For some reason, he seemed dissatisfied as he dug through the paper tomb.

I sighed and shook my head as I replied, “I have to reply to all of them. There are too many.”

“Huh? What’s this? My brother and I receive even more than these.”

“…”

Is he bragging about being popular?

‘What an unlucky guy.’

I was about to ignore him and continue writing, but when I reached ‘Dear,’ I heard a voice right behind me, as if from the back of my head.

“Felix… Hiklmayer?”

Turning my head slightly, I saw a sinister gleam in Carlotta’s eyes.

“The kid who stared at me with creepy eyes at the temple. Why is this kid sending a letter to my sister?”
The letter from Felix was so tightly clenched that the paper was miserably crumpled.

“Give it here, Carl.”

“Does this damn kid dare to pull off such a ridiculous stunt on my sister?”

Carlotta, who had been grumbling, suddenly asked me, “Sister, are you going?”

“Do I have to tell you even that?”

Carlotta’s actions since earlier were overstepping even though he was my younger brother.

He intruded without permission, blatantly read personal invitations, and even offered unsolicited advice.

As my expression turned cold, Carlotta, noticing my mood, looked sulky.

“…It’s not necessarily like that.”

His pitiful appearance softened my heart like a wet puppy.

‘It’s not done with malicious intent.’

After a deep sigh, I answered Carlotta’s question in a softened voice.

“I was debating whether to go or not.”

“I hope you don’t go…”

“I’m going.”

Ignoring Carlotta’s reluctant plea, I made the decision without any hesitation, and he pursed his lips.

“If Sister wants to go, then go.”

After saying that, Carlotta glanced at me for a moment and then asked as if hesitatingly, “Can I come with you instead?”

“…Why?”

“Escort. We don’t know what that bastard might do to you.”

“If you need an escort, you can ask Ian.”

“That guy! …I’d rather go with you than that guy!”

Carlotta, who harbored an unknown resentment toward Léan, shouted angrily.

But I had no intention of taking Carlotta, who would only be a burden.

‘If I take him, I might not be able to properly explore.’

I didn’t know when I would have the chance to visit the Severes Mansion again. So, I had to make the most of this opportunity.

But Carlotta was sly.

“If Father finds out, he’ll probably forbid you from going… He hates Duke Severes because of Father.”

Look at this guy.

“Carl, are you trying to threaten me?”

This time, due to the overwhelming number of invitations coming to me, the butler seemed to have overlooked them thoroughly.

He sent them in without checking, overlooking the fact that Viscount Hiklmayer was the cousin of Duke Severes.

This meant that even Duke Ferdia didn’t know about the invitation… If Carlotta leaked it, it would indeed be troublesome.

‘He might really prevent me from going.’

Staring sharply at Carlotta, I realized that he desperately shouted.

“I’ll stay quiet. I’ll stay still. I’ll do whatever you say!”

“Viscount Hiklmayer invited only me.”

“If you say I’m your pet, that’ll work!”

‘Will it?’

Sighing heavily at Carlotta’s stubborn attitude, I couldn’t help but think it was fortunate it wasn’t Yansie.

“Alright. Just don’t cause any trouble, Carl.”

“Yeah, of course!”

In response to Carlotta’s bright reply, I finally wrote the response to the last invitation.

The content was an acceptance of the invitation.
[Dear Viscount Hiklmayer, the leaves that were once green are now turning red in the autumn breeze…]

Of course, the greetings were copy-pasted.

The sound of the coachman’s skills and the clatter of horse hooves were heard as the carriage slowly came to a stop.

The one who greeted Adenmir as he got off the carriage was the butler of the Ferdia Mansion.

“Welcome, Your Highness. The master is waiting for you.”

“Alright. Lead the way.”

Adenmir took another look around Ferdia Mansion. It felt like it had been a long time since his last visit, even though it hadn’t been that long.

The engagement alliance had been broken, but it was a gradual separation based on mutual agreement, so the political cooperation remained intact.

Therefore, there were many matters to discuss directly with Duke Ferdia.

Entering the reception room, Adenmir sat across from Duke Ferdia, who had been waiting.

“Long time no see, Duke.”

“We exchanged more letters than anyone else, but it feels different meeting in person.”

These words referred to the countless letters they had exchanged for the sake of the separation agreement.

“I can’t do anything about meeting in person.”

“That’s true.”

Starting with light banter, they talked about the recent situation in the royal family.

Mostly, it was about the current situation of Lady Salvatrice or the schemes she was plotting.

“How is the Emperor doing?”

“Lady Salvatrice mentioned it, but he’s recovering with the antidote made by Ferdia’s apothecary.”

“…Ferdia’s apothecary.”

After a brief pause, Duke Ferdia answered, but Adenmir didn’t sense any suspicion.

“If Lady Salvatrice hadn’t found out that the perfume and medicine were poison, the Emperor’s condition would have worsened even more.”

“It seems your apothecary has been quite helpful. With my daughter-in-law gone, you must have been even more worried.”

In response to the Duke’s bone-chilling words, Adenmir asked quietly.

“I didn’t know the Duke was aware of the Emperor’s intentions.”

“I can’t help but know when it comes to family matters.”

“I didn’t think you were particularly fond of Lady Salvatrice.”

“…….”

There was a moment of silence. Eventually, Duke Ferdia muttered in a self-deprecating tone.

“If others can feel it to that extent, the person involved must have felt it even more.”

For a moment, there was a fleeting memory in Adenmir’s mind.

“Then, please praise her.”

When the child asked if there was something she wanted, she said to tell her if there was something to praise.

Duke Ferdia recalled Elodie’s face, which seemed like she was about to cry. He hadn’t expected her to have such thoughts.

He wanted to do more for the child, but he didn’t know what to do.

“Child-rearing is difficult.”

Exiting the reception room first, Adenmir walked towards somewhere outside the main mansion.

‘I should at least express my gratitude.’

The destination was the annex where Elodie stayed.
Despite the likely inconvenience, Elodie was indeed sending an antidote every week.

Expressing gratitude through letters was done, but conveying feelings in writing had its limitations.

‘The atmosphere in the annex has changed.’

Unlike the past, which resembled a ghostly mansion with hardly a servant visible, now Elodie’s exclusive maids and butlers were busy everywhere.

Having arrived at Elodie’s room to find her, Adenmir summoned her dedicated maid, Masa, and inquired.

“Where is the lady?”

“She was here until a moment ago but seems to have gone out. She’s probably in the garden.”

So, he went to the garden, but she wasn’t there.

When he asked a servant who had been in the garden:

“Oh, she was here until a moment ago… Looks like she went back inside.”

Suddenly feeling something was odd, Adenmir couldn’t quite articulate what was strange.

Following the servant’s words, Adenmir went back inside the annex.

Despite inquiring about the mistress’s whereabouts for quite some time from the servants, Adenmir couldn’t find her.

“Where is the lady?”

“She might be in her bedroom.”

Returning to the bedroom, intending to wait, Adenmir turned around.

That’s when he saw it. A delicate blonde figure disappearing at the end of the corridor.

‘…Right now, she seems to be avoiding me.’

Adenmir chuckled aggressively.

Whether it was resentment or something else, what could be the reason for such a distorted judgment?