Eriel returned to the duke’s mansion late in the evening.

Having been worried about leaving Damian and Lucy alone in the mansion all day, Eriel immediately asked the butler about their situation upon arrival.

“Did anything happen?”

The butler smiled gently at Eriel’s question.

“Many things happened after you left, madam.”

“Many things?”

Eriel turned her head towards the butler in surprise, but fortunately, the butler’s expression was very bright as he answered.

“The duke made a lot of effort.”

“Is that so? That’s good to hear.”

As soon as Eriel heard that Damian had made an effort, she also wore a gentle smile like the butler.

“He went to the kitchen to ask what kind of food the young lady likes, and then made a cake himself.”

“Damian went to the kitchen and made a cake himself?”

When Eriel asked in disbelief, the butler quickly nodded.

“Yes. He went there and made it himself. Fortunately, the young lady also accepted the duke’s attempt at reconciliation.”

“Are they together now?”

When Eriel asked brightly, the butler coughed at that part.

“Well… The young lady hasn’t been studying without a tutor lately, has she?”

“Oh, I see…”

“They had a discussion in the duke’s study for a few hours, and then she escaped from the study.”

Eriel burst into laughter at the butler’s words.

“Then is Lucy in her room?”

“Actually, the young lady and the duke were arguing just a moment ago. Oh, I just learned about this today… It seems the duke has found a tutor. They’re coming tomorrow.”

“A tutor? Ah… I see.”

Eriel nodded.

“What happened to the nanny?”

When Eriel asked, the butler shook his head on that matter.

“It seems they discussed that topic with the young lady today as well. The young lady is young, but she’s very intelligent, so she told the duke that a tutor would be sufficient. However, both of them said they would decide again when you return, madam.”

“I see. Thank you, butler.”

“It’s nothing.”

Just then, as Eriel was climbing the hall, Damian’s voice reached her ears.

“Lucy. Since the tutor is coming tomorrow, it would be good to read 10 more pages of the book. You should finish the book before Eriel comes back.”

As Eriel moved to the corridor where Lucy’s room was, Damian was standing there, knocking on the door. He was holding a very thick book under his arm and calling Lucy desperately.

“Lucy. Lu… Eriel.”

Damian, who had been calling Lucy, noticed Eriel and called her. Lucy’s voice from inside the room echoed in the corridor.

“That strategy you used earlier won’t work, Dad! You’re lying about Mom coming back, right? Do you think I’ll fall for the same trick twice?”

Eriel burst into laughter at Lucy’s outcry and called the child.

“Lucy?”

As Eriel’s gentle voice echoed in the corridor, after a moment of silence, Lucy’s door opened with a click.

“…Mom!”

Lucy, who immediately hugged Eriel, clung to her as if she hadn’t seen her for years.

“Mom, Dad… bullied me.”

“Dad did?”

As Eriel picked Lucy up, Damian poked Lucy’s cheek with his finger from the side.

“Bullied? The tutor is coming tomorrow, so you should study before then.”

Lucy puffed up her cheeks where she had been poked. Lucy, with her eyebrows raised fiercely, turned her head away from Damian.

“I don’t like studying.”

Surprised by the unexpected words, Eriel looked down at Lucy.

“Lucy, you don’t like studying?”

Eriel had no intention of making Lucy study if she didn’t want to.

“Ah… No, I don’t like it, but I want to learn…”

The child started to make excuses to Eriel. Eriel understood the child’s words and nodded.

It seemed that studying was still difficult because she was young. After all, she was learning at a higher level than children her age.

“Then, you should listen to your dad, right?”

“Ugh… Even Mom.”

Lucy hugged Eriel’s neck and rubbed her face against it.

*

The next morning, Eriel woke up early because the tutor was coming.

Even when she asked Damian, he just said to wait and see tomorrow, so she would find out then. She wondered what kind of person he had invited as Lucy’s tutor.

Eriel leaned on the balcony railing and looked outside.

“Are you that curious?”

Damian approached behind Eriel.

“Of course. It would be nice if you told me. Why won’t you tell me?”

When Eriel made a sulky face, Damian pulled her waist closer and laughed softly.

“It’s not that. The tutor asked to keep it a secret.”

“Who on earth…”

It was then. A carriage was slowly approaching in the distance. Eriel’s face gradually leaned forward, and her eyes narrowed.

“Borghese?”

The crest of the Borghese Marquis family fluttered on the flag attached to the end of the carriage.

Eriel immediately turned her head back, and Damian shrugged his shoulders.

“Yesterday… I went yesterday. Hah…”

Eriel touched her forehead.

No wonder Blake had retreated so easily yesterday, it seemed he had come to be Lucy’s tutor.

“Damian! Ray is… Ray is…”

Eriel only called her younger brother’s name and finally let out a long sigh.

“Lucy liked it too.”

“Of course Lucy likes it!”

“Why?”

Damian tilted his head with a face that really didn’t understand.

“Eriel.”

“Yes…”

“Anyway, since your brother has been coming quite often lately to see Lucy, it’s better to control his visiting time through the pretext of being a tutor.”

Eriel nodded at Damian’s words.

Indeed, despite it being the duke’s mansion, Blake had a tendency to visit as he pleased too suddenly.

If he comes as a tutor like this, they could know about his visits in advance.

“Besides, when your brother is by Lucy’s side, it’s much safer.”

Damian nodded, making eye contact with Eriel with a gentle smile.

It was clear that Damian trusted Blake quite a bit, regardless of their relationship, as evidenced by calling him after the rebellion.

However, she was worried that Lucy and Blake might go in a worse direction if left alone.

“You’re right. Thank you for caring about Ray too, Damian.”

Eriel clenched her fist, recalling the promise she had earnestly asked Blake to keep yesterday.

Turning her gaze back to the balcony, Eriel muttered softly to herself as she looked at the Borghese Marquis family flag approaching the duke’s mansion.

“But I should warn him once more…”

“Hm? Eriel?”

Damian asked about Eriel’s mutter.

“It’s nothing. Let’s go down for now.”

Eriel closed the balcony window.

*

“I am Blake Borghese. I have come to be the young lady’s tutor starting today.”

With Blake’s appearance, the servants stared at him. It was a different appearance from what they had seen before.

The original image of the strict young Marquis Borghese, with a beard and always wearing a bowler hat, seemed to have been abandoned since then, as there was neither a beard nor a bowler hat.

Blake, dressed in a navy suit, had cut his slightly long hair very short. He looked almost like a knight.

Eriel touched her forehead once more at the sight.

“Ray…”

“Yes, Duchess.”

“…Uncle!”

Lucy, who had been holding Eriel’s hand, quickly approached Blake.

Blake picked up the running Lucy and securely settled her in his arms.

“I look forward to working with you, young lady.”

“I look forward to working with you too, teacher.”

Lucy blinked with a bright smile.

“Where’s my brother-in-law? In his room?”

“Yes… He was going to come see you off, but the doctor said he needed to check if the wound had festered or not.”

“Wound? Still?”

Blake’s brow furrowed.

“He got hurt again…”

Eriel hung her head as they climbed the hall together. A scab was starting to form now, but it was hard to tell how well the inside of his leg was healing.

“Did he hurt the same leg that was injured before?”

“Yes…”

At Eriel’s dejected voice, Blake put Lucy down on the floor for a moment.

“I’ll take a look at brother-in-law’s leg.”

“Really? That would be great.”

The butler behind them sweated profusely as he heard the conversation between Eriel and Blake.

The madam had given permission, so the butler couldn’t express his personal opinion saying it wasn’t allowed… But the young marquis would surely notice when he saw the leg.

However, even as the butler’s thoughts lingered, Eriel and Blake’s steps were already heading towards the bedroom where Damian was.

Before the butler could say anything, Eriel’s knock was much faster.

Knock knock.

“Damian?”

Eriel called Damian from outside the bedroom.

The butler wiped the sweat he was profusely shedding with a handkerchief and inwardly hoped earnestly. Please, Your Grace. You’ve been prepared since you called for the young marquis, right?

“Yes, Eriel. Come in.”

The bedroom door opened, and Damian and the doctor were standing there. Damian smiled at Eriel and Blake.

And suddenly, the person who could barely walk this morning approached Eriel with a normal gait.

Surprised, Eriel opened her mouth as she looked at his legs.

“Damian!”

“The doctor told me to be careful and walk on one leg only, but thanks to your attentive care, it seems my leg has fully healed. I can walk properly now.”

“Really? Oh! That’s great.”

“Coincidentally, your leg has fully healed on the day I arrived, brother-in-law.”

“It seems a good thing has happened because a good person has come to the mansion.”

While Eriel was looking at Damian’s legs in wonder, Blake took Lucy’s hand.

“Sister. Then I’ll have a lesson with Lucy. We’ll go to the room first.”

He didn’t forget to give a quick glance at Damian as he greeted.