“Actually, my father brought up the story of my late mother again. Normally, I would have stayed quiet, but I was so angry that I talked back to him.”

Teishar looked at Lorencia with a heavy heart, who was being pointed at and called a monster without even knowing who or what she was. It was clear that she had unknowingly used her power again.

“You did very well.”

“I did well?”

“Yes.”

Teishar was so upset that he couldn’t even speak. The young tree, still surrounded by black smoke, only had its roots alive. But it seemed that if the black smoke descended even a little, the roots of the young tree would quickly turn black and rot.

His heart became anxious. He felt like he was going crazy.

He never imagined that the young tree he had carefully nurtured for days would become so contaminated just by meeting Brant once. It felt like the sincerity he had poured into it was collapsing with a loud sound, like a crumbling brick wall.

To the young tree, the Isuter Empire was no different from a barren desert. The longer she stayed here, the more she would get hurt like this.

In a hurry, Teishar suggested to Lorencia that she settle in the Polloyd Empire, but she flatly refused.

“Why are you being so kind to me?”

“That’s because…”

He wanted to say it was because she was the child of the goddess Ella. That she was the precious being that his father Magus had been searching for nearly 20 years. But the moment he said those words, he felt like he couldn’t take them back, so he closed his mouth. A sense of frustration welled up. Thinking about it in frustration, he found himself disliking telling Lorencia that she was just a precious being to him.

Then how should he express his feelings to Lorencia? Even putting aside his serpentine instincts, his feelings for her were more than just preciousness. However, he couldn’t exactly define those feelings.

“I’m still thinking about it myself.”

Teishar answered sincerely.

“If I figure out what this feeling is, of caring for you without any gain, may I give you an answer then?”

“Yes…”

Lorencia smiled and nodded at Teishar’s serious answer as he looked at her.

“And if you decide to go to the Polloyd Empire, I will do my best to protect you, so please let me know if you change your mind.”

“Thank you for considering it, Duke Spencer.”

He was sad that the young tree did not seem to open up to him yet. But he believed that someday, she would recognize his ‘sincerity’. So he was willing to wait as long as it took.

On the other hand, he felt heartbroken understanding her circumstances for not opening up to him.

The words of his father Magus, which were unusually poetic, came to mind. Come to think of it, Magus’ words were always about trees and growing trees.

Lorencia was hurt by Brant. How dare he call the child of the goddess Ella a monster? He wished he could feel her pain in her place.

“Duke Spencer, you always give me good suggestions, but I’m sorry I keep refusing.”

“There’s no need to be sorry. Instead, may I ask you a favor?”

“A favor?”

Lorencia tilted her head. She didn’t know what favor Teishar would ask of her, but was there anything she could do for him? No matter how much she thought about it, nothing came to mind at all.

“Only you can grant me this favor, Lady Lorencia.”

“I’m curious. What is this favor that only I can grant? Duke Spencer.”

“I will apply to be your debutante escort and first dance partner, so please don’t refuse.”

Lorencia’s violet eyes grew wider and wider. Teishar smiled as he watched Lorencia’s eyes grow as large as a rabbit’s.

“Can I even have a debutante ball? I don’t understand what you’re saying at all right now.”

Teishar lifted the corners of his mouth.

“The Spencer ducal family will prepare everything. So you just need to designate me as your escort and first dance partner.”

“I’m already grateful just for the literacy lessons…”

“Amelin said it’s best to have the debutante ball as soon as possible when you can.”

Come to think of it, Evan and Amelin had already said it was best to have the debutante ball soon. But a debutante ball was something the family provided.

“But will the Pol Heredian family just sit still?”

“You don’t have to worry about that.”

Lorencia didn’t hesitate. There was no reason to refuse when he offered to provide her debutante ball.

“So I just have to designate Duke Spencer as my escort and first dance partner?”

“Yes. I would like you to choose me.”

Teishar gently grasped Lorencia’s hand.

“Please. Designate me.”

Surprised by the unexpected request, Lorencia bit her lip. Lorencia looked up at Teishar and then averted her gaze. She felt strangely embarrassed. Her heart was also beating vigorously.

“Okay. Duke Spencer, please be my partner.”

“Thank you for agreeing, Lady Lorencia.”

Lorencia looked at Teishar, who was genuinely delighted. His red eyes felt as warm as their color.

“But when and where will my debutante ball be held?”

“The venue will be at the Spencer family’s private villa on the outskirts of the Isuter Empire. As for the date, Lady Lorencia can decide that herself.”

“Can I decide the date of the debutante ball as I please?”

“Originally, I was going to suggest having the debutante ball around the time you finished your literacy lessons, but I brought it up first because I wanted to be your partner, Lady Lorencia.”

Teishar glanced at the young tree behind the smiling Lorencia. Fortunately, the black smoke was slowly dissipating. It seemed the young tree was informing them of its situation according to Lorencia’s emotions.

In that case, if he kept making Lorencia smile, the black smoke wouldn’t appear.

Thinking that it would be able to grow healthily, a curve was drawn on Teishar’s lips.

Brant ran out without even greeting Adrian.

When Lorencia glared at him, he knew for sure. She was not the monster he had seen since childhood. The deep gaze, the firm voice, the black smoke rising from her body when directed at him – a fear he never wanted to experience again spread throughout his body.

He only thought that he had to run away quickly. That thing was not human.

“Duke Pol Heredian. Where are you going?”

Brant’s quick steps gradually stopped, and he tensed up, swallowing his saliva. It was because of the person who had suddenly appeared right in front of him.

“Prince Ruans.”

In his eyes, there was a fierceness of a predator eyeing its prey.

“Did you meet her well?”

“Yes. Of course. I went to see my daughter.”

“Met her… Then she will return to the ducal residence.”

“Huh?”

“I’ll have to make sure Lorencia clearly understands what happens if she leaves the ducal residence this time.”

Ruans, who had approached him before he knew it, spoke to Brant in a gentle voice.

“Why are you acting like this? Duke Pol Heredian. You don’t look well.”

“That’s…”

Should he tell Ruans everything Lorencia had done? Brant was momentarily conflicted. And as his fear-stricken heart and mind calmed down while he was thinking, he remembered what Lorencia had told him.

“I was just on my way to see you, Prince Ruans.”

“Now that you’ve met me, say what you have to say. But I don’t want to hear any excuses about not being able to bring her back.”

Ruans said with a smile. But unlike his upturned lips, his green eyes were cold. Brant quickly assessed the situation. Rather than getting angry about how Lorencia had used him like an errand boy, he had to appease the angry Ruans first.

“Lorencia asked me to relay an important message to you, Your Highness. Something about the hunting competition.”

“What? About the hunting competition?”

Ruans’ face instantly relaxed. Not missing the opportunity, Brant revealed to Ruans the story Lorencia had told him to convey. And at the end, he even mentioned how black smoke had enveloped her body like flames.

Brant brought up the story of Lorencia seriously, but Ruans only smiled with satisfaction. It was strange.

“That is a monster, Prince Ruans. How to deal with a monster…”

“Duke Brant.”

“Yes.”

“I’m sure I told you. That she is a monster.”

“What? I actually…”

“Did you not believe my great-grandfather and my words?”

“No. I’m just startled after seeing it with my own eyes. Haha.”

Brant didn’t want to tremble at Lorencia’s uncanny appearance, but his body kept shaking. He felt like someone was watching him from behind. A chill kept clinging to him, making his whole body shudder.

“Lorencia says she was frustrated because she had to relay a message about the hunting competition, but she can’t write or read.”

Ruans slowly stroked his chin. The content conveyed by Lorencia was not well received. It seemed he was displeased by the fact that Teishar was by her side.

That monster is mine. The monster that was destined to be mine from birth! But Teishar started hanging around the monster. Anger surged up at not being able to meet her properly.

“That monster is mine, you know.”

“What? What did you say?”

“Nothing much. Duke Pol Heredian. I will take care of her at the palace for now, so don’t worry and return to your ducal residence.”

“What? But…”

“Anyway, the only place she can return to after His Majesty the Emperor’s birthday is the ducal residence, so let’s just leave her be for now.”

Brant was inwardly surprised when Ruans, whom he thought would spew insulting remarks at him, brightly sent him off.

“I understand.”

Looking at Brant, Ruans straightened his back and lifted his chin.

“Lorencia really loves me desperately.”

It seemed there were various rules to Lorencia’s dreams of seeing the future.

“The future changes depending on the situation? Lorencia, you are really interesting…”

Monster.