Her earliest memory was of envying someone for possessing what she did not.

“Mother! Father!”

“……Sweetheart! You mustn’t run.”

She could no longer remember the name of the little boy who ran into his parents’ arms.

But she still remembered feeling envious because he had two things she didn’t: a family and a name.

For most of her life, she had simply been called ‘Hey!’. Sometimes this was replaced by a curse, while at other times she was called ‘idiot’.

She hated it so much that she asked for something for the first time in her life.

Couldn’t they give her a name?

Even if she couldn’t have parents, she had hoped that she might at least be given a name of her own.

Ben had been drinking heavily when she made her request. After snickering for a long while, he finally said,

“You live in a place fit only for rats, so Let suits you perfectly. From now on, you’re Let. You filthy little rat.”

Ben’s mocking words became her name.

“…….”

Her lips parted soundlessly.

She did not want to introduce herself.

Even the people in the slums had laughed at her name. Someone like this knight would surely ridicule her even more.

“Miss?”

At the gentle prompting, Let’s expression gradually darkened.

“She has no need for an old name.”

A familiar voice abruptly cut through her troubled thoughts.

It was the last voice she had heard before her memory faded.

Let instinctively raised her bowed head and finally saw the person to whom it belonged.

“She will soon be given a new one.”

‘He’s enormous.’

That was the first thought that entered her mind.

He stood at least two heads taller than an ordinary man, with a powerful build visible even beneath his shirt and thick, muscular limbs.

And from beneath the shadows cast across his face, a pair of crimson eyes gleamed coldly.

‘Ah.’

She remembered.

Only then did Let finally grasp the thread of the memory that had been hovering indistinctly in her mind.

“Did you hear? The war hero has returned.”

She had overheard that conversation only a few days earlier while serving drinks at the tavern.

“War hero, my foot! Tsk! He was born and raised on a battlefield. Do you think someone like that could possibly be normal?”

“I heard he’s completely lost his mind.”

The heavily bearded man snickered and tapped a finger against his temple.

“They say he kills anyone who displeases him. Even worse, he doesn’t understand that killing is wrong.”

“Well, killing is all he’s ever known. Both his parents died before they could teach him otherwise.”

“That isn’t all.”

The man lowered his voice to a furtive whisper.

“I’ve even heard that the sight of blood excites him.”

The bearded man drained his glass and burst into laughter.

“If you ever meet the Duke of Winfried, be careful not to offend him – unless you want your head sent flying before you can blink!” Ha ha ha!”

‘I begged someone like that to save me?’

“Hic!”

A hiccup burst from her throat.

Let hurriedly covered her mouth, but those crimson eyes had already settled upon her.

“Hk!”

Despite her desperate attempts to stop them, even louder hiccups echoed through the room.

Even Delphia stared at her in surprise.

Muffled and distorted by her hands clamped over her mouth, the peculiar sound rang out with startling force. With each subsequent hiccup, the Duke of Winfried’s eyes narrowed further and Let’s face grew steadily redder.

“Hk—hic!”

Let squeezed her eyes shut.

‘I have to make it stop. What if I anger him?’

But the merciless hiccups refused to subside. Instead, they left her struggling to breathe, her brow furrowing in distress.

“Um, well…… No, I mean……”

Caught awkwardly between Let and the duke, Delphia’s eyes darted frantically about as she searched for something—anything—she could do.

“Well……”

“Delphia.”

A low voice, tinged with a peculiar weariness, emerged from between the duke’s firmly closed lips.

The moment her name was called, Delphia instinctively shouted,

“Yes!”

“Bring her some water.”

At some point, the Duke of Winfried had already passed Delphia and strode into the room. He even extended one arm naturally, guiding Let farther inside.

“……?”

Before she knew it, Let was seated on the sofa again, both hands still covering her mouth as she blinked in confusion.

‘What is happening?’

“Hic……?”

“I brought the water!”

Meanwhile, Delphia returned carrying a washbasin filled to the brim.

She had filled it so full that water sloshed dangerously with every step, threatening to spill at any moment.

The Duke of Winfried’s eyes narrowed once more.

“Water for her to drink.”

“Ah!”

Delphia smacked herself on the forehead and hurried away. Before long, she returned with a glass filled with cool water.

“Here you are!”

The glass was promptly placed in Let’s hands. Once again swept along by the situation, Let held it and blinked.

“Use this hand.”

As he spoke, the Duke of Winfried gently pulled down Let’s other hand, which was still covering her mouth.

“Pinch your nose and drink the water.”

“L-Like this?”

Let awkwardly pinched her nose.

“More firmly.”

“Ah, yes…… Hic!”

‘Is this enough?’

Once she had pinched her nose so tightly that she could no longer breathe, the Duke of Winfried motioned for her to lean forward.

The resulting posture felt strange and awkward.

What in the world was he making her do?

When Let looked up at him uncertainly, he glanced at the glass and gestured toward it with his chin.

‘He wants me to drink…… right?’

But was she really supposed to drink water in this position?

Her hesitation lasted only a moment. As soon as she met the duke’s piercing gaze, which seemed to ask, Why aren’t you drinking? Let hurriedly gulped down the water in one go.

“Ghk!”

This time, it went down the wrong way.

Cough! Cough!

Water sprayed from her mouth with every cough.

“Oh, dear! Miss!”

Delphia rushed over and patted Let’s back.

Tears gathered in Let’s eyes as she continued coughing.

‘Why did he make me do this?’

Had he come to punish her for clinging to him and begging for her life? Or was he punishing her for mistaking this place for Baron Barodon’s estate, and for her rudeness?

With her face burning and tears clinging to her lashes, Let stole a glance at the duke standing before the sofa.

He gazed down at her, his expression unreadable.

She could not understand why he had made her do such a thing. Her mind spun with confusion as Delphia continued to pat her on the back.

At last, Delphia spoke.

“Your hiccups have stopped.”

“……Oh?”

The hiccups that had tormented her only moments ago had vanished without a trace.

Let blinked in surprise.

Was it because she had drunk the water in that strange position? Or did the water in a ducal household possess some special quality?

Whatever the reason, with the hiccups no longer stealing her breath, she finally felt as though she could breathe again.

Though it seemed far too late to avoid offending the Duke of Winfried.

“Your hand.”

As she lowered her head in despair, his voice sounded above her once more.

“How did you injure your hand?”

A crease formed between the Duke of Winfried’s brows.

“I can smell blood as well.”

“Well, Your Grace……”

Discomfort entered Delphia’s voice.

“I-I did it.”

Let raised her head and met the Duke of Winfried’s eyes.

“I injured myself. I thought this was Baron Barodon’s estate……”

“Barodon?”

The Duke of Winfried repeated the name.

‘Does he not know him either?’

Baron Barodon was an exceedingly wealthy man who owned a sizeable estate in the area. In fact, he even owned several splendid shops on one of the area’s most prestigious streets.

Everyone in the area knew the Baron.

Yet today, she had met two people who did not.

“Who is that?”

“I don’t know him either. Shall I look into it?”

“No.”

In response to Delphia’s reply, the Duke of Winfried shook his head.

Whoever Baron Barodon was, he was not someone the duke needed to seek out.

If they wanted to meet him, they should come and introduce themselves.

The duke only needed to know a select few people and approach them.

One of them was the woman sitting before him now.

“……Your Grace?”

Let blinked.

‘Why is he staring at me?’

It frightened her.

A heavy weight seemed to settle upon her chest, and Let pressed firmly against her solar plexus.

‘Did I do something wrong?’

“You must have questions for me.”

“Ah.”

Upon hearing the duke’s words, Let sat up straight immediately.

Questions?

She had far too many.

Perhaps that was why she was finding it so difficult to speak. What should she ask first?

Why had he brought her here? Why had he rescued her from Ben?

Or should she start by asking why he had promised to protect her?

While she struggled to decide, the Duke of Winfried turned towards her.

“Delphia. Tea.”

“Yes, Your Grace!”

Delphia sprang to her feet instinctively, then stopped as though belatedly processing the command she had just received.

“Um, Your Grace. I can brew it, but…… you remember, don’t you?”

Her voice trailed off, which was quite unlike her usual bright and energetic self.

Delphia could perform almost any task with above-average skill.

Cooking, however, was the sole exception.

More tragically still, even brewing tea leaves fell under the category of cooking.

“…….”

Winfried nodded, indicating that he remembered.

“I’ll be back shortly!”

Delphia exclaimed before bursting through the door.

“Ah……”

Let released a faint breath as she stared at the firmly closed door.

She wished Delphia had stayed. The thought of being alone with the duke frightened her.

“I came to explain why I brought you here.”

The duke crossed the room and settled onto the sofa opposite her. They now sat facing each other across a low table.

“First, allow me to introduce myself. I am Logan Winfried, Duke of Winfried and lord of the Winfried territory.”

“H-Hello……”

‘Should I introduce myself too?’

Before Let could resolve her dilemma, Logan continued naturally.

“The reason I searched for you and brought you here is that you are the daughter of Azen and Leira.”

“Azen and…… Leira?”

Let unconsciously repeated the two names.

Azen. Leira.

She had never heard either name before in her life.

“Those are the names of your parents.”