“Ahem! Write longer letters. Write everything you want to say.”

I read aloud the reply Carlo had sent me.

“If there are any changes in your feelings, tell me… everything?”

What is this?

After staring blankly at the elegantly written characters, I suddenly slapped my knee and looked at Odin.

“This letter… he’s wondering if I’ve recovered my memories, right? Considering he’s telling me to say everything if I remember.”

Odin, who had been carefully pondering the letter’s contents with me, opened his blue eyes wide and tapped the back of my hand with his front paw.

“That’s it. You’re right. Exactly that.”

“Ha, isn’t he incredible? He tells me so kindly to do whatever I want, but then he’s also trying to check if I’ve recovered my memories or not.”

“I’m surprised Carlo would say such a thing, but you call that ‘kindly’?”

“What?”

Unable to lie to Odin, who immediately questioned me in surprise, I answered in a shrinking voice.

“Well, actually… he didn’t really say it kindly.”

I fidgeted with the innocent letter while thinking of him.

“He just said it in his usual tone, like it was nothing special…”

“Tsk, that’s more like it.”

Odin clicked his tongue and shook his head as if I had overreacted to something insignificant. Feeling somewhat irritated, I stubbornly continued.

“But he did stroke my head. He even smiled a little…”

“He’d do that for Charles, the neighbor’s dog, too.”

“He didn’t do it for you!”

“Am I a dog? I’m a lion, that’s why he doesn’t do it!”

What kind of logic is that? I glared at Odin with a huff, and he sighed deeply before pressing my finger gently with his front paw.

“I’m saying this so you won’t get hurt. Carlo might have changed, but I know him well… I clearly heard the servants talking about how all the women he supposedly liked ended up leaving in tears. So don’t put too much meaning into his actions or expect too much.”

“I… never said I liked him.”

“Oh, is that so? Well, then it doesn’t matter.”

Odin casually removed his paw from my finger and began to feign disinterest.

Who said I liked him? It’s just…

But when my thoughts wouldn’t continue beyond that point, I felt strangely unsettled.

I gave Odin a hard side-eye.

“You’re saying such unexpected things that my mind is in chaos now.”

“What’s there to be confused about? If you don’t keep thinking about it, there’s nothing to be chaotic about.”

Odin replied irritatingly as he focused on rolling a ball of red yarn.

Hmph, easy for you to say when it’s not about you…!

Perhaps from hearing such unnecessary comments, my lips felt a bit dry and my throat parched, making me feel inexplicably dejected.

“But… were there really that many women who got hurt because of Carlo?”

“Why, interested?”

“No? I just… well, I naturally assumed there were many. I’m not particularly interested.”

“There were tons! Back then, 80 percent of the servants’ gossip was about noble ladies crying after falling in love with Carlo.”

“Was he… a playboy?”

“How would I know when I couldn’t see? I just heard he made many women cry. I heard many nobles wanted to be invited for tea, all wanting to bring their daughters. Some even came to the castle to play chess and cards.”

Chess and cards? With noble ladies?

“Well, being of Hedegen blood, he naturally attracts attention with his brilliant looks. It’s a bit awkward to say with my own mouth, but… even when I used to go outside the castle…”

“Be quiet for a moment. I need to work.”

“What? You brat!”

As I quickly put away the letter and picked up the December documents, Odin snorted and furiously clawed at the yarn.

Hmph, it does make sense that someone with those looks wouldn’t be without women.

With that face, that physique, and that pleasant voice, plus his wealth and high honor, it would be inevitable for him to have met many women!

“Come to think of it.”

Even when he hugged and kissed me at the Imperial Palace, his skinship was so smooth and natural, without any awkwardness.

That was my first kiss…!

Looking back, I did think his technique was too sweet to be from just once or twice.

Once or twice? He must have done it hundreds of times.

So that’s why he tried to help me when he saw me kissing his arm, as if I were pathetic.

“Just doing whatever he wants…”

Touching my head, holding my hand, embracing my waist…

Until then, I hadn’t realized what a flirtatious man he was.

As Odin said, if my heart were to waver, I might find myself in utter darkness.

I needed to focus only on what I had to do and keep my emotions in check.

I absolutely must not be captivated by the Grand Duke’s beautiful looks. Absolutely not!

“Grand Duchess.”

While I was firmly resolving my mind, a December employee knocked and opened the door to greet me.

“The delegates from the Imperial Palace have arrived.”

“This is outrageous! That Dillan is the event coordinator!”

Upon learning that Dillan Azanie was the charity event coordinator sent from the Imperial Palace, Odin angrily puffed up his tail fur and trembled furiously.

After formally greeting the officials dispatched from the Imperial Palace, including the Minister of Protocol, I was touring the facilities guided by a December employee.

Sitting at a garden table waiting for everyone to return, I took a sip of tea and thought.

Dillan as the coordinator…

I had heard that the Empress was responsible for appointing the coordinator, and this was clearly an intentional move.

While December being selected as the event venue was a great stroke of luck, I was already suspicious about the idea of Genevieve’s people and the Azanie family wandering around here all day.

“Remember, you’ve already confirmed you’re not related to the Azanies, so Dillan is a stranger to you too. You absolutely must not get close to him.”

“Genevieve has appointed Dillan as the event coordinator, so it seems I’ll be seeing him every day. How can I avoid being close to him?”

“Still, you can’t! Who knows what he might do to you.”

After glancing at the returning group, I offered Odin a snack.

“Wow… are you worried about me?”

“Of course.”

Odin clutched my arm tightly with his front paws and shouted.

“I’ll protect you!”

Looking at Odin threatening to protect me with his adorable face, I found it both amusing and heartwarming.

Never in my life, neither in my previous life nor this one, had anyone taken my side like this.

“Tch, what’s this? Earlier you called me a brat…”

“That’s just talk. Who else could I talk to if not for you? Kind-hearted kids like you are rare.”

Just try abandoning me. I’ll haunt you even after death. I’ll figure out how to roam around, for real. Odin swallowed his snack and rested his chin on my arm.

Last night, when I told him that Lea had been kidnapped as a child and then grew up brainwashed in the Azanie family, Odin had become furiously angry.

He kept saying, ‘I won’t let them get away with this!’

Looking at Odin, I found strange comfort in having someone who would fully believe my story.

Who else would believe such a tale?

If I had known it alone, I would have suffered silently whenever I remembered it.

“I’m so fortunate to have you, Odin.”

When I hugged Odin tightly and nuzzled my face in his fur, he grumbled but didn’t push me away.

“Tsk, tsk, and you’re only realizing this now.”

Though he was small, fragile, and temperamental, I learned through this life how incredibly reassuring it was to have someone who would believe me unconditionally.

Just then, the Minister of Protocol, having finished the inspection, approached me with Dillan and stopped in front of me.

“Thank you for graciously agreeing to use your facility as the charity event venue.”

After the Minister of Protocol greeted me politely, he looked around December once more with admiring eyes and continued speaking.

He was briefly explaining the contents of the documents I had received along with the notification that we had been selected as the charity event venue.

While listening to the Minister, Odin buried himself deeper into my arm and whispered.

“Look at Dillan’s eyes. Don’t they resemble a snake’s? The Azanie family members have always had disrespectful gazes. I wonder if those eyes are a family trait.”

I almost laughed at Odin’s words but forced myself to maintain a serious expression and concentrate on what the Minister was saying.

“He’s staring at you more intently. Why is he doing that?”

Though unintended, I had managed to avoid giving Dillan any chance to speak with me, so I glanced at him briefly.

As Odin had said, he was not taking his eyes off me, lost in some thought.

Had this happened before…?

I shuddered at the cold sense of déjà vu that came over me and hugged Odin even tighter.

The Minister of Protocol, having finished his explanation, suddenly looked at me with a smile before returning to the Imperial Palace.

“Though he is Your Highness’s brother, please keep a close eye on Sir Dillan.”

Wondering what he meant by “keep an eye,” I looked at him quietly as the Minister continued.

“These days, Sir Dillan is receiving high interest among noble ladies, being considered a good marriage prospect. It would be troublesome if scandals arose during this sacred volunteering event, so as family, you should keep him in check. After Grand Duke Hedegen married, there were no unmarried men who particularly attracted the noble ladies’ attention, but since Sir Dillan entered the Imperial Palace, the marriage market has begun to revive.”

“Ah, he must be popular.”

“Well, he is quite handsome.”

The Minister of Protocol laughed heartily as he answered me, then bowed.

After the Minister left and I was about to turn away, Dillan approached me with purposeful strides.

“Let’s go somewhere quiet and talk.”

“That’s not allowed.”

The one who stopped Dillan’s hand from grabbing me was none other than Joseph.

“His Highness the Grand Duke has ordered that no man may approach within 1 meter of the Grand Duchess.”