Aneta led Zeroph Mellet into the main building.

At some point, his steps halted. When she glanced back, she saw him standing on the threshold, scanning the interior with an almost dazed expression.

His eyes, darting greedily around the place, gleamed with avarice. If only he’d kept his mouth closed, he might not have looked so disgraceful. Aneta clicked her tongue silently, making sure he couldn’t hear.

It was then that Zeroph Mellet abruptly gasped.

Following his gaze, Aneta looked over. At the end of his line of sight was Tyr, racing toward them with his sleek black fur streaming behind him like a mane.

To Aneta’s eyes, he was merely an excited dog wagging his tail as he bounded over, but Zeroph Mellet must have looked like a lion chasing down its prey.

As the beast-like Tyr drew closer, Zeroph Mellet visibly trembled in fear, his aged face turning pale as a sheet.

Unconcerned by his reaction, Tyr, seemingly appearing out of nowhere after catching Aneta’s scent, rubbed his face against her leg.

“Tyr, you shouldn’t scare our guest.”

Aneta spoke in a scolding tone, yet she affectionately stroked Tyr’s head, his ears perked up in delight.

Seeing Zeroph Mellet’s face, which looked like he might bolt out the door at any moment, slightly lifted her spirits.

Perhaps Tyr sensed that Aneta wasn’t truly reprimanding him. He showed no signs of sulking. Proving his sharp instincts, he simply stayed alert, carefully observing Zeroph Mellet and keeping an eye on him.

“Let’s head to the drawing room.”

Aneta took the lead. Tyr followed behind her, but Aneta made no effort to stop him.

Zeroph Mellet hurried to keep up, keeping a considerable distance between himself and Tyr as he followed.

“Please, have a seat.”

Though Aneta didn’t care for him, Zeroph Mellet was still her maternal grandfather, so she left the seat of honor vacant. Naturally, Zeroph Mellet took it for himself, settling in as if it had always been his place.

Tyr lay down at Aneta’s feet as soon as she sat, his belly pressed against the floor. His sharp gaze stayed fixed on Zeroph Mellet, exuding a savage intensity as if ready to pounce at any moment should he make a wrong move.

“Ahmm. I think I let myself get a little carried away earlier,” Zeroph Mellet said awkwardly.

“Is that so?”

‘Only a little carried away?’ The words almost spilled from Aneta’s lips, but she gave a slight nod in response. Emboldened, Zeroph Mellet continued speaking.

“That knight who blocked my way earlier…”

“Are you referring to Sir Carton?”

“Yes, him. I would let it slide for your sake, but the more I think about it, the more absurd it seems. Just because he carries a sword and belongs to the duke’s knightly order, does he think that makes him somebody of importance?”

His voice grew increasingly irate, and his neck flushed red, clearly still bitter about the encounter.

“Despite being nothing more than a glorified gatekeeper, he dared to act so insolently. That man must be punished appropriately for the disrespect he’s shown me.”

The more he spoke, the rougher his breathing and enunciation became.

In truth, Carton could not be dismissed as easily as Zeroph Mellet seemed to believe. Zeroph, having passed his title to his son, was now merely a nobleman without rank.

By contrast, Carton was the third son of an earl and a skilled knight in the duke’s service. This meant he held a much higher status, deserving of far greater respect than a mere viscount’s household.

Even if Carton had physically subdued Zeroph Mellet for his own impertinent behavior, no one would have dared to challenge him. Such was the power of the Duke’s name; Aneta herself was the only person who could hold Carton accountable. But not even the heavens splitting in two would compel her to take Zeroph Mellet’s side.

Unaware of these facts, Zeroph Mellet continued huffing with indignation.

“Does he even know who I am?”

“Who are you, exactly?”

“W- Who am I? Why, I’m your one and only grandfather and one of the few remaining members of your bloodline! By disrespecting me, he’s also disrespecting you, the Duchess!”

His blustering faltered as Aneta’s expression remained unreadable. He had expected her to agree with his demand for punishment, and her unexpected response had caught him off guard.

“I think you’re laboring under a serious misunderstanding. Forgive me, but I’ve never once considered you family. Whether you’re ignored or not is none of my concern—especially if it’s the consequence of your own rude behavior.”

Aneta’s voice was steady and calm, but her words were as sharp as a blade. She questioned whether he felt no shame in suddenly claiming kinship after all this time. Zeroph Mellet’s face hardened at her pointed remark.

“I see now… You must have felt deeply hurt by me. But, Aneta, you must understand—I had my reasons.”

His face softened, adopting an exaggeratedly pitiful expression as if pleading for her sympathy.

“Seeing you reminds me so much of Elena… I couldn’t bear to visit you. Can you imagine the pain of a father who’s lost his daughter? You wouldn’t understand how it felt to send her away, not knowing if I’d ever see her again.”

His pitiful tale, spoken sorrowfully, was a complete fabrication.

Aneta knew the truth—the day after Elena’s funeral, Zeroph Mellet had gone to a tavern to drink with Derek Adenauer, indulging in revelry as if nothing had happened.

His intentions were obvious.

‘He just doesn’t want to lose his source of money.’

With Elena gone, he must have been looking for a new way to secure funds. It was something no one genuinely mourning Elena could ever do.

“So, you must think I don’t know anything. But what should I say? I know exactly what you did to my mother. And I also know where you went and what you did the day after her funeral.”

Aneta straightened her back and fixed Zeroph Mellet with an unwavering gaze.

“So, get straight to the point and leave.”

It warned her to stop spewing lies that wouldn’t work on her. Thankfully, Zeroph Mellet seemed to catch on to what she meant.

Realizing that bringing up Elena any further would do him no good, he shifted gears and got to the real reason for his visit, just as Aneta had demanded.

“Well… the truth is, I need some money.”

Zeroph Mellet began to explain the financial crisis the baronial family was facing.

It seemed her uncle, Troil Mellet, had sunk the family’s entire fortune into a failed investment. Now he was buried under a mountain of debt.

Aneta let out a small, incredulous laugh.

“I was hoping you could repay the money for us,” Zeroph Mellet added.

Although she had suspected it would be about money, his utter lack of shame was still staggering. He wasn’t even asking her to lend it—he wanted her to ‘repay’ it for them. What kind of confidence drove such an absurd request?

“Do you really think I’d help you?”

Even the most oblivious person would have known what decision Aneta would make. Zeroph Mellet was no exception.

“I know it’s wrong of me to ask this. I didn’t want to burden you and tried to handle it myself. But I had no other choice. That’s why, after much deliberation, I came to you, even though I knew I was shameless to do so.”

“If you knew it was wrong, you shouldn’t have approached me first.”

“As a father, I couldn’t just sit idly by. Please, help your uncle. Hate me if you must, but Troil has done nothing wrong, has he?”
As Zeroph Mellet took a step closer to Aneta, Tyr leaped to his feet instantly. Standing protectively in front of her, he growled low and menacingly. Zeroph Mellet flinched at the sight.

“Oh, be careful,” Aneta said lightly. “This one doesn’t bite people—only those who aren’t quite like people.”

“Damn it!”

The moment Aneta finished speaking, Tyr bared his teeth. His sharp fangs, easily capable of tearing through a human neck, gleamed ominously. Zeroph Mellet muttered a curse under his breath as he hurriedly stepped back.

“I hope I never see your face again,” Aneta said, looking at him with disdain. Not wanting to waste any more time, she prepared to leave.

But Zeroph Mellet wasn’t ready to give up so easily.

“Wait.”

“You still have something to say?” Aneta’s irritation was clear as she turned to face him.

“No matter how much you refuse to acknowledge me as family, the Mellet barony remains your maternal family. If you continue to turn your back on us despite all you have while your family struggles financially, you’ll inevitably become the subject of scandal. Are you truly fine with that?”

“Why does that sound like a threat to spread malicious rumors if I don’t do what you say?”

“That’s because it ‘is’ a threat,” Zeroph Mellet replied, flashing a smug smile.