Of course that would happen in the future, but I didn’t care whether Fazel succeeded or not.

“You don’t need to. Just stay by my side and hang out with me in the future. I’m not doing this expecting something in return.”

“…ow.”

Fazel’s face turned red as he lowered his head and muttered quietly.

“What did you say?”

“There’s something like that.”

I was curious about what he mumbled.

But no matter how much I pressed him, Fazel wouldn’t tell me what he said.

I only found out much later that Fazel had said thank you for the first time that day.

* * *

The carriage was moving. The knights and Marlene accompanied me.

“Miss, shouldn’t you go with the Count?”

Marlene seemed worried that I wasn’t going with Father. I shook my head at her words.

“We need someone to protect Fazel.”

We didn’t know what kind of person might infiltrate the castle. Fazel would be safe with Father by his side.

We absolutely needed someone to protect him. They were targeting Fazel, not me.

“Even though you care for Lord Fazel this much.”

Marlene spoke sympathetically.

“Fazel knows it too.”

He’s been treating me so well lately.

Acting friendly.

We were like very close friends. Thinking about when we first met, this was tremendous progress.

“Just knowing isn’t enough. He needs to know it to his bones. That our miss is this kind of person.”

Marlene always evaluated me highly.

“Thanks, Marlene. I hope things work out with him.”

Then I could endure any amount of hardship like this.

Before possessing this body, I read about Fazel’s life. His life was so painful that I cried a lot. Yet I came to support him for living without losing hope. Though he didn’t end up with the female lead, Fazel died for her.

He was someone who knew how to love warmly.

That’s why when I possessed this book, I wanted to keep him by my side.

“There’s no way it won’t work out. Lord Fazel is probably falling for you more and more.”

Not yet. I quickly shook my head.

“I don’t think so. When I left, he just told me to have a safe trip. He didn’t even hold my hand.”

Ah, my true feelings came out.

Marlene narrowed her eyes and looked at me.

“So you were disappointed?”

I fell silent. Marlene didn’t ask any more and grabbed the handle.

“We’ll have to warp soon, so hold on tight to the handle.”

I’d let go of the handle. I quickly grabbed it. Then the carriage prepared to warp to the Duke’s household. Using spatial movement, we could reach the Duke’s estate in three days. I took a breath.

I was nervous about what might happen on the way to the Duke’s household, but nothing dangerous occurred. We arrived at the Duke’s estate faster than expected.

I opened the door to Duke Zieten’s office and entered. Downstairs, Marlene and the knights were cheering me on.

The Duke had cut his white hair short. Silver hair was mixed among the white. People usually dyed their hair with magic, but he didn’t seem to do that.

“I am Louelle Asnel.”

I bowed my head to greet him. Then he looked at me and nodded.

“This is my first time seeing you, miss. You sent a letter saying you wanted to meet me. Why?”

I looked at him and spoke. Golden eyes resembling Fazel’s looked at me with sharp, cold eyes.

He was definitely different from the young Duke.

He was a cold and ruthless person.

“I have something to tell you. Are you aware there was an assassination attempt targeting Fazel?”

Then the Duke asked incredulously.

“So what about it?”

I didn’t care and told him what I’d investigated.

“It was commissioned by the Marquis Lucian household. And Marquis Lucian is Your Grace’s father-in-law.”

The Duke stiffened for a moment, then shrugged his shoulders.

“I know nothing about it.”

I didn’t come here to confront him about this. I had no intention of asking him to punish the person behind it.

“I know Your Grace isn’t involved in this matter.”

When I said this, the Duke’s expression changed.

“What?”

I looked at him and spoke directly.

“There’s a reason Your Grace had many illegitimate children.”

The Duke’s household had many illegitimate children for generations. This was related to the Zieten Duke family’s secret.

The Duke knew this and wanted to father many children. Even if those children would grow up branded as illegitimate.

“…”

The Duke had an expressionless face. He probably found it hard to believe that I knew a secret only he knew.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

He played ignorant for now. His acting was perfect. But I didn’t care.

“Don’t you need Fazel, Your Grace? He’s not eighteen yet, so you need to watch over him. You need as many sons as possible.”

If I said this, he couldn’t help but believe me. He seemed to think I was just fishing, but that wasn’t it.

The Duke’s household had always had trouble with heirs. Because the children were weak and died young.

“…”

The Duke’s eyebrows trembled faintly.

“I dislike the young Duke. Because of all the things he’s done to me since childhood. You know about it, don’t you?”

There was no way he didn’t know.

“He’s also not eighteen yet. Ah, let me say in advance that even if Fazel becomes like that at eighteen, I have no intention of abandoning him.”

The young Duke was healthy now. But he wasn’t eighteen yet. I mentioned this point and brought up Fazel.

the Duke exhaled.

“Fazel uses magic freely. Even when he almost got assassinated, he poured out his mana until his body broke down, but he was fine.”

Then the Duke was surprised.

He probably hadn’t heard the detailed story. The assassination incident wasn’t good news, and Father had silenced those who went on the trip together.

“I didn’t know that.”

“Is that a good answer?”

I smiled confidently.

Since the Duke reacted, I won.

“Are you an enemy?”

He asked.

“Doesn’t it depend on what Your Grace does? I’m very tight-lipped.”

He fell silent again. But his eyes had changed from before.

“Have you decided?”

the Duke spoke quietly.

“I’ll keep my son in line.”

The answer I wanted came out.

“Thank you.”

The Duke laughed softly. When he laughed, he looked like Fazel, so I stared blankly without realizing it.

Oh no, I lost my focus too much.

“I’ll speak to His Majesty and apply for Fazel’s title. You’re royalty too, and my son became your fiancé, so we should dress things up properly on this side too. Since his mother’s title is Baron, let’s make it Count, and when he becomes an adult, I’ll arrange for a territory too.”

The Duke was stepping in. Fazel’s fate was changing. I was happy, because it would be too sad if he followed his predetermined fate.

“I’ll follow Fazel’s wishes regarding the title application. It’s his title to have.”

He might refuse the title, after all.

Though Fazel had ambition, so he wouldn’t refuse.

“Wise.”

The Duke admired me.

“Thank you for the compliment.”

But his eyes looking at me were still cold.

“I might bother you quite a bit from now on.”

Since I knew the family secret, there was no way he’d just leave me alone.

“Feel free to contact me anytime. I value those on the same side.”

He smiled faintly. It was a cold smile, but slight curiosity was mixed in.

“I see. Then to commemorate becoming allies, I’d like to meet Fazel and the Count for dinner.”

The Duke was straightforward in this way.

“I’ll arrange it.”

I had no reason to refuse either.

“I’ll look forward to it.”

At the Duke’s words, I bowed my head.

The deal with him seemed to have ended successfully.

Soon after leaving the office, I encountered a man I didn’t want to see.

It was Nertian.

“Louelle, what are you doing here? Why did you come to see Father?”

His eyes were shaking.

“His Grace the Duke is Fazel’s biological father. I came to pay my respects.”

He was dumbfounded.

“What!”

There was nothing more to say.

“Then I’ll be going.”

Then Nertian grabbed my arm.

“I’m not done talking yet. What are you and Fazel thinking!”

When he made a fuss, the door suddenly opened and the Duke came out.

“Nertian, you’re being noisy.”

“Father.”

“Come in. I have something to say. Miss, please travel safely.”

I bowed to the Duke once more.

“Just you wait.”

Nertian threatened me, but I didn’t bat an eye.

Whether the Duke took measures, I was able to return to the territory comfortably without any particular trouble.