After a night that left her pillow damp with tears, Cordelia woke up as soon as day broke and tore a page from her notebook.

The child gave Catherine a drawing of an inn, indicating she would briefly return home, and left the mansion before Catherine could stop her.

Using all the money her mother had given her to hire a carriage, Cordelia headed to a small building owned by Baron Luzen.

In that house lived a boy named Evan, whom Cordelia had met while helping at her mother’s fruit shop, and his uncle Gideon. Cordelia’s purpose was to meet Gideon.

When drawing the picture for Catherine, she had initially planned to seek out the innkeeper who had taught her practical imperial language, but her mind changed immediately after leaving the villa.

To clearly convey her intentions to the young master, she needed the help of Gideon, who could speak the Therion language.

Cordelia recalled her previous visit to Evan’s house upon his invitation. Remembering that there was a square not far away, she got off there.

During her three years in Asteris, Cordelia had rarely visited the square.

After first seeing the busiest and most vibrant square in Asteris, she had deliberately avoided it.

The wide square, the gathered people, the bustling noise. Cordelia inevitably dreamed.
She tightly closed her eyes upon seeing bright red liquid splashing on the neck of a man receiving applause while playing an instrument.

When her vision cleared again to see the man playfully greeting the audience, Cordelia quickly turned away.

The child exhaled a long-held breath and left the square with hurried steps.

Fortunately, she found Gideon’s residence without getting lost. The butler, who happened to meet her at the front gate, recognized Cordelia and let her in.

As she was thinking she would have to shamelessly borrow a carriage from the Luzen family to return, since she didn’t know the way back and had spent all her money, there was a clattering sound from above.

“Del! What brings you here all alone?”

Gideon came rushing down the stairs. Seemingly surprised by the unexpected visitor, his navy blue long hair was disheveled, not yet tied back.

Although he appeared to have just woken up, he still addressed Cordelia in the Therion language amid the confusion.

「I want to learn the imperial language. Can you teach me?」

Gideon’s eyes widened upon reading Cordelia’s note.

The child had a look in her eyes that he had never seen before—eyes reflecting firm determination and resolve.

When he had heard that Cordelia would be working as a maid for the Obenhart family, he had been worried, but it seemed his concerns were unnecessary, and Gideon felt relieved.

“Of course.”

Gideon smiled kindly.

* * *

After being served a meal, Cordelia waited for Gideon in the study.

Sipping her tea and glancing at the bookshelf, Cordelia realized that Gideon studied several foreign languages besides Therion.

Gideon was such a competent interpreter that he handled translations during the imperial court’s discussions with Therion.

As a child, with his exceptional learning ability and well-behaved manner, he had been the youngest son quite favored by the stern Baron Luzen. However, as soon as he reached adulthood, he ran away without a word.

The family was turned upside down searching for him, and only after a month did he leisurely return. Then, with a carefree attitude, he said he had been traveling.

After that day, Gideon frequently traveled to different countries and regions, and the Baron gave up on his son who could no longer be controlled.

With his free-spirited personality, Gideon couldn’t stay in one place for long.

He traveled throughout the Empire with his nephew, entrusted to him by his eldest brother, who was too busy as the heir to the family.

Asteris was just one of his many travel destinations. According to his original plan, he should have left this place two months ago.

“Del!”

Evan burst through the door noisily and claimed the seat next to Cordelia. His short navy blue hair, the same color as his uncle’s, shook with his careless movements.

A year older than Cordelia, Evan had distinct facial features despite his young age. His sun-tanned skin, from frequently going outside with his uncle, made him look even more mischievous.

“Don’t tell me you’ve already been fired? Did you do something wrong to the young lord? You came here because you’re too embarrassed to tell your mother, right?”

Evan bombarded her with questions as soon as he sat down. Whether Cordelia understood or not, Evan often chatted away beside her.

Interrogating Cordelia, who had visited since early morning, Evan seemed slightly excited.
He had thought he might never see Cordelia again once he returned to his territory. So he hadn’t expected to see her again so soon.

Cordelia narrowed her eyes. She hadn’t understood Evan’s questions; she just looked annoyed at his chattering.

Cordelia opened her notebook and began organizing what she wanted to say to the young master, without giving any reaction to Evan.

“I went to your shop yesterday. Uncle said Amelia might be feeling down from worrying about you, but she seemed fine.”

“……”

“In my opinion, Uncle is good at everything else, but he just doesn’t understand women.”

Evan shook his head.

It was true. The reason Gideon couldn’t leave Asteris was Cordelia’s mother, Amelia. He had met her, fallen in love at first sight, and settled down here.

His kindness to Cordelia was also partly an extension of his plan to impress Amelia. Though not entirely without genuine goodwill.

The fact that Gideon had feelings for Amelia was known to both Evan and Cordelia.

Evan, who had always wanted a little sister, hoped that someday their relationship would progress and Cordelia would become his cousin.

After talking to himself for a while, Evan observed Cordelia writing with a serious expression and frowned.

“What’s this? Did you really make a big mistake with the young lord and get kicked out?”

“Del wouldn’t do something like that. She’s not you.”

Gideon, who had entered without notice, gave Evan a light tap on the head.

With his long hair tied back, he looked much neater than before. Silver-rimmed glasses gleamed on his refined face.

Evan rubbed his head and looked at his uncle reproachfully.

“If you’re going to be noisy, go out.”

Gideon, with a smiling face, treated Evan like an unwelcome guest and sat down opposite them. He placed the books he had brought on the table.

“If we were at the main house, there would be more useful books, but there aren’t many here.”

Cordelia examined the books with curious eyes. There was a great variety, from educational texts to newspapers and fairy tales.

Gideon handed Cordelia a thin notebook.

“This is a vocabulary list I compiled when I was studying. You can take it and use it.”

「Thank you.」

“Look through the other materials too, and if you need anything else, I’ll get it for you.”

Cordelia smiled brightly. Evan, who had been flipping through the books with little interest, poked Cordelia’s cheek with his finger.

“Hey, you look really excited?”

“Evan, I told you to leave if you’re going to interfere.”

“I’m not interfering…”

Evan was about to talk back but instead gave Cordelia a sharp look.

“When I asked if you wanted to learn the imperial language before, you refused. What sudden wind has blown your way?”

At Evan’s blunt question, Gideon looked at Cordelia.

As Evan said, until just a few days before entering the Obenhart villa, Cordelia had shown no particular interest in the imperial language.

Unlike Amelia, who had become quite proficient in speaking the imperial language through interactions with people, Cordelia knew almost nothing of it.

Gideon had offered to teach Cordelia himself so she could learn the imperial language easily and quickly despite her inability to speak, but the child had shaken her head.

Gideon thought that Cordelia’s lack of progress in the imperial language wasn’t solely due to her inability to speak.

Cordelia, unlike most children, seemed uninterested in anything. She didn’t appear to have anything she wanted to know or grow attached to.

That was why he had been surprised and pleased to see Cordelia’s eyes when she asked to be taught the imperial language earlier.

Cordelia showed Gideon what she had written in her notebook without even glancing at Evan.

「I want to write this in the imperial language.」

“Hmm? Let’s see…”

Gideon carefully read through the text. The long message, which began with an apology, contained earnest and firm sincerity.

Gideon looked up. A mature and brave girl sat before him with an unwavering expression.

He found it both amazing and admirable how much that once lifeless face could change.

“Alright. Shall we translate it together?”

Gideon’s lips curved into a gentle smile.