No matter who I was, I couldn’t help but feel tense under that gaze.

If your son catches you cheating, would it feel like this? Of course, it wasn’t that kind of situation!

But just in case, I should explain that it was a misunderstanding. However, Kardiel was faster than me to speak.

“I am aware, but the guest’s identity is unique, making it difficult to refuse. Therefore, I judged it appropriate to inform the Duchess.”

“Is that so?”

At that point, my curiosity was piqued as well. I walked down the stairs in step with Kardiel and asked nonchalantly.

“Who is it that you say that?”

However, the moment I heard Kardiel’s answer, I couldn’t help but come to an abrupt halt.

“A scholar from the Tower of Honor, a person named Sergei.”

Although the rain had stopped, the still gloomily overcast sky made the atmosphere of the black mansion even more eerie.

Indeed, it had always been called the ‘Mansion of the Black Nightingale’.

The Daiern mansion, which I returned to after a long time, was just as I remembered it.

The black roof entwined with spider web-like vines, the gray bricks, and the ominous estate guarded by monstrous statues.

However, if there was one difference from the past, it would be that now, it was her who lived in this mansion, not my brother Carlos Nikolai Daiern.

‘Can I see her face after 10 years?’

How has she been doing? How much has she changed?

Thinking of her, I couldn’t help but recall the events from 10 years ago.

10 years ago, Sergei had become close to Lieselotte, who had held her debutante ball at a late age, after they had shared their first waltz together.

Lieselotte was certainly beautiful, but Sergei believed that her shining wisdom made her even more radiant.

Falling in love with her seemed to be a predetermined course.

By the time his emotions had swelled to the point of being uncontrollable, preventing him from falling asleep, Sergei had made up his mind to propose.

To send a proposal, he first needed the permission of the head of the family. Sergei sent a letter to his brother Carlos, who had kicked him out of the mansion to live independently when he was young and was now the Duke of Daiern.

Even if Lieselotte’s family was not on par with a ducal family, he thought his brother would agree to this marriage precisely because of that.

‘Since childhood, my brother had been displeased with me.’

Sergei, the younger brother who was eleven years younger than him, was evaluated as being more outstanding than himself, who had to inherit the ducal family.

He was not unaware that his existence stimulated his brother’s inferiority complex.

That was also the reason why his brother had thrown him out as soon as he succeeded the ducal position.

‘He will soon send a reply.’

However, the situation did not unfold as Sergei had hoped.

After waiting for over a month for a reply that never came, he finally made up his mind to go see his brother.

It was then that Sergei learned that his brother had lost his wife, the Duchess, a month ago and had sent a proposal to Lieselotte.

Only then did he realize his mistake.

He had underestimated his brother’s severe inferiority complex.

He never thought his brother would covet the woman he had fallen in love with.

Moreover, it was even resentful how all the coincidences in the world seemed to be on his brother’s side. If only the former Duchess had endured a little longer…

The wedding of Lieselotte and his brother was set to take place a year later. It was right after the end of the mourning period for the former Duchess.

Sergei had no confidence in attending their wedding. He also had no confidence in calling her ‘sister-in-law’ in the future.

Ultimately deciding to run away, he boarded a ship.

It was to go to the academy that was farthest from high society.

And after devoting himself solely to his studies there and reaching the Tower of Honor, he vowed never to set foot in the Karant Empire again in his life.

However, he ended up being dispatched to the imperial capital of the Karant Empire.

Moreover, he was entangled with the Daiern ducal family.

Gritting his teeth and vowing to suppress his emotions, he felt his heart race again as soon as he arrived in the Karant Empire and heard the news of his brother’s death.

Thus, Sergei was here now.

It was fortunate that there were fellow scholars dispatched with him.

Applying for a sabbatical a month early, he let out a long sigh and requested an impolite visit.

Fortunately, thanks to the prestige of his identity as a scholar, he was not turned away.

He was first guided to the drawing room.

The moment he entered the mansion, Sergei’s heart pounded so much that it hurt.

The mansion he had been kicked out of 20 years ago.

This place in his memory was filled with the fear of a nine-year-old boy trying not to be noticed by his brother.

However, the atmosphere of the Daiern mansion he felt now was distinctly different from the past.

The dark-colored wood and curtains enveloping the mansion reminded him of her beautifully flowing black hair.

The soft fragrance lingering in the mansion reminded him of her elegance in his memories.

Just the thought of Lieselotte having lived here for 10 years made Sergei forget all his fears.

But…

“…First, I will inform the Duchess of your visit.”

The young Duke of Daiern, Kardiel Diark Daiern, who looked at him with a stern expression, was a bit burdensome.

“Please wait here for a moment.”

The eyes of the child, who looked so much like his brother Carlos, were shining blue with undisguisable hostility.

When I entered the drawing room, it felt like my breath was taken away.

Sergei Tudor Daiern. He hadn’t changed much from 10 years ago.

His long, splendid golden hair was neatly tied back behind his neck, his pale green eyes were filled with brightness, and a pleasant smile bloomed on his lips like a sprout.

Just like before.

Seeing his unchanged appearance, instead of worrying about how to treat him, joy first raised its head.

“Sergei!”

His kind eyes behind the glasses curved gently.

He immediately stood up and approached me, kissing my fingertips.

“It’s been a long time, Lieselotte. No… It’s been a long time, Duchess.”

“My goodness. Seeing you again like this, I’m really happy… No, I’m happy to see you.”

Both Sergei and I needed a moment to adjust our way of speaking.

In the past, we used to call each other by name and speak casually, but now our positions are different.

“I… feel the same way.”

“…Pfft!”

“Ahem.”

For a moment, we both burst into laughter at the awkwardness of each other’s way of speaking. However, the process wasn’t as unnatural as I had worried.

Yes, our current relationship calls for polite speech.

As we exchanged greetings with laughter, I suddenly pointed to his glasses, which I had been curious about since earlier.

They were the only thing that didn’t match my memory of him.

“But it seems I’ve never seen you wear glasses before.”

“Ah, this is because my eyesight deteriorated while studying. Focusing only on the printed words, before I knew it…”

I couldn’t help but chuckle at that too. His tendency to become immersed in one thing and neglect others hadn’t changed either.

In any case, he looked quite dashing with glasses on.

Sergei objectively had a very neat and sculptured appearance, so he looked even more like a dignified scholar.

‘Actually, he resembled my late husband too.’

So I thought seeing his face might be uncomfortable, but thanks to the glasses, his intellectual impression was distinctly brought to life.

It was an atmosphere that could never be found in that scoundrel of a husband, so I wouldn’t be reminded of that jerk whenever I saw Sergei in the future.

“Oh my. You should have taken care of yourself. But they suit you very well.”

“Thank… you for saying so.”

“Please have a seat first? To be honest, I was a bit surprised that you would visit like this.”

For now, I had him sit back down. I also sat at the head seat, facing him.

“Oh, did you meet Car… I mean, Kardiel earlier?”

Instead of referring to him as the young Duke, I used the name that would be much more familiar to Sergei.

“I did. He has grown a lot.”

“It must have been a very long time since you’ve seen the other children too. I thought you’d want to see them, so I called for them anyway. They’ll be down soon.”

By the way, I sent Kardiel, who had come down halfway with me, back to his room.

It meant for him to change into clean clothes and come down since it was an occasion to meet his uncle after a long time. Of course, bringing Euphemina and Chersion too.

“It must be a new feeling for you. Kardiel has grown a lot over the years, hasn’t he?”

However, at my question, Sergei made a bitter face.

“Actually, this is the first time I’m seeing my nephews and niece. I haven’t been in contact with my brother Carlos since I was about nine years old… I’ve never even seen my sister-in-law. I wasn’t even invited to the wedding.”

“Ah, then you wouldn’t have known that the children grew up being abused by their father.”

“…Pardon?”

At that moment, I saw his pale green eyes expand as if they would burst, trembling uneasily.

Moreover, his expression, which had been softly relaxed until a moment ago, hardened in an instant.

Seeing his reaction, I understood.

He had no idea at all. He couldn’t even have guessed.

“…What did you say?”

“That’s right. I thought you wouldn’t have known. If you had, you would have somehow resolved it, Sergei… Your Grace.”