And right after.

‘−This, this wasn’t what I intended.’

Aeli screamed inwardly at the brooch that she had unwittingly released.

Her heart raced ahead, and the introduction came out without any cushion, starting from the main point.

It was a sudden situation, as Noel had just handed over the brooch, telling her not to reveal her identity right away. So much so that even Lutis was surprised…

“……”

“……?”

It doesn’t seem like he’s surprised.

When removing the brooch, his fingertips trembled as if he was startled, but for some reason, now that he’s actually taken it off, there’s no particular reaction.

No, in a way, it seems like he’s a little relieved.

Aeli, who familiarly read the emotions in his expressionless face, slightly raised her head and looked straight ahead.

“……”

“……”

Even her parents, the former Count and Countess, were looking at her with faces that seemed to say, what is she doing now?

Aeli opened her mouth slightly and blinked her eyes rapidly at the incomprehensible reaction.

‘……What?’

The brooch is an item that prevents the wearer’s face from being properly recognized, so if it’s removed, shouldn’t everyone be astonished?

If the revealed face is exactly the same as the child who left first, there’s no way anyone wouldn’t be surprised.

Could it be that even though the brooch has been removed, the effect is still being applied?

As Aeli sat still and only observed the situation, the former Countess opened her mouth.

“So… are you saying you want us to help you with something because of your appearance?”

“That……”

“In return, you’ll give us this brooch, or something like that……?”

“Ah, no. That’s not it……”

No way that could be. Aeli hurriedly waved her hands and shook her head from side to side.

Putting aside the fact that she didn’t have that intention in the first place, there’s no way she could do that.

Since this brooch is a magical tool that Noel personally obtained and engraved magic on, it’s unlikely that fake jewels were used.

But it’s not an item that would be of much value to someone with the status of a Count.

It’s literally an accessory.

Offering such an item and asking for help is not only audacious but also rude in its premise.

Aeli paused for a moment and then muttered.

“……I don’t know how much the Count has told you in advance, but there have been many strange things happening.”

“……”

“As I just mentioned, there’s the matter of the trial being overturned,”

The fact that the annex was not operated according to the orders Lutis gave before leaving for the war. The fact that a child was kidnapped when they went to the territory for inspection. And the fact that black magic was discovered there.

In addition, there were things like the reactions of the imperial family and the temple, who acted as if they were testing them, and the existence of a princess they didn’t even know about.

‘Moreover, even the contents of the ancient book that Lutis handed over to Noel……’

Indeed, from where to where is it okay to talk about?

At the same time as thinking that her parents should also be informed, as it’s such a serious matter, there was also anxiety that they might get involved if she’s not careful.

Even her original purpose of obtaining Mason’s castle, if it’s achieved, the probability of the two of them getting involved in an unfavorable situation is high, so strictly speaking, there’s not much meaning in considering this.

“……”

As Aeli was unable to continue speaking and was contemplating.

Lutis, who glanced at Aeli like that, opened his mouth.

“I was thinking that we should talk about it even if you didn’t ask.”

“You, to us, Duke?”

“Yes. But it’s something that shouldn’t be leaked outside.”

Although he spoke indirectly, there’s no way they couldn’t understand the meaning.

Snap!

Father, who cast a sound-blocking magic around the reception room by snapping his fingers, tapped the armrest of the couch with his fingertips.

Unlike Mother, Father showed signs of meeting the child and adoring her, but he didn’t react noticeably.

That was no different even when they were alone without the child. Rather, his face, which had been strangely softened, was now hardened in a way that couldn’t be described in words, making it even burdensome.

Aeli unknowingly swallowed nervously.

‘He hasn’t said a word since I entered the reception room until now.’

When it seemed like a question would come from such a father, Aeli’s heart naturally beat fast, and she kept rubbing her palm on the hem of her dress for no reason.

After observing the situation for a while, Father spoke.

“……Duke.”

“Yes.”

“The fact that Mason is welcoming you now means he’s giving you a chance.”

“……”

“The Count briefly heard from the young lady what she said. It seems that the Duke was unaware that the trial was being overturned, so there must have been someone pulling strings in the middle.”

“……”

“Just as we are at fault for not being able to take proper measures despite clearly knowing how the young master was doing, the Duke is also not free from responsibility just because he didn’t know.”

At Father’s words, Lutis’s mouth closed. Aeli, who was sitting a little distance away with her head bowed, was not much different.

As discussed before, if they were to actually go to trial in this situation and determine right and wrong, it’s true that they have a high probability of losing.

Ignorance is not a sin, but incompetence can be a sin, so it was a natural thing to say.

Because they were incompetent due to not knowing, and because of that, a child who should have grown up properly was neglected like that.

It’s not an immunity just because intentionality is not recognized. It would only serve as a basis for mitigating circumstances.

“……”

“……”

Father, who glanced at Aeli by rolling his eyes, opened his mouth again.

It seemed that he had determined it was not something that outsiders should hear, and judging by the fact that no sound could be heard, it seemed that he had taken measures to make it so that only Aeli could not hear, just as Noel had done to the child before.

‘……But I know how to read lips.’

I have no friends, but I have many personal skills. One of them is that I can read other people’s lip movements almost perfectly.

If Father had known that I was his own daughter, there’s no way he wouldn’t have known such a fact, but that’s a secret now, so it’s a meaningless assumption.

Lutis may not know, but he is in a position to persuade along with Aeli.

Aeli, who roughly understood the conversation despite not hearing anything, alternated her gaze between Lutis and Father, and then lowered her eyes again.

Even if the sound-blocking magic that she had cast became ineffective, she couldn’t show it.

−If lip-reading was correct, she thought it didn’t really matter since she was the person involved anyway.

“Since I heard that my daughter was treated like that and my grandson was not doing well, I regretted marrying Aeli to you……”

“……”

“No matter what you say, it won’t change much. So, although it will be difficult to treat you like before, ……I think we shouldn’t show it, at least in front of the young master.”

“……”

“Allowing you to come to the territory was because of that. Since it wasn’t the Duke’s intention for the young master to be treated like that− and seeing how much he likes and follows you, it doesn’t seem like you haven’t done anything since returning from the war, so we waited.”

He said that judging from the fact that he said he would come down directly, it seemed that he definitely had something to say to them.

He said that he would listen first and then make a judgment, so please don’t disappoint him any more than this.

This was no different from saying that the moment he disappoints them, they will kick him out, regardless of whether they show it or not.

‘If that happens, I guess we’ll have to consider going to trial.’

Realizing that a few words could make the custody fly away, Lutis, who paused for a moment as if choosing his words just as Aeli had done earlier, replied.

“−The reason I had to go to war was because I received an order from the Emperor to participate, but traces of contact between other races and Rothenia were found in the border area, so I couldn’t refuse.”

“……”

“Also, before going to war, I tried to contact Mason, but at the same time I heard that the Count had gone to the territory, I was told that the communication device in the Mason residence in the capital was broken. So unless I visited the territory, communication was impossible,”

“……”

“There wasn’t enough time to send a messenger, so there was no way.”

“……The communication device?”

“Yes.”

At Lutis’s words, Father’s brows furrowed for a moment.

This story had already been discussed with Noel before. Noel had also shown a reaction similar to Father’s at that time.

[There’s no way the communication device could have been broken.] [What?] [No…… It’s not entirely impossible, but the communication device in the Mason residence is managed that much, whether it’s in the territory or the capital. Because they frequently communicate with the Magic Tower.]

As the de facto leader of the Magic Tower, Mason had to receive and act on communications promptly.

Although magic may seem like it can be done easily with just one casting when you hear about it, in reality, it’s not that simple.

From establishing and calculating formulas one by one to understanding and solving them in your head, it’s no exaggeration to say that it’s a continuous study− and when you try to develop something new, every moment becomes extremely important.

If you miss the timing, the phenomenon you were researching often disappears and vanishes.

So, Aeli remembered her father and elder brother, who used to hurriedly leave their seats while having meals together or going out when she was young, after receiving reports.

So.

[……] [There are separate wizards who regularly maintain it, and if a problem occurs, they immediately repair it. Moreover, it’s designed so that if one part is broken, another part substitutes for it, so it’s impossible for it to become completely non-functional unless someone deliberately does it.] [……] [Besides, in the first place, I haven’t received such a report even after returning to the capital. The only thing I heard was that the Duke had gone to war.]

This was also something Noel said he would check once more when he received the ancient book handed over by Lutis.

As Aeli was about to clench her fists tightly, her head aching from trying to figure out where it all went wrong.

Thud.

At the sound ringing in her ears, Aeli’s gaze turned forward.

“……?!”

Then she opened her eyes wide at the miserably shattered armrest of the couch.