***

The Doan estate quickly became a whirlwind of activity. Stockpiling food, cleaning and preparing the guest rooms took days.

Fortunately, logging operations had been temporarily suspended. The suspension was to allow the survey team to properly assess the situation when they arrived. This allowed everyone to concentrate on welcoming the guests. Just when everything seemed to be going smoothly –

“What? Who’s coming?”

“Huey Sebloard, the Duke’s son – well, I suppose he’s officially a count now.”

The butler replied, his face full of excitement.

Martian stared at him, unsure if she had heard correctly. The butler, unaware of her reaction, continued in a cheerful voice.

“He’s the regional supervisor in charge of investigating the disease.

He’ll be arriving with the investigation team.”

“But why? The Sevan estate is a trading centre. They don’t even produce timber!”

“Apparently, when they drafted the petition, they asked Count Sevan to sign it to give it more weight with the central government. As he has strong connections there, you see.”

The butler was almost giddy with excitement as he talked about how they needed to improve the quality of the food they prepared.

Not only were they getting support from the central government, but they now had a connection to a powerful ducal house.

It was almost absurd how perfectly things seemed to be falling into place. The butler’s eyes glowed with determination.

“Last time Count Sevan didn’t notice you, Viscount. But this time it will be different. I’ll make sure no one can take their eyes off you.”

“…What?”

“I’ve already prepared the clothes, Viscount.”

At his signal, the servants brought in the newly tailored outfits.

They had been made for the banquet at the Seban estate, but had never been worn since.

Martian stared blankly at the array of elegant clothes. Just then, El Doan walked in, saw the array of clothes and gave a low whistle.

“Wow, sister. Are you getting married or something?”

“Of course not. I just had some new clothes made for work.”

“At this rate, you could stand in front of the Emperor himself and look perfect.”

At El’s comment, the butler smiled with pride.

When El showed interest in the clothes, the butler eagerly began to explain – how each outfit had been made how each outfit had been modified from older garments, what details had been added, what the latest fashion trends were, and so on.

Martian, however, barely listened and let out a short sigh.

‘I thought I’d never have to get involved again… and yet here we are.’

Forgotten memories resurfaced.His face, his body – he was her type. But no matter how attractive he was, no good could come from seeing him again.

And yet circumstances had brought them together again in the most uncomfortable way. Of course, it was too late to back out now.

The investigation was an Imperial mandate, and the benefits they stood to gain were too great to abandon.

‘No way… could that have been intentional…?’

Martian frowned slightly. The thought had crossed her mind – the situation was a little too perfect to be a coincidence.

The scale of the operation was large, but everything she was being offered was strangely favourable.

The unprecedented level of support, the sudden choice of her estate as the location for the survey – it all felt like bait luring a mouse with cheese.

The faint uneasiness she had first felt stirred again.

“Viscount?”

The butler’s voice snapped her out of her thoughts.

He was looking at her with a worried expression, and El Doan, who had been talking to him, was also looking at her with concern.

“Sister, your expression looks so serious… Is something wrong?”

“No, no. It’s just that… I heard that the Count himself is coming as Regional Supervisor.”

“The Count?”

El asked back, confused, and the butler stepped in to explain.

“You know, the young lord of the ducal house who recently inherited the Sevan estate? We’ve been informed that he’ll be staying here during the investigation. It seems he’ll be acting as regional supervisor.”

“Ah, him.”

“It’s probably because of my professor. I heard that the professor played a big role in helping him secure his title. Usually Regional Supervisors only come for a short time for inspections, but if he’s staying… maybe it’s partly to pay his respects.”

Hearing this, Martian’s suspicions eased slightly. If it was personal and not a plot against her, there was no need for tension.

Still, she had no way of knowing why the Doan estate had been chosen for the investigation in the first place. Suppressing the lingering unease, she said.

“If he’s only coming because of a connection, that’s a relief. Otherwise, it was a bit overwhelming.”

El laughed out loud.

“Overwhelming? I didn’t know you felt that way, sister.”

“What are you talking about? I’m human too. To face someone like that alone is… definitely overwhelming.”

Martian grumbled. If it was just the difference in status, or just the difference in temperament, it might have been bearable – but combined, it was too much.

Of course, the real reason things were so uncomfortable was because of her own past actions. If she had known they would meet again like this, she would never have touched him, not even once.

She sighed again, sinking into belated remorse. El, grinning, said.

“Then use me.”

“What? Use you?”

“I am a member of this family too. I have the knowledge I learned at the Academy, and I’m familiar with our forests. I can handle the survey team. If you just greet them at the beginning, I’ll do the rest.

You’ll just have to check the reports.”

His words, though mature, had a touch of bravado in them that was rather endearing. Martian laughed and told him she was counting on him.

***

The survey team sent by the central government finally arrived. It consisted of ten investigators selected from the Imperial Academy, a supervising professor and five attendants responsible for transporting and handling equipment.

In front of the manor, alongside the team’s carriage, was a separate wagon loaded with personal belongings, research tools and various books brought from the Academy.

Dressed in the outfit the butler had carefully selected, Martian moved among the survey team, exchanging greetings.

The investigators were all full of enthusiasm and seemed genuinely determined to assess the situation thoroughly.

‘It doesn’t look like any of this was staged…’

Everything was too normal to have been staged just to get close to them. Martian decided to let go of her heightened suspicion.

While she was deep in conversation with the professor, another group arrived a little later than the others.

The large, ornate carriage carried a shield entwined with rose vines – the crest of the Sebloard Ducal House.

Naturally, people stepped aside.

The carriage door opened and Huey Sebloard stepped out. His blond hair shone even brighter in the sunlight, and his smooth, flawless face looked like a finely crafted work of art. He was so striking that it was hard not to stare.

Martian found herself unconsciously biting her lip. Now she understood why she had lost her self-control and foolishly provoked him.

The man standing before her was exactly her type. Pale, glowing skin, tall stature, an elegant yet well-muscled body – and a hidden lasciviousness that he revealed in intimate moments.

“Pull yourself together”

She muttered to herself, trying to steel her heart. Just then, Huey approached and held out his hand.

“It’s been a while, Viscount Doan. I feel I may have been rude before…”

Martian took his hand quickly. The butler was watching – and if she wasn’t careful, all her previous lies would be exposed.

“Welcome, Count. You must have had a tiring journey.”

She spoke immediately, not giving him a chance to say more.

“I never imagined our paths would cross in this way. Please don’t hesitate to let me know if you need anything during your stay. I was also treated very well when I stayed with your family…”

Martian continued to speak without pause, effectively cutting off Huey’s attempts to speak further.

“If you have any complaints, please let me know at any time.”

It was a clear signal that the conversation was over. There was no point in dragging it out any longer. She turned quickly and called to the butler.

“Show our guests to their rooms. Make sure they know when dinner will be served.”

“Understood, viscount.”

It took at least four full days by carriage to get here from the capital. Recognising how tired the visitors must be, heated baths and simple refreshments had been prepared in advance in each room, and dinner scheduled later than usual.

The formal introductions would take place at the dinner table. The butler relayed this information to the survey team and assigned servants to escort them to their rooms.

“Sister, how can I help you?”

El Doan approached Martian. She waved her hand dismissively.

“Stay with the survey team. Stay close to the people you’re friends with.”

“But there must be a lot of work to do…”

“In a day or two I’ll leave everything to you. Until then, don’t worry. Refreshments have been placed in every room, so go and enjoy them with your friends.”

El’s face brightened at her words. He may have been acting like an adult, but he was still a child.

It was the first time he’d ever had friends over, and there were probably so many things he wanted to say and show off.

El bowed politely and ran off to rejoin the group. Seeing him so excited made Martian feel proud for no real reason.

As time passed, only one group remained outside the manor: Huey Sebloard’s entourage.

While the survey team had only needed a cart for their belongings, Huey had brought a whole cart just for himself.

Unloading everything was no small task. Two coachmen and three servants buzzed about like ants, carrying in the cargo.

‘Is this being meticulous, or just being extravagant…?’
She couldn’t tell. It wasn’t as if they were camping out—what could he possibly need to fill an entire wagon?

Martian thought back to the ornate furnishings she had seen on the Sevan estate. Maybe he had just been brought up that way – used to extravagance.

She decided not to think too much about it. Turning her head, she saw the butler approaching Huey. Alarmed, she ran after him, but the butler was faster.

“Count, we’ve delayed dinner a little to give everyone time to rest after the long journey. If you are bored, perhaps a stroll around the estate with the viscount would be refreshing?”

A good host ensured that his guests were never bored. The butler’s suggestion, along with a brief explanation of the walks, was appropriate.

The only problem was that the ‘host’ expected to accompany Huey was her.

‘Of all people… why him…?’

Martian groaned inwardly.

Dinner was still a long way off. The thought of spending all that time with the Count made her face sour. She intervened quickly.