Most of the ice that fell on Noel’s head bounced off and landed on the floor, but there was also some that remained without falling.

From the beginning, the number of ice pieces the child sprinkled on Noel was quite a lot, so if all that ice melted-.

Drip.

Drip drip.

‘Should I… give him something to wipe it with?’

His head was getting all wet.

Aeli, who witnessed the scene of ice water flowing down from the top of Noel’s head to his forehead, rolled her eyes.

After receiving the blessing, just as the child did in the carriage, it seemed like he would wipe it off on his own even if she didn’t bother to take care of it, but she wondered if she should at least give him a handkerchief out of courtesy.

“……”

“……”

“Get out! I said get out! Why aren’t you leaving?!”

The child, who had no way of knowing that Aeli was pondering such thoughts, was still fuming and getting angry.

Aeli, who was blankly staring at the child, opened her mouth in a low voice. It was to calm him down as he seemed too excited.

“…That, ch-.”

“I don’t want to see your face either, until you ap- apologize!”

“No, wait,”

“Get out now!”

“……”

Oh no, this isn’t going to work.

Whether he really couldn’t hear her words or was pretending not to hear them.

Aeli, who was quite flustered by the child who didn’t even make a gesture of listening, trembled her eyes finely.

It was because although he had been quite stubborn at times, he had never ignored her to this extent.

‘Ha, even when he got caught sneaking into the basement every night before going down to the estate, it wasn’t this bad…?’

At least then, he would at least roll his eyes towards her.

…Then when their eyes met, he would make a ‘hmph!’ sound and abruptly turn his head away.

Anyway, Aeli had no choice but to read the room and check the atmosphere, looking at the child who was angry beyond her imagination.

Judging by Lutis, who was sitting in his seat with his arms crossed, he didn’t seem to have any intention of stopping this situation at all.

‘-Well, considering the expression he had earlier, I think Adi was about to get angry himself but missed the timing.’

Then should this be considered fortunate in this case?

If Lutis had intervened directly, the situation would have been worse at best and there was no chance of it getting any better.

Aeli, who gave Lutis a hint to see if he would stop the child at this point, sighed deeply inwardly as it was too ambiguous.

‘The attack Noel just made on me, hmm. …It was definitely too much.’

Then, Aeli should also be angry at the situation where her well-being was threatened, just like the child and Lutis-.

But the sudden event somehow lacked a sense of reality.

If she tried to make him stop, it felt like she was taking the matter too lightly, and if she left him alone, it felt somewhat uneasy.

Even thinking from Noel’s perspective, not their standards, it wasn’t without a sense of going overboard, but if she were in the opposite position, Aeli also didn’t think she would leave someone alone who was impersonating her already dead family.

Moreover, if the justification was clear and she had the force to solve the problem on her own.

It meant that it wasn’t unreasonable for his eyes to roll.

“……”

But that didn’t mean she would just smile like a fool even if her life was in danger.

‘…Let’s just leave it.’

I don’t know anymore, me either.

Aeli slightly turned her head and took her gaze off the child who was still pouring something all over Noel’s head, and Noel who was silently receiving the child’s anger.

By the way, the child had now stopped sprinkling small pieces of ice over Noel’s head.

“Ugh, wait a minute-.”

“I won’t wait! You did something bad again when I was waiting, I can’t trust you! This is betrayal! Get out now!”

Instead, small dolls of unknown origin were sticking tightly to Noel’s head and pulling his hair.

Aeli, who was thinking about the somewhat familiar doll, opened her mouth slightly.

It was something she had decorated herself in a corner of the child’s room for simple interior purposes.

‘No, I had that attached and decorated on one side of the wall?’

It was a mystery when and how he had taken it off.

It was the moment when Aeli’s brows were slightly furrowing.

“…Okay! Go! If you leave, that’s all, right!”

“Get out-! …Huh?”

Noel, who was getting his forehead kicked about five times by the doll presumably controlled by the child, finally raised the white flag.

The child, who had jumped up from his seat to look up at Noel, reflexively shouted and then made a puzzled face.

He seemed to have expected Noel to get angry and tell him to disappear, but he didn’t expect him to actually back down obediently.

‘-Wait. He’s just leaving like this? …Then when will my identity be revealed?’

And Aeli was equally surprised by this unexpected situation.

Aeli, who quickly blinked at Noel’s declaration, hastily racked her brain.

Since she had already mentioned her external identity as a branch of the Masons to the Pope, she had to get cooperation from the Masons on this matter.

If she introduced herself as a branch, but the Masons actually denied it, there could be nothing more troublesome.

‘But there’s no way they’ll accept this in the current situation…!’

If looks could kill, she would have died at least a few times already.

In order to get even a little cooperation, she had to sow at least some doubt even if she couldn’t convince them right away.

It was when Noel, who had roughly brushed his tangled hair back with his hand, was about to leave the room.

“Wa- wait a minute!”

Aeli reached out to grasp the hem of Noel’s clothes.

Bzzt!

“…!”

“Who said you could touch me carelessly? Don’t touch me.”

However, as soon as she reached out her hand, Aeli had no choice but to withdraw her arm due to the fierce magic Noel sprayed.

Although not as much as the earlier attack, the back of her hand was red and stinging enough that Aeli’s eyes trembled finely as she held her sore skin with her other hand.

At this, Lutis narrowed his eyes and was about to say something, but Aeli stopped him by shaking her head and spoke again.

“…I won’t ask you to believe me right away. Then at least ask your parents for a paternity test. Noel doesn’t know how to do it accurately yet, but your parents do.”

“……”

“Since it doesn’t seem like we can have a conversation right now, let’s confirm that first and then continue the conversation…”

“……”

Aeli’s voice trailed off, discouraged by Noel’s cold gaze looking down at her without a word.

Then Noel twisted his lips and replied.

“Why should I do that?”

“…That’s-.”

“Do you think black hair is common in the Empire? For that test, there must be no magic on the medium to be checked.”

“……”

“The former Count and Countess you call parents still can’t laugh, so why should they grant your request?”

“……”

Aeli shut her mouth, at a loss for words at Noel’s answer.

“Even if we check the results, well. Even if that body is really my sister, is there a way to prove that it’s not a wrong soul possessed in it?”

“…Like I said earlier,”

“If you’re going to try to convince me with memories that don’t make sense, forget it. The fact that you’re not dead yet with that face is proof that I’m exercising the most patience in my life.”

“……”

“There’s no reason to do so, and I don’t want to waste time on useless things.”

Having finished what he had to say, Noel turned his back.

I thought he would use magic to return, just like when he first entered the mansion.

Surprisingly, Noel opened the door normally and was about to leave the reception room, but hesitated and looked back.

Aeli’s eyes wandered around, unable to figure out where to focus her gaze.

“Ha……”

Noel, who alternately checked Aeli and Lutis with unfavorable gazes, lowered his head and buried his face in one hand, then soon opened his mouth.

It was probably directed at Lutis.

“I think we need to reconsider the recent trials.”

“……”

“Since we don’t know which side the rat is hiding in, I’ll go back and find out first. You check it out too.”

With those words, Noel left the reception room.

‘…You could just send a strand of hair without saying anything. If it doesn’t work, I could say it’s Adi’s hair cut short…!’

Aeli stared blankly at Noel’s back, repeatedly moving her lips.

If he left like this, it was clear that he wouldn’t come back any time soon. Then she would be stuck in the mansion for the time being.

Aeli was biting her innocent lips, unable to say anything more here, when it happened.

Pluck!

“Ack!”

At the same time, Aeli let out a short scream at the pain she felt in her head.

It hurt so much that tears welled up when a handful of hair was plucked from the roots.

She didn’t need to look to know who had plucked her hair without even touching it.

“……”

Although it was quite annoying that he purposely plucked it more painfully even though he could have taken it without her noticing, she could only feel fortunate about it now.

Aeli was about to relax her expression with a bit of relief.

“Thi- this meanie…! I won’t let him come back! I really hate him, it’s so annoying!”

“I was planning to do that anyway.”

“……”

It seemed that she was the only one feeling relieved.

Pat pat pat!

“……”

Aeli laughed hollowly as she felt the dolls that had been plucking Noel’s hair and kicking his forehead just a moment ago, all swarming and patting her head.

She was already at a loss on how to appease those two.

“Mommy, does it hurt a lot?”

“Mmm- it doesn’t hurt much. But I think it will all heal if Adi just gives me one kiss on the cheek?”

“Gasp.”

At Aeli’s words, the child, who had been crawling on the bed, made a solemn expression.

Then he firmly pressed his small lips on the cheek that had just finished treatment.

Aeli, who smiled faintly at the soft and sweet scent unique to young children, picked up the child and sat him on her lap.

It was right after she had dissuaded the child and Lutis from calling the doctor as there were too many prying eyes, and received treatment herself.

‘But seriously, the secret passage is really handy.’

Since she had returned to the guest room assigned to her immediately after receiving treatment and entered the bedroom.

It was definitely useful.

Aeli thought to herself and looked down at the child wriggling in her arms.

As if sensing her gaze, the child soon raised his head and mumbled his lips.

“Adi, do you have something to say?”

“That- that’s-.”

Growl.

“……”

“……”

“…I want to eat soufflé.”

“……”

“Ye- yesterday, Mommy said to eat it……”

The child, who must have been embarrassed, turned his neck red and buried his face in Aeli’s chest.

Unable to hold back her laughter at the cute behavior, Aeli finally laughed softly and nodded.

“Okay, then shall we go eat now? It’s already a bit late for breakfast.”

Let’s feed him first.

And it was when the child, who had just scooped up the soufflé in the restaurant that had bitten people, was mumbling with his mouth.

Aeli, who was wiping the whipped cream off the child’s mouth, suddenly thought of something and turned her head to look at Lutis.

‘…Come to think of it, I haven’t told him about Her Highness yet?!’

It was a realization that came like a bolt out of the blue.