I know why he’s reacting like that. He probably wants me to just stay at Black Swan.

“I’ll come visit sometimes. I’ll turn the storage room we used into a shared workspace, so feel free to come work anytime.”

“Yes.”

Ranson replied with a deep sigh. Then he reluctantly got up slowly.

Right on cue, a large cargo carriage arrived in front of the office. It became noisy outside.

“Looks like the workers have arrived.”

The people who got off the carriage rushed inside. And they quickly began carrying out the luggage according to my instructions.

It didn’t take long for the warehouse to be emptied. Ranson looked around inside with regretful eyes before turning away.

“Then, I’ll come back tomorrow.”

“You’re welcome anytime.”

I watched him go to 12 Helinga Street for a long time. Black Swan seemed empty without Ranson, as if I had grown somewhat attached.

‘Hmm.’

There’s one thing I’ve been thinking about for a while, but have felt more need for recently.

‘I should hire an employee with a mercenary background after all.’

Black Swan often needed manual labor. Each time I called in workers, which cost quite a bit. But now I could afford to pay an employee’s salary.

Thinking I should visit the mercenary guild soon, I closed up early. I was planning to rest tomorrow on the holiday as well.

[This is the timeline separator]

I received a message from the duke saying he’d be late, so we should eat first. Rublion and I, who had been waiting for him, sat down facing each other to start dinner, leaving the head seat empty.

“Mom, what are you going to do tomorrow on the day off?”

“If the weather’s nice, I thought about going to the harbor.”

“Why the harbor?”

Rublion asked while pushing carrots to one side of his plate. I reached out and stabbed the displaced carrots with my fork.

“I’ll answer if you eat this.”

Rublion frowned. Then he squeezed his eyes shut and opened his mouth. One cheek puffed up like a chipmunk, full of carrot pieces.

“Now tell me.”

“You have to chew and swallow properly.”

“Hmph…”

The child closed his eyes again. Then he diligently chewed and swallowed the carrots. Only after checking his empty mouth did I speak.

“There will be lots of flower petals under the tree we went to last time. If we spread a blanket on top, it’ll be super soft.”

Rublion’s face lit up like a flower. The corners of his mouth twitched.

“Are we going on a picnic?”

“Yes.”

“Then we won’t have lessons, right?”

Black Swan is closed, but it’s not a day off for Rublion’s lessons.

“No? We’ll go after your lessons are over.”

“Aw, why? I want to go early.”

“I’d like that too, but I have to stop by the baron’s mansion in the morning, so we can’t.”

Rublion’s eyes widened.

“Why the baron’s mansion? Is something wrong?”

“Are you curious?”

“Yes!”

“Then eat one more carrot.”

“Hmph.”

After forcibly eating one more piece of carrot, Rublion opened his mouth first to show it was empty. Thanks to opening it wide, I could see the cute tips of his molars poking through his gums.

“Your father will be coming out of the unit in two days. So I want to do some cleaning at the mansion and buy groceries to prepare food.”

“Can’t we just invite him here?”

“That would be nice too, but the baron’s mansion is the most comfortable place for your father.”

“Where’s most comfortable for you, Mom?”

I pondered how to answer the sudden question. To be honest, the baron’s mansion still felt like my home.

I had lived there since right after being reincarnated, and had many memories there.

The duke’s mansion was physically comfortable, but gave me the feeling of being a freeloader. Maybe I felt that way because my place here wasn’t fully established yet.

When I didn’t answer, Rublion slumped his shoulders and muttered.

“I guess the baron’s mansion is more comfortable.”

Even though I belatedly said no, that I liked it here more, the child said with eyes full of disbelief:

“This is purely Father’s fault. We hardly have time to see each other lately except at meals, right?”

That’s true. We haven’t spent time all together recently outside of meals.

“He should be helping you get attached to the mansion, but he’s too busy working every day to pay attention.”

Rublion pouted, seeming genuinely upset.

“But you’re here instead. So I like it here as much as the baron’s mansion.”

At my words, the child’s eyes narrowed to half their size. It was a smile of happiness.

“I like having you here too, Mom.”

“I like you too, Rublion.”

The child smiled broadly, not hiding his emotions. Smiling along with him, I pointed to the few remaining carrots.

Rublion admirably ate them without making a face. Seeing him finish his meal neatly without leaving any vegetables was so commendable and cute that I quickly went over and kissed his forehead.

[This is the timeline separator]

Askal, who returned to the mansion close to midnight, took off his coat and hat and handed them to the butler, then stood still with his eyes closed. His tired eyes stung.

After standing for a while until the pain subsided, he asked in a voice full of fatigue:

“Was there anything unusual?”

“No, nothing unusual.”

Surprised by the unexpected female voice, he opened his eyes. Next to the butler holding his clothes stood Schmidt holding a book.

“When did you arrive? More importantly, aren’t you asleep yet?”

“No.”

“It’s late.”

“I was reading and lost track of time. I’m about to go to bed now.”

“I see.”

Askal loosened his tie and the top button of his collar. An awkward atmosphere filled the study.

“You must be very tired, but could you spare me five minutes?”

Though it was an ordinary request for conversation, goosebumps rose on Askal’s arms. It felt as if he had been caught doing something wrong even though he hadn’t done anything wrong.

“Sit down first.”

The butler went out of the study, saying they should talk. Askal watched Schmidt head towards the sofa and went to the opposite side.

“I’ll speak frankly, as I don’t think I’ll be able to find the right timing if not now.”

Askal nodded, sitting up straight.

“I found out that the owner of the house rented to Black Swan is Baron Tirel.”

“Was it?”

“Isn’t it strange for a house with such good conditions to come up as if it had been waiting? So I did a little investigating.”

“…”

“I felt I needed to know for sure, so I asked the real estate manager. He said the baron gave three times the usual fee on the condition of renting to Black Swan. Saying it was on the orders of Duke Artenbach.”

He told them outright even though I told him to handle it discreetly.

Askal’s insides boiled.

“Thank you. To be honest, I was at a loss for how to find a place.”

“I’m glad it was helpful.”

“It was a huge help. That’s why I wanted to take a moment of your time to talk about this.”

Askal quietly gazed at Schmidt’s face without makeup. Though he had been tired from fighting paperwork all day, seeing her made his fatigue melt away like snow.

“You must be tired? I’ve said what I wanted to, so I’ll get going now.”

As Schmidt stood up, Askal automatically stood as well. At the same time, he impulsively grabbed her arm as she turned away.

“Your Grace?”

Schmidt stared at him with surprised eyes. Askal hastily let go of the arm he had unconsciously grabbed and said:

“Let me escort you to your room.”

“I can go by myself. It’s just on the floor below, you know?”

Schmidt pointed to the floor with her finger. Askal swallowed hard and said:

“…I just wanted to be with you a little longer.”

Her face turned bright red. In turn, Askal’s face also turned as red as a burning flame.

[This is the timeline separator]

The next morning.

I finished preparing to go to the baron’s mansion with Anna. I was planning to quickly go and come back while Rublion was in his lessons. But.

“I’m done with my lessons!”

Rublion came running, waving his hand from the end of the hallway. I silently asked the professor who appeared behind him what was going on.

“The young lord memorized the entire lesson for today. There’s no more material to cover.”

“Hehe.”

Rublion looked up at me with a big smile. Did he want to be with me that badly?

“Rublion, don’t you have any homework?”

“No!”

The child answered energetically.

“And no more lessons either, right?”

“Right!”

“Alright. Then let’s go to the baron’s mansion together and then to the harbor. Shall we buy sandwiches on the way?”

“Yes!”

Rublion jumped up and down, saying everything was fine with him.

The three of us, including Anna, took a carriage and arrived at the baron’s mansion together.

As soon as we got off, I felt that the mansion had become strangely neat.

“Anna, did you come here by any chance?”

This strange feeling wasn’t just mine, as Anna was looking at the mansion with the same expression as me.

“I haven’t been here since I came to get my belongings, young lady.”

It was an old mansion with no particularly valuable items, just old furniture that would be useless even if stolen.

If it used to have an overall worn-out atmosphere before, now it had become an antique atmosphere.

“Let’s go inside first.”

This wasn’t something to just stand and look at. I boldly opened the door of the baron’s mansion.

“Welcome. I expected you to come when I saw the duke’s carriage.”

An elderly man in a black tuxedo with an impressive white vest greeted us with one arm outstretched.

“Welcome, young lady.”

“Welcome, young lady.”

The women standing behind the elderly man greeted me like the maids I had seen at the duke’s mansion. For a moment, I even felt like I had entered the wrong house.

“Wh-who are you? This is the Deli mansion…”

My voice cracked due to considerable surprise. My hands gripping the cleaning tools tensed up.

“Oh? Zoland?”

“It’s been a while, young lord.”

Rublion let go of my hand and quickly ran over to cling to him. It seemed only Anna and I didn’t understand the situation.

“Young lord, I should introduce myself to the young lady first. So could you please let go of my neck?”

A deep voice. A face that seemed very familiar. Looking closely, it was someone I had seen in the noble register.

“Pleased to meet you. I am Zoland Dreys. I serve the duke’s family.”

He added the explanation that his younger brother was the butler of the duke’s family and that he was a long-time retainer of the Artenbachs.

“His Grace the Duke ordered me to manage the Deli baron’s mansion while you were absent.”

“The Duke?”