"A bruise?"

I waved them goodbye and exited the palace. A few minutes later, I arrived at Xyriel's mansion and came to a halt in front of his entrance, and a maid quickly approached us, curtsying respectfully.

"Greetings, Princess Zinnia," the maid greeted with dignified poise.

"I am Maidsfordem. How may I assist you?" She inquired.

"Good noon, Maidsfordem. Is Xyriel here?" I asked, dismounting from Ellie.

"Master is currently occupied, Princess. Would you like to meet with him?"

"Yes, please."

"I will guide you to his office. Please, come in. Your horse can wait outside; someone will attend to him for you," she informed me, then opened the imposing large silver door and waited for me to enter.

"I'll be back, Ellie," I told my horse, patting him before handing his reins to the waiting footman.

With that, I stepped inside and followed the guiding maid. After a short walk, she stopped in front of a black door adorned with intricate patterns. She turned to me.

"This is the Grand Duke's office. Please knock before entering and wait for the master's response," she instructed, bowing respectfully.

"Understood. Thank you for your assistance, Maidsfordem," I smiled, then knocked on the door.

"You're most welcome, Princess. I'll take my leave now, but feel free to summon any maids or butlers if you require anything."

"Absolutely," I acknowledged, and she bowed again before departing in the opposite direction.

I knocked on the door once more, calling out, "Xyriel? It's me, Zinnia."

"Please, come in," Xyriel's voice finally replied.

As I pushed the door open, I found Xyriel seated behind his desk, his leather chair and table before him. The room had the desk positioned in a corner, with two couches facing each other in the center, accompanied by a marble table.

Xyriel held a paper and pen, and though his mouth was covered by the paper, I could sense the smile in his eyes as he looked at me.

"Good day, Princess! I-I never expected you to come visit me today, especially without prior notice," he stammered slightly, the paper muffling his words.

Smiling, I approached him, and his eyes widened in response.

"Good day, Xyriel! I just dropped by to see how you're doing," I explained.

"P-please take a seat, Zinnia," he offered, gesturing towards the couches.

I paused to think for a moment, "Hmm, the couch seems quite far away from where you are at. Would it be alright if I take a seat in the chair right in front of you?" I asked eagerly, closing the gap between us.

"O-okay," he mumbled, seeming a bit taken aback.

As I approached him, I sensed a slight unease or discomfort, but I dismissed the thought and settled into the chair in front of him, keeping a cheerful smile.

"Before anything else, how are you doing?" I inquired once more.

"I'm doing well, Zinnia," he replied with an awkward chuckle, still holding the paper over his mouth and turning slightly away.

"Is that so?" I remarked, trying to direct his gaze back to me, but he swiftly turned his back completely, making it difficult to see his face.

"Yes, and how about you?" he asked, engrossed in the papers he held, without even turning around to meet my gaze.

"I'm also doing well! I apologize for dropping in so suddenly without giving you prior notice," I said, my gaze still fixed on him as I waited for him to acknowledge me.

"It's perfectly fine, although it would be helpful if you could let me know in advance so I could be prepared for your visit, Zinnia," he replied.

"I'll keep that in mind, Xyriel. The thing is, I'm currently facing a dilemma and wasn't sure what to do. That's why I was hoping to seek your advice," I explained.

"I see, and what might that be?"

"Well, you see, the King has instructed both Grand Duke Zemislav and me to work together on his upcoming grand birthday banquet. However, considering our past conflict, I doubt he would forgive me easily. I was wondering if you had any insights on how I could approach him and gain his forgiveness," I explained, my gaze still fixed on him, waiting for him to turn around and face me rather than being absorbed in the papers.

"I understand. Forgiveness can be hard to come by, especially when someone feels betrayed. Yet, seeing your genuine desire to make amends, I believe he might eventually come to appreciate your sincerity if you approach him earnestly and with genuine actions. Patience might be key," he advised.

Even when speaking, he still did not look at me. I sensed that there must be something fishy going on with his actions.

Growing impatient, I asked, "I understand, but I've noticed that you haven't looked at me once since I arrived, Grand Duke. Are you that busy?"

He visibly flinched at my words. "M-my apologies, Zinnia. It's just that, th-there's a lot that needs to be read," he stumbled over his response.

"Could you share more about that?" I tilted my head curiously.

"I-It's..." He faltered, struggling to come up with an explanation.

As my frustration grew, I stood up and walked over to his side. Standing before him, I peered down as he remained seated. However, he quickly covered his face once again with the paper and turned away.

"Is there something on your face, Xyriel?" I asked, aligning my gaze with his and resting my hands on the back of the chair.

"N-no, there's nothing on my face," he awkwardly laughed, still avoiding direct eye contact.

"Perhaps you should sit down a little-" he started to say, but I interrupted him by suddenly grabbing his wrist.

I gently pushed the paper away, revealing a bruised and swollen mouth. Seeing that it was still swollen, I'm sure it only happened not long ago.

His eyes widened in surprise, but he continued to avert his gaze. He pulled his hands away and attempted to cover the bruise once more.

"Who did this to you?" I asked, my anger barely contained as my grip on the chair tightened.

"T-this has nothing to do with you, Zinnia," he replied, his gaze lowered.

"Did your aunt do this to you?" I pressed further.

"No."

"Then who?"

He was hesitant, clearly troubled about whether to answer my question or not.

"Who caused these injuries, Xyriel? Please, tell me," I said gently, trying not to scare him off.

After a moment of contemplation, he finally responded, "I-it was my uncle."

My eyes widened in shock. "Uncle? Are you referring to Duke Arthur Kazamir?"

"Yes."

I had asked Adelaide about Duke Arthur Kazamir before. She had mentioned that he was a quiet man with strong principles. I would have never imagined that he could be capable of hurting Xyriel.