The night had fallen quietly over the capital.
Lanterns flickered to life one by one, casting warm golden halos across the streets-but in contrast, the air within the ducal estate felt... heavy.
Unsettled.
-----
Marcus stood by the window of his temporary residence, overlooking the dimly lit streets below.
His reflection stared back at him through the glass.
Calm. Composed.
But his thoughts-
Anything but.
"...Esmeralda," he murmured.
The name lingered on his tongue.
Too familiar for someone he had only just met.
Too bold for a mere coincidence.
He exhaled softly, recalling every detail of their encounter.
Her confidence.
Her precision.
The way she spoke of the duchy... of him.
Not as a stranger would.
But as someone who knew.
"Blood, is it..." he muttered, his gaze narrowing.
No.
That alone wasn't enough. He loathed the Duchy.
And yet-
"...Why now?"
That was what unsettled him.
If she truly was connected to him... why reveal it so openly?
Why approach him at all?
Unless-
His eyes darkened slightly.
"...She needs something."
Marcus straightened.
That much was certain.
And if there was one thing he trusted-
It was instinct.
"I suppose," he said under his breath, a faint smirk returning, "I'll have to see just how far you're willing to go... niece."
But behind the amusement-
There was curiosity.
The Ducal Estate
The doors slammed open.
A sharp, resounding echo cut through the halls.
"ESMERALDA."
The voice was thunder.
Servants froze.
Even the chandeliers seemed to tremble.
Esmeralda, who had just stepped into the grand hall, did not flinch.
She had expected this.
Slowly, she turned.
The Duke stood at the far end of the hall, his presence overwhelming, his expression dark with restrained fury.
"...Father," she greeted calmly.
"Do not 'father' me so lightly," he snapped, striding toward her. "Explain yourself."
The air grew suffocating.
"You went to the plaza,which, by the way, we didn't question in hopes that it was part of your recuperation" he continued, his voice low but sharp. "Then you sought out a man you barely even knew?"
A pause.
Then-
"You approached Marcus."
Belle, standing a few steps behind Esmeralda, nearly fainted.
He knows.
Esmeralda remained composed.
"Yes."
The Duke's jaw tightened.
"Yes?" he repeated, incredulous. "That is all you have to say?"
She met his gaze.
Unwavering.
"I spoke with him."
"You revealed something to him."
"...Yes."
The Duke's restraint cracked.
"Have you completely lost your sense of judgment?!" he thundered. "Do you have any idea what you've done?!"
His voice echoed through the hall, heavy with anger-
But beneath it...
Fear.
Esmeralda saw it.
And that-
That was what she reached for.
"Father."
Her voice was soft.
Gentle.
It didn't match the tension in the room.
The Duke faltered.
Just slightly.
Esmeralda stepped forward.
Not defiantly.
Not arrogantly.
But carefully.
"I understand why you're angry," she said.
He scoffed. "Do you?"
"Yes."
A beat.
Then-
"You're afraid."
Silence.
The words struck deeper than any argument could.
The Duke's expression hardened-but he didn't interrupt.
"You're afraid," Esmeralda continued, her voice steady, "that his return will disrupt everything."
Her gaze softened.
"That it will reopen things you've long tried to bury."
The Duke's fists clenched.
"...You presume too much."
"Do I?"
She tilted her head slightly.
Then, more quietly-
"Or have you simply been carrying it alone for too long?"
That did it.
The anger-
Cracked.
Not shattered.
But weakened.
"I did not approach him recklessly," Esmeralda said. "And I did not reveal the truth carelessly."
She took another step closer.
"I did it because he needs to return."
The Duke's eyes sharpened. "Needs?"
"Yes."
Her voice did not waver.
"Because the duchy is not as stable as you believe it to be."
A flicker of something crossed his face.
Doubt.
"You've held everything together on your own," she continued. "For years."
A pause.
Then, softer-
"But even you have limits."
The Duke inhaled sharply.
"I am not weak," he said, quieter now-but firm.
"I know."
Esmeralda's reply was immediate.
And sincere.
"That is precisely why you've endured this long."
Her eyes met his.
"And precisely why you shouldn't have to continue doing so alone."
The words settled between them.
Heavy.
Unavoidable.
"You think bringing him back will solve anything?" the Duke asked.
"Father, you need a solid alliance within the household. We almost got scammed by our own kin. If we invested in that scam it would have tainted our reputation." Esmeralda said carefully, "besides, whether you acknowledge it or not... he is still part of this family."
Silence.
"And families," she added softly, "are not meant to be carried by one person alone."
The Duke looked away.
For the first time-
He looked tired.
Not as a ruler.
But as a man.
"...He chose to leave," he muttered.
"Yes."
Esmeralda did not deny it.
"But you never chose to let go."
That-
That struck deepest of all.
The hall remained silent.
Long enough for the tension to fade into something quieter.
Something heavier.
Finally-
"...You've already set things in motion," the Duke said.
It wasn't a question.
Esmeralda smiled faintly.
"...Yes."
A long exhale left him.
"...You truly are my daughter."
There was no anger in it now.
Only resignation.
And something else.
Reluctant understanding.
"...Do as you wish," he said at last. "But if this fails-"
"It won't."
The confidence in her voice stopped him.
He studied her.
Then-
"...Very well."
Behind them, Belle nearly collapsed in relief.
As the Duke turned away, Esmeralda lowered her gaze slightly.
Not in submission.
But in thought.
One step closer.