'Are you giving me a bath today?'

When the meal was served, the duchess waited for her ladies-in-waiting to take their seats. Arabella was first to take a bite, glancing at Amelia, she signaled that the food was safe. It was then that the duchess gestured to the Count that the soup might get cold.

"What did you really come here, Count Ratcliff? I don't think you just wandered here from one of your travels for the emperor. My palace is rather out of your usual route."

The Count chuckled and he admitted without delay that the emperor has sent him to give the duchess his message.

"About your coming birthday celebration, Duchess…" the man started.

"What of it? I have already celebrated my birthday." the duchess butted in.

The man straightened himself to get momentum before he mentioned the invitation the emperor sent months ago.

"I'm grateful for the emperor's generosity, but my home is here, and I want to spend it with my people. Plus, it would be the first ball I'm ever having with the expectant eligible young people here in Osmea."

"The emperor wanted to host your celebration, and so does Prince Duncan. He arrived from his travel recently so he could have enough time to prepare for your birthday."

"Oh, he's back?" Amelia's voice was a pitch higher, and though she tilted her head, she didn't mind looking at her guest at all and only focused on cutting the meat in front of her. "I thought he'd be gone for a very long time," she said with a hint of sarcasm that her ladies couldn't help but stifle their smiles. The Count noticed it too and his face turned stern.

"He's looking forward to seeing you, Duchess."

"Don't tell me that he still has that silly notion of our engagement," Amelia chuckles, but when she noted her companions' quizzical expressions, she quickly looked at the Count who stopped eating altogether before clearing her throat. After half a glass of water, the duchess said, "I already told him that I fancy someone else at some point in one of his lengthy letters to me. And that he should be with someone who he truly loved, not someone his father, or whoever else, chose for him."

"You seem quite knowledgeable in the language of love, Duchess…" Ratcliff resumed eating, "Is the man you fancy the Duke of Thuenia? There's an awful lot of rumors going about. Not to mention the duke repeatedly visited the emperor on his busiest days and sent letters with the same contents again and again. He was very persistent for a man with so little patience."

"Are you saying that marrying Duncan should be a better choice?" Amelia placed her napkin on the table. "Whoever I fancy is not something the emperor should concern himself about. Marriage between rulers is not allowed, but my marriage to the heir of the empire is? Wouldn't that shift the empire's power more than anything?"

The hall went silent. Amelia eyed everyone there and didn't notice her tone and her rough manner of speaking until a few seconds passed. Surprised, herself, the duchess apologized for making such a scene. At a loss for words as well, Ratcliff shook his head slowly and continued eating.

"But marrying the duke will also endanger the balance of power. Who could predict that you won't be swayed to go against the emperor in the future? Thuenia is the wealthiest dukedom, and yours is the oldest. The combination alone is already a fearsome notion."

"And who could predict that the empire won't use that same advantage when I married the prince?"

"Duchess…"

"You can't tell yourself what going to happen in the future, right? Let's not make assumptions about things we don't even know about. Whether the emperor gives his blessing or not, I will be making the announcement soon." All eyes fell on Amelia as she nonchalantly declared whilst cutting her meat.

"I… will pretend I didn't hear that last bit," Ratcliff stated as he picked up his utensils to eat.

While they ate, a knock took their attention and when the door opened, the duchess' advisor appeared.

"Count Ratcliff," the advisor bowed his head slightly, "It's a surprise to see you here. Is there any problem?"

"Oh, it's nothing. I just came here to hear the duchess' response to the emperor's invitation."

Vance looked at Amelia and shrugged her shoulders in response. "I… think the duchess has properly declined the offer through a letter. She's been busy with preparations here."

"Yes, yes, but I still wanted to take my chances. The emperor insisted that I persuade her no matter what."

Listening to the Count, Amelia almost rolled her eyes. If the emperor thought he could persuade her with material things, then he's utterly mistaken. She won't sell herself short with things that she could get herself. If the emperor was willing to bargain with her, then he should just give his blessing and be done with it.

"If an answer for the invitation is what you're here for Count Ratcliff, then my answer is no. As for the reason, I have included it in my letter as well. I hope that with this, the emperor will understand that I want to be with my people who understand me, and treat me according to who I am." If the emperor keeps on insisting on what he wanted, Amelia will state things more directly. With this, she hoped that he'd see her as the ruler that she is and not some abandoned child clinging for some help.

The count opened and closed his mouth a few times in an attempt to utter some words but after a deep breath, he stopped and nodded. Finally, Amelia thought.

After the rather intense breakfast, Ratcliff excused himself and Amelia was more than happy to send him off.

On her way back to her office, Vance followed Amelia silently and the duchess already knew why her advisor's behind her. She quickly went to her table and sat down as soon as Vance closed the door behind him. With a discreet inhale, Amelia pretended to look outside the floor-to-ceiling window overlooking her duchy.

"It's a nice day today despite the unexpected visit," Amelia turned to face Vance who found himself a comfortable spot to seat across the duchess' table. "If we're lucky, we might get some snow before the month is over."

"About your announcement to your Council tomorrow. Are you ready for it?" Vance asked and the duchess found herself at a loss for words.

"I've been preparing…" she said in almost a whisper.

"Let me hear your plan about it then."

"What do you mean?"

"Practice, if you like to call it as such. Let's say, you already told them about it. Of course, it's expected that there'd be a commotion. Let's say, someone asked, why are you marrying the duke?"

Amelia pursed her lips. Thinking, her heart raced.

"I am marrying him because—"

"You cannot say you're marrying him for love, Lia. Or because he's someone who saved you. That is never a valid—enough—reason to marry for someone of your status," Vance butted in.

"—because who else would be more eligible than the duke himself? The looks, the land, the influence, the wealth?"

Vance nodded, looking partly satisfied with her answer but he proceeded to tell her to persuade him even more. "Crown Prince Duncan Rosenburg can give you just as much—not just any land, but the whole empire even." The advisor was sterner than Amelia thought he'd be.

"I simply do not wish to marry the crown prince. I have the right to choose who to marry, and I am choosing Alexander. Despite the nasty rumors that some of you might try to bring up, I would like to remind everyone that his achievements as a duke supersede any of them."

"A woman of your status doesn't simply have the 'right to choose' your partner. That's too idealistic—a common daydream. You have a responsibility, an obligation, to your people and your land. And what about his many lovers?"

Amelia gulped. She hasn't thought about any of it at all. Laila once told her that she heard a rumor that sometime earlier this year, Alexander have dismissed his lovers and had yet to take any new ones. Instead, he's been focusing more on expanding his duchy's reach.

"It's human nature to love others. I might take a lover or two if it interests me. But as far as I know, Alexander currently doesn't have any. He's not shy about them, so I'm sure you've heard of him turning a new leaf." Amelia gave out a half-chuckle to calm herself. She's practiced by herself, but it didn't cross her mind that hearing the questions itself has a more significant impact.

"This marriage will not only bring about business in Osmea but also the possibility of a conflict well beyond our means. Tipping the scales of power is always an unwelcome thought. Someone might try to do you harm after you announce it." Amelia nodded. She can imagine the Marchioness asking this to her.

"What we allow will happen, and what we don't, won't." Amelia was about to open her mouth again, but her advisor stopped her.

"Hmm… you're quite ready than I thought." Vance sounded proud and Amelia stifled a smile. "A lot more questions might be asked but I'm sure you'll do well on your own."

"Thank you, Uncle. If they don't agree, then we'll make them." Vance rose a brow and tilted his head. "I find Alexander a little persuasive. Everyone wants to do business with Thuenia, those who don't agree doesn't get to have any."

"Possible. You pass this time." Vance smirked. Placing both hands on the arm of the chair, he pushed himself up with a low grunt and straightened his clothes. "Seems like you have a lot on your plate still," he said, looking at the pile of paper on the duchess' table that used to be some of his work. "I'll excuse myself then. I have some sightseeing to do." The advisor turned his back to the duchess and waved a hand before gripping to twist the door's knob open.

As it closed, Amelia shook her head and eyed the paper in front of her. Bearing in mind the questions raised by her advisor earlier, the duchess picked up a paper and scanned through it.

**********

Arriving from his usual daily rounds at the towns he was able to visit, Alexander threw his gloves on the divan at the foot of his bed and unbuttoned his shirt one by one as he approached the wash basin filled with already cold water. The water helped cool him down and taking a clean cloth nearby, he wiped his face, neck, down to his opened chest. Then, he pulled a small lever that was connected to the servant's lounge downstairs.

A few minutes passed, a knock sounded, and Alexander opened it, shirtless.

"Fetch me some water to drink and have someone ready my bath," he ordered, and the maidservant took a moment to admire him, which he displayed quite proudly, even propping his arm on the side of his door, leaning slightly, with his other hand on his hips.

"Y-ye-yes, your grace. Right away," she stammered, and the duke smirked as the maidservant tried to avoid looking at him directly. Looking at her quickly fleeing the hall with her head down and hands on her chest, Alexander closed the door behind him. He missed the attention and the gazes he received from women who pleasured him.

Now that he's thought about it, the last time he did it with someone felt like a long time ago—a very long time ago—that a mere maidservant excited him. He never touched women who worked for him, a sort of philosophy of his.

"Your grace…" a voice called for him at the other side of the door. It was Jyver.

"Are you giving me a bath today?" he playfully asked as four men with two buckets each of warm water followed the duke's knight.

"Be done with it quickly," the knight ordered, and the men nodded. Each of them went to the duke's washroom and filled the tub with water, the last two buckets went to his wash basin with the other left at the foot of the tub for Alexander to use and rid himself of the oils they poured onto the tub. After they were done, the men bowed swiftly and left the room.

"Tell me after I bathe. For the meantime, guard my room," Alexander said, patting the knight's cheek lightly, vanishing behind the folding divider to his washroom.

After a while, Alexander went out with a loosely tied robe and a towel on his head. Seeing him, his knight quickly grabbed another small towel nearby and handed it to him.

"So? What's the update?" he asked, walking to his room with a trail of water from his hair. Feeling calmer now and refreshed, he fetched some documents on his table and scanned through them before putting them down and walking towards his closet to pick out some clothes.

"We've searched the gardener's house and found nothing aside from an envelope that's been stashed away under a pillow, and I believe belongs to the imperial family."

"Imperial family? Under a pillow?" Alexander turned to look at Jyver.

They're pretty sure that the one who orchestrated the poisoning would be someone aiming to harm Vance. But wait…

Alexander grabbed a simple black tunic with an open front in the shape of V that exposed his neck to the middle of his stomach and matching pants and belt before vanishing behind the divider again.

"Yes. I think the siblings hid it. Paper is expensive and high-quality ones used by noble houses can even fetch them a meal if traded."

The duke sighed. He felt sorry for the less fortunate people that got taken advantage of and are now being punished for something they did only to gain so little.

"How can you be sure it's from the imperial family." Surely, they wouldn't be so careless as to use something that can be traced back to them.

"The paper quality and the fact that the royal papermaker's stationeries have an invisible but distinct mark that they use to brand their works. It's a slightly embossed initial of the maker that if you don't feel hard enough, you won't even n notice."

But that doesn't guarantee that the ruling family has any part in it. The paper could be stolen from them, or the papermaker could've given it to someone else.

"Investigate the papermaker. I just couldn't see any connection to it."

Now that he's left alone, Alexander remembered that they were poisoned months before Vance received the letter from Pradour about the pending coup. Walton isn't that powerful of a person to dare and put the blame on the emperor, and why would he? But the poison… it's from Pradour.

"If the poison isn't something to rattle Vance, and definitely not from Walton, who and why would he and Amelia be poisoned? And why was Amelia the only one greatly affected? Ayland is a very thorough person, he would've introduced a variety of poisons to the duchess just to be safe. Could it be that hers has a higher poison content and mine was just enough to insinuate a conflict between our houses?" Alexander thought aloud.

But why?

The duke sighed loudly. Every piece of information so far is contradicting the other. It's becoming exhausting and it's just the tip of the iceberg even. There's this thing about the engagement and the thing about Vance too!

"I wonder how Cice's fairing?" Leaning back on his chair, Alexander focused on the drapes of the curtain nearby. "I want to see her." He whispered.