“Since mother has returned, of course I should go see her. But when will I come back?”

“Pardon?”

“I’ll have to come back after going, right? I’m asking when you’ll return.”

I haven’t even left yet, and he’s asking when I’ll be back.

“That’s something I’ll know after I go…”

I was about to say it seemed I would know. In truth, I had no idea at all when I would return. Right now, my desire to leave the ducal residence was just as strong as my longing to see my mother. I desperately needed time away from the duke to examine my own heart.

However, I couldn’t finish my words. The duke cut me off and began pushing his own opinion.

“You need to make a plan and act on it. Saying you’ll know after you go, isn’t that too unplanned?”

Chloe was dumbfounded. Was not specifying a return date before even departing something to be criticized as ‘unplanned’?

“I’ll think about when to return as soon as I arrive. Right now, my plan is to get to Bergen as quickly as possible… Oh my!”

Chloe was so startled that she momentarily recoiled. It was because the quill the duke had been holding snapped in two while she was talking.

She was certain she had heard they were that kind of quill… Was this an exceptionally mixed-in defective product?

“It’s defective, it seems.”

The duke also appeared to have the same thought as her, slightly furrowing his brow as he spoke. The broken cross-section was so sharp it looked lethal.

“Are your hands alright?”

Chloe stared blankly at the duke’s hands. Surely he didn’t get injured in that instant?

“Chloe, who gets hurt by something like this.”

The duke said with a slight chuckle. Finally, his stiff expression loosened a bit. Separate from the thought that most people would likely be injured by an object that sharp, she also felt a bit fortunate that the quill had broken in that moment.

“Well, if that’s the case, do as you will. Plans are things that can change and such.”

The duke said with an extremely awkward-looking smile. He was still holding the bottom half of the broken quill as is.

“Your grace, you’ll injure your hand. That part is sharp.”

“What are you… Ah!”

Only then did the duke look down at the quill and set it on the desk. Did he not even realize he had been holding the broken quill all this time?

“Once I arrive and plans are set, I will be sure to send a letter to your grace.”

“A letter, you say?”

The duke’s brow, which had barely relaxed, narrowed again.

“As I’m uncertain of exactly when I’ll return, I should let you know so you won’t be left wondering, in case your grace is waiting for me.”

“What kind of nonsense is…”

The duke, who seemed about to say more, shut his mouth.

“I will discuss with mother and send a letter as soon as I arrive.”

Seeing the duke appeared dissatisfied with the vague answer, Chloe hastily added on.

“This won’t do after all. I’ll have to go with you.”

“Pardon?”

What, what is he saying! Go together? Why would he go with me.

‘Ah! Could it be that he wants to be together with me?’

The thought suddenly occurring to her, Chloe examined the duke’s face.

“Something extremely important has come up near Bergen.”

Come to think of it, the duke had been spending very busy days recently. Wanting to be together with me, as if. It seemed her ego had grown considerably outsized.

“Ah, is that so. Then we can depart together and your grace can return first.”

Embarrassed at herself for the unfounded imagination, Chloe shook her head.

“Return first, it seems it will take me around a week as well. We should return together.”

A week? Chloe tilted her head. She had said she didn’t know when she would return, so why was he assuming a week?

“Um, I think it will take me longer than a week though.”

“Chloe Liden.”

The duke’s expression as he called her name had hardened stiffly again.

“Then exactly how much longer are you saying you’ll be there?”

“That’s something I’ll know after I go…”

“Rather than that, what about having your mother come here? If you want to spend more time with your mother, it doesn’t have to be Bergen, right? Is there some other reason you need to stay longer in Bergen?

“No, it’s not like that, but it’s been a long time since I’ve seen my mother and…”

“Then why don’t we send a letter to your mother now to come here? There’s no need for you to go all the way to Bergen…”

“No! That’s not it. Mother said she had gone somewhere far away. I can’t have her take another long journey because of me.”

“There’s no other reason?”

“What other reason would there be.”

Why does he keep interrogating me like this since earlier. Mother wouldn’t permit staying here, let alone tell me to quit my job. There’s no way such a mother would come here, but being repeatedly asked when there really is another reason made me uncomfortable.

That I need time apart from the duke to think is something the duke would clearly hate to hear.

“That bastard, Cal…”

“Pardon?”

The duke’s expression was strange. He looked as if there was something he wanted to say but was holding it in.

“No, never mind. So when will you depart?”

“Right now…”

That’s when it happened. Following a knock, Sir Joyce entered. Just seeing him opening the door and entering before being given permission made it undoubtedly clear some urgent matter had arisen.

“Your grace, there are reports of friction occurring between estate residents in the border region with Schneider.”

“That damn Schneider. Here we go again.”

Recently, the forest that had been serving as the border between the Schneider and Ulpaz estates had burned down in a fire of unknown cause. The residents of both estates were accusing each other of being the culprit, and the atmosphere surrounding the estates was said to be ominous. Conflicts between neighboring estates were not uncommon, and given the characteristic of the Elysion Empire guaranteeing the independent rule of estates, such conflicts sometimes led to war.

The duke merely spoke in an annoyed tone, but Chloe tensed up.

Just counting from after Chloe had been employed at the Ulpaz ducal house, this was already the third time she had heard news of conflict with Schneider. Chloe was well aware that such repeated conflicts ultimately tended to develop into war.

Moreover, Sir Joyce’s face also looked grave this time.

“The situation seems unusual, not a simple dispute. The Schneider duke also appears to be behind it.”

“Hoo…”

The duke ran a hand through his hair once. It was a habit that showed when he was in a foul mood.

“Chloe, you go on ahead first. I’ll head to the Schneider area and then go to Bergen.”

“Yes, sir.”

Chloe felt a bit self-conscious, as if she was saying she would go to her hometown by herself while the duke was busy resolving the conflict. Of course, this matter was the duke’s job, and her being here wouldn’t be of any help, but she felt that way regardless.

Sir Joyce glanced at her very briefly before hurriedly averting his gaze before their eyes met. Was he giving her a hint?

“At that house. If by any chance that… In any case, I’ll go get you as soon as I can.”

“There’s no need to rush on my account! Unless the matter in Bergen is urgent. I will take care of myself and return at an appropriate time.”

The duke gave no answer. Chloe saw the bulging veins on his clenched fist. It seemed as if the veins would burst out at any moment. She wanted to reach out and unclench his fist, but of course that thought ended as just that.

“Your grace, is something happening in Bergen?”

“Let’s head to Schneider for now, Joyce.”

Without answering Sir Joyce’s question, the duke exited the room as is. Chloe absentmindedly watched until the door closed, then suddenly came to her senses. It was because she realized that she had actually wanted to go to Bergen together with the duke.

Despite her resolve to think while apart from the duke, she recognized her true feelings of not wanting to be apart from him for even a moment, contrary to that resolve. Realizing she had given her heart to him to this extent felt desolately frightening anew.

“Mother!”

Chloe ran toward her mother who had somehow already opened the door and come running out, calling to her. Unbelievably, her mother looked exactly the same as before she was injured.

“Chloe, my baby!”

A tremor of tears was detectable in her mother’s voice.

“Mother, Mother… Mother.”

Tears ultimately burst out from Chloe’s eyes as well.

“Chloe, my baby, my child.”

What baby. Calling a daughter this grown up a baby.

But her mother often called her a baby like this. Not once had she called Clyne, her twin, a baby.

She had told her to stop calling her ‘baby’ each time. But right now, she was so glad to hear this word ‘baby’. Her mother had truly come back to life.

“Mother, are you really fully recovered?”

She had heard her mother had fully healed, and was seeing it with her own eyes, but it still didn’t feel real. Because she had clearly seen with her eyes how severely injured she had been. There were countless nights she couldn’t sleep from the anxiety that her mother might pass away like this.

She never dared voice it aloud, fearing that saying it would make such a thing really happen, but she didn’t know how fearful she had been of being left alone in this world.

“Mother, Mother. Motheeer, waaah…”

“Chloe, my baby.”

Charlotte kept stroking Chloe’s hair. In the end, greater and greater sobs were mixing into Charlotte’s voice as well. Both Charlotte and Chloe were thinking of Clyne.

“Mother, Mother, I’m sorry. Mother, I’m so sorry…”

She detested herself for being unable to protect her mother and brother and just fainting pathetically.