“Blieteus.”

The most beautiful rose garden in the Regnator Empire, famous for its beauty.

A woman, elegantly sipping tea there, quietly called out to the man entering the garden.

“Where have you been?”

The man who had been staring at her took off the robe he was wearing and handed it to the attendant next to him, revealing his golden hair and red eyes.

It was the man who had run into Lina just a while ago.

“I went to see a welcome friend who came to the capital,”

Blieteus replied, lifting one corner of his mouth, as if recalling a pleasant memory.

“Who? Someone I know?”

The man, now seated in front of the woman, poured tea into an empty cup and muttered.

“Among those I meet, would there be anyone unknown to Your Majesty, my mother?”

“Listening to you, that seems right.”

The Empress smiled faintly and sipped her tea at her son’s words.

“By the way, have you heard? Duke Permanence is engaged, and to that maid who was rumored to be his lover.”

At her words, the movement of the man who was bringing the tea to his lips stopped for a moment. But the Empress continued, seemingly unaware.

“The Permanence family has fallen into decline. Now, a commoner’s daughter will become a Duchess… tsk.”

She opened the fan that was lying next to her and began to flutter it cautiously.

“Strictly speaking, she’s not a commoner anymore. She’s become the adopted daughter of Baron Dünamis, hasn’t she?”

At Blieteus’s words, the Empress snapped the fan shut with a sound.

“Baron Dünamis is also in decline. Taking in a girl whose origin is unknown as an adopted daughter.”

Dünamis was once a prestigious family that supported Prince Adenmir, producing many wizards, but now it was one of the insignificant noble families on the decline.

Still, their past reputation couldn’t be ignored.

One of those who had worked hard to win him over to the aristocratic faction was Empress Eugenie.

Although she had failed every time.

“It must have been Prince Adenmir who cooked up Dünamis.”

It was clear as day that he had obliged because of the close relationship between the Baron Dünamis family and Prince Adenmir in the past.

“To wield his power so freely in such trivial matters… tsk. I can clearly see what will happen in the future if he becomes the emperor of this empire. Isn’t that so, Blieteus?”

Sitting across from her, the man who had been quietly sipping the tea in front of him set down the cup and looked up at her.

“Yes, Mother.”

The smile on his lips was contradicted by the cold light in his golden eyes.

(This is a time separator.)

Returning to the mansion with Mei, carrying a handful of desserts, Lina encountered an unexpected person as soon as she got out of the carriage.

“Henry?”

Surprised, Lina widened her eyes at the end of her words.

“How did you get here…”

“It’s been a long time, Lina. And Mei.”

Mei also seemed unaware of Henry’s presence, mumbling in a choked voice.

“Henry…”

“What on earth happened?”

At that moment, the coachman, who had been tending to the carriage, discreetly asked.

“He’s the new steward hired by the Duke. You knew each other?”

A newly hired steward?

‘Could it be, the Duke…’

Suddenly, Lina recalled the Duke’s words in the carriage to the capital about making her not feel lonely in the capital.

‘So that’s what he meant.’

It seemed he was concerned about her being lonely without relatives in the capital. Lina unconsciously smiled a slight smile at the Duke’s consideration.

She had been worried about Henry, who had been driven out of the mansion. She had planned to ask the Duke for a favor later.

She was grateful to Valige for bringing him back to the mansion on his own.

“Lina, no, now you’re Miss. I look forward to working with you.”
Seeing Henry, who still awkwardly called himself Miss and used honorifics, Lina smiled with a slight grin.

“Alright, take care.”

“Please come in. The Duke is waiting for you.”

“The Duke has arrived?”

“Yes.”

Telling Henry and Mei that they would talk later, she hurried to meet Valige.

Since coming to the capital, she hadn’t had a proper conversation due to his busy schedule. Her heart was already excited at the thought of spending time together today.

“Lina.”

And as soon as she entered the mansion, Valige, who had heard the news of Lina’s return, was waiting for her.

“Duke!”

Lina almost jumped into Valige’s arms, looking up at him.

“When did you return?”

With a gesture that seemed to find Lina’s appearance cute, he stroked her head and spoke in a gentle voice.

“Just a moment ago.”

“Thank you.”

Suddenly thanking him, Lina’s words made Valige stop his stroking hand and ask,

“What for?”

“Henry. You brought him back to the mansion for me. Thank you so much.”

“It’s nothing.”

With a smile that dismissed it as trivial, Valige headed to the dining room with Lina.

“What about the meal?”

“Um… not yet.”

Though she had eaten dessert to her fill and was full, she thought she could eat twice more if it was a meal with Valige.

“So, how does it feel to become a young noble lady?”