I just stopped by the general store before going to work, but Black Swan didn’t look like Black Swan.

This was the reason.

“Miss, over there…”

Looking where Anna’s finger was pointing, there were golden shimmering furniture pieces. The original desk and sofa were all outside, and even the lamps had been changed.

“What about the desk we were using?”

“The workers put it outside to take away.”

“The sofa and bookshelf too?”

“Yes.”

I was angry. I understand a parent’s desire to replace things with better ones for their child, but Black Swan is clearly my space.

Above all, the furniture here was all used by my mom and me. It’s the desk where mom sat and worked, and the sofa where I used to take long naps as a child.

[Beautiful petals float in the garden. My baby sleeps as flower petals dance in the breeze.]

It’s a place with memories of mom patting my chest in time with the lullaby she sang.

So at the very least, they should have asked for my opinion before changing things.

I went out of the building to tell the workers to stop for a moment, but all the furniture that had been outside was already gone.

Urgently looking around, I spotted a cargo wagon moving away in the distance.

I hurriedly went out and hailed a rickshaw.

“Please follow that cargo wagon.”

* * *

The wagon arrived at the Artenbach mansion. Unable to enter, I told the sweaty rickshaw puller to rest for a while and paced in front of the mansion gate.

‘That’s the desk mom used. I absolutely can’t lose it like this.’

I made up my mind and tidied my clothes. And as I clenched my fist to knock on the door, at that moment.

People poured out of the mansion. Those who looked like maids lined up on both sides of the path and bowed, followed by someone who looked like a butler holding the door.

The distance between the gate and the mansion seemed to be about 100 meters. It was a distance where you could barely make out human shapes.

I watched the mansion through the gaps in the iron gate. Soon after, someone came out, and I could tell at a glance that it was Duke Artenbach.

I shook the iron gate violently, hoping the clattering sound would reach that far. But no one reacted.

‘If it’s the way out, he’ll surely come this way.’

I might as well wait. I’ll wait here until he passes by.

As expected, the duke started approaching the gate. I stood right in the middle of the iron gate so he could spot me.

When he was about two-thirds of the way through the garden, the butler noticed me. And he whispered something to the duke.

Our eyes met – golden irises.

“What brings you here?”

Finally, I saw him. I lowered my hand gripping the iron gate and corrected my posture.

“I have come to see you, Your Grace.”

I slightly lifted my skirt and bent my knees. Despite the noble greeting, the duke’s gaze remained cold.

“I know it’s not proper to visit like this, but my belongings are here without permission, so I had no choice but to come.”

“…What do you mean?”

“It’s true that Black Swan has become more beautiful by Your Grace’s order. But the furniture there has shared Black Swan’s history and is precious.”

The duke looked at the butler standing beside him. The butler was also clueless about what was happening.

“Just now, workers came to Black Swan and changed all the desks and cabinets, and brought the existing furniture here.”

A servant came running from afar. He whispered something in the butler’s ear.

“So please return them. My furniture.”

This time the butler drew close to the duke. Then he whispered quietly so I couldn’t hear.

I waited for their conversation to end. Soon, after assessing the situation, the duke gestured to summon a servant standing behind.

“Do as the young lady wishes.”

The servant bowed deeply and disappeared. At the same time, the duke looked at me and said:

“I hope you won’t come like this again in the future.”

Seen through the massive iron gate, the duke was an existence at a level I could never reach.

Unlike him, who probably doesn’t even know how much wealth he’s accumulating, I live week to week on what I save.

“I… will keep that in mind.”

My head bowed involuntarily. Along with the joy of retrieving my mother’s furniture came a feeling of wretchedness.

In the distance, two carriages appeared. The one gleaming with gold must be for the duke to ride, and the cargo wagon next to it, loaded with furniture, must have come for me.

The coachman who arrived first asked where to move the furniture. I told him the Baron Deli’s residence and added to meet there. Meanwhile, the duke who had come out glanced at me once before entering his carriage.

Realizing he was really not the type I wanted to get close to, I got on the rickshaw.

“Please go to Baron Deli’s residence.”

The rickshaw puller answered energetically. While looking at his pocket that had become plump with what I paid him.

* * *

“Is it the young lady from that counseling office or agency?”

Inside the Artenbach’s exclusive carriage heading to the government office, there was one more person besides Askal. It was his secretary, Rimon Tirel.

“It’s Baron Deli’s daughter, right? The one we saw at the gambling house last time.”

Askal nodded instead of answering.

“Are you really going to recruit the baron into the military? Even though he’s from the Imperial Knights, he’s old and probably can’t do physical work anymore.”

“No one can match his marksmanship.”

“Of course, that’s true. He’s the only one who entered the Imperial Knights, which prioritizes swordsmanship, solely based on marksmanship.”

Rimon grumbled to himself before asking.

“Since using his debt as leverage to make him enlist is off the table, shouldn’t we look for other methods?”

“He’s letting himself be caught on his own.”

Askal recalled the pink diamond.

“We’ll be able to establish a shooting unit soon. So prepare in advance.”

“Yes, Your Excellency!”

Rimon answered with a broad smile. Since Baron Deli had refused enlistment invitations several times, hearing the order to prepare for the unit’s establishment made him feel relieved.

* * *

After safely moving the furniture imbued with Black Swan’s history to the baron’s residence.

When I returned to the office, I found Rublion sitting on the sofa without a cushion or cloth.

“You’re here?”

“When did you arrive?”

“Just now.”

The kid got up from the sofa and greeted me cheerfully.

“The lady said you didn’t eat anything in the morning, so I went to the bakery with the sister outside.”

The kid smiled and opened a paper bag. Inside were freshly baked bread and milk.

“By the way, kid.”

“Yes?”

“When you say ‘sister outside’, you mean Anna, right?”

“Yes.”

“You know I’m a year younger than Anna, right?”

“Auntie is younger than the sister?”

The kid’s face showed genuine shock.

I was shocked by that face too.

“Do I… look that old?”

The kid didn’t answer. I was shocked once more here.

“Wow, the bread looks really delicious!”

Seeing the kid suddenly change the subject, I heaved a deep sigh. He probably didn’t know what he was saying anyway. And it wasn’t said with bad intentions. …Sheesh.

“Auntie, try it quickly. It’s really delicious.”

The kid, who had already torn off a corner of the bread, said with his mouth full. I poured milk into a cup and placed it in front of him.

Maybe because the morning had been unusually busy. The bread the kid bought was really delicious and warm. It was a taste that brought back my sunken mood and lost motivation.

Feeling slightly grateful, I patted Rublion’s head. His hair was soft, which made me feel even better.

* * *

“Auntie, I’m curious about something.”

The kid asked me as I was sprawled on the sofa.

“What is it?”

“What does ‘it needs to be big’ mean?”

“Huh? What needs to be big?”

The kid slightly furrowed his brow. Then he rubbed his chin with his hand.

“I asked yesterday what the duke’s preferences might be for someone to become a mother, you know? And he said it needs to be big.”

“He said it needs to be big?”

“Yes. Since there wasn’t a proper standard, I used you as a reference, but the duke said it needs to be bigger than you, Auntie. But I don’t know what that means.”

“…I didn’t think he was that kind of person.”

Wow, I guess you really can’t judge by appearances.

My gaze involuntarily went downward. Sure, I’m not exactly well-endowed, but how could he say such things to a child?

“Alright, I get it for now. So we just need to look for someone bigger than me, right?”

“But I don’t know what needs to be big.”

Today is really… a bitter day.

“Well, let’s look for someone who’s big in everything. Height, heart, whatever.”

“Oh! That should work!”

Watching Rublion clap his hands, I felt my mood worsen.

It made me doubt whether the duke was properly fulfilling his role as a father.

* * *

After spending an uneventful day and returning home, Rublion sat on the sofa in Askal’s study, where he had brought some work, and began briefing.

“Your Grace, I asked that lady.”

“About what.”

“The thing you said needed to be big.”

“Ah.”

“But the lady’s expression was really bad. She said ‘I didn’t think he was that kind of person’ with a very disappointed face.”

Askal clicked his tongue. Recalling Schmidt, who had come all the way to the mansion to retrieve furniture too old to even use as firewood, he answered:

“That woman is small in her spending.”

“Spending?”

“Yes. At the very least, someone who will become the mistress of the Artenbach family shouldn’t calculate when it comes to luxury. Someone with a tendency to wear dresses until the sleeves become short or to place importance on using things for a long time can’t become a duchess.”

Rublion made an expression of great realization.

“How did you know the lady’s sleeves were short?”

“…Well, somehow.”

“And how did you know she uses things for a long time?”

“There was a bit of an incident this morning.”

Rublion’s mouth twitched.

“You said she wasn’t your type, but you’ve already noticed such things.”

“What are you trying to say?”

Despite Askal’s sharp gaze, Rublion grinned without concern.

“Oh, nothing in particular.”