“Hmm… that’s strange.”

Before heading to Marquis Offensa’s hospital room, I wanted to tell Noah I’d be busy for about two days. On my way to his room, I happened to run into Dietrich, who was arriving for lessons.

“What’s strange?” I asked.

“Oh, nothing important,” Dietrich replied, scratching the side of his head. “Just having trouble contacting one of my informants.”

Dietrich was the heir to the “Black Hand,” the underground market organization. More precisely, he was the former heir who had run away.

Despite this, he seemed to still receive special treatment, as their informants regularly supplied him with information, which greatly benefited me as well.

When Dietrich agreed to become my informant, he revealed his identity to me right away.

“Maybe they no longer consider you the heir? Perhaps they’ve grown tired of you,” I suggested.

“What? What have I failed to do for them? There must be some circumstance behind this. They’ll contact me. They’ll come back.”

“Sounds like a lover…”

“Are you crazy? It’s not like that!” Dietrich exclaimed in horror.

Just then, a bold and haughty voice came from behind him. “Your voice is too loud. Move aside.”

“What impertinent brat… Your Highness!” Dietrich immediately bowed deeply upon recognizing the speaker, looking exactly like a third-rate gangster.

The child who accepted this exaggerated greeting as her due was none other than Lucilia.

“Master!” she called out to me.

“Lucilia? Why are you here? Aren’t you busy with the Harvest Festival still going on?”

Lucilia replied with slight embarrassment, “Of course I’m busy. I’ve just taken a brief moment to come here. I wanted to make sure you wouldn’t change your mind later.”

“Change my mind about what?”

She handed me a large rectangular bag she had been carrying. When I opened it, brilliant golden light spilled out—the bag was filled with gold bars.

“Please continue to guide me. You must remain my master from now on.”

“…”

While I was speechless, Dietrich muttered beside me, “Already using the same tactics as our old man…”

“You’re here again,” came a voice from the room as Noah emerged, apparently disturbed by the commotion outside.

Lucilia’s eyes had briefly sparkled, but upon hearing Noah’s lukewarm greeting, she frowned. 

“Again? You don’t seem particularly pleased to see me.”

“No,” Noah replied simply.

“W-what did you say?” 

Lucilia was about to explode with indignation when Noah continued impassively.

“I was a bit worried. I thought you might not come back now that your griffin lessons are over.”

“…!”

Lucilia paused, her expression shifting to something between a smile and primness. 

“Your worry was unnecessary. Well, it’s not like I particularly wanted to see you either.”

“…?” 

Noah tilted his head in confusion, then apparently deciding to ignore her, gently tugged at my sleeve. 

“Calliphe, where are you going?”

“I’ll be busy for about two days. Don’t worry too much while I’m gone.”

When I patted his head, Noah looked pleased but asked, “Can I come with you?”

Take Noah to Marquis Offensa’s hospital room? Since he’d been there once before, there was no reason to refuse. I nodded.

“Sure. But a little later. If you wait patiently, I’ll allow it.”

“Okay!”

Pleased with my permission, Noah returned to his room with Dietrich for his Imperial language lesson, beaming brightly. Lucilia, having apparently accomplished her goal of giving me the gold bars, left immediately as well.

Finally, I teleported to Marquis Offensa’s hospital room.

* * *

After the slight queasiness from teleporting subsided, I found myself in a nature-friendly room filled with the rich scent of wood—Marquis Offensa’s hospital room.

“This is really convenient,” I remarked, examining the teleportation magic circle inscribed on the back of my hand.

It had glowed brightly when used, but now it was invisible, leaving my hand looking completely normal. This could serve as an emergency exit if a dangerous situation arose.

‘I wonder if the Vice Archmage is following my instructions?’

My request for him to be thorough with safety inspections, that is.

In “Marino,” one of the events included an accident at the Harvest Festival closing ceremony where Lucilia lost her life. The Empress, who tried to shield her daughter, met the same fate.

Though this wasn’t a regular event and chronologically happened further in the future, I wanted to take precautions. The event didn’t occur in certain routes, such as when Noah ended up with Lucilia, but I decided not to let my guard down.

If that incident were to happen, not only would Lucilia’s life be lost, but the Magic Tower would be destabilized and eventually disappear completely. Having already experienced several deviations from the original storyline, I needed to be careful. 

I couldn’t suddenly intervene and take command of the situation myself, and even if I did, it would be meaningless without additional clues. Entrusting this to Marcel was the best option for now.

‘Well, let me focus on the matter at hand. This is equally urgent.’

I gazed at Marquis Offensa, who lay like a corpse. After taking a deep breath, I raised my fist toward his chest.

“Wake up, Marquis.”

Thump! My fist struck his chest.

[Using the Villainess’s Parenting Method on target ‘Graham Offensa’.]

[Mana +0.5]

[Mana +0.5]

[Mana +0.5]

…

I used my ability continuously day and night, even eating my meals beside him. A response finally came the next day.

* * *

“Sob… sob…”

Graham Offensa was weeping, clutching his daughter’s memorial portrait. He had no idea how much time had passed, nor did he care. He wanted to mourn his daughter like this forever—his only blood relation, the only family he had left.

‘I have nothing else besides this child. There’s no one left for me…’

Just then—

Knock! Knock knock!

Someone was pounding on the door that had been silent for so long. Marquis Offensa stopped sobbing and stared at the firmly closed door. The door had been quiet for so long; perhaps he’d misheard?

Knock knock!

“…!”

No, he hadn’t.

Someone was truly knocking on the door.

“W-who is it?”

“Marquis, Marquis.”

“Could it be… Porsche? Is that you?”

The Marquis jumped up, filled with joy, and grabbed the doorknob to fling it open. He applied pressure to the handle but just before opening the door, a thought stopped him.

‘I mustn’t cross the wall.’

Because he was destined never to exceed 8 stars. Therefore, he couldn’t open this door and leave. Though he didn’t quite understand why, he felt certain of this fact.

While he hesitated, the knocking outside ceased. His heart sinking, the Marquis spoke urgently.

“Child, don’t go. Let’s talk a bit more, alright? I was completely wrong back then. Please forgive me. Let me see your face.”

“Ugh, this is exhausting. This old man, seriously.”

“W-what? What did you just say?”

The Marquis pressed himself against the door.

“Hahaha, d*mn it all. It really is you, Porsche!”

That temperament—elegant and aristocratic one moment, then using crude language when annoyed. A personality just like his own. It had to be Porsche.

“I’m sorry I got angry then. I was furious because you came home pregnant with some scoundrel’s child. Honestly, sending you to the annex was quite generous, don’t you think? If you had any conscience?”

As he spoke, his anger rose again.

“Come in and face me. Who is the father? Hmm? What worthless man dared to seduce you?”

“Are you going to snap out of it or not?”

“Just tell me that b*stard’s name. Then I’ll come to my senses! Just name the irresponsible wretch who toyed with you!”

Thump thump thump!

Bang bang bang!

“Such a foul temper. Aren’t you also to blame? Why didn’t that man show his face even once while you raised the child alone? Hmm?”

“Good grief.”

At that moment, the voice outside the door, which he had assumed was his daughter’s, suddenly sounded unfamiliar.

“Mother passed away, and grandfather fell into a coma after treating his granddaughter like she didn’t exist… What a dysfunctional family, honestly.”

“…What? Who are you?”

So it wasn’t Porsche? Then who could it be, sounding so much like her?

“Identify yourself!”

Though his mind felt foggy and everything seemed unclear, he absolutely needed to confirm this one thing.

“You are…!”

Graham Offensa, who was lying on the bed, suddenly opened his eyes wide.