“can you wait outside the greenhouse for a second?”

    at louis’ words, seira looked back at baron. he glared at louis with his brows furrowed, but before her gaze could reach him, he smiled and said, “i’m sorry to let you go now. i look forward to our next date, seira.”

    “yes, it was a pleasure, baron. i’ll see you at the conference.”

    with a slight wave of her hand, seira left the greenhouse first, leaving the two men behind.

    baron stared blankly at her back, feeling no regrets or lingering feelings, but as soon as the door shut…

    “so.”

    as if to reflect his uncomfortable feelings, a chill came down his low voice.

    “what does the head of franto have to say that he walks himself all the way to jeff?”

    “i don’t know why you set me up like that,” louis spoke without hesitation, “i even provided you with the information you wanted.”

    “it’s probably because you have an ulterior motive.”

    the smile that was on louis’ mouth widened slightly.

    “well, it’s none of my business what you think. but…”

    moving slowly, he slumped into the empty chair across baron. louis took a sip of what was left of seira’s teacup where her lips touched, and then muttered, “i don’t think this is seira’s taste,” and then spilled the rest on the floor.

    “if i ask her not to meet you, what do you think will happen?”

    “…”

    “a partner is just a relationship made to satisfy your desire. if you don’t want to lose that, please think otherwise.”

    “don’t even think about wielding seira at your disposal, louis franto.”

    “of course. i’ve never been so conceited, duke jeff.”

    setting the teacup down to its original place, louis looked straight at baron, “let’s stop this useless emotional battle. it won’t benefit anyone.”

    louis raised his head slightly and bowed as if it was the end of his business, rose up and left the greenhouse.

    baron stared intensely at the empty seat opposite him. louis’ threatening words were imprinted in his head. he wanted to shout that it couldn’t be, but he can’t. he was afraid he wouldn’t see her ever again.

    “your excellency.”

    noah’s voice came calling outside the greenhouse. the head butler worried about baron who was left alone.

    instead of answering noah’s call, however, baron rose from his seat and walked towards the view outside.

    franto’s carriage, where seira was riding now, was getting farther away.

    “…seira.”

    it was the first time he felt so helpless.

    on the desk in his office, there were always a lot of party invitations and letters from powerful families. few men were found as popular to be thought of as husband material. but what was the point of all that?

    crack!

    as soon as his sense of loss turned to anger, the glass walls of the greenhouse broke with a loud noise. baron’s violent energy was destroying everything in its path. however, baron’s gaze followed seira without blinking an eye.

    in that situation, alec came instead of the butler.

    “your excellency…!”

    but he too could no longer go in from the entrance.

    alec stood motionless and looked at baron’s back, who was spewing bloody murder. his clenched fist was shaking with rage. the violent swirling of the glass window’s powdery fragments was beautiful and terrifying at the same time.

    “what the hell is going on? the duke of askan, by any chance…” he muttered in disbelief.

    “alec.”

    perhaps because of his voice or because of the special name he mentioned, the heavy pressure that baron exerted disappeared as if it never happened.

    alec’s heart sank as slowly, baron looked back at him with surprisingly cold and dead eyes.

    “yes, sir.”

    “i want to kill louis franto. what should i do?”

    alec sucked in air. did he really mean louis franto? how on earth would he kill a duke of an empire who was a one-man army himself? no, in fact, it was possible if baron goes all out. but alec pointed to a bigger problem.

    “your excellency, can you achieve what you want by killing him?”

    alec was sharp and he knew what baron wanted. to his knowledge, seira askan wasn’t someone he could obtain through the death of louis franto.

    “…no.”

    baron didn’t know it either. getting rid of louis wouldn’t change anything. rather, it was more likely that his relationship with seira might worsen if he did.

    “i feel really dirty.”

    “you should retaliate in an appropriate way. doesn’t franto also have a weakness?”

    as alec said, louis franto had an obvious weakness. but that wasn’t the kind of revenge that baron wanted.