No sooner had I carefully spoken than his eyes turned fiercely cold.

“…Why?”

Just a moment ago he was telling me to speak…!

Even though it was a month away, I needed to go to Mertid Square to meet Brianna.

If I told the Grand Duke I was going to meet Brianna without a convincing reason, would he understand?

All we had shared was our conversation in the presence of the Grand Duke, Brianna, and myself. If I suddenly said I needed to meet the child, he would naturally be suspicious.

But what if I went with the Grand Duke?

Young Brianna had told a lie for me, likely to spare me trouble in front of the Grand Duke. How would I find out what the lie was if he came along?

Therefore, I needed to go alone or, if I went with others, I needed to meet her privately.

Since I couldn’t leave the castle without the Grand Duke’s permission, I had tried to seize this opportunity to get his approval…

“You told me to speak!”

“Don’t even dream of it.”

“I can’t go?”

“……”

“I won’t do anything strange! I won’t cause any trouble. There are security guards there, so there won’t be any problems!”

He seemed intent on ignoring my words as he rose from where he had been sitting on the bed.

His massive body blocked the sunlight, casting a large shadow across the bed.

Casually draping a robe over himself, he looked down at me askance.

His eyes, backlit, took on a cold, deep blue color.

“Just keep on as you are.”

“Huh? What do you mean by ‘keep on as I am’…?”

How had I been?

Wondering if my posture wrapped in the blanket was strange, I looked around, but he watched me with a disapproving gaze before turning his back.

[Lea Azanie has acquired 10 Redemption Coins.]

[Jeanette Garrison has opened her heart to your efforts.]

“Huh?”

[Lea Azanie has acquired 10 Redemption Coins.]

[Adley Garrison has set aside his prejudices due to your efforts.]

While exchanging farewells with the branch manager couples, messages appeared on the gift checklist I had prepared for them.

Though it was a short stay, perhaps their hearts had been moved a bit while watching me from the annex.

I couldn’t help but smile, pleased that they had opened their hearts despite my small efforts.

“Stay well, Your Highness.”

Adley Garrison, the Delsivine branch manager, greeted the Grand Duke respectfully.

Today, the Grand Duke wore a dark gray jacket with a white shirt, an elaborate patterned silk cravat, and black pants.

Though he looked slightly more comfortable than when wearing his uniform, his inherently stern demeanor made the difference negligible.

However, I still wondered about something.

What did he mean by “keep on as you are”?

“We’ll see you next quarter. May the grand duchess also be well.”

I responded to Adley’s words with a light smile as he turned his gaze to me.

“All the gifts have been loaded.”

As a servant approached to report that the last gifts for the Terris couple had been loaded onto their carriage, Norbert checked the list in his notebook and looked at me.

“All checks are complete, my lady.”

Four carriages loaded with gifts were lined up in front of the castle, preparing to depart.

Mariette, who had been seeing off the branch manager couples with me as we still had work to do, approached Lady Jeanette.

“Take care, Lady Jeanette.”

Jeanette smiled brightly and embraced Mariette tightly.

After nodding vigorously, Jeanette walked toward me.

“…Me too?”

“Of course!”

At her cheerful laugh, I instinctively opened my arms and embraced Jeanette, experiencing a strange feeling in that moment.

How warm another person’s embrace could be.

As I slowly closed and opened my eyes, a peculiar, bubbly feeling rose in my chest and spread to my fingertips.

Just as I had no mother in my previous life, perhaps the original Lea had never received maternal love, causing me to feel this way.

As the unfamiliar warmth receded, I clenched my fist in regret.

“We’ll be going now.”

After all the branch manager couples had boarded their carriages, they began to depart one by one with final farewells.

Watching the carriages pass through the garden along the neatly laid white stone path, I noticed the Grand Duke turning to enter the castle. I quickly approached Norbert, who was following behind him.

“Thank you, Norbert.”

As I greeted him and made eye contact, Norbert turned to me with a slightly surprised face.

“Thanks to you, we were able to see everyone off properly. You must have worked hard because of me, since I didn’t know anything. I’ll take back all the work you’ve been doing for me as soon as possible.”

Norbert, who had been staring at me intently, smiled gently and bowed politely.

“Not at all. Selecting gifts was the most difficult task for me, and you solved that problem. If there’s anything I can help with, please let me know anytime.”

After checking on the Grand Duke walking ahead, Norbert gave me an apologetic smile and followed after him.

At that moment, a message appeared on the gift list paper I was holding.

[Lea Azanie has acquired 50 Redemption Coins.]

[You have received small recognition from Chief Butler Norbert Lacellus.]

“What?”

This was the largest number of coins I had received so far!

To think that Norbert’s “small recognition” was worth this much.

Then perhaps the quantity of coins reflected how much trouble I had caused them before?

[See! You can do it!

Keep working hard toward 500 Redemption Coins without stopping. Go, go, fighting!]

Ha, is it mocking me now?

While I was happy to receive such a large amount as 50 coins, wasn’t it too much to say I could do it and tell me not to stop?

How was this different from whipping me to work here for a lifetime?

Ha! I guess the coins are bigger from people I’ve wronged more severely!

“Fine, I’ll do it. How much do you want, how much do I need to do?”

Since I’d already decided to do well, I might as well make a proper impression, move people’s hearts, receive my alimony, and leave without guilt.

If I collected coins that way, I would eventually discover the secret of my birth for a happy ending. Might as well take the opportunity!

“I was thinking of taking a walk, if you’d like to join… Oh… are you alright, Your Highness?”

Mariette asked worriedly with a surprised face, having discovered me with wide eyes and clenched fists.

“That tailor must be quite famous.”

When I asked, Mariette nodded.

Thinking Odin would benefit from some fresh air, I had brought him along for our walk.

Unlike the other couples, the Swinton couple from Edenchetter were scheduled to leave tomorrow.

“He’s renowned for being skilled in both trading and tailoring.”

She explained that there was someone she hadn’t been able to meet at Mertid Square and asked if it would be alright to have them visit the castle.

When I asked the Grand Duke’s opinion, he surprisingly agreed easily, saying the tailor could be received in the reception room.

According to Mariette, this tailor was too far away to visit her domain and only came to St. Berte. He would take measurements and select fabrics here, then create dresses at the Mertid shop we had visited yesterday and deliver them.

“Many nobles queue up just to meet him.”

While explaining about the tailor who would soon visit the castle, Mariette couldn’t take her eyes off Odin in my arms.

“How does Odin’s fur shine like the sun? I’ve never seen such a lion in my life.”

Mariette cautiously reached out to Odin, but he immediately shrieked “Gyaak!” and burrowed into my arms.

It seemed Mariette’s greatest wish was to hold and walk with Odin rather than having a dress made from rare fabric.

“A dress?”

Odin, who had been quietly listening to our conversation, tapped my arm to signal me to look at him.

“You look like you need a dress first. Why don’t you get one?”

As I was about to answer, I carefully glanced at Mariette, conscious of her presence. Fortunately, she was focused on her husband Randolph, who was waving at her from the shade of a tree where he had been talking with the Grand Duke.

“I’d like to, but I can’t.”

Ha, as if I wouldn’t want to buy something too.

Of course I’d like pretty things, but…

“…I don’t have any money.”

Since Lea had sent all the grand duchess’s budgeted funds and any assets she could divert to her family, I had nothing left.

How much gaslighting must she have endured to send all that money without keeping a single penny for herself? She was truly a devoted daughter.

“What do you mean, you don’t have any?”

Odin asked with an incredulous face, as if encountering a penniless human for the first time in his life.

“…I just don’t have any.” 

“Ah, you had it before?”

“No, I’m telling you I just don’t have any.”

Since I was claiming to have lost my memory, what else could I say?

Hearing my answer, Odin stared at me with his mouth wide open before finally burying his face in his front paws.

“…Already spent it all? Or did you receive very little?”

“I don’t know either.”

“I’m the fool for asking someone with amnesia.”

Odin sighed deeply and rested his chin on one front paw.

“Sigh, now what… I had plans.”

“What plans?”

Just then, I noticed maids rushing toward us.

They seemed to be approaching Medlin, who had been walking behind Mariette and me.

The pale-faced maids flinched upon seeing me, then trembled as they whispered something to Medlin.

Medlin’s expression darkened as she looked at the maids before quickly approaching me.

“…I’m sorry, my lady. We just confirmed that all of your dresses have been torn.”