“Talking nonsense blatantly.”

Sarcasm flowed from Hertian’s lips.

“Well, Mother recovered quickly and it wasn’t a poison that kills. Probably some weed accidentally mixed in with the tea leaves had toxicity.”

So, the incident was covered up like that.

Even if I had collapsed, he would have covered up the incident in this manner.

Serdis grinned faintly as if he had won this wordplay, simply because he didn’t want to retort to nonsense anymore.

Dinner was the same.

Serdis’s chatter went in one ear and out the other.

It was rude enough to point out, but Serdis didn’t stop talking.

Hertian was the one who ended up tired.

He couldn’t easily leave his seat as he was entertaining an ungracious guest. Maybe he was staying put because he feared Serdis would torment me. So, I finished my cup of tea discreetly and got up from my seat.

“The night is late. I will go up now, so please sleep comfortably in the room that the servant showed you.”

As I left the reception room and climbed the stairs, I heard footsteps following behind me.

Soon, the hurried footsteps caught up with me and stopped me in my tracks.

“I’m sorry, Your Grace.”

It was Violet.

Since her arrival, she had been notably less talkative. On reflection, it seemed she was being cautious because of me.

I relaxed my expression to reassure her.

It was likely that Serdis had forcefully brought her along.

“Your Grace couldn’t find a reason to refuse, right?”

“Yes, but I’m still sorry. I shouldn’t have come knowing that you two don’t get along. I just wanted to see you after so long… Ah, not ‘you,’ but ‘Your Grace.'”

Even while sobbing, she corrected her form of address.

“Just call me Anette. I’m younger than you anyway.”

“Is, is that okay?”

“Of course.”

Even in the dark hallway, her flushed cheeks were clearly visible. Violet, whom I hadn’t seen in a long time, was still adorable.

“For what it’s worth, Your Grace and the Duke look really great together. I was envious watching you both throughout dinner.”

“We married based on looks, you know.”

(This is a time separator.)

As Anette and Violet left, Hertian exited the reception room without a word, his expression suggesting there was nothing more to see.

The only ones left were Serdis and Lily.

Lily had intended to follow Violet out but had to remain due to a glance from Hertian.

“Ugh. I wanted to have a good gossip with Princess Violet.”

Violet and Lily had a friendship that went back and forth. Violet, by nature gentle, was sociable even with the abrasive Lily, and their friendship had continued.

Ever since her parents passed away and she moved to Blandiche, they hadn’t seen each other much. So, she got up from her seat, muttering her complaints.

“I’ll ask her to play with me tomorrow instead of my sisterinlaw.”

Just as she was about to leave, Lily pondered whether to greet the lone Serdis.

The relationship with Hertian, with whom she had spent her childhood like family, was very different from that with Serdis, who was also a relative but not on good terms.

More so when she knew that Serdis’s maternal family was eager to kill Hertian.

In the end, Lily decided to leave the reception room with just a small bow.

And just as she was about to turn, Serdis spoke first.

“Lily, don’t you want to vent with your brother whom you haven’t seen in a long time?”

At those words, Lily turned her head.

Serdis sat on the sofa with his arms spread and legs crossed, as if he owned the place. The answer naturally came out.

“I’d rather not.”

“You’ll hurt me if you’re also stiff.”

Looking at Serdis, who pretended to clutch his chest, Lily felt no need to reply.

She now understood why Hertian ignored Serdis like that.
So in an attempt to avoid unnecessary involvement, he hastened his steps.

“Liri, do you think the two of them are a good match?”

However, that comment made Liri turn back.

“What are you talking about?”

Unwittingly, Serdis wore a smile of victory.

“To me, it doesn’t look like the two got married because they were in love. Is it just me?”

He scratched his head in a crafty manner. Even if Liri didn’t share his thoughts, he had an escape route prepared.

But Serdis was sure that Liri would share his opinion. After all, since arriving here, Liri had been continuously looking at Anette with a cold expression.

“…Why do you think so?”

As expected, Liri showed interest.

Actually, no one wanted Anette out of this place more than Liri.

“How could a man who just returned from war have time to meet a woman?”

“But you think they got married because they like each other, right?”

Though he knew the idea was absurd, there was no reason to doubt the two. Since arriving here, the relationship between the two had been good, and they were even rumored to be a loveydovey couple among the servants.

“That may be true. But did you know? I heard something strange.”

“What, what is it?”

“Don’t just stand there, sit down.”

Unable to contain his curiosity, Liri sat next to Serdis.

“A week before Anette’s wedding, she found her future husband through the information guild.”