“You seem… to have it tough.”

In the end, I couldn’t help but say the same thing.

Hearing my words, the boy must have thought he’d talked too much, as he belatedly cleared his throat and added haphazardly.

“Despite being such a father, he still has things worth learning from. For example, he’s personally demonstrating that one should never touch gambling… um… yes, that’s it.”

Still, trying to defend his father somehow because he was his father… it reminded me of… Leo.

“My kid at home talks just like you.”

I unconsciously muttered while recalling Leo, who would try his best to translate my words whenever I said something inappropriate outside, but just then.

The expressionless child turned to look at me with wide, round eyes. For the first time, a childlike innocence appeared on his face.

“I apologize for my rudeness. You’re so beautiful that I didn’t think you could be a noble lady with children.”

The boy hurriedly stepped back and bowed politely to apologize to me.

It was perfect etiquette, beyond reproach.

How on earth did someone like Holio produce such a proper son?

‘Well, even under my uncle, someone like Sybel was raised, so if there’s a hopeless chapter in child-rearing, there must also be a hopeful one.’

“It’s nothing like that, so there’s no need to worry about it.”

As I answered like that, a brilliant idea suddenly struck me, making me pause.

‘Wait, isn’t this a promising seedling?’

As his scathing assessment suggested—a pearl necklace on a pig—Holio Rechel was a hopeless case.

So let me make a long-term investment.

None other than in his son, the future heir to the family!

“You, what’s your name?”

Only then did the boy eye me warily before answering with a slightly puzzled expression.

“Ian Rechel, my lady.”

“Yes, Ian. Your eyesight must be quite poor?”

“How did you know that?”

“Because you didn’t blush when you saw me.”

“…?”

With a face that showed he didn’t understand what I meant, Ian tilted his head, and I gave him a leisurely smile.

In this era, processing glass to make spectacle lenses was an extremely advanced technology, so even the crude glasses Ian was wearing would have cost quite a fortune.

So, as Ian said, Holio couldn’t be a completely hopeless father after all.

Though the focus wasn’t quite right, he must have gifted his young son those expensive glasses.

“If you need new glasses to see your future path clearly, come find Belinda Blanche of the Blanche family.”

“Belinda… Blanche?”

At my words, as if realizing something, Ian’s head tilted slightly, causing his glasses to slide down to the tip of his nose.

“I’m very interested in gathering talented individuals, you see.”

I pushed up the glasses that were too big for the child to wear and lightly tapped the bridge of his nose.

“In return, may I ask you something?”

***

After securing the support of the head of the Rechel family.

Now what remained were Cleo and Dukoff.

‘I heard that after the head of the Dukoff family died last year, his daughter succeeded as the family head.’

The previous Dukoff family head was someone who moved according to profit, and judging that Sybel would benefit his family, he had sided with him.

Meanwhile, the current head hadn’t clearly expressed who she supported more between me and Sybel, but it was well-known that she greatly resembled her predecessor’s temperament.

So if I could just show that I was more capable than Sybel and would bring more benefits to the Dukoff family, I could easily gain her support.

‘Lastly, Cleo is…’

When I recalled the old man from Belinda’s memories, my heart grew heavy.

A stubborn blood purist who supported her until the end solely because Belinda was the legitimate heir.

Perhaps the Cleo family head would be the most difficult to persuade.

After all, regaining the heart of someone who has been deeply disappointed is incredibly difficult.

While I was contemplating how to perfectly draw the remaining two people to my side, my eyes fell upon Leo and Vivian, who were sitting with their heads together like two squirrels, scribbling something.

Seeing this most harmless combination in the world made my heart feel so warm that I forgot the serious concerns I had just been having, and quietly listened to their conversation.

These past few days have been so busy that I have asked Terry to take care of Leo’s writing lessons.

So perhaps Vivian was helping Leo with his writing practice…

“…and so, this is a magic circle that tears apart the limbs of bad guys. The moment they step on it, boom! It explodes.”

“How about setting a trap with Terry’s special poison-coated arrowheads that shoot out?”

“Great! That’s a good idea, too. With just this much preparation, we can exterminate all the bad guys who try to break into the mansion.”

No, how can these innocent-looking faces be saying such terrible things!

I immediately summoned the culprit who had corrupted Leo and Vivian.

“Terry!”

“Yes, Master. You called… I don’t know why you’re making such a fierce expression, but may I take my leave now?”

That one’s really only quick with excuses.

After giving a good scolding, I ended up taking charge of Leo’s writing lessons again.

It was a mistake to entrust Leo’s education to Terry in the first place, even if it was temporary.

I watched Leo peacefully writing his diary in neat handwriting after a very long time.

Then, taking advantage of a moment when the child’s hand paused, I casually spoke up.

“Ratchet, someday when the time is right, I’ll give you a new name.”

“A new name?”

I know that Leo really likes the name Ratchet, but regardless of the child’s feelings, that name is something I cannot accept.

If I kept being considerate of Leo’s feelings, a terrible future might await where the child’s name would forever remain as Ratchet.

‘That absolutely cannot happen!’

That’s why I deliberately spoke in a somewhat authoritative tone.

First, it was important to let Leo know that there were plenty of better names than Ratchet.

“You know what I’ve been busy with lately, right?”

Leo nodded with a serious face.

It was already after the mansion had been attacked once.

I could have hidden the situation so the child wouldn’t worry about anything, but I explained the current situation at least roughly so Leo could judge for himself what to be careful about.

Of course, instead of explaining everything, I briefly summarized the situation by saying that I was competing with Sybel for the position of family head, and fortunately, Leo didn’t get scared and tried to understand the situation seriously in his own way.

“If my plan goes as intended, I will become the head of the Blanche family. Then you won’t be the apprentice servant of a noble lady, but the apprentice servant of the family head. Don’t you think you need a new name with greater aspirations for that?”

“…!”

Fortunately, this excuse seemed to work well, as Leo’s cheeks flushed red with anticipation.

If I pushed a little more here, it might finally be possible to call him by the name Leo.

“Of course, Ratchet, I’ll give you a name that you like. So let’s think about it slowly.”

“A new name…”

As Leo narrowed his brow in thought for a moment, suddenly a gleam like sunlight sparkling on water’s surface flashed in his eyes.

“Then I’d like a name like Super King Ratchet!”

“….”

Looking at Leo, who still couldn’t escape from “Ratchet,” I secretly sighed.

‘Who on earth did he inherit this naming sense from…’

Before the name could solidify from Ratchet to Super King Ratchet, I hurriedly spoke up.

“Let’s think about the new name slowly after I become the family head.”

“Yes!”

Just this promise seemed to make him happy, as Leo’s legs swung under the chair.

Seeing that, I realized it was finally time to bring up the real point I had been preparing.

I was so nervous that my hands began to sweat.

After meeting Ian today, I was honestly surprised when that smart and capable-looking child boldly said that his father loved him.

How could that immature Baron Rechel give his son such confidence that he was loved?

So before leaving the Rechel mansion, I asked Ian.

“You’re wondering when I realized my father’s love? It’s simple.”

“I realize it when he tells me he loves me every night. Well, sometimes I doubt whether someone who truly loves his family shouldn’t quit gambling, but still.”

Those words hit me like a blow to the head.

Only then did I realize how powerful verbally expressed affection is, and that unexpressed affection has no way of reaching the other person.

‘Even if I call Leo by the name Leo, that doesn’t convey how precious this child is to me.’

I needed to tell Leo with my own mouth how much I cherished him.

Unlike before, I no longer had Belinda as a translator.

I clenched my fist, hidden under the desk and began to speak.