The pupils of Countess Dyke shook greatly.

“Go back?”

She spoke as if she had never considered that possibility before.

“Yes. I have already heard that Aaron’s condition has improved significantly. The doctor said he should be able to ride in a carriage in a few days,” Riena calmly said as she watched the Countess gradually stiffen.

“Why are you looking at me like that? I told you, didn’t I? Wincler will only provide support until the three of you return to the Dyke territory. And I’m sure I also mentioned that as soon as Aaron recovers, I will immediately arrange for you to use the magic portal.”

“No, that’s…”

The Countess hesitated.

“It’s been a really long time since Bianca and I came to the capital. Even your younger brother Aaron is visiting the capital for the first time, isn’t he? Can’t you give us some time to look around, even if it’s just a little?”

“……”

“We can move to cheaper lodgings than now. We don’t need such luxurious rooms. We don’t need maids either. As long as it’s a clean room where Aaron can stay safely, that’s enough.”

She quickly added, “And I absolutely won’t ask you to lend us the Wincler guest rooms.”

Riena rubbed her forehead.

“How much longer do you need to stay then?”

“Well… Let’s say a month for now?”

“A month? And you said ‘for now’?”

“Come on. Since we’re here, wouldn’t it be nice to see every little thing before leaving? And while we’re in the capital, we can also interact with you and His Grace the Duke of Wincler.”

“……”

“Isn’t it quite far between the capital and the Dyke estate? Besides, I heard once you marry His Grace, you’ll have to spend more than half the year in the north. If not now, when else will we see each other?”

Riena sighed.

“I don’t really want to do that.”

“Oh dear, don’t be like that. Let’s try to get along again. Since we’re on the subject, I wanted to ask – is His Grace not at the mansion? I’d like to meet him and have a talk.”

“What do you want to talk about this time?”

“His Grace probably doesn’t know how you’ve been doing all this time. I was going to tell him some stories from the past.”

“I can tell him plenty myself.”

“You know it’s different when the person directly involved tells the story versus hearing it from someone else.”

Riena abruptly stood up from her seat, unable to hold back any longer.

When the Countess first said she wanted to show Aaron around the capital, Riena felt sympathetic. She also wanted to gift her younger brother, who had lived his whole life only on the estate, with more experiences.

So she briefly considered letting them stay about a week longer.

But as she listened, it seemed like if she gave in to one of the Countess’s demands, there would be endless other things she would want.

She felt bad for Aaron, but for both their sakes, it was better to coldly cut ties here.

“Cassel is currently out on business. Even if he was at the mansion, I wouldn’t want him to meet you either way.”

“Ria!”

“Don’t call me Ria. Since when did you start calling me that? There’s only one person now who can call me by that name.”

“But…”

Riena slowly raised her hand and pointed to the door.

“Please leave now. I will discuss with the attending physician and inform you of the day you return to the territory. Since we don’t know when you’ll depart, pack your luggage in advance.”

“You’re going to leave without even seeing Aaron!”

“I’ll see him off with the magic portal on the day you return. That should be enough.”

“Ria, no, Riena! Wait! Please listen to me a bit more!”

Countess Dyke quickly ran over and grabbed the clothes of Riena who was trying to leave the reception room. Then she knelt down on both knees in front of her and rubbed her hands together, pleading.

Riena was flustered and tried to pull the Countess up by her arms, but she wouldn’t budge and kept rubbing her hands together.

“Riena, please, spare the three of us. Even if not me, Bianca and Aaron have done nothing wrong, right? At least protect those children so they can be safe.”

“I already told you I can’t directly help with money. The financial situation of Dyke may be shaken, but it’s not like something bad will happen to Bianca or Aaron because of that.”

“That’s not it!”

The Countess let out a sharp cry. She trembled with agitation.

“I, I did something foolish. If I had known things would turn out this way, I shouldn’t have listened to that man in the first place… At this rate, that man will kill all three of us.”

“Kill you? Who?”

“Duke Belliard!”

The Countess, who had unintentionally cried out, was startled by her own words and covered her mouth with both hands. But it was too late, Riena had already heard what she said.

Riena grabbed the Countess’s shoulders and asked,

“What do you mean by that, Mother? Why on earth would Duke Belliard kill you and the children? He’s not that kind of person. He’s so kind to people.”

“Ha! You’re saying that because you don’t know! You have no idea how cold and cruel that man is!”

No matter how many times she heard it, the Countess’s words made no sense to Riena.

Johannes was actually a different person on the inside than how he appeared?

Well, let’s assume that could be the case for now.

Everyone has secrets they want to hide from others. Even Raoul turned out to be completely different from how Riena knew him in the past.

It was possible that Johannes Belliard was actually skilled at hiding his true self and captivating people with a hypocritical attitude.

However.

“Even if he is cruel, why would he kill you, Mother? There’s no reason for him to go out of his way to kill you and the children.”

“That’s why it’s all my fault…”

“What did you do wrong?”

“I…”

The Countess, who had been rambling on with incomprehensible words, shut her mouth tightly.

“Mother?”

She nervously glanced outside the door.

“No, no one is eavesdropping outside, right?”

“I told everyone not to come near the reception room.”

“Still, you never know. There could be one of Belliard’s little rats.”

“Then let’s go somewhere more secretive…”

“No!”

The Countess abruptly stood up from her seat. Her eyes looking at Riena again were sharp.

“Who am I telling all this for? For your own good?”

“What?”

“What if you only listen to the information I shared and don’t protect the three of us? Then only I will be ruined. Plus, if word gets to that man’s ears that I had this kind of conversation with you, he won’t leave us alone.”

“So…”

“So you decide first. If you promise to definitely protect us, and put that in writing, then I’ll tell you.”

Riena couldn’t readily say she would do so.

First of all, the Countess’s words lacked credibility. The way she described Johannes was unfamiliar, and Riena couldn’t imagine him threatening someone’s life.

Secondly, even if she believed everything the Countess said, this wasn’t something Riena could decide alone. This was a matter she had to first discuss and address with Cassel.

“For now, please go back. I will talk it over with Cassel and contact you.”

“But if the fact that I came here reaches that man’s ears…!”

“I will assign guard knights to you for the time being. I’ll provide you with guard knights and an unmarked carriage right now. That much I can do on my end.”

The Countess’s eyes darted around anxiously.

“Really?”

“Yes. But you must also tell me everything without omission or lies once I persuade Cassel. Absolutely everything.”

Countess Dyke thought for a moment, then nodded her head vigorously.

“Then, of course. If you just protect me and the children, there’s nothing I can’t do. Thank you, Riena. Thank you so much.”

“It’s too early for thanks since nothing is decided yet. But I will make a decision and contact you as soon as possible, so don’t go anywhere and wait at the lodgings.”

“Alright.”

“Bianca and Aaron must absolutely not go out either. And just in case, dismiss the maids too. I will separately send trustworthy maids from the ducal house.”

The Countess looked dazed, as if she hadn’t thought about the maids. Then she trembled again.

“Could it be the maids have already reported something…”

“That shouldn’t have happened. But just in case, I’ll investigate the maids too.”

“Yes, I understand. Thank you so much.”

Riena managed to appease Countess Dyke and sent her off. And as promised, she sent a carriage, knights, and maids along as well.

For now, she vaguely told the knights and maids that the three were anxious about the unfamiliar environment, so she was assigning people they could trust.

‘Now I just need to talk to Cassel.’

Riena watched the carriage depart through the window, then returned to the study.

〈Hearing my wife’s nickname that I didn’t even know coming naturally from another man’s mouth is not very pleasant. No, it’s extremely unpleasant.〉

〈Where did she learn the habit of blatantly thinking about another man in front of her husband?〉

〈I wonder if she still doesn’t know her place, or if she enjoys this sort of thing. If my wife wants, I can dote on her without her needing to deliberately provoke me.〉

Perhaps because of what the Countess said a moment ago.

The voice of Johannes that she had desperately tried to forget, the one she heard in her dreams, ominously echoed in her ears.

Riena tried hard to shake off that incessantly ringing voice in her head.