“W-What happened?”

Alex supported me and helped me sit on a nearby chair. The situation was being quickly resolved by Kain and the surrounding guards.

In the midst of it, I saw the knight from Duke Franz’s household, whom I had seen before, being restrained.

I looked at the knight with confused eyes and then shifted my gaze to Alex. He was looking at the knight with a stern face, but when he noticed my gaze, he turned to me.

“It seems to be Duke Franz’s order.”

“You mean that attack just now?”

“Yes.”

There was bitterness in Alex’s voice.

“I thought it was strange that Duke Franz was staying quiet like this. But I never imagined Sir Lucas would do such a thing. It’s good I came out early because I was worried. Are you hurt anywhere?”

“No, I’m not. Thanks to you for saving me at the right time.”

Alex, who examined me up and down with worried eyes, let out a sigh of relief as if he had put down a burden.

“Wait here for a moment.”

“Okay.”

After finishing his words, Alex started approaching the restrained Lucas.

“Sir Lucas.”

Lucas’s body, which had been twisting violently in resistance, suddenly stopped.

“Do you know what you just did?”

“……”

Lucas couldn’t bring himself to open his mouth at Alex’s question.

Alex silently looked down at Lucas for a long time.

“Was it Duke Franz’s order?”

“No. It was an act I committed on my own.”

Lucas answered belatedly.

But Alex didn’t seem to believe his words.

“You alone?”

“Yes.”

Alex, who burst into a laugh out of exasperation, bent his knee to meet Lucas’s eye level.

“I haven’t known you for long, but I know you. You’re not the type to do such a thing.”

“…Then you must have misjudged me.”

“……”

It was a brief conversation, but it was enough to grasp the situation.

It seemed that this attack was also Duke Franz’s order. But Lucas appeared to take all the blame on himself.

“Anyway, you’ve crossed the line too.”

“I won’t apologize.”

At Lucas’s words, Alex stood up and gave a nod to Roaman, who was directing the guards.

Roaman soon had the guards start escorting Lucas away. Lucas began to leave the courthouse following the guard who had restrained him.

“Claire!”

Miss Veronica came running towards me, squeezing through the crowd of people.

“What happened?”

“A knight from Duke Franz’s household attacked Claire.”

It was Count Maynard who answered on my behalf.

“…Again?”

Miss Veronica examined me with a pale face.

“I’m okay. Sir Kain immediately stopped Sir Lucas, and Alex protected me, so I wasn’t hurt.”

However, despite my words, Miss Veronica’s expression didn’t seem to ease.

“It would be best to move to a different location for now.”

Alex approached and suggested.

“That seems like a good idea.”

“Let’s go, Veronica. And you too, Claire.”

“Yes.”

Alex supported me when I tried to stand up from my seat.

“I can walk on my own.”

When I declined Alex’s hand, Alex hesitated.

I knew Alex was trying to help me out of concern, but I felt there was no need to be supported when I could walk on my own.

Moreover, with Count and Countess Maynard beside me, I felt even more so.

Seemingly understanding my feelings, Alex didn’t insist on helping me again.

“Then please come this way. I’ll guide you.”

One of the staff members who had been waiting nearby observing the situation started guiding us.

We arrived at a nearby waiting room and sat on the sofa.

“I heard briefly from Veronica, but I didn’t know it was this serious. Has this happened before?”

Not long after we sat down, Count Maynard asked Alex. Count Maynard’s face was set in a frightening expression.

There must have been a big difference between hearing about it and seeing it with one’s own eyes.

“Yes.”

Alex answered briefly without adding any additional words.

Count Maynard’s heavy sigh settled on the floor. Then he looked alternately at me and Miss Veronica.

The emotions in the Count’s eyes seemed complex.

“By the way, I heard that Duke Berzel has taken a liking to our Claire, is this true?”

The Countess broke the heavy atmosphere with her question.

Alex nodded as if there was nothing to hide.

“That’s correct.”

The Countess hesitated, her lips trembling, before continuing with difficulty.

“I had my suspicions. When you came to the Maynard estate to take Claire, I wondered. I thought that if the Duke wanted Claire, there might have been other ways. That’s why I didn’t strongly oppose her decision.”

Right. Thinking back to when Alex visited the Maynard household, one might suspect that Alex had feelings for me.

But the reason I misunderstood and doubted Alex was because I knew nothing about him.

All I knew about Duke Alexander Berzel was that he was in such a high position that I couldn’t even dare to look up at him, and that he was a ruthless villain in the original story.

A selfish, cold-blooded person who would get whatever he wanted.

So at that time, I only thought that I had to follow him somehow to protect Miss Veronica and the Maynard family.

But looking back, I could realize how naive my thoughts were.

Alex was a person in such a high position that I couldn’t even dare to imagine.

Such a person came to find me directly, asked for my opinion, and proposed that we go together.

Moreover, although he said it jokingly at the time, he said he would respect my opinion.

That was because he saw me as an equal.

If he were the villain I thought he was, he wouldn’t have bothered to ask for my opinion, and he could have taken me from the Maynard family in a different way.

I realized this too late.

I turned to look at Alex with a newfound feeling.

I felt sorry for misunderstanding him all this time.

“I’m not sure if it’s my place to speak, but since Claire is still a member of our family, I hope you understand that my wife and I have a say in this matter.”

“I understand. I heard from Lady Veronica, and I could see it in how Lady Veronica treats Claire as well.”

“I’m grateful that you understand. Then you’ll understand my concerns as well?”

“Yes.”

As Alex answered briefly, Count Maynard laughed awkwardly.

“Dear, I think this conversation will be too long to have here. How about we discuss this after the trial is over?”

The Countess nodded reluctantly at Count Maynard’s words.

“Alright. Let’s talk about this later.”

After finishing her words, Countess then shifted her gaze to Miss Veronica and Duke Anstis. It seemed Countess had something separate to say to Miss Veronica and Duke Anstis as well.

Count Maynard looked at Countess for a moment before turning to Alex and speaking heavily.

“By the way, it’s troubling that these incidents have been happening repeatedly. To think such big things happened to Veronica and Claire. Honestly, I’m disappointed that Duke Berzel couldn’t prevent this. When you sent a separate letter, you said you would pay special attention to their safety, so I trusted you.”

“I apologize for that part. I’m sorry for causing you worry.”

Alex responded to the Count’s reproach.

It was only after hearing the conversation between the two that I learned there had been separate communication between Alex and Count Maynard.

No wonder the Maynard family was quiet even though Miss Veronica had followed Alex.

By the way, given that they had exchanged such letters, it was no wonder Count Maynard was surprised and angry about Duke Franz’s attack.

Although this incident wasn’t entirely Alex’s responsibility, he was being particularly submissive to Count Maynard.

Was it because of me?

I thought briefly but soon dismissed the thought.

Meanwhile, Alex opened his mouth again.

“It will be difficult for Duke Franz to avoid punishment in this trial. If so, there won’t be similar unfortunate incidents in the future.”

As Alex added, Count Maynard nodded.

Instead of answering, the Count let out a small sigh.

I felt the air getting unnecessarily heavy.

Much time had passed…

Along with the sound of knocking on the door, the staff member who had guided us here entered the waiting room.

“There’s not much time left for the break. You need to enter again.”

At the staff’s words, Alex stood up from his seat. Following him, everyone else stood up as well.

“I’ll be going now, Father, Mother.”

“Alright. We’ll be watching.”

Miss Veronica greeted Count and Countess Maynard, then followed Alex and Duke Anstis, who were leading the way out of the waiting room.

I, Count Maynard, and Countess followed the three people leaving with our eyes.