“I am Odin.”

The lion even has a name.

I looked up at the sky, never having heard this name in the original story, then rubbed my eyes and looked down again.

The baby lion, still sitting in the same spot watching me, languidly wagged its tail.

“Odin… Who gave you that name? Your owner?”

Hearing my question, the baby lion sighed as if exasperated.

Though I say sigh, it was more like drooping its tail.

The baby lion tidied its face with its front paws, shook its head from side to side, and looked at me.

“I created this family. What owner!”

“Created…?”

The talking baby lion was mind-blowing enough, but what family was it talking about creating?

Thinking I might have misheard, I bent my knees to get closer and peered at the baby lion.

My long, curly hair spilled onto the grass, and the adorable baby lion approached slowly on its four tiny paws and stared at me.

“Odin Veiled Aslan Hedegen.”

“Huh…?”

This name sounded familiar.

“In my portrait, I was only listed as Veiled Aslan Hedegen.”

“Eek!”

The memory hit me suddenly, making me jump and involuntarily plop down on the ground.

Hearing that name instantly brought to mind the massive portrait hanging on the central wall of the library, which I had seen while wandering around to kill time.

He was the founder of the Hedegen family and, as he said, the one who gave the family the name Hedegen.

But how could this be real?

“You’re noisy. Come on, pick me up and take me to that castle.”

“…This really doesn’t make any sense.”

“I think so too. A baby lion of all things. What am I supposed to do as a baby animal that only knows how to eat and sleep? Ugh, my body has a mind of its own.”

“Excuse me…?”

“Yawn. Anyway, take me with you.”

Seemingly tired from waiting for me for a long time, the baby lion introducing itself as Odin barely kept its repeatedly closing eyelids open, approached my shoe, and plopped down.

The baby lion, sitting on its bottom, began nodding off while barely continuing to speak.

“I couldn’t just stand by and watch my family fall to ruin, so I appeared.”

What?

So this baby lion really is the founder of this family?

“My lady!”

When an urgent voice echoed from behind me, I reflexively picked up the baby lion quickly.

The door to the sickroom burst open, and the Grand Duke strode in.

Seeing his face, my body rose automatically from the sofa.

He wore a chilling silence, as if he might kill someone at any moment.

“Your Highness…?”

When I called him softly, the Grand Duke stopped abruptly.

His cold eyes, seemingly captured by something, stared at me piercingly.

Nervous under his heavy gaze, I unconsciously clutched Odin tighter, and the baby lion, breathing evenly with soft purrs, instinctively burrowed into my arms.

“……”

After staring intently at what I was holding and my face, he approached again with heavy steps.

His domineering aura was so strong that my mouth went dry.

“You’re a complete mess.”

“Ah! This is…”

The dress was too heavy to take off, so I had to climb over the balcony wearing it, cross through bushes—my hair and dress couldn’t help but become disheveled. Plus, with the bulky bandage on my hand, I couldn’t do anything properly.

“Did you go out to catch that?”

When he asked, I snapped back to attention and raised my head.

His gaze was looking down at the baby lion, Odin, in my arms.

“Answer me.”

“Yes, that’s right!”

I quickly nodded, and the Grand Duke once again examined my appearance thoroughly, as if inspecting each detail.

“What are you holding?”

“Ah! Isn’t it cute? It’s a cat.”

“Anyone can see it’s a lion cub.”

So it was definitely a lion to others too…

Not knowing how to begin explaining, I looked down at Odin in my arms.

Odin, with soft fur like cotton fluff, was curled up small and fast asleep, purring softly.

How should I explain this baby lion to the Grand Duke?

‘I had a conversation with this baby lion.’

If I said that, he’d question my sanity from the start of the conversation.

‘My goodness. This baby lion claims to be your ancestor. Can you believe it?!’

If I said that, he’d probably be convinced I was crazy, decide I had no more use, and lock me away somewhere or hand me over to the Imperial Police Investigation Bureau.

“Um, really…? To me, it looks like a cat that just happens to resemble a lion a tiny bit, hehe.”

“So what do you plan to do with that lion cub you’re stubbornly insisting is a cat?”

Sharp. He wanted me to get to the point.

“Well…”

Still, he was the Grand Duke’s ancestor—great-great-great-grandfather and countless generations beyond that, at the very top of the family tree. Should he keep calling him “cub”…?

“…I want to keep it.”

“That lion cub?”

“Not cub, if you could call him a baby lion…”

“……”

“Yes…”

I nodded at his fierce reaction, and he frowned as if finding it absurd.

“Why not say you’ll crumple an elephant and hang it in a birdcage while you’re at it?”

“What?”

“That’s how preposterous this is.”

“…That bad?”

“Obviously.”

At his scathing retort, I offered an awkward smile and slightly raised Odin.

The sleeping Odin briefly flailed his front paws as if annoyed but soon curled up again.

“As you can see, he’s incredibly cute.”

“Where exactly?”

The Grand Duke glanced at Odin and made a face of distaste, as if he didn’t like what he saw.

Lucky that Odin was asleep and couldn’t hear… How much will you regret treating your grandfather this way later…

“You suddenly want to keep a lion cub from who knows where? Do you know how much effort goes into training a wild beast? Norbert, contact the animal control department.”

Seeing the Grand Duke giving instructions to Norbert, I quickly shook my head.

“I really want to keep him. I’ll take good care of him!”

“Say something that makes sense.”

“He might make a better companion animal than you think!”

“You climbed over the balcony to catch that thing?”

“That thing?!”

He’s your grandfather! The founder of this family!

“…He’s just a c-cub. He’s pitiful—how could I send him away? Let me take care of him at least until he grows a bit. He already has a name.”

“A name?”

“Odin!”

I stared at him intently with hope, but the Grand Duke merely frowned as if wondering what kind of name that was. He showed no reaction suggesting displeasure that it shared a name with his ancestor.

He pressed his temple firmly with his eyes closed.

“…How long do you plan to keep holding that?”

The Grand Duke suddenly met my eyes again and spoke.

“Put that down and come here.”

“No. What if you tell someone to get rid of him while I’m gone?”

“I won’t.”

“……”

“I said I won’t.”

Under his cold gaze, I had no choice but to put Odin down on the sofa and surround him with cushions.

I could feel the Grand Duke watching me and sighing deeply behind me, as if suppressing his anger.

“We’ll talk about that lion cub later. Everyone is waiting in the banquet hall, so fix your hair first.”

At his words, Medlin quickly gestured and called for the maids, who began fixing my hair and dress.

After hurriedly finishing the grooming, I stood beside the Grand Duke, who remained standing in the same spot.

He extended his arm as if telling me to take it.

It seemed to be because the servants and attendants were watching.

“Let me warn you.”

The moment I took his arm, the Grand Duke looked down at me and spoke in an indifferent tone.

“It’s better not to think about escaping.”

He seized my hand that was holding his arm, pulling me close, and stared directly into my eyes.

“You won’t leave without my permission.”

“This is the finest cuisine I’ve ever tasted, Your Highness. Hahaha.”

Randolph Swinton, Mariette Swinton’s husband, looked back and forth between the Grand Duke and me with a polite laugh as we enjoyed the banquet in the hall.

It seemed that social interactions were difficult regardless of era, region, or age.

That capable and handsome middle-aged branch manager was forcing a hearty laugh while watching the Grand Duke’s expression.

“It’s a shame the couples’ hunt was canceled, but since things turned out this way, why don’t the ladies visit Mertid Square together?”

Randolph asked for everyone’s agreement with a comfortable smile.

Apparently, due to my collapse earlier, tomorrow’s scheduled couples’ hunt had been canceled and adjusted so that only the men would go hunting.

“I’m in favor!”

Madame Jeanette, who had emptied her champagne glass, answered with a bright smile.

She was the wife of Adley Garrison, the branch manager in charge of Delsivine.

“When I came during the St. Berte Festival period, I only visited Mertid Square at night, so I’ve been curious about what it’s like during regular hours.”

Hearing her words, I also became curious about what Mertid Square was like.

“Um… where is Mertid Square?”

At my question, the branch manager couples seemed to realize something and opened their mouths.

Just then, Madame Jeanette explained in a gentle tone with a kind smile.

“It’s what you might call the main square of St. Berte. There are several squares in St. Berte, but this is the largest. It’s so vast that you can think of it as a place where all kinds of shops in the world gather. It’s a bustling street unmatched by any other city, filled with rare handcrafted items and trade goods imported from foreign countries. There’s so much to buy everywhere. Ladies sensitive to fashion always stop by Mertid Square to order dresses.”

All kinds of shops…

I immediately thought of the envelope carefully hidden in the pocket of my chemise.

If all shops were gathered there, couldn’t I also find out what the powder in the envelope was?

“Tomorrow will be a happy day for the ladies, ho ho.”

Adley Garrison, Jeanette’s husband, raised his champagne glass energetically and nodded to the other couples.

Just as I was reaching for my champagne glass, wondering how I could go there—

“Stop.”

The Grand Duke prevented me, almost snatching my hand, and turned his gaze toward Adley.

He spoke in an elegant yet somehow sharp voice.

“Have you forgotten that the grand duchess collapsed?”