Sabrina moved away from me and looked me straight in the eyes. As she smiled with her eyes curved, her slightly raised corners and the distinct brown mole under her eyes looked even more charming.

“We might really be able to return to our home.”

I nodded firmly at her words, as if to reassure myself.

“And I’ll definitely repay my debt to you.”

“What debt is there between family?”

“Even among family, it’s still a debt if you only receive. So don’t keep adding to what I have to repay. From now on, don’t make any sacrifices for us.”

“There’s no such thing.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. I’m sure you did it again this time. Even if I’m a fool, I’m not so clueless as to not know that much.”

I laughed like a sigh. As she said, I had made a sacrifice this time too. Perhaps I might become the prospective young lady of the Grand Ducal family of the Dermeyer Empire for a while. But could this even be called a sacrifice?

Afterwards, Sabrina and I sat together all day long, chatting. As the sun began to set, we also checked on our chickens’ nests. I couldn’t help but smirk at the sight of the much more luxurious chicken coop than the one in Lesotia, wondering when it had been prepared.

Our family gathered for dinner together in the first-floor dining room for the first time in a long while. It was a rare dinner where Lady Pennel also came and sat. Since there were more servants than when we were in Lesotia, there was no need to prepare the food ourselves.

It was an excellent table set with warm soup, fresh salad, freshly baked bread, and high-quality meat.

As the mood at the table became relaxed, Jonathan cautiously asked.

“Elder sister, you’re going to… stay tonight, right?”

“Huh?”

What’s this? A question asked with a pitiful expression one might make to a sister who just got married?

“Well… Of course. I’m going to live here from now on.”

Probably.

Jonathan made a gesture of excitement, lightly clenching both fists. Everyone in the family laughed for a moment at how cute it was. The boy was at the boundary between boyhood and youth. It was a new realization, but Count Pennel was quite handsome. Seeing how good-looking Jonathan was, who took after him.

However, my conjecture, or rather our hope, was cruelly shattered not long after. Because a carriage that Ricardo had sent, with the head butler on board to bring me, arrived in front of the house.

The next day, the weather was clear, reflecting my mood.

When I returned to my room last night, I requested a meeting to express my gratitude to Ricardo. But the reply came that he was not yet finished with his work.

I had planned to meet with my family members at dinner time, so I intended to spend the daytime taking a walk. It was quite an enjoyable experience to stroll around the ducal residence, chatting about various things with the dedicated maids who had become quite close to me in the past few days.

Even if I walked for a long time every day, it seemed it would be difficult to tour the entire massive mansion before I left.

“Does the separate building where I’m staying have a name too?”

It was a curiosity that arose yesterday while visiting Bluehill. The duchess had simply referred to the place where Ricardo stayed as ‘the separate building’.

The oldest of the three maids answered my question.

“The interior of the ducal residence is divided into four themes, my lady.”

“Four themes?”

“Yes, spring, summer, autumn, winter. The four seasons.”

“Ah, then is Bluehill that I visited yesterday… summer?”

Nodding to my half-muttered question, the woman continued.

“All buildings have names of flowers from each season. But there’s no place in Bluehill that could be called a separate building. That’s because Bluehill itself has the character of a village.”

The maid who was giving the kind explanation in a gentle voice was named Samantha, and she said that her grandmother, mother, and she herself had been working as maids in this mansion for three generations.

Samantha’s face was filled with pride as she talked about the ducal residence. The maids here had a slightly different atmosphere from those of ordinary noble families.

“The theme here is spring.”

“Spring…”

As I uttered the word ‘spring’ and looked around, my gaze was caught by flower petals fluttering in the breeze.

The place where the ducal couple stayed was called Magnolia, and Ricardo’s quarters were called Hyacinth, both names of spring flowers.

Hyacinth, huh? I heard that hyacinths have different meanings depending on their color… Whatever that flower meant, I thought it didn’t suit Ricardo at all.

I followed with my eyes a flower petal that was falling particularly slowly, carried by the wind.

At the end of that gaze, I saw him.

Red roses that would fully bloom in a fortnight, spring flowers blending yellow and red, white marble sculptures surrounding Ricardo in the center – it all evoked a single painting.

Behind the garden trees that must have been tended by an excellent gardener, there was a pavilion with a dome roof reminiscent of a temple. And under that shade, Ricardo was leisurely leaning back, reading a book.

In the distance, a fountain was splashing, scattering water droplets here and there, holding the light.

“Spring…”

Even though there was no way my soft whisper could reach him, Ricardo slowly raised his head. When our eyes met, the familiar thump-thump of my heart immediately brought me back to reality.

Ricardo himself was a scene that evoked equal admiration in everyone, but naturally made one feel overwhelmed.

I took a moment to catch my breath before approaching him. Somehow, even the simple act of stepping into his world filled me with fear.

‘How different the places where you and I are.’

I even thought it was fortunate that he had pushed all the trivial things we once shared to the back of his memory.

When I didn’t approach and remained in place, Ricardo put down the book he was holding on the table. Then he crossed his arms, stretched out in the backrest, and tilted his head slightly.

As if that was permission, I let out a deep breath. Then I put strength into my two feet.

“I greet you, young lord.”

As I employed the imperial etiquette I had learned in a crash course before meeting the duchess, he slightly furrowed his brow.

“A quite different young lady has come compared to the night before last.”

Thanks to him emphasizing the word ‘night’ while slightly raising his eyebrows, I cleared my throat with a “ahem”.

“I wanted to express my gratitude, and here I am meeting you like this.”

When Ricardo indicated the chair opposite to where he was sitting with his chin, all the servants standing around me stepped back.

Sitting down, I lightly brushed my dress to tidy it, then straightened my posture and tried to show the most proper smile I could. In response, Ricardo’s eyes returned somewhat indifferent and dry.

“I sincerely thank you for saving my family.”

He took a sip from a water glass instead of a teacup. As the transparent water in the glass flowed in, his Adam’s apple moved greatly. As he slowly put down the glass, his gaze was cool and calm.

“It’s not something to receive thanks for.”

Ricardo himself was quite different from the man who had lain on the bed the night before last, gently asking to be put to sleep.

“May I ask what that means?”

“You should know too, that as long as your family stays as mere guests, they’re not safe from Schneider.”

I involuntarily swallowed hard. It was true that he had brought my family here out of some inexplicable generous whim, but that didn’t mean he was going to get engaged to me.

“The principality must have been turned upside down. Since it was directly ordered by the Dermeyer Emperor, the King of Lesotia must be in a difficult position too.”

“…”

“If I hadn’t brought them then, they’d be dead by now. Those family members you cherish.”

“Even so…” Ricardo continued softly, his gaze lingering briefly on my lips. Under that sharp gaze, the corners of my mouth that I had barely managed to lift froze awkwardly.

“I won’t get engaged to you.”

“Ah…”

He mentioned the part I was most curious about first, without adding any footnotes. My eyes squeezed shut at the words that sounded like a death sentence at first glance.

Even though it was an obvious statement that he wouldn’t get engaged to me, meeting Ricardo’s eyes made me feel as if I had been rejected. But I lightly ignored the pain that tingled from my chest to my back.

“Then how long will my family’s safety be guaranteed?”

“Probably until Schneider finds out where your family is.”

“And… after that?”

“We’ll have to send them away. Unless we’re going to wage war against the Emperor.”

I took a moment to catch my breath. Various emotions tangled in my heart.

First was relief that my family was alive thanks to Ricardo. Next came resentment towards myself for helping with his awakening and bringing things to this state.

Despite these feelings of mine, anger also surged at the face of this indifferent man who made the whole world appear hazy with his sparkling appearance.

However, now was not the time to complain about the situation.

“How long do you think that period will be?”

“I can’t be certain about that. Although Rochester is said to be like a fortress, there are no eternal secrets.”

“So I’m asking how long you estimate the validity period of that non-eternal secret will be.”

Even though there was anger in my words as if I had been insulted, he calmly gazed at me.

“Well…”

Ricardo closed his eyes slowly for a moment, then opened them and added, uncharacteristically at length.