“If he followed her around closely enough, he should at least get an expression he’s satisfied with. But more importantly, where’s Benedict?”

“Apparently, the news that he died was correct. It seems that he died in a fire at his villa in a foreign country.”

Jenok pulled out of his pocket a pocket watch with the name Benedict Sussex engraved on it. It had been commissioned directly from a famous craftsman and was the only one of its kind in the world.

“Based on the testimony of the servant who was cleaning out his quarters that day, it was found in his hand, it seems that he didn’t let it go until he died, which seems solid. Perhaps he received the order to return and realized that your excellency had discovered what he was doing all along. All three investigators who were dispatched also concluded that he had committed suicide. Here’s the report.”

It was a tragic end for someone who had exercised enormous power as the right-hand man of the Dukes of Devonshire for a time. But none of the two felt any sympathy for Benedict Sussex. They watched the queen a little longer, just to be sure, but she did not either. This was certain, since Kilian had personally gone to discuss the matter directly with her, along with getting permission to marry Rowena.

As soon as Jenok concluded, a heavy silence fell over the office. Killian, who had been staring at the pocket watch, threw it, along with the report, directly into the burning fireplace. Like his butler, he had been in a long-time subordinate and lord relationship with Benedict, but if someone had crossed a line that should not have been crossed, he would be the one to pay the ultimate price. There was no mercy.

“There were those who served the baron. They must be in hiding now, track them down and capture them all. Don’t let any of them escape.”

“I understand.”

Kilian, who had erased all but a grain of emotion that remained, rose from his leather chair and turned to face the window. Servants were bustling about in front of the castle’s entrance hall. They were filling five wagons with food ,supplies and lumber that were not available on the island.

He looked down at them and his eyes narrowed with an emotion he did not understand.

There was no problem. Obviously, everything was going according to his plan. Rowena, shocked by the sudden announcement of their engagement, protested, but eventually complied, and Damian’s existence will also be announced on the day of the engagement ceremony, and he intends to register Damian and to announce him as his biological child before the wedding and raise him as his successor.

The reason he didn’t announce the engagement and the existence of his own child together was out of consideration for her, who would have been shocked otherwise.

Everything worked the way he wanted it to, but something tugged at a corner of his chest. The feeling of discomfort he didn’t know where it came from felt like a thorn in his side and it annoyed him.

Killian, who had been looking out the window for a while, turned back.

“Where’s Rowena?”

****