Mercian said, finishing the remaining stew as her appetite improved with her happy mood.

“Wow. I really feel like I ate too much today. Usually I barely eat half, but when everyone eats together, the food seems to taste better, doesn’t it?”

“Oh? We feel the same way. Actually, after the lady left, the duke’s mansion was so bleak, gloomy, and scary for a while that we couldn’t even eat properly, just watching the master’s mood. It got a bit better when the master found out the lady was alive. It was so bad that the head butler and Lord Cassel even packed their bags to search the entire empire to find the lady.”

“I’m sorry. You all came here because of me.”

Hearing Mercian’s words, Clea said seriously.

“Huh? That’s not your fault, lady. Even the Duchess said so, right? The cause of all this is the master. We think so too. So please don’t apologize to us, lady. And we didn’t come down this time to help the master bring you back to the duke’s mansion.”

“What?”

“We’re all on your side, lady. So don’t worry about us and do as you please. Even though you had to pretend to be dead because you thought the former crown prince was a scoundrel and the empire would fall if he ascended to the throne, you shouldn’t have lied to the lady. You liked the master so much, didn’t you?”

“Huh? I… I did?”

How did they know I liked Ruan?

“Hohoho, Charles, if you say it so directly, won’t the lady be embarrassed?”

“Wh-what are you talking about? When did I ever say I liked Ruan?”

Mercian looked embarrassed at Charles’s words.

“Well, even during meals, when the master was looking at you eating with a pleased expression, you would glance at him from time to time, blushing slightly and smiling. How cute and pretty you looked. I thought you were so pretty that I secretly went to watch during every meal.”

Mercian blushed and mumbled at Charles’s words.

“I… I did? Really?”

“And when you were eating food in the tree, your eyes were always looking at the door of the duke’s mansion. Wondering when the master would return. Well, when the master actually came, you pretended not to notice and just ate cookies or pie. Then the master would run to you like a puppy that had been out, telling you this and that, and you would pretend not to listen while answering everything. Looking at you two was really like people falling in first love. Pretending not to, but it showed on both your faces… That’s why I liked it even more.”

“Was… was it that obvious?”

At Mercian’s words, Charles nodded and said.

“Everyone in the duke’s mansion knew it. That the lady and the master liked each other. It’s just a shame we couldn’t actively help bring you two together, thinking the master would soon pass away. And we had promised among ourselves to stay with the lady when the master passed away. But it turned out the master had deceived both the lady and us. I’m upset with the head maid too. The head maid and the butler were in on it too, weren’t they?”

As Charles glared at Clea, she looked at Charles and Mercian as if to say don’t misunderstand.

“W-wait a minute, Charles, that’s a misunderstanding. I only found out on the day of the master’s funeral. Ed told me that day. When I heard the news, I thought I should quickly return to the duke’s mansion and tell the lady, but as soon as I returned, we had to hold a mourning ceremony for the master, so I tied the ribbon first and when I went to the lady, she had already left the duke’s mansion.”

“Then it’s still the master’s fault after all.”

“That’s right. The cause of all this trouble is, no matter what anyone says, the master.”

Clea and Charles nodded their heads and answered simultaneously.

“Th-that’s true, but hearing you two talk, it seems Ruan had a hard time too. Not being able to eat or sleep properly.”

As Mercian unconsciously took Ruan’s side, Charles shook his head and said.

“Don’t tell me, lady, you’re not going to forgive the master already just because he might look a little pitiful?”

“What are you saying? That’s absolutely not going to happen. You can’t easily forgive someone who dared to deceive his wife and hurt her feelings. The lady is so kind-hearted that even knowing the master came back alive, she just tells him to go back. If it were me, I’d have to break his legs to feel better. Don’t you agree, Charles?”

As Clea looked at Charles as if seeking agreement, Charles clapped and said.

“Of course, head maid! We absolutely can’t let this slide.”

“Clea, that’s not what I meant.”

For some unknown reason, Mercian felt uncomfortable hearing Clea and Charles speak ill of Ruan.

“Lady, you absolutely must not think of forgiving the master after hearing our story. We are unconditionally on your side, regardless of the master. So don’t forgive the master until your anger subsides!”

“C-Clea.”

Mercian was bewildered by Clea and Charles’s unexpected behavior.

Wasn’t the reason Ruan brought them down here to persuade me on his behalf?

But instead, they’re saying not to forgive Ruan…

Mercian called out, surprised by Clea and Charles’s unexpected words, and Clea answered with a smile.

“Lady, as I said earlier, we’re completely on your side. Well, I’ll let Ed and Jang take the master’s side since they’re men.”

“What?”

Clea stood up, clearing the empty plate in front of Mercian, and said.

“Now then, since we’ve eaten, let’s start researching how to roll the master!”

R-roll? What are you rolling? He’s not a ball.

Mercian looked at Clea and Charles, who seemed even more excited than her about the idea of tormenting Ruan.

As if knowing and not knowing Mercian’s feelings, Charles excitedly said in response to Clea’s words.

“Sounds good, head maid! I love this kind of thing!! Don’t worry, lady. I’ve already heard lots of stories from other experienced people in the duke’s mansion!”

E-experienced people? What’s that? What’s with these two?

Why do these two seem more excited about me not forgiving Ruan?

Mercian watched with an awkward smile as Clea and Charles clenched their fists, burning with inexplicable enthusiasm.

And Clea and Charles looked at Mercian with a strange smile.

A few days before coming down to Fenomenon village, voices could be heard from the garden of the Canoloup duke’s mansion.

“What do you mean by that, madam?”

In response to Edward’s question, Olivia took a sip of tea and looked at Edward, Clea, and Charles as she spoke.

“I heard that you are the closest to Mer in this duke’s mansion, so you’ll need to help with this matter.”

“Just say the word, madam. We’ll do anything if it means bringing the lady back to the duke’s mansion.”

“Yes, Charles, thank you for saying that. First, knowing Ruan’s personality, he’ll definitely go straight to find Mer without thinking twice the moment he finds her. But knowing Mer, she won’t accept Ruan. Especially since I happened to overhear that Ruan told Mer he loved her just before he collapsed. That fool. To pull such a stunt after even confessing. I clearly warned him. If he had died, I could have just introduced a nice noble young man, but what can we do? Like it or not, he’s my only remaining nephew, so we need to somehow get Mer to forgive him.”

“Of course, madam.”

“He’s gone to Mer now, so he’ll soon be rejected and come back up. Then he’ll surely submit his resignation to the imperial court and rush to Mer. You should follow him then. And try to soothe Mer’s feelings.”

“How should we soothe her?”

“First, talk about all of Ruan’s faults one by one and get angry together with Mer. You know, humans are strange creatures. No matter how much someone has wronged them, if it’s someone they love, they don’t like hearing others badmouth that person. So badmouth Ruan a lot to Mer. But also let her know that Ruan had a hard time after Mer left.”

“Ah. So you’re saying we should badmouth the master while also letting her know that the master regretted a lot after the lady left?”

Charles quickly answered Olivia’s words.

“Yes, Charles, that’s what I mean.”

Charles responded to Olivia’s words with an impressed expression.

“Duchess, you’re really amazing. So, if we badmouth the master together, it will both improve the lady’s mood and also make her feel sympathy for the master when she learns he had a hard time, so she’ll forgive him quickly?”

Olivia smiled kindly at Charles’s words and said.

“That’s not it. If Mer tries to forgive Ruan too easily, you should stop her.”

Stop her?

Isn’t the reason we’re going down there because we want the lady to forgive the master more easily?

Charles tilted his head as if not understanding Olivia’s words.

“Why, Duchess?”

To Charles’s question, Olivia smiled and said.

“It’s because of Ruan. You see, men have a habit of quickly forgetting their mistakes if they’re forgiven too easily. Isn’t that right, Ed?”

Edward, who had been listening intently to Olivia’s words, said with a startled expression at the sudden question.

“Duchess, I absolutely never do such things. Really, Clea.”

“Who said anything? Why are you getting so defensive? Suspicious.”

Clea spoke coldly on purpose in response to Edward’s reaction, and Edward shouted with a troubled expression.

“Clea! I’m really not, I tell you!”

“Now, now, save the lovers’ quarrel for elsewhere. But what if the lady keeps not forgiving the master and the master gives up on the lady?”

“Hohoho, Charles, don’t worry about that. The men of the Canoloup family never give up on someone they’ve chosen as their partner. So you don’t have to worry about that. I’m just concerned that Mer is too kind and might forgive him too quickly, so try to prevent that.”

“Then how can the master receive forgiveness?”

“Yes, that’s exactly what I want to tell you, Ed. First, I heard Mer is running a sandwich shop now, so tell him to go work there.”

“At the shop? You want the master to work as a clerk at the lady’s shop?”

“Of course. For someone who’s been ordering others around his whole life, it won’t be easy to work while pleasing others, but if you want something, you have to pay the price, right? And you must absolutely not help Ruan with his work. Understand?”

Everyone bowed their heads and answered Olivia’s firm words.

“Yes, madam.”

“Especially you, Ed, make sure to advise Ruan. If he really wants to receive Mer’s apology, tell him to make a sincere apology, not just a superficial one. I hope this time, Ruan will realize that if someone is truly precious to you, you shouldn’t protect them in your own way, but learn to think from their perspective. Ruan is good in every other way, but he has a strong tendency to want everything his way. He forgets that his actions can hurt others. Well, that’s a characteristic of the men in our family. I hope Ruan realizes through this opportunity. That love is not an emotion you drag along unilaterally, but an emotion based on mutual respect and trust between two people.”

Edward nodded in agreement with Olivia’s words and said.

“Don’t worry, madam. We will certainly guide the master well to receive the lady’s forgiveness and bring her back.”

“Yes, I’ll trust you all.”

Edward, Clea, and Charles all pledged with eyes full of determination at Olivia’s request.