Nerea Esteban. My surname, which I hadn’t called in nearly a decade, caught on the tip of my tongue.

Deciding to call it a few more times after Grace left, she just smiled softly. Her curved eyes with violet-blue irises seemed to be searching for something within me.

Ah.

Only then did Nerea recall the words she had left out.

“Count Esteban, that is.”

It felt awkward, as I hadn’t called myself a count for nearly a decade, but now I had to get used to it. Even after the greeting, Grace still seemed to be expecting something from Nerea.

“You seem to have recovered a lot.”

“Better than before.”

“…You’ve changed, different from the rumors spreading about you.”

At the somewhat prickly tone, Nerea looked at the woman for a moment. While staring at the face that somehow stood out with disappointment, a cool voice was heard.

“Why are you going in there?”

It was Alejandro.

What’s all this about? In the midst of the confusion of meeting several people at once, Grace spoke mockingly.

“I came to see you. I saw earlier. You were so dog-like,”

“My lady. I’ll just see off Lady Lancaster for a moment. Please wait a little longer.”

Alejandro, who had cut off the sentence abruptly, smiled brightly towards Nerea. Seeing this, Grace unknowingly let out a breath of disbelief.

“Follow me.”

Just look at that.

As soon as the door of the jewel room closed, his attitude changed quickly. From a tail-wagging dog to an arrogant and crooked man who seemed to think it natural to suppress people.

The Alejandro Rosa that Grace Lancaster knew.

The wide stride, not considerate of Grace wearing heels, went ahead down the corridor. Grace glared at those long legs as she followed behind Alejandro.

Entering the office, Alejandro got straight to the point.

“Grace Lancaster, what do you have to say?”

“Did you know there was a nobility meeting today?”

“I think I saw the stamped notice.”

The cynical voice irked Grace’s nerves. She bit the inside of her cheek at the sight of him treating the nobility meeting, which only high-ranking nobles could attend, so casually.

“If you saw it, why didn’t you go?”

“I never went in the first place. Did you come all this way just to ask that?”

“It’s the year of the 10th anniversary celebration of the victory. Even the Crown Princess is considering our group to provide goods for the 10th anniversary banquet, are you going to act so irresponsibly?”

Grace’s voice grew louder at his expression of not even listening.

“You expressing regret to His Majesty about your knight, well. Let’s say that’s fine.”

Instantly, Alejandro’s eyes sank deeply. But Grace, not noticing his expression, burst out with her own anger.

“But public is public and private is private. Honestly, did His Majesty intentionally ignore the Count? He secluded himself first on the grounds of injuring his hand.”

There were numerous rumors, but Grace’s last courtesy was to specifically call it seclusion. Nerea Esteban might not know, but she had gifted Grace miracles twice.

But not now. Those desperately shining eyes. The fierce energy that made people fall in and gave hope in an instant was gone.

A youthful face as if she had skipped the past ten years alone. Nerea Esteban was just a slow, languid young lady who couldn’t even properly identify herself, truly wasting her years.

Seeing that face, Grace felt foolish for having momentarily expected and tensed up.

The knighthood. The Crown Princess’s offer guaranteeing a solid position above baron, or even higher, felt more urgent.

Of course, she wasn’t about to give up her goals for the sake of a mere one-time hero.

“I’ll let it slide that you’re not accepting knighthood out of loyalty to your knight. But don’t you know that all the nobles of Castarty are eyeing you right now?”

If Alejandro showed loyalty to the imperial family, naturally Grace too could aim higher as a member of Rosa.

Her voice grew louder.

“Even just for the merchant escort, it’s been brought up so many times already! Until now we’ve pushed through with trade escorts, but how long do you think His Majesty the Emperor will look the other way!”

“……”

“Be smart. Alejandro Rosa.”

Grace turned to look at Alejandro, exhaling a rough breath.

“Are you finished, Grace Lancaster?”

At the same time, a voice laced with cold laughter pierced towards Grace.

Grace blinked, watching Alejandro’s red lips slowly rise.

Oh no.

While they always scratched at each other, if there was an area that remained untouched between Grace and Alejandro, it was their relationship with the imperial family. In her haste, she had rashly crossed over instead of testing the waters.

“Then get out. This is as far as I’ll tolerate your oversensitive reactions and treat an intruder who barged in as a vice head. Our relationship started because of the knight doll in your drawer. This is ridiculous, isn’t it?”

Knowing the line and having the line drawn were different things. Feeling the icy wall of a line drawn before her, Grace forced the corners of her lips to curl up.

“It’s nonsense for you to try to ruin our merchant group while saying let’s go our separate ways.”

“Our merchant group?”

Alejandro tilted his chin. The strange smile was dangerous, but Grace deliberately raised her voice.

“Yes, our merchant group. Did you raise Rosa alone? If I hadn’t been your guarantor seven years ago, could you have become Alejandro Rosa with a new identity?”

Right. Seven years.

It had been seven years since Grace had been watching over Alejandro.

No matter how much he had known the Count beforehand, he had only served for two or three years and hadn’t seen the Count for ten years. The time he had spent with her was longer.

Disappointment, hurt feelings, affection built up over time spent together. Grace glared at Alejandro, biting her lip.

Alejandro laughed lightly.

“So I supported you to rise to the succession structure as per our deal. You said you’d handle it yourself after that.”

“……”

“Back then……”

She didn’t know that the exception of becoming a noble without knighthood would be limited only to Alejandro Rosa.

In such a situation, now the knighthood was shimmering before her eyes.

Alejandro smiled splendidly, pointing to himself.

“I helped you that far.”

“……”

“So don’t think about trying to tie a rotten string, Vice Head. I may be reckless, but you’re smart, right?”

Unlike the sweetly smiling face, eyes as unfathomable as the shadows of the deep sea were chilling.

A perfect warning.

To shake off her frozen body, Grace gritted her teeth and glared at Alejandro. Among the countless words flashing through her mind, all she could say was just one.

“…If you’re going to keep ignoring the summons to the palace, properly refuse. Don’t make me get called to the imperial palace too.”

“Thanks for the advice. Now, goodbye.”

It was a perfect dismissal. After glaring at his insufferably smug face, Grace left the room.

As she was about to get into the carriage after rushing down the stairs, Grace suddenly shot a look at the jewel room.

Through the curtain, Nerea Esteban was briefly visible. Her loose hair poured down like a ball of fire. Grace flinched for a moment, reminded of Le Soir’s painting, but soon let out a light breath.

Though the face was clearly the same as in the painting, the face looking down at her was blank and stupid.

And to think I once thought she was the empire’s hero.

How could that person, with nothing distinctive but fiery red hair, reclaim the count’s position over the acting count and the Crown Princess?

It was impossible.

Grace snorted.

“I told you not to go, so.”

Eek.

Johnny, who had somehow approached nearby, noticed Grace’s mood and took two steps back. And he muttered inwardly.

She’s gone crazy. She’s going to cause trouble at this rate.

.

.

.

The glaring eyes on the pale face were quite fierce. The smiling face I had seen earlier had completely disappeared, leaving a raw expression.

Grace Lancaster. Baroness. Vice Head of Rosa.

Nerea muttered inwardly. That was all she knew about the woman getting into the carriage. She had no connection to look at her with such hatred.

Ah. There was one thing.

Alejandro.

Knock knock−.

“Come in.”

At the knock that seemed to match the timing, Nerea turned around and stretched her lips.

The handsome man’s furrowed brow relaxed, and he smiled like a young boy.

If even his frowning face was so pretty, there must be many ladies who would have romantic feelings for him.

Considering that most nobles go through an engagement period and marry around twenty-four, Alejandro was actually at the prime age for a man.

There was something newly strange about it, so instead of asking about his love life, Nerea said something unexpected.

“…Did you finish bullying her?”

“Me? I’m the one being bullied.”

“You?”

As if.

Grace Lancaster’s face was so pale, she looked like she had seen a ghost.

Seeing the disbelief flash across Nerea’s eyes, Alejandro pouted with a sulky face and whined.

“It’s unfair. You saw it too, my lady. Grace Lancaster calling for me so fiercely.”

“I saw. I also saw you smiling wickedly. I was worried you’d gone soft, but not at all.”

“I’m tough, right?”

He just won’t back down. As Nerea rolled her eyes, Alejandro grinned.

She wanted to smile along, but soon one corner of her heart felt heavy. This time, she really had to protect that smile. Everything felt urgent all at once.

“My lady.”

Alejandro’s voice layered over her jumbled thoughts of her father, the emperor, Helen, and Brianna. As if he knew what she was thinking, Alejandro spoke gently.

“Don’t worry.”

“Are you going to find the answer for me instead?”

Though she hadn’t meant to, her voice sounded desperate. Nerea cleared her throat.

“That’s for you to do, my lady,”

Alejandro raised one corner of his red lips crookedly. His large hand, covered in scars, pointed to himself.

“As a faithful servant, I should clear away the thorny vines on the path as you find the answer.”

“……”

“So, would you follow me for a moment?”