“I don’t think we’ll be delighted to see each other just because it’s been a while. You’re smiling at me quite a lot.”

“It seems like the Duke’s impression has become even warmer, and I found it pleasant, so I laughed.”

“Again, making arrogant remarks.”

Sicar spoke sharply, but there was no sign of displeasure.

Raydox’s laughter was probably because of that headband.

I debated whether to bring up the headband issue, but deliberately chose not to. If Sicar appeared with a rabbit headband, the mansion’s servants could learn how humane he was once they got to know him.

As expected, as we entered the mansion, all the servants looked at Sicar with their mouths wide open.

However, there was nothing particularly surprising about the fact that the servants had opened their mouths in surprise at Sicar before.

Therefore, Sicar wasn’t paying much attention to the expressions of the servants.

However, Andrea’s surprised expression was not overlooked.

“Andrea, why are you looking at me like that?”

Andrea smiled comfortably and contentedly towards Sicar.

“The Duke looks even brighter. It suits you very well.”

Sicar seemed to take Andrea’s words positively, raising the corners of his mouth slightly as he spoke.

“Everyone seems to say that. Andrea, bring some tea.”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

Watching Andrea leave, we took our seats.

Sicar stared directly at Raydox’s face and said, “I can still smell the perfume you gave my wife. I must have told you not to give her a drop of water. Why did you give her perfume again?”

It was just a gift exchanged on anniversaries, with no particular meaning.

If I said it instead, it might have sounded like I was representing Raydox, so I didn’t explain separately.

“That was a ceremonial gift I gave to the Duchess on the children’s birthdays or anniversaries. I saw that she was using the perfume I gave her before, so I gave it to her again. I hope you don’t misunderstand.”

“Are you perhaps thinking that I’m asking this question out of jealousy or misunderstanding the relationship between you two? I just think it’s presumptuous for you to give anything to my wife. I simply think that giving something to my wife is presumptuous. Do you understand my meaning now?”

Raydox nodded in immediate agreement.

“I have thought too shallowly.”

It was indeed a good decision to trust Raydox to handle it. Sicar seemed to feel slightly better, coughing as if to clear his throat.

At that moment, Andrea came in, placed the tea in front of us, and left.

“Let’s have some tea for now.”

Raydox nodded slightly, showing courtesy to Sicar.

Sicar looked at me as if telling me to have some tea too, and then raised his teacup.

At that moment, Sicar stared at the teacup with a stiff face.

Soon, his hand trembled as if it were shaking, and he put the teacup down, frozen like ice.
“I… I didn’t know until now that I was wearing a rabbit headband.”

Hmm. It seems like Sicar is stumbling with his words for the first time.

If I were to pick the funniest moment among the ones I’ve seen so far, I would probably choose this moment without hesitation.

Sicar, as if this could never happen, took off the headband with trembling hands.

At this moment, in his mind, the faces of the twins who had looked at him absentmindedly and the expressions of the servants and Andrea were probably passing by like a lantern.

He might be feeling quite embarrassed.

“The rabbit headband suits you quite well, Your Grace.”

Raydox was smiling slyly, but that smile seemed as if he was pouring out everything he had been holding back at once, making me laugh too much.

However, Raydox soon regretted attempting a timid revenge. Sicar, who had been making a despairing expression, raised his head with a sneer.

“Oh? Then try putting it on too. It would suit you quite well, I think.”

Raydox stiffened as if struck by lightning. Holding back a smile, Sicar threw the rabbit headband to Raydox.

“Go on.”

Raydox looked at the headband, deliberating for a moment, then spoke in a low voice.

“I’ll pass.”

“So, you make fun of me for it suiting me well, and then you decline? Doesn’t that mean you found me embarrassing?”

As the nerve-wracking confrontation unfolded right in front of my eyes over a rabbit headband, I was watching with great interest to see how this headband incident would end.

Raydox didn’t say anything and just looked at the headband that had been thrown in front of him before speaking.

“I don’t think it suits me. Besides, the person who made this probably wouldn’t want me to use it.”

“That’s for me to judge. Put it on quickly. If you don’t use this, you can only think that you laughed at me. And you’ll have to pay the price for mocking me.”

“Are you suggesting that if I don’t wear this headband, you’ll dismantle the elemental traps supporting Yukana Dar based on the sole reason that I didn’t wear it?”

“I know it well.”

Raydox earned Geryon’s hatred for not supporting the new king. So, the elemental mage Laphé, who serves the king, released the elemental traps of Yukana Dar.

Of course, in the original work, Raydox didn’t ask Sicar for help, and Sicar didn’t help. But this time, relying on Kian, Raydox received a certain amount of ore and was installing elemental traps.

The elemental traps of doom had the power to destroy everything, not just people. Without the traps, a lot of manpower would be needed to remove them, and above all, there would inevitably be many casualties.

Sicar was now threatening to dismantle those traps.
Sicar, aware that Sicar never speaks empty words and that Raydox will not easily resolve the trap dismantling just because he didn’t wear a headband, raised the headband as if paying the price for touching the lion in awe of his own territory residents more than anyone else.

The sight of Raydox wearing the rabbit headband was quite pleasing.

Sicar, seemingly satisfied at last, raised his fist with a smile.

“You look quite good too.”

Raydox, unable to express gratitude, simply lowered his gaze.

“I often came here in your absence. What if my wife climbs up the terrace and sees a duke wandering around?”

“You jest. No one would dare speak ill of Lady Blake.”

“Do you really think so?”

Raydox spoke calmly, smiling.

“Who would dare deceive you, Your Grace?”

“Does that statement feel like it has weight to it?”

Sicar suddenly stood up and extended his hand to Raydox.

“Come to think of it, I’m not sure when we last shook hands. Shall we shake hands?”

However, Raydox’s reaction was a bit peculiar. Normally, he would have readily taken Sicar’s hand, but for some reason, he was not reaching out to grasp that hand.