“I won’t spar with you……”

Clang.

Riena darted out like lightning and swung her sword towards Lambermon’s shoulder. The skirt of her dress fluttered in the wind. Startled, Lambermon raised his sword high to block.

“Hey! Are you crazy?”

“A fool who can’t read the room needs a beating.”

Riena unleashed a barrage of merciless attacks. Though it seemed like wild swinging, well-trained swordsmanship emerged in between. Each time, the knights let out gasps of admiration.

The girl, wearing a dress full of decorative frills and lace, moved her sword freely like a butterfly fluttering over the sparring ground.

Rublion stood dazed, watching the twins’ duel. Lambermon was being pushed back by the relentless attacks.

While everyone’s attention was focused on the exciting duel between the Terabita princess and prince.

Rublion couldn’t hide his complicated feelings of being left alone like on a deserted island. He wanted to appear as a cool man skilled with a sword. But with Riena’s level of skill, she would likely see through such petty tricks immediately.

So he felt ashamed. His face burning red, he could no longer stand there nonchalantly.

Rublion eventually couldn’t bear it and fled from the training grounds.

‘I wanted to look good!’

It wasn’t this difficult when making the Baron Deli’s daughter his mother. Most things went in the desired direction, and even when plans went awry unexpectedly, there was always a way forward.

But with Riena, that didn’t work well. He wanted to make his most confident, meticulous plans, but was cautious about appearing gloomy and selfish.

In front of Riena, he felt like just a timid child rather than the Artenbach young lord wielding fearsome power through careful planning.

The boy who left the training grounds ran to the treehouse with his lips tightly pursed. Whatever his expression was now, he didn’t want to show it to anyone.

“Huh? Where did the young lord go?”

Riena, who had given Lambermon one more smack on the head after he raised both hands in surrender, asked when she noticed Rublion had disappeared.

The knights looked around for Rublion, but there was no way to see the small master who had already left.

“The captain is gone too. Maybe they left together?”

Riena snorted. Then she slightly lifted the hem of her dress.

“It was an enjoyable time.”

At the girl’s farewell, several knights seemed completely smitten, honey dripping from their eyes.

“Please come again, Princess.”

“Next time, show us more of Terabita’s swordsmanship.”

Riena descended from the sparring arena with hurried steps. Then as she exited the training grounds, she called out.

“Yes, next time.”

Unlike the other knights whose attention was focused on the saplings’ duel, the loyal captain of the knights did not take his eyes off the small master he served.

The boy was greatly disheartened, and he felt guilty for somehow contributing to that situation.

Watching Rublion climb the treehouse ladder and enter the hideout, he hid his body between the trees. It was to avoid being discovered that he had followed.

‘After something like that in front of the girl he likes, he’d want to dig a hole and crawl in.’

Though his young master had ideas and intelligence that would surprise even adults, at times like this he was unmistakably a child.

The knight captain let out a deep worried sigh. He planned to wait and gently comfort the small master once his mood improved a bit.

That’s when it happened. Someone approached the treehouse. The knight captain raised his guard and placed his hand on his sword hilt.

“Young lord, are you here?”

It was the voice of the Terabita princess. He briefly poked his head out through the gap to check the house, then removed his hand from the sword hilt.

The princess let go of her skirt and grabbed the treehouse ladder. Then she climbed up with animal-like speed.

“Young lord.”

The princess called out while peering inside through the small window of the house.

Then she sat down, inserting her legs one by one between the wooden supports of the high railing right next to the ladder.

Having seen the Terabita prince and princess, and even the small master he served and his own son sit like that, he seriously wondered to himself why children sit that way.

“Young lord. I was thinking on my way here.”

The knight captain perked up his ears. The Terabita princess wiggled her ankles hanging in the air as she continued speaking.

“If we ever get married, you should lead the territory. You’re much smarter, study well, and would manage the territory well.”

The knight captain listened intently to the princess’s words while holding his breath.

“In exchange, I’ll protect you. So let’s support each other as we live.”

The knight captain’s nose tingled at the princess’s mature and thoughtful words. He was consumed by the thought that such a lady would make a good future duchess.

“And um……”

As if she had more to say, the princess’s foot wiggling sped up.

“I don’t mind if you’re not a cool person.”

The girl covered her face with both hands, seemingly embarrassed, and continued speaking.

“……I just like you as you are.”

The heart of the knight captain, who would turn fifty the day after tomorrow, dropped with a thud. It was because this little girl’s love confession was too adorable.

“So don’t stay here too long. We have to keep our promise to play together in the evening.”

The captain unknowingly grinned widely. He was so curious about what expression his small master, hiding in the treehouse, would be making.

The princess, her face bright red, quickly moved away from the treehouse. Not long after, the small master who came out leaned against the small door of the treehouse and chuckled. Then he quickly stiffened his expression.

But unable to hide the laughter that kept coming out, the corners of his mouth kept twitching.

The knight captain, thinking this was a good timing, emerged from between the trees. Then he used the good excuse that lessons would start soon to get the small master to come down from the treehouse.

For the past few days, Askal had started getting up at night and going somewhere. He would leave for nearly two hours and come back, and each time he smelled of fresh soap, as if he had bathed.

If you told anyone passing by that your husband comes back like this every night, they would all think similarly.

I thought so at first too, but my conclusion was that he wouldn’t so easily break his conviction to love only one woman for his entire life.

Sure enough, tonight he also returned after washing up cleanly. I lay on my side, waiting for him to approach. I watched through narrowed eyes as he lay down so carefully as not to cause any shaking, then spoke as if I had just woken up.

“Mmm……, where did you go?”

Askal hesitated. Then, as if trying to give me an arm pillow, he stretched out his arm and whispered softly.

“I went out briefly. I’m sorry for waking you, my lady.”

Then he patted my back gently as if trying to put me back to sleep. My sensitive nose didn’t miss the soap scent he emitted with every movement.

‘Should I just ask? Straightforwardly.’

I can’t sleep properly and he must be worried too.

After debating whether to ask or not dozens of times in my mind, I finally made up my mind to ask. Then I looked at Askal.

‘Ah.’

I must have thought for too long, as he had already fallen asleep.

‘Tomorrow…… I’ll ask tomorrow.’

I don’t know what he’s doing, but it wasn’t worth waking up someone sleeping soundly to ask this and that.

Because I firmly believe he’s not someone who would hurt my heart.

I’m fine.

The strange thing is that despite disappearing for hours at night like that, he doesn’t show any signs of fatigue. That made me even more curious.

On my way back after seeing Askal off to work, I met Rublion who had finished his morning training.

I didn’t hide my joy at the child’s invitation to have tea together. It was perfect timing, as I hadn’t had much time to see his face lately since he’s been playing only with the twins.

“Mother, do you have something on your mind?”

Rublion asked, gazing at me intently.

“Do I look like I have something on my mind?”

“Yes.”

At his firm answer, I smiled bitterly. I thought I had hidden it well, but Rublion hit the nail on the head.

“What’s on your mind?”

“I don’t think it’s something I should tell you.”

“Is it because of Father? Did Father make you worry?”

“That’s not it……”

“I ask because I saw something. It is because of Father, right?”

I kept my mouth shut. What could Rublion have seen to point to Askal as the cause of my worry?

“Rublion.”

“Yes?”

“May I ask what you saw?”

The child smiled brightly and said.

“Yes, I’m on Mother’s side, you know.”

Rublion took a deep breath. Then with a delighted expression, he said.

“Actually, I’ve seen Father sneaking out of the bedroom at night. So I followed him?”

I unconsciously gulped.

“But then Father was alone in the room……”

As I listened intently to the child’s words with heightened tension, a large shadow fell over us both. Rublion looked behind me and pressed his lips tightly together.

“Rublion.”

Askal’s voice, whom I thought had gone to the government office, was heard from behind. An awkward silence fell over the study where we were having tea.

“Your lessons will start soon.”

“Ah? You’re right! I must hurry.”

Rublion exclaimed, jumping up from his seat. His voice was higher and shakier than usual, seemingly acting to avoid the situation.

I stared intently at the back of the child as he hurried away. Then I spoke to Askal who had suddenly appeared.

“Would you like some tea?”

This worked out well. Since it’s come to this, I might as well ask where he goes every night.

“I’m sorry, my lady. I’m busy and need to return to the office……”

“Sit down. It will only take 2 minutes.”