The grand duke’s expression as he stroked his chin seemed to brighten somewhat. Alec grumbled without noticing what this meant.

“So Father did attach people to the priest using Rania’s name. You went too far. She’s only eight years old.”

“Do you think I live without knowing my youngest’s age?”

“Aren’t you worried? If this incident becomes a blemish on Rania……”

“You’re worrying needlessly. Whatever an Artua child does, what blemish could there be?”

While Alec engaged in a tedious argument with his father, Enoch tried hard to cool his head and carefully reviewed his father’s words.

‘Father’s reaction was strange when Priest Joseph was mentioned. Wasn’t it Father who attached people to that fellow?’

But if not Father, who would think to attach people to a priest?

Then, his mother’s advice suddenly came to mind.

⟨Alec too, and you too Enoch, you’re particularly soft on Rania. It’s natural to give affection, and it’s not bad, but stop treating that child like she knows nothing. That child is also an Artua. Rather, more than you two, she’s the most like Artua.⟩

Rania was the most like Artua, those words surely meant……

“Good heavens.”

Enoch finally realized why his parents were so calm.

“It’s all something Rania orchestrated.”

“What? Enoch, why are you suddenly spouting nonsense after staying quiet……”

It was when Alec asked in disbelief at Enoch’s sudden question.

“Wah!”

A child with shimmering blonde hair popped out from behind the sofa where the grand duke was sitting.

At the young child’s shout, the two grown brothers flinched in surprise. It was a moment when the pride of knights who wouldn’t budge even with house-sized monsters before their eyes crumbled.

Rania, who didn’t miss that sight, burst into giggles.

“Ahaha. You were both surprised. Surprised, right!”

“Rania, you, when were you there!”

“I hid when I heard brothers coming with thudding sounds. You didn’t even notice that?”

Rania not only surprised the two but also looked down on them, wondering how they became knights when they couldn’t even notice that.

Only then did Alec and Enoch discover the small teacup placed on the table. It was clearly Rania’s.

Indeed, even after being criticized for being oblivious, they had nothing to say.

“More importantly, Nia. Did you really want to do it? Why on earth did you let those bastards, no, those ignorant ones run their mouths?”

“I hate stupid kids coming. So I tried to make it so stupid kids couldn’t come.”

“If that was the case, there were other methods. Anyway, don’t do that anymore. Okay?”

“Don’t want to! It’s my business, so I’ll do as I please.”

Whether she hated being lectured, Rania completely cut off her interest in Alec. The child said she was bored from hiding behind the sofa and climbed over the sofa back to hang on her father’s neck.

“Baby. You need to be careful. You might fall.”

“Father can catch me. Like this! Hold me upside down!”

At her request to play, the grand duke gladly grabbed her legs and flipped her over. The child in light green pants and yellow blouse fluttered like a tree frog stuck upside down on a window.

Meanwhile, Enoch was busy chasing after them with outstretched hands, saying Rania and Father’s play looked dangerous.

“Rania. It’s dangerous, so come down. Hurry.”

“I don’t want to!”

“Tsk. You only see Rania and don’t even mention that Father is getting tired.”

“If he’s that tired, he should hand it over to you and rest.”

While honey dripped on one side and the other side walked a precarious line, only Alec, who had worried that ‘his parents might be using Rania to control the recently unsettled North,’ sighed in futility.

“Alec.”

“Yes, Mother.”

“As you heard, Rania wanted to take action first if we were going to only accept retainers who knew how to properly control their tongues from now on. Now that you know, do what you need to do. You too, Enoch.”

“You’re telling us to clean up.”

“Anyone listening would think we’re forcing you. Even if we told you not to, you’d step forward and do it yourselves.”

The two sons, who were already thinking about which families to deal with and how, had nothing to say and could only shut their mouths. The grand duke smiled as if he could see right through them.

“Go on now. I’ll hear the rest of the story tomorrow evening.”

“……Tomorrow evening?”

“One day is enough. Why. Are you not confident?”

“No. We’ll report tomorrow.”

Behind the brothers trudging out of the office, Rania’s laughter full of excitement could be heard.

“Damn it. Enoch. You really didn’t know either? You should have known at least roughly!”

“Hah. I was busy too. Besides, I thought it ended with the last commotion. Who would have imagined Rania would cause trouble?”

“Then is it true? That Rania shows interest in some commoner kid or whatever. Tell me in detail.”

Enoch grumbled but moved locations to explain what had happened last time.

Bellington’s bastard who had visited the grand ducal residence was bullied by children his age and had fled to hide in a corner of the garden when Rania discovered him.

“Whether or not she wanted to play savior to the child, anyway, Rania was quite obsessed with that child. When she noticed I was preventing them from associating, she even made plans to directly shut the nobles’ mouths.”

⟨Enoch. If it’s not okay because that child is dirty, we can clean him up and then have him. Or we can make it so no one can say that child is dirty. Right?⟩

“So you made Sir Ralph harm himself?”

“She said she wanted to scare them. Fortunately, Sir Ralph was clever and only cut enough for blood to show.”

“Right. Well, as long as Nia didn’t cut her own arm to scare the kids.”

“Honestly, Rania isn’t that kind of child.”

The two brothers loved Rania as much as their lives, but they didn’t think the child would be as lovely and innocent as other children her age.

However, it bothered them that she had acted so actively for a bastard she had only just met.

‘It would be fortunate if it’s just temporary amusement.’

Alec’s interest naturally shifted to Bellington’s bastard as he recalled the impression that Rania’s play might last quite a while.

“What did Nia say she liked about that bastard?”

“She said she liked his face.”

“Well, the kids she played with before were also pretty.”

“Bellington’s side does have a more noble-looking face.”

“Nia has good taste. Anyway, it’s fortunate it’s about looks. Kids’ faces keep changing, so she’ll lose interest quickly. Then I’ll go first. What should I buy on the way to score points with Rania……”

“Wait. Are you saying you’ll handle Rania’s affairs directly? I’ll just do it. Aren’t you busy for a while?”

“Me? Busy?”

Alec, who asked back in a dumbfounded voice, frowned.

“Since yesterday, I strangely feel like I’ve become an incredibly stupid and oblivious person. Did I really go crazy from hunting monsters like Isabel said?”

At Alec’s irritation, Enoch clicked his tongue in bewilderment.

“Don’t tell me…… you didn’t know?”

Enoch clicked his tongue looking at Alec, who despite his sharp impression was naively innocent — though no one except his family would agree.

“I thought it was strange that you were too carefree, but did you meet Lady Isabel earlier and resolve it well? Or are you in a state where you don’t even know what happened?”

Given Isabel’s personality, she wouldn’t have let it slide quietly. Well, she did often show her soft side only to her fiancé Alec.

While Enoch figured out the situation on his own, Alec was now so frustrated he could die, gritting his teeth and showing irritation.

“What the hell! What is it? Which crazy bastards said nonsense to my fiancée this time……”

A memory suddenly popped into Alec’s mind as he was getting angry.

⟨From Nubo Trading Company…… I needed information for another matter and asked them to investigate, and they said I should know too so they delivered it together.⟩

⟨Alec. Rumors about you are already overflowing, so they wouldn’t be very effective.⟩

Isabel’s casual remark. And Father’s meaningful addition about his own reputation……

Damn it. Why am I only thinking of this now?

Unable to watch his brother tearing at his hair, Enoch pulled out a small folded information sheet from his inner pocket.

“This is information that came with Rania’s rumors.”

Alec hurriedly read through the information sheet Enoch gave him. From the first line, it contained words that would make him curse.

— We confirmed on ○ month ○ day that Wilmer Trading Company based in the South is spreading rumors that ‘Lord Alec Artua is obsessed with golden hair.’

The trading company, having received its first trade permit to enter the North last winter but suffering considerable financial difficulties due to poor local adaptation, appears to have used methods that were popular in the South ten years ago as a last resort.

The method that was popular in the South ten years ago was a scam where they approached young nobles and extorted large sums of money by giving false information disguised as ‘confidential information’ that could help them win over popular members of the opposite s*x in social circles.

In this case, it was written that they sold nonsense saying ‘Alec is crazy about blonde hair’ along with cheap hair dye to six women in northern social circles for dozens of gold.

Golden color. Of all things, they had to bring up the part Isabel was most sensitive about.

“Isabel had a hard time in her childhood because only her hair color was different from her family.”

“I know. How could I not know that?”

“That’s surprising. I thought you wouldn’t know since you didn’t pay attention to her as a woman when she was young.”

“I didn’t pay attention to her as a woman, but she was the noble daughter who hung around with you most often, so how could I not be interested? Besides, there were quite a few bastards making noise about her hair color, so how could I not know! But these sons of bitches!”

Alec tore the information sheet in half in anger.