"Eilika, calm down," Damian said softly, placing a steadying hand on her shoulder, his fingers tightening slightly as he felt the tremors of her anger.

"No, I will not, Duke." She refused to back off, her gaze remaining fixated on August.

"By speaking such vile words, not only regarding Liliana but also Roman, you are proving nothing to anyone. You only prove your own hollow nature," she declared, her voice trembling with the weight of her conviction. "Have you ever asked yourself why you are so utterly alone while others are not? Have you ever truly looked at yourself? How dare you, Prince August, bring something so pathetic to a child’s celebration?"

Her eyes burned with tears of hurt, but she didn’t let them fall. "You speak of blood and truth, yet you have no heart. You are a shadow trying to dim a little boy’s light, and I will not let you."

"August, let’s have a conversation later on this. Today isn’t the right moment for any of this," Damian told him. "The King is here too. At least, think about him. You just returned from banishment. You won’t want to live away from the capital once again."

"August, let’s have a conversation later on this. Today isn’t the right moment for any of this," Damian told him. "The King is here. Think of him, if not yourself. You have only just returned from banishment. You wouldn’t want to find yourself living away from the capital once again."

August’s face twisted into a deep frown, his jaw tightening as he considered the threat. He offered no reply to Damian; instead, he fixed a piercing look on Eilika.

"Eilika, I will keep every single word you said to me today in mind," August said, his voice cold and promising. "And I will answer you back with a thousand times that strength." With a final, lingering glare, he turned on his heel and walked away.

Eilika watched him go, her breath finally hitching as the adrenaline began to fade. She glanced around the corridor, her eyes wandering to ensure no servants or guests had overheard their exchange. "I hope he doesn’t hurt Roman. He’s just a child, Damian," she whispered, her voice thick with worry.

"August won’t stop, but I will not let him near the boy," Damian said, stepping closer. His hands found her arms, holding them firmly to draw her focus back to him. "I need to find out exactly what his relationship with Liliana was. Until I have the truth, we cannot afford to provoke him further. Promise me, Eilika, you won’t go near him. Promise me."

"I promise," Eilika said.

~~~~

August slammed the door shut and sank into his chair, the echoes of Eilika’s words still ringing in his ears like a curse. "I thought to be a little kind to that woman, and she had the audacity to tell me what I am," he hissed to the empty room.

His gaze fell upon a half-empty bottle of wine sitting on the table. He snatched it up, ripped the cork out with his teeth, and drank directly from the bottle, the sharp liquid burning its way down his throat.

A gentle, rhythmic knock sounded at the door, pulling him from his mounting fury.

"Enter," August commanded.

The door creaked open, and Roman stepped inside with the poise of a young heir.

"Good morning, Uncle August. I am Roman, the son of Duke Damian Van Kingsley," he said, introducing himself with a formal tilt of his head.

At the sound of the small voice, August snapped his head around and promptly lowered the wine bottle. His eyes narrowed as he took in the boy’s presence. "Who showed you the way here?"

"I followed you," Roman answered simply. "I saw you talking to my Mama and Father on the balcony."

August felt a sudden chill. He stared at the boy, wondering just how much of that bitter conversation had reached those young ears.

"I was a little far away, so I couldn’t hear what you three were talking about," Roman continued, stepping further into the room. "But I noticed the tears in my Mama’s eyes. I heard from my attendant that you saved my Father’s life once, and I am grateful for that. Truly."

The boy looked August directly in the eye, his expression unnervingly solemn. "But please, don’t hurt my Mama. She has a good heart, and she loves me a lot. If you are my Father’s friend, you should be hers too."

"Friend?" August chuckled, a dry, hollow sound that made Roman tilt his head in confusion. He set the bottle down on the table with a dull thud.

Roman wondered if he had said something wrong, his small hands clasping together.

"Your father and I are not friends," August replied, leaning forward in his chair. His eyes searched the boy’s face for any hint of doubt. "Don’t you know Eilika isn’t your birth mother? The woman who gave you life is no longer in this world... and she isn’t alive because of your father."

"I know, Uncle," Roman said softly, though his voice remained steady. "My mother passed away after giving birth to me. But please do not say my father was the reason for her demise. I know it was a medical complication; that is what I have been told. And my Mama... she sees me as her own son. Since the day she entered the palace, she has never once made me feel alone."

August paused, momentarily silenced by the boy’s unwavering loyalty. "You speak much more eloquently than your age suggests," he remarked, his gaze lingering on the child’s serious expression. "Tell me, Roman, what is it you want for your birthday?"

"Uncle August can give me his blessings," Roman replied with a polite bow. "I will be more than happy with those."

"My blessings don’t work, boy," August said. ’Even Liliana left me with an unknown answer whether this boy is mine or not. Now, I feel Eilika was right. I can never be Roman’s father because I thought wrong for him.’

"Why don’t your blessings work?" Roman asked, his brow furrowing in a deep frown. "My grandmother says that every blessing is meant to work." He took a step closer to August, but the man immediately raised a hand to stop him.

"Stay where you are," August commanded. He didn’t want the boy getting close enough to smell the heavy scent of alcohol clinging to his clothes. "You should leave before the entire House of Varos begins a frantic search and finds you here."

Roman paused, looking at his uncle one last time. He turned and ran toward the door, but before slipping out, he stopped and looked back. "Alcohol isn’t good for your health, Uncle. My father used to drink a lot, but he stopped. You should too."

With that final piece of advice, Roman vanished into the hallway, leaving August alone with his thoughts and the half-empty bottle.

~~~~

"Wilfred, have you heard anything more regarding Eilika? The soldiers didn’t pass by today, and I’m starting to fear she’s truly abandoned the Duke. If she’s gone for good, what becomes of the assistance he promised you?" Susan asked, her hands twisting with anxiety as she looked at her husband.

"Mother, there is no need for such worry. I’ve already gathered news that Eilika has been found," Rosaline intervened, stepping into the room and setting aside her cloak.

She had spent the morning navigating the crowded market stalls, though her focus had been on collecting rumors rather than making purchases. "The Duke brought her back himself, late last night."

"It’s true. I sent a guard to the estate gates earlier this morning," Wilfred added, finally shutting his ledger and setting it on the desk.

He sighed, looking at his wife’s weary face. "They confirmed she returned around midnight. My apologies, Susan, I was so occupied with these accounts that I completely forgot to mention it."

"Thank God Eilika is back. But I still don’t understand, what happened to make her leave so suddenly and lie about coming here?" Susan asked, her brows furrowed in confusion.

"We will likely find out the truth at the banquet tonight for Roman’s birthday," Rosaline answered, her tone suggesting she intended to keep a close watch on the gossip.

"Rosaline, listen to me, do not say a word to Eilika today," Wilfred warned, his voice turning stern as he looked at his daughter. "If the Duke hears even a whisper of you questioning her, he will not hesitate to punish you. He was very clear when he gave me that warning."

"Father, I won’t put you in any wrong situation. But you shall know that I am unable to feel happy ever since Eilika became the Duchess. I want to be someone higher and help you well with your work. If I had been the Duchess, I wouldn’t have let you suffer."

"Thank you for your thoughtfulness, dear. I seriously hoped the Dowager Duchess asked for your hand. But she didn’t," Wilfred murmured.