ABOUT THE FIRST WIFE

"RUN AWAY where?"

Hmm?

Sonata was surprised when she didn't even hear and feel Diether enter the room.

That didn't feel great.

"I'm sorry for hiding my presence," Diether said when he noticed the look on Sonata's face. "I thought you were sleeping and I didn't want to wake you up, so I entered the room while hiding my presence."

"You have the potential to become a great assassin," Sonata teased Diether. "You should consider that as a fallback plan in case being the commander of the Avari Holy Knights doesn't work for you anymore."

He scoffed at her suggestion. "Why would I quit my job?"

"To be honest, being a Holy Knight doesn't suit you, my dear legal husband."

"I get that a lot, so no need for you to add insult to injury," Diether said, then he changed the subject. "Did you say you were going to run away? You know my first wife just vanished one day, don't you? Are you trying to give me another trauma?"

Pfft.

"I just wanted to run away from here for a moment to visit the Flower District. The mansion is kind of stuffy, and I miss my friends."

"Ah, if that's the case, then you can just visit them. No need to run away. You have the right to leave the mansion whenever you want."

She just laughed, then she stretched her arms while observing her husband.

Barely dried hair.

A fresh set of clothes.

"You already took a shower?"

"I did some sword training early in the morning, then took a shower after that," Diether explained, then he looked at her. "You should also prepare to start your day. Father will be here soon. Mother said we'll all have breakfast together."

Right.

The Grand Duke wasn't living with the family.

"Why is Father here today?" Sonata asked curiously. "I thought Father is only allowed to visit every weekend."

"Father is probably here to talk about passing his title to me," Diether said, shrugging. "That's the only reason why Mother would have breakfast with him."

Oh, right.

The Grand Duchess hates the Grand Duke.

"Knowing Father, I'm sure he'll add several conditions before he lets me take his title," Diether said, sighing as if he was frustrated. Then he looked at her with pleading eyes. "Can you take my side for once, my dear legal wife?"

Pfft.

"I take back what I said last night– I think you married a saint, my dear legal husband," Sonata said, laughing while shaking her head. "I'm probably the only wife in the world who helps her husband find his first wife."

***

"YOUR BROTHER has found your traces here."

That officially ruined Sonata's morning.

Of course, she was already informed by her people that "he" was here. But hearing the confirmation from the Grand Duke Daniel Hexford– Diether's father– sucked big time.

"I can hide you from your brother, Sonata."

"What's the catch, Father?" Sonata asked carefully. "You're not the type to do charities for someone like me."

The two of them were free to talk that way because only the two of them were walking to the garden that led to the greenhouse.

Their family would be having breakfast there.

She volunteered to "fetch" the Grand Duke because they needed to have that conversation.

"I just need you to stop my son from finding clues about his first wife's disappearance."

Sonata looked at the Grand Duke with knitted eyebrows. "Father, why are you so against Celeste Hexford? I've heard nothing but praises about her. Moreover, Diether and the Grand Duchess wouldn't love her if she was a bad person."

"Celeste Montali wasn't a bad person, but she wasn't good either," her father-in-law said indifferently. "But, more importantly, that child lied about her identity."

So, the Grand Duke was saying Celeste Montali deceived his family?

Even so…

"Why didn't you tell Diether and the Grand Duchess about it, Father?" Sonata asked, raising an eyebrow. "You don't have evidence against Celeste Hexford, do you?"

Grand Duke Daniel Hexford turned to her. "That's your job to find evidence for me, my daughter-in-law."

Wait, what?

***

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