‘Could this be……’

The place we arrived at in the duke’s carriage was the largest clothing store in Artenbach. It was famous enough to occasionally receive orders from the imperial family. Of course, it was a place I had never been to even once.

“Get out.”

The duke, who got out of the carriage first, held out his hand. If I were to take that hand and get out, I would receive the full attention of the nobles around.

“Your Grace, I was planning to go to the mansion. I have no intention of buying new clothes.”

The duke nodded at my question. I answered without moving an inch inside the carriage.

“Above all, this place is burdensome.”

“Those belonging to the art gallery have been rude to you. So it is right that I take responsibility.”

A dazzling signboard. The luxurious attire of the nobles passing by.

Above all, the guards of the clothing store who spotted the duke’s carriage were making it very obvious that there was a high-ranking person here.

“I didn’t want this kind of compensation.”

The duke quietly looked at me, who was immovable, and then nodded, signaling me to get out. His hand was still outstretched.

“Think of it as including my gratitude for taking care of Lublion.”

“It’s too much.”

“…Shouldn’t you at least be compensated for the clothes that were damaged?”

“If you want to compensate with clothes from here, just give me the cleaning fee.”

I didn’t move an inch inside the carriage. The duke’s eyebrows twitched.

“Then what if I say it’s a gift from me to you?”

I placed my hands neatly on my lap. And politely said.

“I’ve recently had trouble because of a gift. So I won’t accept a gift without a proper reason.”

Finally, the duke lowered his hand. Then after staring at me for a while, he got back into the carriage.

“I understand. Let’s go to the duke’s residence.”

“Thank you.”

The duke, who decided not to go to the clothing store respecting my opinion, turned the carriage back to the mansion. So we returned to the duke’s residence together, and Anna approached, surprised to see me. The duke ordered this and that to the butler.

“Auntie, what happened?”

Those were the first words of Lublion, who came out after hearing the news of my arrival.

“Who… Who on earth did this to you!”

The child’s small face turned red and blue. I held the hand of the little one who looked like he was about to rush out, and said.

“It’s nothing. I accidentally spilled coffee.”

“How do you accidentally spill coffee on your head.”

I lightly hugged the little one with a worried expression. The child rested his chin on my shoulder and kept muttering that he wouldn’t let this go.

“The bath water has been prepared in the main bathroom. How about getting a medical examination from the physician first?”

The butler approached me and said.

“Your scalp must have been damaged by the hot coffee. The duke insisted that I persuade the young lady to get an examination, so it would be troublesome if you refuse?”

The butler laughed, showing his white teeth. The duke had already disappeared.

After pushing Lublion, who insisted on going to see the doctor together, back into the library, I bowed my head to the physician who came to the guest room.

“You have a mild burn. Does it hurt?”

“It doesn’t hurt.”

“There shouldn’t be any major problems in daily life, but it would be better to avoid hats for a while so that heat doesn’t build up in your head.”

The physician took out a medicine bottle from his bag that was large enough to need to be held with both hands. Then he applied a generous amount of medicine between my hair strands with his finger.

“Apply it twice a day, once in the morning and once in the evening.”

“Thank you.”

The physician adjusted his glasses and got up, gathering his things. I headed towards the annex of the mansion where the main bathroom was, along with Anna who was waiting outside.

“What was the duke doing while auntie was getting hurt like that!”

Lublion, who came barging in, sat on the sofa, puffing angrily. Askal let out a deep sigh and pushed the documents away.

“When I found the young lady, she had just been doused with coffee. She was with a sculptor named Ranson.”

“She was with that bear-like person?”

“Ah… So that man was a bear.”

Askal briefly recalled Ranson’s kind-looking impression. He also recalled Schmitt, who was shouting at the top of his lungs for them to come to Black Swan as the carriage was leaving.

‘He didn’t… shout that loudly.’

He also said he was glad he could protect her again.

‘That means he’s glad he protected the sculpting hands, not Ranson.’

Thinking that way, his slightly unpleasant feeling improved a bit.

“This won’t do. What if auntie falls in love with that bear?”

“That’s not such an easy thing to happen.”

“Anyway! I’ve decided.”

Lublion’s golden eyes flickered.

“I’m going to use the second method.”

“If you mean the second, crime is…”

“I know. But can’t we think of it as protection instead of kidnapping?”

“You said that man Johnston was released from the guard.”

“Yes, so it’s protection, not kidnapping.”

Lublion’s eyes narrowed. Askal thought that gaze was quite bewitching.

“I agree with the young lady staying at the mansion, but I don’t like the method you’re trying to use.”

“It’s impossible to appeal to emotions, and it’s even more impossible to persuade with money.”

“Hmm.”

“So I’m trying to add the pretext of protection to responsibility and guilt.”

Askal tapped the desk. Then, as if he had made up his mind, he said.

“I’ll listen for now, but if it seems like a plan that shouldn’t be done, I’ll stop you.”

The night deepened. Anna felt a bit regretful thinking about leaving tomorrow.

‘It was nice to have many people doing the same work.’

When she returns to the viscount’s residence, she will be working alone again. She thought she could endure it enough, but she hesitated at the thought of having to go back to the hard path after already knowing the easy way.

‘I wish the mansion repairs had taken a week longer.’

As such thoughts kept coming to her mind, she couldn’t fall asleep. Finally, Anna got out of bed and rose to go outside, wrapped in a thin blanket.

That’s when it happened.

Knock knock.

Someone knocked on Anna’s door. Hoping it might be the maids she had been staying with, she opened the door wide. However, there stood a knight in a wine-colored uniform.

“Sir Knight…?”

“His Grace is looking for you.”

“For me?”

Thinking she might have misheard, she pointed at herself with her finger. The knight nodded in response and then gestured for her to follow.

Anna forced her stiff legs to move and followed the knight. Soon, they arrived at the duke’s office.

“Welcome, elder sister!”

Lublion, who should have been sound asleep, was sitting on the sofa looking at her. Anna was so startled she dropped her blanket.

“I’ve been waiting.”

The duke’s fierce voice that followed made her tremble.

“You… You were looking for me, you say?”

“Yes.”

As he rose from his desk chair and approached with heavy steps, Anna breathed shakily, feeling the aura of a wild predator.

“I have something to ask.”

“Yes! Please order me anything.”

The duke’s gaze was quite fierce. Anna thought it was amazing how Schmitt could face him normally while looking into those eyes.

“I hear you’re leaving the duke’s residence tomorrow?”

“Y-yes, that’s right!”

“Don’t misunderstand… I want the young lady to continue staying in this mansion. So I want to hear from you how to persuade her. You’ve stayed with her for a long time, so you must know her better than we do.”

The words “want her to stay” echoed in Anna’s ears. If Schmitt remained at the duke’s residence, it wouldn’t be bad for Anna either.

“Once the young lady thinks something is right, her mind never wavers. Um, also…”

Anna said, receiving the blanket that Lublion had picked up for her.

“She hates being a burden, so if she receives help, she only feels comfortable after repaying it several times over.”

“Elder sister, then would it work if we appealed that we caught the scammer for her, solved the investment fraud, and helped arrange to release the pink diamond from its lien?”

At Lublion’s question, Anna hesitated with a “hmm.”

“That alone is not enough. That was more the viscount’s mistake rather than the young lady’s.”

The duke, who had been silent, spoke up.

“What about highly praising the viscount’s marksmanship and helping restore the honor of the Deli viscounty?”

“Ah… That’s ambiguous.”

“How about saving her from almost suffering at the hands of Johnston?”

“That might work.”

At Anna’s answer, Lublion chewed his lips and asked.

“By any chance, does auntie listen well to Viscount Deli?”

“For the most part, yes. She only disregards what the viscount says when he’s drunk.”

Lublion’s chubby cheeks twitched as if he had gained some insight.

“Elder sister. Do you want to return to the viscount’s residence?”

“That, well…”

As Anna hesitated, Lublion moved closer and said.

“I’m only telling you this, but actually, I’m thinking of placing auntie in the position of duchess.”

Anna’s eyes quickly darted to the duke. Despite hearing such surprising news, his expression remained calm.

In other words, this was something agreed upon between the two of them.

“The, the young lady… as the duchess?”

Anna, alternately looking at Lublion and the duke, asked in a low voice.

“Then, the request to find someone to become a mother was…?”

“That was to create an excuse to meet auntie often.”

Anna recalled the past days when she had followed behind the selected mother candidates, checking if there were any problems with their character. She felt a lump in her throat for a moment, but seeing Lublion’s bright smile, she melted.

What wouldn’t she do if the young lady she served became the duchess?

“So, young master, you want the young lady to become your mother? And since His Grace also agrees, you need my active support, is that right?”

“As expected, I knew I could communicate well with you, elder sister.”

Lublion grinned. Anna, as if receiving a secret mission, stood at attention and said.

“Then, what should I do?”