Knock knock.

“…… Duke.”

At the butler’s voice, Damian’s closed eyes slowly opened.

“…… Come in.”

Standing alone in the bedroom, Damian took out a pocket watch from his breast and checked the time.

Frowning at the moving hour hand, Damian tried to move his stone-stiff legs.

It seemed he had been standing for quite a while after Eriel left the bedroom.

Damian, who arrived at the sofa in just three steps, plopped down on the seat.

As he took a deep breath and picked up the glass, the butler, who had just entered the room, met eyes with Damian.

The butler’s hurriedly moving eyes swiftly examined Damian’s condition.

“…… Shall I call for a doctor?”

“No need.”

Damian shook his head and poured whiskey.

As the liquid sloshed and filled the glass, a brief silence flowed between the butler and Damian. The silence was broken only after Damian emptied the glass.

“Her Ladyship and the young lady have gone out together. Fortunately, Her Ladyship seems to be doing well thanks to the young lady’s bright energy.”

“I see…… That’s good. If so, that’s enough. You may go.”

Damian slowly nodded at the butler’s words and set the glass down on the table.

The empty crystal glass seemed to represent His Grace, and the butler’s gaze slowly shifted from the glass to Damian.

His Grace, who leaned his upper body against the back of the sofa, had his eyes closed with his head slightly tilted back.

Although he hadn’t said anything to the butler, it was an implicit instruction to leave now that he had heard everything he needed to hear. Even so, the butler remained in his place for a moment.

The butler once again unnecessarily examined Damian’s face.

The straight forehead, high nose bridge, and sharp jawline below it added more brilliance to his excellent appearance.

However, no emotion was revealed anywhere.

It was thanks to his thoroughly completing the successor training he had received since birth.

Even the butler who had worked by his side like a limb for decades could not tell how thoroughly His Grace was hiding himself. No, not hiding…… he was killing himself.

In the past, when His Grace said he would look into Her Ladyship’s access records, that was the beginning of the question.

He thought it was strange that His Grace, whom he served, seemed so unstable. It was only after that day passed that the butler also realized.

That His Grace’s condition was more unstable than he thought.

However, that was a problem that could be known with just a little thought. Rather, it was a natural story.

There’s no way he could be okay. It was a full 10 years. How could it be natural for someone who had been on the battlefield for 10 years to do very well in normal life?

The butler himself could not understand his own judgment over the past 10 years as to why His Grace thought he would be fine. If he had just thought about it a little, he could have known it was strange.

“…… Keep your mouth shut.”

The slender, briefly opened blue eyes looked at the butler and then closed again.

“Leave like that.”

“Yes, I understand.”

The butler, who nodded, finally moved his feet. It seemed like a problem that Her Ladyship should also know about, but it was unlikely to easily come to the surface.

His Grace will try to solve his own problems himself, as always.

Just like the young lady.

“Hah…….”

The butler, who closed the bedroom door, let out a faint sigh.

*

The carriage carrying Eriel and Lucy arrived at Belle’s Toy Store, the most popular store selling children’s toys these days.

“Wow! Belle’s Toy Store is here? Wow!”

As soon as she got off the carriage, Lucy held Eriel’s hand and ran to stand in front of the store.

“Wow…….”

Lucy, who saw the dolls through the glass window, exclaimed in admiration.

From the teddy bear that Lucy particularly liked to the small angel doll, even looking at just a few products from the outside, the store’s workmanship seemed very good.

“Our Lucy loved the teddy bear Uncle Blake bought her so much, so I also wanted to buy her one. Since we’re choosing, I wanted to buy what our daughter likes. That’s why I brought you. What do you think?”

Even at Eriel’s voice, Lucy, whose gaze was fixed on the dolls, kept nodding her head.

“Yes, yes. Our mom is the best. Really the best.”

Although she was telling Eriel that she was the best, Lucy couldn’t take her eyes off the dolls beyond the glass window.

Eriel, who looked at the child’s appearance with satisfaction, stroked Lucy’s hair.

“Shall we go inside?”

“Yes, yes!!”

Lucy, who finally raised her gaze to Eriel, nodded her head vigorously.

Holding Eriel’s hand, Lucy opened the store door and stopped at the entrance of the store with a very excited face.

All the walls except the counter were densely lined with displayed dolls.

“Wow!”

“Welcome.”

The merchant bowed and swallowed his saliva.

The carriage of the Zenova ducal residence would have already been seen arriving in front of the store. Eriel nodded her head to the merchant and exchanged greetings.

“Is the store owner the craftsman who made these dolls?”

“Yes. That’s right. They are all my works.”

“Our Lucy really likes the dolls from this store. It’s our first time coming to the store, but the workmanship is excellent.”

“No, it’s an honor that the young lady likes the dolls from our store.”

Eriel, who finished a brief greeting with the merchant, turned her body to Lucy, and her eyes met with a customer.

As if he had been waiting, the man, presumed to be a knight, quickly bowed to Eriel.

“I greet the Duchess of the Empire. I am Kurt from the Dverr family. I had the opportunity to be in the same unit as His Grace two years ago. It is an honor to meet you like this.”

Eriel nodded at the unexpected connection.

“Hello. You are a knight of the Dverr family.”

“Yes. I owe a great debt to His Grace on the battlefield. Although it is humble, I would like to present a doll to the young lady as a gift. Would you grant me such an honor?”

Eriel couldn’t refuse his request due to the knight’s polite attitude.

The knight asked the merchant to recommend a doll, and the merchant soon came out with a small doll from inside.

“This is a newly released wind-up doll. How about a doll like this?”

It was a wind-up doll of a child figure holding a musical instrument.

“Would the young lady like to turn it? If you turn the key inserted in the back of the doll, it is a doll that plays music.”

“Mom, can I turn it?”

Seeing Lucy’s sparkling eyes, Eriel nodded.

“Yes. Lucy, you can turn it.”

It was from the moment Lucy was about to wind it up.

From the creaking sound of the wind-up key, Kurt’s expression next to them began to gradually distort.

And as soon as the key was fully wound and music started playing from the doll, he broke out in a cold sweat.

“Sir Kurt?”

As Eriel looked at Kurt with a puzzled expression, he blinked his eyes.

For some reason, it seemed to be because of the music sound from the doll, so she quickly grabbed the wind-up key to stop the sound.

“Ah…… I apologize……”

Kurt, who put an awkward smile on his lips, took out a handkerchief from his breast. After dabbing the sweat beading on his forehead, he bowed his head as if he was used to it.

“After the war, I became a bit sensitive to even subtle metallic sounds. It’s been over a year since I returned to the Empire, but it’s still like that. I’ve gotten much better recently, I’m sorry.”

Kurt clenched the hand holding the handkerchief even tighter, as if he hadn’t calmed down yet.

The tip of his hand trembling with anxiety could be seen.

“It’s understandable. It’s alright. I will just accept the thought of the gift, but shouldn’t you see a doctor right away?”

“Haha…….”

A bitter smile rose on Kurt’s face.

“It’s a matter of the mind, so seeing a doctor is of no use.”

“Ah…….”

“But I’m really doing comparatively well. Since I was in His Grace’s unit, you see. I was lucky.”

When Eriel tilted her head as if puzzled, Kurt smiled brightly and handed a pouch of money to the merchant from his breast.

“His Grace did not stay on the battlefield for long. He gave a lot of help in the mindset of facing that carnage. Thanks to him always firmly and silently guarding that place, the knights who followed could also engage in the war without much difficulty. My wounds are truly insignificant compared to that.”

“…… I see. I will make sure to convey Sir Kurt’s story to him as well. When I tell him the news, he will be pleased too.”

“Haha. Although His Grace cherishes his subordinates a lot, I can’t imagine him looking pleased.”

He nodded and bowed deeply. Despite wiping the sweat from his forehead, he was still sweating profusely.

“I wanted to say a lot in return, but I think this is as far as I can go. Would it be alright if I take the liberty to take my leave first?”

“No, it’s fine. Sir Kurt, thank you very much for the gift. …… Lucy?”

“Thank you. Sir Knight of Dverr. Thanks to you bravely fighting, I can play with dolls.”

Lucy smiled brightly at him.

Kurt’s pupils shook for a moment. With a gentle rising smile, Kurt saluted Lucy.

“No, rather, hearing those words from you gives me strength. Thank you.”

“Oh dear…… The knight has anxiety symptoms.”

The merchant clicked his tongue and opened the money pouch.

“Are there many people around who have mental wounds like Sir Kurt?”

Eriel, who turned her head toward the merchant, asked without missing a single word from him.

“Whew. But a knight like him is comparatively well-off to the point of having no difficulty in daily life. He speaks well, and even with anxiety symptoms, he has the presence of mind to wipe his sweat with a handkerchief.”