“Dad?”

It was when Damian had crossed about half of the garden. Lucy, sitting under the canopy, spotted Damian first.

“Dad!”

“I greet Her Majesty, the Empress of the Empire.”

“Duke of Genova.”

The Empress’s eyes widened, then quickly turned into a bright smile.

Between her gently folding eyes, she was holding Lucy’s hand tightly, giving the impression that she was quite fond of Lucy.

To have captivated the Empress of the Empire… It couldn’t have been easy to make the Empress her ally.

It seemed his daughter had quite a few hidden sides to her.

Like the side she only showed to Damian, it was somewhat different.

Of course, as long as Eriel was happy, Damian thought there was no need to spell out Lucy’s such aspects in detail.

Perhaps it would be better if Eriel never knew about it for the rest of her life.

“I hope Lucy isn’t causing any trouble for Your Majesty.”

“Not at all. The Duchess wouldn’t have raised her that way. Really, I’d like to adopt her as my daughter.”

“…Dad, what about Mom?”

Lucy urgently asked, tugging at Damian’s sleeve.

A hint of fear and terror rose in her eyes. Damian frowned.

“What’s wrong?”

“You didn’t leave Mom alone there, did you? …How could you leave Mom alone!”

The child’s eyes, brimming with tears, reproached Damian.

“I told Mom to play with Dad, but how could you come to me!”

Surprised by the child’s raised voice, the Empress looked at Lucy.

With tears welling up in the child’s eyes, the Empress carefully bent her knees.

Damian was more surprised by the Empress’s gesture of matching the eye level for the child than by the child’s sudden outburst.

This seems to be more than just being fond of her.

“Lucy. Is it not okay to leave Mom alone there?”

Lucy flinched at the Empress’s question and moved her lips.

“Well… That place…”

“It’s okay to talk about it. Tell me.”

“…It’s dangerous. Mom… shouldn’t be alone in such a place.”

Lucy glanced at Damian and frowned.

“That’s why I told Mom to play with Dad.”

The Empress grinned at those words and took Lucy’s hand.

“My, we should show Lucy the true face of the Duchess. Duke, you should come along too.”

“…Mom’s true face?”

As Lucy tilted her head, the Empress nodded.

“Duke, have you seen the Duchess in social circles before?”

“Yes. I used to see her often before we got married. I haven’t seen her lately as I’ve been going out frequently due to the war.”

Ah, come to think of it, just now… she gently patted the back of my hand.

It was a gesture that seemed as intangible as a cloud floating in the sky.

Although it was clearly a touch moving on Damian’s hand, it felt somehow elusive.

That ticklish feeling that could only be felt from Eriel.

Damian rubbed the back of his hand, recalling Eriel.

Eriel’s gently curving gaze exuded an irresistible demand.

Moreover, that eloquence that captivates the other person. But also the subtle words that never dominate.

Eriel herself would know best that when her lips part, everyone momentarily hesitates, but Eriel never became arrogant about such things.

It was clearly felt in her attitude and tone of speech.

Even Damian hesitated when those upright green eyes clearly gazed at him.

But that fact made others relax even more.

Because she didn’t dominate, they could let their guard down completely with Eriel.

That’s how everyone fell into Eriel’s palm. Of course, Damian was no exception.

“Lucy, your mother was called the flower of this social circle.”

The Empress rolled her eyes as if reminiscing about the past.

The joyfully rising corners of her mouth looked like she was recalling a man she had briefly harbored feelings for before marriage.

“If she were called the flower of the social circle merely for her beauty, Eriel’s name wouldn’t still be mentioned. It would be good to see what true weapon your beautiful mother possesses.”

Thus, Damian and Lucy moved to where the Empress led them.

Standing in front of a large door, the Empress smiled brightly and gave Lucy a hint.

“Especially here, you shouldn’t shout loudly. Lucy. Understood?”

“Yes. I’ll be quiet.”

Lucy put her finger to her lips and showed Damian the shushing gesture with her finger.

At times like this, he could catch a glimpse of Eriel’s appearance.

As Damian entered through the door, he smirked at the Empress.

…So that’s what it was.

The place the Empress led to was none other than the second floor of the hall.

This was where the royal family came to watch the nobles from a step back during banquets.

It was structured so that those below couldn’t see up, allowing for discreet observation of the nobles.

I knew she was fond of Lucy, but to this extent…

It was clear that she intended to lead Lucy to become a royal person.

And she didn’t hide it from Damian either.

Perhaps she didn’t hide it because it was in front of Damian. After all, Eriel wouldn’t intend to make Lucy a royal person.

“There she is. How is it that the Duchess is so visible even from here?”

At the Empress’s words, Lucy’s gaze moved. Damian, who was already looking at Eriel, observed his wife in the hall after a long time.

Light brown hair and a pale white face. Green eyes set above it.

While everyone used to compare the flower of the social circle to roses, Eriel was often compared to delicate things like deer or magnolias.

Damian, leaning his upper body a bit more, took in Eriel’s appearance.

Sometimes at banquets, nobles would propose to Damian to go deer hunting.

However, Damian always refused that proposal. There was no need to go far for hunting.

There was a beautiful deer at home, so why bother? Besides, hunting at home was much more enjoyable.

Hmm, prayer and hunting.

Even in metaphors, Eriel was compared to prayer. Damian unknowingly smiled.

“Mom…”

Lucy’s eyes blinked.

As Eriel’s figure conversing with the Marchioness came into view, the Empress’s eyes gently creased.

“How does it look from up here? Does the Duchess seem in danger?”

Lucy’s eyes sadly wavered. Her headshake without an answer lacked strength.

However, as Bruno approached Eriel’s side, Lucy jumped from her seat.

“No! Dad, Dad!”

Lucy, urgently pulling on Damian’s sleeve, whispered in a small voice.

Damian’s eyebrows also twitched as he looked down.

As the father and daughter seemed about to dash out of this place simultaneously, the Empress restrained them.

“Weren’t we going to see the Duchess’s true face?”

The Empress, sighing deeply, looked down and said to wait and see.

Although it wasn’t clear exactly what was being said, Eriel conversed briefly with Bruno with a consistently smiling face.

After just a few minutes, Bruno left his seat.

“See? The Duchess has handled it…”

However, despite the Empress’s words, the father and daughter’s gazes were fixed on Bruno’s retreating back.

Their eyebrows, twitching in displeasure, were identical.

The Empress shook her head alone.

“Eriel must have it tough.”

*

“I heard that the Duchess taught history to Lucy.”

As soon as she heard the Marchioness’s subtle question, Eriel hid a winning smile behind her fan.

“To be precise, I didn’t teach her; Lucy read on her own.”

“The young lady herself? Does the child read such boring books on her own?”

“Well, I read a little bit of the book to her every night before bed, which might have been the opportunity for the child to become friendly with books.”

“Do you read to her yourself every time, Duchess?”

The Marchioness’s eyes widened.

“Yes. I read to her every day.”

“That’s amazing. I suppose since you spend a lot of time with the child, reading also becomes an extension of building rapport. I end up leaving all such matters entirely to the tutor. As a result, my child keeps trying to distance herself from academics.”

The Marchioness frowned as if frustrated.

“It’s probably because of being taught in a stuffy environment. Children want to run around and play freely.”

“That’s right. Indeed, unlike Benjamin, maybe it’s because she’s a young lady that she’s different from a young age.”

“No, Marchioness.”

Eriel lowered her fan and took the Marchioness’s hand.

Eriel’s hand, gently holding, was imbued with a warm touch and a strange power that couldn’t be refused.

“While Lucy is particularly good at following me, it’s not wrong for children to want to run and play. Benjamin is growing up very healthy and strong.”

At Eriel’s warm words, the Marchioness’s eyes welled up.

“That’s right. Our Benjamin is growing up well. I guess I was being too hasty.”

“Hmm… How about letting him play with Lucy instead of the tutor? Occasionally give them light questions, and give snacks to the child who gets them right. While it’s not good to encourage competitive psychology, a bit of competitiveness is a good means to develop children.”

“You mean having them study in the same space?”

“No, no.”

Eriel shook her head.

“I mean going out to play together. Not studying.”

Eriel smiled brightly and corrected the Marchioness’s words.

“So the Marchioness should come along too.”

“…Playing? I’d love to.”

This time, the Marchioness grasped Eriel’s hand.

“Playing and learning with the young lady. It seems it would be good for the children’s emotions too.”

“Of course.”

Eriel smiled brightly at the Marchioness.

She had been wondering how to connect with the Marchioness who dominated the social circles, and Lucy had become a good link.

It had been quite a while since she had shown her face in social circles due to the war, so it felt a bit unfamiliar, but it was fortunate.

“Lady Eriel.”

It was then. Bruno approached and called Eriel again.