Marchioness Cambly sent a reply to Elicity’s letter within two days.

<To the Duchess of Zeroden,

Duchess, please do not worry at all. My husband has sworn on the name of Cambly that he will deliver a crushing blow to the scoundrel who has caused you distress.

He has assured me that for the next twenty years, the culprit will remain imprisoned in Capone Prison, the most secure facility on the Romancia continent. So, please be sure to attend this charity event.>

The Marquis of Cambly was an arrogant man, but he was not one to speak empty words. Thanks to this, Elicity felt relieved about Calix’s trial.

Everything was falling into place as if divine intervention were guiding her. As if to soothe the anxieties hidden beneath Elicity’s composed smile.

Those who had known Elicity for a long time—Olivia and Retia—could never be deceived by her outward expressions. No matter how much she smiled, they understood her true feelings. Of course, Elicity’s daughter, Bella, felt the same.

Her mother always smiled brightly at her, but at times, a shadow flickered across her face, creating an odd sense of unease.

“Teacher, Mother seems really down these days…”

Children are more perceptive than they seem. Especially a bright child like Lady Isabella.

Looking at the dejected Bella, Lorraine hesitated for a moment, wondering how best to respond.

“Your Grace must be feeling overwhelmed because His Grace is away, leaving her with many responsibilities. No matter how cheerful she is, too much work can be exhausting.”

“Hmm… I don’t think that’s it.”

“Oh-ho! Are you saying this because you don’t want to study?”

To distract Bella, Lorraine deliberately spoke in a stern voice.

Bella’s eyes widened as she quickly grabbed her pen again.

“I wasn’t slacking! I’m working really hard. Look at this!”

“Hm.”

Lorraine narrowed her eyes and looked at Bella’s notes, where she had neatly summarized today’s lesson on The International Political History of Madonia in the First Century.

Though clumsy, the key points were captured perfectly.

Lorraine secretly marveled at her.

‘For a ten-year-old, this is truly impressive… Understanding political history is difficult enough, but summarizing it like this?’

Of course, Lorraine herself was exceptional for adapting Madonia’s political history to a level that a ten-year-old could comprehend.

But most students would either find it tedious or be too overwhelmed to engage.

Yet this young lady listened intently, her eyes shining with curiosity. Thanks to that, Lorraine found teaching her incredibly rewarding.

“Alright, shall we stop here for today? Next, you have a horseback riding lesson.”

“Ah!!”

Bella’s cheeks flushed red.

Her expression wasn’t one of excitement—it was closer to embarrassment, which puzzled Lorraine.

But her riding instructor was a woman—one who had once served the princess.

‘There’s no reason for her to be embarrassed.’

“Well then, let’s get you changed and head to the stables, shall we?”

As the clock neared three, when her riding lesson was set to begin, Lorraine found Bella’s behavior even more curious.

The girl, who usually found dresses cumbersome and irritating during lessons, was now fussing over her riding outfit.

This one was too bright. That one was too dark. This one made her look chubby.

It was exactly the kind of behavior young girls displayed before attending a party full of boys their age.

But they were heading to the stables. Even after selecting a horse, they would only go to an open training ground where no boys would be present.

Lorraine had to suppress the growing questions in her mind.

* * *

In the male-dominated kingdom of Madonia, female knights were extremely rare.

However, after the colonial war greatly reduced the number of knights, the princess—who harbored no such prejudices—opened recruitment to both men and women.

One of the selected candidates was Louise Peltom, the eldest daughter of the Peltom Count family, a lineage known for producing knights for generations.

“Please call me Dame Louise.”

Louise wore a sword engraved with the emblem of a large-horned ram—a symbol of her service to the princess.

Lorraine found the woman’s deep green hair and eyes strikingly noble in appearance.

“I am Lorraine Fertel, Lady Isabella’s tutor. In informal settings, you may call me Miss Lorraine.”

“Yes, the Duchess informed me of your presence. She expressed her apologies for not being able to introduce us in person due to her busy schedule.”

“I understand completely.”

With a slight smile, Lorraine gestured toward the small girl beside her.

“And of course, you know who this is.”

At that, Louise knelt on one knee and lowered her head.

“Louise Peltom greets Lady Zeroden.”

Bella seemed slightly startled by the formal gesture but soon nodded firmly.

“Dame Peltom, thank you for agreeing to teach me horseback riding.”

“It is my honor. However, this arrangement was not my decision but the will of Her Highness, Princess Elizabeth.”

Currently, Louise was one of the most favored knights under the princess’s command.

The princess, upon hearing from Prince Helios that the duchy was seeking a riding instructor for the young lady, gladly sent Louise to Bella.

“The princess cherishes Prince Helios, after all.”

Louise smiled slightly.

“I heard that you have acquired many fine horses. How many people are responsible for their care?”

Lorraine, unfamiliar with horses, gave an awkward smile, whereas Bella was different. She answered confidently.

“There are eleven in total!!”

Since noble young ladies usually had little knowledge of horses, Louise was surprised and asked.

“You seem very knowledgeable, my lady. Do you like horses?”

“Well, that’s…”

“Oh, the young lady just loves horses! Shall we go see them now?!”

Nanny Nemilla quickly answered in Bella’s stead, looking flustered.

Unaware of anything, Louise simply smiled.

“Yes, of course. Let’s go.”

On the way to the stables, Lorraine noticed something odd about Nemilla. Her restless demeanor made it clear she was hiding something. Lowering her voice, Lorraine asked Nemilla.

“Miss Nemilla.”

“Yes? Yes.”

“Is there a problem where we’re headed? Or something I should be cautious about?”

It was likely a concern about the young lady engaging in horseback riding, but sharing worries often helped ease them.

Nemilla sighed deeply before speaking.

“The truth is…”

By the time Nemilla finished her story, Lorraine’s face was filled with shock.

“So, there is a very handsome boy in the stables, and the young lady seems quite fond of him?”

“Yes. It seems she took an interest in riding because of that stable boy. I wanted to send him away, but I don’t have the authority.”

“Oh, my.”

Lorraine glanced between the stables and Nemilla before cautiously speaking.

“The duchess surely must be aware of this. If she hasn’t removed the boy, doesn’t that mean she considers it a passing infatuation?”

“But there’s a matter of reputation. That boy is a commoner.”

“She’s still a child. And, looking at it from another perspective…”

“I have warned him!”

Nemilla suddenly burst out in frustration.

“But no matter how much I tell that boy to stay away from the young lady, he won’t listen.”

“Oh…”

“Is he hoping to climb the social ladder despite being a mere commoner?!”

At that moment, Lorraine’s heart sank with a heavy thud.

A mere commoner trying to climb the social ladder.

Without realizing it, Lorraine clutched the hem of her dress tightly.

—Oh dear, just look at that vulgar behavior.

—Does she think that just because she’s the young lady’s tutor, she might become a Duke’s concubine?

—Haha, a concubine? A fallen noble like her? She’ll be nothing more than a mistress behind a curtain.

The words of the noblewomen who had scorned her not long ago weren’t all that different.

Yet, at the same time, she remembered those deep blue eyes that had once gazed at her so fondly during her academy days.

—Lorraine, I don’t care who you are. And you don’t either, right?

—You’ll share a future with me, won’t you?

Why was she suddenly thinking of him? Lorraine bit her lip.

‘Lorraine, that was nothing more than a fleeting amusement for the prince. A passing delight at the academy.’

Unaware of Lorraine’s reaction, Nemilla continued chattering.

“The difference in their social status is as vast as the sky and the earth. It’s disgraceful. If anything, the fact that she likes him is all the more reason for him to stay away.”

“…”

“Right, Miss Fertel?”

“…”

“Miss Fertel?”

Nemilla called Lorraine’s name once more, snapping her out of her daze. Lorraine forced an awkward smile.

“Oh, yes. Yes. That’s… that’s right. If he truly cares, he should stay away.”

“Exactly.”

Nemilla’s eyes held no malice.

Lorraine was certain that not only Nemilla but most of the nobility in Madonia would agree with her sentiment.

Even if the young lady’s feelings for the stable boy grew stronger, it would change nothing.

“So, please, Teacher, keep an eye on him and make sure he doesn’t approach the young lady.”

Lorraine was about to nod with a bitter smile when—

In the distance, Olivia came running like the wind.

“Miss Lorraine, Her Grace is calling for you.”