“I understand.” Maiana wanted to answer sincerely, but in the end, she chose silence. She expressed an ambiguous agreement by nodding her head slightly.

Lady Viscountess, as if enjoying a delightful play, gently covered Maiana’s back of the hand with an affectionate touch.

“Don’t think too deeply, Maiana. Just let things flow as they should. Whatever promises the Duke made to you, just remember that those promises will be fulfilled.”

“Of course, that’s the only way.”

Her resigned tone of voice didn’t sit well with her.

At that moment, Cedric returned to the drawing-room. After Lady Viscountess, who gently patted Maiana’s shoulder once again, got up elegantly without the sound of her clothes brushing, she left the room.

“I’ll go check on the children. Talk to me, Duke.”

“Thank you, Lady Viscountess.”

After Lady Viscountess quietly left, Cedric closed the door and asked Maiana.

“How was it?”

Maiana gave him a sidelong glance with a graceful expression.

“What do you mean, Your Grace?”

Cedric’s shoulders lifted lightly.

“Well, anything. The conversation with Lady Viscountess. Or the conversation with Yangjaesa.”

“Both were gentle and burdensome.”

With a somewhat blunt tone, Maiana heard Cedric chuckling softly.

“Are you angry?”

“It’s not that I’m angry, but rather, I’m bewildered. Suddenly, a dress? Where would I go wearing a dress? I can’t wear an elegant dress like Lady Viscountess while playing hide-and-seek with the lady and the children, can I?”

“Don’t worry. If the lace tears or gets dirty, you can ask for repairs separately. Besides, it’s not just making one dress.”

Maiana interrupted Cedric’s words.
“You know what I want to find out, Your Grace.”

A smile, appearing as if to be seen and yet elusive, crossed Cedric’s lips. His softened expression, a gentle smile like whipped cream, was charming. In that moment of laughter, he looked like an ordinary man, not the Duke of Balminster.

A well-groomed, ordinary, and handsome man, desirable enough to want to give up lingering regrets or memories of the past and start a new life together.

“I’ll tell you now, or I might really get angry if you find out later. The reason for making the dress… it’s for my personal pleasure, but more than that, it’s for your lively debut.”

Maiana thought she might need to feign fainting this time.

“What did you just say?”
“Don’t worry; we’re going together right away as Ariante’s guardians. I’ll call myself a protector for now, as I’m a bit young to be Sharflong… Let’s just say, roughly a guardian. Anyway, people will know about it sooner or later.”

“What do you mean by ‘knowing’?”

“I mean that you’re officially Ariante’s maid.”

“I’m a maid, Your Grace. A public maid. A lady of your status should have a noble maid. Not someone like me from the countryside.”

Cedric, with a fist bump, tilted his head with an amused expression.

“Actually, your background doesn’t matter much. As you said, it’s quite common for unmarried high-status ladies to bring in relatively lower-class noble girls as close maids. But that’s because of the maid’s role. It’s not just about presenting in public. You should be able to advise on clothes, help manage schedules, and also be a suitable companion for conversation. Is there anything among these that you can’t do for Ariante?”

It was forced and sophistical. What Maiana could do now was only possible because Ariante was still young. It was certain that if the child were sixteen or even fourteen, Maiana wouldn’t be able to communicate with her. There were many things that Maiana hadn’t learned yet, and she would learn them as Ariante grew.

About various aspects of noble society life, or about strict etiquette, about fashion…

“That’s because the young lady is still too young to do so.”

However, Maiana tried her best to maintain a calm attitude. She didn’t feel the need to argue with Cedric, and above all, she was more curious about why he wanted to go to Vansung.

“You’re not suggesting taking the young lady and me for a walk in Vansung, of course.”

“Of course not.”

“May I ask why you’re going to Vansung? Even if you add the question, is it okay?”

Although she added the question if it was okay, it was practically asking without permission. Cedric, without blaming her for that fact, smiled slyly and then slightly narrowed his eyes as if he were a person in distress.

“To be precise, Vansung is not our original destination. However, since we’re going all the way to El Rautica, we can’t avoid meeting His Majesty. We have to pay our respects.”