“Even so, how could you do this without a word?”

“Miss said she wanted to surprise the Duke.”

It seemed the surprise had already succeeded. It was beyond shocking, to the point of being dreadful.

“Is it not possible to cancel even now?”

“It’s not easy to cancel on the day of the event.”

On the day? How could they have deceived him so perfectly?

“So that’s why you told me to stay quietly in my room.”

“Not at all. That was because we were worried about your health, Master.”

If only he couldn’t speak.

Although he felt betrayed, arguing would be like spitting in his own face. Ilion immediately sought out Ravenne, the culprit behind this affair.

“Where’s Ravenne?”

“She’s in the reception room. A guest has arrived.”

“A guest?”

Just as he was about to ask who the guest was, the front door slid open, revealing an unfamiliar boy.

The blonde boy quickly bowed his head upon making eye contact with Ilion.

“I’m sorry. There was no answer no matter how much I knocked.”

“Who are you?”

“I-I’m Anton. I came to see if our Miss had come here.”

Judging by his words, he seemed to be a servant looking for his mistress.

“What’s the name of your Miss?”

The boy politely answered Sebastian’s question.

“Miss Alice Riddel.”

***

It was too early for the party to start. A cute-faced guest came to see me.

“I-It’s an honor to meet you like this, Duchess.”

The child showed unprecedented politeness, lifting her skirt to curtsy.

“Hello, Miss Alice. My, you’re not calling me auntie today?”

As I tried to imitate a duchess in response to the child’s uncharacteristically polite behavior, Alice quickly bowed her head with a stung expression.

“I-I apologize for my past rudeness, Madam. Please, f-forgive me…”

I was curious about Alice’s reaction after sending the invitation, but she was more frozen than I expected.

Judging by the absence of servants outside the door, it seems she felt responsible and came to find me alone…

Suppressing a laugh that was about to escape, I opened my fan. Alice was still tense, her head bowed.

“I see. Miss Alice, it’s quite difficult to overlook the rudeness you’ve shown me. You have no idea how much emotional distress I’ve suffered because of it.”

When I made a slight sobbing sound, Alice raised her head, pale-faced.

“I-I’m truly sorry, Madam. I’ll accept any punishment.”

“Punishment… Yes. You should be punished.”

As I closed my fan and brought my face closer, Alice closed her mouth tightly with an expression that looked like she might cry at any moment.

“Then close your eyes.”

“Pardon?”

“Didn’t you say you’d accept punishment?”

Alice, startled by the mention of punishment, seemed to make up her mind and tightly closed her eyes.

Then I reached out and very lightly flicked her forehead.

Someone recently punished me like this too.

“Ah…”

Alice slightly opened one eye and looked at me.

“D-Duchess?”

Unable to hold it in any longer, I burst into laughter at her dumbfounded face.

Realizing she had been tricked, Alice’s face quickly turned red as she looked at me.

“So, did you come here alone to receive punishment?”

“…Yes. I couldn’t trouble Father because of me.”

I didn’t send the invitation to cause trouble. Of course, I did have a slight desire to see Alice’s shocked face. But still, I didn’t expect her to come here so abruptly…

“Did you tell anyone at home? What about Anton?”

“……”

Alice’s expression hardened at the mention of Anton.

“I had a fight with Anton.”

“Why?”

“He said he was going to quit his job at our house and leave the capital, so in the heat of the moment…”

It seemed that with her personality, she couldn’t stay quiet and must have lashed out with harsh words. Judging by her expression, she seemed to regret it…

“But Anton was wrong. It would have been better if he had told me in advance. Then I could have…”

“You could have?”

Alice, who had been getting worked up as if she was about to get angry, deflated and dropped her shoulders.

“I know. It wouldn’t work out anyway. There’s no need to get so worked up about it.”

“Because Anton is a commoner?”

Alice nodded at my question.

“What’s the problem with that?”

“It is a problem. I’m a noble and he’s a commoner.”

“That doesn’t matter.”

“Madam, that’s prohibited by law…”

Alice seemed to be watching my reaction, having been promoted from ‘auntie’ to ‘madam’. Usually, she would have retorted that I didn’t know the empire’s laws.

“If it’s not allowed, you could make him your concubine.”

“…Pardon?”

Alice looked at me as if she couldn’t believe what she had just heard.

“Why? Is there a better solution than that?”

“Aun… I mean, Duchess.”

“It’s okay. You can call me auntie.”

I generously allowed the title of ‘auntie’ and said,

“Is that something you should say to a 10-year-old child?”

And Alice, though slightly more polite than before, was still a sharp-tongued critic.

Knock knock.

“Come in.”

While I was having a serious discussion about her and Anton, an unwanted visitor entered the reception room.

And Alice looked at the uninvited guest with a face as distorted as mine.

“Madam, I’ll take my leave now.”

Alice hurriedly stood up, greeted me and Ilion, and left the reception room. Treating Anton, who came with Ilion, as if he didn’t exist.

Seemingly accustomed to Alice’s behavior, Anton bowed his head to me and quickly followed Alice.

After the two disappeared, I also stood up.

“Where are you going?”

Ilion, standing in front of the door, blocked the entrance and asked.

“To the bathroom.”

“Don’t you have something to say before that?”

Judging by his expression, he seemed to have noticed there was going to be a party, but what more explanation was needed? It was exactly as he had seen.

“No. Not particularly.”

When I answered with a smile, Ilion called my name with an annoyed expression.

“Ravenne.”

“Really, I urgently need the bathroom, I’ll be back in 5 minutes. If you have something to say, I’ll hear it then.”

Otherwise, I might miss an interesting sight.

I threw a unilateral notification at Ilion and left the reception room, walking in the direction Alice had disappeared.

As I reached the end of the corridor, I could hear voices that sounded like an argument.

Slowing my steps so that the two wouldn’t notice, I slowly approached the direction of the sound.

“Miss Alice, please wait. Miss Alice.”

Alice shouted, shaking off Anton’s hand.

“Why did you come all the way here to bother me?”

“It’s only natural that I came because I was worried about you.”

“Why worry when you’re leaving soon anyway.”

Ah, Alice. You should control your temper a bit.

She was regretting her harsh words just a moment ago, but now she was spitting out venomous words again.

“Still, until then, I’m your attendant.”

However, Anton showed patience unlike a child his age as he tried to calm Alice down.

Perhaps disliking Anton’s calm demeanor, Alice pushed him away once more.

“Don’t meddle in my affairs.”

“Alright. I won’t interfere. So please, at least until I leave, allow me to follow you.”

Alice, who had been silently glaring at Anton asking for permission, opened her mouth.

“You’ll forget soon anyway.”

“Pardon?”

“I said you’ll quickly forget someone like me.”

Anton, momentarily surprised by Alice’s outburst, soon smiled and nodded.

“Yes. Forget me quickly. You don’t need to remember someone like me.”

Ah, this is driving me crazy. Are they filming a drama right now?

There was a battle going on between the desire to watch more and the conscience questioning whether it was right to leave the two like this.

“What are you doing here?”

And I hurriedly covered the mouth of the uninvited guest who suddenly appeared, wedging between that battle.

“Shh.”

Ilion looked at me with a puzzled expression.

“This is an important scene, you know.”

I pulled Ilion’s arm, which showed no sign of tact, and made him sit beside me. I was worried Alice might notice, but she seemed to be preoccupied with other matters.

Having said all kinds of curses herself, now Alice was shedding round tears, perhaps hurt by Anton’s words.

Anton, unable to hug or comfort Alice, wiggled his fingers and created a small butterfly.

The butterfly, made of blue light, slowly flew and landed on Alice’s hand. Alice, who had been wiping her tears with both hands, was surprised to see the butterfly and looked at Anton.

“I made a butterfly that you like, Miss. I thought it might help you stop crying a little.”

Saying this, Anton looked at Alice with a gentle smile. But it had the opposite effect. Alice burst into tears even more.

She won’t be able to forget like that. That Anton is quite the player, tho he looks so innocent.

“Ah, Miss. If you keep crying like this…”

“This is all because of you!”

“I-I’m sorry. I thought you would like the butterfly.”

“That’s not it. It’s not that…”

Alice cried like that for a while, then stamped her foot in frustration.

“I’m going to become a very famous person in the future. I’ll work in the Imperial Palace, and I won’t marry someone like Matthew. So you!”

With a messy face, Alice pointed at Anton.

“Wait.”

“…Yes?”

“I’ll become a woman charming enough to make you fall for me, so wait!”

At Alice’s declaration, which was no different from a love confession, Anton smiled sadly. Then he knelt down to meet Alice’s eyes.

“Miss, I appreciate your words, but that can’t happen. I’m a commoner, you see.”

“That doesn’t matter! I’ll make you my concubine!”

Alice shouted with a reddened face, and Anton, hearing this bombshell declaration, froze for a moment before bursting into laughter.

“Pfft.”

“W-What’s so funny? You think I can’t do it?”

“No. If it’s you, Miss, I’m sure you could.”

“Then why are you laughing?”

“Just because I’m a little happy.”

Saying this, Anton was looking at Alice with an incredibly warm gaze.

How innocent, how innocent. Who knew the love story of children could be this entertaining?

Tap tap.

As I was grinning with anticipation, feeling like I had just watched the opening of a romance movie, Ilion tapped my hand. It seemed he wanted me to uncover his mouth.

I quickly removed my hand and looked at Ilion.