Joseph, who had been keeping his distance while watching me, was now standing behind me.

“Well done, Joseph!”

Odin grinned widely, raising all his front paws to briefly pretend he was cheering.

Dillan looked at Joseph with narrowed eyes and curled his lips into a sneer.

“No men allowed? Then what are you?”

He began nitpicking.

“I’m merely a knight serving my lady. That’s why His Highness granted me permission.”

“Have you forgotten that I’m family to the Grand Duchess?”

“The only person my lady, who has lost her memories, acknowledges as trustworthy is Grand Duke Carlo. I hope you’ll understand with your generous tolerance.”

“The only one she trusts…?”

Seemingly deciding that continuing the conversation with Joseph would yield nothing, Dillan abruptly turned his gaze to me.

“Did you agree to this too, Lea?”

I had read in the original story that the Azanie family had abused Lea, but there were many times I couldn’t understand why they treated me so carelessly.

Despite being the Empire’s only Grand Duchess with Carlo as a strong backing, they still treated me as if they couldn’t accept the change, addressing Lea as though she were no different from a subordinate.

But after seeing Lea’s childhood firsthand, I somewhat understood the reason.

They had grown completely accustomed to treating her like a toy for over ten years, so they couldn’t change their attitude toward Lea in an instant.

It was as if their pride wouldn’t allow it.

“That can’t be right. Don’t you agree? No matter how much you’ve lost your memory, how dare you treat your family…”

“Sir Joseph is telling the truth, Brother.”

When I responded, Dillan’s eyes immediately darkened.

“Since everything happened, the only person who has protected me is Grand Duke Carlo.”

“…What?”

“Wasn’t it my family, including Father, who first drew a line separating themselves from me right after the St. Berte attack?”

Pretending to recall articles I had read, I tilted my head and gave him a sweet smile.

“If you have something to say, feel free to say it, Brother. We can go somewhere quieter too. Just know that Sir Joseph and Medlin will always accompany us. I’ve decided to trust the people of St. Berte Castle more than my family.”

Dillan’s eyes twisted strangely as he listened to my words.

“You’re saying others need to hear our private conversation?”

“Why? Is there something they shouldn’t hear?”

“I don’t mind, but you’ll regret it if they hear.”

His deliberately cold smile made my shoulders shiver.

He was clearly trying to manipulate me through subtle threats.

I steeled my wavering heart and looked straight at him.

“I’ll listen first and then decide.”

“You must be speaking carelessly because you don’t know the truth yet. Fine, keep babbling whatever you want to believe. But the person you trusted wasn’t the Grand Duke but only…!”

Dillan, speaking with gritted teeth as if losing control, suddenly paused.

More people, including Joseph, were now watching him. The attention of everyone in the area seemed focused on us.

After quickly surveying the many people gathering at December, Dillan hastily composed his hostile expression.

His attitude shifted to that of a dignified older brother, returning to a gentlemanly face as if family disagreements were perfectly normal.

“We’ll talk again when we’re alone this afternoon.”

“No.”

Startled by my answer, Dillan looked down at me with widened eyes.

“What…?”

“As I said, we won’t be alone.”

Dillan glared at me as if at a loss for words.

“And let me warn you.”

I took one step closer to him.

“From now on, show proper respect. To me, when speaking about Grand Duke Carlo, and to my people here.”

I stared at Dillan while deliberately showing him Odin displaying his sharp claws.

Dillan’s gaze grew increasingly strange, as if he felt mocked and humiliated in front of everyone.

“Raawr!”

When Odin, as if seizing the opportunity, bared his sharp teeth and snarled, Joseph, standing behind us, began to twitch at the corners of his mouth, trying to hold back laughter.

“Let’s both work hard then. Remember there are always eyes watching. Now, let’s go, chop chop!”

After flashing a bright smile, I turned around with Odin in my arms. Medlin, who had been watching us with worried eyes, quietly approached.

Walking quickly to avoid being caught by Dillan, I spoke quietly to Medlin first.

“Phew, I thought I was going to die from nervousness. Fighting with people is so difficult.”

“You were nervous but handled it wonderfully. I was happy to see this new side of you, realizing how bold the lady I serve truly is.”

“Really? Do you not like my brother too?”

“Just from the conversation we heard, anyone can see how Sir Dillan treats you. How could I possibly like him? Moreover, he dared to refer to Grand Duke Carlo so casually as ‘the Grand Duke’…”

“Did I look too childish?”

“I just learned something today, my lady. The best way to irritate someone is to act childishly toward them. I saw it with my own eyes just now. You were magnificent.”

“Ah, do you think my brother is very angry?”

At my question, Medlin calmly glanced back before looking at me with a gentle smile and saying firmly:

“He’s a grown adult. He should manage his own anger.”

“Isn’t that Sir Dillan? It seems he was having a serious conversation with the Grand Duchess…”

The noble ladies who had arrived at December for volunteer work and were going to greet the Grand Duchess looked curiously at Dillan, who stood watching the Grand Duchess’s retreating figure.

Having learned this morning that Dillan had been appointed as the event coordinator, these ladies each hoped to make an impression on him during the volunteer activities, expecting to fatefully encounter him during the social season that would begin after the event.

“Ah, I understand.”

Lily, walking with the noble ladies, snorted and spoke up.

“What do you mean, Miss Lily?”

“They must have been having another one of their private conversations. It happened quite often.”

“Ah… They must be close siblings?”

“No, Brother Dillan isn’t like that with me. Since childhood, he’s always paid more attention to my sister… He’s always been quick to notice even the smallest changes concerning her.”

“…Are you saying he treats the Grand Duchess differently from you, though you’re both his sisters?”

One of the ladies listening to Lily asked cautiously with a suspicious look.

Lily hurriedly shook her head.

“Oh my! That’s not what I meant. It’s just… Brother cherished my sister more specially, while treating me casually as one would normally treat a younger sister.”

That’s exactly what she meant—what else could it be?

Though confused by Lily’s words, the ladies tried not to show it on their faces, either taking deep breaths or pretending to be distracted while smiling.

But their gazes had already begun to observe the Grand Duchess and Dillan more carefully.

“Close… you said?”

I groggily raised my body after falling into a deep sleep in the carriage, but there still seemed to be no sign of arriving at the Novahans Islands.

The carriage was large and spacious with soft cushions, so fortunately I could catch up on sleep I’d missed the night before. On the other hand, I worried about when this seemingly endless journey would end.

After traveling much further, the carriage finally slowed down as the sunset glow disappeared beyond the horizon.

“You need to transfer to a boat now.”

Joseph’s voice came from outside the stopped carriage window.

Throughout the journey to Novahans, Joseph had been escorting the carriage on horseback with other guards, making me the only one riding in the carriage.

“The sea breeze will be cold.”

Following Joseph’s advice, I wrapped myself in a cloak and boarded the boat. After enduring the biting sea wind for a long time while watching the sunset fade completely, we finally reached a place called Greatboel Island in the Novahans Islands.

“Is this where he’s staying?”

“Yes. Judging by the absence of shell explosions, all the trainees must have gathered for their rest period. Since the training period is long, they’re usually given short breaks once every five or six days.”

Joseph, holding a lantern, smiled faintly as he looked around, perhaps reminiscing about the past.

Though it seemed too dark to see anything, Joseph and the other guards appeared to know the island thoroughly.

After disembarking, we climbed a long, gentle slope that nearly exhausted me. Suddenly, a flat, large area appeared with torches brightly lit throughout.

Shadowy figures gathered in small groups here and there.

“Oh!”

But before I could properly see them, many more trainees had already spotted us.

They seemed to react keenly to any presence, even while resting.

“He’s over there.”

“Where?”

Just as Joseph was about to point somewhere, a large figure began striding toward us, seemingly having already spotted me.

Each time he passed through the billowing torchlight, intense red light illuminated Carlo’s distinct silhouette before disappearing again.

My smile faded as he looked angry. With large strides, he approached without hesitation and immediately pulled my hood over my head, drawing it tight.