In fact, although it was brief, Heila, who had spent a week together, was also very curious.

Even Heila herself would shudder at seeing eyes identical to Count Iols, but Erina was quite generous to Revil.

She really wondered why Erina would give affection to a child she had known for less than a month, and why she would endure the inconvenience of bringing him out of the mansion.

Erina smiled at the gaze of the two people looking at her and looked at her clasped hands resting on her knees.

Born as a noble lady and becoming a noblewoman, her hands were fair and pure white, having never done any hard work.

But they were hands that knew loneliness from people more than anyone else and knew the agony received from people desperately.

In her childhood, they were also hands that desperately longed for someone’s touch.

Erina’s heart ached because she knew where young Revil’s gaze came from, as he looked at her hoping for salvation but quickly giving up, not wanting to be disappointed anymore.

“It reminded me of when I was young.”

Perhaps Erina wanted to comfort her past self that she might never be able to return to.

“The image of a child struggling in a place with no family to lean on, no one to share their heart with… It was like me back then.”

She could gradually change future things, but her childhood that had already remained like a scar couldn’t be undone.

Perhaps Erina had reached out her clumsy hand to Revil, projecting her young self still curled up and crying in her memories.

As if saving Revil from the Iols mansion was like saving the lonely young Erina.

“It’s not like I’ll have difficulty supporting one child now.”

Erina raised her head and smiled brightly at the two to prevent the atmosphere from sinking further.

Heila saw that Erina’s smile looked more relieved than painful, so she smiled back and held her hand.

“Of course. Erina is about to become the richest person in the empire now.”

In fact, Erina had one more reason she couldn’t tell the two.

It was because Revil disappeared at some point in the original work.

Whether intentional or by mistake, the creator of the original work didn’t mention anything about the child from when Rose took the Iols name.

I only realized yesterday, but more shockingly, Revil’s name didn’t even appear in the original work.

He was just described as ‘the child’.

It felt like the original work created a rich woman as a villain to prettily package the dirty love of the two, and made the child appear as a disposable supporting character to make Erina a villain.

So she was afraid that if Revil remained in this mansion, he would disappear without a trace, forgotten by everyone, just like herself in the original work.

She felt that if she turned away and ignored it knowingly, she would feel guilty for the rest of her life.

Erina hoped that since the original work was ruined by her obtaining the magic stone mine, it would all collapse.

There was also a desire for the trashy original work, where only the two of them were happy, to be thoroughly distorted.

“Well, I guess Count Iols wouldn’t take care of the child.”

Erina found herself nodding at Heila’s muttered words.

Would a family head who can’t even manage his household because he’s distracted by an adulterous woman even remember the child he brought in as his heir?

As light conversation continued, the carriage soon arrived in front of the Iols mansion.

“Erina, are you really going in alone?”

“Yes, Heila. I have something I must finish myself.”

Heila knew that Erina’s mother-in-law, Mirea, had been kicked out of the Raphilen Palace garden and returned to the mansion.

Since Peiron and Rose hadn’t returned, only unfriendly servants and Mirea were in the mansion.

Heila was worried first about Erina going in alone to a place where anything could happen.

Heila was afraid that the brutish Mirea might harm the delicate Erina.

“Will you bring the child out right away?”

Sandesch, who had been quietly watching, asked Erina.

Erina smiled and nodded, grateful that he considerately didn’t ask about the task she said she needed to finish and just asked this.

“I’ll be waiting.”

“Thank you, Duke Kerenik.”

Sandesch somehow didn’t like her calling him by his title, unlike Heila who was still fidgeting and not knowing what to do.

“Didn’t you say you’d think about it next time we met?”

Erina looked at him with round, innocent eyes at Sandesch’s sudden words.

Sandesch laughed seeing her round, gentle eyes for the first time.

Strangely, it was the first time he felt a woman was cute.

“Your name, I mean.”

Sandesch said with a soft eye-smile towards Erina.

Erina averted her gaze and answered curtly, not wanting to be caught with her heart fluttering at Sandesch’s eye-smile that seemed deliberately meant to captivate.

“I need to think about it a bit more.”

As Erina hurriedly tried to get out of the carriage, Sandesch chuckled and got out first, holding out his hand.

Beyond Sandesch holding out his hand, Erina saw the Iols mansion that had been no different from a prison to her.

The Iols mansion that others evaluated as traditional and classical only looked gloomy and dark like a monster’s castle to Erina.

But strangely, just with Sandesch in front, the feeling of being confined disappeared.

She couldn’t tell if it was because she thought she had escaped everything, or because Sandesch was standing here.

But now that the suffocating feeling she used to get just from looking at it was gone, she felt strange somehow.

Even though Erina didn’t get out and just stared at him holding out his hand, Sandesch didn’t rush her.

Erina slowly reached out her hand and got out of the carriage holding Sandesch’s hand.

Erina stood face to face with Sandesch, unable to let go of his hand after getting out of the carriage.

“I’ll be waiting.”

Erina’s fingertips tingled where they touched Sandesch’s.

For the first time, it felt like someone had promised an exciting wait, making her heart flutter.

Startled by the faint bloom of excitement, Erina quickly pulled her hand away and hurried towards the mansion.

Sandesch laughed watching Erina’s back as she turned away, unable to look at him out of embarrassment.

She had an impression that could seem cold at a glance if she had no expression.

After their first meeting, it was hard to see a warm face unless it was a smile created to show others.

The sight of the bleak woman blooming brightly like a flower bathed in sunlight caught Sandesch, who was trying hard to ignore his fondness.

The emotion he had been wary of was gradually swelling up like cotton candy.

“This is driving me crazy.”

Heila looked somewhat pleased watching Sandesch stare endlessly at Erina’s back while muttering to himself.

“You’ve fallen, you’ve fallen hard.”

Sandesch sighed at Heila’s blatant words and asked.

“Where will she stay?”

“She said yesterday she’d stay at a hotel for the time being, so I made a long-term reservation at the Pardek Hotel closest to the imperial palace, but I haven’t told her yet.”

Erina told Heila last night that she would bring Revil out of the Iols mansion.

Heila asked in advance, thinking she might return to the Medelia viscounty, but Erina firmly said she wouldn’t return and would stay at a hotel for now.

In fact, Heila had heard all the information about Erina that Sandesch knew.

So she knew Erina wouldn’t return to the Medelia viscounty, but she asked on purpose because Erina didn’t know what Heila knew.

After hearing Erina’s answer, Heila quickly made a reservation at the Pardek Hotel, known as the closest to the imperial palace, the most famous, luxurious, and with the best service.

She was able to easily make a reservation because the Pardek Hotel was owned by Sandesch.

Surely he, as the owner of the hotel, couldn’t have been unaware of Erina’s reservation.

As Heila tilted her head in confusion, Sandesch smiled and said.

“Cancel the reservation.”

“What?”

“There are no rooms available at the Pardek Hotel. Nearby hotels will also be hard to book due to the Founding Day celebrations.”

Heila caught her breath, noticing the scheme behind Sandesch’s meaningful smile.

“Oh dear, we’ll have no choice but to escort her to Duke Kerenik’s residence in the capital.”

“Erina, run away…”

“Quickly contact the mansion.”

Sandesch watched Erina until she disappeared into the mansion before getting into the carriage.

As Heila sighed deeply as if for Sandesch to hear while activating the communication artifact, Erina had just entered the Iols mansion.

Usually when Erina returned from going out, the bustling and lively mansion became quiet and silent.

Now was no different from other times.

The few remaining servants due to the Founding Day celebrations were talking excitedly about the festival, but they closed their mouths and left when they saw Erina enter.

The position of the lady of the house, unrecognized by the family and ignored by the family head, was worse than even a working maid.

Erina smiled bitterly.

This was the last time anyway.

Someday, even this might be recalled like a memory.

Passing by the servants whispering about her while hiding, Erina slowly climbed the stairs, running her hand along the railing.

Thinking it was the last time made her look at the mansion a bit more sentimentally, she thought uselessly as she headed to her room.

Erina headed to the room she had stayed in until yesterday.

There was nothing to pack anyway, but she opened the door to look inside as a courtesy.

The room that had been tidy when she left for the imperial palace looked as if lightning had struck only this room.

The bedding that had been neatly placed on the bed was rolling on the floor, and the cherry brown vanity she had cherished was a mess with broken cosmetics.

Even without trying to know, it was clear that it was the work of the enraged Mirea.

As soon as she thought that, a voice was heard from not far away.

“How dare you prepare to run away? You lowborn thing!”

Revil’s room, located a bit further inside, was not far, so Mirea’s voice could be heard clearly.

Erina briefly glanced at the vanity where she used to sit blankly staring at the wood grain, then turned to head to Revil’s room.

Revil’s room door was wide open, and Mirea’s maid was standing outside the door, blankly ignoring the loud voice.

As if facing something familiar.

Erina quickly passed by the maid and entered the room.

The maid made an “oh” sound and tried to grab Erina, but Erina entered in an instant and shouted at the shocking sight.

“Madam Iols!”