“I have no intention of approving the engagement you decided on your own.”

“Father.”

“Lord Marquess.”

A confused Alicia distanced herself from Marquess Lancaster.

Marquess Lancaster never thought he would oppose this, let alone on the first day of his return.

That too, out of the blue.

Alicia, who was about to protest, found herself frozen because Marquess Lancaster’s gaze was too cold when he looked at them.

She had never seen her father with such a cold expression.

“Uh, Father?”

Although called in surprise, there was no change in Marquess Lancaster’s expression.

The atmosphere sank instantly.

Breaking the silence that had been going on for a while, it was Marquess Lancaster’s wife who spoke.

“Don’t be so definitive about it since you just returned today, dear.”

Despite his wife’s objection, Marquess Lancaster frowned at her but fell silent as he saw his wife shaking her head in silence.

“Eric, you should go now too. You’ve been moving since dawn today, right? You must be tired, so go and rest.”

“Mother.”

“Alicia. Everything has its time. It’s not something to decide so definitively here, considering the engagement between you two.”

“…Yes.”

Alicia, forced to answer reluctantly, received a kind smile from the Marquess’s wife, who also smiled warmly at Eric.

“You worked hard today. Now go, Eric.”

“Yes. Take care of yourself.”

“Sure. Thank you.”

“Father, Lord Marquess. I’ll be going.”

“…Anyway, you worked hard today.”

“Yes. Goodbye.”

After Eric greeted and walked away, Alicia quickly followed him.

Once the door closed, leaving only Marquess and Marquess’s wife behind, Marquess Lancaster sighed heavily.

“If you can’t properly explain it, why bring it up now? You have to give the kids time to prepare.”

“Does that count as preparing?”

“Well, at least. Even if they say, ‘break up now,’ and you agree, will it look like they’re breaking up?”

“So why.”

Marquess Lancaster sighed without finishing his sentence.

“I’m saying it now, but what difference does it make.”

Rubbing his head as if he had a headache, Marquess Lancaster’s voice was heavy.

His wife consoled him, as if calming down her troubled husband.

“Let’s wait and see. How it turns out.”

“There’s no time for that.”

The muttered voice of the Marquess was heavy.

In the end, even Marquess’s wife closed her mouth and looked at the door where Eric and Alicia had left with a worried gaze.

The atmosphere sank heavily again, and within it, the only thing that could be heard was the Marquess’s sigh.

“Are you really just going to leave?”

Alicia grabbed Eric’s shirt carefully.

Seeing her guilt and concern, Eric smiled as if nothing was wrong.

“For now, it seems better to do so.”

“I’m sorry. My father didn’t have a chance to get to know you, so he’s like this. He’ll like you more after a while.”

“Do you think so?”

“Yes. Maybe not as much as I do, though.”

Alicia held Eric’s waist and looked up at him closely.

“Your father will definitely see you just like I did.”

“It’s a bit awkward for your father to see me like that.”

“What are you saying, really.”

In the end, both burst into laughter.

When the laughter subsided, Alicia smiled and drew closer to Eric.

“Are you trying to comfort me now?”

“Is this comforting?”

“Rather than comforting, it seems to make things more awkward?”

“Oh, that’s a bit awkward for me too.”

Alicia wrinkled her forehead as if pondering.

While Alicia hesitated, Eric smiled, pressing Alicia’s forehead that she wrinkled with his finger.

“You’re pretending to worry while enjoying it.”

“Well, then, since I’ve revealed it, do you want to make it more awkward?”

“Huh?”

Alicia grabbed Eric’s tie and pulled him into a kiss.

She kissed him more skillfully than before, stimulating Eric’s lips and intruding between them.

It was a bit awkward.
Hearing the words to part from Marquess Russell and coming out of Marquess Russell’s residence, it was very awkward. Suppressing the desire to immediately take Alicia on the carriage, Eric regretfully distanced himself from her.

“Let’s end it for today. I’ll really be going. Let’s spend some quiet time with the family for a change.”

Alicia’s slightly parted red lips, which had been slightly opened, turned into a smile at Eric’s words. The care felt in his eyes was appreciated.

“Next time, let’s all meet together. Father and Mother too.”

“Let’s do that. I’ll be going.”

Lightly.

With a light kiss, the two separated. After the hands that had been held together slowly fell, Alicia bid farewell to Eric.

When Marquess Lancaster returned, there was excitement in the marquess’s residence. Although the twins were initially awkward or whining at the unfamiliar father they hadn’t seen in a long time, they soon became accustomed to him since they stuck together for a few days.

“Now, look at this. Isn’t it amazing? Dad made something new again today.”