I was drinking tea with Caromiel. As he sipped the tea in the round teacup, Caromiel shed tears silently. He looked at the tea I brought with a bitter smile.

“No matter how many times I drink it, tears always come.”

At his words, I smiled gently. I could see my father breaking down and releasing the emotions he’d kept bottled up. Releasing emotions was a good thing.

“The war will end soon.”

I heard the enemy nation recently declared surrender. I already knew from the news that Luden played an active role in that final battle. The war ended in two years, just like I saw in the novel.

I drank the tea like gulping down water. Then sad things from the past came to mind and tears flowed. Since I had no emotions knotted up enough to make me want to vomit, the tears came quietly.

“Annelia, actually…”

Caromiel was finally bringing up the reason he called me today.

What business made Father send an urgent letter?

I waited for his words with curiosity.

“Millen said he’s visiting today. The letter said he wanted to see you too.”

After I fought with my uncle Millen over money, Caromiel stopped contacting him. Since there was no interaction, I didn’t particularly care, but why does he want to meet now? I couldn’t understand.

“He repeatedly emphasized there would absolutely be no rude behavior and to please call you. What do you want to do?”

At Caromiel’s words, I pondered.

What should I do?

After tapping the table with my fingers while thinking, I nodded.

“I’ll meet him for now.”

Millen would hardly reflect on the past. He tried to come to my engagement ceremony without an invitation. Luden was the one who stopped that. Father knew this fact too.

“Please stay by my side, Father.”

“Of course.”

Caromiel smiled at my words. A few hours later, Millen visited the Rosaline estate at the appointed time.

Millen used to be arrogant and look down on people unpleasantly. But the Millen I met this time seemed different from before. He looked at Father and bowed his head.

“It’s been a while, brother! And I’m truly sorry for everything.”

He said that and handed Caromiel a check.

“It’s been a while, but here’s the money I borrowed.”

Millen paid back the money! I was surprised to see him, who had asked me for money, paying it back. After handing the check to Father, Millen turned his gaze toward me.

“Annelia, have you been well?”

“So-so.”

“Uncle is sorry about before.”

I couldn’t believe he was apologizing like this. And honestly, I doubted whether he truly reflected. His apology didn’t resonate with me at all.

I crossed my arms and asked him.

“What are you sorry for?”

At my question, Millen seemed momentarily speechless and rolled his eyes briefly.

“You know what you did wrong to me before apologizing, right?”

At my cold words, Millen hesitated.

“Annelia, Uncle is truly sorry.”

At his words, I shook my head.

“If you’re truly sorry, shouldn’t you know what you need to apologize for first?”

Millen rambled on about various things. But among what he said, there were no words I wanted to hear.

When I didn’t accept his apology until the end, Millen got angry.

“This is why Uncle won’t accept your apology. If it could be resolved with one apology, Father wouldn’t have cut off the relationship.”

Caromiel didn’t say anything different either.

“I’m not ready to accept an apology yet. So if you’re truly sorry, don’t try to end it with just saying you’re sorry.”

Millen greeted Caromiel with an expression of suppressed anger and left. After he left, I shrugged my shoulders.

“If you hadn’t been here, I might have accepted Millen’s apology.”

At Father’s words, I laughed.

“Father, Uncle Millen seems to have just come to apologize formally. Look how he gets angry when I don’t accept his apology. How is that a sincere apology?”

Father tilted his head.

“Right, how could it be a sincere apology when he doesn’t even know why we’re angry at him?”

“What on earth is he scheming?”

He probably came targeting me, the Charlot family, and the Rosaline ducal family that became wealthy again.

Besides… it was also suspicious that he suddenly paid back the money he borrowed from Father. What on earth is happening?

I fell into thought while drinking tea.

Right, I should consult with Andre.

* * *

The war was certain to end with the empire’s victory. Knights were offering congratulations to Luden, who earned great merit in this war.

“This is truly a good day. Luden, it’s a shame you’re not a knight. If you’d become a knight, you would have made quite a name for yourself.”

At the commander’s words, Luden shook his head.

“It’s not that much.”

“Nonsense!”

The commander spoke firmly.

“Anyway, you’ve worked hard. When you return to the capital, no one will dare covet your position.”

The commander knew well what happened before Luden became Marquis Charlot. He who received the marquis title at a young age finally solidified his position completely by overcoming his relatives’ interference.

“Thank you.”

Luden greeted the commander. At least he seemed to have good luck with superiors.

When the commander left, Reytan, who was sitting beside him, poured beer into Luden’s empty glass.

“On a day like this, you have to drink a lot.”

Reytan also earned merit in the final battle. Since he was active alongside Luden, Reytan was very popular among the people now. Kajian was also regularly sending letters asking after him since Reytan participated in the war. His status had risen considerably.

“My friend, Luden! Congratulations on this achievement!”

He laughed cheerfully, seemingly drunk. Since Luden didn’t drink until he got drunk, he slowly drank what Reytan gave him.

“Your Highness also worked hard.”

Luden spoke sincerely. Reytan was a friend and also a comrade who fought alongside him, defeating the enemy.

In the end, the two drank until late.

Luden brought the drunk Reytan to his barracks and returned to his own.

Several letters had arrived at his barracks.

Among them, the letter Annelia sent caught his eye. Luden grabbed the letter with a slight smile on his lips, but underneath it was a letter from the imperial family.

Who on earth sent this?

Luden frowned at the letter from the imperial family.

It was from Lorina.

Why on earth did she send a letter?

He read Annelia’s letter first. She wrote about her daily life and said Anan’s health improved more, so they even went to the park together recently.

And it said Millen came to apologize but she didn’t accept it.

‘Millen Rosaline.’

Thinking of him, Luden looked at the letter Lorina sent.

He considered throwing away the letter without reading it, but just in case, he opened the envelope. The letter paper had words written in fancy handwriting saying she was sorry for everything.

“Suspicious.”

Lorina and Millen—they seemed completely unrelated.

Yet Luden felt uneasy.

It looked like they were joining hands and moving together. Annelia also said Millen was suspicious.

Luden pressed his lips together.

His thoughts became complicated.

* * *

Andre submitted a report to me. Millen’s business was surprisingly going well. He was receiving investments reasonably well too.

As I examined the list of names, I frowned. There were no particularly suspicious people. Those who helped Millen’s business over the past year were people unrelated to Luden’s enemies.

“Isn’t he just doing this to gather business funds?”

At Andre’s words, I nodded. When I saw content recently about Millen trying to expand his business, he might be trying to restore relations with me to leverage the Charlot family’s status.

I don’t like any of this.

I grumbled while thinking about Millen.

“It’s outrageous that he had such thoughts.”

“Aren’t there many such people in that position?”

“That’s true, but…”

While agreeing with Andre’s words, I looked at the report once more. I examined it with eagle eyes to see if there was anything suspicious, but ultimately found no points to dig into.

“Don’t just look at that, you need to look at other things too.”

Andre urged. At his words, I quickly picked up the booklet at the very bottom. For this war victory celebration, Luden and Reytan would lead a procession.

While pondering over the booklet, my gaze stopped on one outfit. It was a formal suit embroidered with silver and gold thread. The shirt’s chest was slightly cut, giving a strange feeling. If Luden wore this, it would suit him really well.

“Should I choose this one?”

Andre looked at what I chose and admired it.

“It will really suit Lord Luden well.”

Andre also admired my eye. I wasn’t originally good at choosing such things, but living as the Marchioness Charlot and choosing all kinds of clothes raised my discerning eye.

I finished the remaining work and prepared to go to Anan’s room.

Today was the day to have tea time with Anan. And I needed to discuss how to greet Luden.

* * *

Luden read the letter written in Andre’s code. It said they investigated their activities over the past year but found nothing particularly unusual. 

Since Millen’s business started improving a year ago, they considered that period suspicious and investigated intensively, but it said they discovered nothing special.

‘Still, I’m uneasy.’

Luden thought that and burned the letter. Then he read Annelia’s letter. Annelia sent a letter saying she chose clothes for him to wear during the procession. 

At her words that she was happy to be able to choose his clothes, Luden’s ears heated up. Though they’d been married for quite a while, the time they spent together wasn’t very long.

When I return, I want to spend more time with Annelia.

He wanted to build memories with her by talking together, taking walks, and spending time. He wanted to make it so Annelia could say later that he was the person closest to her and with whom she spent the longest time.

Until the war ended, this was all he wished for.

If previously his only purpose in life was protecting his position as family head and his mother, now it wasn’t.

His life’s purpose changed to creating a family with the person he liked, spending time with that family, and living happily with those around him.

A sound came from outside the barracks.

“Luden, I’m here.”

Reytan sighed and entered the barracks.

“What’s wrong?”

“Father personally chose the clothes I’ll wear during the procession.”

“Annelia chose mine.”

“I can’t get used to Father taking care of me like this.”

At Reytan’s words, Luden smiled quietly. Interest in him was hot, as he emerged as the most popular prince from this war.

“Won’t Your Highness become the next crown prince?”

“Is that possible? There are children born to the Empress. There are also children of powerful concubines. Of course, excluding Sister Lorina.”

“Congratulations anyway.”

At Luden’s words, Reytan shook his head.

“Isn’t it good to receive His Majesty’s interest?”

“That’s true.”

“Just accept the present as it is.”

“Alright. Well, if I disappoint him, he’ll withdraw his interest right away, but I’ll think about that when it comes.”

Reytan shrugged and sat on the sofa, crossing his legs.

“Luden, do you have future plans?”

“I need to plan for children with Annelia.”

“Really?”

“Annelia is thinking about children, and so am I.”

“I think I’ll date Laysia a bit more before marrying.”

Laysia waited for him for a long time. Reytan smiled faintly thinking of her, whom he missed.

“I hope you’ll stand by my side at my wedding, Luden.”

“Me?”

“Luden is my friend!”

Luden raised one corner of his mouth.

“Understood. As a friend, I’ll be by Your Highness’s side.”

Reytan, who was looking at Luden’s face, was dazed for a moment.

“When I looked at Luden, you always had a businesslike expression, but now you make a rather comfortable expression even in front of me. Does that mean we’ve become that close?”

“Of course.”

He came to know Reytan’s personality while spending time together since knight training. That’s why they could fight with their backs to each other on the battlefield.

“Invite me to your estate sometime.”