“Please identify yourself.”

“I’m here to see the Duchess Kelahinum. Tell her it’s Marquis Lavernia, she’ll know.”

Upon revealing his identity, the soldiers moved in unison.

Irdin Lavernia was soon guided to the reception room. Serena was there.

Wearing a casual dress comfortable for movement, she let out a small exclamation and stood up when she saw Irdin Lavernia.

“Please sit, Your Grace.”

“……”

Irdin Lavernia felt his heart drop at that title, which came out without a hint of hesitation.

The lack of hesitation meant that she had used that title many times before.

It meant she had no lingering attachment to the other title she had been using until now.

Irdin Lavernia tapped his chest once and sat on the sofa she pointed to.

Looking at her face quietly, there was a child with a face and expression exactly like his.

Pink hair and black eyes.

Unlike his son Nocturne, who was born with deep green eyes and subtle hair that mixed pink and red, taking after his wife, his daughter Serena looked exactly like him.

Even that endlessly indifferent expression.

She opened her mouth right away.

“What brings you here when you must be busy…… is what I want to ask, but did I forget to return something to you?”

Serena said.

She belatedly realized that she had forgotten to give something after saying she would put it in the document envelope.

“I’m sorry for making you come all this way.”

She apologized politely.

Because that attitude was clearly drawing a line, Irdin Lavernia couldn’t say anything.

“Ah, I brought the family crest and the identity plate I was using right away when I heard you came.”

She said, placing the family crest made with special wood and paint indicating her membership in the Lavernia family, and the identity plate given by the empire, on the coffee table.

Irdin Lavernia had a thought.

The thought that if he cleared up the misunderstanding, things would be wrapped up nicely.

He had seen Serena cause various incidents until now.

Most of them were incidents that stopped at the level of annoying him.

He thought this time would be quite similar to those.

“Serena.”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

“…… I gave you 30 million gold because I thought you wanted to buy the ‘rainbow gold’ jewelry that was coming up for auction.”

“Ah…… what?”

“I thought the reason you came that day was because you heard that rainbow gold would be in the recent auction. I thought you came because you wanted to have it.”

Serena Lavernia’s eyes widened.

‘…… Really?’

What is this nonsense.

It’s a bewildering statement. That was just money he gave for her to go to the auction house and buy some jewelry?

‘…… This d*mn rich people’s world.’

Serena realized a little bit about the absurdity of the world.

“I… see……”

Irdin Lavernia felt a little relieved at that slightly broken expression.

“Yes, it seems there was a misunderstanding because I didn’t explain properly.”

“It was a misunderstanding, you say?”

Serena Lavernia let out a deep sigh, feeling somewhat dejected.

She hadn’t expected it to turn out like this.

‘If it was a misunderstanding and I didn’t buy the rainbow gold or whatever, should I return the money?’

It’s troublesome, so troublesome.

Where would she find that much money again now?

Serena’s sigh deepened.

Irdin Lavernia, observing her, affirmed once more with emphasis.

“Yes. That wasn’t the intention.”

Serena was somewhat disappointed at that affirmation.

‘He intends to get the money back.’

If so, she understood why this man, who clearly hated Serena Lavernia, had returned without enjoying this happy event.

‘In the end, my family register wasn’t even useful as a bargaining chip.’

Serena self-deprecated.

‘Well, that butler did say the Lavernia family was in a difficult situation too.’

She tried to think positively as she racked her brain.

‘To think the Crown Prince would play such a trick.’

It was clear that the Crown Prince had said something like ‘Didn’t you make a deal to remove her from the family register?’ to Marquis Lavernia.

This man must have heard that and thought, ‘What? It was that kind of deal? I didn’t mean that. Since she didn’t buy the gold, it’s a chance to take the money back, hehehe.’

She suffered a loss because she didn’t speak properly and didn’t write a contract.

‘They say never to do money deals with blood relatives…!’

Serena inwardly stomped the floor, feeling wronged.

And to think he had just given her 30 million gold before she even threw a tantrum!

Although it makes her wonder how much he hated her to go that far, still…! It was free.

It seems that if your bad luck is too strong, you can’t even grab opportunities.

“Ah, I see……”

Serena Lavernia nodded, suppressing her sadness.

‘In this situation, let’s try to get a loan.’

Serena Lavernia was quick to adapt.

Being realistic and efficient, instead of despairing further, she quickly organized what needed to be done.

“Yes, so about the family register……”

“It’s such a pity, I could have stayed for about a year more.”

Serena Lavernia decided to try to please him first.

She expressed her regret first. She thought that if she showed regret, Marquis Lavernia, who had suffered a lot from Serena, would be disgusted.

If she could just borrow 10 million gold as originally planned, there would be no problem with her plan.

“But, I can just say it’s something that was going to happen anyway, just a bit earlier. There were many things I was sorry for, and I’ll consider the removal from the family register as my gift to Your Grace.”

And then she smiled kindly while taking some credit……

…or not.

Serena’s body had never had a good effect when smiling.

‘Magnus was like that too.’

Even Magnus, who had become her friend, had said, ‘You, when you smile, it’s a bit scary.’

Serena quickly made an objective judgment and swiftly removed all traces of a smile from her expression.

“…What?”

Irdin Lavernia felt something strange at that sight.

Except for the slight regret he felt from Serena, her voice had been quite dry.

She didn’t seem to consider it fortunate that it wasn’t true, nor did she seem to feel sorry, she just appeared slightly tense.

‘Why is she tense? For what?’

Before Irdin Lavernia could fully ponder his bewilderment, Serena glanced around and opened her mouth.

“By the way, if it was a misunderstanding, should I return the money too?”

Serena asked as naturally as possible, trying not to show any strange signs.

“…What did you say?”

Irdin Lavernia unconsciously asked back with a stiff face.

‘Is it not possible?’

Serena put strength into her cheeks that were habitually trying to smile.

“No, of course I know it’s natural to return it if it was a misunderstanding. I haven’t spent a single penny yet. Really.”

Serena raised both hands to prove her innocence.

“……”

But Irdin Lavernia was now so perplexed by this whole situation that he couldn’t say anything anymore.

The child…, that is, the child who had changed quite a bit while he hadn’t seen her…, the child of him and his beloved wife, was unfamiliar.

Moreover, the child, as if afraid Irdin might misunderstand, spoke carefully with a somewhat troubled expression, as if she was gauging his mood.

And Irdin Lavernia, who was once a skilled hunter, even read a very faint fear in those eyes.

‘Why?’

So Irdin Lavernia couldn’t say anything.

But, perhaps thinking that silence meant refusal, the child hurriedly opened her mouth again.

“Then, would it be possible to borrow just 10 million gold as I mentioned before…?”

And then she even turns this meeting into a negotiation.

‘…… They say when you’re too dumbfounded, you can’t even speak.’

Irdin Lavernia felt that saying was exactly right.

He couldn’t open his mouth because he didn’t know how anything he said would be taken.

“We can write an IOU with interest agreed upon by both parties, to be repaid within a year.”

“……”

Irdin Lavernia finally began to wonder if he had done something wrong.

Serena is already acting as if she’s a complete stranger to him.

‘An IOU?’

Of course, for a large sum, one might write an IOU.

Naturally, he would have written an IOU with anyone except his children and wife, even if it killed him.

But for just 10 million gold?

And from his own flesh and blood—his daughter?

Give the removal papers as a gift?

And even the divorce papers that will be approved soon?

Irdin Lavernia doesn’t know how many times he’s heard such shocking news just today.

At this rate, he became afraid he might hear congratulations from his own daughter whom he raised for kicking her out of the family, let alone withdrawing the removal papers.

“If it’s difficult, I’ll think of another way.”

Serena, who had been quietly observing Irdin Lavernia’s silence, neatly gave up.

After all, clinging to hopeless matters didn’t suit Serena’s temperament.

“Anyway, I’m sorry for making you come all this way because I didn’t return the family’s belongings on time.”

“……??”

Irdin Lavernia unconsciously tilted his head at Serena’s voice that had suddenly become dry.