Yes, this must be an extremely serious matter for him.

“I’ll take any treatment. Please save me.”

“But you’re not dying.”

“What’s the difference between dying and becoming impotent?”

Adam spoke to the physician with a serious expression, almost pleading.

The physician responded as if it were no difficult matter.

“Well… You’ll need to get injections three times a day for a month. And depending on the situation, we’ll need to do fumigation treatment for the red spots. Usually, hospitalization is recommended.”

The physician paused briefly before continuing.

“If you’d like, I can process your admission to our hospital.”

“That’s wonderful, Adam!”

I exclaimed joyfully at the fact that he could receive proper treatment.

Adam too, unlike his earlier thunderstruck expression, looked very relieved.

“Ah… I’m saved.”

It seems the prognosis of Aider disease had sounded as terrible as death to Adam.

He glanced several times at his inner thigh before looking at me.

Then, with a somewhat worried expression, he spoke.

“But… will you be alright, my lady?”

Adam’s words reminded me that our red sugar beet business had just passed its starting point.

The work Adam was handling was crucial to the business, and even though I was the business owner, I had many other responsibilities, so he was managing most of the practical operations.

In this situation, if he were to be hospitalized for a month, there would certainly be complications.

“Adam.”

I approached Adam and took his large hand.

“Don’t think about that now. Your health is more important than the business.”

No matter how important the red sugar beet business was, it couldn’t be exchanged for Adam’s fertility.

“But my lady, if I’m absent now…”

“…We might drift in the vast ocean like a ship without a sail.”

The person who interrupted Adam’s words was none other than Eden.

“Even if the captain has the finest telescope and compass, a ship without sails cannot advance toward its destination.”

“Young Duke!”

I shouted with my hands on my hips, bristling at his words that seemed to burden the sick Adam.

But Eden calmly adjusted his attire and spoke.

“However, there is a stronger sail here to replace this vacancy.”

He approached us one step at a time.

And with an arrogant, composed face, he moved his lips.

“The sick sail can return at ease after completing its repairs.”

Adam’s eyes shook greatly as he understood Eden’s meaning.

Then he spoke.

“Could it be that you… will take over my duties? While I’m away?”

At that moment, I recalled the conversation I had with Eden before coming here.

Did you know this would happen?

As if responding to my shocked gaze, Eden said.

“When I saw Adam’s complexion on the opening day, I calculated there was about an 84 percent chance he would need hospital treatment soon. I could predict that House Mylar would need an extra hand.”

Eden seems to have keenly noticed the change in Adam’s complexion that even I hadn’t suspected.

“I’m truly sorry about your illness. Anyway, Adam, please complete a simple handover and get treatment right away.”

“Ah…”

Adam looked at Eden with a mix of bewilderment and admiration before nodding.

“Well… Alright. But will it be acceptable? For a noble young duke to handle Mylar Shop’s affairs.”

Eden’s family, the House Siegfried, was a prestigious family that controlled all money-related policies from the top of the Empire’s financial world.

To Eden, who was destined for such great responsibilities, shop work would seem trivial to anyone.

“Heh, I have a second reason for that…”

“Ah, no, it’s fine!! If the young duke wants to take charge, who would object? Ahaha!”

As Eden was about to explain his second reason with a composed face – the same one he had told me earlier – I hastily grabbed his hand and raised my voice in panic.

“Stop talking and come with me!”

Eden looked at me questioningly, as if wondering why I was stopping him from saying something perfectly reasonable, but I really couldn’t let him publicly announce his intention to flirt with me.

“Th-then I’ll go out first to discuss the Mylar Shop with the young duke. Adam, rest and prepare for hospitalization. Bye!”

Before Eden could say more nonsense, I grabbed his hand and left Adam’s room.

And then I realized.

‘Oh no…’

I had essentially agreed right away to Eden working with me in Adam’s place for the time being.

“The lady is correct.”

I flinched and let go of Eden’s hand.

He spoke to me with triumphant eyes.

“If I want to be with you, who would object?”

***

“Hah……”

I let out a small sigh while watching Eden’s busy figure from behind.

So Eden… was just like a scientific calculator.

One that quickly calculates complicated formulas.

And……

“Why has the oak barrel price increased when oak lumber prices have fallen? It seems quite unreasonable even considering the rise in labor costs.”

“Ah, Young Duke. That’s…”

“We have no intention of purchasing at excessively low prices. After all, mutual prosperity between buyers and suppliers is important for a market order. However, it doesn’t look good to burden buyers with excessive profits.”

The supplier, who had tried to raise their margin instead of lowering the price when the order for oak barrels doubled, was sweating profusely.

“If you continue like this, we’ll have no choice but to move to a different supplier.”

“Ah, no. Actually, I had a discount rate in mind. How about 20 percent?”

“Let’s make it 25 percent. If you don’t accept, negotiations are over.”

“Well, that would be a bit difficult…”

“Negotiations over…”

“No! Alright. 25 percent discount… Yes. I’ll sell at a price 10 percent lower than the original.”

While Adam was skilled at negotiations, Eden showed talent that made one question his age.

‘It’s like seeing a miniature version of Uncle Amrus, who was always so cold and calculating.’

Just as Eden was coming in with the contract after smoothly concluding the oak barrel negotiations…

“My lady.”

A boy in a crisp white shirt and black pants approached with a familiar voice.

“……”

I was startled to see Briton entering Mylar Shop.

Unlike his usual stiff uniform, today Briton was dressed more casually.

Though the casual attire didn’t diminish his striking appearance, it gave off a somewhat different impression.

“Good morning.”

And he visited my shop first thing in the morning. As if he were coming to work.

***

“I heard you might be looking for help, so I came.”

“S-surely not, right?”

Not you too, Briton…!

“I took a month’s leave. I’ve moved my sword training with Marquis Guermont to the evening hours. He said he has surveillance- no, work to do anyway.”

Briton spoke words completely at odds with his gentle smile.

Briton reached out to take my hand and spoke.

“My training is to protect you, my lady. If anything were to happen to you, it would all be for nothing.”

“……”

In his eyes that met mine, I could see a warm passion shining through.

They say that since both the right and left hands of the Second Prince’s prisoner failed, the central figure would act directly.

Briton seemed to think there was a possibility that this central figure might attack me.

“So during this month while Sir Adam Romad is on sick leave, I will take responsibility for your safety.”

But still… He’s the Crown Prince, how could it be alright for him to stay in such a small shop!

As I stood there with a confused expression, someone intervened between Briton and me.