Jade greeted Bernard, whom she hadn’t seen in a long time, nonchalantly.

“Hello. How have you been?”

“How can you say that? How can you say that! Do you know how difficult it has been for me…!”

The middle-aged man with a benevolent and thoughtful face whined as if he was about to collapse. A girl with braided blonde hair sucked on the candy Jade had given her and watched Bernard’s pretend crying face.

“Just now, Bernard…”

“Yes, Marien.”

“You said not to tell, Marien!”

Bernard hurriedly stopped her, but the girl called Marien continued in a cheerful voice.

“He told me to start by pretending to cry as soon as we entered.”

“Really?”

When Jade glanced at him, Bernard quickly grinned as if he knew nothing.

Jade clicked her tongue.

“Don’t teach the child bad things.”

“You should first ask her about stealing my wallet!”

“When did I do that? I didn’t know whose wallet it was. Why are you scolding me in front of Lady Jade?”

“You were the one who didn’t keep the secret first! You keep your mouth shut in front of the employer. This is like a rule that applies among servants!”

When Bernard and Marien started arguing—it was really amazing that they could argue despite their huge age difference—Jade calmly flipped through the documents.

“So, Marien.”

“Yes.”

“Did you find out what I asked you to?”

“Yes. Based on what the servants are chattering about, Lord Ralph has a grudge against Lady Mabel. I heard he was greatly ridiculed in front of many people before. Maybe his business has greatly declined and he had no choice but to receive help from Lady Mabel, so he’s laughing it off, but he’ll easily turn against her with the slightest provocation.”

“Somehow, I always felt like he was hiding a knife beneath his smiling face.”

“Yes. And Lady Anesa once criticized Lord Felix and defended Lady Jade in front of Lady Mabel. If she still feels the same way, she was openly talking about why this family still doesn’t have a head last time. As the Marchioness, she will definitely be helpful.”

Marien recited information about more than ten people without referring to any papers. Jade listened carefully and jotted down various things.

“I didn’t realize I had so many relatives. Well, it’s good that there are many people who have a grudge against Grandmother thanks to that.”

“Lady Mabel had many siblings! But with that personality, they must have all disliked her.”

Bernard quickly covered Marien’s mouth as she blurted out blunt words. Looking at her round, bright eyes, Jade laughed.

“You should only say such things in front of me. You know that, right? Of course, you may have more life experience than me…”

In the first place, she had brought the girl who was being beaten while working at the information guild, so she must know well where to be careful and where not to be, but Jade was still worried.

“Yes, I’ll do that. Don’t worry! Then what should I find out next?”

Jade had brought her just because she felt sorry for her, but Marien faithfully used her talents to repay the favor.

The small and cute girl had an outstanding ability to join conversations without raising anyone’s suspicion, and combined with her lovely face and deft hands, she couldn’t help but be loved by all the servants.

Thanks to that, the mouths of the servants in Broen Castle became infinitely loose in front of Marien without any wariness. And Marien’s mouth was infinitely loose in front of Jade.

“Let’s think about what else there might be after hearing Bernard’s report first.”

“Yes. The preparations for the coming-of-age ceremony are proceeding as reported. The garden that can accommodate hundreds of people has already been prepared, and the decorating stage is also nearing completion. The food is the same. It will be very luxurious. The people who will be temporarily employed that day are all from the Broen estate, and their backgrounds have been checked. They are all people who have been favorable to Lady Jade, and there is no room for any danger.”

“What about the business?”

“I converted some of the profits into gold and reinvested it. It’s abundant. Even considering the future, we won’t envy the Avers’ golden vault.”

Jade grinned at Bernard’s joke that they wouldn’t fear Lady Mabel’s threats.

“Yes, that’s right. You must have worked hard.”

“I’m glad you acknowledge it. And I told Lady Mabel that the engagement ceremony will be held at the same time.”

Jade rested her chin on her hand and smiled.

“What did she say?”

“She told me to tell you that she has taken out the box containing the head’s seal ring. She said you can look forward to it if it’s Mallorph.”

“I’m glad she likes it. I’ll have to live up to her expectations.”

“Jenner Sein Mallorph! He’s the third son of the Mallorph family. They have a mine in the northern mountain range that they have owned for generations, so they are wealthy. And it’s a family with a long tradition, as the first king of the El Cion Kingdom bestowed them a castle.”

“You looked into it?”

“Yes.”

Jade gave the girl candy again. Marien smiled brightly, quickly took it, and put it in her mouth.

Regardless of whether to trust someone or not, it was better to have fewer people who knew the truth. Currently, only Bernard and Mori knew about the fake fiancé.

Today, Marien would be added.

Watching Marien happily chattering about recent events and teasing Bernard, Jade leaned back in her chair. As she sat still, the stiffness invading her entire body suddenly surged.

Every joint ached. If she hadn’t called a carriage and rode it that dawn, she would have been bedridden for days.

The most infuriating part was that during their time together, Axel was not only perfectly fine but even seemed to get more and more energetic. He showed signs of holding back many times.

Of course, he held back way too late, so Jade was already on the verge of fainting. It seemed like he even sniffled a little at the end.

Did he steal my energy? How can he be so fine after moving all night long? No matter how much of a knight he is…

Jade quickly shook her head. Before her mind was dyed with a single color.

Is it because I still lack experience? Will it get a bit less tiring if I keep doing it? No, there’s an innate difference in stamina, so how could that be…?

While she was absentmindedly pondering such thoughts, the sound of a carriage was heard from afar. Jade just waited, stroking the head of the giggling Marien.

And when she had emptied about half of the teacup, there was finally a knock.

“Come in.”

The ones who entered were several large people wearing robes.

Bernard got up clumsily with a startled look, and Marien stared at the black lumps with round eyes.

Two of them greeted and left the room again, and three remained and lowered their hoods.

Jade spoke while rolling up the sleeves of her fluffy white blouse.

“Bernard, you’re going to rest here before leaving anyway, right? You must have had a hard time on the way here, so rest before you go. Marien also needs to eat a lot of delicious things. Say hello, that’s my fiancé.”

“Uh… yes.”

Bernard, who had already obtained a portrait and knew Jenner Sein’s face, blankly looked at the other man’s face, then realized it was rude and got startled, lowering his head.

“Hello. I’m Bernard, working as Lady Jade’s assistant. I heard you agreed to help with this matter. Thank you very much.”

Surprisingly, Jenner Sein smiled with a rather reliable face and shook his head.

“No. I’m not just helping your employer.”

“Then…?”

Bernard, who had a puzzled face, suddenly remembered the conversation from earlier.

‘Say hello, that’s my fiancé.’

Then!

With his eyes wide open, Bernard fiercely examined the faces of the two men other than Jenner Sein Mallorph.

There was a man with an amazing face that he had already absentmindedly stolen glances at, and a man with a somewhat ordinary-looking face.

Both were on the tall side, but the man with the amazing face was as tall as a door. On top of that, his arms and legs were long, making his proportions perfect, so he looked like a statue. In comparison, the man with the ordinary face just gave the impression of, well, he’s pretty tall… That’s about it.

Bernard was confused.

Of course, the handsome one is better, but being that handsome could also be a problem. But the ordinary one seems too ordinary.

However, the younger Marien raised her hand and exclaimed.

“I like the one with black hair more!”

“Why?”

“He’s more handsome…”

Bernard wiped the cold sweat and quickly covered the girl’s mouth. Regardless of their faces, it was clear that they had a better status than them.

But the man with the ordinary face laughed without showing any sign of being offended.

“I can’t possibly refute that statement.”

“Children’s eyes are accurate, aren’t they?”

When Jenner Sein chuckled, Axel just tilted his head without denying it. If there was a mirror, he couldn’t possibly not know.

“Yeah, I should properly introduce him to my one and only assistant. Here. My fiancé.”

Jade walked over and swiftly grabbed Axel’s hand. Then she arbitrarily waved it in the air.

“His name is Leon Heintz.”

Since the name Axel was only allowed for Jade, she revealed his other name.

Even though she was introducing him to her reliable assistant whom she had worked with for several years, she got nervous and unknowingly put strength into the hand she was holding. As if returning it, the force that grasped her hand back made her regain stability, even if just a little.

Bernard raised his creaking head.

The knight who had lowered his pitch-black hood was so tall that his gaze was really far above, and as he had felt earlier, that face was very surprising. The eyes that felt uniquely deep drew his gaze.

He was such a great handsome man that Bernard hadn’t seen in recent years, so he had a new worry.

Is our employer making a mistake right now?

“Uh, that… Lady Jade. Before the greeting…”

To Jade who approached with a puzzled look, Bernard quickly whispered very quietly.

“You do know that looks aren’t everything, right…?”

“Huh?”

It was advice she had never even thought of.