‘Right, my necklace.’

She recalled the precious necklace her father gave her on her wedding day.

[Take it, Leah.] [Father! What’s this?]

It was an old brass key necklace, meaningful to him.

The key was engraved with the symbol of Hamilton Trading and a golden carriage. Terun must have recognized the body’s identity from that necklace.

[It’s a gift from your father. I wanted to give you something meaningful.] [I can’t accept it. I know what that necklace means more than anyone, how can I…] [Take it. There’s no one else to give it to. I’m getting old. If something happens to the trading house, you’ll need to handle it. You’ll need this necklace.]

‘Did father foresee this tragedy?’

Then she must retrieve the necklace.

‘Ah, I wish I hadn’t been rude to Duke Courtois.’

Leah was plunged into deep contemplation.

To attend her own funeral, she needed a convincing reason for Terun to believe. More importantly, she needed to win his favor.

After recovering from her illness, Leah did her makeup and dressed properly. At first, Polin had done her makeup so extravagantly that it took some effort to fix it.

“Miss Grace, or rather, I prefer lighter makeup, Polin.”

Initially surprised, Polin nodded in agreement after changing Leah’s makeup and hair according to her instructions.

“Oh my, heavy makeup was ruining your face!”

Leah chose a dress in a simple and elegant style, neatly tied her hair, and selected modest jewelry like earrings and necklaces.

“Hurry, you’ll be late for breakfast.”

“Okay.”

Fortunately, she still had breakfast with Terun every morning. She needed to meet him to talk about the funeral. She only wished she knew more about Grace before meeting Terun.

‘Didn’t Miss Grace keep a diary?’

Lost in these thoughts, Leah soon arrived at the dining room and entered with a bright expression.

“Good morning, Duke Courtois.”

She greeted Terun, who was sitting at the head table, with a slight bow.

“You seem in good spirits.”

“Thanks to your care.”

Only now Leah could properly see Terun. Hidden behind his gloomy expression were his chiseled features. He was a classic cold beauty, tall and well-built. In contrast, Allen was a handsome man who melted hearts with his smile like whipped cream.

‘Why did I fall for that damn man…!’

Frustrated at herself for even thinking of Allen, Leah shook her head. First, she needed to apologize to Terun.

“I was quite rude last time. I won’t act so recklessly again.”

Leah apologized formally, but Terun just watched her narrowly, as if trying to dissect her thoughts.

“Grace.”

After a while, Terun called her.

“Yes, what is it?”

“Was the ‘son of a bitch’ you mentioned in Landes language referring to me?”

“That…? Of course not! The ‘son of a bitch’ is someone else, not you, Duke Courtois.”

Terun chuckled, resting his hand on his forehead at Leah’s response, causing the servants attending the meal to freeze momentarily, surprised to see the Duke laugh.

‘When did you learn Landes language?’

Terun asked in fluent Landes.

‘I learned it when I was young.’

Leah felt cornered. She had learned many foreign languages since childhood and read related books, which helped her become fluent in many languages. However, she didn’t know when Grace had learned Landes.

‘I learned it through self-study because I liked the clothes from Landes. I wanted to buy them directly through letters.’

‘Hmm, self-taught for direct purchases through letters, interesting.’

Finally, Terun seemed convinced.

Leah thought it was time to bring up her main topic.

“Duke Courtois, I heard you recovered the body of Leah Hamilton from Galendesia. And you’re holding a funeral for her.”

“Yes, I plan to.”

“May I attend?”

‘Surely, he’ll ask why I want to attend, right?’

Leah waited, ready with her answer, but he didn’t ask.

“Go ahead. It’s good to have more people there, especially since there will hardly be any mourners.”

“Thank… you.”

Terun’s casual approval and Leah’s thanks made him tilt his head, puzzled. Did Grace have any connection with Leah Hamilton?
In fact, when Grace entered the dining room, Terun felt it again. She was not the Grace he used to know.

It wasn’t just the change in her attire that led to this judgment. It was something akin to the feeling he had on the rainy day.

‘She doesn’t seem like the Grace Bizzack I know.’

There was a significant reason behind this conclusion.

The former Grace was always preoccupied with getting his attention. Even during meals, her gaze would incessantly follow him, but now, Grace seemed indifferent.

‘She’s becoming more intriguing by the moment.’