The word that had slipped out of Nadia’s mouth—completely out of context—was an unintentional bonus.
Heinrich looked at her with an expression of disbelief.
Nadia hurriedly released his wrist and stepped back.
“I’m terribly sorry, Your Grace.”
“What do you think you’re doing?”
“Well…”
She had already blurted out walnut, so she had to come up with some kind of excuse.
“That cheese has walnuts in it. And, well… walnuts can be a divisive food. Especially when paired with cheese. I just… wanted to give you a heads-up.”
Heinrich’s red eyes filled with suspicion. Clearly, her excuse hadn’t been enough.
He stared at her as he brought the cheese to his mouth. His sharp jaw softened as he chewed, and before long, his throat moved slightly as he swallowed.
Walnuts. That definitely had walnuts! And he just ate it?!
Nadia couldn’t hide her shock.
Heinrich had once gotten seriously ill after eating walnuts as a child. He hadn’t been on the brink of death, but he had suffered enough to cause an uproar in the entire Baldwin estate.
Since then, Heinrich had avoided walnuts entirely.
In fact, anything with walnuts simply wasn’t served at Baldwin events at all.
Heinrich narrowed his eyes at her.
“You really think I wouldn’t know what food is served at a party in my own home?”
“No, Your Grace. I’ve overstepped. Please forgive me.”
“How did you know?”
He wasn’t an idiot. A baron’s daughter grabbing a duke’s wrist over cheese? It wasn’t something any rational person would do unless there was a very good reason.
He was clearly asking how she knew about his allergy.
Naturally, Nadia feigned ignorance.
“I’m not sure what you mean.”
“So you’re not going to answer. Lady Nadia, don’t forget—I’m watching you.”
With that, Heinrich gave her one last sharp glance and walked away.
As soon as he disappeared, Vivian rushed over and stood close beside Nadia.
“Miss! What on earth was that?! Why did you do that? Ugh, my heart’s still pounding… You’re usually so level-headed! What were you thinking?!”
“I know. I must’ve gone mad for a moment.”
Nadia placed a hand on her chest, trying to calm her racing heart.
“…I’m such a fool.”
If a dish with walnuts had actually been served at the Baldwin estate party, then clearly, the walnut allergy was no longer a problem.
Most likely, Heinrich had outgrown the allergy as he got older—or maybe he had been cured with the help of a mage.
Under normal circumstances, she would have caught that detail instantly. But the moment she saw him eat the cheese, she panicked with worry.
All she could think about was the young boy lying in bed with a fever, saying he was fine, trying to act mature for her sake.
That child had been replaced by a grown man who no longer needed her protection.
Nadia smiled bitterly to herself.
Heinrich immediately left the garden and called for Allison. Allison came running, clearly flustered, and offered her advice.
“Your Grace, you shouldn’t just leave the party like this. The Grand Duchess will—”
Heinrich raised a hand, cutting her off with a tired expression.
“I’ll go back in. Save the scolding for later. I need to look into something.”
“Pardon? All of a sudden? What happened?”
“Nadia Hesse knew about my allergy.”
At that, Allison’s face went pale.
“How? That’s supposed to be a top secret! Hardly anyone in the estate even knows… and besides, Your Grace no longer—”
“I no longer have the allergy. A mage helped me with it. But she didn’t seem to know that.”
“Did Lady Hesse try to feed you something with walnuts?!”
Allison’s eyes turned sharp, as if she were ready to hunt Nadia down. But Heinrich shook his head.
“That’s the strange part. She tried to stop me. Then she made up a poor excuse and pretended she didn’t know anything. I thought she was sharp when we first met…”
“That is strange. I’ll investigate again, but… maybe it’s this?”
“Go on.”
“Lady Nadia is Baron Hesse’s adopted daughter, right? An orphan with no known background. She supposedly has no memories from before the age of ten. But what if that’s not true? Maybe she fabricated her past to gain the Baron’s sympathy and rise in status.”
“So you’re saying she might be targeting me now for another status leap?”
“It’s not impossible. If she’s digging into your background to marry you, it wouldn’t be surprising if she uncovered your allergy. Of course, she’d want to keep that hidden.”
Allison’s reasoning wasn’t far-fetched. Women trying all sorts of schemes to marry Heinrich were a dime a dozen. Nadia being one of them wouldn’t be out of the ordinary.
But…
Heinrich couldn’t get the look on Nadia’s face out of his head—the moment he put the cheese in his mouth.
There had been no greed in her expression. No calculated motive.
Instead, for the first time in a long while, Heinrich felt as if he’d seen genuine, selfless concern in someone’s eyes.
And all throughout the party, Nadia had been looking at him. But her gaze held no awe or ambition.
It was a gaze filled with tender longing, like someone looking at a person they’d deeply missed.
It left Heinrich shaken.
As evening fell, the party reached its peak. Magical stone lanterns hung from every tree, illuminating the garden in a dazzling light show.
When the Grand Duchess Baldwin gracefully shook a small bell, a clear chime rang out. Everyone in the garden turned their attention to her.
“Thank you all for coming. Recently, I acquired a beautiful sculpture, and I would love to share it with you tonight.”
The Baldwin family had long held a passion for the arts. Art was one of the few things that had sustained the people of the North through their harsh environment.
Every party hosted at the Baldwin estate included an introduction to a new artist. It was a coveted opportunity—many aspiring artists dreamed of being introduced here.
A neatly dressed woman stood beside the Grand Duchess.
“Sir Sulliano, would you please introduce this wonderful piece?”
At her request, Sulliano stepped forward with a proud expression and introduced the artwork.
As Nadia admired the sculpture, she overheard someone whispering behind her.
“I was hoping for something extraordinary since the Grand Duchess hasn’t introduced a new artist in a while, but this is disappointing.”
“Well, the Baldwins haven’t held a party in a long time. Most promising artists head south these days.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. Not just newcomers either. If you saw the piece I acquired recently, this statue wouldn’t even compare.”
The tone was unmistakable—a classic con artist’s method of baiting curiosity to push a sale.
Vivian must have sensed it too, as she leaned in and whispered to Nadia.
“I think I saw that guy in those documents.”
“Who?”
“Him! I think he’s Viscount Royce… the one who got caught playing games with fake artwork but got released due to lack of evidence.”
Nadia raised her fan slightly to cover her face and took a closer look at the man. The resemblance to the portrait was uncanny.
He fled during trial and even had a bounty placed on him. But it was all brushed off later—he claimed it was just a misunderstanding and the bounty was lifted. He’s not a serious threat, but…
Had it been anywhere else, she might’ve ignored him.
But this was the Baldwin estate.
And the fact that someone dared to run a scam here, in territory ruled by Heinrich, made her furious.
She decided to deal with the audacious man, bounty or not.
“This is a work by Pamela, the legendary artist who once reigned over the continent five centuries ago. The one who disappeared a hundred years ago…”
“Surely you don’t mean The Emperor’s Bird? You’re saying you have that piece?”
“Indeed. I’m telling you this in confidence, madam. It’s such an exceptional item—I’m honestly too nervous to show it publicly. If only I could find the right owner, it could finally see the light of day…”
Viscount Royce laid the groundwork for his scam, but the noblewoman shook her head.
Pamela’s The Emperor’s Bird had never been seen since its disappearance. Just viewing it once would grant someone immense status in society.
But Royce had been on trial. He wasn’t someone easily trusted.
“Oh dear, such an incredible item is surely wasted on someone like me. But if you ever choose to share it, I would be delighted to visit.”
She walked away with an air of disinterest.
As Royce clicked his tongue in annoyance, Nadia approached him with a calm greeting.
“You’re Viscount Royce, aren’t you? It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Nadia of the Baron House of Hesse.”
