“Aren’t you busy?”

“No, I’m not busy today.”

The Marquis answered without hesitation and pushed dessert toward Arinne.

For some reason, the Marquis, whom she hadn’t properly run into for days, suddenly said he had time and requested a tea time.

She thought now would be the perfect opportunity to bring up marriage…

‘I can’t talk about marriage in front of the kids.’

Arinne added her own portion of dessert and sent it toward Jade.

Without even looking at it, Jade pushed it toward Ray while glaring at Arinne without his father noticing.

“Dad is busy!”

“Mm. Right! Dad’s busy.”

Ray nodded vigorously while happily looking at the desserts that had somehow all gathered in front of him.

The Marquis said he’d agreed to take on the role of special knight captain during the Thanksgiving festival. Since it was work he’d been doing ever since receiving his marquis title, the position was practically the same as an official captain.

“It’s practically an honorary position. I just need to go occasionally and keep things in order. There’s someone to substitute for attendance, so don’t worry.”

The Marquis answered shamelessly.

“Substitute attendance?”

Arinne was at a loss for words and asked back in disbelief.

What crime did that person who substituted for attendance commit? No, could you even send someone else to attend at the palace in the first place?

Was that even possible?

‘That man’s not in his right mind either…’

She’d thought she was the only one who didn’t care about time and place, but it occurred to her there might be one more person like that.

When she looked at him with a reluctant expression, the Marquis puffed out his chest even more proudly, somehow taking her gaze positively.

“For the time being, I’m just planning to observe you, my lady.”

“Why?”

“It’s a secret.”

The Marquis played coy with a strangely mischievous attitude.

The Marquis’s gaze naturally moved from Arinne to Ray sitting beside her, and when he saw the child’s face, he narrowed his brow slightly.

“Ray. Wipe your face.”

When he took out a handkerchief and held it out, Ray familiarly received it and roughly scrubbed around his mouth.

His soft, pale skin turned red from the child’s own rough touch.

“If you rub like that, you’ll hurt your skin. The cream won’t come off properly either.”

Arinne watched quietly before reaching her hand toward Ray.

Ray tilted his head and placed his hand on top of hers. Just like a puppy.

“Not your hand. The handkerchief.”

Arinne pushed Ray’s hand away and held out her hand again.

If the child had been Jade instead of Ray, it might have been an action that would have hurt his feelings.

“But Ray used this?”

“I know, so give it here.”

Ray seemed not to understand why she was asking for the handkerchief he’d used.

With his head tilted to the side, he placed the handkerchief on her hand.

“Now your face.”

“Huh?”

Arinne held out her other hand. Ray placed his tiny chin right on her palm.

“Is it done now?”

“Not yet.”

“Is it done now?”

“No. Wait.”

Arinne was careful not to put too much strength in her hand. Because of that, Arinne’s hand kept slowing down.

The child’s skin was excessively soft, and his head was so tiny that she felt like his small jawbone might crumble if she made a mistake.

“Now it’s done.”

Only after the Marquis’s handkerchief was thoroughly soaked with a sweet scent did Arinne release Ray.

“Yay! Ray likes big sister!”

Ray made a satisfied sound and threw himself at Arinne. Ray pressed his head against Arinne’s thigh and wriggled contentedly, finding a comfortable position on his own and lying down.

“Ah, so that’s how you do it.”

The Marquis, who had initially furrowed his brow at Ray’s rude behavior, soon showed a face that had realized something.

“Jade?”

“…Yes? Why, why are you looking at me like that…”

This time with a face expecting something, he stared intently at Jade.

He held out a soufflé topped generously with the same cream Ray had eaten toward Jade.

“I, I don’t have to eat it!”

Flustered, Jade quickly shook his head.

“Really? Ray is…, well then.”

The disappointed Marquis looked at Ray as a consolation. Ray had no intention of eating more dessert and was enjoying Arinne’s lap that he’d monopolized.

Gone was his initial vigor, and the Marquis’s shoulders drooped dejectedly.

“Jade, come here!”

Ray patted Arinne’s thigh and called Jade.

At the sudden call, Jade’s eyes widened. His eyes, which had already widened once in surprise at his father’s strange behavior, now grew round like they might pop out.

“Is Jade embarrassed?”

“It’s not like that!”

“Big sister’s lap is nice!”

“Y-you enjoy it all you want!”

A blush slowly spread over his soft, pale cheeks like Ray’s.

Jade hung his head completely.

Following the children’s conversation with his ears, the Marquis’s gaze unconsciously went to her leg where Ray had rested his head.

“Where are you looking?”

“Ah. Sor… sorry.”

The Marquis, whose eyes met Arinne’s, was startled just like Jade had been and quickly turned his head.

“Dad, don’t come!”

Ray’s clear voice cut through the air that was about to become awkward.

“Jade and Ray have small heads so it’s okay. But Dad can’t! Big sister’s legs will get tired. Ray’s right, isn’t he?”

“Well, I suppose.”

Arinne drew out her words and tapped Ray’s forehead with her index finger.

The touch tickled, and Ray shook his head and giggled.

“My lady. What are you pondering?”

“A grown man’s head is heavy. My legs would go numb quickly.”

“You didn’t need to answer seriously…”

The Marquis’s voice grew smaller and smaller. He spread his large left hand to press down on both cheekbones, trying to hide his burning face.

However, it was impossible to completely cover his cheeks that had reddened all the way up to just below his eyes.

“Dad’s face is a tomato.”

Ray giggled annoyingly. Ray rubbed his head against Arinne’s thigh like he was showing off to his dad.

“Hah?”

The Marquis let out a hollow laugh with a face that seemed somehow provoked.

‘He’s reacting like this to what a kid says.’

Arinne quietly clicked her tongue. He was a man who responded quite sincerely even to small provocations.

“Want to try lying down?”

Arinne, feeling unnecessarily playful, patted her thigh.

“No thanks!”

The Marquis gulped down his tea in one go like beer with a thoroughly flushed face.

Arinne’s mischievous gaze now turned to his mini-me sitting next to the Marquis.

“What about Jade?”

“…!!”

Jade jumped in shock, then froze and dropped the cookie he was holding with a thud.

Arinne withdrew her gaze from Jade and looked down at Ray lying with his head on her lap.

“…Hmpf.”

“Puhah!”

Seeing Ray’s expression, his mouth wriggling because he wanted to laugh, Arinne didn’t hold back and laughed.

The Marquis and Jade’s faces kept getting redder until they finally became complete tomatoes like Ray had said.

“Don’t laugh!!”

“Please don’t laugh!”

When the two shouted simultaneously, Ray laughed so hard he held his stomach, tears forming in his eyes.

A subtle smile also played around Arinne’s lips.

The day before autumn was warm, and even the tea and desserts tasted good, so it was a rare peaceful time.

“Ahem, my lady. Didn’t you say you had something to discuss? Let’s do it now.”

The Marquis cleared his throat and changed the subject.

“That?”

Arinne looked at the Marquis, Jade, and Ray again in order, then shook her head.

“Later.”

It wouldn’t do to suddenly ask here if he was thinking of remarrying.

“Understood. Then…”

The Marquis whispered something quietly to Jade. Jade flinched and bit then released his lip.

“I, I’m sorry for being rude last time. For… shouting too.”

Only then did Arinne understand why the Marquis had requested tea time today with the children.

“How rude could you have been? You don’t need to apologize.”

Arinne responded indifferently. Not only did she not want to receive a reluctant apology, but to Arinne, Jade’s behavior wasn’t particularly something to apologize for.

Whether because his apology wasn’t accepted or because he hated being treated like a little kid, Jade’s expression became sullen.

“That face is better. I prefer a rude kid to one who reads the room.”

“…”

Jade, whose expression had been read, bit his lip and turned his head sharply away.

Lawrence, who had been the one to push Jade to apologize, didn’t even know how to intervene.

He looked exactly like he was being scolded.

“Shall we end tea time here?”

Arinne let out a faint sigh. The atmosphere that had become awkward in an instant was uncomfortable.

“Where will you go and what will you do now?”

The Marquis stood up following her.

“Ray said he’d show me around the mansion.”

“Mm, let’s go together.”

Having abandoned his work attendance, he really seemed to have nothing to do.

“Don’t you have work?”

“At least today I’m free.”

The Marquis spoke with a shameless face. Work was piling up, but today all of it wasn’t his work.

‘Why is he acting like this?’

Arinne’s gaze became askew.

She didn’t know the reason, but the Marquis really seemed intent on observing her all day today.

“I don’t like people who act annoying.”