“It’s really curious when you think about it.”

“What is?”

“About Valerie. How did the Grand Duke know he was the father? The moment he saw her, she started calling him ‘papa’, ‘daddy’.”

“Did she?”

“Yes, in Urentum.”

In Urentum… yes, I remember Karl being puzzled about why the child was calling me daddy.

At that time, I thought it was just the baby babbling, coincidentally making that sound. But observing more, I realized it wasn’t just a coincidence.

Valerie didn’t call just anyone ‘daddy’. Initially, I thought she might be doing it randomly or only to adult men, but later I noticed she never said it in Karl’s absence.

There were times she babbled something similar to ‘papa’, but she never clearly addressed anyone as ‘papa’ or ‘daddy’.

What could be the reason? An incredible coincidence or some instinctual pull of bloodline…?

“Nah, that doesn’t make sense.”

“What doesn’t, Count?”

“Is there a saying here about bloodlines pulling towards each other?”

“What do you mean by ‘pulling’?”

“Never mind. Don’t worry about it.”

After the brief conversation with Hanna, I found myself with nothing else to do. Since returning to the capital, my life had become more comfortable but also more tedious.

My days in Urentum were similar, but there I could at least go out freely. What good is it to live in a grand mansion if it feels like a gilded cage?

It’s only nice to be wealthy when you can spend money. But being confined, I couldn’t enjoy my affluent life. I wondered if it would be better to be less wealthy but free and happy.

Sigh

I looked out the window, where the rain was drizzling down. If the weather had been better, I could have taken a light stroll in the garden. Even the weather wasn’t on my side.

Then, a carriage crested the hill in the distance. If it continued down this road, it would reach the mansion.

Who could it be? On closer inspection, I saw a carriage with a golden seal approaching. The gold seal was a symbol of the royal family.

Karl, who had been out of sight for days, must be visiting, I thought. Hanna and Liv excitedly rushed to the lobby.

As the knights opened the large iron gates in the pouring rain, the carriage slid inside.

Expecting the dark-haired Grand Duke to alight, Liv froze when she saw who actually stepped out.

It wasn’t Karl. A man from another Grand Duke had come in the royal carriage.

“His Grace sent me.”

The man with a somewhat pale complexion and sharp features was Stilicho, one of the confidants of the Toskur Grand Duke.

“What brings you to the Count’s residence so suddenly…”

Although it was clear why he was here, Hanna asked him about his visit.

The man didn’t respond, just staring blankly at the people in front of him, as if wondering why they weren’t bringing Celeste down immediately.

Normally, they would have called Celeste right away, but today was different. Most importantly, she had no memory of her past. Why should she meet Franz and what to do about it was unknown.

Hanna and Liv exchanged awkward glances.

“Um, the Countess is unable to go out today.”
Hanna struggled to speak up. Although it wasn’t the Grand Duke himself, Stilicho was an aide representing the Grand Duke’s authority. His words carried almost as much weight as the Grand Duke’s command.

Thus, Hanna’s statement of being unable to go out was essentially a refusal of Franz’s request.

“What did you just say? She is unable to go out?”

As expected, Stilicho repeated his question in disbelief. Having visited the Louizette Count’s residence for years, this was the first time he encountered a refusal.

“Yes, that’s correct. The Countess cannot go out, and it’s likely to stay that way for the foreseeable future. Please convey that to the Grand Duke.”

Muller, the chief steward, confidently spoke in Hanna’s stead, holding an umbrella and calmly facing Stilicho.

“I reiterate, the Countess will not be responding to the Grand Duke’s personal summons in the future.”

“Is this a statement made by the Countess herself?”

“I am speaking on behalf of the Countess.”

After a brief exchange, Stilicho said no more. He stood silently for a moment, scanning each person before silently boarding the carriage again.

The coachman promptly whipped the horses into motion, and the carriage left the estate just as smoothly as it had entered, splashing through puddles formed by the heavy rain.

“Ah, it’s cold.”

Liv wiped off the water splashed on her face and skirt, slightly resentful of the hasty departure. Serving a Grand Duke is one thing, but acting like one himself is another.

“…Is it going to be okay?” Hanna asked, watching the carriage disappear into the rain. Given Celeste’s current condition, they couldn’t risk leaving her alone with Franz.

Apart from her amnesia, the issue with Grand Duke Albrecht and the child wasn’t entirely resolved. Getting further entangled with Franz wouldn’t have been beneficial.

“There’s nothing we can do. With the gossip articles pouring in daily, meeting with the Toskur Grand Duke would only add fuel to the fire.”

“I agree with that, but it’s troubling that Grand Duke Albrecht has been unusually quiet. I’m worried.”

The best solution would be for Grand Duke Albrecht to propose marriage and take responsibility for the child. It wasn’t impossible that he might choose to take responsibility for the child without marriage, but given his reputed character, it seemed unlikely.

If Grand Duke Albrecht were to propose, Celeste would become the Grand Duchess. Potentially becoming a Grand Duchess, they couldn’t risk getting burnt by wandering too close to the fire.

They needed to avoid trouble as much as possible, and even if there was the slightest chance, ensure that sparks wouldn’t fly, taking a long detour if necessary…

“What’s worrying you?”

The sight of all the servants gathered at the entrance caught the Countess’s attention. Surprised by Celeste’s sudden appearance, Hanna quickly turned around.

“Nothing, Countess.”

“What was that carriage just now? Who visited?”

“Nobody… I mean, not exactly.”

“What do you mean, not exactly? That seal can only be worn by royalty, right? The golden one.”

“Well, yes, but…”

“Don’t tell me Karl visited? Why didn’t you call me?”

“No, it wasn’t the Grand Duke. I mean, it was a Grand Duke, but not that Grand Duke.”
Hanna stepped in to clarify Liv’s flustered explanation. The carriage that had just arrived indeed belonged to the royal household, but the person inside was not the one the Countess had been waiting for. It was sent by the Toskur Grand Duke, and she would now explain the reason, leading Celeste back inside the mansion.

It took over two hours to hear why Franz had sent someone to the Count’s residence.

“This is just a lesson, isn’t it? It’s basically a briefing on how the Toskur Grand Duke is entangled with our family…”

The history of the Louizette Count’s family, their business, and even the hidden secrets unknown to the public were laid out. It might sound like a brief explanation, but from the listener’s perspective, it felt like a complete history lesson. Hanna had to keep Celeste from nodding off several times.

“If you want to understand that relationship, you need to know the history of the family thoroughly! If the Countess hadn’t lost her memory, there would have been no need to explain all this in detail…”

They wanted to know why Franz had sent a carriage to the Count’s residence, but Muller and Hanna began narrating over a century’s worth of the Count’s family history.

They insisted it was essential for the head of the family to be aware of these details, apologizing for the delayed explanation. They had hoped the Countess’s memory would return soon.

Nevertheless, Celeste now understood the connection between Franz and herself.