Sicar wasn’t just unpopular; it seemed that women were repelled by him to the point of disgust.
“Sure. I did rescue Sicar. I changed the fate of being killed by the protagonist.”

But I wanted to speak positively to Grandma.

“No, the duke is a wonderful person. Even if it weren’t me, you would have met someone even better.”

The criteria for that “wonderful person” were vague, but at least Sicar had been considerate of me, so it wasn’t entirely wrong.

“You seemed kind enough to say that. However, if it weren’t for you, our Sicar would have been forever alone. So, I think it’s filial piety for you two to live happily. But coming all the way here to see me, I don’t know how grateful I am. You were the one who suggested coming here, right?”

“I missed Grandma. Without Grandma, the duke’s residence feels empty.”

It wasn’t just a casual remark; Grandma was the first person I met when I came here, and I had relied on her subtly, so I missed her. Even when drawing a family picture, it was regrettable that Grandma was not there.

“Sometimes Sicar seems arrogant, right?”

Not sometimes but always arrogant. I smiled modestly again.

“The duke does have that aspect… Grandma.”

“Sicar became a duke at a very young age, so there were many groups trying to take advantage of the young duke. Therefore, to protect this dukedom even at a young age, he had no choice but to become a fierce beast. Then, at some point, he began to believe that it was right.”

Come to think of it, when Sicar taught me the dignity that a duchess should possess, he had rather told me to become a villain.

I recalled that he had told me to become a villain rather than be eaten by a group of cats aiming for him, and I somewhat understood how lonely that life must have been.

As I also didn’t receive proper love from my parents, when I was young, I could only be a withdrawn child.

However, due to my personality, I was more ignored by people, and to avoid being ignored, I grew up keeping my distance from others.

I only kept my distance to defend myself, but perhaps because of being overly cautious of people, I unknowingly developed something like agoraphobia.

Looking at that, it seemed there was some resemblance between Sicar and me. If he was an attacking type, I might be more of a defensive type.

I could somewhat understand why Sicar had told me to become a villain.
“Others may see him as a scary duke, but to me, my grandson was just a pitiful and lonely child who grew up without a single friend. So, I am even more grateful to you, Yura. You created a home for Sicar. Giving him a peace that seemed impossible to obtain in a lifetime. Today, I saw Sicar as the head of a stable family. He always seemed lonely and empty until now. I wanted to gradually tell him these things while spending time with you, but due to this wretched illness that has befallen me, I’m only able to do it now.”

“Grandma… You don’t have to tell me so much at once. And that illness will definitely get better. When Grandma recovers, let’s share all the things we haven’t talked about in the duke’s residence. Absolutely.”

“Yes. If my illness gets completely cured, I might even be able to return home and witness the birth of my second great-grandchild. But living to this age, I realize that life is unpredictable, even tomorrow. So, I have a favor to ask you, Yura.”

“If there’s anything I can do, I’ll do it. Grandma.”

“Sicar, when you get to know him, is quietly good at listening. Especially to my family. So, in the future, if Sicar ever does something wrong, won’t you correct him, Yura? Regardless of what others say, he will always listen to you.”

“Yes, Grandma. I will understand and take care of the duke, even if he makes a mistake. I’ll make sure not to worry Grandma.”

“No, that’s not what I mean. It’s not that you unilaterally have to understand Sicar. Of course, if he does something wrong, you have to scold him. What I mean is, if Sicar makes a mistake, anytime, you should scold him, Yura.”

So, are Grandma’s words to me a request to correct Sicar’s habits?

“Grandma, just in case, are you suggesting to me to change the duke’s personality…?”

Grandma smiled as if to say that was exactly it.

“Yes. Although Sicar may seem like a wild beast raised in the wilderness, if tamed well, he could become a gentle pet. Yura, try taming him well. You can do it.”

It didn’t seem like I misunderstood, even though it felt like I did.

Raising a wild beast can leave scars on those who try to tame it.

Can I tame Sicar without getting hurt?

For someone like me, who lacks confidence, Grandma provided a massive tip.

“It won’t be difficult. Sicar is like a love-hungry child. The more you love him, the more love he will give you. I can guarantee that.”

I became convinced that the reason Sicar started to like me was because he mistakenly thought I liked myself.
Of course, he would often make threats, but thinking back, he was favorable to me afterward. At first, I thought it was because he considered me something like a pet human, but that wasn’t the case.

It was because, for the first time since he was born, he saw a woman who liked him, that he developed a strong liking for me.

Perhaps it was because of Grandma’s support. I felt confident that I could try to fix that crazy guy’s habits.

“I’m going to try putting a bridle on a wild beast that no one has ever tamed.”