“His Grace, the Grand Duke?”

I was so startled that I forgot my manners and let out a shrill voice.

However, the Grand Duke merely observed my reaction with a detached expression.

He was so handsome that his words carried a certain sense of credibility…

‘Wait, no, no.’

I shouldn’t look for plausibility in appearances. He was the villain of the original story, and there wasn’t even the slightest hint of fatherly affection in that stoic expression.

‘Besides, wasn’t it said that our baby might have been abandoned because of an ill omen? A single moment’s decision could determine the baby’s entire future. I need to stay sharp.’

I steeled my gaze and alternated between looking at the Grand Duke and the baby.

‘They both have golden eyes, but….’

Even so, it was hard to imagine that this soft, squishy baby could have come from that sharp-edged man.

‘They say firstborns usually take after their fathers.’

If he looked like a battle-hardened archangel, then our baby was more like a harmless, fluffy cherub.

Then, a sudden sense of incongruity hit me.

‘Wait. The Grand Duke of Norhart was definitely unmarried.’

Even if he was the villain of the original story, he was still part of the royal bloodline. There was no way he wouldn’t have been considered a prime candidate for marriage.

‘He was politically opposed to the only legitimate royal heir, so he wasn’t the most ideal groom, but still.’

If he had even been engaged, it would have been a significant political matter mentioned in the original story, especially in the context of his rivalry with Michael. But there was no such mention at all.

On the contrary, he had an almost puritanical reputation regarding romantic relationships, openly criticizing Michael for neglecting his duty to Lure over his infatuation.

Naturally, there was no mention of a lover or illegitimate child.

Standing by the drawing room door, Mathias and the nanny looked dumbfounded, seemingly having the same thoughts as I was.

Of course, none of them dared to voice it out loud…

“Your Grace… did you have a lover?”

I decided to be that daring soul. At my question, the Grand Duke stared at me for a long moment.

Just as I started to shrink slightly under the tension—

“…Ha.”

The man, who had maintained an impassive face until now, let out a scoff of disbelief.

Even his smirking lips were handsome—No! Focus!

“You truly remember nothing, do you?”

“Huh?”

What exactly was I supposed to remember…?

He sipped his tea without looking away from me. Even in his large hands, the teacup seemed as delicate as a toy, yet his movements were nothing but graceful.

Only his golden eyes, gleaming like those of a predator, betrayed his composed exterior.

‘Did Odelia and he have some kind of connection? He keeps acting like—what on earth…?’

A faint sneer played on his lips before he spoke in a low voice.

“If the child is mine, then the child is mine.”

Right. That makes sen—Wait, no!

I almost agreed instinctively, overwhelmed by his sheer presence, but I snapped myself out of it and threw out a sudden question.

“What is the child’s name?”

“Angie.”

The answer came without hesitation.

Was it true?

I decided to wake the baby and see if they responded to the name the Grand Duke claimed was theirs.

“Angie? Angie?”

“Buuu.”

Still drowsy, the baby simply grinned happily at me.

“Baby, is your name Angie?”

“Ha, maaa….”

“Baby?”

“Kyaa!”

I was sure the baby smiled when I said ‘baby’…?

I shot a suspicious glance at the Grand Duke.

“Are you really sure?”

“…The child has been separated from me for some time. It’s understandable if she had forgotten her name.”

That… actually made sense.

The baby had been estimated to be around three months old when I first found her, and it had already been a week since then. In other words, she had spent nearly 10% of her life with me.

‘No, I can’t let this slide.’

As the child’s temporary guardian, I had a duty to press further.

“How did you lose the child? And where is the mother?”

“Do I have any obligation to share my personal affairs with you?”

“Think of it as me asking in my role as the child’s temporary guardian.”

The Grand Duke furrowed his brows handsomely before speaking, clearly reluctant.

“I was not there to witness the child’s birth.”

“…”

“I only heard that the child was here.”

“Your Grace… I had a different impression of you…”

‘I didn’t think you’d be so irresponsible regarding your personal life.’ Of course, I couldn’t say that aloud, so I merely grimaced.

“In any case, the child is mine.”

His insistence only made me more skeptical.

Unconsciously, I tightened my hold on the baby.

‘Baby, I think he’s just some rogue who found you adorable and wants to take you away!’

A sense of duty gripped me—I was the only one who could protect this baby!

Perhaps sensing my wariness, the Grand Duke sighed and placed his teacup down.

“…Between the right shoulder blade and spine, there should be a butterfly-shaped birthmark. Will that suffice as proof?”

Wait, such specific information? I subtly glanced at the nanny. She blinked her eyes wide—

‘So it’s true, then.’

“And the child’s eye color—”

His golden gaze bore into me.

It was so deep and unwavering that I felt as though he could see right through me. I swallowed dryly.

“W-What about the eye color?”

“They say the child takes after me.”

“…”

“Is that not true?”

Trapped in the depths of those golden eyes, I couldn’t find it in me to deny it.

‘The Grand Duke is the first to have guessed the eye color correctly.’

I felt conflicted as I looked at the baby, smiling brightly, wrapped snugly in my shawl.

Objectively speaking, there was no reason to believe that the Grand Duke wasn’t the biological father, yet my heart kept sounding the alarm—warning me not to hand the baby over so easily.

“That alone isn’t enough. Your Grace, do you know any other distinguishing features of the baby?”

The Grand Duke raised an eyebrow.

He likely thought that what he had already said was more than enough—after all, what distinct features could a mere hundred-day-old baby possibly have?

‘If he already knows that the baby’s development is unusually fast, that would be even better. And if the baby was abandoned because of being seen as ominous, what if the Grand Duke takes the child in without knowing and later rejects her?’

Just as I tightened my grip around the baby out of protective instinct—

“I believe my answer was sufficient.”

The Grand Duke replied solemnly, as if further debate was unnecessary.

He wasn’t exactly wrong, but… the nagging feeling in my chest refused to fade.

‘What if he’s just trying to snatch away our angelic baby from their real parents? He could’ve learned about the birthmark from a kidnapper.’

After all, he was the villain of Princess Flora Is Lovely—though I still had no idea why he would want to take the baby.

Carefully choosing my words, I spoke again.

“Please show me more concrete proof. As you can see, the baby is very attached to me, and I’ve grown quite fond of her too.”

“Concrete proof?”

“……Your Grace, honestly, you don’t look at the baby like a father would.”

The Grand Duke’s expression froze in an odd way.

“If there’s a magic spell to confirm parentage, that would put my mind at ease.”

“…That makes sense.”

Saying that, the Grand Duke stroked his angular jaw.

His expression… it looked as if he was prepared to develop a fake magic spell that would unconditionally verify the baby as his if he had no other options.

‘Oh, baby, how did you get caught by someone like him…!’

***

The Grand Duke returned the following day.

Once again, without any prior notice.

As I was watering the vegetable garden, I nearly dropped my expensive and pretty watering can when I saw his imposing figure entering the garden.

Dazed, I turned to Mathias, who was beside me thinning out the herbs.

“Didn’t you say Norhart was half a day’s journey from here?”

“Yes, it takes a full day to go there and back.”

He left yesterday afternoon—so why is he here again today?

Doesn’t he have work? What about the affairs of his duchy?

Meanwhile, my peaceful countryside life is not okay…

Suppressing my racing heart, I stepped forward to greet him.

“Good morning.”

“Good morning. I’ve come again.”

“Y-you have… I see…”

“I’ve come to see my child. Is there a problem with that?”

Saying so, he cast a glance toward the nanny sitting on a bench in the garden.

Wrapped snugly in my shawl, the baby was in the nanny’s arms—positioned so that I would be in their direct line of sight.

But even now, the way the Grand Duke looked at the baby was not how a father would gaze at his long-lost child.

‘If anything, he’s the epitome of a northern Grand Duke, cold as the perpetual snow that blankets the White Mountain Range.’

I shivered at the chill in the air, though there was no actual wind.

Just then—

“Lady Odelia, it is an honor to meet you!”

A polite and unfamiliar voice rang out from behind the Grand Duke.

That was when I finally noticed the figure standing beside him—a gentleman with neatly combed brown hair, dressed impeccably in a herringbone-patterned suit.

The Grand Duke’s presence was so overwhelming, he had been practically invisible.

“I am Franz Nielsen, His Grace’s aide. This is a gift from the Grand Duke for both you and the young master. I sincerely apologize for the sudden visits these past two days.”

Behind them, a group of attendants carried large bouquets, luxurious gift boxes, and various other items.

‘Clearly, his aide prepared all this on his own…’

It seemed that this man was the one responsible for maintaining normalcy and common sense under the notorious Grand Duke.

“Hello, Nielsen..?”

“Viscount.”

“Ah, yes. Viscount Nielsen. A little notice beforehand would have been appreciated…”

“Oh, please, do not worry. His Grace was simply unable to wait another moment, as the young master has been on his mind constantly. We, his humble subordinates, had no choice but to accompany him here at dawn.”

Viscount Nielsen shot a pointed look at the Grand Duke.

‘At least pretend to play along, Your Grace.’

But the Grand Duke, allegedly a father who couldn’t stop thinking about his child, was failing miserably at selling that image.

‘The man has titles like “Golden-eyed Sniper” and “Northern Battlefield Reaper” in the original story—where exactly does fatherly love fit into that?’

Suppressing a chuckle, I turned to Viscount Nielsen.

“Our home is modest, but please come inside and wait. I’ll get ready quickly.”

“Oh, thank you so much…!”

Viscount Nielsen looked relieved, as though grateful to finally be speaking with a reasonable person.

****

A short while later, I returned to the drawing room, now feeling cramped due to the Grand Duke’s presence, wearing an outfit suitable for going out.

And I couldn’t hide my surprise.

“My, these gifts are quite…”

“Well, if the young master takes after His Grace, he will surely be talented in martial arts from a young age.”

Among the presents were a wooden toy dagger, a ball that seemed to be made of the finest leather, various clothes and hats—all in shades of blue.

One look at them, and I was at a loss for words.

“Ah… I’m sorry to say this, but…”

“Lady Odelia, please don’t feel the need to refuse. These are for the young master.”

“That’s not the issue…”

I hesitated, knowing this would certainly embarrass them.

“Well, actually… this child is a girl.”

Viscount Nielsen’s expression resembled that of someone who had just spat out their tea.