“First, I said I would stay here a bit longer…”

Lea, who finished her tea time with Dmitry, took a deep breath. However, as she returned to her room, she bit her lip anxiously.

“Earlier, the Duke didn’t seem to be in good condition.”

Strangely, Akia didn’t seem to be in a good mood during the meal. Even when she gestured with her eyes to ask what was wrong, he remained silent.

“What on earth was the problem?”

At first glance, it didn’t seem like Akia and Duke Belarus had a good relationship.

Could there have been a problem when he was working on something earlier? That’s what she vaguely thought.

She encountered Akia waiting in front of her room. Lea quickly scanned her surroundings, feeling as if she might have entered the wrong room, but it was indeed her room.

That meant Akia had some business with her.

“Duke, why are you here? Wasn’t there something urgent earlier? Is it resolved?”

“Urgent matter?”

Akia’s expression darkened as if he remembered the situation a while ago. What urgent matter could there be for him in this mansion?

And as expected, the urgent matter the butler mentioned was just a letter from Leckel asking about her well-being.

“It’s so obvious.”

Anyone could see that the butler’s excuse of needing to inquire about Lea and Duke Belarus was absurd.

Akia wasn’t feeling good about being in a situation where he seemed to be competing with the old Duke for Lea’s attention.

“Oh, and the Duke asked me for a favor…”

Looking at Lea, who avoided eye contact and blurred the end of her sentence, Akia’s eyebrows twitched. Why was Lea hesitating so much about conveying the request?

He hadn’t even heard the details of the request, but Akia was already feeling displeased.

“Why are you hesitating so much to say something again?”

“Well…”

As if urging him to speak, Lea reluctantly opened her mouth.

“Duke Belarus suggested that it would be nice if you stayed at the mansion for a while longer.”

“What?”

Lea glared at Akia even as she delivered the message. Seeing her look at him as if she could read his mind, Akia felt even more upset.

‘What’s his hidden agenda?’

It couldn’t be that an old man like him was harboring harsh feelings toward a granddaughter-like woman. If he had such thoughts, he should have acted on them long ago.

Duke Belarus was a man who, after losing his Duchess at a young age, remained a man without any rumors of extramarital affairs.

So why now?

Why show such interest in Lea, whom he met for the first time yesterday? Seeing Lea’s face full of concern for Duke Belarus, he couldn’t fathom her naivety.

“Seems like you’re reminded of the Duke’s late granddaughter. The memorial service for the deceased granddaughter is in three days. Until then, wouldn’t it be okay for you to stay…”

Lea’s words, full of genuine feelings, seemed longer than usual. Akia looked down at her, clenching his fist.

“So, you’re going to stay here longer?”

“…If the Duke permits.”

Lea’s voice died down in the face of the Duke’s displeased expression.

She had only thought of being a little company for the lonely old man and leaving. Why was this turning into such a complicated matter?

“No. I have a lot to do back in the capital.”

“Of course. I thought so.”

Lea nodded slowly, seemingly resigned. It seemed she would have to convey to Duke Belarus that staying longer would be difficult.
Akia didn’t think of Dmitry as someone shameless enough to harbor ill intentions towards Lea.

Duke Belarus was still a ruthless person, not considering the descendants of the vassals as equals.

Only direct lineage mattered; if they weren’t of his blood, he had no mercy.

‘But why would someone like him show such favor just because she resembles his daughter?’

Akia’s narrowed, sharp eyes met Lea’s and then drifted away.

‘Something feels off.’

Akia felt uneasy, sensing there might be a reason behind the Duke’s excessive actions. Moreover, during the entire meal, he felt a strange sense of alienation between the two.

Seeing Lea, who only Duke Belarus cared about, made it even more disheartening.

‘Until I confirm what Duke Belarus is thinking, I should keep my distance.’

Lea was staring at his intensified eyes. After a while of hesitation, Akia’s lips slowly parted.

“Just in case.”

“Yes.”

“I have a higher status than you.”

What was he trying to say with such hesitation? Lea wondered if she misheard and doubted her own ears.

However, Akia’s serious face, looking into her eyes, spoke sincerity.

“…Yes?”

Lea blinked rapidly.

“Besides, I’m young and good-looking. As you can see, my body is also in good shape.”

Lea was astonished by the Duke’s absurd words.

‘Could this be a side effect of the medicine?’

Lea looked at the man listing her strengths unexpectedly, her eyes filled with bewilderment.

“And most importantly.”

The Duke, seemingly unaware of Lea’s feelings, approached her. Then, he pulled Lea’s waist closer to him.