* * *

It was lunchtime, just Henry and Hena alone, as their parents had gone to the royal palace.

The quiet space they shared, without a single attendant present, felt peaceful.

After nibbling on a salad, Henry placed his fork and knife over his steak.

“Aren’t you meeting Edwin today?”

The knife slipped from Henry’s grip and scraped against the plate, making an unpleasant sound.

He quickly steadied himself, moving the knife again, making sure not to reveal any hint of nervousness.

“Today’s a day off from classes, so I’m not going.”

“Really? Don’t you miss him, though?”

Watching Hena lift her wine glass, Henry felt an unnecessary thirst.

He reached for his own, but instead of grabbing wine, he took the glass of water nearby.

It was his way of keeping control, avoiding any missteps.

“There’s nothing to miss.”

“They say that marked partners feel the urge to see each other every day.”

Hena continued, mentioning that Edwin was someone like that to Henry.

Henry pondered how to respond.

Should he explain that their bond was incomplete, different from what others had, or change the subject?

“Hena.”

“Yeah?”

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner.”

Since the topic had come up, Henry decided to apologize for not telling her.

Hena had considered Edwin a promising match, not out of love, but because he seemed like a suitable partner.

She had even thought he might propose on her birthday.

And then, suddenly, she found out Edwin was bonded to someone—and that someone was her own brother.

Henry couldn’t help but check her reaction, wondering if she felt conflicted.

Her gaze held a reddish tint, perhaps reflecting her wine or something else entirely.

The longer her silence stretched, the more Henry felt a subtle pressure to speak.

He was oddly grateful his steak remained unsliced; if he had eaten before speaking, it might have felt unsettling.

“The night I found out you two were marked together…”

Hena finally broke the silence, and Henry secretly exhaled a small, tense breath.

“I thought about it a lot that night. And then I realized you’d been dropping hints, hadn’t you?”

“Me?”

Henry looked puzzled.

He couldn’t recall any hints, but Hena nodded with innocent certainty.

“You stopped Edwin from proposing on his birthday and kept hinting at the future. You even told me to find someone I truly liked.”

“Oh…”

Henry now understood her point of view.

Back then, he’d had completely different intentions, but she had interpreted them that way.

“It’s my fault I didn’t catch on sooner, but you were warning me because you were already marked with Edwin.”

“No, that’s not it. I wasn’t hinting at you, just…”

Henry waved his hand, trying to deny it.

While it was true he and Edwin were bonded, his intentions had also been to deflect a fate that had led to his own demise in the original story.

He wanted Hena to have a chance at genuine love.

But he couldn’t bring himself to explain all that.

“You’re right.”

What use was denial?

Most people probably thought like Hena did anyway.

“The good thing is, I never liked Edwin in that way.”

“You just thought he was a good match.”

“Yeah, so you don’t need to feel guilty. I’m sure you had your reasons for not telling me.”

Grateful for Hena’s understanding, Henry could only express his thanks.

“By the way, you should talk to our parents.”

“Why?”

Hena clapped her hands, mentioning something that shook Henry right after he had finally relaxed.

He looked at her in confusion.

“They were discussing whether they should arrange your marriage, you know.”

“Oh, god.”

Henry covered half his face with his hand, groaning.

Even though Edwin had made it clear nothing had been settled yet, their parents had gone straight to planning marriage talks.

Henry waved his hand dismissively.

“They probably just talked about it as a possibility.”

“Maybe, but they seemed quite serious.”

Hena stared into space, recalling the conversation, then let it go easily.

Since it wasn’t about her, she didn’t dwell on it.

“Do you remember what exactly they said?”

Henry wasn’t ready to let it go.

He had a bad feeling that he couldn’t ignore.

Hena nodded, as if the question was simple enough.

Just as she was about to speak, the door to the dining room clicked open, and someone new entered.

Both Henry and Hena turned to look.

The family’s butler walked in, followed by a familiar yet unfamiliar knight.

“Sorry for interrupting your meal.”

The butler stepped aside, making way for the knight, who approached with a stern expression and stopped before Henry.

He bowed with formal politeness.

“I am Heron, serving the Duke Lorenz. The Duke asked me to deliver this to Young Master Henry Timothy.”

The rectangular piece of paper, resembling an invitation, seemed oddly grim.

“What is this?”

Henry hesitated to take it, prompting the knight to extend it closer.

“An invitation for Young Master Henry Timothy, known for his close relationship with Young Master Edwin.”

Although Henry had doubts, the invitation was genuine. And the one inviting him was none other than Edwin’s father.

Henry hesitated, unsure whether to accept it. It felt as if receiving it would obligate him to go.

---

Henry looked at the Lorenz’ Ducal Estate with mixed feelings.

In the end, he had accepted the invitation from the knight, though calling it an invitation was generous.

The moment he saw it, he knew it was a thinly veiled threat disguised as a polite request.

“I wanted some time to think and distance myself from Edwin… No, it’s fine. I won’t be meeting him today anyway.”

Knowing that Edwin and the Duke Lorenz were staying in separate locations, Henry reassured himself.

Nothing catastrophic would happen even if he ran into Edwin here.

At most, he’d be asked whether he planned to break the bond or not.

With that, he steadied his nerves and began walking toward the Duke.

The knight, Sir Heron, seemed to be doing more than just delivering the invitation.

He had prepared a carriage for Henry in advance and even insisted on escorting him personally to the Duke’s location.

As a result, Henry arrived without a hitch and was left facing the Duke without any time to collect his thoughts.

Meeting the Duke’s sharp gaze, which seemed even more intimidating because of his upturned eyes, Henry bowed.

“Thank you for inviting me.”

Truthfully, this was the last place he wanted to be, especially since the invitation made it clear he should have come immediately.

But Henry buried that distaste and greeted the Duke calmly, pretending not to notice as the Duke’s eyes swept over him from head to toe before settling on his face.

“Take a seat.”

At the Duke’s gesture, Henry took the chair across from him.

The large table in the room held only two chairs: one occupied by the Duke and the other, logically, meant for him.

The door closed with a heavy thud the moment Henry sat.

It felt strange, as though the room was intentionally isolating them instead of offering even something as simple as tea.

Realizing he would never get any tea at this rate, Henry went straight to the point.

“Thank you for inviting me, but I can’t guess why you’ve called.”

“That invitation wasn’t made long ago. Perhaps just before Edwin’s birthday.”

It was an invitation meant for one person only, and its simplicity concealed how special it truly was, having been crafted months prior.

“I’d thought the recipient would be Hena Timothy. She seemed like a fitting partner for Edwin, and her background isn’t unfavorable, either.”

Only then did Henry understand the invitation’s true purpose.

It was intended for Edwin’s future spouse.

And that it had reached him instead meant only one thing.

“I never expected it would be sent to you, Henry Timothy. Of all people, I was sure you would never be linked to Edwin.”

It seemed the Duke knew of Edwin’s dislike for Henry.

* * *