‘It’s true that I was excited. No, actually quite a lot.’

As I was about to get off, holding hands while wearing the hat I had neatly placed on the opposite side, I suddenly felt a piercing gaze.

Behind Edmond, there was a man with a subtle expression.

As our eyes met beyond the hat fluttering in the wind, the man casually bowed. He was a man with long navy hair and a mole under his eye.

‘Where have I seen that face before?’

As I gave him a puzzled look, the man perceptively opened his mouth.

“I am Tail, Rail’s twin elder brother.”

“Ah. You’re Rail’s twin.”

“Elder brother.”

“Yes, twin.”

“Elder brother.”

He’s really fixated on that.

“Alright, you’re Rail’s elder brother.”

Only then did Tail retreat with a satisfied smile.

Edmond, who was glaring at Tail with his hands behind his back, opened his mouth.

“There’s a message from Lady Wickley before entering the villa.”

“What is it?”

“First, I won’t be accompanying you. You’ll be entering alone, Lady Countess, but Lady Wickley wants you to wear a blindfold from the entrance of the villa where she’s staying, and when you meet, she wants to have a cloth between you.”

Edmond sighed, running his hand through his hair, looking somewhat disgusted.

“It seems you had quite a hard time setting up this appointment.”

“She doesn’t want to meet face-to-face, doesn’t want a communication device, wants messages delivered through servants, says it can’t be bright, can’t be dark. It was the first time I’ve encountered such endless demands.”

It was clear that she had reluctantly agreed to the dinner proposal since she was staying in the duke’s territory.

‘I can understand that.’

Having read the original work and understanding Lady Wickley’s eccentricities, I could only smile knowingly.

Seeing my reaction, Edmond furrowed his brow and gave me a suspicious look.

“I’ve heard of Lady Wickley’s reputation, but she seemed different from the rumors. Is she really someone who can help both you and your sister?”

“Of course. Oh, thank you for setting up the appointment.”

I smiled brightly, closing my eyes. If I could just hold onto her, she would become the best lifeline for Lilien and me.

“Then I’ll go check on the territory. There are more than a few minor issues that have been neglected.”

Edmond glanced somewhere. In front of the carriage parked near the vineyard stood an elderly man with white hair.

The elderly gentleman took off his fedora and nodded at me.

‘He must be a retainer of the Mifidian ducal family.’

Thinking it wouldn’t hurt to make a good impression, I smiled brightly.

“Then I’ll see you near the vineyard later.”

“Understood.”

I watched as Edmond first led Tail away, then followed the villa servant’s guidance inside.

Behind Edmond, who was walking through the vineyard with his hands behind his back, Baron Montry, a retainer of the Mifidian ducal family, followed, leaning on his cane.

“For nearly 10 years, we’ve been collecting excessive tax rates from the territory’s residents. How about lowering the tax rate to shed the negative image of the lord and prepare for the new lord to be accepted without resistance?”

“Tsk, they’ve been milking it quite a bit.”

Haha, Baron Montry stroked his chin and burst into laughter.

“It seems you’re not satisfied even after driving out all your relatives without leaving a single ogrant.”

Edmond stopped walking and stared at Baron Montry with a displeased expression.

“Are you being sarcastic?”

“Of course not. I’m just glad you’ve returned safely.”

Baron Montry bowed his head with a benevolent smile.

“You’ve worked hard over the past 10 years.”

He was sincere. With the duke and duchess’s passing, he too had lost his master.

The boy who was the next in line for the duchy was denounced as a madman, and he, out of favor with the foolish collateral branch, was holed up in a small room.

The territory’s residents and retainers, who had been disgusted by the licentious management of the territory, would now feel at ease.

Edmond, who had been looking down at Baron Montry with calm eyes, averted his gaze. To him, the baron was a grateful person who had stayed by his side, a mature adult. He was also one of the few humans he could trust.

“I’m grateful to the baron for waiting for me all these years, but don’t think about resting for a while. I’ll entrust all the territory’s affairs to you.”

Thus, he was also implicitly showing his trust in the baron.

“My, you’re trying to work this old man to the bone.”

Baron Montry, who had skillfully understood, smiled gently and then suddenly erased his smile.

It was because he remembered the noble lady he had met earlier. Etricia Vuel, a woman with striking red hair that swirled in the wind as if swallowing the green vegetation.

“Are you in that kind of relationship with Lady Vuel?”

Edmond almost tripped over his own feet. Grabbing a nearby grapevine branch to steady himself, he turned to Baron Montry with a flustered expression.

“What nonsense are you suddenly spouting? Have you finally gone senile?”

Despite the sharp tone, Baron Montry maintained his dignified smile, unfazed.

“Aren’t you at an age to start thinking about marriage? I plan to meet with young lady Lilien soon and ask her as well.”

“Neither my sister nor I have the luxury to think about such things. Don’t talk nonsense.”

“But you’re protecting Lady Vuel in your mansion, aren’t you?”

“She’s just my sister’s friend.”

Edmond, judging it unnecessary to disclose uncertain details about Etricia, replied gruffly while furrowing his brow.

Baron Montry squinted his eyes and adjusted his grip on his cane.

“Then please arrange different accommodations for her. We’ve been lucky to keep things quiet so far, but there could be a scandal.”

“I’ll handle it, so don’t worry about it.”

“How can I not worry? It’s also a retainer’s duty to bring in a suitable lady of the house for the duke.”

Edmond gritted his teeth and glared at Baron Montry with fierce eyes. Despite the terrifying murderous intent, the baron didn’t flinch.

It was because he had accumulated years of experience dealing with all sorts of people, and he knew the young boy who used to cling to his leg, begging for piggyback rides.

“If you don’t want to hear an old man’s nagging, bring a partner.”

If the past years were spent solely on protecting his sister and building a foundation, now he wished for his happiness.

The baron, leaning on his cane, passed by Edmond and stopped, squinting his eyes mischievously.

Seeing Baron Montry’s gaze, Edmond furrowed his brow fiercely.

“I told you, we’re not that kind of relationship…!”

“Well, the most unpredictable thing is the relationship between a man and a woman.”

Hoo hoo, Baron Montry chuckled slyly while stroking his chin and walked ahead, leaning on his cane.

That raccoon-like human… Edmond glared at Baron Montry, his ear tips reddening, while strongly gripping an innocent grapevine branch.

“The lady is sensitive to even the slightest sound. Please be careful, very careful…”

Haah. Standing like a statue, listening to the maid’s 15th precaution, I sighed.

I lifted the edge of the blindfold with my fingertips and gave the maid a sideways glance.

“Look, I think that’s enough. I’d like to see Lady Wickley now.”

“Ah, understood. I’ll guide you, but you must keep the blindfold on.”

The maid, startled, readjusted my blindfold and then placed my hand on her arm.

Once again, my vision became pitch black without a speck of light, and after a while, I heard the sound of hinges.

I followed the maid silently.

Eventually, I sat in the chair the maid guided me to. The strong scent of flowers and soil suggested it was an indoor greenhouse.

“If you wait a moment, I’ll bring Lady Wickley. Shall I serve tea first?”

“That would be nice.”

Soon, I heard the sound of the maid who had taken the tea order moving towards the door. I felt another maid who had entered with us set the tea down in front of me.

Smiling softly at the mint scent wafting to my nose, I said,

“Thank you for serving the tea, Lady Wickley.”

Clatter-. There was a friction sound as if startled while setting down the tea.

The signs of bewilderment were evident.

“May I remove the blindfold?”

“…Yes.”

At the grudging reply, I removed the blindfold. Blinking my eyes that stung from the sudden light, I saw Lady Wickley standing beside me, flustered.

Looking to be in her early 40s, she had her hair tied up without a single strand out of place, and a veil covering everything below her eyes.

“Please sit, Lady Wickley.”

Lady Wickley, as if she had never been flustered, straightened her back and gracefully moved to the opposite seat. Then, the waiting maid approached me as if seeing a ghost. The sight of her glancing nervously and setting down the tea and refreshments with trembling hands before disappearing was quite amusing.

As silence fell, it was Lady Wickley who spoke first.

“How did you know?”

“By intuition.”

Lady Wickley made an unpleasant expression as if it was nonsense. She seems to think it’s a joke.

“It really was intuition. If I had to reason it out, perhaps it was the mint scent emanating from you?”

The information that she liked mint was widespread in social circles.

Lady Wickley slightly furrowed her brow and then relaxed it.

“You have good intuition.”

“Thank you for the compliment.”

Ha, Lady Wickley sighed languidly and brought the tea under her veil. She seemed tired.

“Forgive me, I just wanted to know what kind of person the reclusive Lady Vuel was.”

Although I felt a bit offended by her tone that seemed to imply superiority, I understood in a way.

It was a kind of test. How one treats those beneath them is a quick and easy way to gauge one’s character.

Moreover, from my prior research before coming to the duchy, there were rumors that Lady Wickley valued people so much that she was known to cherish her own people dearly.

Since nobles can hide their true feelings and present a plausible attitude, she must have found another clear method.

‘Seeing as there’s no order to leave, I must have passed that test.’