that out loud. For some reason, admitting that to himself felt a little humiliating.

"For someone who's nagging me so much, you're practically smirking right now!"

Had he been? Curtis quickly smoothed down the corners of his mouth, which had indeed curved upward without his realizing. Regardless, Chloe continued to grumble.

"I'm going to change the second the uniforms get here. Do you think I like being called a whore?"

Now, he truly couldn't smile.

"What did you just say?"

At his ice-cold voice, Chloe's face fell as she realized her slip of the tongue. But it was already too late.