Amelia didn’t understand what Leonel was talking about. That man? Who did she have to go to?

How is that related to the current situation…

“What do you mean?”

“…”

She was frustrated by Leonel’s refusal to answer, who was simply pressing his lips together tightly. She couldn’t understand why the child who had been crying so sorrowfully suddenly stopped. Could it be that those tears were fake? But Leonel seemed genuinely sad.

But… she couldn’t explain his reaction just before.

“Leonel.”

She called the child with a bit of sternness. His cheeks, swollen from crying, looked like water balloons. He looked very cute, but she couldn’t just let it slide.

“What do you mean by ‘that man’?”

“You’re going to see… that man.”

She kept wondering who she was supposed to be seeing. It would make sense if he said Raphael.

“Are you talking about His Grace?”

“…”

His lack of response seemed to indicate it wasn’t Raphael. After all, referring to Raphael in that way would be odd.

“That man. The smug man.”

“Smug…?”

“James.”

She was puzzled over who the smug man could be, but an unexpected answer came out. James? Was he talking about the Master?

“Are you talking about the Ma, I mean, James?”

“Yes… You’re going to see him.”

She was indeed going to the merchantry to meet the Master, but she didn’t understand why Leonel was showing such hostility towards the master.

“I don’t like that man.”

He was even emphatic about it. It seemed their relationship had been strained since their first meeting… Was his impression of him really that bad?

“He’s a good person.”

“…”

“He helps with Mom’s work.”

Amelia sighed internally at his still-swollen cheeks, which were showing no signs of calming down. Children’s hearts are difficult to understand, indeed. The child who had been crying over Raphael just a moment ago was now upset because of the Master.

“Why do you hate me meeting James?”

She tried to gently coax an answer from him, but the child’s lips remained sealed.

“Did James do something to harm you while I was away?”

There would be no other reason for him to react that way. Leonel rarely showed his emotions, he always behaved reservedly for fear of being disliked by her. If Leonel disliked him this much…

“It’s not… like that.”

Although it wasn’t the answer she had hoped for, Amelia had succeeded in getting Leonel to open his lips.

“Can you tell me why?”

“…”

“Hating someone without a specific reason is a bad thing.”

Leonel wasn’t the type of child to hate someone without reason, but if he did, she had to let him know it was wrong.

“…It’s not like that.”

His voice seemed like it was about to crawl into a hole, but when he clarified it wasn’t like that, she smiled brightly.

“…Because.”

“Hm?”

His voice was barely audible, probably out of embarrassment, that she could hardly hear him.

“It’s because of the way he looks at you, Mother.”

Amelia was taken aback, expecting at most something about a child who was scared of a strange adult. The way he looks at me…? It was an answer she couldn’t have imagined, leaving her at a loss for what to do.

“That… what do you mean by that?”

“I don’t like the way that man looks at you, Mother.”

Are children these days naturally this mature? Or is it just my son who is exceptionally mature? She chuckled at the absurd statement.

“That’s a misunderstanding…, James is already married.”

Of course, the Master’s behavior could be suspicious at times. But there was no such indication when Leonel met him.

“Besides, he has a child about your age.”

“…Really?”

Since he mentioned a successor, she assumed he had a child around Leonel’s age. She hadn’t asked about the child’s age but nodded her head.

“Yes, it’s all a misunderstanding.”

She convinced him that there was absolutely no such relationship between her and James. He was truly there to help her. He was initially skeptical, but when she mentioned the child, Leonel seemed to soften.

“So, do you believe me now?”

“Yes… I’m sorry, Mom.”

She couldn’t get angry at him for having such thoughts. The way Leonel called her ‘Mom’ melted her heart. The impact would have felt weak if someone else did it, but it was different coming from Leonel.

Seeing him use his appearance so aptly proved he truly was Raphael Lloyd Siegfried’s son.

***

The idea that the Master looked at her with disrespectful eyes. Amelia hadn’t expected Leonel to say such a thing. Was it strange enough for even a child to notice?

She needed to be more careful. The eyes of young children are remarkably honest. This could lead to her being seen as the guilty party first.

“That can’t be…”

Looking at Amelia’s past actions alone, she was at a disadvantage. And she herself was beginning to feel the danger posed by the Master.

“What’s this…?”

Feeling a sense of crisis, the letter she opened contained the results of her request. What if someone else had seen this? She couldn’t keep her mouth shut after seeing a paper filled with the weaknesses of various nobles.

‘Don’t worry. I’ve cast a spell so that it can’t be opened by anyone but Your Highness.’

Only she could open it? Amelia naturally assumed the Master summoned her. It had always been like that until now. Was he really saying he wouldn’t see her until after the founding festival? Was he embarrassed because she caught him in an awkward situation…?

Yet the Master was her greatest ally. It was amazing how he came up with so many weaknesses in such a short time… She couldn’t help but admire the Master’s abilities.

“My head hurts.”

Lately, there hasn’t been a single incident she could just brush off. She didn’t understand why Raphael and the Master were doing this to her. Misunderstandings, accidents with Leonel…

Despite her confused heart, time flew by quickly. She danced closely with Raphael every day, and they quickly separated after practice ended. The same incident that happened on the first day didn’t happen again. It was a good thing, but she couldn’t explain this inexplicable feeling.

“To match outfits with the whole family… I never thought of it.”

“I got the hint from what the madam said.”

Raphael left the matching of outfits entirely up to her.

“If even the young grand duke wears matching outfits, you’ll look like such a beautiful family.”

Despite the madam’s praise, Amelia forced a smile. Matching outfits with Leonel doesn’t mean that they are harmonious. She just couldn’t bear to wear matching clothes just with him alone. Recently, their relationship hasn’t been good.

She had no idea it would come to this, right before going out for the founding festival banquet. They’d never been on good terms, but…

“You look so good together.”

Amelia felt like collapsing during the fitting on the last day. If there was one consolation, it was seeing Leonel dressed in beautiful clothes. She was surprised to see how much he resembled Raphael when they wore the same clothes. They truly looked like father and son.

“Your Grace… it suits you well.”

“And you too.”

Seeing Raphael and Leonel wearing outfits of the same color made her feel strange. It almost felt like they were a real family. His voice was low but somehow, it made her stomach flutter, causing her to bow her head deeply.

“Tomorrow is finally the founding festival.”

She didn’t need to lift her face to know he was staring intently at her. She’d be lying if she said nothing was wrong during their practice times together. A strange tension flowed even through their strained relationship.

“Your neck feels empty.”

“Ah, this is…”

Before she could explain that she wasn’t wearing any jewels because she was just getting fitted, his fingers touched her nape. His face was the coldest in the world, yet strangely, his body was hot. Amelia froze at the unexpectedly intense heat.

The nape of the neck. Perhaps her weakest spot, was the last place she wanted to show him.