But she, who had been in charge of his escort, could understand him to some extent.

In the great achievement of changing from a kingdom to an empire, he had been protected without moving a muscle for several years under indifference.

So, perhaps because it was his first time leaving the empire, he had been smiling and excited throughout the business trip.

However, this mission was a far cry from the leisurely trip he desired.

Therefore, to turn away Irene, who continued to whine,

“If you endure only this time, I’ll go anywhere with you.”

Thinking it would be something like guarding a place to catch the wind, Lucia made a reasonable suggestion.

But, to her surprise, he, who had been pretending to cry and covering his face, suddenly opened his hand wide.

“…Really?”

In contrast to his ridiculous behavior, Lucia, who met his serious gaze, nodded her head.

“Really?”

“Yes, yes.”

A somewhat annoying answer.

But he seemed to be lost in thought, and after tumbling on the bed for a while, he suddenly got up and approached.

Then, instead of skillfully putting on the necklace, he boldly snatched it from Lucia’s inexperienced hand.

“In that case, come with me for the last banquet. So, let’s dance together. This is the second time, but the first time wasn’t just the two of us.”

Behind Lucia in the mirror, Irene, with the face of a relaxed man as if saying, ‘When did I act like a child?’ smiled and stood.

Then, skillfully trying to put on the necklace, he suddenly looked stiff as he reached Lucia’s exposed white neck.

After awkwardly lowering his hand as if dropping it, he finally put the necklace on Lucia and left.

Watching his back as he left, the person left behind could only wear a puzzled expression.

‘A second time?’
It was a misunderstanding of two men who mistakenly thought Lucia was in an eagle mask, and only these two men knew about this misunderstanding.

As she awkwardly touched the necklace again, someone approached.

“What’s with that man? I don’t like it.”

It was Hees, the young knight who had been silently waiting in the corner until now.

With a face full of contempt after securing the necklace, he stared at the door where Irene had left.

However, Hees’ job was to guard the pitiful man instead of leading a contemptible one.

Even Hees, who inevitably followed behind the prince, left the room. When the prepared Lucia got ready, she picked up her bag.

And quietly, she climbed into the carriage prepared at the back door.

The destination now was the Gerachi Viscountcy’s affiliated small village orphanage, which she heard about from her daughter sometime.

Although it couldn’t be confirmed if the timing was right, if the last bloodline of the duke was with the saint, it was an extraordinary coincidence.

And it was another tragic fate.

Perhaps it would have been an unforgettable commotion if the child had appeared and continued the territory of the duchy. But no matter how much she thought about it, there was no such memory.

In the end, it was a story that the pitiful-looking siblings took over the territory of the duchy.

And eventually, they would have been swallowed up by the empire.

It was regrettable.

Why did the duke and duchess hide and raise the child?

Perhaps they knew that there was someone with ulterior motives even before the child was born.

As Lucia pondered over various concerns, she closed her eyes and remembered the sound of hooves following her since yesterday.

The faint sound that followed her at a distance, strangely out of sync with the carriage.

Was this person one of the group that killed the duke and duchess?

In any case, it seemed clear that someone wished for the enemy to not find that hideout.