Perhaps having her invitation rejected to her face was a blow to the noblewoman’s pride, as Marchioness Dyners’s expression momentarily soured.

She quickly composed herself after her slight frown, but everyone standing in this corridor had already witnessed her face.

“Duke, momentary pleasures are fine, but—”

Her gaze landed on me as she said this.

“—you should think of your family. Blood is thicker than water. It’s unfortunate that the law doesn’t see it that way.”

Then, giving Anastasia a look, she smiled thoughtfully.

It was a curse disguised as a blessing.

Both Dyners and Cromwell chose to have children, didn’t they?

‘Why are you the only one wrapping it in nobility?’

There were countless things I wanted to argue about, but I had to swallow my words.

Though she didn’t say it outright, it was clear she misunderstood my relationship with Cromwell, which was awkward.

Thankfully she only conveyed her opinion with a glance lasting mere seconds. If I tried to correct her directly, I’d look like someone with a guilty conscience. I couldn’t help but admire this technique that made one seem strange no matter what action they took.

‘Are you taking out your rejection on the nanny……’

I looked at Marchioness Dyners with slightly resentful eyes.

While I was wondering how to escape this situation, Cromwell spoke up.

“I’m not leisurely enough to enjoy pleasures.”

“I’m sure you’re not.”

Marchioness Dyners replied curtly.

“I’d prefer if you refrained from making my people uncomfortable. I’ll take your concern to heart, Marchioness.”

Cromwell easily dismissed her suspicion and brushed off her subsequent words as if he didn’t feel they were worth addressing.

Fortunately, his hearing seemed intact as Marquis Dyners properly caught the rudeness his wife had committed.

“Ah, I’ve detained a busy man.”

Marquis Dyners transformed his wife’s indiscretion into something he had done.

He appears to be someone willing to accept a few blemishes on his reputation for the sake of his wife’s honor.

“I apologize. Have a safe journey back.”

Finally free from the Dyners couple, Cromwell nodded and quickened his pace.

It was a response that made even me feel embarrassed. But just because I felt sorry didn’t mean I wanted to spend even a second more with the Marquis and his wife.

Seemingly unbothered, Marquis Dyners bid farewell in an even friendlier tone.

‘Marquis Dyners seems… quite decent.’

I could understand why central noble society was pushing him as the next Emperor.

People naturally gravitate toward someone kind who is frequently visible, rather than someone who stays buried in the north, rarely showing his face in society except to occasionally go to war.

The awkward one was Marchioness Dyners.

Though our meeting was brief, I could feel that she didn’t get along well with Cromwell and me.

‘She was a bit sensitive.’

It went without saying for Cromwell, who was insensitive to the point of being inconsiderate, and since I served such a master, I too preferred people who were detached.

The voice of Marquis Dyners comforting his wife faintly reached my ears from behind.

✧ʚ .·:¨༺♡༻¨:·. ɞ✧

The carriage rattled severely as it traveled downhill.

The Saintess’s holy power was remarkably effective.

Despite the shaking carriage and the noise from outside creating a perfect environment for crying, Anastasia slept soundly, oblivious to everything.

‘Is Marquis Dyners like… Cromwell’s cousin?’

I thought while looking at Cromwell.

Veros had explained it in passing a few times, but it was so complicated that I hadn’t fully understood.

At the time, only one piece of information mattered to me.

That Cromwell was the first in line for imperial succession.

‘Maybe I should look for a family tree when we return to the mansion.’

Finding the imperial genealogy shouldn’t be a problem.

I repeatedly looked at Cromwell and then averted my gaze until the carriage left the mountain.

Should I just ask him now, or not?

“What do you want to say?”

“……How did you know?”

“You’re fidgeting so much, how could I not?”

Just as I can discern his likes and dislikes from subtle changes in his expression, he can also tell when I have something to say.

“I was curious about the relationship between you and Marquis Dyners. Mr. Veros did tell me, but it was complicated and didn’t really stick in my head.”

Having gone through the lady’s adoption procedure and met Marquis Dyners, this wasn’t a strange topic for me to bring up.

“We’re sixth cousins.”

Cromwell answered. Realizing his answer was vague, he continued with a more specific explanation.

“He’s the grandson of my great-granduncle.”

“……”

Great-grand… what?

My head tilted involuntarily at the unfamiliar term that I rarely heard.

I wanted to appear cultured, as someone who understood uncommon words.

Seeing me furrowing my brow to complete the picture, Cromwell said:

“He’s the grandson of my father’s grandmother’s younger brother. Grandmother was the second child of the Blastos imperial family at that time.”

He said that Marquis Dyners’s grandfather was the third child, the youngest.

‘So that’s why Marquis Dyners is the second succession candidate.’

Don’t people usually have at least two children when they hold power?

It’s human nature to want to pass power on to one’s children.

Anyone would plan for a second child as insurance. I wonder what circumstances led to giving it to a collateral line, tracing back through the genealogy, rather than to the second child.

While I was inwardly asking various questions, the carriage arrived at Cromwell’s villa.

“Duke, a letter has arrived from the imperial family.”

As soon as we entered the villa, the attendant spoke as if he had been waiting.

Given the sender, he seemed to be informing us urgently.

Instead of responding verbally, Cromwell opened the letter on the spot.

A habitual discomfort flashed across his face.

Having seen this expression he often made when opening letters from the imperial family, I couldn’t contain my curiosity and asked:

“What does it say?”

“He says he’s coming here.”

‘Already?’

A major event like the first audience was happening at an unexpected moment.

In First Spring, there was no need to leave the territory, so there was no occasion to see the Emperor. I hadn’t even considered it when coming here, but I never imagined we would suddenly meet him.

It’s fascinating to frequently meet such important figures in such a short time.

At the same time, it was burdensome.

In the game, new faces appeared over the course of several years.

‘Is everything compressed because the timeframe has been shortened?’

While forming my own hypothesis, shocking words came from Cromwell’s mouth.

“We’re returning to the territory.”

“……”

The business in Lernia… well, it’s finished, but wouldn’t most people consider staying when they hear the Emperor is coming?

“When?”

“Joseph, book tickets for the earliest train.”

The statement about leaving for the territory despite hearing about the Emperor’s visit seems to have taken him aback as well.

‘You need to make sense!’

No matter how good the seats are and how much Cromwell helps, I decline to take another train so soon.

“Can’t we postpone the return?”

I asked desperately.

“The lady has just adapted to this place, and taking another train might strain her body.”

We should stay at our destination for a while before returning.

‘And see Emperor William while we’re at it.’

Though Emperor William wasn’t a major factor in this decision, he wasn’t entirely irrelevant either.

I need to gauge how favorable the Emperor is toward Cromwell.

‘I should check his profile window if possible.’

As if my earnest wish reached him, he maintained a conflicted silence before finally speaking.

“We’ll leave in two days.”

‘Phew.’

I exhaled in relief.

It was enough time to see the Emperor and let Anastasia recover from her travel fatigue.

“Are you uncomfortable with His Majesty?”

I asked while following Cromwell up the stairs.

I’m worried that all my efforts to create a good impression about the throne might have been in vain.

“……”

Cromwell answered my question with silence.

Surprisingly, it was a sufficient response.

✧ʚ .·:¨༺♡༻¨:·. ɞ✧

“Leave Anastasia to me and rest.”

Cromwell volunteered to take care of Anastasia, and I happily handed her over.

‘The button isn’t reacting.’

Just in case, I carried the button and walked around the villa once, but it remained quiet.

I quickly became friends with Angelica, who was in charge of my assigned but unused nanny quarters where I was resting.

“So this is your first time in Lernia?”

“Yes, we came in a hurry, so I only know there’s a temple here.”

“You must visit Lake Lernia. It’s really special.”

“It did look pretty.”

Even when I saw it in the game, I didn’t get any impression beyond it being pretty.

Maybe because it was similar to the river in Wellem, I wasn’t particularly moved.

‘Besides, the one in Wellem is wider……’

“It’s not an ordinary lake. You can breathe underwater, and even if you fall in, you don’t get wet.”

“You’re lying!”

When I exclaimed in surprise, Angelica laughed.

“Everyone reacts that way at first. I did too. But it’s true! Use the lady as an excuse and go see it once.”

After hearing the explanation, I feel like I must go.

I should visit after the Emperor’s visit is over. I made plans inwardly.

I spent the rest of my time answering Angelica’s curiosities—how Cromwell came to adopt Anastasia, what Wellem was like, and so on.

And around dinnertime, a guest arrived who would surprise everyone in the villa.

It was Emperor William.