Gordon freezes.
"She knew," Demian repeats, softer now. "And she did not come to me. She did not ask. She did not wait for an explanation."
His hand slowly curls into a fist.
"She chose to leave."
Gordon lowers his head. "Perhaps… Lady Valerie wished to avoid trouble, Your Grace."
Demian shakes his head slightly. "No."
He turns, meeting Gordon's gaze directly. "Valerie is not someone who runs without reason. If she went this far if she chose a world I cannot reach then she had already made her decision."
His voice drops, nearly a whisper.
"And that decision was made after she knew."
Gordon hesitates, then asks, "Are you certain, Your Grace… that she knew before you went to Kosler Castle?"
Demian does not answer immediately.
The memory of that wedding night returns the way Valerie had been too calm, too distant. The way she did not demand explanations, did not show anger, did not display jealousy.
Now, it all feels… logical.
"Yes," Demian says at last. "She knew."
