Chapter 9

It had already been ten days since Lia and Rafaella arrived at the Duke’s residence.  

During that time, she had been teaching her daughter the basic education of the Empire.  

Starting with the Empire’s language spelling and children’s fairy tales about the Empire’s myths.  

During mealtimes, they ate food lavishly prepared with high-quality ingredients.  

‘What if I get used to this luxurious lifestyle?’  

Lia had lived a life in the cabin where she cooked her meals, tended the fire, and did the cleaning every day.  

After coming to the Blumhart Duke’s residence, she received treatment like a noble, which was unimaginable for a commoner.  

She assumed they were treating her as an appendage to Rafaella, but still.  

‘…But even if I get used to it, does it really matter?’  

Even if she returned to the cabin, she wouldn’t be able to do things herself as before.  

By the time she returned to the cabin a year and a half later…  

‘I would truly be a patient with death right before me.’  

She would barely arrive at the cabin, lie on the bed, and die within a few days.  

Experiencing a luxurious life before dying didn’t seem so bad.  

‘Yes, since it’s come to this, let’s enjoy it with a light heart.’  

Concluding her thoughts, Lia lightly kissed Rafaella’s forehead, who had just woken up, and got out of bed.  

“Raffy, can Mommy go out for a bit?”  

“…Where?”  

“I’m going to see your dad. I’ll be back soon.”  

“Okay, I understand.”  

Rafaella nodded, rubbing her eyes.  

Lia left the room and walked toward the Duke’s room.  

The reason she sought her husband early in the morning was that he hadn’t fulfilled any of the contract terms for ten days.  

For a few days, Lia was busy herself and didn’t particularly notice that her husband wasn’t coming to see Rafaella or dining with them.  

She was busy teaching Rafaella diligently so that he wouldn’t bring up the subject of a tutor, and she was preoccupied with adapting to the Duke’s mansion.  

But when he didn’t show up for ten days, even Lia couldn’t help but notice.  

‘I must make sure they at least have breakfast together today.’

***

Johann was getting dressed with the help of his aide in the dressing room.  

He planned to have a simple breakfast and then head to the Imperial Palace to meet the Emperor.  

He needed to report on the formal registration of his suddenly appeared daughter and the dispatch of the Blumhart Knights to support the ‘Black Mountain Range.’  

Originally, Johann himself should have been the Commander-in-Chief of the Northern Monster Subjugation Support Army, not the head of the Blumhart Knights.  

However, with Penelope suffering from an incurable disease and uncertain how long she could live, if Johann also left, the succession of the Duke’s family would be in jeopardy, so the Emperor showed mercy.  

He allowed the head of the Blumhart Knights to be sent as his proxy.  

Although it was said to be the Emperor’s mercy, sending a proxy had become customary in situations where only one heir remained.  

When Johann was fully prepared.  

Knock, knock, knock.  

“…It’s Rafaella’s mom.”  

An unexpected person came to see him.  

When he nodded once, Samuel opened the door.  

“Duke, how have you been?”  

Lia greeted awkwardly, seeing Johann after a long time.  

“…What’s the matter so early in the morning?”  

He asked in a calm, low voice.  

“I know it’s very rude to visit so early in the morning.”  

“At least you know.”  

He replied coldly.  

“But you haven’t kept any of the contract terms for ten days, so I had no choice but to be impolite.”  

She didn’t seem to think it was impolite at all.  

“I’ve been very busy lately. Besides, I have to leave early after a quick breakfast today.”  

Johann, too, answered with a face that didn’t seem apologetic at all.  

“Then it would be nice if you could have a quick meal with Raffy before you go.”  

“….”  

‘Huh, persistent.’  

Johann frowned immediately.  

“Is that okay?”  

However, Lia didn’t seem to care whether he frowned or not.  

‘…She doesn’t seem to have any intention of backing down, so there’s no choice.’  

“Fine, but let’s have the meal in the dining room.”  

“Yes, then I’ll bring Raffy over.”  

She left with a smile of victory.  

To him, it was a very annoying smile.  

Lia returned to the room, took Rafaella, and went to the dining room.  

Because Johann had to leave right after breakfast, simple foods were already laid out on the table.  

Freshly baked bread, warm omelets, various seasonal fruits, and fragrant tea for adults and orange juice for the child.  

A few days ago, Lia had taught Rafaella the noble lady’s greeting she had observed in her daughter’s life.  

When she signaled with her eyes, Rafaella lifted her dress with both hands and slightly bent her knees, greeting Johann with awkward etiquette.  

“…Sit down.”  

He didn’t particularly criticize his daughter’s etiquette.  

‘Phew, it seems it wasn’t wrong.’  

She sighed in relief and made various requests to Johann during the meal.  

“Duke, please ask Raffy if the omelet is delicious.”  

Or,  

“Duke, please ask Raffy what dream she had today.”  

She knew she was being bothersome and might seem shameless, but she had no choice.  

To him, who had lost his memory, these might seem like absurd requests…  

‘These are all things my husband used to do with Raffy every day before he left us.’  

“You expect me to believe that I did these things with this child every day?”  

“I just said what I saw.”  

“Ha….”  

Johann sighed, perhaps feeling self-loathing.  

“That guy is gone now. I have no intention of doing such crazy things.”  

He answered, emphasizing each syllable, with a look as if he would feel ashamed and want to die if he really played the role of a kind and caring dad.  

“…It seems it was a bit too high a level for a grand noble, but you should practice little by little. You promised.”  

But Lia didn’t give up.  

She just stepped back a little.  

‘It seems his pride was quite hurt.’  

“…Duke, then please do something else with Rafaella today.”

***

That was to have Rafaella see Johann off as he headed to the Imperial Palace.  

To Lia, it was as important as having breakfast together.  

“…I’ll be back, Rafaella. Listen to your mom.”  

Johann had no choice but to bend down and gently pat Rafaella’s head under her burdensome gaze.  

Rafaella was just as awkward and uncomfortable with the current situation.  

“Yes.”  

The child nodded slightly.  

“Raffy, you have to say ‘Goodbye and have a safe trip.’”  

“…Goodbye and have a safe trip.”  

Rafaella parroted her and then hid her face in Lia’s skirt.  

The child found the different dad unfamiliar.  

Johann’s aide smiled slightly at the sight of Rafaella being cute.  

Johann looked at his shy daughter for a moment and then got on the carriage and left.  

‘Phew, even saying goodbye isn’t easy.’  

Lia turned her gaze from the receding Blumhart carriage to the servants who had come out to see them off.  

Most of them found Lia awkward.  

The servants, who showed obligatory courtesy to Rafaella, disappeared into the mansion.  

It seemed that one or two magic potions brought from the cabin would never win their favor.  

She thought about how she could gain the goodwill, not hostility, of the maids and other servants.  

‘It would be good to help the maids with their work whenever I have time and distribute magic potions….’  

The cabin had quite a few materials she had collected from the mountains and those her grandmother had stored before.  

‘But now I have nothing.’  

Except for the tools needed to make magic potions.  

‘What good are tools if there are no materials?’  

Lia worried about how to obtain the materials needed for making magic potions here.  

“…How shameless!”  

At that moment, Carolina’s sharp voice pierced Lia’s ears.  

She was coming down with her son, dressed flamboyantly from the morning, at the central entrance.  

“It’s not enough to be grateful and lie low for registering a commoner’s child formally!”  

“….”  

“Causing a commotion from the morning and bothering my busy nephew!”  

Lia silently recited all kinds of magic potion materials in her mind, holding Rafaella’s hand tightly, praying for time to pass.  

“How can you not respond when I’m talking!”  

“….”  

Because I didn’t want to respond.  

Lia muttered inwardly.  

As long as they didn’t touch Rafaella, she didn’t want to argue with Carolina.  

“This little one is shameless like her mother, not even greeting an elder properly!”  

Carolina picked on Rafaella this time.  

“Raffy, shall we greet your great-aunt as you did with your dad earlier?”  

If she wanted to be greeted by Rafaella, then she might as well do it quickly.  

“Okay.”  

Rafaella was about to grab her dress with both hands.  

“Forget it! What would you know about noble etiquette, tsk tsk. It would just be unsightly.”  

Carolina waved her hand, stopping her.  

“Mom, who are they?”  

Carolina’s son, Marco, with a mischievous expression like a little devil, asked.  

He seemed to be a naughty child, as rumored.  

“Oh, Marco. They’re things you don’t need to worry about.”  

Who was she to talk about manners and etiquette?  

She couldn’t let Carolina disregard Rafaella in front of Marco.  

“Miss Carolina, Rafaella is not a ‘thing’ but ‘Young Lady Blumhart.’”  

“…What?”  

“She is one of the most precious people in the Blumhart Ducal family, so please don’t speak of her that way.”  

“…How dare you insolently try to teach me!”  

Carolina couldn’t contain her anger at Lia’s words and raised her hand again.  

‘Not happening twice.’  

When she was preparing for Carolina’s hand to fly.  

“…Miss Carolina, I’m sorry to interrupt.”  

The butler appeared before them, cutting off the tense atmosphere.  

“What is it, Robert, how dare you…!”  

Carolina shouted with a flushed face, outraged by the butler’s interference.  

It seemed as if her slap would now be directed at the butler instead of Lia.  

“…The Duchess Dowager is looking for Miss Lia.”