Valerian trailed off as he stared at the closed door.

‘Terry likes Jervis Amethris!’

Teresia’s eyes sparkled with anticipation as she uttered those words.

It was good for a child to have expectations and to desire things.

Valerian hoped Teresia could live a life where she freely pursued her desires, something she hadn’t been able to do before.

He was committed to doing his best for her, even if it wasn’t perfect.

However, the fact that it was a ‘boy’ of the same age whom she had never met before was something he couldn’t ignore as a parent.

Unbeknownst to him, his gaze had become as fierce as when he glared at an enemy across the battlefield.

Sebastian, standing quietly behind Valerian, bowed his head with a mix of suspicion and disapproval.

“I’ll investigate further,” he said.

“That would be wise,” Valerian replied.

“Leave it to me.”

The two of them, master and servant, exchanged a crooked smile, lifting one corner of their mouths in a chilling manner.

Then Valerian’s expression suddenly darkened.

“Of all families, why that one?” he mused.

Of all the families, why did it have to be the Amethris family?

‘…Is it the first time in five years?’ he wondered.

This was his first outing since he began his seclusion.

A fear he had never felt on the battlefield crawled through his chest, causing him to close his eyes as if to flee.

* * *

About a week later.

The Duke and I headed to the Amethris Marquisate. Rick, Selena, and Leila accompanied us.

Our carriage arrived in front of the Amethris estate around noon.

The Duke got out first and helped me down.

“Gasp…”

As soon as we stepped out of the carriage, several gasps echoed from those around us.

Well, I expected this.

I pouted in dissatisfaction and looked up.

The Amethris estate, with its large lake, wasn’t as grand as the Everdeen estate, but it was beautiful.

Unlike the Everdeen estate, it had a cozy atmosphere, perhaps due to its ordinary ambiance.

The servants lined up in front of the mansion quickly bowed with pale faces as they saw us.

Fortunately, they didn’t show open contempt or fear, perhaps because they were well-trained.

I shifted my gaze to the mansion’s entrance.

There stood a man with brown hair and red eyes, appearing to be on the border between youth and middle age, slightly opening his mouth.

‘He must be the Marquis,’ I thought.

It was an instinctive realization. The aura of authority and the luxurious clothing were things ordinary people couldn’t imitate.

The Marquis was staring blankly at the Duke.

Glancing up at the Duke, I noticed he had a complicated expression that was hard to describe.

The Marquis was the first to speak.

“…It’s been a long time, Duke.”

The Amethris Marquis tried to speak as calmly as possible, but his voice trembled slightly.

I realized that the emotion in his voice wasn’t bewilderment or fear, but something indescribable, and it puzzled me.

‘What is this?’ I wondered.

These two… something seemed off about their reaction.

As I pondered this, the Duke slowly, deliberately moved his hand holding the pen.

“It’s been a while, Marquis Amethris.”

“…Is that all you have to say?” the Marquis asked.

“I’m not sure what you want me to say. Is there any particular greeting you desire?” the Duke replied.

“Ha.”

The Marquis suddenly let out a hollow laugh. He ran a hand through his hair and smiled sharply.

“…Never mind. Come in.”

With that smile, the Marquis’s demeanor turned icy in an instant.

He gave the Duke a brief glare before turning abruptly and striding into the mansion.

What was that? Why the sudden change? What’s going on?

Valerian quietly held my hand as my eyes trembled with confusion.

“Let’s go in, Terry.”

“Ah, uh, yes.”

I had many questions, but it wasn’t the right atmosphere to ask them.

I just rolled my eyes around while holding hands with the Duke and entered the mansion.

Though not as grand as the Everdeen mansion, the Amethris mansion also had a few ghosts.

I realized the strange atmosphere was due to the whispers of the ghosts looking down on us from above.

<It’s been five years, that little one.>

<He’s been an adult for 15 years now, what do you mean little one?>

<Anyway, poor Jaron. His only friend contacted him after five years, and he got all excited preparing, only for him to show up and say “Marquis.” Tsk, tsk.>

<Yeah, yeah.>

‘What?’

I almost hiccupped in surprise while listening to their chatter.

‘They were friends? No one mentioned that!’

Although I wasn’t certain, I could piece together from the ghosts’ stories that the two were friends before the Duke went into seclusion due to his curse.

But it seemed they hadn’t contacted each other since the Duke secluded himself five years ago and were meeting again today.

All because of something I said.

‘Oh my…’

I tightened my grip on Rick and bit my lip inwardly.

‘If I had known they had this kind of relationship, I would have looked for another place…’

I mean, who would put a diary-like book in a prestigious library titled “The Duke of Everdeen and the Marquis of Amethris had a fight”?

It seemed like this was what Sebastian had kept from me recently.

When we arrived at the dining room, I had to keep my lips pursed in reflection until the food came out in the cold atmosphere where you could hear a pin drop.

The Marquis picked up the wine glass that was served as an aperitif and sneered.

“Please, go ahead. I don’t know if it will suit the noble Duke’s taste.”

He deliberately dragged out his words and drank his wine with a mischievous face. He tilted his empty glass towards the Duke.

“I can’t toast with an empty glass. I’m sure you’ll understand with your broad generosity.”

‘Wow, what a character.’

I silently marveled.

That guy, his knack for sarcasm was something else!

At that moment, the Duke, who had been quiet, picked up the wine glass in front of him. He mimicked the Marquis by downing it in one go and set the empty glass down.

“The glass is empty here too.”

“Ha.”

The Marquis ground his teeth quietly at the Duke’s calm demeanor, despite his sarcasm.

Oh no, if the atmosphere got any worse, my golden opportunity might slip away!

I quickly grabbed the glass in front of me – filled with grape juice – fearing we might get kicked out.

I raised the glass high and shouted desperately.

“I-I’ll join too! Cheers to the Marquis’s splendid sideburns and my teddy bear’s ribbon!”

“What?”

“Hmm?”

<What?>

The Marquis, Duke, and Rick each let out a bewildered voice in turn.

Ignoring their reactions, I emptied my glass in one go.

‘Ouch, my cheeks.’

There was more juice in the glass than I had expected.

I barely managed to swallow the juice and set the empty glass down, my cheeks puffing out like a blowfish, aching.

“Ugh.”

The Marquis’s lips twitched suspiciously as he watched me. The Duke looked at me as if he were seeing something strange again.

Rick, well… I didn’t even need to look to know.

I finally gulped down the juice in my mouth and smiled brightly.

“Please toast with me at dinner, Marquis! Yes? Promise!”

“Hmm, ahem. If the Lady insists.”

Fortunately, the Marquis seemed to be in a much better mood than before.

He cleared his throat a few times and shrugged as he began cutting his meat.

‘Phew.’

It seemed I managed to put out the immediate fire, right?

I sighed in relief during the brief lull and picked up my fork.

* * *

After the meal, the Marquis led the Duke and me to the Amethris heir’s room.

“The child isn’t well… He might not respond right away when you speak to him.”

The Marquis said with a somber face.

His face was filled with concern, fitting for someone who had ignored the capital’s summons for half a year, staying in his territory because his son was ill.

‘Selena, Leila.’

I glanced at Selena and Leila, who were following us, and gave them a slight nod. They stopped at one side of the corridor.

Selena was a ghost with strength close to that of an evil spirit, and Leila was practically a nemesis to demons.

I was worried that the demon attached to the Amethris heir might notice them and act out, so I decided to check on the heir’s condition first.

“This is the room.”