DWBAFM 30

Shalome, who had suddenly lost her partner, called out to the Grand Duke from behind in a desperate voice.

“Your Grace! Your Grace! Grand Duke!”

But there was no time to look back at her right now.

Finding Maddy came first.

If someone had been captivated by her appearance and led her to the Imperial Palace’s rear garden, the maze garden, or an outdoor terrace…

By dawn, someone would certainly be found dead.

Yulikian, who couldn’t bear to see innocent people die due to his upright nature, ran swiftly and barely managed to find Maddy.

Perhaps she had allowed herself to be led on purpose, as she had ended up quite far from the door where they had first parted.

It seemed they had been trying to take her to the maze garden.

Yulikian ran over and grabbed the man’s wrist.

Blocking the man’s path, he shouted toward Maddy.

“What are you doing?! What were you trying to do to her?!”

Maddy blinked her eyes wide and shrugged.

It was a reflexive act of protection.

An instinct to protect the “weak.”

Only when he saw one of Maddy’s eyebrows twitch upward did Yulikian realize what was going on.

He quickly turned his body.

Yes, this was the right move. Socially acceptable.

Yulikian then, as if he had intended this from the start, pulled Maddy behind him.

And to the man whose wrist he had just been holding, he shouted:

“I’m talking to you! What were you trying to do to Maddy?!”

“Uh, I— You just grabbed my wrist and—”

“Nonsense. You’re mistaken. I was just angry at some thug trying to take Maddy away.”

A snorting sound came from Maddy as she bit her lip, clearly trying her best not to laugh.

Thank goodness it was nighttime.

The man wouldn’t be able to see Yulikian’s flushed, embarrassed face.

The man tilted his head, confused, but finally regained his senses and responded.

“Ahem. Well, I just saw the young lady crying alone, so I thought I’d talk to her. I assume you’re her partner?”

“…Seems you don’t know who I am. And you are?”

“Bit rude to speak informally on first meeting, isn’t it? Haha. I’m Baron Carmodo, newly titled by His Majesty the Emperor himself. I run a trade business spanning the entire continent. Ah, that train line between Conversence and Coden? That’s mine. Fog Company. Named after me. The name Fog comes from my grandfather—”

“You talk too much. I’ll let you live. Now get lost.”

The man—Fog, the chatty nouveau riche—frowned.

He still seemed unaware of who Yulikian was.

“Tch. Just my luck. But really, isn’t it your fault for leaving your partner alone in the first place?”

This “Fog or Pig or whatever” sneered.

Yulikian casually grabbed the man’s jacket collar.

Though broad and stocky, the man stumbled helplessly when Yulikian tugged him.

The Grand Duke’s clear blue eyes flashed coldly.

Yulikian stared at the stunned man and gave one final warning.

“I said I’d let you live. Now get lost.”

It made sense that Fog didn’t recognize Yulikian—he rarely attended social events, and someone who only cared about money and never read a newspaper wouldn’t know a thing.

Yulikian brushed his hand off like the man’s clothes were dirty.

“Let’s go, Maddy.”

“W-Wait. What? ‘Let you live, now get lost’? Who do you think you are?! What family are you from?!”

Spectators had started to gather. He couldn’t draw any more attention.

He couldn’t leave Maddy here any longer.

“Take my hand, Maddy.”

“…Huh?”

“Let’s get out of here.”

Maddy blinked her green eyes rapidly, scanned her surroundings, and began blushing.

Her light brown hair, pinned high, was tousled by the night breeze, strands falling over her freshly made-up face.

That bright, love-struck smile she wore—curling eyes, crinkled nose, the arc of her lips—it was all fake.

So fake, and so beautiful.

Yulikian was glad his back was to the crowd.

Because when she smiled like this, as if she were truly in love, he couldn’t return it.

He couldn’t smile like her. Not even a fake one.

Still, Maddy bashfully took his large hand.

The moment he held her hand, Yulikian pushed through the crowd with her in tow.

“You can’t just follow a stranger because they tell you to. What if something happened?”

“Well, he said the back garden wasn’t restricted and invited me to check it out. Said I looked lonely and he was worried…”

Maybe because people were watching, Maddy lowered her brows and sounded defensive.

“See! She followed me! She did!”

Yulikian turned around at the ever-yapping Fog.

“Try touching my girl again. I’ll bury you under those new railway tracks.”

“W-What?!”

“…That’s the Grand Duke, sir. Best if you stop now.”

At the word “Grand Duke” murmured from the crowd, Fog’s expression finally twisted in horror and he fell silent.

Maddy stifled laughter behind her handkerchief.

She gave Yulikian’s hand a little squeeze as she giggled mockingly.

“Sweetie. You’re getting better at acting every day. Maybe after you retire, we can go scam people together?”

Yulikian, who had looked grim the whole time, finally cracked a smirk at her nonsense.

He chuckled and pulled her closer, wrapping her arm in his.

Then, in full view of the crowd, he leaned in and planted a kiss on her cheek—or at least pretended to.

“Split the profits fifty-fifty, and I’m in.”

“Oh my, so greedy!”

Maddy snuggled into his chest, deliberately leaving lipstick stains on his shirt.

While waiting for their carriage, the two chatted away as if they lived in a world of their own.

“Sweetie, what do you think—seriously—about quitting being Grand Duke? I can get you a new identity.”

“And how exactly?”

“What about a carriage accident off a cliff?”

“Hahaha. I’ve worked so hard to live, and now you wanna kill me?”

“We make sure the body’s never found and escape abroad, sweetheart. Let’s start a new life.”

“You want me to spend forever running cons with you? Are you proposing we become partners in crime?”

“Oh, you’re too much. By the way, what about that lady you left at the ball?”

“I entered with her, so technically I fulfilled the Emperor’s orders. That’s good enough.”

Yulikian shrugged.

At that moment, a large four-horse carriage arrived.

It wasn’t from the Grand Duke’s estate.

A man stepped out.

With jet-black hair slicked back, he looked up at the palace slowly.

His dark red eyes gave off a strangely quiet menace.

“Sweetie.”

“What.”

“Oh wow. You actually respond when I call you that now. We’re such a perfect scam couple!”

“You call me that all day. Should I just ignore you? What is it?”

“That guy. The one who just got off the carriage.”

Maddy discreetly gestured with her fan.

Yulikian leaned in under the fan, as if to kiss her.

“Hey, don’t go making eyes at other men. We’ve got an audience.”

“Pfft. I was just curious. He doesn’t look like a noble but he’s dressed like one. That’s all. Don’t be mad, sweetie. Maddy’s heart hurts when you’re mean!”

She stomped her foot and wiggled her body like a spoiled child.

“What part doesn’t look noble?”

“Boohoo! He opened the door himself and fixed his outfit. Nobles don’t have hands or feet—they’re helpless, clueless idiots! Waaaah! You’re so mean for doubting me!”

Her little fists pounded against Yulikian’s broad chest.

From behind, noble ladies gasped, “My word.”

Yulikian glared at his overacting partner before turning his gaze toward the man.

Coincidentally, the tall man was also looking their way.

The man’s red eyes sparkled as they met.

Wearing a crisp white uniform, the man walked toward them.

That was strange.

Anyone wearing white dress uniform to a palace ball had to be someone the Emperor held dear.

But the man walked with no hesitation, not caring that mud had splashed on his pant cuffs.

His eyes never left one place.

He walked like a ghost and reached out to grab Maddy’s wrist.

“…You’re alive?”

It sounded like a gentle greeting, but there was no warmth in his eyes.

Maddy, sensing that, dropped her act and simply stared.

The air turned ice cold.

Yulikian grabbed Maddy’s hand and pulled her behind him.

“Hey. I think you’ve mistaken her for someone else.”

But the man didn’t respond to Yulikian.

His blood-red eyes were focused only on Maddy.

Maddy tilted her head, silent.

The man stared at her, eyes wide, as if unable to blink.

His lips opened and closed several times before slowly curving into a smile.

His expression filled with joy, relief—almost tears.

The black-haired man lifted Maddy’s hand to his cheek.

Maddy muttered, “Ugh, gross. Who the hell is this pervert,” but he didn’t seem to hear.

“…You’re alive. You really are. Thank goodness. I knew you’d come back to me. I never once doubted you. When I thought I lost you, I was… I was—”

“Hey. Are you deaf? You’ve got the wrong person.”

Something felt off.

Yulikian shoved the man away.

He looked like a soldier but had a lean build.

Yulikian, built for battle, had never been overpowered.

Yet the man refused to let go of Maddy’s wrist, even as he staggered back.

In the end, Yulikian grabbed the man’s wrist and clenched hard.

“Let go, you bastard.”

A sickening crack echoed.

“What’s with all the lunatics tonight? Was there a casting call for creeps? Did someone promise money for bothering Maddy?”

Still, the man ignored him, eyes glued to Maddy.

As if he might devour her whole.

“Yan. It’s me. It’s really me.”

“You psycho.”

Yulikian gave up and snapped the man’s wrist entirely.

The crunch of crushed bone rang out, but the man didn’t even scream.

Even with his limp wrist, he kept staring only at Maddy.

When Yulikian and Maddy boarded their carriage, the man just stood there smiling.

His long, snake-like eyes curved, lips moving silently.

“Yan. Come back.”