"Do not overstep, Leonardo," he said, his voice so low it was barely audible. It was not a threat, but a warning. "Your mother died of natural causes."

For a moment, the echo of those words silenced everything in the room.

Natural causes.

Was that it? Was the summary of a lifetime of silence, of a half-century-long lie, just two words?

I looked into his eyes.

In those eyes, there was no longer the famed Caelmont composure before which kings had once knelt, but a fracture.

Perhaps it was guilt, perhaps denial itself.

A man sees the cracks most clearly in the walls he built with his own hands.

And that fissure in Demetrius's eyes betrayed the rot that had crept beneath all those stone walls, those noble titles, that flawless dynastic mask.

I took a slow breath. In the silence, I could hear not only my own heartbeat but also the tremor in his breath.

The voice that had once commanded storms now feared its own past.

"Natural causes..." I said softly, weighing the words in my mouth. "So that is what we call poison, betrayal, and silence now."

Demetrius lifted his head.

In that instant, his gaze was not that of a father, but as hard as an executioner's.

But it changed so quickly that I couldn't tell which was his true face.

"What do you know?" he asked, a suppressed panic stirring in his voice.

A Duke, a war hero, a legend, but the man standing before me now was just an old man, crushed under the weight of his memories.

I took a step closer.

"What I know is that the truth never stays buried in the grave," I said. "And you, Your Grace… you never even deigned to look back at the grave."

Demetrius's fingers gripped the edge of the table.

His knuckles had turned white.

His face rippled like a mask before a flame, revealing, for a fleeting moment, the frightened, angry and guilty person beneath that perfect composure.

"Enough."

It was a single word, but it made the very walls tremble.

"This matter was closed."

This was the point where I was supposed to back down. It was pointless to anger the most powerful man in the Empire any further.

My goal was simply to change the cards, anyway. By changing the cards, I mean that normally, if I wanted to benefit from Demetrius, I would have to chase after him and seek shelter under his wing. But after what I had just done, I wouldn't need to.

At least, not if everything went as I hoped.

I wanted Demetrius to see me as someone disappointed in his father and victimized by his father's sins. Of course, I don't expect him to go against his wife and, at the same time, the Imperial dynasty, but if he at least thinks of me as a victim, I will have achieved what I wanted.

"I understand..." I said simply, giving a slight nod and stepping back. "Then, with your permission."

After these words, I turned and headed for the door.

As my hand reached for the doorknob, I did not look back. Because some gazes are too heavy to escape, even by turning and running. But he stopped me.

"Leonardo," Demetrius said.

When he spoke my name, there was no authority in his voice, nor anger.

Just... weariness. A weariness that went beyond thrones, wars, and dynastic games.

"Be careful" was all he said, and in his eyes, there was a trace of concern; faint, almost nonexistent, but I saw it clearly.

"I will," I said, and stepped out.

The silence left behind the door was as heavy as a tombstone.

I stood there for a moment; it was as if the cold stones of the corridor were breathing silently beneath my feet.

I took a step forward. And I continued walking, unable to wipe the smile from my face. What a cruel devil I had become. What I had just done was use the innocent woman who was the biological mother of the body I inhabited for my own ends. I won't lie; though a faint pang of guilt pricked at me, I felt good.

But I promise you, Leonardo; if I ever get the chance to take revenge in a scenario where I and my loved ones are not harmed in any way, I will do it for you. I should at least do that much. I may not know who granted me this second chance, but at least I know the owner of my second body. And the owner of this body deserved some respect.

---

When I finished packing all my belongings and made some arrangements, I was finally ready to leave. I was a bit sorry that I would have to borrow a carriage belonging to the Duchy since the teleportation building was a bit far from here, but thankfully, with Rebecca's help, I was allowed to bring my own knights and carriage to the ducal palace. Normally, this was strictly forbidden; the only exception was for carriages and knights belonging to the Imperial dynasty.

After I stepped out the door, every step I took echoed on the marble floor of the corridor. I reached the grand staircase at the end of the hall. Below, the bustling crowd of the Ducal Palace swarmed with their titles and responsibilities. But to me, they were all a blurry landscape, extras on a theater stage.

Only this white-haired woman smiling at me was different. The loving look she gave me said so much. With her hands on her hips, she approached me with graceful steps. Here, in a public space, she had to be twice as elegant and noble, a fact I certainly don't complain about.

"I will accompany you to the teleportation building."

Her smile widened as she drew closer. The affection in her eyes was far from the pretense of the other faces in the palace; it was as if she knew the secrets and flaws I was hiding but chose to act as if she didn't. She placed her hand gently on my arm; her touch momentarily melted the cold of the stone corridor.

With her, I began to move in a rhythmic harmony across the marble floor. She was Princess Rebecca Caelmont, Demetrius's only daughter, one of the most eligible bachelorettes in the Empire, and right now, my only ally.

As we descended the grand staircase, the surrounding whispers fell silent for a moment. I could feel dozens of eyes fixed on us. Those stares revealed curiosity, jealousy and an unmistakable sense of judgement.

The "problem" heir, summoned to the Duke's presence, now leaving the palace on Rebecca's arm. I could only imagine how many different versions of the story would spread from tongue to tongue. Let them talk. The best seats in the theater are closest to the stage, and I was giving them an unforgettable act to watch.

Rebecca leaned toward me as if she had heard my thoughts. Her perfume, a blend of honeysuckle and bergamot, cut through the heavy, artificial air of the palace. "Your face holds the weariness of a ship that has weathered a storm and finally found harbor," she whispered, her voice like velvet. "How did your meeting with my father go?"

I glanced at her for a moment. The genuine concern in her eyes was the only true spring in this den of snakes. I couldn't tell her everything, at least not for now. This was a burden I had to carry alone.

"Better than I expected," I said in a calm voice. "I planted a seed, Rebecca. Time will tell if it sprouts, and what kind of tree it will become."

Rebecca's fingers squeezed my arm gently. It was a warning, a declaration of support. "Sowing seeds in my father's garden is a dangerous game, Leonardo. He is the only gardener there, and he does not hesitate to pull out weeds by the root."

"I know," I replied. "But even the fiercest storms cannot prevent a seed strong enough from growing beneath the soil."

In the spacious courtyard, my black, ornate carriage bearing my crest and my knights, with the emblem of Argenholt on their armor, were waiting for me. They were tangible proof of the risk Rebecca had taken for me. The impatient breaths of the horses and the jingle of their harnesses were so alien to the artificial silence of the palace.

I nodded to one of my knights, who opened the carriage door. This must be the promising new knight who had even caught the eye of Ironheart Mike.

After Rebecca also got in, the carriage doors closed. When the door shut, the noise of the outside world faded into a muffled hum, replaced by a sudden, intense silence. It was Rebecca who broke it. She was no longer the elegant and distant duchess from the corridor. The noble smile on her face had vanished, replaced by a raw, unfiltered curiosity.

"Did you read it?" she asked with a hint of embarrassment.

"I did. I must admit I was quite impressed. I didn't know you felt that way."

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