“It seems there is something after all.”

A sharp conclusion was heard before I could make a decision.

“What is it?”

“Elodie needs friends her own age.”

“…Friends her own age.”

The Duke looked surprised for a moment, then slowly nodded. Relieved by the not-so-bad reaction, I carefully asked him.

“Before Elodie went missing, didn’t she have other friends? Even if they don’t remember each other, they might become close again if they spend time together.”

“There aren’t any.”

“Not even one?”

“That’s right.”

Honestly, I couldn’t help but be surprised. We’re not talking about just any noble, but a Duke. It should have been possible to make friends for Elodie if he wanted to. The Duke quickly added.

“But we can bring Baron Penack’s daughter a bit earlier. She was already set to be Elodie’s playmate anyway.”

“How old is the young lady?”

“Ten years old.”

“Ten years old?”

I blinked. Elodie is only six now, so isn’t that almost twice her age?

“Don’t you think that’s too much of an age difference?”

“I don’t think age is that important in becoming friends.”

That was true in theory. It’s just not true in the world of children Elodie’s age. I swallowed dryly.

“If Your Grace doesn’t mind… I’d like to invite Elodie’s friends to the Duke’s residence.”

“Elodie had friends?”

There was a somewhat strange resonance in the Duke’s voice. I licked my lips. It was hard to judge whether he was upset or simply reacting to an unexpected fact.

“Yes. It seems Elodie misses those friends even if she doesn’t say so. And she plays so well with them…”

“I see.”

The Duke cut off my words.

“Call those children. But make sure that children you don’t know don’t come into contact with Elodie. Be especially careful if they’re from noble families.”

I couldn’t hide my surprise. It was completely opposite to what I had expected. I thought he would naturally avoid contact with commoner children and try to create connections with nobles in advance…

“Is there a reason for this?”

The Duke’s answer came somewhat slowly.

“If Elodie has friends she can trust without doubt, that’s fortunate. I’ll trust you completely on this matter.”

I opened my mouth and then closed it. This… no matter how you look at it, it’s not an answer to my question.

“But as I said, children you don’t know are not allowed. Do you understand?”

The Duke’s meaning was clear. He had no intention of explaining the reason, but he wanted me to follow his orders anyway. I bit my lip. Even if I probed further, the Duke wouldn’t answer my question.

“I understand.”

I nodded slowly.

“I’ll only invite Elodie’s original, real friends.”

“I’m glad we understand each other.”

The corners of the Duke’s mouth turned up.

“If you need anything, just say so.”

***

Of course, Elodie was overjoyed.

“Really? Are they really coming?”

She asked so many times.

“Of course.”

I smiled gently. Because I didn’t want to give Elodie any unnecessary disappointment, I had already finished all the arrangements by letter.

There were two children visiting the Duke’s residence. Paul, who was Elodie’s closest friend, and Candy, Paul’s younger sister who, although not as close as Paul, often played well with Elodie. Although it was quite a distance, no parent would miss the opportunity for their child to stay at the Duke’s residence. Especially as a friend of the Duke’s daughter.

‘Still, it would be nice if there was a friend living nearby…’

But considering Duke Baniche’s reaction, it seemed that Elodie making new friends should be avoided for the time being.

‘It’s better to protect her.’

The Duke didn’t give me the exact reason, but it didn’t matter. If nothing else, there was no doubt that Duke Baniche valued Elodie more than his own life.

Of course, I also invited the children’s mother, so I had to prepare to welcome the guests. The expenses for their travel here came out of my pocket, but it would be worth it.

‘Even if not often… it would be really nice if they could play together once or twice a year.’

Paul and Candy were set to stay at the Duke’s residence for two weeks. That should be enough time for Elodie to make good memories here at the Baniche Duke’s residence. I opened my mouth in a bright voice towards Elodie.

“Well, shall we go prepare the rooms for Paul and Candy now?”

***

“Thank you for coming such a long way.”

“Not at all. We should be thanking you, Miss Bertin, for inviting us.”

Mrs. Devaka greeted me with a gentle smile. I stared blankly at the children who were already mixed and playing well together after a moment of awkwardness.

“I’m not just being polite, I’m really grateful. It’s been a while since I’ve seen Elodie this happy.”

“It’s a great honor if we can be of help to the young lady.”

I stared at Mrs. Devaka. The young lady, not Elodie. It wasn’t bad that she was addressing her according to her new status, but there was something that bothered me about Mrs. Devaka’s words.

If it weren’t for Elodie, I wouldn’t have pointed out that fact. But I was Elodie’s guardian, and I had to protect Elodie. Even if it meant distancing myself from someone who had shown me kindness over the past few years.

“Madam, is there something you’re hoping for?”

Mrs. Devaka gasped. I smiled bitterly at her expression, which seemed to show that she had been caught off guard.

“Don’t worry. I’m not trying to criticize you. But I need to know what you want.”

If it was something that could harm Elodie, I would send the three of them back even today. Mrs. Devaka swallowed hard. She looked so tense and nervous that I even felt sorry for her.

“Could Paul… stay here a bit longer?”

As I thought. The answer was almost exactly as I had expected. All parents want their children to grow up in a good environment.

There’s no question that the Duke’s residence is a much better environment for a child to grow up in than an ordinary small town. Moreover, if Paul learns and grows here, he might be able to get a much better job than if he had stayed in his original village.

“I’m sorry.”

As the silence lengthened, Mrs. Devaka apologized in embarrassment.

“It was an unreasonable request, wasn’t it? I’m sorry. You must have a lot to worry about too, Miss Bertin…”

I smiled bitterly.

“It’s beyond my authority. Even inviting you, Paul, and Candy was done with His Grace the Duke’s permission.”

“Ye-yes, of course.”

Mrs. Devaka hurriedly agreed.

“I knew that, but I got so anxious… I spoke out of turn. Please forget about it.”

If it weren’t for the desperation that was palpably felt in every word Mrs. Devaka spoke, I would have nodded and said I would forget about this incident. But because I felt a desperation that was hard to dismiss, I ended up asking about her intention again.

“…Why did you get anxious?”

“Pardon?”

“I asked why you got anxious. Paul is still young. There will be plenty of opportunities for him to receive a good education in the future.”

“…Miss Bertin.”

Mrs. Devaka’s voice sharpened.

“Do you see me as that kind of person? Someone who would use the young lady for my son’s advancement?”

I didn’t back down. For Elodie’s safety, I could bear even if my relationship with Mrs. Devaka turned sour.

“I thought there was a high possibility of that.”

“…Ha. Hahaha. Hahahaha…”

A deflated laugh flowed from the lady’s mouth.

“I see. I suppose you could think that way.”

I didn’t bother to argue with Mrs. Devaka’s words and waited for what would come next.

“…My husband beats Paul. He hasn’t laid hands on me or Candy yet, but… there have been several dangerous moments.”

It felt like my blood was freezing. Come to think of it, Mrs. Devaka always took the children out. I thought it was simply because of her sociable nature, but there was a separate reason for it.