I knew the Duchess was wealthy, but I couldn’t follow the mindset of talking about such an enormous amount of money as if it were nothing.

Yancy, who was sitting next to me, leaned in and kindly said, “If there’s something you want, just say it. I’ll buy it for you, Lili.”

“No, it’s okay.”

I rejected Yancy’s kindness, smiling brightly.

“No need to feel burdened, Lili.”

“Haha.”

Despite my diplomatic refusal, Yancy responded with a lovely smile and resumed eating.

I also picked up my utensils again, but the food didn’t go down well.

The continuing dysfunctional triangle relationship between my foster parents and Duke Ferdia kept coming to mind.

It was even more uncomfortable since I happened to sit facing the Duchess.

“Are you thinking about Sylvester?”

“I only have you in mind, Richard.”

“Didn’t he desperately cling to you?”

‘Although Duke Ferdia courted Mom, she chose Dad… But, could it be that she still hasn’t forgotten and avoids talking about Mom? He’s an incredible pure-hearted man, but what about the Duchess?!’

Lost in various thoughts while cutting my food, Ferdia called out.

“…Dee.”

“…”

“Elodie.”

Startled by the Duke’s voice calling me, I responded, “Ah, yes!”

“Why are you staring at me like that?”

“No, that’s…”

Unintentionally, I seemed to be looking at Duke Ferdia. In my embarrassment, the Duke casually spoke.

“If you have something you want, say it. What do you want?”

Seemingly misinterpreting my gaze as wanting something, the atmosphere changed rapidly.

Both the Duchess and Yancy stopped eating and looked at the two of us.

‘Why is the atmosphere like this?’

Eventually, Duke Ferdia narrowed his eyes and slowly opened his mouth.

“…An overnight stay…?”

I heard a reaction that sounded absurd.

I became anxious that he might not give permission and quickly added an explanation.

“It’s just for about two days to hang out at a friend’s house.”

“A friend?”

A puzzled question came from Yancy’s side.

The meaning of that question was clear.

You? With a friend? Something like that.

Given my reputation in the social circle, everyone knew I had no lady friends.

‘Well, maybe I secretly kept one friend!’

…Let’s stop. It’s becoming pathetic.

Anyway, Yancy’s skepticism was reasonable, so I needed to explain.

“Actually, I made a new friend this time.”

“Which family’s daughter is she?”

The Duchess seemed to think that my friend was undoubtedly a noble lady.

“She’s not a noble, but a mercenary from the Sky Knights Mercenary Corps named Urania.”

“A mercenary…”

Duke Ferdia frowned in an unpleasant manner.

“Is she a good friend?”
Urania was truly a good person. She willingly agreed to my request to pretend to be friends.

“Elodie, you mentioning her makes me want to meet her sometime.”

Fortunately, the Duchess’s evaluation wasn’t bad. The only problem was Duke Ferdia.

“An overnight stay is not allowed, Elodie. It would be better to invite that mercenary to the mansion instead.”

I became stiff at his sudden refusal. It was difficult to argue when he presented an alternative like this.

But I couldn’t just give up like this.

“I already made plans to go out. I’ll be back after this one time.”

“Hmm.”

“Since Urania is a mercenary, you don’t need to worry about her as an escort…”

My voice, looking at Duke Ferdia without any change in expression, gradually faded.

‘What if I just go out without permission?’

Just as I was about to have extreme thoughts, someone intervened.

“If she wants to spend time with a friend, is there any reason to object?”

It was none other than the Duchess.

I was astonished because I never expected the Duchess to come forward for my overnight stay.

“The child asked to play with a friend for the first time. How about listening to her?”

“We still haven’t found the mastermind behind the previous attack, have we?”

“Just hire additional mercenaries from the mercenary band to be stationed near the house.”

“…”

The gazes of the Duke couple clashed intensely. Seeing them in a suspicious mood, the Duke asked me.

“What’s the name of that mercenary?”

“Urania!”

“I see.”

Permission granted.

If I were alone, I would never have gotten permission for an overnight stay, so I owed a favor to the Duchess.

As a gesture of gratitude, I nodded my head towards the Duchess, who chuckled and focused on her meal again.

Looking at such a nonchalant appearance, I couldn’t help but admire her.

‘She looks so cool being indifferent…’

After the family meal, as I hurried back to my room to pack, the owner of the unfair long legs, who had walked a few steps with just a few steps of my long, hard walk, stood in front of me.

“Why?”

Yancy, who always had a gentle smile, looked at me as if urging me to speak.

“Just. It feels like we haven’t talked much lately.”

“We talked during dinner today, didn’t we?”

“Not family dinner, but a personal conversation. You don’t have to worry about it; I can make time for my beloved sister without feeling burdened.”

“Ah, yes.”