“Quite the scary expression, isn’t it?”

Pfft—

Even her mocking appearance, trying not to lose its haughtiness, turned the marchioness’s stomach inside out.

“If Verit doesn’t move, I can’t give you the princess. And any additional support will disappear too.”

“…Your Majesty.”

“You should call me sister, Lin.”

The smile vanished from the empress’s face.

The play hadn’t even started yet—it would be troublesome if she didn’t cooperate from now on.

“Think carefully, Lin. You definitely won’t regret it.”

Her half-sister, who’d become the imperial serpent, whispered quietly.

While pressing poison into her hand.

The marchioness stormed out just like that.

The empress’s proposal was still valid, so she planned to somehow calm this fury at home.

‘Right, I knew all along she was a cruel person.’

But she never dreamed she’d let her touch family.

Especially knowing she valued family terribly.

“Ha…!”

A hollow laugh escaped.

She wasn’t someone fit to ascend to the empress’s position.

Rather, she was someone who should rightfully become a tyrannical emperor.

Just then, while she was viciously cursing inwardly, an unexpected person appeared behind her.

“Madam.”

“…Miss Haina?”

Her business was already finished. She’d left the Rose Palace’s rear garden, and the coachman she’d informed in advance was bringing the carriage right on time.

So why did she follow?

“Her Majesty has gifted me to you, madam.”

“What do you mean by that…?”

At her confused expression, Haina smiled brightly.

“I mean that I, Haina, will be working at the Marquisate of La Voletta starting today.”

Haina was both the empress’s right hand and an assassin disguised as a maid.

In the underworld, many might not know her face, but no one didn’t know her name.

And the marchioness knew this fact all too well.

“I look forward to working with you, my lady.”

The marchioness gripped the dress ornament at her chest tightly.

The empress’s eyes had finally entered the estate.

“…I look forward to it too, Miss Haina.”

The estate had been included in the battlefield.

* * *

Clang—!

The purple sword and black sword collided.

The cool air from the friction of the two swords was already heating up intensely.

“You can’t concentrate.”

Realizing Evolaine’s mind was somewhere other than her sword, Cardel’s sword deviated from its familiar trajectory.

“Ugh…!”

When strong force combined with grip strength struck, the sword flew from Evolaine’s hand.

Clatter—!

The purple sword rolled on the ground.

It was Evolaine’s defeat.

“I’m sorry.”

Evolaine moved her lips while looking forlornly at her sword on the ground.

He didn’t like how she fell into daydreaming again without thinking to pick it up.

“What are you thinking about?”

Cardel’s voice lowered. At the same time, Evolaine’s shoulders shrank.

“Didn’t I repeatedly warn you not to have stray thoughts the moment you grasp your sword? Your sword hit the ground again today. If I’d put just a little more force into it, you would’ve been rolling on the ground with it.”

“…I’m sorry.”

“If you’re sorry…! At least tell me. What’s making you unable to concentrate even during sparring?”

This was already the fifth time.

Lately, she’d been staring blankly at scenery more often and occasionally couldn’t concentrate on work either.

Fortunately, she didn’t make mistakes so no complaints arose, but the problem was sparring.

Whatever else, the sparring between Cardel and Evolaine wasn’t for ordinary purposes.

Cardel practiced controlling rampaging Kelic, while Evolaine practiced using Kelic stably in a controlled environment.

So losing focus was quite dangerous.

Setting aside the speed of improving skills, if she moved her sword wrong while lost in thought, Kelic would escape control.

She could end up seriously injured.

Cardel sat Evolaine, who was just opening and closing her mouth, on a nearby bench.

Knowing full well she’d been making mistakes in sparring for days, Evolaine looked gloomy.

She’s definitely blaming only herself frustratingly.

Without revealing any of her worries.

“I heard happiness doubles when shared, and sadness halves when shared. Tell me if something’s frustrating you.”

“…Is it right that one doubles and one halves?”

“Or just don’t talk.”

She absolutely won’t talk about her worries, but when she thinks something’s strange, she deliberately nitpicks.

Sighing, Cardel sat beside Evolaine and opened his water bottle.

It seemed wrong to continue today’s sparring.

Sitting on the bench, he finally saw the surrounding scenery.

‘It’s already summer.’

Wind blew, swaying the lush trees, and the sun hung directly overhead in the training grounds, creating heat waves.

Cardel, who hadn’t noticed the heat while concentrating, took out his handkerchief and wiped his forehead.

Then Evolaine spoke.

“Young master… what do you think about the duchess?”

At the completely unexpected topic, Cardel choked.

Did she get scolded by Mother?

“Mother? What did she say to you?”

“No, it’s not that. Just…”

Evolaine hesitated. She couldn’t decide if she should say such things to someone with family.

“Just what?”

Cardel put down the water bottle he’d been about to drink from.

At his attitude of focusing on the conversation without drinking water, Evolaine continued calmly.

“…I don’t know much about my birth mother. As for family… it wasn’t a normal structure to begin with, so there was no reason to meet or way to meet.”

Birth mother would mean the Marquis of La Voletta’s mistress. Family would mean the Marquisate of La Voletta.

“So I was curious. What it feels like to have a mother… What it’s like to have a family…”

Cardel, listening to Evolaine’s story, asked.

“Was this what you were thinking about during sparring?”

Was this the thought that tormented you for days? He was asking.

“…Yes.”

“I see.”

Evolaine’s question was pure. She wasn’t asking sarcastically whether having family was nice.

She truly wanted to know what it felt like to have a family.

‘Mother, mother…’

What’s the mother I see like? What does she look like?

He’d never thought about it. What kind of person was his mother, Duchess Elisa?

“Mother is quieter and more resolute than you’d think. People usually think knights are hearty and lively, but she’s not. Rather, she prefers moving covertly.”

“…I see.”

Evolaine nodded slowly.

Though she hadn’t seen Elisa much, she could tell she didn’t reveal herself much.

At the banquet too, she’d barely done anything noticeable except when dancing with the duke.

Though separately, she’d shone on her own at the banquet.

‘She moved locations when talking with me too.’

Evolaine felt that was a consideration.

Elisa didn’t corner Evolaine, who could potentially be a threat, but gave her a chance.

“The lady seems like a good person.”

“…Mother?”

At Evolaine’s words, Cardel asked back in a puzzled voice.

“Yes, because she listened to what I had to say.”

She was a good adult.

Someone who listened to a young knight squire.

Someone who believed the words of a mere b*stard child.

There are far too many adults in the world, but meeting a good adult is difficult.

That’s why Evolaine thought meeting a good adult was fortunate.

“…I’m good at that too.”

“At what?”

“Listening—I’m good at it too.”

At the sudden declaration, Evolaine looked at Cardel beside her.

His ears, unable to meet her eyes, were ripening bright red.

“Young master, are you very hot? Seeing how hot the sun’s been lately, summer must be coming soon.”

“……”

Cardel kicked off from the bench and left.

‘This idiot…!’

He wanted to scoop up the words he’d just spat out, swallow them, and make them disappear.

His face was hot. He didn’t know if it was because strong sunlight was beating down or because his body was hot.

Evolaine had damnably good reflexes but was damnably clueless.

Where did she sell her awareness? Did she pour it all into Kelic?

Just then, meeting a maid near the training grounds carrying a basket of clothes to wash, Cardel had her bring out cold water.