“How dare you in my lady’s territory!”

Bang! Crack.

When Lina punched the wall, deep cracks appeared.

“……!!”

The maids froze.

‘Th-this is strange. Before, she was just laughable even when she threw her weight around?’

‘Why is she suddenly so scary?!’

The maids realized. The bear that had been crouching all this time finally realized how strong it was.

“Insulting the master you serve is ultimately insulting yourself.”

“……”

“Don’t gossip carelessly again.”

“……”

“Do you understand?”

Crack. A menacing sound came from Lina’s finger joints.

“Eek! Y-yes!”

“We’re sorry!”

The terrified maids ran away without looking back.

Lina glared fiercely at their retreating figures until they disappeared, then as her anger gradually subsided, her face returned to its gentle expression.

“Whew. I’m glad they all understood my feelings.”

But it was strange.

The moment she heard them insulting her lady, an unfamiliar impulse suddenly arose.

‘Lady has definitely changed.’

Unlike before, she showed almost no obsession with mana incompatibility and the position of family head.

Instead, she started taking care of Noah, the sponsored child she had been neglecting.

‘She’s become more relaxed than before. And somehow… more caring.’

Ironically, she felt this most clearly when getting hit by Calliphe.

Far from hurting, those ticklish touches clearly contained encouragement.

Is this what they call tough love?

‘Getting hit by my lady somehow feels good.’

Lina smiled contentedly.

* * *

In the carriage heading to the general store.

While I was going over future plans in my head, Noah kept glancing at me from across.

“Do you have something to say?”

“N-no.”

He shook his head, startled.

“That’s a lie. You do have something to say.”

“How did you know?”

His green eyes became very round. I quickly covered my twitching lips with my fan.

“I know everything. Go ahead and tell me.”

“……umm. Well.”

What could be so difficult? Instead of rushing him, I waited quietly, and Noah carefully opened his mouth.

“Lady Calliphe, are you getting married?”

“Yes. That’s how the situation turned out.”

“Can’t you not get married?”

“Hm…?”

What does he mean by that?

When I fell silent, Noah started explaining while earnestly chewing his small lips.

“If Lady Calliphe gets married and leaves the Marquisate, I’ll be in the way……”

“Whaat?”

What is all this about?

Wait. Come to think of it, I never told Noah about my plans.

Noah must have only heard the rumors about me going around, so such misunderstandings were natural.

‘He must have been worrying alone.’

What am I going to do with you, you little rice cake.

“There’s something you should know. First, I’m not leaving the Marquisate.”

“…But doesn’t the Young Marquis tell you to leave?”

My, I didn’t expect this response.

It seems Noah understands the situation better than I thought.

“Yes. But if I marry someone I want, I won’t have to leave.”

“What?”

“Because I’ll be borrowing the power of someone strong and wonderful enough that the Young Marquis can’t drive me out.”

“……”

Noah blinked his round green eyes.

Perhaps the explanation was too difficult for a child.

I summarized just the key points.

“It means if I marry someone strong and wonderful, we can stay together.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

Whew. Noah visibly relaxed, letting out a small breath.

But right after, as if scolding himself for being happy, he quickly changed his expression and muttered seriously.

“But, shouldn’t you marry someone you like rather than someone strong and wonderful?”

“My.”

It was really adorable how such a tiny thing said something so serious.

I wanted to pinch Noah’s cheeks, but I gripped my tingling hands tightly and answered.

“Of course that would be nice, but adults in this cold city can marry even without liking each other.”

“…Don’t you want to marry your first love?”

“Whoa, are you cra—”

I was about to recoil at Calliphe’s dark history that reflexively came to mind, but quickly shut my mouth at Noah’s innocent gaze.

I must protect Noah’s innocence.

I put on a wistful expression.

“First love… What beautiful memories. I really liked Duke Ortega.”

“……!”

“But I made many mistakes with him.”

It wasn’t exactly a lie.

Calliphe was practically Duke Ortega’s stalker.

She would barge into parties he attended even without invitations, and harassed any woman who approached him.

Later she even became wary of men, causing strange rumors to spread.

Finally, Duke Ortega, who had been maintaining his manners, couldn’t take it anymore and confronted her.

“That’s enough. I know your marriage proposals aren’t because of love.”

However, Calliphe snorted and slammed her palm hard against the wall Duke Ortega was leaning against. In other words, the classic ‘wall slam’.

“Ha. Love? If that’s what you need, I’ll do it. How much? How much to have you?”

“……”

‘Aaaargh! Crazy!’

Even remembering it now made me feel like a grilled squid from embarrassment.

But at that time, Calliphe didn’t say such things simply because of middle school syndrome.

‘She was flustered because Duke Ortega’s words hit the mark.’

If House Offensa represented magic, House Ortega represented the sword.

But one person couldn’t even become heir, while the other became a duke at a young age.

In such a situation, comparisons were inevitable.

So Calliphe tried to make him, who was better than her, her possession.

‘As if that would increase her own value.’

Duke Ortega had seen through to her rock bottom.

‘How pathetic must she have looked to someone from a family famous for chivalry.’

Perhaps that’s why Duke Ortega’s attitude toward Calliphe gradually changed.

In their final meeting, even he spoke quite harshly.

“Calliphe Offensa. I dislike you. Your marriage proposals are a nuisance, so stop it.”

“My proposals are a nuisance…? Y-you uncultured Ortega who knows nothing but the sword!”

“At least I know something you don’t. Manners.”

“Such insolence! You, just wait. The moment someone better than you appears, I’ll throw you away without mercy!”

“I’ll celebrate that day annually when it comes.”

“……!”

…I’m quite impressive for calling this a beautiful memory.

I should apologize here.

I’m sorry, Duke Ortega. I won’t be clingy like that ever again.

‘If I show a clean, no-nonsense image, maybe our relationship can recover somewhat…?’

Though avoiding each other entirely would probably be best.

When my expression naturally became sad, Noah seemed surprised.

“Lady Calliphe… are you sad? Because of Duke Ortega?”

I quickly smiled and shook my head.

“It’s nothing. Just regret that I couldn’t get along with him. Let’s stop talking about this.”

……Nod.

Noah nodded with a serious expression.

Whew. Though I took some mental damage, this should have protected Noah’s innocent views about first love.

But just then.

Ding!

[Basic settings for the filial piety quest have been completed.]

A filial piety quest message appeared after being nowhere to be seen all this time.

‘Basic settings? What’s that?’

While I was confused, the carriage arrived at our destination.

Let’s focus on the task at hand for now.

I must get that bribe.

‘In the ending I saw in my dream, the silver-haired man wavered at Calliphe’s offer to make him the magical tool.’

Though by then both the situation and relationship were too late for it to work.

‘But it will definitely work now.’

So first, let’s get the magical tool.

“Let’s go, Noah.”

For all of us!

* * *

Calliphe entered the two-story general store with Noah.

Her figure caught a young man’s eye.

“Is that Calliphe Offensa?”

That cat-like face and deep blonde hair visible even from afar, along with her confident gait, were unmistakably hers.

Plus, the kid he’d only heard rumors about was following behind her like goldfish poop.

“So the rumors about her suddenly doting on her sponsored kid were true?”

The young man, Dietrich Rotten, twisted one corner of his thin lips upward.

He couldn’t let her bring something like a sponsored child as dowry. He was actually about to go personally warn her about this.

But since they happened to meet like this.

“Better warn her early.”

After smoothly sweeping back his side hair with his palm, he sauntered forward.