It was a little one with disheveled, messy hair grown out.

Moreover, perhaps because it was late at night, I cannot remember the face at all.

I only vividly recall that the skinny body was covered in dirty soot and wounds.

“Would you like to come with me? It would be better than living here.”

That’s how I proposed to the little one who had shown me the way. After hesitating for a while, the child ultimately shook their head.

“There’s dad and mom at home……”

“Is that so?”

In fact, as a child, I couldn’t understand that answer. What’s so great about parents?

After all, aren’t they people who can’t even feed or clothe their children properly and even abuse them?

‘Well, they’re still young.’

They might not be able to make a fully rational judgment yet.

I’m not sure if they’re being abused or neglected, but despite that, it might still be a time when they expect love from their parents.

You can’t persuade such a child.

Above all, I was in a hurry to let my grandfather and Mr. Rozier, who must be looking for me, know that I was safe.

It couldn’t be helped.

I rummaged through my pockets and eventually took off a button attached to my clothes and gave it to them. It was a gold button engraved with the Landgritz crest.

“Then I’ll give you this. Go home, think about it some more, and then come find me. You can show it to your parents and come together, or come alone. It doesn’t matter when you come. I’m not someone who forgets a favor.”

“……”

Worried that the child might not understand the meaning of the button, I deliberately explained it kindly.

And I kissed the child’s cheek as a sign of gratitude.

I don’t think I felt at all that my lifesaver was dirty.

However, when my lips touched, it was clear that the child’s cheek was very swollen. So…

“Make sure to come.”

I ended up giving a strange farewell.

“You must survive!”

And so I was able to return safely.

Naturally, grandfather and Mr. Rozier had mobilized all their forces to search for me.

When they heard about the terrible things I had experienced, at first they roared that the slums should be completely eliminated, but eventually, they agreed to focus all their efforts on rebuilding the slums.

However, even as the criminal organizations in the slums were eradicated, new buildings were erected in their place, and people gradually found jobs…

I could not meet that child again. Only then did I realize that I didn’t even know the child’s face or ask for their name.

Really, what a foolish childhood it was.

“…Are you still displeased, my lady?”

“Ah. Not at all.”

My reaction was slow as I was lost in memories, and it seems Lord Joseph misunderstood.

I immediately shook off my thoughts and smiled as usual.

“I was just thinking that Lord Joseph must have gone through a lot of hardship.”

“Ahaha. It was hell, to an extent that even the word ‘hardship’ doesn’t do it justice.”

Lord Joseph seemed to know well that I wasn’t one to put on unnecessary pretenses, so my silence didn’t seem to cause any misunderstanding.

Hmm, now that it’s come to this, I can’t ask more about the past.

Since he’s someone with such vivid memories. I might accidentally touch on trauma.

“Then you probably don’t want to recall the past anymore.”

“Well… That’s true, but actually, I’m not as troubled by recalling the past as Prince Chelsea is.”

“That’s interesting. Is it because complete memory ability and hyperthymesia are different?”

“Rather than that, it’s because I’m a magician. Magicians perceive the world with a slightly different sense.”

Lord Joseph continued his explanation. Although the content was quite unconventional, I soon nodded.

“Then… if Chelsea were to become a magician, he wouldn’t have to worry about memory disorders anymore, right?”

“That’s true, but currently, the only way to become a magician is to inherit chronomancy.”

“Ah…”

That’s certainly problematic. I clicked my tongue and shook my head.

I was well aware of how painfully Lord Joseph, who had inherited chronomancy, was enduring his life.

I couldn’t recommend such a harsh experience to Chersion.

Well, memory disorders are painful too, but…

“Oh, about returning to the Daiern duchy.”

I didn’t want to waste energy on a conversation that wasn’t going anywhere. I decided to change the subject.

“Now that the children have recovered, I plan to send everyone back to Daiern tomorrow morning. It seems Sir Sergei and Miss Ernestine will move with the children as well.”

In fact, preparations to return had been made long ago. We were just waiting for the children’s condition to improve.

“But I think I’ll have to stay for a while. There are still unresolved matters to finish.”

“Ah, I’ve already calculated all the property damage. I’ve also confirmed the medical expense claims for the servants. If we hurry, you should be able to leave together within three days.”

“No, it’s not just that. The most important thing is rebuilding the Daiern imperial villa. It needs to be usable by next year… no, at the latest the year after, so I need to stay and see the completion of the blueprints so that the foundation work can begin while I’m away. Plus, I need to select a supervisor to manage the villa construction. This alone will take a good three or four months.”

“Ah…”

It seems Lord Joseph hadn’t thought that far either.

“So until then, I think you’ll have to stay with me in the capital, Lord Joseph. Is that alright?”

“Me… you say?”

But Lord Joseph’s reaction to my proposal was as if he had heard something unexpected.

I tilted my head slightly and replied.

“Don’t you think it would be better for you to stay with me, Lord Joseph? I mean, about your headache problem.”

“That’s… true.”

What a strange reaction. I snorted a laugh.

“I don’t understand why you have that expression. Surely you didn’t think I would forget about your pain and tell you to go down to the Daiern duchy first?”

“To be honest… yes, I won’t deny it. I didn’t think you would consider my situation.”

Wait, really?

Suddenly, I felt irritated. This is going too far.

“…Your evaluation of me is harsh, Lord Joseph. It seems you’ve had a lot of complaints about me?”

“Oh no, please don’t misunderstand. I was simply amazed because the expected value I derived from analyzing your tendencies based on accumulated experience differed from the reaction just now.”

I don’t understand why he has to speak so complicatedly. Isn’t the conclusion that I’m someone who doesn’t know how to consider others?

At this point, it felt like a highly sophisticated form of criticism.

Of course, I can’t deny that I’m a results-oriented person, but still!

“…I know how to take care of my own people.”

“Then I suppose I should consider myself as having entered your fence. Probably because I’m to be your husband.”

“……”

That’s right.

That’s correct, but strangely, I felt a surge of defiance. I don’t know why, but I also felt somewhat wronged.

‘It’s not just because of that…’

But it was difficult to explain what exactly I didn’t like. Ah, I don’t know. The conversation topic keeps veering off course, which doesn’t suit my temperament.

“Let’s drop that subject. Anyway, if Lord Joseph is also going to stay in the capital for a while, I was going to say it would be better to look for a hotel as soon as possible. No matter how much His Majesty accommodates us, we can’t stay in the annex for such a long time.”

“Ah, that’s true. I should start looking right away. But still, it will be difficult to find a vacant room in a hotel during this season.”

“I expected that. But we should hurry and check just in case.”

Finally, Lord Joseph returned to the original topic and grasped what needed to be done, rising from his seat.

I also stood up to take care of the remaining tasks.

“Hmm, perhaps.”

Just as I was about to leave my seat, Lord Joseph hesitantly let out a word. Sensing he had something more to say, I stopped in my tracks.

“About the new Daiern imperial villa. If it’s not too presumptuous, may I try drafting the blueprints?”

Huh? This was another unexpected remark.

“Lord Joseph. Did you know how to design villas?”

“Ah, not exactly. But I’ve seen an exceptional blueprint before.”

“……”

I could intuitively tell. This was clearly the long-dormant cheating ability of a regressor at work.

“That’s an interesting story. So, whose blueprint is it this time, and where did you get it from?”

“Ahaha, you’re as sharp as ever, my lady.”

Lord Joseph laughed awkwardly and answered.

“Originally, after Wilhelm York Baden took the duke’s position… it’s the blueprint of the villa he built after demolishing the Daiern mansion. He even recruited master craftsmen and put considerable effort into its creation. Even to my eyes, the completed form was quite beautiful. To the point of being enviable.”