The servant who delivered the news shuffled backward nervously.
"Father! I heard you called for me."
Just then, the eldest son of the house, Mathias, came into the office reeking of alcohol.
The servant seized the chance and slipped out through the open door.
"Click."
The Count clicked his tongue at the sight of Mathias.
Seeing his son drinking like water in broad daylight made his chest tighten with frustration.
"Good. You've come at the right time. While I was sending a letter to Estelle, what were you doing?"
Recently, Estelle's expenses had been increasing, so he had sent her a warning letter.
But no reply came back.
If Estelle had at least shown some sign of remorse, he wouldn't have been this angry.
Yet according to the news he had just received, this time Estelle hadn't even accepted the letter and instead chased away the servant.
It was blatant defiance.
"Father, listen! Of course I tried to see Estelle too!"
Mathias protested indignantly.
"I went to her just a few days ago! But even though I claimed to be her brother, she had me thrown out!"
Drunk to the point of barely being able to stand, Mathias had gone to see Estelle in a fit of temper.
His drunken shout of 'I'm the Duchess's brother!' had been dismissed as the ranting of a drunkard.
The guards didn't even bother to report Mathias's visit and handled it on their own.
"You should have forced your way in if you had to. How can a young man have so little backbone?"
"Father, this is unfair!"
Humiliated, Mathias raised his voice.
"Estelle's definitely gone astray. Honestly, if she'd given even half of the money she donates to strangers to us instead, do you think I'd be ridiculed for not being able to buy a single horse?"
"She's not in her right mind anymore!"
The Count nodded gravely.
"I knew it from the moment she suddenly decided to marry Duke Winterren."
"Then why didn't you stop it back then?"
Mathias grumbled bitterly.
"If you had seen Duke Winterren in person, you wouldn't be saying that."
Those red eyes that had looked down on him with a chilling gaze.
Since that day, the Count sometimes had hazy dreams of Lennox.
"But Father, I heard a rumor that the Duke dotes on Estelle…"
He shot him a sidelong glance.
"Do you think it's true? With her looks, I suppose it's possible."
"He's just pretending."
"Pardon?"
"There are… things like that."
The Count, knowing it was a contract marriage, trailed off vaguely.
"In any case, it's true that Estelle's wasteful habits have gotten worse. She needs to be given a firm lesson."
"Exactly, exactly!"
"There's the Princess's birthday banquet soon, isn't there? Since she came to the capital for that, she'll definitely attend."
"Father! I'll meet her there and try to persuade her!"
"You will?"
"Yes! Of course!"
When he had been thrown out of the ducal residence, a mere guard had dared to shove him.
In truth, it had only been a light touch before being pushed aside, but Mathias's pride still smarted.
'I'll stride through the front gates and crush that bastard's nose under my heel.'
And since he'd be attending the banquet anyway, he might as well enjoy the free wine.
It was killing two birds with one stone.
The Count eyed the grinning Mathias with a doubtful look.
Fearing his father might forbid him from going, Mathias quickly shouted,
"Just leave it to me, Father!"
"Leave it to Dudu!"
Thump!
With his hand on his waist and chest puffed out proudly, Duren declared,
"Mom, Dudu will protect you!"
"Where are you going?"
Unlike the well-dressed Duren and Estelle, Glessia—still in her nightclothes—scratched her head and asked.
"Today is Her Highness the Princess's birthday banquet."
"Ah."
She vaguely remembered hearing something about that.
"Go on, then."
"Since I thought you might have forgotten this offer, I'll ask again—would you like to come along as well, Lady Glessia?"
"No. Too bothersome. Too many people."
"Right! Too many people!"
Duren shot his hand up high.
"That's why Dudu will protect Mom!"
"Yes, yes. Outside it's full of dangerous people."
Since Glessia said this, what was merely a banquet suddenly became something like going to the battlefield in Duren's mind, and he grew solemn.
"It's not all dangerous—there will be plenty of Duren's friends too."
"Dudu gets friends?"
"Of course."
Many nobles would be attending with their families, eager to show their faces at the Imperial court.
There would certainly be plenty of children Duren's age.
"Our little peanut, what did Aunt tell you to do if someone bullies you?"
"Dudu not peanut!"
"Then what are you?"
"A cool guy!"
"Right. A cool peanut. So what did Aunt say you should do if someone bullies you or Mom?"
If anyone dared to be mean to Dudu or his mother…
"Bite them!"
"Exactly!"
Glessia burst out laughing and ruffled Duren's hair thoroughly.
"Smart, very smart."
"Dudu smart!"
Heehee!
"Dudu will be back!"
"Bring melon ice cream when you come."
"Huh? Uh-huh! If they have it, I'll bring it!"
Duren held tightly onto Estelle's hand and went out to board the carriage.
But right outside, they ran straight into Lennox.
It was unclear whether he had been waiting for them or if it was just a coincidence.
"…Are you all ready?"
Seeing Estelle so carefully prepared, Lennox momentarily lost his words before asking.
Estelle's hair was tied in a braided bun—neat, yet far from plain.
Her calm, dark red dress gave her a look that was less flashy and more dignified, even antique.
"Yes, but… weren't we supposed to meet in front of the Imperial Palace?"
Lennox was always busy.
Even though he had come to the capital, that didn't mean his schedule was any lighter.
That morning too, he had only played with Duren for a short while before leaving, saying work had come up.
"A normal couple would ride in the same carriage, so I thought it best to return and go together."
It seemed he was fully intent on deceiving the Emperor.
It would be a lie to say it didn't feel a bit excessive…
'But that's the contract.'
And it wasn't even a difficult thing to do.
With a grunt, Lennox lifted Duren up and set him inside the carriage first.
Just as Estelle was about to follow after Lennox once he boarded, a thick arm was suddenly extended in front of her.
"Huh?"
Blinking in confusion, Estelle lifted her gaze—and her eyes met Lennox's.
She just stared at him blankly, and the confident expression he'd worn at first faltered, revealing his own unease.
"Are you not going to get in?"
"…Of course I am."
Only a beat late did Estelle realize what he meant.
"Wait—are you doing this as part of pretending to be an ordinary couple?"
"That's right. This much is necessary if they're to believe it."
She had sensed it before too, when he had given her the hairpin—Lennox seemed to want them to play the role of husband and wife in the details of everyday life as well.
Following along wasn't difficult.
Only—
"Aren't you overexerting yourself?"
Estelle asked, genuine concern in her voice.
"…It's fine."
"In that case, pardon me."
Given his past record, it wouldn't have been strange if he had shaken her hand off the moment she touched him—or even cut her down.
'He wouldn't go so far after offering his arm first.'
Carefully, Estelle laid her hand upon his forearm.
"…."
Surprisingly, nothing happened.
Lennox did flinch slightly at her touch, but that was all.
For some reason, it left a faintly ticklish feeling.
The banquet hall was full of chatter and laughter, guests busy enjoying themselves.
Smiles graced every face—except for the party's true protagonist, the Princess, who gazed at the hall with a look of sheer boredom.
"Your Highness, won't you dance?"
A young lady, familiar with Princess Alice, asked curiously.
"No. I'm not in the mood."
"But over there, young Lord Butler looks like he wants to have a dance with you."
Lord Butler was, by all accounts, quite handsome.
There were more than a few young ladies who kept stealing glances at him, clearly eager to dance with him themselves.
Yet Alice's reaction was far from pleased.
"They're all the same."
"Pardon?"
"Men, I mean. Don't they all look the same?"
"But isn't Lord Butler different? He has character."
"Characteristically ugly, maybe."
Her reply was utterly uninterested.
Even when other fine gentlemen's names were mentioned, her response was much the same.
And then—
"Look over there!"
In an instant, the atmosphere of the banquet hall shifted.
All attention swung to a single point, and some even let out short gasps of surprise.
Murmurs spread through the hall.
Everyone's eyes turned toward the newly arrived guests. Alice's gaze followed as well.
"Yes… that's how a man should look."
From her seat of honor, Alice's upper body naturally leaned forward—wanting to see the man's face more clearly.
"That's Duke Winterren! And beside him…"
Estelle was walking in on Lennox's arm.
The crowd's attention immediately fixed on the couple, their closeness undeniable.
'That Duke Winterren, who's infamous for despising people, is casually touching his wife in public!'
So stunned were they by the sight that no one noticed—
"I wanna do that too!"
—the tiny Duren, right beside them.
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