That day, early dawn.

Carlo, watching Lea, headed to the Grand Duchess’s bedroom.

“Ha.”

Opening the door, he found cushions and toys scattered everywhere, making it look no different from a lion cub’s sanctuary.

He walked across the carpet deep into the room and gazed at the bed bathed in reddish dawn light.

The lion cub, seemingly having sensed his presence already, perked up its ears and watched him with round blue eyes.

Carlo stared at the cub with a furrowed brow and said:

“…What a cushy life for a mere beast.”

“Kyaak!”

Anyone watching might think it actually understood his words.

As if that stupid animal could understand anything.

Odin’s eyes grew fierce as he immediately snarled, causing Carlo to let out a derisive laugh as he took a couple more steps forward.

“You even have the audacity to monopolize the Grand Duchess’s bed.”

“Nyaaak!”

Though just a cub, it was amusing how he puffed up his fur and bared his tiny teeth as if trying to appear threatening.

Such a small thing with such an attitude…

He really didn’t like that Lea carried around something like this.

“……”

But it was also cute when she carried it around.

When Lea, with her clear turquoise eyes gleaming, walked in front of him wearing a cotton candy-like rustling dress while holding that golden ball of fur.

It looked like a rabbit carrying a lion, which was quite a sight to behold, often catching his eye…

While he found everyone else’s requests bothersome and cumbersome, how many times had he pretended to give in to her demands?

When he saw her, he felt the urge to tease her, and when she wasn’t in sight, he needed to see and hear about her every move to feel satisfied…

“She seems physically weak, yet she works alongside the servants and keeps volunteering for difficult tasks, which is somewhat concerning.”

If even Joseph, who generally viewed Lea with disapproval, said such things, he could clearly imagine how much effort she must be putting in with that small frame.

For someone who had been sleeping so well to have nightmares meant she was under considerable stress, yet when he generously told her to rest, all he got in return was:

“I’ll manage well on my own so you don’t have to worry.”

“How about taking Joseph back with you?”

Such impertinent and breezy responses.

He was the only one annoyed by her light tone.

Why, now she wants to make her life completely unknown to me?

The way she stared at him with innocent eyes after thoroughly stirring him up.

Annoyed, he dismissed her and told her to go to sleep without bothering to listen further.

“Your Highness has been busy lately, and the lady keeps asking where he’s gone and what he’s doing. It would be better if you explained in advance. She might feel disappointed always hearing it from me.”

When he returned to the mansion last night, Norbert carefully broached the subject, expressing his wish for the Grand Duke to be more attentive to the Grand Duchess.

He had never lived like that before—telling someone about his schedule in advance.

The notion that she felt disappointed was merely Norbert’s assumption, who had recently begun viewing her positively.

What need was there to tell a woman who wanted to remove Joseph and escape his sight about his daily routine?

It would only be tiresome for both the speaker and the listener.

Nevertheless.

Tap— Tap—

Lost in thought, Carlo briefly tapped the Grand Duchess’s desk with the corner of the envelope.

“I should at least warn her not to cause trouble.”

She might be the type of woman who, delighted by his absence, could get up to who knows what mischief while alone.

Well, she always managed to surprise him and catch him off guard…

It wasn’t particularly because he had Norbert’s words in mind.

“……”

Uncharacteristically, he put down the envelope after adding various unnecessary thoughts.

“Do not skip meals.”

I read Carlo’s letter aloud.

“Contact me immediately if anything happens.”

What? Just two lines?

The terse phrases written in neat cursive seemed to resemble their owner.

Should I take this as kindness or as an order…?

Moreover, there was no mention of going to the Novahans Islands, no matter how closely I looked.

“Why are you smiling?”

“What?”

“You’re smiling right now.”

“Ha! When did I?”

At Odin’s observation, I hurriedly pressed my lips together and carefully folded the letter into the pocket inside my dress.

I hope it doesn’t get wrinkled…

“Are you that happy he wrote you a letter?”

“Happy? It barely qualifies as a letter.”

“Your eyes are smiling though.”

“My eyes naturally look like they’re smiling. Look!”

When I forcibly made crescent moon eye-smiles with my fingers, Odin grimaced, shook his head, and sat back down on the bed.

I took out the letter I had just put in my pocket and read it once more with my eyes.

Is it because he’s a Grand Duke…?

Even his handwriting was impressive.

Under Odin’s scrutinizing gaze, I hurriedly cleared my throat and put on a serious expression.

“There’s still not a single word in the letter about where he’s going or what he’s doing. I guess he doesn’t feel the need to tell me.”

“Well, he didn’t tell you where he went, but I’ve never seen that kid send a letter with such information.”

“So I’m the first?!”

“Who knows. It didn’t happen inside the castle, but he might have sent letters left and right outside.”

Ah… that’s right, Odin mentioned he didn’t know about situations outside the castle.

As Odin said, perhaps he had been sending letters to women outside.

Though Violet had said he wasn’t sociable.

Hey, hey… the way he casually left a letter behind, as if anticipating I would be concerned.

If it had only said to contact him if anything happened, I would have thought, what is this? But there was also the instruction not to skip meals. It gives a feeling of being cared for, doesn’t it?

And the fact that he left it in my bedroom rather than our shared bedroom, creating a time-delayed attack where I would find it after feeling disappointed for a while…

He doesn’t seem like someone inexperienced in captivating hearts.

“…Still.”

It’s better than leaving nothing at all.

I gently fingered the letter in my pocket and looked at Odin.

“Odin, do you think… I might have done something else bad to Carlo besides the attack incident?”

“Trying to kill him, embezzling. Are you saying there’s more?”

Hearing it put that way, I wondered how many worse things could exist in the world.

But the drug explained at the Carrisford apothecary weighed on my mind.

I refrained from mentioning that I might have drugged Carlo, knowing Odin would be truly enraged.

“I’m asking because I don’t know myself.”

“Hmm… If you’re curious, why not ask him directly? What constitutes a bad deed is subjective, so Carlo should answer that himself.”

“…I’m afraid there might actually be something if I ask.”

“It’s not like you did it anyway.”

“But he thinks I did.”

I hoped that man would stop recalling the previous Lea and the bad things she had done.

“I’m afraid it might be like a nightmare for him. Making him recall something worse wouldn’t be good for him either…”

Since she had tried to make him drink Lamberoo tea, I had to consider the possibility that she had also used that antidepressant on Carlo. And with a high probability, she had exceeded the recommended dosage…

And I suspected that the drug might have been provided by the Azanie family or Genevieve.

Those who had been preparing to destroy the Hedegen family for a long time would stop at nothing.

Lost in worry, I noticed Odin watching me silently.

“What?”

“Child. This is not the time for such thoughts.”

“Then what?”

“When the master is away from the castle, you should do what needs to be done.”

“Which is…?”

“Steal. If you go to the third floor, in the third room from the east, there are expensive jewels…”

“Stop it! I might accept and sell things, but stealing is wrong!”

When I jumped up and retorted, Odin burst into laughter, showing his belly and giggling. His well-fed, plump belly jiggled as he laughed.

“Haha, I knew you’d react like that. You’ve got the guts of a mouse.”

“My guts are very big. So big that I’m planning to take alimony and run away.”

“No, your guts are the size of a claw. And not yours—mine.”

As I glared at Odin resentfully, there was a knock at the door.

It was Jeanne bringing snacks.

“Thank you. It’s dinner time now, isn’t it? Go ahead and eat.”

After Jeanne left, telling me to pull the bell cord if I needed anything else, I approached Odin and offered him chicken cubes.

Sniffing around, Odin suddenly raised his head.

“Why chicken?”

“Odin. Look at your belly before you speak. I heard you already had dinner? This is a late-night snack, and from now on, your late-night snacks will be chicken br*ast.”

“No! I like meat full of salt. I like juicy meat that bursts with flavor! Have you ever spent hundreds of years just breathing air? Do you know how painful it is to just watch delicious food going into others’ mouths? You’re stealing my happiness right now!”

“This is for your health, so your late-night snacks will be like this for a while.”

Odin shouted while lying down to hide his protruding belly, but I ignored him and pushed the plate closer to him.

“You’re not going to leave me behind tomorrow too, are you?”

“We’ll go together. But wait!”

“But what?”

“I’ve arranged to meet Dillan tomorrow.”

“Who’s Dillan?”

“Um… Dillan Azanie.”

“Count Azanie’s son?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Then you definitely need to take me!”

Odin said, kicking away the chicken br*ast with his front paw.

“Let me see that bastard’s face! I bet he’s pathetic!”