She always thought of him as a straightlaced person, but this playful side!

Bianca’s eyes widened.

Even amidst this, the angle of the reclined arm and the fingertips on his chest were perfectly stewardlike.

Even in a dress, the splendid figure made Bianca finally burst into laughter.

“Then, I trust only you, Heiley.”

“I will prepare a satisfactory lunch.”

How can even a knight’s stiff and proper tone fit so well!

If he were dressed in armor, she would have believed he was a real knight without question.

Bianca’s eyes widened as she whispered.

“Sir Heiley, it was nice meeting you.”

“It was an honor to greet you like this.”

The steward seemed to have enjoyed pretending to be a knight, for he maintained the tone until he left.

“It’s too formal, and it’s burdensome.”

Then Julie’s eyes widened, and she laughed.

“Burdensome? You can enjoy it more. You are Termina.”

“Eh?”

Does Termina mean taming Barlock…?

Bianca’s cheeks hardened.

Julie somehow understood the faint expression and bit her tongue, smiling awkwardly.

“Was it disrespectful? I’m sorry, madam. But everyone is excited.”

“Why?”

“Termina will free Barlock, who has atoned for his sins.”

Julie seemed to understand it all, but Bianca couldn’t comprehend anything.

“Atonement?”

“Oh, dear, the prophecy. The wellknown prophecy.”

Julie smiled as if she knew it now, but Bianca couldn’t smile at all.

It was a prophecy she heard for the first time.

“Count Franz is said to have recently become addicted to gambling and is squandering his assets.”

Creta’s words caught the attention of Gillian, who was engrossed in examining the documents.

“Franz? Surely not, Sams Franz?”

“If it’s not the other Count Franz, it’s him for sure.”

“He loves everything to be perfect. A character who can’t tolerate even a 1% uncertainty would be interested in gambling… ah.”

Gillian’s expression changed coldly as he stopped speaking.

“He was close to the Crown Prince, wasn’t he?”

“Close is a bit of an overstatement, but similar.”

“He must have been disliked by the Crown Prince?”

“After that incident, this is a document written by Count Franz.”

Instead of answering, Creta pulled out another thick document and handed it to Gillian.

Gillian, with his arms crossed, didn’t even look through the document.

“He majored in geology and statistics at the academy.”

The golden iris that was slowly rolling as if wandering through the air gently closed.

“Many dogs wait for the favor of Jeremy Termina, but why summon Count Franz?”

“The vast northern territories have as many mines as monsters.”

“It would have been called to be responsible for the development of the northern mines, but it’s unfortunate.”

“It’s a bad hobby. You don’t even think it’s a pity.”

Gillian gave a slight smile at Creta’s scoffing.

“Isn’t this what people usually say?”

“Normally at this time, they say, ‘How dare you aim for my domain!’ and get angry.”

“What if you think I said that because I’m more merciful?”

“You know the meaning of mercy, right?”

Gillian whispered with a broad smile at Creta’s words.

“I personally prefer ‘favor’.”

It was clearly a tease.

But even though she knew that, looking at Gillian, smiling with golden eyes, it seemed like he really was a man in love.

Beautiful, captivating, and also lovely.

Creta made a noise, tapping her forehead.

A look of love.

Could it be?

The person is Gillian Barlock.

An emotionless person.

He was born for duty, he went out to suppress the wave when the time came, he returned to report to Duke Silerus, and he retired again.

At least he was not the kind of person to even joke about it.

“Please refrain from that expression. It’s really scary.”

“Scary? I made this face because they usually like this kind of expression?”

“It’s too real, so it’s scary.”

“I’m serious.”

“Did I ever tell you that you have a really bad personality?”

“Well, if that’s the case, there’s nothing I can do about it.”

Anyway, as long as the lady recognizes it.

At Gillian’s shrugging words, Creta sighed familiarly.

Since he was a child, whose memory was now forgotten, he had been with this Barlock.

People admired the ‘inhuman’ Barlock, but he, who had watched closely, knew.

Barlock was indeed different from people.

Faint emotions.

More than that, a faint sense of connection.

The only thing they cared about was protecting the royal family from the monsters beyond the ice wall.

He didn’t know why Barlock, who was indifferent to anything else, was so desperate for Termina.

“……”

Creta glanced at Gillian, who was looking over the documents again.

The golden eyes shining between the long, silver eyelashes. The sharp nose that soared as if skydiving, and the smooth cheeks.

Gillian had a face so much like Duke Silerus.

Just like twins.

Perhaps because of that, the strange submission to Termina was solid even as it passed down through generations.

Was it also a continuation of circling around Bianca Termina, an enemy no different from a mortal one?

Or maybe……

‘Termina shall free Barlock, who has paid his debt of crime.’

Was it that, too?

The longcherished wish of Barlock, who was leashed.