Andrey stared at the castle gates, eyes flashing between fury and disbelief. For the first time, he realized that the girl he had always thought weak now held complete control.
Andrey grew increasingly frustrated. He stomped through the courtyard of the Marquess's castle, eyes blazing, shouting for Liv.
"Liv! Come out here right now! I said I want to talk!" His voice echoed through the stillness.
But the Marquess's guards remained firm, unshaken by his fury.
"Master Erickson, you will not be allowed in. This is a direct order from Miss Liv Albrecht."
Liv watched from the balcony, calm and composed, her eyes following his every move. She had authorized her guards to enforce this boundary.
Andrey could hardly believe it. He stepped forward, trying to push past them.
"Impossible! I've always been free to come and go in this castle! Who dares to stop me?!"
The guards stayed firm.
"Once again, Master, this is Miss Liv's own command. If you persist, we will be forced to restrain you for your own safety."
Leon, observing from a distance, could hardly believe it.
"She… Liv? She would usually chase Andrey anywhere!" he whispered to the Marchioness, equally shocked.
The Marchioness lowered her gaze for a moment, silent.
"It seems the My daughter has changed. She… truly holds the reins now."
Andrey screamed again, calling for Liv in frustration, but the guards remained unmoved. Finally, he stepped back, realizing that the girl he had always considered weak was no longer the same.
Andrey returned to the Erickson residence, his anger burning hotter than ever. His parents glared at him, their voices echoing through the grand room.
"Andrey! How could you let Liv humiliate you like that?!" his father shouted.
"Do you hear me? We don't care about your excuses, but you must fix your relationship with Liv—by any means necessary! If needed, we will separate you from Isabel and make sure this is resolved properly!"
Andrey lowered his head, face red, but his resolve remained firm.
He grabbed the phone and dialed the Marquess's castle. The voice of the head servant, Elgam, sounded calm but firm.
"Master Erickson, Miss Liv is not here at the moment."
"I must speak to her!" Andrey demanded, voice rising.
Elgam remained polite but immovable.
"Even if Miss Liv were here, Master, she would not speak with you. This is her own decision."
Andrey hung up the phone, frustration clear on his face. He then sent a message via telegraph, trying to force a response from Liv.
Andrey tried everything. He called the castle, sent telegraphs, even attempted to coerce someone to deliver a message to her. But Liv remained silent. She did not reply at all, letting Andrey fume in frustration.
Meanwhile, Liv issued a firm warning to everyone in the Marquess's castle:
"Take notice. I will marry Duke. Anyone who makes a mistake or tries to interfere with this process will face Duke's wrath—not just my family, but everyone involved. Do not attempt to oppose or meddle with my affairs."
Every word she wrote carried authority and a subtle threat, leaving everyone in the castle holding their breath. No one dared underestimate her.
Andrey, on the other hand, could only watch in frustration from afar. There was no way to reach Liv. All his efforts were futile. The girl he had once thought weak had now proven that she wielded complete control—and everyone, including Andrey, had to acknowledge it.
Andrey didn't give up. He sent apologies, promises, and pleas; he even asked friends—some of whom were also Liv's acquaintances—to come to the Marquess's castle and help arrange a meeting. Five days passed. He had tried everything, but nothing worked.
The disappointment clung to him like a stubborn scent. That night, he went to a friend's party, hoping for news or gossip—anything to restore his course. Among the laughter, conversation inevitably turned to one name.
"Seriously? Liv's ignoring you?" one of them asked, crowding around Andrey.
He only nodded. His friends volleyed between disbelief and sympathy.
"Andrey, Liv is supposedly head over heels for you—she wouldn't do that," another argued.
Isabel sat beside him, quiet. It was the first time she'd seen him this frustrated—a sight that made her uneasy and strangely curious.
"Maybe she's sulking because you didn't follow her to the Rose Garden café," someone offered.
"Right, I saw her leave in such a hurry that day," another chimed in.
That hit him. Andrey replayed the scene—her face, her hurried steps, the silence that fell after. "How did she look?" he asked, voice tight.
"Not angry. More like panicked," a friend answered.
Suddenly, Andrey looked at Isabel. A possibility tightened in his chest: did Liv know about his relationship with Isabel? He tried to dismiss it—he'd hidden their affair well. But the remark that he'd been seen with Isabel that day made his mind churn.
When the party broke up, Isabel padded over to him, clinging as usual with coquettish affection. Andrey met her gaze with cold distance, offering no comfort.
"You're ignoring me now?" Isabel asked, voice wounded.
"For now, we'll keep our distance," he replied succinctly.
"Liv might know something. We need to be careful."
"But—" Isabel began.
"If you want to stay safe, obey and don't say anything," Andrey cut her off, his tone clipped and threatening, his parents' implied fury hanging behind the words. Isabel fell quiet, mouth opening with words unsaid.
Outside, the night swallowed the party and left Andrey with a rage that was cooling into worry: not just that he'd lost Liv's attention, but that a secret might have been uncovered—and if it had, the consequences would be far greater than he ever imagined.
Meanwhile in the castle Liv looks at the letter she is holding, a letter from Andrey. Liv's eyes were so disgusted when she saw the letter from that bastard. A letter full of pretense.
"Liv, I beg you. I love you so much. I'm sorry I didn't follow you to the Rose Garden café. But I came at night, after work was done. I thought you'd be waiting for me."