The next morning.

Rublion smiled with satisfaction as he looked at the handwritten letter from Viscount Deli in Ascal’s hand. Ascal had brought it back after visiting the troops at dawn.

“I’ll say it again, this is the last resort.”

“I understand.”

“Sigh…”

Seeing Rublion smiling maliciously, Ascal doubted if this was the right thing to do. Somehow, it felt uncomfortable to make someone do something unwanted by bringing up their weakness.

Rublion, who quickly noticed his uneasiness, shrugged as if to ask what the problem was.

“You’re being oddly sentimental, Your Grace. You used the same method when replacing the merchants from Artenbach Bank, didn’t you?”

“Business and this are different.”

“I don’t know what’s different, but I’m just trying to follow what you always say, Your Grace.”

Rublion said, his golden eyes sparkling.

“Never hesitate to take what you want. There’s nothing Artenbach can’t have.”

Ascal muttered, pressing his forehead with his hand.

“That advice wasn’t meant to be used in this situation.”

“What does it matter? In the end, it’s good for both the lady and us, isn’t it?”

“You mean good for you, not us.”

Rublion replied to Ascal’s rebuttal.

“It is us. You just haven’t realized it yet, but you already like the lady, don’t you?”

“No, I don’t.”

“I think you do?”

Ascal frowned deeply.

“Keep going if you want me to pour cold water on your plans.”

“Uncle, I love you.”

Rublion ran and hugged him tightly. Ascal gently stroked the child’s small head and muttered.

“You only call me uncle at times like this.”

I went down to the dining room at the Duke’s request to have breakfast together. Even though I arrived earlier than the promised time, Rublion and the Duke were already seated.

“Lady! Sit here.”

The little one smiled brightly and patted the seat next to him. Thinking this might be the last meal with the little one made me feel a bit regretful.

“Lady, want to see my plate?”

Looking at the little one’s plate, there were more carrots than the main dish.

“I can eat carrots well now!”

Rublion stabbed a carrot with his fork and put it in his mouth, chewing slowly.

His face twisted slightly, but he managed to swallow it. I praised him enthusiastically, just as he expected.

“I like people who eat carrots well, but I like little ones who eat carrots well even more.”

The child’s cheekbones rose to the sky. Pleased with the praise, the little one stabbed several more carrots with his fork and put them in his mouth.

“I asked for a menu that’s easy on the stomach, but I’m not sure if it’s alright.”

On the table were tender meat boiled in lukewarm water for a long time, freshly baked bread, and the familiar tomato stew.

“Could this tomato stew be prepared by Anna?”

“You recognized it. It was prepared by your maid.”

I tore off a small piece of bread and placed it on the spoon. Then I scooped up some stew with the bread and put it in my mouth.

‘It tastes like home.’

I felt a bit emotional. I continued to tear off bread and dip it in the stew.

Then I made eye contact with the little one. He grinned widely, finding it amusing that he was caught trying to copy the order in which I was eating.

“You really should become Rublion’s nanny.”

I hesitated as I was about to put the spoon in my mouth. I cleared my throat and said,

“I thought that conversation was over last time.”

The Duke ignored my words and resumed eating.

“Lady, does that mean you’re not going to the Viscount’s mansion and staying here? Wow, I’m so happy!”

I felt awkward at the little one’s innocent words. I glared at the Duke once for no reason before speaking.

“I’m going back to the mansion. I won’t be your nanny, but I’ll come visit Black Swan often.”

“…So you’re not staying here anymore?”

“No.”

Disappointed, Rublion put down his fork limply. Then he pushed away the carrots and said in a voice full of tears.

“Have you forgotten the promise you made to me on that rainy night?”

“Promise? What…”

Suddenly, I remembered something I had forgotten. That single word I had uttered, enticed by the smell of burning firewood in the warm fireplace.

“You said you’d become my mother.”

Rublion’s lips protruded in a pout. Then he immediately clenched them, as if trying to hold back tears.

“Was it just empty words? I thought I might finally have a mother, so I tried hard to eat carrots. That’s why I chased away Johnston too…”

Finally, a tear drop fell from Rublion’s eye.

I felt even more awkward than before. I sent a look to the Duke who had brought up the nanny issue and created this situation, telling him to resolve it, but he deflected it all as if there was an iron wall in front of him.

“Little one, just because I’m not becoming your mother doesn’t mean we’ll grow apart. I’ll still be your lady, and I’ll still call you little one.”

“But we can’t meet every day! We can’t sleep together, eat together, or go on picnics.”

“Sleep… might be impossible, but we can eat together. We can set a date and go on picnics too.”

The little one’s shoulders drooped. At the same time, tears fell from his eyes.

“…What’s the use of all that. When you’re not my mother.”

After finishing the uncomfortable meal that felt like having a fish bone stuck in my throat, I kept sighing as I left the dining room.

‘It’s true that the little one is cute and lovable, but…’

To be honest, I’m not particularly fond of children, so I wasn’t confident in my ability to be a nanny and raise the little one well.

Of course, he’s grown enough not to need as much care as a baby, but then wouldn’t that mean he doesn’t need a nanny at all?

‘The Duke is a bit strange too.’

It was odd that he wanted to buy me clothes and give me money.

‘All of that becomes shackles that tie you down.’

I thought I should coldly reject any proposal as I headed towards the guest room. I walked slowly, thinking about what I should do first when I return to the Viscount’s mansion, and how much work I had to handle at Black Swan in the afternoon.

Then I saw two people approaching side by side at the far end of the corridor. It was the Duke and the little one who had left the dining room earlier than me.

‘…Looks like you cried a lot.’

The little one’s eyes were swollen. My heart ached.

The two got closer. I called out to the child, pressing down my feelings of guilt.

“Little one.”

But the child who always smiled brightly at me turned his head away abruptly.

It was shocking. He had never done this to me before.

“My lady. Is there no way you could reconsider?”

The Duke asked politely. I opened my mouth heavily, looking at the back of the little one’s head.

“I’m sorry.”

I saw the little one’s small hand tightly gripping the Duke’s clothes. His shoulders shook as he buried his face in the Duke’s waist, hugging him.

“Negotiation failed, I see.”

As if that was a signal, knights sprang out from all over the corridor. Surprised, I stepped back and bumped into a knight standing firmly behind me.

“Rather than seeing the heir of the Duke’s family living an empty life, I choose to become the villain.”

The Duke’s expression froze coldly.

“Raise him.”

“Pardon?”

“I said, raise him.”

His resolute voice sounded like an order. It was so intimidating that it sent a chill down my spine.

“No, even if you say that…”

The Duke raised his chin high. He seemed prepared to counter whatever I might say.

“Your Grace, there are procedures for adopting a child. Above all, asking an unmarried noble lady to raise a child is like asking her to give up her future life, isn’t it?”

“Is that the only point that needs to be addressed?”

Eyes identical to the little one’s flashed dangerously. Before I could even rebut, he continued.

“Then I’ll give you a castle.”

“I can afford a castle myself. I have more money than you think.”

“Is that so? But you can’t buy an Artenbach title with money.”

My heart sank. I couldn’t understand what was coming out of the Duke’s mouth.

“From today on, you’ll be Schmidt Artenbach. Then you won’t be an unmarried noble lady, so there won’t be a problem with you raising a child.”

A headache came on suddenly. Why on earth was he trying to make me a nanny?

I’m far from meeting the mother conditions that the little one requested.

“I won’t raise that child. And I won’t become the Duchess either.”

I expressed my refusal seriously. Then the little one, who had his face buried in the Duke’s waist, turned his head to look at me.

“But you said…”

My heart sank again.

“You said you’d find someone to be my mother.”

“I said I’d find someone, not that I’d become your mother myself.”

The little one’s tear stains were visible on the Duke’s waist.

“It has to be you, lady.”

“Little… Rublion. I’m still in my twenties. If you’re going to call me something, how about elder sister or aunt?”

“If I call you elder sister or aunt, will you become my mother?”

“No.”

The hurt child’s face contorted. He looked like he was about to sit down on the floor and start sobbing. And that’s exactly what happened.

The Duke looked down at me arrogantly and said,

“Take responsibility.”

“I don’t understand how things have come to this, but I have no intention of doing anything…”

“Waaaah.”

The little one’s cry echoed through the large corridor. A few servants sprang out from among the maids who couldn’t easily approach due to the strange atmosphere.

“How dare you make the heir of the Duke’s family cry. We absolutely cannot let this slide. So let’s discuss the rest slowly.”

The Duke snapped his fingers.

“Take the lady to her room. Don’t let her out until the negotiation is over.”

“No, please listen to what I have to say…”

My vision was blocked by the servants who suddenly surrounded me. I shouted at the two men who were drifting away as if swept by waves.

“I absolutely won’t be a mother! This is kidnapping!”

The Duke covered the little one’s ears with his hands. I knew it was for the already hurt child, but as I was being dragged away by the servants, I realized.

The little one was smiling with one corner of his mouth raised, nestled in the Duke’s arms. Just like a child who had gotten what he wanted.