"Where is Eilika?" Damian asked Joanna, his tone laced with a growing restlessness. "She isn’t with Roman, and the servants I’ve questioned claim they haven’t seen her either."

Joanna maintained a straight expression. "The Duchess has gone to visit a friend," she stated. It was the only explanation she could offer that wouldn’t betray her mistress’s confidence.

"A friend? Who?" Damian pressed, his eyes narrowing.

"The Duchess did not mention a name, Your Grace," Joanna replied, lowering her head to avoid his scrutiny.

Damian turned away, his mind racing. ’She never mentioned any friends to me, except for one. But he is a man. Why would she go to meet a man? No, she isn’t that sort of person. There is something else happening here.’

As he stepped into the hall, he found Maurice walking in his direction. Maurice looked exhausted, his eyes slightly swollen from lack of sleep. It was clear he hadn’t rested once during the mission.

"Your Grace," he bowed, meeting Damian’s eyes with a heavy expression.

"Let’s go to my study," Damian stated, his voice dropping to a serious tone.

The two men headed to the East wing. Once inside, Maurice shut the heavy door behind him while Damian settled into his leather chair, gesturing for Maurice to sit across from him.

"Turns out you’ve done a lot of research," Damian remarked, his eyes searching Maurice’s face for a hint of what he had found.

"Yes, Your Grace. I found several disturbing things," Maurice stated, his voice tight.

"What do you mean? Explain," Damian commanded.

Maurice blinked rapidly, his mind racing through the pile of evidence he had gathered. He seemed to struggle with the weight of the information, unsure of which thread to pull first in the tangled web of secrets he had uncovered.

"Maurice, speak."

The Duke’s command was sharp, slicing through the heavy silence of the study.

"Your Grace, do you remember the King’s son from Mistress Klaire?"

"The one who was banished ten years ago to Aethelgard?" Damian asked, his eyes narrowing.

"Yes, Your Grace."

"Is August involved? I cannot believe his scheming has reached this far from exile," Damian muttered, a dark shadow crossing his face.

"August knew your late wife," Maurice replied, his voice barely a whisper.

"What do you mean by that?" Damian’s frown deepened.

"Your Grace, I followed the Count when he slipped out of his estate in the dead of night. They met in an abandoned house on the outskirts of Varos. August was there. I overheard him... he said he wants to destroy you because his beloved Liliana died here."

"What?" Damian exclaimed, the shock forcing him to his feet. "Maurice, you heard wrong."

"I wish I had," the bodyguard said, rising to his feet as well.

"Don’t say another word. I asked you to investigate the Count and the Earl. I didn’t ask you to bring me such lies..." Damian took a ragged breath, pausing to steady himself. "Maurice, there could be another Liliana. Tell me you heard it wrong."

"I knew it would be hard to believe, Your Grace. I was confused and shocked myself when I heard August speaking. That is why I stayed to gather proof. That is why it took me so long to return." Maurice reached into the pocket of his heavy overcoat and pulled out a worn, yellowed letter.

"What is this?" Damian questioned, his eyes fixed on the parchment.

"The evidence, Your Grace. I broke into the late Duchess’s family home last night, hoping to find something to disprove what I heard. Her father never destroyed her belongings, only her clothes, if you remember," Maurice affirmed. "I found this hidden in a box atop a cupboard in her old room. I believe she simply forgot to destroy it."

Damian’s fists clenched so tightly his body began to shake. He wanted to scream that Maurice was a liar, but the weight of the man’s sincerity was suffocating. With a trembling hand, he took the paper and unfolded it.

His eyes scanned the elegant script, a handwriting he knew all too well, clearly addressing August.

As he read the words of affection, his heart sank into a hollow void. He slumped back into his chair with a heavy thud, overcome by a sense of betrayal that cut deeper than any grief he had ever known.

"Leave me alone," Damian whispered, his voice cracking.

Maurice offered a silent, solemn bow and retreated from the room, leaving the Duke alone.

Damian rechecked the parchment over and over, his eyes scanning the lines until the ink blurred.

He desperately hoped to find a flaw, a sign of forgery. Liliana wasn’t like that. She had loved him deeply, or so he had believed for years.

This letter... perhaps an enemy had planted it to sow discord. Perhaps Maurice was the one deceiving him.

"Who is my enemy and who is my ally? I no longer know," Damian mumbled to the empty room. "Maurice has been by my side since childhood. But friends betray, don’t they? He must be lying to force me to move on... No... I—I..."

"Damian!"

Eilika’s voice broke through the heavy silence as she pushed open the door. She stood there, breathless, her eyes searching his face as she took in his shattered expression and the crumpled letter in his trembling hand.

"Damian, are you alright?" She walked to him when he quickly opened the drawer and put the parchment into the last one before shutting it.

"I heard you were looking for me. Yes, I went to meet my friend," Eilika replied.

"A man?" Damian arched his eyebrow and quickly marched to her. The next second, he held her arms tightly and said in a stern tone, "Don’t tell me you’re betraying me..."

"What man?I went to see my friend, Romy. She returned after five years to Varos," Eilika answered.

Damian’s grip loosened from her arms as he realized he took out his anger on her almost. Taking a step back, he turned around and said, "I would like to be alone for some time. Roman was missing you, so go to him."