“Nice to meet you, niece.”

Kalian approached, paid his respects, and greeted her.

“Though you’re an animal, you should understand words.”

“Quack!!”

Rose quickly extended her bill toward Kalian’s finger, but he was a bit faster.

“Quaack…”

“Too bad. It’s okay, Rose. You can try again next time.”

The Grand Madam stroked Rose, who seemed somewhat dejected, encouraging her.

“Quack!”

At that, Rose flapped her wings energetically as if her spirit had been restored.

“So why did you really come up to the capital?”

“I sent a letter.”

A voice came from above. Both of them naturally looked up.

“I sent a letter because I had something to ask, and she came right away.”

It was Stella. She approached Kalian, preciously holding Ivy wrapped in a bundle.

“Ivy. Your father is here. Should we say hello?”

Her eyes met with Ivy’s, who was wrapped in the bundle. The round eyes soon crinkled with a smile full of joy.

“Kyaa! Kyaaaa.”

Ivy enthusiastically waved her tiny hand, so small it seemed almost too delicate. Kalian smiled.

“Hello, Ivy.”

“Abubuubu.”

When he offered his finger, she grabbed it tightly with one hand.

A baby’s strength is this powerful. Kalian smiled at this piece of information that he would have considered neither worth knowing nor worth learning in the past.

“Buu.”

When Kalian played with his hand, Ivy laughed loudly with delight.

The Grand Madam of Rochester observed this scene and casually remarked:

“Ivy seems to like you even more than I expected?”

“Of course.”

Stella was the one who answered. While adjusting Ivy in her arms, she continued:

“You wouldn’t believe how much she loves Kalian. Even when she’s crying, she smiles brightly as soon as she sees him.”

“Well, at least your face is decent.”

I really don’t understand why she came here.

As Kalian’s eyes narrowed, Stella quickly moved to smooth things over.

“Actually, I wrote about the school in my letter to Mother. And she came up right away!”

School.

Wait, could it be.

“She built a school when she was an imperial princess. She gave me various advice based on that experience.”

Mother. Even the form of address had changed.

Noticing Kalian’s confusion, the Grand Madam of Rochester raised one corner of her lips crookedly.

“She told me how much it costs to build a small school, and that sponsors are needed these days.”

This was still acceptable.

His mother had stolen the information he had naturally planned to provide, but still.

He could just build the school for her.

“…!”

Their eyes met. One corner of his mother’s mouth lifted crookedly.

A smile as if she had won.

‘She beat me to it.’

It seemed his mother intended not only to give advice but also to provide Stella with the money to build the school.

She must really like her quite a lot.

Of course she would.

Who wouldn’t love someone’s beloved wife?

However, he had no intention of backing down easily.

If his mother tried to give Stella more than just advice, including funds, he was perfectly willing to personally tear off the rose attached to the neck of that pig-like duck.

But then.

“So I’m going to try doing it myself.”

An unexpected answer came from Stella’s mouth, surprising both Kalian and the Grand Madam of Rochester.

“With a charity party.”

Only Stella and Ivy, who knew nothing, smiled brightly.

⁕⁕⁕

“Abubu.”

Ivy’s eyes sparkled as the fluttering ribbon swayed.

“Awoo?”

Her gaze moved here and there following the swaying ribbon, and soon she stretched out her tiny hand to try to grab it.

“Woo!”

But cruelly, the ribbon repeatedly evaded Ivy’s hand. Just as her cheeks puffed up as if she might burst into tears at any moment.

“Why is our pretty baby about to cry?”

A warm hand picked Ivy up.

It was Stella.

“Woo!”

Today’s Stella was so beautiful that stars seemed to appear in the eyes of the infant Ivy.

Ribbons everywhere, sparkly things everywhere, a voluminous dress.

And above all, a beautiful face.

“Hyaaa!”

Ivy’s mood improved instantly. As Ivy smiled brightly, Stella also smiled radiantly in response.

“She must have been cranky from her nap.”

The nanny standing beside them looked at Ivy with a smile.

“Why would Miss Ivy be cranky? She usually sleeps through without a single fuss.”

“Maybe she knows I’ll be away today.”

Stella continued while holding and soothing Ivy.

“She might not notice during the day, but I’m always with her in the evenings.”

In truth, Stella wanted to hold Ivy in her arms all day long.

But today that wasn’t possible.

It was the day of the charity fundraising party to build the school.

“You’ve worked so hard for today, Madam.”

The nanny smiled gently beside her. The nanny was one of the people who had witnessed Stella’s hard work recently.

She had attended other people’s charity parties a few times, but this was the first charity party Stella was hosting under the Rochester name.

Stella hadn’t realized it, but charity parties involved many complicated factors due to the exchange of money.

For example, taxes and the need to notify charity associations in advance.

Because of this, she had made many mistakes and struggled tremendously.

Without the help of the Grand Madam of Rochester and Kalian, who had gone shopping because they disliked the commotion, today’s party might only have been possible next year.

“It wasn’t that bad.”

Stella smiled faintly, perhaps recalling how she had been running around.

“Others worked much harder than I did.”

“No, Madam!”

The nanny shook her head in surprise.

“Of course others helped a lot, but you were the one who led everything! Actually, I was surprised. The previous madam I served also held a charity party for the first time once.”

She  lowered her voice as if afraid someone might hear.

“She was so overwhelmed that she forgot to send half of the prepared invitations!”

“Oh my…!”

Stella’s heart raced at the major mishap committed by someone else—forgetting to send out invitations of all things.

“So, what happened?”

“What do you think happened?”

The nanny let out a deep sigh.

“Every servant in the mansion ran around with invitations. Even me! That was three days before the party.”

She shook her head, remembering that time.

“Somehow we managed to resolve it, but both the previous madam and I broke out in cold sweat.”

“I see.”

“Yes, compared to that, the party you’re hosting seems flawless. No, it’s perfect!”

The nanny smiled brightly while looking at Stella.

“You really worked hard, Madam.”

To have someone who had witnessed her struggles say such things.

Somehow it felt like her joy was doubled.

Knock, knock.

“It’s time to go, Stella.”

It was Kalian’s voice. Only then realizing the time, Stella hurriedly finished tying the ribbon in her hair.

“I’ll be going now, Nanny. Ivy, be good and listen to Nanny. Understand?”

“Have a good time~”

“Abubaba!”

Seeing off Stella with the nanny and Ivy’s farewells, she stepped out of the room where Kalian was waiting.

He was wearing his formal uniform and smiled when their eyes met.

“You look beautiful.”

His long fingers lightly touched the earrings Stella was wearing. Though he didn’t actually make contact, somehow it felt as if the warmth from his fingertips transferred to her.

“Extremely so.”

Stella lowered her gaze. Feeling somewhat embarrassed, she kept her lips tightly closed and absently touched her earlobe.

“You look good together.”

At the sudden voice, Kalian and Stella turned their heads.

Where could she be going?

The Grand Madam of Rochester was dressed in outdoor attire. Of course, she was preciously holding Rose, who had a different colored rose attached to her.

“Where are you going?”

“It seems you want me to return to the villa, Kalian.”

He had only asked where she was going.

She had astutely perceived Kalian’s true intentions.

“I just don’t like noise, so I’ll be absent for a while.”

“But many guests are coming to see you, Mother. How about just greeting them briefly before you leave?”

At Stella’s words, the Grand Madam of Rochester shook her head.

“I find such things bothersome now. Both creating and maintaining social connections. And Kalian.”

The Grand Madam of Rochester took a deep breath and gazed at her son.

“Let’s talk for a moment. Just briefly.”

At those words, Kalian looked at Stella. She nodded, suggesting he should come down later, and descended the stairs first.

“Kalian.”

As soon as people disappeared from around them, she approached her son.

“The anxiety will last a lifetime.”

Kalian’s fingertips twitched.

“Regret also never completely disappears.”