“Lady, shall we not have the outdoor lesson today?”

“No. We’re going for the outdoor lesson!”

Daniel took a deep breath as Lucy rejected his suggestion too firmly.

Daniel blinked and swallowed hard.

No matter how he thought about it, kidnapping… he wanted to think about it a little more.

According to Lizzy, there was an external helper, but if the Lady suddenly said she didn’t want to go out, there would be no choice.

Any external helper wouldn’t risk infiltrating the duke’s residence.

“Lady… that…”

Should I tell the Lady that the lesson preparations are insufficient…?

“Teacher.”

Lucy stopped Daniel’s words and smiled brightly.

“How long do you think my father has stayed in the mansion for 8 years?”

“Pardon…?”

“It’s probably not even two months. Our father was absent for about 7 years fighting wars, and was away for another 6 months to suppress a rebellion. He was away from the duke’s residence for war even before I was born, so he was actually away for much longer.”

Daniel tilted his head, puzzled by Lucy’s sudden story.

Why is she suddenly talking about this…?

“When father left for a long war, mother was pregnant, and for several years after giving birth, she only cared for me. As you know, she raised me alone without a tutor. Naturally, she didn’t have the capacity to focus on the internal affairs of the duke’s residence.”

The green eyes that looked somewhat sad seemed to know all the truth.

Even though he couldn’t predict what would be said next, Daniel was dripping with cold sweat.

The instinctive sense felt as an animal made his fingertips tremble.

He felt as if some unspoken weapon would pierce through the thoughts he was harboring.

“…That’s why the maid betrayed so easily.”

As soon as Lucy finished speaking, Daniel flinched.

“A maid? Lady, surely…”

Daniel stepped back, distancing himself from Lucy.

“Lizzy’s betrayal might be a very natural thing. Although it’s said that the loyalty of the servants is high, it’s actually just because of the prestige that the Genova duchy itself gives. The bond with father has become too blurred. Except for the butler who has been with father since his childhood.”

Daniel’s legs gave out and he collapsed on the spot.

“…Did you know everything?”

“Yes. I knew about the betrayal of the maid, Lizzy. Additionally, choosing Daniel as the tutor was entirely my will.”

Daniel met Lucy’s eyes with a pale face.

The wavering green eyes contained no anger, no sadness, no emotion at all.

They were just calm and composed.

“That’s… Lady. But the Duchess…”

Daniel, who was about to open his lips and tell his story, suddenly closed them.

His head was spinning.

If she knew about the maid’s betrayal and things still turned out like this, then does she not know about the story related to the Duchess? No. She knows.

Yet the reason she’s telling me this… First, I should confirm…

It felt like his head would explode from overload.

At the same time, he couldn’t grasp the Lady’s intentions in bringing up this story to him. What will happen to me if it turns out like this?

“It’s a lie from those who recruited you, Daniel, that mother is leaking information to a foreign country. Our mother has nothing to do with such things.”

Daniel closed his eyes tightly and opened them again.

Seeing that she predicted and answered even the words Daniel couldn’t continue, it seemed she knew not only about the maid’s betrayal but also Daniel’s role and even the kidnapping that was supposed to happen today.

“How much do you know exactly…?”

“I witnessed Lizzy’s betrayal and am using it in reverse. You can think that I know everything.”

At Lucy’s words, Daniel, who was sitting down, knelt right there.

“I heard that the Duchess betrayed the empire and that the Lady was in danger. That’s… all. I’m truly sorry.”

Lucy, looking down at Daniel who was bowing his head, sighed.

“I heard all of that through Lizzy. I’m not asking for an apology from you now. I’m curious about something else. Do you know who gave you instructions? Have you ever encountered them, excluding Lizzy?”

“…Ah, no. They were wearing masks, so I haven’t seen them.”

Lucy frowned deeply and then nodded.

“I see. Then the person who gave instructions to you, Daniel, is probably Uncle Bruno. But there’s a separate mastermind behind this. At the same time, there must be more servants who have betrayed Duke Genova, who are not from our duke’s residence.”

“What? Bruno… Is that the name of someone you know?”

When Daniel opened his eyes wide in surprise, Lucy nodded.

“Then, no… Does the Duke know about this situation?”

“Father…”

Lucy lowered her eyes and clenched her fist tightly.

“He failed to notice the mastermind behind Uncle Bruno.”

Failed…?

Daniel frowned at the Lady’s overwhelming story.

…What on earth is going on with the situation?

“Father will probably think about sending Bruno away using this incident. Because I accidentally saw Charles disguised as a knight of the duke’s residence. He probably only sent Charles because he didn’t think I would be kidnapped.”

“What? Sir Charles?”

“There should be a very small X-shaped mark on the left side of the silver helmet. The knight hidden in that helmet is Sir Charles of the Gorman County. He’s the Duke’s aide, so he’s a trustworthy person.”

Daniel, swallowing hard, stared intently into Lucy’s eyes.

In the room that had momentarily fallen into silence, Daniel naturally realized his role.

The Lady knew everything but still said to have the outdoor lesson.

Although he didn’t know what it meant that there was a separate real culprit, it clearly meant that there was some force troubling the Lady and the Duke.

Above all, the reason for telling him such important stories was that she needed assistance.

“…Is the plan for me to pretend to kidnap the Lady and hand you over to Sir Charles? I think that would be the safest strategy for the Lady as well. At the same time, if we contact the defense force in advance to catch the culprit, it wouldn’t be bad.”

Lucy clapped her hands, smiling brightly at Daniel’s words.

“It’s similar, but to be precise, that’s not it.”

Lucy’s eyes sparkled as she leaned her face slightly towards Daniel, who was still kneeling.

Daniel unconsciously flinched, suddenly getting goosebumps.

Really, sometimes when he faced the Lady, it didn’t feel like she was 7 years old.

“I will be kidnapped.”

“…What? Lady! That’s too dangerous!”

Daniel, having grasped the situation, immediately started to dissuade her.

No matter how smart the Lady was for her age, her body was that of a small and delicate 7-year-old lady.

No matter how deep the Lady’s thoughts were inside, her gestures were only half that of an adult woman.

Daniel jumped up from his seat and gently grabbed the Lady’s shoulders.

“Lady, no matter what you say… you’re too young…”

“But it might be the perfect opportunity to find out who’s behind this.”

“…Then it’s even more dangerous! Doesn’t not knowing the real culprit mean we don’t properly know the opponent’s plan either?”

Daniel met Lucy’s gaze and slowly shook his head.

“It’s not allowed.”

Then Lucy’s small hand overlapped on top of Daniel’s hand.

Lucy’s smile, beaming brightly, contained a serenity that seemed like she might leisurely drink tea.

“I’m not just going to be kidnapped recklessly. …What kind of person do you think my father is?”

“Duke Genova?”

“He’s the iron-blooded duke who returned safely from 7 years of war. It means there’s no one in this empire who can match father’s military power. Father must be paying attention to this outdoor lesson. The fact that he sent Sir Charles means he’s ready to step in whenever something happens.”

However, there was clearly a strange part in the Lady’s story.

The fact that she accidentally saw Sir Charles infiltrate as a knight. That… proved that the Duke and the Lady didn’t share the situation with each other.

“…Are you certain that the Duke will rescue you safely? I’m asking because it doesn’t seem like you’ve discussed this with the Duke in advance. There are too many variables.”

“Father is stupid, careless, and even makes fatal mistakes… but he’s the most trustworthy person in this empire after mother.”

Stupid, careless, and even fatal mistakes.

None of these words suited Duke Genova, but the last sentence was a truth that no one could deny.

Who else could be the most trustworthy person to the Lady besides the Duke and Duchess?

“Father must be suspecting you, Daniel. Additionally, Sir Charles as well.”

“…Pardon?”

“I don’t plan to be kidnapped alone. While Sir Charles deals with the traitor, I want you to act, Daniel. Pretend to be on their side and take me to the place where I’m supposed to be kidnapped.”