“My lord, do you have a moment?”

Rublion’s small head popped through the office door. Askal pointed to the sofa with his finger.

“I have something serious to discuss.”

Askal watched Rublion for a moment as he got straight to the point before even reaching the sofa. Seeing him so serious and full of concern, unlike usual, made Askal slightly afraid.

“What’s the matter?”

“I assigned a task to Ino.”

“I know.”

“So you already knew.”

Askal had heard about it when he was out at the government office. He didn’t ask why, but thought there must have been a good reason for it.

“My lord, when you have someone precious, how do you protect them?”

“You become stronger yourself.”

It was a clear answer, but not one that worked for Rublion.

“But… I’m still too young to become strong.”

“That’s true.”

“Won’t you consider protecting her instead?”

“…”

Askal silently picked up his teacup. Rublion’s golden eyes trembled pitifully.

“Auntie might end up marrying someone else. She could become someone I can no longer meet.”

“I see.”

“It’s okay if she doesn’t become your wife. I just want Auntie to be by my side.”

Looking at the child speaking so firmly, Askal let out a deep sigh.

“What exactly do you like about that lady?”

Is it because of her slightly unusual hair color? Or is it her tenacious personality, trying so hard to survive no matter what?

Though he had been watching over this child for ten years, this was one thing he simply could not understand.

“I’ve tried to make sure you don’t feel the absence of a guardian. I’ve given you a warm home, provided everything you need, and spared no expense to ensure you grow up healthy. That’s still the case now.”

“That’s why.”

Rublion’s eyes began to moisten.

“Uncle… I mean, you’ve tried to be the perfect guardian. But I don’t need a guardian, I need parents.”

Askal’s heart sank.

“I know how hard you’re trying for me, uncle. But… I’m lonely. Even though I handle money others might never touch in their lifetime, wear nice clothes and eat good food, I’m still lonely.”

Finally, a tear dropped from Rublion’s eye. In response, Askal’s hand holding the teacup also lowered.

“You asked why I like Auntie, right?”

The boy looked into eyes that were exactly like his own as he spoke.

“At first, it was simple curiosity. She was the only person who showed she wouldn’t be swayed by a large sum of money.”

Rublion continued speaking persuasively, not even touching his favorite cookies.

“As time passed, I realized something. That Auntie is as lonely as I am.”

“…”

“So I was drawn to her even more. She may not be the perfect mother I wanted, but I thought I could be happy with someone like Auntie. I could be the family to fill her loneliness.”

Askal put down his teacup and interlaced his fingers. Then he spoke seriously.

“I’m sorry. I made you lonely.”

Rublion picked up a piece of cookie and fiddled with it. Then he broke off the part covered in chocolate and held it out to Askal.

“As I said earlier, I’m still too young to become strong. So until I become strong, please protect her in my place.”

He stared at the cookie split in half. Knowing that Rublion loved the chocolate-covered part the most made his heart ache.

“What do you want me to do?”

As Askal took the cookie, a bright smile spread across the boy’s face. It was due to the satisfaction of successfully making a deal.

Rublion answered his question with an expectant voice.

“I want to bring Auntie to the mansion. So please help me.”

* * *

Unlike before, Askal escorted Rublion to his bedroom. He even tucked him in, patted his head, and said goodnight.

After putting the child to bed and returning to his room alone, Askal ended up tossing and turning, unable to sleep, before finally getting up groggily. Outside the window, it was a dark dawn.

‘This is difficult.’

He had thought he was raising the child well enough, but one word about loneliness from the child made him feel like his world was crumbling.

Influenced by the mood of the dark night, Askal recalled events from ten years ago.

At that time, Askal’s brother, who was the Duke of Artenbach, fell into a love that should not have been. The tragic end of that love was a burden that Rublion, only a month old, had to bear.

Those were his brother’s last words as he left the mansion. He abandoned Rublion at the mansion and left. The birth mother also disappeared after only naming him, saying she had her reasons.

In place of the parents who left for their new lives, Askal became Rublion’s father at the young age of seventeen, before even coming of age.

‘…Has he already reached the age to feel the absence of a mother?’

When Rublion was in the midst of his “find a mom” game, there was a guard member raising a child of similar age alone, so Askal had asked discreetly. He was told that the child who used to ask why he didn’t have a mother had been quiet about it lately.

‘Come to think of it, Rublion has never once asked about his birth mother.’

Perhaps he knows subconsciously. That his birth mother abandoned him and left.

Askal’s mind became complicated. It wouldn’t be too difficult to bring a noble lady into the mansion.

However, knowing someone and living together are clearly different, so he was worried Rublion might get hurt.

As various thoughts chained together, the time he spent awake grew longer.

Dawn was breaking. Askal gazed at the reddening sky outside the window for a moment before slowly getting up from bed.

It was already too late to go back to sleep.

* * *

As I was preparing to go to Black Swan early in the morning, my father approached me cautiously.

“Schmidt, I have something to say.”

My heart sank for a moment. It was out of fear that I might have caused some trouble again.

My father said he would wait in the study and left first, while Anna and I exchanged glances and trembled.

“Has father been to the gambling house recently?”

“No.”

“He hasn’t gone out to hear rumors either, right?”

“No, he’s barely left the mansion. He did seem to be deeply troubled about something though.”

“Is that so? That’s how it looked to me too.”

With Anna’s signal that I was ready, I got up from the vanity with a solemn gesture.

I was determined not to be flustered no matter what shocking words father might say.

I made that resolution, but…

“Schmidt, what would you think if your father… enlisted in the army?”

It was a declaration I couldn’t help but be flustered by. The handbag I unknowingly let go of fell to the floor with a thud.

“All of a sudden?”

“It’s not sudden. Duke Artenbach has been consistently recommending that I enlist, but I’ve been refusing.”

These days, the standing of lower nobility was beginning to be pushed aside by wealthy bourgeoisie. An era where wealth and honor determined one’s class was coming, and the title that was once glorious in the past was becoming a means to receive imperial pensions or a sophisticated entertainment for bourgeoisie with fantasies about noble social circles.

In this situation, if Baron Deli became a soldier protecting the empire and his territory, no one would try to buy out the Deli baronial house with money.

“They’re forming a rifle unit soon. If I enlist, I’m slated to be appointed as a company commander.”

“Will you be commuting?”

At my question, a shadow fell over my father’s face.

“For the first year after the unit’s formation, I can take two days of leave per month.”

“Ah…”

So that’s why he was so troubled.

Because he would have to leave me alone in this mansion.

“That’s why I wanted to hear your opinion.”

I picked up the fallen bag. Then I answered resolutely.

“Enlist, father.”

“You’ll have to stay alone for as long as a year. Are you really okay with that?”

“The position of company commander isn’t one just anyone can fill.”

“That may be true, but…”

It will be lonely. If we only see each other two days a month, we’ll barely see each other enough not to forget each other’s faces. But this was an opportunity for both father and me.

An opportunity for the Deli baronial house to live properly.

An opportunity to grow Black Swan that mother put all her effort into creating.

“Father.”

“Yes?”

Looking at my father who still couldn’t make a decision, I smiled brightly.

“I’m just glad that you’re lightening the burden on your shoulders.”

“Is, is that so.”

Father still looked very worried. To turn his hesitation into certainty, I murmured softly.

“Please keep an eye out for any suitable grooms in the unit too. Not someone like Johnston.”

* * *

After instilling confidence in my father, I arrived at Black Swan and tapped Anna’s shoulder as she was still shaking her head in disbelief.

“I still can’t believe it. That the Baron would take on such a position.”

“I’m a bit worried too, but we have to believe he’ll do well.”

Anna spoke while searching her memory.

“The Baron was in the Imperial Knights, wasn’t he?”

“Yes, he was in the Knights until he met mother and quit.”

“I heard rumors that no one could match his marksmanship.”

“That’s right. There were hardly any people handling guns back then.”

A childhood memory suddenly came to mind. Of father laughing after popping all the balloons by throwing darts at an unnamed festival.

“I’m glad something good has happened for the Baron, but… I’m worried about you staying alone in the mansion, young miss.”

“We’re not in a position to afford knights, so I’m thinking of hiring mercenaries. But we can worry about that when the time comes. For now, let’s focus on what we need to do.”

“Yes, young miss!”

Anna answered energetically. I snorted once and then opened the newspaper clippings and noble almanac.