“A suitable teacher happens to be right beside you. He’s the type who usually sweeps up every bit of knowledge there is, so he’ll be useful.”

It was quite a harsh assessment for one’s own child, but seeing how they both casually brushed it off, this clearly wasn’t the first or second time.

“Then I’ll be in your care, Young Lord.”

Instead of answering, Cardel nodded and left the office, claiming he was busy.

“He’s a bit picky, but he’ll actually do everything he needs to. So don’t take it too personally.”

Ashili added this like an excuse, worried Evolaine might be hurt by his perfunctory response and departure, but looking at Evolaine’s face, she realized she’d been mistaken.

“Is the young lord… picky?”

At Evolaine’s question, Ashili was inwardly impressed.

‘This is genuine. It absolutely can’t be fake.’

“…It’s nothing.”

Cardel’s attitude just now was the kind of thing that would hurt or make young ladies read into it at least once.

However, Evolaine hadn’t recognized at all that Cardel’s way of expressing himself or his attitude was picky.

‘Cardel’s going to have his hands full, isn’t he?’

Unlike him with his sensitive and picky personality, Evolaine was indifferent and dense.

Truly a natural enemy incarnate!

“Dame, please stay with our Radelica for a long, long time.”

“Pardon?”

At Ashili’s sinister laugh, Evolaine flinched and subtly increased the distance between them.

* * *

“…So, you lost her?”

The marchioness, who’d been rubbing her wet hair with a towel, not expecting a report in the middle of the night, finally spoke after a silence.

She was furious about the news delivered by the guild master of Naoremi who’d just appeared.

“An unexpected obstacle appeared.”

“Who was it that you couldn’t use your power? I clearly told the director in advance.”

“Well…”

The guild master hesitated to answer with a troubled face.

‘D*mn it.’

Even thinking about it again, it was absurd.

He hadn’t known the Duke of Radelica would barge into this orphanage of all places.

That was because who would have expected a great noble to visit an orphanage in such a remote area, not just any outskirts, on such a cold day?

The guild master glanced sideways at the marchioness.

She was still fuming, fanning herself and sighing deeply.

‘Like I wanted to run into him.’

The Duke of Radelica was certainly a variable, but even without him, there was some probability of losing Evolaine.

It meant this might have happened eventually, if not now.

“It was the Duke of Radelica.”

“…The duke personally visited an orphanage?”

“Yes.”

The marchioness’s fanning stopped, seemingly not expecting the guild master’s answer.

She’d deliberately moved orphanages regularly to prevent information leaks. She’d thoroughly silenced those who heard about or tried to dig into Evolaine’s whereabouts.

But how did the duke know?

“I thought I’d cut off all the tails.”

“We didn’t anticipate this either. Who would have known a duke would come to an outskirts area not even considered part of the capital?”

“…”

The guild master’s words weren’t wrong.

However, since the duke had taken Evolaine, they needed to prepare more thoroughly.

They absolutely couldn’t let the Duke of Radelica steal Evolaine—no, Kelic—like this.

“The mage is ready, right?”

“Yes. Awaiting orders.”

“A banquet will be held soon. Since the imperial family is hosting it directly, the scale will be tremendous.”

“I understand there’s nothing particularly worth celebrating.”

“Tsk, this is why commoners…”

At the marchioness’s insulting words, the guild master bit his lip hard.

If he objected or talked back here, the guild would suffer.

‘The empress and the marchioness, half-sisters with a good relationship…’

They needed to drive them apart. Under conditions that would minimize damage to the Naoremi Guild.

That was the path for Naoremi to pursue greater safety than now.

Unaware of the thoughts spinning in the guild master’s head, the marchioness continued her explanation.

“Soon the knights who went on the expedition will return. Among them is the Duchess of Radelica.”

“Don’t tell me… you’re targeting the duchess?”

“If we target her, the attention focused on Evolaine with Kelic will scatter. We’ll aim for that opening.”

It was a somewhat feasible plan. However, even if the number of Radelica’s knights decreased, their capabilities wouldn’t diminish.

“…If we fail, the damage will be considerable.”

“Just do well so we don’t fail.”

The nuance suggested everything would succeed if only he did well.

“…I’ll send guild members before the banquet. Please create the opening well.”

“I promise.”

The marchioness’s smile, half-shadowed in the dimly lit room, looked more and more like mockery the more he thought about it.

* * *

Time flowed and flowed until the day before the banquet.

The Duchy of Radelica was in high spirits at the thought of welcoming the duchess returning after nearly two years.

To Evolaine’s eyes, it seemed strange to see people working with happy smiles, whether employees or knights.

She’d thought nothing would surprise her anymore after encountering countless sights she’d never seen before in her life since entering the Duchy of Radelica, but it seemed there was still a long way to go.

The maids voluntarily polished the floors until they shone and devoted themselves to cleaning all the rooms spotlessly.

Especially the master bedroom the duchess would share with the duke was decorated most grandly and splendidly.

The knights devoted themselves to training. Particularly hoping the newly entered knight squires would perform well before the duchess, Evolaine was learning sword dances with her peers from morning.

“Lower your body more, and raise your head just a bit more. Yes, like that.”

Doing the movements in succession was manageable, but the problem was holding the positions was difficult.

‘It’s harder because we’re moving slowly.’

“I hope Her Grace will be pleased to see it.”

“She might be shocked instead. She lived with swords for two years—would she really enjoy seeing sword dances again?”

“Still, we can score points with the kids.”

“That’s true.”

From the knights’ conversations here and there, it seemed the duchess was a knight.

She must have joined the expedition for two years as a knight.

‘I heard there aren’t many female knights.’

The fact that she continued fulfilling her duties as a knight while being the mistress of a household felt impressive.

Then a familiar voice broke through her thoughts.

“Dame Evolaine.”

“Young Lord? What brings you here?”

“Follow me for a moment.”

Evolaine immediately put down the dagger for sword dancing and picked up her longsword for escort duty.

She tied her hair, now long enough to reach nearly half her back, high in a single bundle and grabbed her outer garment.

“Did the young lord call for you?”

“Yes, I’ll be back.”

“Alright, don’t forget the movements you learned!”

Vice-commander Kylerus said with a mischievous face.

In truth, while Evolaine had exceptional talent in using swords and her body, she particularly lacked talent in dancing.

‘He’s definitely doing that knowing everything.’

Otherwise, there’d be no reason to tease her so openly.

“Hurry up. I need to discuss the banquet with you.”

“Coming, I’m coming.”

The two, who’d definitely become much more comfortable than when they first met, now had a proper relationship between lord and escort knight.

Since coming to the duke’s household, Evolaine had grown rapidly with the nutrition she’d lacked and Kelic training provided.

Not only her skills but also her height grew quickly, and her hair grew fast too.

However, even if an ordinary person faced the same environmental changes as her, it wouldn’t be this fast, so Cardel speculated that Kelic might be influencing it.

“It’s already been over six months since you came here, Dame.”

“Time has already passed that much.”

“Mother will return soon too.”

Cardel’s mother. What kind of person was the duchess?

Seeing everyone waiting, she must be a good person.

“You’re my escort knight, so you’ll stick with me at the banquet, Dame.”

“…There won’t be anyone who recognizes me, right?”

“Hmm, well. Unfortunately, there will probably be many.”

“…Pardon?”

What did that mean? The marchioness hadn’t even registered her b*stard child in the family register.

She’d moved orphanages every time to prevent people from discovering the b*stard, and managed it thoroughly.

But there would be many who’d recognize her?

“The Marquisateseems to have changed plans. They’re probably trying to announce your existence so you can’t hide anywhere.”

“No way…”

“They’ve unofficially revealed there’s a b*stard child.”

“…”

“Seeing you, Dame, who’s the spitting image of the marquis, it’ll soon become official.”

The marchioness clearly intended to take her. To do that, she’d cause trouble.

“Don’t worry. You’re going as an escort, so you’ll stick by my side and few people will approach recklessly.”

It felt unpleasant, like their positions had reversed.

Wasn’t she, the escort knight, supposed to be the one protecting?

“Even if I face danger, I’m your escort knight, Young Lord. Protecting is my role.”

Since becoming an escort, she wouldn’t do her job carelessly.

‘Lucia does have an eye for people.’

It was impressive how she spoke boldly while being scared.

Cardel gestured to the maid waiting nearby. The maid then brought neatly folded black clothing.

“It’s a robe made by processing my magic power. If you wear this, you can at least hide your face during entry.”

“…Thank you.”

Her face felt hot for no reason at her genuinely delighted expression.

‘The young lord’s usually cold face is turning red…!’

The maid slightly raised her head and glanced at the two.

‘Does he like her? Or is it one-sided??’

Come to think of it, a fellow maid had mentioned a few days ago that the young lord had personally selected his escort.

Though personally selecting was tradition, everyone expected the duke to decide since they couldn’t imagine Cardel, who didn’t get close to people, examining and choosing candidates.

But personally! With his own hands!

That young lord!

‘I need to tell everyone quickly.’

That our young lord has changed!

Thus was born the big issue of the Duchy of Radelica that only the parties involved didn’t know about.

* * *

A dark, damp underground cell. A place so dirty you’d rather be put in prison, where even the air became murky.

‘Please, if I could just get one more chance…’

Meli, a maid of the Duchy of Arpi and now employed at the Duchy of Radelica as a spy, had been confined here after failing her mission.

It had already been over nine months since the Duke of Arpi had used her young sibling as leverage to send her in as a spy.

There were no instructions for three months after she started working, then one day an order suddenly came to capture a girl with navy blue hair.

‘Who knew that kid was the b*stard child of the Marquisate of La Voletta.’