After leaving the pharmacy, Lynen and I boarded the carriage again.

“When the pharmacist completes the medicine, I’ll find a way to deliver it,” Lynen said.

“Will that work? He mentioned that even if he’s made something before, there’s no guarantee he can make it the same way again.”

He was essentially a quack with skills not certified anywhere. Relying more on intuition than thorough theory when creating medicines, he couldn’t even pass on his formulas to others.

“Of course, we can’t rely solely on him. I’ll look into other options as well.”

“Okay. I’ll stick close to Noah as much as possible.”

My only concern was that Noah might avoid ‘Ferica.’

‘Starting with negative trust already.’

I couldn’t help but sigh deeply.

The carriage heading toward the Offensa mansion stopped briefly at Lynen’s instruction.

“I have a quick errand. Please wait here.”

“Alright.”

Lynen returned about thirty minutes later.

“You said you’d be quick, but I waited quite a while.”

“There were many people.”

“Where did you go?”

I couldn’t help but be curious, as he was carrying an elegant and cute gift box that seemed out of character for him.

Instead of answering, Lynen handed me the box.

“This logo… it’s from that famous dessert shop, isn’t it? The one that always has a line. You went there?”

“Noah likes strawberries.”

This patisserie was especially popular among noble ladies. Most people waiting in line were either noblewomen or their maids.

Had Lynen actually stood in line at this pastry shop for thirty minutes?

“Talking over favorite foods might make conversation easier,” he said.

“……”

He remembered my concerns about how difficult it was to get close to Noah.

‘I thought he wasn’t paying attention.’

It was just casual grumbling on my part. I felt both embarrassed and grateful. My face grew slightly warm.

I fidgeted with the box and mumbled, “Th-thanks.”

“……”

Why wasn’t he responding?

When I looked up, I saw Lynen’s hand awkwardly extended toward me.

Whatever he had intended to touch, he hesitated. His curled hand moved slightly downward to adjust the position of the bonnet ribbon under my chin before pulling away.

“Why are you suddenly fiddling with my ribbon?”

“Just…”

Lynen turned his gaze to the window of the moving carriage.

“It’s uncomfortable seeing you looking younger.”

“…? Hmph. It’s uncomfortable for me too.”

“I imagine so.”

Lynen responded with a tone suggesting I couldn’t possibly understand, then closed his eyes.

* * *

Calliphe took a deep breath.

‘Okay. This time I’ll definitely earn Noah’s trust!’

Knock knock.

“Noah. Do you have a moment?”

While Calliphe was relaxing her facial muscles, Lynen knocked on the door.

Almost like he had been waiting, Noah opened the door immediately.

Calliphe quickly flashed a bright smile.

“Noah, hello? Would you like to share this—”

“Duke.”

Grab.

Noah clung to Lynen’s clothes like he couldn’t hear Calliphe, his usually expressionless voice carrying a slight whine.

“Please watch my training.”

“…Haven’t you finished your afternoon training already? You should rest now.”

“I’ll practice just a little more. Please, quickly.”

Lynen seemed somewhat flustered by Noah’s pleading.

Calliphe raised her voice to interject quickly.

“N-Noah! Let’s eat this together. You like strawberries, right?”

“…Hmph.”

Noah turned his head away sharply.

Calliphe’s eyes widened.

‘Hmph? Did he just say “hmph” to me? Is he actually rebelling against me?’

How novel and adorable…!

Noah, who had been checking Ferica’s reaction, was startled. He had expected her to be dejected—that’s why he had acted coldly. But Ferica was somehow grinning with sparkling eyes.

‘She’s, she’s weird!’

It gave him goosebumps.

Instinctively clinging closer to Lynen, Noah was gently consoled by him.

“I’ll check your form in the evening. But for now, you should rest. Ferica picked out desserts with you in mind.”

Noah reluctantly nodded.

After Lynen left, Noah silently opened the box and put a small strawberry cake in his mouth.

‘I’ll ignore her.’

He would ignore whatever Ferica said. With that determination, he stuffed the cake into his cheek.

“……”

But Calliphe didn’t speak to Noah. Instead, she was contentedly watching Noah with his bulging cheeks.

‘Noah is ignoring me and eating dessert by himself.’

When would she ever see such a rare sight again? She should enjoy it thoroughly.

“……”

“……”

Noah felt increasingly uncomfortable. It was because Ferica was staring at him so intently that his cheek felt hot.

‘Why does she stare more when I dislike it?’

It’s, it’s burdensome. Eventually, Noah had no choice but to speak up.

“…Did you go out to buy this?”

“Ah, yes. Delicious, isn’t it?”

“Do you go out with the Duke often, just the two of you?”

“Not often, but occasionally? Try this one too. And that one.”

Calliphe offered various delicious-looking desserts.

In the end, Noah abandoned his ‘don’t talk to her’ strategy and decided to make himself clear.

“I’m close with the Duke too.”

“Huh?”

“We’ll become even closer. Because we’re going to live together.”

“We’re already living together, aren’t we?”

“Not like that. We’ll really live together.”

Noah hesitated for a moment before saying, “Because he’s going to be my father.”

“…What?”

“The Duke will marry Lady Calliphe and become my father.”

“Whaat?!”

Calliphe’s voice rose. Had Noah been thinking this all along?

‘Ah, Noah doesn’t know our engagement is fake… but still, this is too much!’

She felt her face growing hot. Calliphe stammered and barely managed to say, “W-well, shouldn’t we hear what they have to say about it?”

“You two are already engaged. That means you’ve promised to marry in advance.”

“I know that, but there’s no guarantee that promise will be kept. And, um.”

It was disconcerting that Noah believed he would become family with Lynen and herself.

Perhaps it was because he was still a child.

‘The hidden ending conditions make this awkward too.’

[Hidden Ending Achievement Conditions:

1. Reach Noah’s Filial Piety level 100.
2. Entrust Noah to a guardian before his 9th birthday.

Failure: Calliphe dies]

To avoid dying like the original Calliphe, she needed to achieve the hidden ending.

‘Which means I need to send Noah to a guardian in <My Little Noah>.’

To one of the four guardians.

So from the beginning, Calliphe and Noah could never become family.

This was also why she had never brought up the topic of adoption to Noah.

‘Well, he’s still young, so he can have such fantasies. But if I let him continue believing we’ll be family, he might get hurt more later.’

After brief but intense deliberation, Calliphe carefully opened her mouth.

“You never know?”

“Know what?”

“Lady Calliphe might be… considering finding better parents for you.”

“…?!”

Noah’s expression instantly went blank.

Then gradually, his docile green eyes contorted with distress.

[Noah’s Trust -2]

“What do you know?”

“I just meant…”

“No!”

[Noah’s Trust -3]

[Noah’s Trust -5]

‘Aaack! His trust is plummeting!’

Noah was breathing heavily with a reddened face. Calliphe hurriedly patted him.

“Ah, I understand. I made a mistake. I’m sorry.”

While doing so, she surreptitiously tried using the ‘Villainess’s Parenting Method.’

‘I couldn’t use it before because I couldn’t hurt Noah. But now that I’m a child, unlike when I was an adult, I should be able to use it with less force.’

It would be nice if her ability to soothe Noah’s anxiety increased.

Ding!

However, the message that appeared before her eyes was unexpected.