Arinne clutched his shirt tightly with one hand while punching his back repeatedly with her other fist.

In the entire empire, this tactless man was probably the only one who could treat her like a sack of potatoes.

He only set Arinne down when they reached the entrance to the training grounds.

“Let me catch my breath first.”

Arinne pushed his back, telling him to go ahead. Her legs were so numb she couldn’t walk any further.

“Y-you need to hurry…!”

“Huff! I said I got it.”

When her hand fully touched his back, he seemed to hesitate for a moment.

“Ha, he really is crazy…”

Arinne muttered while rubbing her aching side.

Walking awkwardly in a ridiculous state, Arinne arrived at the training grounds and was immediately left speechless.

“Wow…”

Total chaos.

It was literally chaos.

Despite rushing over in one breath, the Marquis was floundering helplessly, not knowing what to do.

“Big sister…!! Waaah!”

Ray, who had been clinging to the Marquis’s leg and crying loud enough to shake the mansion, immediately ran to Arinne when he saw her.

“My lady…”

The Marquis, his face pale as a sheet, looked at Arinne desperately.

His handsome face on the verge of tears made his meaning crystal clear.

He was hoping she would somehow resolve this situation.

‘What does he expect me to do…’

Arinne looked at him with a reluctant expression. She wasn’t someone who could provide a ‘solution’—unless making an even bigger mess counted.

Arinne considered shouting that she was the once-lawless Lady of Marcedea. Maybe then the Marquis would give up his futile expectations.

The Marquis didn’t know who she was, so… No. That wasn’t it. This person would have the same expectations regardless of who she was.

It was a strange certainty. And strangely, that certainty didn’t feel bad.

‘Can’t be helped?’

Arinne gave the Marquis a look. He slowly approached her.

His pants bore a face made of tears and snot that Ray had created moments ago.

“Ray, come here.”

The Marquis stood before Arinne and Ray, awkwardly spreading his arms toward Ray.

“No!!”

“O-okay. I understand…”

When Ray hugged Arinne’s waist even tighter and held firm, the Marquis awkwardly withdrew his arms.

“He likes you more, my lady.”

“Marquis.”

“S-sorry. Come on, Ray… come to dad.”

The Marquis, scolded by Arinne’s eyes, tried again to bring Ray into his arms.

“I don’t want dad! Go away!!”

“Ray! That’s not nice to say…!”

“So what!!”

Despite the argument between the Marquis and Ray happening right beside her, Arinne’s gaze was on Jade.

Even though he looked ready to burst into tears, Jade stubbornly held back his crying. Jade even had scratches on his cheek. Still, it seemed he’d gone easy on Ray, being the older brother.

“Are you okay?”

Arinne barely managed to detach Ray and approached Jade.

“Why would I be okay?”

Jade glared at Arinne resentfully with reddened eyes.

“Can you show me your face?”

Jade pressed his lips tightly together and turned his head sharply away.

Arinne had no choice but to return to the Marquis’s side. Lowering her voice, Arinne whispered to the Marquis.

“You need to take care of Jade, Marquis.”

“Me?”

The Marquis was visibly flustered.

“Then who else would?”

Arinne pushed his back hard. Even though she pushed with all her trembling strength, the Marquis didn’t budge.

Believing she’d let him off if he looked pitiful, the Marquis drooped his mouth like a child and looked at her desperately.

“But how should I comfort him…”

“Are you kidding me?”

Unable to bear the frustrating situation, Arinne couldn’t contain her irritation and kicked his shin with the tip of her shoe.

“Oh my!”

“Good heavens…!”

Gasps of shock erupted from all around.

At the sharp sound, even Jade’s gaze turned this way.

“Marquis?”

“…”

“Want another kick?”

“…”

The Marquis didn’t even show signs of pain. He seemed so flustered by the fact that he had to take care of and comfort Jade that he’d even forgotten the pain.

“Snap out of it. I can create a new mess here that’ll make the kids’ fight look like nothing.”

Along with her rapidly depleting stamina, Arinne’s patience was hitting rock bottom.

From being slung over his shoulder to getting caught up in the children’s fight and being pushed around. On top of that, she was about to have to comfort a full-grown marquis—there was no way she wouldn’t be annoyed.

She didn’t have the capacity to accommodate a marquis who hesitated, saying he couldn’t comfort his own child.

“Do you understand? Father.”

Arinne pinched his cheek hard with a spiteful heart.

“…Yes.”

The Marquis reluctantly nodded while feeling his stinging cheek.

“J-Jade…”

“I don’t want to!!”

Jade, who had been watching this situation from several steps away, shrieked and turned to run when the Marquis tried to approach.

Quite desperately. Very swiftly.

“Jade!”

Rejected by both Ray and now Jade, the Marquis’s face became one that was three seconds away from crying.

His head soon turned toward Arinne. Seeking an answer again, he asked.

“…Should I chase him?”

“Ah! Marquis, please!”

* * *

Jade crouched in a corner of the maze.

‘So annoying! So annoying! So annoying!!’

He hated both father and Ray today. He hated Calon who wasn’t here, and he hated everyone.

Especially that woman named Arinne—he hated her most of all.

“So you were here?”

Arinne’s face poked out from beyond the hedge wall forming the maze.

“What?!”

Jade jumped up and shouted.

“Ow…”

Arinne groaned and instantly disappeared from Jade’s view.

“Huh?”

Jade stood on his tiptoes in confusion. He turned his head left and right busily, but only green walls were visible.

The maze in the rear garden was created for the children’s play while also serving as decoration.

What was merely a low wall between waist and chest height for adults was a giant wall blocking the view for children.

Jade bent his knees and jumped up. Only by jumping could he barely see the other side.

“Whew. Out of breath.”

“Eek!”

Arinne’s upper body popped out over the hedge wall again. Jade, who was about to jump again, was startled and fell backward.

“Are you okay? This place is surprisingly difficult to navigate. I had a hard time finding you.”

“J-just wait a moment.”

Jade spoke sullenly and went around the wall.

“Can’t an adult find one path?”

Jade, who skillfully found his way to where Arinne was, scolded her.

“It’s my first time here.”

She answered calmly without any other expression and plopped down on the grassy ground.

‘So that’s why I couldn’t see her earlier…’

Jade looked down at her quietly, then stealthily sat beside her. The prickly grass tickled Jade’s legs.

If someone came looking for him, it would probably be Calon, or if not, Ray.

Jade’s faith included no one else besides those two.

“Did you cry a lot?”

“I didn’t cry.”

That’s why he never thought the person coming to find him would be a strange woman he’d barely seen.

Jade clutched the handkerchief she handed him. The soft, small cloth crumpled in Jade’s hand.

“I don’t need it…”

Jade muttered quietly.

He’d cried hard since entering the maze, so now no tears came. His tears had stopped long ago, so why was this woman giving him a handkerchief now…

“Will you tell me why you fought with Ray?”

“No.”

“Okay. Can’t help it if you don’t want to.”

“…Aren’t you curious?”

Jade looked up at her in disbelief. Wasn’t she giving up too quickly? Adults usually asked three times, but this woman gave up right away after once.

“I’m curious. But you said you don’t want to talk about it?”

I hate forcing people to do things, Arinne added casually.

Jade thought Arinne was a strange person.

Would he become strange like that woman when he became an adult too?

“You’re strange. You don’t make me do things or expect anything from me. You don’t question or blame me either…”

“What am I to do that to you?”

Arinne spoke matter-of-factly.

‘What am I to her?’

Jade pondered her answer carefully. This didn’t come from special affection or interest. Rather, it was an answer that could only come from someone who maintained distance.

“What if you became something? If you became something to me… would you do that then?”

Jade didn’t know why he was saying this.

That woman didn’t expect anything from him, yet she planted expectations.

‘I wish big sister would marry dad. Then we’d have a mom, and big sister would keep living here!’

‘That’ll never happen!’

Thinking about it carefully, he shouldn’t have gotten that angry at Ray.

“You know…”

“Hm?”

Jade paused for a moment.

“Are you thinking of marrying dad?”

“…Suddenly?”

He just vaguely thought it might not be bad. He’d just thought that. Under the assumption that she would maintain this attitude even if she became something else.

“I’m against it.”

But…

No, it couldn’t be. It was impossible.

“Promise me you won’t marry dad.”

The child’s voice was quite earnest.

‘I can’t have another mom.’

At least he couldn’t betray his mother. His mother was only that woman with black hair and black eyes.

“Do you give me a box of gold coins or something?”

“…”

“In the novels my maid reads, they give gold coins or jewels at times like this.”

With a serious face that might or might not be genuine, she joked, and this time too, she said what Jade wanted to hear.

“I promise. I won’t marry the Marquis.”

“…It’s a promise.”

She really was a strange person.