In any case, after that, I spoke with Miki about one thing and another and looked through all the documents he had brought.

“The fact that Lady Elia embezzled money from the business vault, the fact that she toyed with and deceived you through lies, and the fact that despite all that, she threatened to kill herself without even offering a single apology.”

I set down the quill pen and smiled at Miki.

“With this, we can give her a proper taste of trouble.”

“R-really?”

Miki’s eyes sparkled as he looked at me with round, shining eyes.

For a moment, I thought he had grown a tail.

He was so pleased that it felt as if he were a puppy wagging its tail in delight.

“There’s enough evidence. However, since Lady Elia’s signature is missing from the vault ownership documents and the contracts, it may take some time.”

“Mm, I suppose it would.”

“Even so, if we send it to trial, it should be resolved quickly. You’ll win without question.”

When we reached that conclusion, a question occurred to me.

He had all the records from several years ago, there was more than enough circumstantial evidence, and on top of that, his rank was higher than Elia’s.

“Why didn’t you resolve this right away?”

I only asked because I was curious.

But then Miki began to tear up again.

“I think I know even without hearing it. Stop crying and follow me.”

At that, I tossed Miki a handkerchief.

“Where are we going?”

“I’ve heard the full story, and we’ve decided what to do, so now we have to go to the Grand Duke.”

“Whaaaat?”

The man who had been on the verge of crying again only moments ago was startled out of his wits when I said we were going to the Grand Duke.

“I-I’m grateful that you’re helping me, but… do we really have to go that far?”

Why was he asking something so obvious?

I was only the Grand Duke’s wife, so if I wanted to move troops or do anything practical, I needed the Grand Duke.

That was why I had become the Grand Duke’s wife in the first place.

“Have you done something wrong to the Grand Duke, by any chance?”

“N-no! Oh, no, I don’t do things like that!”

Miki waved both hands frantically and even shook his head.

Was it because his reaction was so exaggerated?

I narrowed my eyes and looked at him.

“L-let’s go! To His Grace!”

And then, would you believe it, he took the lead himself and headed for the Grand Duke’s office.

* * *

Since Rodrigo had officiated the wedding between the Grand Duke and me, I had assumed the Grand Duke and House Odin were close, but still.

“How do you know where it is at once?”

Miki moved through the Grand Duke’s castle as if it were his own home and found the office with ease.

The room he and I had just been in was close to the Grand Duke’s office, but we still had to pass through several corridors.

I still got lost every time I tried to find the office, so I could only marvel at it.

Perhaps because Miki was leading the way, we arrived at the Grand Duke’s office incredibly quickly.

But unlike usual, both doors to the Grand Duke’s office were wide open.

“Sister, I will never accept this marriage!”

On top of that, a sharp voice came from inside.

“I’ll call you again later, so could you go back to that room from earlier and wait for me?”

Whatever this was, I had a feeling it was not a situation Miki should see.

So after sending Miki back, I was about to enter the Grand Duke’s office.

“Who do you think you are, stealing my place?”

For some reason, the shrill voice that had been coming from the office suddenly sounded right behind me.

It happened in that instant.

I thought I heard something cut through the air, and then a dull thud rang beside my ear.

When I turned my head, Miki was holding the handle of an axe.

And a little girl, who seemed to have swung that axe at me, was huffing in fury.

“Hey, kid. What do you think you’re doing, swinging this dangerous thing around?”

Miki’s brow twitched, and he jabbed the girl’s forehead with his index finger.

“Eek! Let go! Let go of this! Do you know who I am?”

“Then do you know who I am?”

“What do I care? Hurry up and let go!”

“You tiny little thing. You did something wrong, and you’re still yelling back?”

Miki scolded her, continuing to poke her forehead.

“Let go! If you don’t let go, I’ll kill you too!”

Not to be outdone, the girl raised her voice even more.

By the way…

Did I just nearly die?

“What exactly were you thinking, doing something like that?”

Shasha scolded the girl in a low voice.

She probably meant to keep me from hearing, but…

“That woman, right? That woman is the one who married Brother Roshetto, isn’t she?”

The girl’s curt reply was so loud that I heard it clearly.

“Stop talking nonsense and hurry up and apologize!”

“Why should I? Why do I have to do that? That b*tch stole my place—mmph! Mmph!”

When the girl pointed at me with her index finger and called me a “b*tch,” Shasha startled and clamped a hand over the girl’s mouth.

I didn’t know who that girl was, but judging by the situation, she seemed to be Shasha’s younger sister.

Considering Shasha, it would be right to forgive that child generously.

But that child had swung an axe at me, and that was difficult to dismiss as a mere prank.

Judging by the way she was talking, it even seemed like she had quite seriously meant to kill me.

What should I do?

“Mabel.”

While I was wondering what to do with her, the Grand Duke appeared not far away.

“Brother Roshetto!”

The girl scampered over to the Grand Duke the moment he appeared.

Because of that, Miki fell backward, still gripping the axe.

“Why are you only coming now? Do you know how long I’ve been waiting?”

Soon, the girl wrapped both arms tightly around the Grand Duke’s leg and looked up at him.

Seeing how familiar she seemed with him, I wondered for a moment if she might be the Grand Duke’s younger sister rather than Shasha’s.

But judging by the color of her hair and eyes, that did not seem to be the case.

“What did I say would happen if you carried an axe around again?”

At the Grand Duke’s words, the girl, who had been smiling brightly, flinched in surprise. Then she waved her hands as if she had no idea what he meant.

“I-I didn’t use it!”

The girl answered quickly, and the Grand Duke silently looked at Shasha.

He did not say anything, but he seemed to be asking if that was true.

“She attempted to swing it at my mistress.”

Shasha reported exactly what had happened a moment ago and lowered her head.

At the same time, the Grand Duke’s gaze touched on Miki and me before shifting back to the child.

“Ah.”

In an instant, the Grand Duke’s eyes sank coldly.

With a dry expression, he merely twisted up the corners of his mouth and bent down slightly.

“Now then, Mabel. Explain yourself.”

“Wh-what, no… Explain what!”

“The reason you tried to kill my wife.”

At the Grand Duke’s words, the girl glanced at me once, then looked so indignant she might die from it.

But that was all.

The child said nothing more and only clenched her fists, trembling.

It did not seem to be because she was afraid of the Grand Duke standing before her, but rather because her pride had been wounded.

“You had better answer properly.”

The Grand Duke parted his lips once more and slowly stroked the child’s head.

It was true that the child had swung an axe at me, but with the Grand Duke acting like that, it felt as though he might end up catching one child and breaking her entirely.

Perhaps because the murderous intent I sensed from him was the complete opposite of his beautiful smile.

“I hate you, Brother!”

The girl, who had not answered the question for a long while, suddenly screamed at the top of her lungs.

Then she darted off somewhere like an arrow.

Leaving behind even the axe she had been holding.

The Grand Duke straightened and looked in the direction where the girl had vanished.

Though the entire situation had come to an end, the atmosphere, coldly chilled, showed no sign of improving.

It seemed I was not the only one who sensed it. Shasha hurried over to the Grand Duke and knelt before him.

“I have no excuse.”

The Grand Duke did not even glance at Shasha as he approached me.

“I apologize, Madam.”

Until moments ago, he had been nothing short of murderous.

Yet the Grand Duke who approached me looked down at me with tender, gentle eyes.

As if nothing had happened at all.

“Are you hurt?”

His voice, deep as a cavern, was filled with concern for me.

“Thanks to Miki, no.”

At my words, the gaze that had been on me shifted to Miki for a moment.

Miki flinched when the Grand Duke looked at him.

“It’s… it’s been a while, hasn’t it?”

He scratched the back of his head awkwardly.

“Have you been… well, Brother?”

No wonder he had seemed so familiar.

So you two were close enough to call each other brothers?