Byron, who had been silent, suddenly said, "Before Lynn died, she asked me to take good care of you. She wanted you to live well."

Leon's pale face instantly flooded with tears. For a moment, he seemed to see his dead sister standing before him, her bloody hand outstretched, her young voice filled with nostalgia. "Leon," she whispered, "you have to live a good life, with my share." These were memories he had long forgotten, now vividly recalled.

Leon closed his eyes, his Adam's apple bobbing as he swallowed back the bitterness in his throat. Seeing him calm down, Maeve and Byron exchanged a look and tentatively asked, "It's too dangerous where you're sitting. Shall we help you down?"

Leon turned to her outstretched hand. He realized, as he took it, that hers were warm and soft. Unexpectedly, he slipped and fell from the fence. Maeve and Byron gasped, rushing forward to grab his arm.

"Hold on tight," Byron said, his eyes deep and unwavering. His slender arms, now taut with power, pulled Leon up. The doctors and nurses following quickly arrived. Leon fainted, but his hand remained clasped tightly in Maeve's. She had no choice but to accompany him back to the ward.

Byron's eyebrows twitched slightly at the scene. Soon, Hudson and Clarissa arrived, furious upon learning Leon had almost fallen from the building.

"Mr. McDaniel," Hudson demanded aggressively, "the online news clearly targets you, yet our child is injured. Shouldn't you explain this?"

Byron's voice was indifferent. "By your logic, am I responsible for the words of others?"

"Shouldn't you be?" Hudson pressed. "For years, Leon has considered himself Lynn's replacement, because Lynn always said she wanted to marry you! You know he can't handle such stress!"

Byron raised an eyebrow, his dark eyes calm. "You're mistaken. My care for Leon stems from our past relationship, but it doesn't obligate me to support him for life. Tomorrow is Lynn's death anniversary; I'll fulfill this engagement as a past favor. From now on, we owe each other nothing. Your Excellency, don't threaten me. This isn't Erancia, and it won't work."

Hudson's face darkened. No one had ever dared speak to him like that. This man's just a businessman, he thought, how dare he?

Clarissa intervened, calming her furious husband. "Our purpose was to ensure Leon's recovery. Why are you taking this so seriously?" He actually scolded Byron, his prospective son-in-law! she thought.

Hudson, reminded by his wife, calmed down. His anger stemmed from Leon's near-injury, not a genuine desire to force the engagement. Understanding this didn't improve his demeanor, however.

Maeve emerged from the ward. Seeing Hudson and Clarissa, she approached Byron and softly asked, "What happened?"

"It's fine. Let's go," Byron replied calmly, taking her wrist and leading her away.

"Wait," Hudson stopped them, his expression serious. "With your abilities, you could have stopped this before it escalated. You didn't. Did you deliberately use Leon to reveal the truth?" From Byron's words, he thought, he only planned to endure until Lynn's anniversary. After that? He clearly won't let Leon remain in his delusion any longer.

Byron paused, turning casually. Instead of answering, he asked, "Indulging in illusion for too long isn't healthy. What do you think, Your Grace?"

Hudson sneered without replying. Clarissa, more open-minded, remained unperturbed. Suddenly, she noticed Maeve's profile beside Byron and was startled by her resemblance to Lynn. Before she could examine her closer, Maeve entered the elevator.

"Thankfully, he's not royal family," Hudson grumbled to Clarissa. "With his arrogance, I couldn't control him, even with the Princess's influence. I can't imagine the trouble he'd cause in the royal family!"

Clarissa, however, asked, "Did you see the girl he took away?"

"I don't care. What about her?"

"She looks… a little like Lynn," Clarissa said hesitantly.

"Many people resemble Lynn," Hudson dismissed. "Princess Flora and Prince Loren aren't related by blood, yet they look alike."

"True," Clarissa agreed, dropping the matter.

In the car, Maeve asked Byron, confused, "Were that couple Leon's relatives? They seemed familiar."

"Yes, the Duke and Duchess of Erancia, Hudson and Clarissa Nolan. Leon's uncle and aunt." Byron fastened his seatbelt. "You've never seen them at the palace?"

Maeve shook her head. "I mostly focus on my design work, so I haven't met everyone." She saw the Queen, Loren, and a few frequent palace visitors most often.

"Is that so?" Byron asked.

"Oh, right," Maeve hesitated. "What about your engagement to Leon?"

Byron smiled faintly. "Didn't you hear everything outside the door?"

Maeve's ears flushed. "I didn't mean to eavesdrop! I just happened to overhear it." While she claimed to have only overheard snippets, she'd heard everything, including the anniversary wedding, a final wish for the deceased Lynn.

"What else do you want to know?" Byron leaned on the steering wheel, casually.

Maeve bit her lip. "Why didn't you tell me beforehand?"

Byron looked into her eyes. "Would you believe it? If you hadn't seen it yourself, would you believe Leon is male?"

Maeve was silent. Initially, she thought it was a rumour, as "Lynn Anderson" appeared feminine.

"Even so, couldn't you have told me clearly?" Maeve lowered her eyes. "No matter how absurd, a straightforward explanation would be better than making me feel like a fool interfering in other people's affairs."

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