“Are you tired?”

Medlin asked as she placed a dessert plate filled with sweet fruits and chocolates on the desk.

“I’m worried because you haven’t rested at all since returning from Novahans, with all the charity event preparations.”

“I’m fi—”

“All you know how to say is that you’re fine.”

I was about to give a light response to Medlin’s concerned expression when Carlo’s words came to mind.

He wasn’t even here, yet he popped into my thoughts, feeling as if he were right beside me.

“—ne would be nice to say, but I am a little tired today.”

Hehe. When I flashed a bright smile, Medlin clasped her hands together, swallowing a sigh of concern.

I smiled reassuringly at her and first handed the sweet and sour grapes she had given me to Odin.

Odin, who had been lying down obediently with his front paws under his chin, shook his cute face as he got up.

“You eat first.”

Huh? What’s this about? Giving me the snack first.

Since I couldn’t ask Odin what was wrong in front of Medlin, I asked indirectly.

“Are you sick, Odin?”

“Indeed. Refusing a snack is unusual.”

Medlin was also looking at Odin as if witnessing a rare sight.

Eventually, Odin approached reluctantly and took a grape in his mouth.

Only then did I feel relieved and picked up a fruit to offer one to Medlin as well.

“Let’s all eat together and keep our spirits up.”

“Thank you, my lady.”

As we enjoyed our snacks together and looked out the window at the beautiful garden, Odin, having swallowed his grape, stared up at me.

“Something’s strange. Usually when the imperial charity event is held, the center director doesn’t have much to do, right? Well, it’s hard to be certain that’s still the case nowadays just because it was that way hundreds of years ago… But even considering that you’re providing the venue, I don’t think anyone else has had as much work to handle as you do now.”

After eating another grape I gave him, Odin continued.

“And why do they keep asking for so many consultations?”

He slapped the desk repeatedly with his fluffy tail, as if still indignant at the thought.

“That Dillan with his shifty eyes keeps asking for consultations, and that sister of his who is nothing to you comes charging at you with fire in her eyes! What kind of nonsense are they pulling on such a skinny child! You did well putting that Lily or Lolly or whatever her name is in her place earlier. I was almost moved to tears with pride.”

How dare she to the Grand Duchess…! Odin snorted angrily, slapped the desk once more, and widened his eyes.

“No matter what anyone says, you are now the Grand Duchess of Hedegen. No one should be allowed to treat you carelessly. That’s a challenge to the Hedegen family! At times like that, flatten their noses—no, crush them completely! Make them unable to show their faces again. You have every right!”

As Odin nodded vigorously while tapping the back of my hand with his chubby paw, I couldn’t help but laugh and took his front paw, shaking it solemnly as if we were shaking hands.

Odin, puffing out his chest solemnly as he shook hands with me, was truly reassuring and unbearably cute.

Ah, Odin appearing as a baby lion was really such a wonderful thing.

Cuteness has the power to melt away fatigue. Really. Long live cuteness!

“Shall we head back for today? After just one more round of inspection.”

When I stretched fully and stood up from my chair, Medlin nodded with the brightest smile I’d seen from her lately.

“Do you mean it? You’re leaving this early—no, this isn’t early. But it’s much earlier than usual, so I’m delighted. Please rest well in your bedroom today. Jeanne has been waiting desperately for your return.”

“I need to take care of my body since there’s a wine tasting tomorrow.”

“A wine tasting? Ah, yes. Sir Dillan mentioned it earlier.”

Medlin added that since I had a low alcohol tolerance and might get drunk, she would need to feed me plenty of healthy food at home in advance, already preparing for tomorrow.

She seemed concerned that I would be sitting closest to Dillan during the wine tasting, though others would be joining us too.

“Wow…”

The sunset in December, viewed as I left the center director’s office, resembled a beautiful forest surrounded by brilliant orange light.

The colorful flowers and various types of trees encircled this place like a fortress, making my heart feel wide open whenever I turned my head briefly while working.

I now vaguely understood where that somewhat stuffy air I had felt in the capital, Keddenshire, had come from.

Come to think of it, St. Berte maintained the appearance of a city while adding open nature nearby, allowing one to enjoy the green spectacle at any time.

“I really like St. Berte.”

After looking back at Medlin and Joseph’s group walking a little distance away from me, I stroked Odin’s back and said.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”

“Yes. Really.”

“But not enough to make you not want to leave?”

When I stopped abruptly, Odin looked up at me.

“I don’t think you’ve grown to like St. Berte just because it’s beautiful. Am I wrong?”

My heart sank, and I quickly swallowed.

“N-no, that’s not it.”

“Really? Since returning from Novahans, you’ve been smiling to yourself one moment and pouting the next, lost in thought and sighing. I noticed you smile whenever someone mentions Carlo, so I wondered if something happened between you two there.”

“Me?”

“Did you grow to like St. Berte because you like Carlo? Or did you grow to like Carlo because you like St. Berte?”

I tried to compose my expression as my eyelashes lowered hesitantly.

“Haha! Is my intuition wrong?”

Odin waited for my answer with a subtly arrogant smile.

Is it a Hedegen family trait to have this ability to render people speechless?

When I thought of Carlo, when I recalled that man, a sweetness like cotton candy or macarons swelled in my heart.

His large hands pulling me close to his chest.

His playful gesture of lowering his head to kiss my forehead.

His intense gaze, so hot it was almost unbearable to meet his eyes.

“……”

Though I missed him. On the other hand, my conscience pricked at me, wondering if I should be so greedy, causing my shoulders to slump again.

Besides, from Odin’s perspective, if someone like me said I liked Carlo, it would complicate things for him, caught between his affection for me and his family’s honor.

Rather than giving unnecessary worry to Odin, who always took my side like his own granddaughter, it was much better for me to suffer alone.

“Y-you’re wrong. I was just saying I like St. Berte.”

“Oh, really?”

“Why are you saying such things when I can’t stay here forever anyway?”

But without realizing it, my heart grew sharp, and I immediately grumbled at innocent Odin.

Instant regret followed, and unable to do anything else, I hugged Odin tightly.

Odin didn’t push me away but quietly comforted me.

“That’s true. Even though I clearly know that you’ll eventually have to leave this place unless we find a way to prove you had nothing to do with the St. Berte attack, how should I put it… Seeing you these days, moving around the castle and December…”

Odin, curled up in my arms as if burying his small body, now had a face more lost in thought than mine.

“…it feels like you’ve become a part of this place. And Carlo suddenly visiting Novahans also concerns me…”

Odin had a bitter look in his eyes, apparently surprised by Carlo rushing to St. Berte Castle during the Novahans training.

“Even if we prove you’re not an Azanie child, those Azanies would somehow insist you’re their child, wouldn’t they? They must have created evidence to make you their child over more than ten years. But you have almost no way to prove otherwise, so even if you claim it, the world wouldn’t believe you.”

“……”

“They’ve gathered evidence while carrying out the attack with the Empress, and yes, they’ll somehow cling to the idea that you were involved and won’t be the only ones to suffer.”

“They will.”

I could tell just by looking at what Dillan and Lily were doing now.

“Without your parents, whose whereabouts are unknown and who might not even be alive, suddenly appearing from somewhere—sigh. I’m saying this because those bad people have caused you to end up like this, innocent as you are.”

Odin, trailing off with a deep sigh, leaned his face against my hand.

I forced my lips to move.

“Tsk, I thought you wanted to go on an adventure?”

“Ha! Of course I still feel that way. But if a frail child like you gets hurt during an adventure…! I just thought it would be much better for you to travel while being protected, that’s all. Hmph!”

Though Odin was deliberately snorting for my sake, my own heart was just as unsettled, making it difficult to say anything more as I continued walking.

“Hey! Didn’t you hear me say not to wander around!”

At that moment, I heard someone shouting angrily from behind the young ladies’ sales booths.

“This is why I don’t want to associate with those who have nothing!”

As I hurried toward the source of the sound, I saw imperial servants who spotted me and bowed deeply in surprise.

“Your Highness!”

Behind them, people staying at the December Center were bowing their heads with bewildered expressions.

Among them, I could see Brandon and some children.