The Earl of Boston’s mansion was quiet with only a few servants present.

“Everyone except the most discreet and loyal is on vacation. I thought that would be best while you and Blanche are staying.”

“Thank you, Uncle. It must be inconvenient for you…”

“Inconvenient? Don’t say such things. I’m happy to see Blanche up close.”

The Earl of Boston smiled kindly as he personally guided me to the room where I would be staying.

“I was worried about giving you a guest room, so stay here for now.”

“Uncle, this is…”

“I left Rachel’s things as they were. Feel free to use the dresses and accessories.”

The room decorated all in pink was Rachel’s childhood room.

Memories of being driven out of Rachel’s room at the Duke of Belaste’s mansion crept up.

“Larien? What’s wrong?”

The Earl of Boston, who had entered first and laid Blanche on the bed, looked at me curiously.

I took a courageous step forward.

“I’ve already contacted Mary to depart immediately. I’ll likely be away from the mansion all day tomorrow.”

“Where are you going, Uncle?”

“…I have something to find in the territory. Now, you must be very shocked today, so rest well.”

The Earl of Boston held back his words as he closed the door and left.

I examined Blanche’s knee as she slept soundly, wheezing slightly.

Though the wound wasn’t badly torn, I sighed involuntarily at the pain it must have caused.

As I gently cleaned the knee with an alcohol swab, Blanche woke up with a groan.

“Blanche, are you awake?”

“Mama, it stings…”

“If we don’t disinfect it, it’ll leave a scar. Just bear with it a little longer, my baby?”

Blanche squeezed her eyes shut and endured it.

“Mama, Shuchu is sorry.”

As I finished disinfecting and applied ointment, Blanche suddenly apologized.

“Hmm? Why is my daughter sorry?”

I sat on the bed, stroking Blanche’s cheek in bewilderment.

“Mama, earlier Shuchu said mean things. Like, I don’t like it…”

“Ah. Blanche, it’s okay. Mama’s not angry. And you did that to protect Mama, right?”

I felt that the reason Blanche was shrinking back was due to the unconscious anxiety she was feeling.

“Mama, then are you upset because of that Marquis?”

“…Blanche.”

“I’ll scold the Marquis for you. I’ll keep protecting Mama. Don’t worry.”

Blanche clenched her fist tightly. The playful smile in her eyes resembled Jade’s.

‘He said he thought I had died because of him.’

I couldn’t forget Jade’s expression filled with lament and betrayal in his eyes.

“Mama?”

I came to my senses as Blanche pulled at the hem of my dress, anxious.

“…Blanche. Don’t hate him too much. He’s not a bad person. He was just very surprised earlier.”

For some reason, it saddened me that Blanche didn’t view Jade favorably.

“Then why did he yell at Mama?”

“He’s an old friend of Mama’s, but Mama lied to the Marquis.”

Blanche glanced at me, hesitated, then spoke.

“Shuchu has been wondering for a while, why do Grandpa and the Marquis call you Larien?”

“Huh?”

“Mama’s name is Diane, isn’t it?”

Perhaps it was because I had never told Blanche about living as ‘Larien Belaste’.

It would seem strange that not only the Earl of Boston but even Jade, whom she just met, called me Larien.

“Um, Blanche. You know Grandpa is Mama’s uncle, right?”

“Uh-huh.”

“Yes, he was a relative, but he adopted Mama as his daughter. It’s something to be grateful for.”

I added an explanation in case Blanche didn’t understand ‘adopted daughter’.

“Being an adopted daughter means becoming someone else’s daughter. So ‘Larien’ was Mama’s name before becoming Uncle’s adopted daughter.”

Blanche nodded vigorously as if she understood.

“Aha, so that’s Larien. Shuchu understands. You said Mama and the Marquis are very old friends.”

“That’s right. We knew each other before I became Uncle’s adopted daughter.”

“But, Mama. Earlier when Shuchu saw in the prayer room…”

Blanche was about to say something but shook her head.

“Prayer room?”

“It’s nothing. Mama, Shuchu wants to sleep more. Rub my tummy.”

As Blanche yawned, I carefully tucked her in and rubbed her stomach.

‘She’s needed her tummy rubbed to fall asleep since she was little. At times like this, she’s still just a baby.’

Blanche blinked her eyelids several times, drowsy.

“Mama. Can I ask about Papa…?”

Blanche took my hand.

‘I guess she’s curious about her father.’

After hearing such things from her friends, how much must she have held back wanting to ask until now?

I stroked Blanche’s round forehead.

“Of course, you can ask.”

“I thought you wouldn’t like it if I talked about Papa.”

Learning Blanche’s true feelings, that she had been cautious, I could only smile bitterly.

“Blanche, Mama’s sorry. Do you miss Papa a lot?”

“No, I don’t want to see Papa. Shuchu only had Mama from the beginning. I really don’t want to see Papa who was never there.”

I could hear the sorrow in Blanche’s voice as she emphasized it several times.

I knew Blanche was lying.

By pretending not to long for an absent parent, not envying others.

It was a method I often used to protect my pride.

‘It’s the first time seeing her resemble me has made me sad.’

It pained me to see Blanche reminding me of my younger self.

“Blanche. You don’t have to force yourself to hold back. If you miss him, you can say you miss him.”

I hugged Blanche’s small body.

‘She’s so young, but already…’

I should have been more considerate of Blanche sooner.

“If Shuchu says I want to see Papa, can I keep seeing Papa?”

“…Blanche.”

“Then can we live with the Marquis?”

Oh, what should I do, really.

‘She knows Jade is her father…?’

So she knew everything but pretended not to.

“At first, I wished he was Papa. But when our eyes met, when Shuchu held his hand… I knew.”

“…”

“That the Marquis is Shuchu’s Papa. It seemed like Mama missed him a lot, so Shuchu gave in earlier.”

So that’s why she wasn’t afraid of Jade. I understood Blanche’s behavior at the temple.

Not crying as usual but holding back, fearlessly running to Jade.

“The Marquis doesn’t know Shuchu is his daughter, right?”

“…No, he doesn’t.”

“The Marquis is stupid. Shuchu knew he was Papa as soon as she saw him.”

It was all because she knew Jade was her father, because she wasn’t scared.

“Then, Shuchu won’t say anything either. I won’t call him Papa until the Marquis recognizes me first.”

Blanche spoke bravely, hiding so many emotions.

“Later, when the Marquis recognizes Shuchu… I want to go on picnics and get piggyback rides like Jenny and Ellie. The Marquis is so tall, it would be so exciting, right?”

“…Baby.”

“I want to call him Papa.”

Can the sadness Blanche is feeling now be simply expressed as disappointment?

‘…I wonder if I should just tell her.’

Undoubtedly, I regretted keeping everything a secret from Jade.

I know if I had been honest with Jade, the situation would be completely different now.

Blanche wouldn’t have been hurt, wouldn’t have said she wanted to call him Papa.

‘I’m sorry, Blanche.’

…Mama doesn’t want to put you in danger.

‘I don’t think I can grant your wish.’

I didn’t have the confidence to watch Blanche get hurt by others. I didn’t want to choose the rejection Blanche would face.

“Blanche, let’s go to sleep now.”

“…Mama, don’t go anywhere. You have to stay by Shuchu’s side. Okay?”

“Okay, Mama will be right here. Don’t worry and sleep.”

Blanche yawned softly and rubbed her eyes.

“I love you, my baby.”

I whispered in Blanche’s ear and stayed by her side.

Jade was still standing motionless in the middle of the temple.

He couldn’t quite come to his senses from the aftermath of the wave that had just swept through.

Larien wasn’t dead.

She had deceived him and run away.

‘Why on earth would she do such a terrible thing?’

Anger rose in place of the sense of loss that had passed.

‘…Blanche, she said?’

One doubt arose about the name of Larien’s daughter.

‘No father, does that mean she raised her alone all this time?’

Jade pondered about Blanche for a while.

When he first met the child and heard her name, he just thought it was interesting.

If she was Larien’s daughter, it couldn’t be dismissed as mere coincidence.

‘Why did she name the child Blanche?’

He had once visited his parents’ resting place with Larien.

‘Was the previous Lady Rowe’s name Blanche?’

‘Yes.’

‘Blanche Rowe… It has a soft pronunciation. What kind of person was she?’

Larien, who had said the name was pretty, couldn’t not have known.

That it was his mother’s name.

He didn’t think it was a simple coincidence.

There must be a reason she gave the child a name connected to Jade.

‘She can’t be my daughter.’

He wanted to hear Larien’s thoughts. The reason for giving another man’s child his mother’s name.

‘…I should keep watch on Larien near the Earl of Boston’s mansion.’

Even if that was something Larien disliked.