Seeing Licia’s expression, it seemed I was right.
“Not His Grace. Why would he help with something so trivial?”
He was a person who was cold even to me, his daughter.
Asking such a busy person for something like this… it would be fortunate if I didn’t face his anger.
“Still, you should try asking at least once. You want to help your friend, do you not, my Lady?”
Even so, asking the Grand Duke didn’t seem right.
“No matter how I think about it, that’s not it. I should ask Jeff.”
I immediately went to find Jeff.
Since he told me to come anytime, I went straight to his office without hesitation.
“My Lady!”
Jeff welcomed me with a smile.
“I have something urgent to discuss.”
“Please speak.”
“I want to help Lady Sestia.”
“You want to help Lady Sestia?”
“Yes. Her father is in debt to the other vassals, so she is being bullied by the vassals’ children.”
Jeff waved his hand.
“That is the fault of the adults, so there is no way other than for Lady Sestia’s parents to repay the debt. Unless someone pays it for them.”
Jeff asked with a serious expression.
“Do you wish to help her to that extent, my Lady?”
“I do not have the ability to repay the money.”
“Even if you repay it, they may think they are being pitied. Nobles value their pride as if it were their lives.”
“So that means there is no other way?”
“Why do you want to help her to that extent?”
“Because it feels like I am seeing my past self. Her misfortune is too pitiful. Both that child and her father went into debt because they did not want her mother to die. Do you know how miserable it is to give up just because you do not have money, even though you could save a loved one?”
Jeff stared at me quietly.
“They only wanted to protect their family. They just did not have money. Is it not wrong to take advantage of the misfortune of people like that?”
“I understand your intention well, my Lady. However, that is not a problem I can resolve at my level.”
“Then…”
“Isn’t there exactly one person who could?”
“Not His Grace. He will not listen.”
“Why are you so certain?”
“Because His Grace is cold. He probably has no interest in something so trivial.”
“Is that so?”
“To His Grace, I am just a piece needed for the Ducal House. The reason he brought me into the East Wing is because I made a contract with an ancient spirit. If not for that, I would have been locked up in the annex again.”
“If that is how you think, my Lady, then it must be so.”
Jeff deliberately made a face as if he felt sorry.
***
After parting with Ivelotte, Jeff went to Vincent’s office carrying documents.
“Your Grace, it is Jeff.”
“Come in.”
Entering the office, he placed the documents he brought onto the Grand Duke’s desk.
“These are the documents that need to be processed today.”
Normally, that would have been the end of it.
But for some reason, Vincent glanced at Jeff.
“I heard that recently, Ivelotte has been looking for you… is that true?”
“It is true. We have become close enough to share concerns.”
At those words, Vincent looked displeased.
“Ivelotte shares her concerns with you?”
“Of course. We are that close. Perhaps after Licia, I am the one she relies on the most.”
“What are her concerns?”
Jeff grinned and teased as if he would speak or not.
“This is a bit difficult for me to say with my own mouth…”
“It seems I’ve been letting you off too easily lately. Shall I give you a taste of my sword after a long time?”
“I am joking, joking. Can I not even make a joke?”
Jeff pouted his lips.
“The Young Lady has something she wants to ask of Your Grace, but she firmly said that Your Grace would not grant it.”
“I wouldn’t grant her request?”
“Yes, she said that since Your Grace is very busy, you would not grant such a trivial request of hers.”
“What is that request?”
“You should hear that directly from the Young Lady. If I say everything here, she might come to hate me. I do not want to be hated by her.”
“So you are fine with being hated by me?”
“Your Grace cannot hate me, can you? Where else would you find someone who works as well as I do? If you want to keep using me, then you must not hate me.”
“Ha, your words flow like a river.”
“I do have quite the gift. Hehe.”
“Enough, leave.”
Vincent could not listen any longer and ordered him out.
After sending Jeff away, Vincent gestured into the air.
Then the air distorted, and a person dressed in black dropped down.
They were those called the shadows of the Ducal House.
“Please give your order.”
“Bring Miguel.”
“By your command!”
The shadow disappeared from that spot in an instant.
After a while, a person wearing a black robe appeared in the office.
“Did you call for me, Your Grace?”
“Miguel, find out immediately what’s bothering Ivelotte.”
Miguel wondered if he had heard wrong.
“Your Grace, did you just order me to find out what the Young Lady’s concern is?”
“I did.”
With an extremely stern expression at that. To think that he would move a shadow that acted for the House just to find out his daughter’s concern.
‘Is this real?’
Miguel couldn’t understand, but he couldn’t disobey.
“I will carry out the order.”
After sending Miguel away, Vincent summoned Ivelotte.
***
I went to the office at the Grand Duke’s summons and looked at him with a puzzled expression.
He seated me in front of the sofa and had me eat refreshments.
And then he carefully observed me like that.
Since all the snacks served were excellent, I didn’t refuse.
“You eat well.”
Tilting my head, I looked at the word [Daughter] floating above his head.
‘Is he seeing me as his daughter? That’s impossible.’
What kind of person was he, to see me as his daughter?
‘Right, it must not mean anything.’
I thought I was mistaken.
“Are you receiving your education well?”
“Yes, I am working hard.”
“Working hard is important, but results are also important.”
In other words, it seemed he was telling me to show results.
‘As expected.’
“I will show you results at the summer camp.”
“Are you saying you will at least place within the rankings?”
“I cannot guarantee it, but I will try.”
“It will be difficult. The camp is a place where children stronger than you gather.”
“I know.”
“It seems you are confident.”
The Grand Duke looked at me and let out a faint laugh.
“I will look forward to your results.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
As the word Your Grace came out of my mouth, the Grand Duke’s eyebrow twitched for a moment.
After that, he would occasionally call me and serve me refreshments.
And he would also ask trivial questions.
He asked how far my education had progressed, whether there was anything more I needed, and so on, and each time I answered that I didn’t need anything.
I couldn’t understand why he was acting like that.
The Grand Duke would sometimes say that I really resemble my mother a lot.
So I came to think that the reason he looked at me was because I resembled my mother.
After all, among everyone in the Ducal House, he must have been the one who missed her the most.
It seemed he was taking some comfort in looking at me.
Today, after leaving the Grand Duke’s office and returning to the East Wing, I took a walk in the garden for the first time in a while.
Of course, I received Licia’s permission.
I wandered around the garden looking for the cool shade of trees.
“Where would be good?”
After wandering around for quite a while, something caught on my foot.
“Ah!”
In that moment, I lost my balance and fell, but the ground felt soft.
I slightly raised my head and froze on the spot.
I had fallen and was sitting on top of Alex.
“S-Sorry.”
I hurriedly got off his body and apologized.
He sprang up from where he had been lying and began brushing off the dust on his body.
He brushed it off so meticulously that even watching him made me tired.
At that moment, my eyes met Alex’s.
“What are you staring at like that?”
