These days, Jane started her day with Nathan’s report. As soon as Jane sat at the desk in Cain’s office, Nathan approached.

“Phil has left.”

“Left?”

Jane’s hand stopped as she was organizing the report Nathan had placed. She raised her head to look at Nathan.

“Yes, and there’s something strange.”

“What is it?”

“He said he met Lord Lloyd before leaving.”

“Lord Lloyd? When?”

Jane’s face hardened upon hearing Nathan’s answer.

Recalling the time Lloyd visited Somnium House yesterday, it seemed he had come here right after meeting Phil.

“What could they have talked about?”

Nathan looked genuinely clueless, but Jane felt she knew.

‘What Lloyd said just before leaving the reception room yesterday…’

Was it simply her imagination that his words about doing his best for her and the Whitneys felt significant?

Besides that, there were many noticeable things about Lloyd’s behavior yesterday.

Though they hadn’t met many times, he who had always been neat looked unusually disheveled, his words were rambling, and after saying he came to visit the sick Cain, he ended up leaving without seeing him.

Since he only had a cup of tea with Jane and left, it would have been believable if he had come to meet her rather than looking for Cain.

‘Could Phil have told him? About the incident 7 years ago?’

Jane had already concluded that Phil knew everything about the incident 7 years ago and had come to reveal that fact.

So it wasn’t very surprising that he spoke, but the fact that the other party was Lloyd was unexpected.

“My lady?”

Nathan called out to Jane, who was lost in thought.

“Yes, what did you say?”

“I said we’ve put someone on Phil. Should we leave it be if it’s unnecessary?”

Phil was suspicious, but Jane felt averse to things like tailing someone or secretly listening to others’ conversations.

But she couldn’t just say she disliked it. Nathan must have had some thoughts to assign someone, and Cain’s opinion was more important than hers in these matters.

“What do you think Cain would do?”

“He would track him.”

As expected, Cain was different from Jane. Jane nodded to indicate to proceed as planned.

Then Jane pulled over a newspaper. The main article was about the Rose Faction. The sensational phrases captivated Jane.

Decorate the square with nobles’ necks, revealing an ugly side.

Jane sighed. The tone of the newspaper was one-sided. The Rose Faction was described as a mob, thugs, thieves, and traitors.

At the end was a rebuke against the nobles for failing to protect the kingdom’s people suffering because of the Rose Faction.

The last sentence stuck in Jane’s eyes.

Hastings, who became a hero by subduing the Rose Faction, where are they now?

“That article… It’s uncomfortable, isn’t it? I heard the newspaper company was recently attacked by the Rose Faction. Seems they’re quite heated up because of that.”

“The newspaper company too?”

An unexpected place had been attacked. Though she tried to understand the Rose Faction, they kept doing things beyond the scope of understanding.

This is not an action that garners support. Rather, it was an action that made people turn their backs.

“Is it because of August?”

“That’s how it seems.”

August, who regained consciousness two days ago, refused to testify, saying he couldn’t remember anything.

“How is August doing?”

“He shouts to be released every day.”

“Anything else?”

“Nothing in particular.”

“He doesn’t ask about Jexi or anything?”

“No. Whether he really lost his memory or is pretending, there’s not a single word about Jexi.”

“I should meet him once.”

“It’s dangerous.”

Nathan immediately objected.

“What could happen at the police station? There’s something I need to confirm by meeting him.”

Whether he really remembers or not.

Jane folded the newspaper and put it aside. Then she immediately focused on handling family matters.

There was more money than expected that needed to be sent down to the local territories from the Hastings family.

“The Jungfran region has requested quite a large budget? All… for the purpose of buying consumer goods.”

“Yes. That region is always like that. But it’s still never enough. It’s unfortunate. It’s a high mountainous area with no proper resources.”

Jane tried to recall where Jungfran was on the map. In the northern highlands, the biting wind came to mind first.

“It’s cold all year round. It’s an environment that’s difficult to grow crops or for people to live in. In a place like this, they should do something other than farming.”

Jane gave Nathan several ideas.

She suggested tourism products for nobles in summer or proper winter sports facilities, taking advantage of the year-round cold as a strength.

“That’s really a good idea, isn’t it?”

“Relay it to the head of the family in charge of Jungfran. Tell them to develop the idea and submit a report as soon as possible. I’ll look at the next report.”

There was no unnecessary fuss in Jane’s work handling. And her work instructions were very straightforward. It was basic to handle two or three cases in an hour.

It felt like the entire Hastings was moving vigorously for the first time in a long while.

The reaction of the retainers, who had been feeling subtly disappointed that Cain had focused on Heis Trading Company rather than taking care of the family, was also very good.

Among the things Jane had handled as acting duke for nearly a week were matters that Cain had neglected for over 6 months due to being busy.

A current of favor formed among the retainers who had felt aversion towards Jane due to past mistakes committed by the Whitneys.

Nathan noticed the change through the administrative officer submitting reports.

‘If there was even a slight deficiency, His Excellency would jump up. But this is perfect.’

That’s why Cain was lazying around to his heart’s content.

“Nathan, you can go out now. And make an appointment for a meeting with August.”

Nathan tried to gloss over it, but Jane was not an easy person to deal with.

“Understood.”

Nathan answered in a deflated voice.

After leaving the reception room, he looked around the corridor and headed towards Cain’s bedroom.

It seemed better to report to Cain first about Jane meeting August.

Standing in front of Cain’s door, Nathan looked around once more.

Confirming that no one was there, he opened the door.

“Aah! You startled me!”

He thought there would be no one in the room, of course, but Norbert was there. He was in the middle of closing the window after finishing ventilation.

Norbert frowned at Nathan’s fuss. Nathan just smiled with his mouth open.

Nathan rambled on about his business even though Norbert hadn’t asked.

“I have something to say to His Excellency. Ah, well, um, I’m reporting for my own peace of mind. Morning, noon, evening, all the time. Haha, so for my own peace of mind… His Excellency might not like the process being pushed forward after he wakes up, you know what I mean?”

Norbert, who had tied the curtains with a string, approached Nathan. Sweat ran down Nathan’s back.

‘What if Norbert finds me suspicious?’

Thinking about it, there was no reason for Norbert to suspect Nathan at all. Nathan’s anxiety was literally a case of a thief being wary of his own footsteps.

The sin of hiding that Cain had woken up.

Later, when this fact becomes known, many people will probably hate him. That would include Norbert, who regards Cain almost like a son.

Nathan became increasingly fearful of what would happen after Cain wakes up.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Norbert said with an emotionless face and pushed up his glasses.

“Ah, you don’t understand? Then let me explain again…”

“I don’t want to know either. Then I’ll go ahead and leave.”

Norbert gave a stiff greeting and left the room.

Phew, Nathan let out a long sigh of relief.

He quickly put his ear to the door and checked the movements outside. The corridor was just quiet. Nathan quickly locked the door.

And as he was about to wake Cain, it became unnecessary.

“Nice act, you fool.”

“Huh? It wasn’t an act though?”

“Then you’re just a fool?”

Cain was completely recovered. Seeing that hateful tone, he was fully cured without needing a doctor’s examination.

“Yes. Think as you please.”

Nathan, who had been suffering from excessive work for a long time, avoided bickering with Cain.

“So why do you come during the day and waste unnecessary energy? You could have reported in the evening.”

“Because it’s an important report.”

“An important report?”

Cain threw off the blanket and got out of bed to move his body.

Nathan waited until Cain stopped exercising.

Seeing the smoothly turning joints and toned body despite just lying in bed, he felt annoyed.

‘He was really born with a good body. I’m envious and spiteful!’

But the relief that Cain was safe was greater than that.

“It’s about Phil. He met with the lady.”

Cain, who was stretching his left arm by grabbing it with his right hand, stopped in that posture.

“What?”

Nathan repeated exactly what he had reported to Jane.

“We’ve put someone on him.”

“Well done. Monitor him thoroughly. How was Jane’s reaction?”

“There was nothing particularly unusual. More importantly, the lady says she wants to meet August.”

“What? August?”

“Yes. What should we do? I don’t think I can stop her.”

August was a dangerous man. He would probably meet with police officers at the police station, but still couldn’t be at ease.

He was the man who had held a knife to Jane’s neck even in front of Cain.

Since the incident was quite serious, there was a possibility that Jane might panic upon seeing that man.

Cain gritted his teeth.

“Should we try to stop her somehow?”

“Do you have a way?”

“How about if Your Excellency has a seizure?”

At Nathan’s serious answer, Cain picked up a pillow as if to throw it, then put it down. Nathan reflexively covered his head with both arms and cleared his throat.

“There’s no way, is there? I told you I can’t stop the lady, didn’t I?”

“I know. So.”

Cain stroked his chin. After a moment, he said.

“Make the appointment.”