Demian’s pupils trembled uncontrollably with tension.

As my smile deepened, his Adam’s apple moved.

Gulp-

“Flying squirrel.”

“Pardon?”

“Right? You’re a flying squirrel beast-folk!”

“I am not.”

“You’re not?”

With an exasperated face, he pushed me out of the kitchen.

Even as I was being dragged away, I struggled, unwilling to let go of my conviction about him being a flying squirrel beast-folk.

I was so sure!

“Why a flying squirrel of all things?”

“Because you’re good at leaping and jumping around.”

“When have I ever leapt and jumped around?”

“Always?”

He could instantly climb over the Count’s mansion walls, and he jumped down from my second-floor room while carrying me, with his knees perfectly fine. Since flying squirrel beast-folk are characterized by their ability to move nimbly through trees, isn’t this a reasonable deduction?

But Demian sighed as if it was absurd.

I bristled at his sigh.

“Then what are you? If not a flying squirrel, then what? I won’t laugh, so tell me!”

“Enough.”

He finally managed to seat me in the living room despite my resistance.

Then he wrapped me tightly in a blanket so I couldn’t move and strengthened the embers in the fireplace.

“Just sit and watch the fire.”

It was a measure taken to prevent me from following him again. It was unfair, but appropriate.

The soft feeling of the blanket quickly made me languid and docile, and Demian escaped while I was subdued.

Sitting in the living room and spacing out, I suddenly muttered.

“Am I really that soft?”

I thought I had lived my life confidently and straightforwardly.

Well, looking at my recent actions, such comments were understandable. Things I would have just passed by in the modern world, I couldn’t ignore here. Somehow, I felt more compassion for the people here. Like at the slave market, and now with this child, and even with Ante at first.

Just then, I sensed someone’s presence.

“Miss Lora. What are you thinking about?”

“Hmm. About you?”

“Pardon?”

The figure approaching me stopped in his tracks.

When I turned my head toward him with a smile, I saw Sion with a somewhat dumbfounded expression.

“I was just thinking about you all and Ante. Are you done with your work?”

“…Yes.”

“Demian is a bit strict, isn’t he?”

“Still, he seems very knowledgeable about mansion management. I want to learn from him.”

Sion, who had regained his composure, approached and sat beside me.

Then he held something out to me.

“A letter has arrived.”

“Oh. Give it here.”

“There are two.”

“Two? Who’s the other one from?”

After receiving the letters from Sion and checking the recipients, I threw one into the fireplace.

Whoosh-

Thud-

Sion caught the letter I had thrown and smiled awkwardly.

I gestured for him to hand it over, but he hid the letter behind his back.

“Sion. Let’s burn it while I’m still asking nicely.”

“Didn’t you say it yourself, Miss Lora?”

“What?”

“That they are the Kalschmitz Grand Duke’s family, after all.”

One of the two letters was an invitation from the Kalschmitz Grand Duke’s family.

It seems good news and bad news indeed come together.

Judging by how the letter I was waiting for and the letter I didn’t want arrived simultaneously.

With a sigh, I took the bad news first from Sion’s hand.

[Lady Lorazie Epine.

First, thank you for saving the retainers of Kalschmitz. I have heard about the circumstances.

And regarding this matter as well, on behalf of the Grand Duke’s residence……

To you, I can only express my repeated gratitude. Therefore, I would like to invite you to the Grand Duchy to express my thanks.

-Ethan Kalschmitz.]

The letter from Kalschmitz was actually two pages. One was an invitation to the spring social season, and the other was this letter written personally by Grand Duke Kalschmitz.

“Argh! What is this?”

“Miss Lora, is there no way to decline?”

“Miss Lora! What’s wrong?”

My wail drew everyone in the mansion. Demian, who had emerged from the kitchen and was staring intently at the letter beside me, spoke up.

“It seems you have no choice but to go.”

“Why?!”

“If it were just an invitation card, you might refuse, but since it includes a personal letter expressing his desire to meet you…”

He probably included the personally written letter anticipating that I would refuse. If I declined, life in the North would certainly become very tiresome.

I let out a deep sigh of despair. I was already sick of the constant “illegitimate child” whispers in the capital, and now I faced the northern social circles.

Demian raised one eyebrow and furrowed his brow.

“This is concerning. People in the North have rougher temperaments. The nobles there are, to put it kindly, boisterous, and to put it bluntly, without boundaries.”

“This is troubling since you have such a soft heart, Miss.”

“Me?”

I looked at Irena and Demian with a bewildered expression.

Demian let out a deep sigh, and Irena spoke with a worried expression.

“You came back crying from that tea party in the capital last time. I was really upset about that.”

“The North will be worse. I’m worried.”

They must be referring to that tea party where I deliberately cried my eyes out. But while I could understand Irena and Demian thinking this way, why were the others nodding too?

“Why do you all think I have a soft heart?”

“Well, you couldn’t just ignore Ante, and you brought Mia home too.”

That’s true. It was all my fault.

After a brief moment of reflection, I spoke.

“Anyway, you’re saying I absolutely have to go?”

“Yes.”

“Spring, huh. Fine, I’ll go. Ah, that’s how I’ll do it.”

If it’s an invitation I can’t refuse anyway, I should go to the Grand Duke’s residence and secure a substantial reward.

Then I’ll depart immediately for Adelbalk, where Asmodeia asked me to go.

That way, I can resolve both the reward and my promise in one go—killing two birds with one stone.

As I nodded to myself at this perfect plan, everyone looked extremely curious.

Finally, unable to contain his curiosity, Demian quietly asked.

“What do you mean?”

“Demian, when exactly is Limpe supposed to arrive?”

“He should be here the day after tomorrow.”

I didn’t answer his question, but he faithfully answered mine.

The day after tomorrow would be tight.

After quietly stroking my chin, I gave him instructions.

“When Limpe arrives, we’ll immediately start establishing the charity foundation, so come to my room later. I’ll give you the proposal. Look it over and take care of what’s needed.”

“Yes.”

“And I’ll stop by the Grand Duke’s residence, receive the reward, and head straight to Adelbalk.”

“Adelbalk, you say?”

At that moment, the expressions of everyone in the living room hardened.

Except for Soho and Mia, who wore innocent expressions of confusion.

“Yes. I have business there.”

“But it’s too Tangerous.”

“That’s right. The route to Adelbalk itself is Tangerous.”

Sion and Lionel expressed their reluctance to let me go.

Adelbalk was one of the regions where magical beasts were rampaging due to recent issues with the Blessed Land.

But what choice did I have? That was my promise to Asmodeia.