Seeing that the atmosphere was about to freeze over again, Karina quickly stopped Mikhail.

“It’s okay. You just met today. That’s understandable.”

Karina turned her head back to the large man and said with a serious expression.

“I understand why you’re worried and saying that. But that’s not it.”

“No matter what you say, what’s not possible is not…”

“Alright.”

At that moment, the purple-haired woman interrupted the man and replied.

“What? What are you saying?”

The large man turned to the woman in surprise and shouted.

But the woman continued speaking, soothing the large man.

“As she said, we can get to know each other from now on. Instead, what kind of work are you planning to…”

The woman faced Karina and gave a meaningful smile.

“Let’s hear the explanation and then decide.”

Karina raised the corners of her mouth and smiled brightly at Selena’s answer.

[This is the timeline separator]

After Karina and Mikhail left the tavern.

The large man, Heistine, asked the purple-haired woman.

“Selena. Why did you suddenly agree? We don’t even know who they are.”

“Anywhere would be better than ‘there’.”

“…”

Heistine was at a loss for words at Selena’s response, like a mute who had eaten honey.

“We need to make money anyway. We can try it out and run away again if it doesn’t work out.”

“Still. Up close, she looked like a noble… What good could come from getting involved with them.”

Heistine frowned, not hiding his antipathy towards nobles.

At first, they had helped Karina without knowing she was a noble.

They just thought she was the daughter of a wealthy merchant or something.

But as they conversed, they immediately recognized Karina as a noble from her natural condescension and subtle differences in speech.

“But somehow, I didn’t get a bad feeling.”

Selena recalled Karina’s gaze, which seemed to hold some kind of desperation.

And with a small smile on her lips, she said.

“We just need to find one person for her. It’s not as dangerous or difficult as you might think.”

Seeing this, Heistine reluctantly agreed with Selena’s words, with a resigned expression.

“Sigh. If that’s what you say.”

“Your Grace.”

As they walked out of the tavern onto the street, Mikhail called out to Karina from beside her.

“What?”

“Those two people from earlier, do you know them?”

“No?”

Karina denied it, pretending not to know.

“…”

Mikhail stared at Karina with a dissatisfied look.

“Then do you always try to persuade strangers by saying you’ll hire them?”

Mikhail’s voice was slightly lowered, unlike usual.

“What are you talking about?”

“You suddenly asked me to be your guard, and now you’re telling those people you want to hire them as subordinates.”

Mikhail grumbled with a sulky expression.

“I thought you only did that specially for me…”

It felt like watching a child complaining that someone else’s rice cake looked bigger.

‘What, he’s not a child anymore.’

Karina chuckled.

“I said I’d hire them because I need them. I’m not trying to persuade anyone.”

“You don’t happen to have a thing for big bear-like guys like that large man, do you?”

Mikhail’s expression was quite serious as he asked, and Karina almost burst out laughing.

“Stop talking nonsense and go rent a carriage quickly.”

“…Do you really like that bear-like guy?”

Mikhail asked in a slightly more excited voice than before.

For some reason, it seemed like he would persistently keep asking until the end if she didn’t answer.

Karina reluctantly opened her mouth.

“Of course not. Besides, I prefer someone who smiles easily and is gentle like a puppy, rather than someone gruff like a bear.”

“Really?”

Mikhail smiled like a child whose mood had improved after hearing Karina’s answer.

“I’m sometimes told that I’m like a puppy.”

His expression as he spoke proudly was so much like a child seeking praise that Karina couldn’t hold back her laughter.

Karina smiled brightly and gently stroked Mikhail’s hair.

“You did well today. You followed my orders well, so I should praise you, right?”

“…”

“You really did a good job.”

Mikhail stared at her intently.

Karina was startled by his gaze.

‘Ah, was this treating him too much like a child?’

She had recalled memories of her nanny stroking her hair like this when she was young and had done the same thing.

Feeling awkward, Karina slowly lowered her hand.

Mikhail didn’t take his eyes off Karina’s hand that had moved away from him.

“Ahem, then will you go rent a carriage now?”

Karina cleared her throat and spoke, and Mikhail looked up at her.

“I’ll be right back.”

Mikhail smiled gently, his eyes curving, and headed towards the carriage rental place.

[This is the timeline separator]

Caroline entered the Grand Duke’s dining room.

“Oh? Were you eating alone?”

Jeremiah was already in the middle of his meal in the dining room.

Caroline asked as she sat down in the chair pulled out by the servant.

“Where’s Karina?”

“I heard she went out to the city and hasn’t returned yet.”

Jeremiah answered as he picked up his water glass.

“I see. I heard she went out with her guard mage. She must have some busy errand.”

“…”

“But why did she suddenly go to the city? She hasn’t been here long, so she probably doesn’t know the geography well.”

Caroline glanced at Jeremiah’s expression.

When she first heard this news, she was so dumbfounded.

How could the Grand Duchess already have her eye on another man when she had only been married for such a short time?

Well, the guard mage’s beauty was indeed extraordinary.

Even she felt her composure shake when she first saw him.

But what was important now was whether Jeremiah knew about this or not.

Caroline continued speaking nonchalantly, pretending not to know anything.

“Going out suddenly with a young man. I hope she didn’t leave angry because of what happened in the garden?”

She subtly emphasized the fact that Karina had gone out alone with her guard while observing Jeremiah’s reaction.

“That’s not possible.”

Contrary to expectations, Jeremiah’s reaction was calm.

“No, she must be upset. I had told her we should have dinner together tonight and calmly clear up any misunderstandings.”

Caroline even mentioned a promise that hadn’t been made, disparaging Karina.

“I didn’t think she would ignore that promise and leave like this. It seems the Grand Duchess is more upset than I thought. What should we do?”

“She said she was going out to inspect the city, so she’ll probably be back soon. You can talk to her when she returns.”

“I hope it turns out that way, but…”

Caroline trailed off, glancing at Jeremiah.

“Maybe it’s because Karina is from the capital… Noble ladies from the capital are known to be quite capricious.”

Caroline sighed and continued speaking as if troubled.

“As the cherished daughter of the Millainer Viscount family favored by the Emperor, imagine how much she was pampered in the capital.”

At the mention of the Millainer Viscount family, Jeremiah’s brow furrowed slightly.

“She needs to break that habit now that she’s in the North. Wouldn’t it be troublesome for the Grand Duke’s family if the Grand Duchess acts on her whims all the time?”

“…”

“The Grand Duchess should act like a Grand Duchess. I’m worried that Karina might lower the prestige of the Grand Duke’s family by acting recklessly and arrogantly.”

Caroline continued to disparage Karina while pretending to be concerned.

“This is also a matter of basic courtesy. Wouldn’t it be good to correct that habit firmly now for the sake of the future?”

“…”

Jeremiah, who had been listening silently without answering, put down the fork and knife in his hand with a clatter.

The sound of a chair scraping was heard.

Standing up from his seat, he spoke in a dry voice.

“I’m busy, so I’ll leave first.”

“Already? Even if you’re busy, finish your meal before you go.”

Caroline tried to stop him, but Jeremiah firmly refused.

“I’ve lost my appetite. Sister, please finish your meal.”

Jeremiah left the dining room with a cold expression on his face.

“Sigh.”

Jeremiah sighed and pressed his brow firmly.

Lately, he had been inexplicably preoccupied with thoughts of Karina.

As a result, he had been trying hard not to think about Karina.

In this situation, he was very displeased with Caroline, who kept bringing up Karina every time she saw him.

Feeling a surge of irritation, he thought some physical exercise might help.

“Prepare the training ground. I’m going there.”

Jeremiah ordered Janssen, who was following him.

Looking out the window, he saw that the afternoon was already well underway.

‘I thought she’d be back soon, but she’s later than expected.’

Realizing he was thinking about Karina again, Jeremiah frowned.

He tried to shake off his distracting thoughts by shaking his head.

[This is the timeline separator]

At that time, Karina was standing on the outskirts of the road waiting for Mikhail.

How much time had passed,

Thump.

Suddenly, a figure that popped out from the opposite alley corner collided with Karina.

“Oof!”

Karina turned around, startled.

While Karina was pushed back a few steps, the other person had fallen flat on their back.

‘What… A little child?’

The other person looked to be a young child, at most about 10 years old.

“Little one, are you okay?”

Karina approached to check on the child’s condition.

“Ah, ugh…”

The child seemed to have hit their head when falling backwards and wasn’t fully conscious.

As she was considering whether to take them to a doctor, something sparkled at her feet.

“…What’s this?”

“Ah…!”

Just as Karina was about to check what was at her feet, the child suddenly exclaimed.

Then they hurriedly started picking up something scattered on the ground.

Upon closer inspection, there was a money pouch made of high-quality fabric and a few shiny silver coins rolling on the ground.

‘Silver coins?’

At that moment, a shout was heard from behind.

“Stop right there!”

A man with rough stubble was running towards them with a fierce expression.

Judging by his attire, he looked like a guard from some noble household.

“Eek!”

The child gasped and trembled upon seeing the approaching man.

In their haste, they fumbled and dropped a few of the silver coins they had picked up.

As the man drew closer, the child gave up on the fallen coins and quickly grabbed only the money pouch, trying to escape.

However, the difference in stride between a child and an adult was very large.

They were caught almost immediately.

“You little rat! Did you think you could escape me?”

The bearded man grabbed the child by the collar and lifted them up.

“Finally caught you.”

“Gack gack!”

The child made choking sounds, struggling to breathe.

“Hmph.”

The bearded man snorted and threw the child down.

“Ugh!”

The child groaned and curled up on the ground, unable to get up after being thrown down hard.

“You’re in big trouble today!”

“Did you catch them?”

Along with a low voice, a man who looked like a noble appeared in the alley.

Emerging from the shadow of the wall, the man exuded a swaggering aura.

Nevertheless, his leisurely gait and relaxed expression confirmed that he was a noble.

The man wiggled his finger as if ordering the caught person to be presented before him.

“Yes, here’s the brat, sir.”

The bearded man forcibly made the child stand up.

“What should we do with them?”

The noble man answered half-heartedly while looking the child up and down as if looking at something dirty.

“Why are you asking? We should teach them a lesson first to bring them to their senses.”