“Sir V-Volter was originally the c-commander of the Adrean Empire’s Knight O-Order. Then when my m-mother married my f-father, he came to Ferzen with her. He w-was a person from my m-mother’s family.”

“I see.”

Volter remained at the Duke’s mansion for Aiden and Aristie even after the Duchess died. Aiden reached his current level thanks to his dedication to training under Volter as his master.

His skills might be wasted with nowhere to use them, but at least during training, he could forget his worries. In other words, the habit of using his body to forget his weak mind unintentionally made him strong.

“That makes sense. But why don’t you stand out despite having such great skills? It’s such a waste.”

“N-not at all. I’m s-satisfied with managing the m-merchant guild.”

“I’m saying this because I feel it’s such a waste. Honestly, when I hear people talking behind your back about your stuttering or being a recluse without knowing your true worth, it makes me angry…… Oops!”

Systea slapped her lips, thinking she had gone too far.

Aiden merely smiled faintly.

“It’s f-fine. It’s all true.”

But unlike his lips, his eyes weren’t smiling. His gaze trembled as if he was hurt.

Was it because of Systea’s words? No, come to think of it, his focus had seemed hazy for a while now……?

“Anyway, that’s how I feel.”

Systea grumbled with an indignant face.

“If you weren’t inhibited by your speech, you would definitely have been someone who received everyone’s envy and praise.”

“I’ve actually thought about that too.”

Aiden downed the full drink in one go and said. In that short time, his pupils had become moist.

“Why did I become like this, how long do I have to live like this, what if I had lived a different life…… These thoughts often boiled in my head. Even these days.”

“Lord Aiden……”

“But these are futile thoughts. No matter what I do, there’s no sign of improvement. It would be fine if it was just me enduring and living, but honestly, it’s painful when my family and house are insulted because of me. Sometimes I even think things I shouldn’t…… hic.”

When tears finally rolled down Aiden’s cheeks, Systea instinctively knew something was wrong.

Strange. Why is he acting like this? He’s not the type to show such weakness normally.

“Why am I like this?”

Aiden was equally puzzled. His gaze, questioning Systea about his condition, was quite dreamy, and his tongue seemed loose.

“Lord Aiden, don’t tell me……!”

Systea exclaimed, finally realizing the reason.

“Did you drink the Moonlight Nectar undiluted!? This highly concentrated extract?”

Systea quickly snatched the cup from Aiden as if it were a dangerous object. However, Aiden had already emptied his cup repeatedly.

He mumbled with a relaxed face, not even aware of what he had done.

“I feel especially sorry for Aristie. A useless brother only causes trouble for his sister. I wish all those who torment her would just die……”

At that moment, Systea realized something even more surprising. Aiden’s stuttering symptom had disappeared at some point!

“How strange…… Do you realize you’re talking completely normal right now?”

“Huh? Me?”

“Yes. Look!”

“Oh, w-was it? Is it g-good? No, it’s s-still the same……”

The moment he became aware, his stutter returned.

What kind of magic was this?

Perhaps the nectar temporarily relieved his tension. Guessing the situation, Systea gently embraced Aiden.

“It’s okay. Everything’s going well. It will gradually get better.”

Systea’s embrace was as warm as her voice. Aiden met her eyes, keeping just enough distance to lift his face.

His lips approached as if entranced, and Systea didn’t avoid them.

However, as soon as their lips overlapped, Aiden startled and pulled back, immediately apologizing.

“Sorry. H-how rude of me.”

Childlike speech.

If he had been in his right mind, he would have politely said, “I apologize for my rudeness.” Had the Moonlight Nectar shortened his speech too?

Systea responded by playfully mimicking Aiden’s speech pattern.

“Not rude. I like.”

“I not rude too, but order……”

“Pardon? Order?”

“I like you. You, date me?”

Did he mean a confession should come before a kiss? My goodness, trying to maintain etiquette even when not in his right mind.

“Ha, hahaha.”

Systea couldn’t help but burst into laughter. She couldn’t stop smiling because everything about Aiden—his words, his expression—was lovable.

However, the moment she agreed with “I like that,” Aiden’s head drooped.

“……Lord Aiden?”

She shook him, but he didn’t move at all. He had fallen asleep.

‘No, even so…… It’s just juice without a drop of alcohol?’

Systea was momentarily dumbfounded. But since she had never drunk undiluted Moonlight Nectar herself, she couldn’t blame him. She only thought that Aiden, drunk with sleep, looked like a bee drunk on honey.

‘Well, it does help with sound sleep when mixed with milk.’

Systea accepted it with disappointment and laid Aiden on the sofa. Then she brought a blanket and covered him.

When she brushed back his fallen hair, his long eyelashes and handsome facial lines were revealed. Though she had always believed that personality was most important in a person, looking at the handsome man before her, she couldn’t deny it.

That she had fallen for him at first sight from the moment they met.

“Remember. I definitely accepted.”

Systea whispered in Aiden’s ear as she patted him while he slept soundly. Hoping he would remember even after waking up.

Aiden merely remained asleep as if he had fainted.

* * *

Aristie visited Count Humpton’s residence a week after receiving Roselina’s letter. Since she had sent notice in advance, she naturally expected Roselina to be waiting at the entrance or in the reception room.

However, it was unexpectedly the Humpton family’s butler who greeted her.

“The young lady is in her bedroom. I will guide you.”

“Is she too ill to get up?”

“……It seems the urban environment doesn’t suit her body well.”

The butler kept his words to that extent and quietly led the way. Upon entering Roselina’s room, the pungent smell of various herbs and medicines stung her nose.

The smell alone told her. That her condition had rapidly deteriorated since she last saw her.

“Goodness, Rose……”

“You came? It’s been so long since I sent the letter, yet you come so quickly, you heartless thing.”

When Aristie sat in the chair by the bed and spoke, Roselina immediately threw a barb at her. Knowing this intention came from not wanting to worry her friend, Aristie’s heart ached.

“Don’t tell me you’ve been sick all this time since then?”

“Nah, it’s not that bad. I was flying around until yesterday, but my condition happened to be poor today. If my body were fine, I’d be shopping with you to my heart’s content like before, hehe.”

“I shouldn’t have come today. I should have made an appointment for another day.”

Roselina pretended to glare at Aristie’s dejected words.

“Hey! I’m glad you came even today. If you had been a few days later, I would have been so upset I wouldn’t have opened the door.”

“What did the physician say?”

“The same thing every day, what else. Just that my chronic illness has flared up because I couldn’t adapt to the city. He says I’ll gradually recover if I rest well.”

“Then you should rest. I’ll come back later, so for now……”

“No! Stay and talk a bit more before you go.”

Roselina grabbed Aristie’s hand as she tried to get up. Her grip felt somehow desperate.

The reason for that soon became clear.

“I think I’ll be going back down to the territory soon.”

“What!?”

Aristie felt her heart crumbling for a moment. Roselina was as precious to her as her brother. She was even someone with whom she could freely share her innermost thoughts that she couldn’t tell her brother.

Was such a friend she relies on leaving again? Without even knowing when she would return……

“My parents are stubborn. I thought my stubbornness was the greatest in the world, but theirs is even greater.”

“I see……”

“What can I do? If that’s the only way for a frail only daughter to show filial piety, I have to follow. But don’t worry. Once my body gets better, I’ll crawl back up here with full preparation.”

“I’ll come down to see you before that.”

“Of course you should! But once I go down, I won’t be able to come back up for at least a month, so be prepared when you come.”

Roselina giggled and urged Aristie with an improved expression.

“So tell me everything today. How was the tea party hosted by that crazy woman? What happened after that?”

“Well……”

Aristie reported the developments since then in a bitter tone. Including Estelle’s atrocities and threats, and the fact that Khalid rejected her request to break off the engagement.

She added at the end of the story that she had regained her composure, so there was no need to worry. After hearing the story, Roselina’s face was, as expected, furious.

“Wow, she’s truly an unheard-of lunatic. How can His Majesty the Emperor not see through that woman’s true colors?”

“She was originally an actress. Her acting skills are extraordinary.”

“Even so! If his fiancée says so, he should just believe her a little, why does he have to be so rational about it?”