* * *
When Henry returned to the ducal estate, his family, already aware of his arrival in the capital, had come out to greet him.
Just as when he had left for the journey, they didn’t hold back in expressing their warmth.
The greeting alone made Henry’s heart swell with emotion.
As he exchanged pleasantries, Henry realized something felt off. Then it hit him.
“I just realized I didn’t bring back any gifts from my first trip.”
Embarrassed, Henry confessed this to his family during their reunion.
“We’re just happy you returned safely.”
“Are you hurt anywhere?”
“Your face looks a bit tired.”
Even Hena was only concerned for him, making Henry feel guilty for not having thought about them while he was away.
“I’m really fine. It wasn’t hard, and I had fun.”
Seeing Henry’s expression, the rest of the family relaxed.
“Well, that’s a relief. I have to return to the palace with your mother, so don’t think about anything else today and get some rest. We’ll talk about the journey later.”
“Take care.”
The Duke and Duchess patted Henry’s shoulder and head before heading toward the waiting carriage.
As Henry watched his parents leave, he placed a hand over his chest.
He hadn’t been in this place long since becoming Henry, so the mansion didn’t really feel like home.
But now, knowing that someone was waiting for him stirred something deep in his heart.
Maybe he could start thinking of this place as his home, after all.
“Whoa! Why are you still standing there?”
“Hmm…”
Hena narrowed her eyes and looked Henry up and down.
Her sharp gaze made Henry flinch, and he instinctively leaned back, covering half his face with his hand.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Do you really not know why I’m looking at you?”
“How am I supposed to know unless you tell me?”
“Edwin oppa. Why did he follow you here instead of going home? And why did he say he’d stay in your room?”
It finally dawned on Henry why Hena hadn’t entered the mansion earlier.
When they arrived, Edwin had greeted Henry’s family and confidently walked into the house as if it were his own.
“I don’t know. He just said he would, so I let him.”
“But why? Since when did you two get so close?”
Hena crossed her arms, looking at Henry with suspicious eyes, as if she knew everything about the relationship between him and Edwin.
“And what kind of relationship do we have, exactly?”
“You two get along because your circumstances align, but it’s not like Edwin really liked you all that much.”
“So, you knew.”
“Who wouldn’t know?”
‘Yet you still considered marrying Edwin?’
Henry watched her quietly. Realizing the weight of his gaze, Hena answered matter-of-factly.
“I only considered him because he was a suitable match for a political marriage. It’s not like our relationship would have affected that.”
“Hmm… right, that’s true.”
Henry nodded.
It wasn’t until he returned home that he thought about Hena’s situation.
“But that might be a bit difficult now.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’ll explain later. For now, take your time and consider other options. Remember what I said before? Find someone you really like.”
Henry couldn’t bring himself to say that he couldn’t let someone he’d been involved with become his sister’s husband, so he chose his words carefully.
Fortunately, Hena didn’t seem to have any particular affection for Edwin.
Henry gently patted Hena on the head and was about to turn away when—
“Where are you going?”
Hena grabbed him as he turned in the direction opposite the mansion.
“Aren’t you going to Edwin?”
“Why would I?”
Henry smiled brightly, and Hena gave him a puzzled look.
He had no intention of satisfying her curiosity, so he kept silent.
‘Edwin can go wherever he pleases, so why shouldn’t I?’
The place Henry ended up visiting was where Violet and Herze were staying.
When he told Sir Taher he wanted to see Violet, the man, already aware of her whereabouts, didn’t hesitate to start the carriage.
The house they arrived at wasn’t far from the Duke’s estate.
As soon as Henry got out, Sir Taher led the way toward the residence.
“It’s been a while.”
Henry waved at Violet, who had come to the door herself.
At the sight of Henry, Violet’s face lit up with joy before she bowed politely.
It was the respectful gesture of someone deeply grateful for the person who had saved her life and helped her re-establish her trading company.
“Please, come in.”
Violet stepped aside, and Henry gladly walked inside.
“Fascinating.”
Henry couldn’t take his eyes off the unfamiliar surroundings.
There were so many different items.
Some were familiar, but there were multiples of the same thing lined up, while others had unknown purposes, making the place feel even stranger.
“These are things I’ve been preparing for the future.”
Following Violet, Henry inspected not only the floor but also the shelves lined with various objects.
Boxes designed to hold rings were arranged in a row, each with a slightly different shape.
Some of them had intricate engravings that caught Henry’s eye.
Noticing his interest, Violet explained.
“I’ve been working on creating boxes that would be appropriate for presenting rings later.”
“Some of those engravings look like they’d take a lot of work.”
“True, but if the box itself exudes elegance, it raises expectations for the item inside. It’s worth the effort.”
Henry nodded in understanding.
As they walked, he asked Violet many more questions, learning about the different designs for rings that could hold pheromones and her plans to operate on a reservation-only basis.
By the time they reached Violet’s office, they had already exchanged a lot of information.
“I’ve been waiting for you.”
Herze stood up as soon as she saw Henry.
Though still a small girl, she seemed more composed and had gained some weight after a period of rest.
Henry, watching her closely, struggled to suppress a smile.
“Why are you smiling like that?”
“It’s nothing.”
“You’re not thinking that you saved my life, are you?”
Herze saw right through Henry’s thoughts.
Being younger than Violet, Herze’s well-being made Henry feel even more proud, which had naturally brought a smile to his face.
But Herze’s sharp insight didn’t miss a thing.
“You’ve still got that same personality.”
“There’s no reason for me to change.”
Herze responded with her usual boldness, approaching Henry without any of the formalities or emotionless behavior that Violet exhibited.
She didn’t care much about manners because she knew Henry wasn’t the type to get offended by such things.
“Shall we start discussing how to rebuild the trading company?”
Henry clapped his hands to shift the mood and began the meeting.
They discussed everything, from how the Duchess had supported them in rebuilding the company to where they should establish their base and how to kick-start the business.
Once they had sorted out the main points, Henry raised his hand to his increasingly tired shoulder.
“Shall we wrap it up here for today?”
He pointed out the window, where the sun had already set and lights were flickering on one by one.
Both Violet and Herze, deeply engaged in the conversation about the company, only then realized how late it had gotten.
“I didn’t realize how much time had passed. I’m sorry.”
“It’s fine. Actually, before you officially start the business, I’d like to place an order if that’s okay.”
“Of course, we’d be happy to make anything for you, young master.”
“I’ll have to decline that.”
Henry waved his hand.
“I forgot to prepare gifts for my family, so I was hoping to substitute them with something from you.”
“Oh, in that case, I’ll be sure to put extra care into making them.”
“Thank you.”
After a brief pause, Henry hesitated before speaking again.
“Is it possible to make something other than rings?”
“I still need to research more, but if you give me enough time, it’s possible.”
“Then I’d like to place one more order…”
Although the thought of Edwin crossed his mind, Henry felt reluctant to give him another ring.
He vividly remembered handing Edwin the pouch where he’d hidden the ring, telling him not to worry, only to have it returned as if receiving a marriage proposal.
“A necklace would be better. Can you manage that?”
At Henry’s question, Violet and Herze exchanged glances.
Once they concluded it was possible, Violet nodded.
“I’ll give it a try.”
Satisfied with the progress, Henry left the office with a lighter expression.
As Violet stood to see him out, she glanced back at Herze.
“Should we ask who it’s for? We need to know who’ll be wearing it to design the necklace properly.”
“I don’t think we need to ask.”
Herze had already guessed who Henry had in mind.
It was clearly meant for the man who, like a shadow, never took his eyes off Henry.
* * *
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I hope hena found someone she truly love
Hello
Yeay another update thanksss
Hehe