Cedelloy looked at Maeyana with eyes that made it hard to tell whether he found it interesting or amusing.

“What else should I be worried about?”

Maeyana shrugged habitually, causing one side of the tray to tilt slightly. Cedelloy reached out to catch the glass that was about to slip from the tray.

As he held the neck of the glass, Maeyana, who had been staring at his hand for a moment, spoke.

“Well, it’s about the Lady, of course. Today, the Lady promised to stay with me until she falls asleep, right? Surely, Duke, you won’t just watch while the Lady plays alone during that time.”

Although she didn’t actually think that way, hearing such a story made her suddenly unable to avoid worrying. Arianthe and her alone until she falls asleep… What on earth should they do?

Seeing Cedelloy’s expression turn serious, Maeyana, as if expecting it, let out a light sigh.

“Listen to the Lady’s stories a lot. And the Duke should share many stories first.”

“What kind of stories…”

“That’s a problem the Duke should consider, right?”

Maeyana turned away with a determined attitude. She was too busy accommodating Arianthe’s whims! Cedelloy was an adult after all. So, he should find the answer to such problems on his own.

“Father!”

Arianthe, seeing Cedelloy coming in, was startled and dropped her fork. Although Maeyana had entered before Cedelloy, Arianthe only noticed Maeyana belatedly. And what she was holding…

Arianthe grimaced as if biting into a lemon, glancing at Vainty, then at Maeyana, and then at the “wine” she was holding. Even Cedelloy looked strangely amused. Was he about to burst into laughter with just a slight push…

“Here, Lady. I brought it. As you mentioned…”

“No, I don’t want to go to a waterfall!”

What’s this again? Maeyana thought. Turning her head slightly, she noticed that Vainty had already disappeared somewhere. Moreover, Cedelloy had a peculiar expression. It seemed like he was about to burst into laughter just by poking him…

“A waterfall, Lady. You clearly mentioned it. Grape…”

“No! No!”

Arianthe, with a flushed face, flailed her arms wildly. Maeyana, holding the glass high to prevent it from breaking, laughed heartily.

“Don’t worry, Lady. This isn’t wine. It’s juice made from berries and blackberries. Now, have some.”

Only then did Arianthe, with widened eyes, turn to Cedelloy. Suppressing laughter by pressing his fist against his mouth, Cedelloy coughed when he met Arianthe’s gaze.

“For wine, wait until you’re a bit older to drink with your father. For now, be satisfied with strawberry juice.”

Blushing, Arianthe glared at Maeyana. She had finally realized that Maeyana had played a prank despite knowing everything. However, since Cedelloy was supporting Maeyana’s joke, she couldn’t get angry.

With a cute grumbling sound, Arianthe finished the juice and, as Maeyana turned her gaze toward Cedelloy, slightly bowed her knees.

“Then, Duke, I will clear the table. How about taking a stroll in the garden with the Lady?”

Cedelloy looked down at Arianthe with a gentle gaze.
“Are you okay, Arianthe? Shall we walk together with Father?”

“Yes! Yes, that’s good.”

Arianthe, with flushed cheeks, leaped up from her chair and grabbed Cedelloy’s hand. Then, before leaving, she suddenly turned back as if having second thoughts. Seeing Maeyana tidying up the dishes on the table, Arianthe smiled and waved at her.

“Arianthe, why are you like that?”

Cedelloy asked curiously as Arianthe remained silent. Arianthe quickly raised her head, withdrawing her gaze, which had been fixed on Maeyana.

“Nothing… No, Father. The garden will be illuminated, right?”

“Well, of course. If the lights aren’t on, Father will turn them on for you.”

The woman’s chattering voice gradually faded as she moved away beyond the door. Maeyana, with a proud feeling, cleared the dishes and organized the table. By the time she had swept away the scattered cake crumbs, Vainty sneakily revealed herself.

Maeyana teased her playfully, “You came quickly. Did you laugh so much that your stomach burst, and you had to stitch it back together?”

“This is ridiculous. Haven’t you received some curse on your tongue? Hey, stick out your tongue. Let me see if there’s a spell written to summon demons.”

Maeyana burst into laughter and apologized, “Sorry.” Vainty, pretending to be annoyed, helped clean up the surrounding area untouched by Maeyana’s hands.

“When I first saw you, I couldn’t have imagined this, Vainty. Right?”

Vainty’s ears turned red. She spoke as if she were spitting out the words.

“So what, you hate it?”

“No, who said I hate it? I just can’t believe it. I mean, you really disliked me at first. Why was that? I didn’t do anything annoying, and on the day I first came here, you acted like you wanted to devour me. Why was that?”

Throwing the rag she held into the bucket, Vainty, with a fist on her waist, glared at Maeyana. Do I really have to bring up that issue now? – Her eyes seemed to convey such a message.

With a smirk, Maeyana said, “Okay, got it. I’ll accept your apology.”