After Walpurgis Night, Raphael received an unexpected letter.

[To the esteemed Marquess Celestian,

I hope you’ve been well. This is Dahlia Hebe. I wish to consult with you regarding some matters stemming from Walpurgis Night. I know it might be improper of me to reach out like this, but I find myself with no one else to turn to.

If this letter inconveniences you, please just burn it and don’t feel obliged to reply.

Dahlia Hebe.]

“Huh.”

Raphael couldn’t help but chuckle. Dahlia’s concern was undoubtedly about her debts.

Currently, all the debts Dahlia had to repay were owed to Raphael himself.

“How ironic, asking me, of all people, for advice, without realizing I now hold her debts…”

Of course, she wouldn’t have suspected that Raphael had secretly bought out her debts. But he was, after all, engaged to Evelyn Praviche. You’d think that, knowing this, Dahlia would at least suspect that he might be like Evelyn, considering they were of the same social circle. Yet, here she was, asking for help.

‘To come to me, the fiancé of someone she dislikes, instead of the Crown Prince… She must really be desperate.’

Raphael felt a stroke of luck. He had been pondering how to approach her, but now she was making the first move. There was no reason to refuse. He dipped his pen in ink and penned a reply in elegant script.

[I believe I will have time tomorrow afternoon. Let us meet in the city then.]

<b>* * *</b>

Dahlia arrived at the small café at the appointed time, her face heavy with worry. She spotted Raphael and, visibly relieved, greeted him.

“Marquess.”

“Ah, Young Lady. You’ve arrived.”

“It’s been a while. I know my request was rather bold, so I truly appreciate your agreeing to meet me.”

“It’s no trouble at all. In fact, I was worried I might have caused you some inconvenience in the past.”

“That’s a relief.”

After exchanging brief pleasantries, Dahlia and Raphael sat. There was no need to worry about prying eyes. The café belonged to Raphael.

It was quiet. A few of Pagrassium’s staff were pretending to be customers, but no one was causing any commotion.

“You don’t look well. I regret not being able to help you more thoroughly that day. Were things resolved?”

Raphael was the first to open the conversation.

“Yes, fortunately, I’ve paid off the principal, and the interest is manageable now.”

Though she smiled, Dahlia’s face was weary, her exhaustion apparent. Raphael, pleased that his plan of delaying her payments was taking effect, concealed his smirk with his teacup.

“That’s a relief. I was worried I hadn’t been of much help, but now I can relax.”

As Raphael smiled, Dahlia waved her hands, flustered.

“Oh no, quite the opposite! If it weren’t for you, I would have been…”

Her voice trembled, and before she could finish, Dahlia began to cry, covering her face with her hands.

Feigning surprise, Raphael set down his teacup and stood.

“Young Lady Hebe?”

“Sob, sob…!”

Seeing Raphael’s concerned reaction only made Dahlia cry harder. She wiped her tears with her hands and sobbed.

“I’m sorry, Marquess. I don’t want to cry, but I just can’t stop…”

“It’s alright. Suppressing tears can be harmful.”

Raphael searched his pocket. He had two handkerchiefs. One was his favorite, and the other was for emergencies, like picking up dirty objects. He handed her the latter.

“If you need it, please use this.”

“I… but…”

“You seem to need it. No need to decline.”

“Marquess…”

Overwhelmed with emotion, Dahlia buried her face in the handkerchief and wept even more. She cried into it for quite some time.

The sound of someone crying wasn’t exactly pleasant to Raphael. He wasn’t fond of hearing others sob, but he knew that enduring it was part of his plan to repair past failures.

‘Still, she’s awfully loud. Maybe I should’ve brought earplugs.’

Raphael’s patience was nearing its limit.

“I had no idea His Highness was that kind of man…”

Wiping her swollen eyes, Dahlia seemed to realize she had said something she shouldn’t have. But for Raphael, this was exactly what he had been waiting for.

“Young Lady Hebe. If you feel comfortable, you can share your troubles with me.”

“Marquess…?”

Dahlia hesitated. Speaking ill of the Crown Prince wasn’t something she was eager to do. But Raphael, his expression gentle, encouraged her.

“There’s no one here to overhear us. And I still feel guilty for not being able to help you completely during Walpurgis Night. It would ease my conscience to be of some use to you.”

“Marquess…”

Dahlia looked at Raphael, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. She gripped the handkerchief tightly, contemplating.

‘He seems trustworthy. And… I can’t keep bearing this alone. It’s too much.’

In just a few days, Dahlia had become exhausted. She longed for someone to recognize her struggles and comfort her. So, she began to share with Raphael a story that even Ulysses didn’t fully know.

“The truth is, my mother passed away after falling ill, unable to bear my father’s infidelity.”

“Countess Hebe?”

Again Raphael feigned surprise, though he already knew everything.

Dahlia stared at the table as she recounted her difficult past.

“Yes. After that, my father quit his dealings in the underworld. He said it was out of repentance, but I don’t believe him. I heard that the biggest underworld brothel shut down, and I’m sure that’s why.”

The rest of the story was predictable.

Count Hebe stopped frequenting brothels but couldn’t quit gambling, drinking, or smoking. Dahlia was sent to the Magic Tower to work as soon as her magical talents were discovered.

It was a tragic tale, but one Raphael had already heard in full.

“I detest people who engage in shady dealings. They know they’re not doing the right thing, which is why they live in the shadows.”

“Indeed.”

“And when they’re caught, they have the nerve to say they did it for your sake. It’s absurd! If it were truly for my sake, they wouldn’t have done it in the first place.”

“Quite right.”

Raphael stifled a yawn, occasionally offering placating words of comfort while pretending to listen attentively.

‘When will she get to the point?’

It felt like Dahlia was stalling. Raphael didn’t have time to waste, despite the fact that he was trying to be patient.

Unaware of Raphael’s thoughts and fooled by his sympathetic expression, Dahlia continued to vent her frustrations through tears.

“I thought His Highness wasn’t like that. Yes, he’s hot-tempered, but I believed it was because he cared too much. But how could the future emperor attend an illegal auction under the pretense of buying me a gem?”

“That must have been hard for you.”

Raphael, hiding a watch beneath the table, closed it and nodded slowly.

At his detached response, Dahlia’s eyes filled with tears again. She gripped the handkerchief tightly and lamented.

“I don’t know if I should be saying this in front of you, but it felt like His Highness was in some kind of prideful competition with milady that night. It was like he was a different person overnight. Have I been wrong about him all this time? I’ve lived my whole life looking forward to a happy future with him, but now… I don’t know what to do.”

Dahlia clutched her chest, tears streaming down her face again. She quickly wiped them with the handkerchief and added apologetically.

“I’m sorry. I’m sure it must have been shocking for you as well, especially since milady was involved…”

Raphael couldn’t help but stifle a laugh.

‘So, this is what she was leading up to.’

The real reason Dahlia had reached out to Raphael was to drive a wedge between him and Evelyn.

Raphael concealed his smirk behind his teacup again.

‘How unfortunate for her.’

She had chosen entirely the wrong person to manipulate. After adjusting his expression, Raphael elegantly set his teacup down and looked directly at Dahlia.

“I wasn’t shocked at all.”

“…What?”

Dahlia’s tears stopped instantly, her confusion evident. With a shrug, Raphael began to explain.

“From the beginning, I’ve admired milady for her boldness. She’s so much more free-spirited than I am.”

“F-free-spirited? But that was an illegal auction…!”

“Yes, and that may very well be my fault. I should’ve acquired the item for her sooner. It saddens me to think I didn’t earn her trust. If she was willing to go to such lengths, it must have meant the world to her.”

Dahlia was left speechless. Before she could recover, Raphael dealt another blow.

“Young Lady Hebe, you mentioned that you felt His Highness had changed.”

“…Yes, I did.”

Dahlia nodded reluctantly. Raphael smiled gently and continued.

“Yet, from my perspective, it seems His Highness still cares deeply for you. The fact that he risked getting caught by the emperor to attend Walpurgis Night shows how much he loves you. But you’ve misunderstood his sincerity.”

“S-sincerity! How could that possibly be sincere…!”

Dahlia shot to her feet, ready to refute his words, but Raphael calmly asked a pointed question.

“Young Lady Hebe, does His Highness know about your family situation?”

“…!”

Dahlia froze, her face as white as if struck by lightning.