“What? Considering timing? That’s very unlike Sir Penadel.”

I nodded with a bewildered feeling.

“Y-yes… I actually had something to tell you, too.”

After finishing the teatime that left me feeling somewhat uneasy,

I returned to my room and took out the ownership documents for the northern mine and the “adoption document imbued with special power”.

Thanks to the notary’s testimony, my uncle’s will had been invalidated, allowing me to circulate much of the wealth that had been tied up as my dowry.

All that remained was to transfer ownership of the mine to Grand Duke Baluasten once I completed the succession ceremony and became the official family head.

Next, examining the “adoption document imbued with special power,” I didn’t bother hiding the sigh that escaped me.

I told Sybel that I would pass this family to Leo, but it was half bluster.

Of course, if Leo wanted it, I could give him this family without hesitation, but to do so, I would need to adopt the child.

However, while I could be Leo’s sponsor, I didn’t have confidence in becoming his parent.

Perhaps the system window had noticed this feeling.

[Intimacy: 98/100]

The intimacy level with Leo that appeared alongside the item description window when I held the adoption document.

That figure, 2% short, seemed to prove that I lacked the qualifications to be Leo’s parent.

While organizing the adoption document and mine ownership papers with a bitter feeling, I noticed a familiar notebook open among the scattered papers on my desk.

I picked it up without thinking, then frantically looked around to see if anyone might have seen it.

“How distracted must I have been not to notice dropping this?”

This worn notebook was my secret diary that I used to scribble in to relieve my frustration during the time when I couldn’t speak freely due to synchronization.

Like the translator that didn’t work without someone listening, the translator didn’t work for writing that wasn’t meant to be shown to others.

Thanks to this, I could write all sorts of doting observations about how cute and lovable our Leo was in this notebook I had named “Leo Observation Journal.”

[Today, as always, I felt my life threatened. Leo’s cuteness always targets my heart. He’s like a soft baby lion. Cute again today.]

After sneaking a peek at a few sentences I had written, I fanned my face to cool the heat rising on it.

Thankfully, I had forbidden employees from entering my room, because if someone had seen this…

“I saw something I shouldn’t have…”

Huh?

Leo’s words suddenly flashed through my mind, freezing me in place.

“…Surely Leo couldn’t have seen this?”

Is this what it feels like to have your private fan account discovered by a colleague, and the subject of your admiration at that?

Cold sweat began to run down my back.

***

On a sunny day.

Leo was dedicated to sword training from early morning, just like any other day.

Though he had been holding a sword for only about 6 months, his stance was so excellent that Belinda would have applauded enthusiastically had she seen it.

However, unlike his unwavering stance, Leo’s mind was filled with distracting thoughts.

Two days ago, while Belinda was methodically dealing with the branch family members at the monthly meeting, Leo was cleaning Belinda’s room.

Although Belinda had subtly tried to dissuade him several times, Leo couldn’t give up cleaning.

He thought it was his natural duty as an apprentice servant.

It was purely by chance that he noticed a small notebook among the papers scattered messily on Belinda’s desk.

Inside was a sentence written in elegant handwriting that clearly belonged to Belinda.

[Should I seriously consider making Leo my personal servant?]

The moment he read those words without thinking, Leo quickly turned his head away, as though he had seen something forbidden.

But by then, the name “Leo” was already deeply embedded in the child’s mind.

‘Leo…? Who is Leo?’

It was definitely a name he had heard somewhere.

Leo’s hand, which had been skillfully wielding the duster, gradually slowed.

Even while cleaning, the child kept glancing at the desk as though there were a ghost behind him.

‘Does this Leo person also want to become Lady Belinda’s personal servant?’

While anxiously pondering this, a strong gust of wind blew through the window left open for ventilation, scattering the papers on the desk.

Startled, Leo sprawled across the desk with his whole body to prevent the papers from flying away. Whether it was by accident or intention, even Leo himself couldn’t tell why his eyes caught the next line in the notebook.

[I must do whatever Leo wants! Even if that means becoming my personal servant… Yes, if Leo wants it, how could I refuse? However…]

After reading just that far, Leo squeezed his eyes shut.

Then he closed the window and fled to his room with only the cleaning supplies in hand.

His heart was pounding anxiously.

‘Could what’s written there be true? If Lady Belinda really intends to make this Leo person her personal servant…’

Come to think of it, Terry had mentioned that she was hiring many new employees this time.

Perhaps there might be someone named Leo among the newly hired staff.

Though it wasn’t intentional, Leo had ended up peeking at Belinda’s personal records, so he couldn’t bring himself to ask Belinda if what was written in the notebook was true.

Feeling upset, he was downcast all day like a flower drenched in rain, but as days passed, something resembling anger-fueled motivation gradually replaced his gloomy feelings.

‘I am Lady Belinda’s personal servant. Well, an apprentice for now, of course.’

Whoosh!

Leo’s hand gripping the sword gradually gained strength.

‘Lady Belinda promised that when I eat well and grow up, she’ll definitely make me her personal servant.’

Whoosh!

‘So I’ll grow quickly and become bigger and stronger than anyone else.’

Whoosh!

‘I absolutely won’t lose to Leo!’

For Leo, who was accustomed to resigning himself to anything and yielding, this was such an unfamiliar emotion that the child didn’t even realize he was feeling intense jealousy.

Just as he was burning with jealousy toward this unknown Leo—

“If you put that much emotion into it, your sword tip will point in the wrong direction.”

Cesar’s hand gently caught Leo’s wooden sword, which was making a heavy sound.

“Sir Knight…”

Leo had swung the sword so forcefully that his hand was now trembling, drained of strength.

“Let’s rest for today.”

“Yes.”

Leo trudged over to sit under a tree’s shade without protest.

Instead of returning to the mansion, Cesar silently remained by Leo’s side.

After contemplating alone for a while, Leo suddenly looked up at Cesar and asked.

“Sir Knight, have you ever had someone you absolutely wanted to defeat?”

“No.”

Unfortunately, Cesar wasn’t a very good counselor.

Only after seeing Leo’s dejected expression did Cesar realize this.

Like when he had repeatedly worried about how to treat Leo on their first lesson day, he carefully chose his words for a long time before slowly speaking.

“Rather than thinking about opponents I must defeat, I prefer to think about people I must protect. That makes my sword sharper.”

“Who are the people Sir Knight must protect?”

Leo asked, staring directly at Cesar.

The child’s eyes, bathed in sunlight filtering through the tree shade, were so remarkably clear that Cesar couldn’t bring himself to say that he had lost all the people he needed to protect.

So instead of telling the truth, he used an adult’s cunning.

“Now I am Lady Blanche’s knight, so I wield my sword thinking of her.”

Leo rolled his eyes around and carefully asked.

“You’ll continue to be Lady Belinda’s knight, right?”

Cesar was at a loss for words at Leo’s following question.

From the beginning, his time by her side was limited.

Once he received the mine from Belinda after she became the official family head, he would have to leave the capital and return to the north.

To fulfill his remaining duty.

He intended to confess everything to her before leaving, but one thing—the feelings he harbored for her—would be submerged below the surface and buried forever.

The curse that stained his soul could harm someone precious, so for Belinda’s safety, it was right to distance himself from her.

But if this situation were different.

If he were not the lord ruling the north, if he had no obligations to shoulder, and if he were permitted to live a life protecting just one person for his entire life, even if unrequited.

Then…

“If I could do that, at any cost.”

Cesar concluded with his usual calm voice, looking up at the room where Belinda was.

“I would gladly do so.”