Chapter 09…
I didn’t even wait to hear what more Elios had to say before I pushed myself up from my seat.
“Bellona!”
“Shut up! If you say another word or try to follow me, I’ll use magic!”
I shouted, and fortunately, Elios must’ve sensed I was serious because he didn’t follow.
However, that didn’t stop him from yelling after me.
“Artea’s going to need both of us!”
“I said shut up!”
Fwoosh—!
Only after a large ball of flame floated up into the air did his voice finally stop.
I specialized in non-combat magic, and in terms of battle capabilities, that guy—who had rolled through countless subjugation missions—had the upper hand.
Still, if he didn’t want to start a fight in front of his niece, this was the obvious choice.
That guy’s got such a long tongue—if I stick around listening to him, I’ll get dragged into it for sure!
I grumbled under my breath as I quickly left the neighboring estate.
Honestly, I should’ve known the moment he flashed that weird smile earlier.
That rare smile—the one said to keep multiple women up at night because he usually kept a poker face!
Seriously, now I won’t be able to sleep either—but for a completely different reason!
That dazzling white smile kept popping into my head, and I knew I’d end up kicking my blanket all night.
Ugh, how infuriating!
***
But…
Elios’s persistence over the past few days paid off.
Artea, who only a short while ago had been shouting “I hate Uncle!”, had started to care about him again.
“Hey, what’s Uncle doing at night, you think? N–not that I want to see him or anything.”
“This is something Uncle likes too…”
“Huh? Didn’t you hear something from next door?”
She’d make such transparent remarks and keep circling back to talk about her uncle.
He was a jerk for suddenly breaking things off after we’d gotten along so well… but still, I was just a stranger to Elios, while Artea was his niece.
At least he hadn’t treated the child the way he treated me.
Since Elios had moved next door, Artea had seemed brighter, which was a relief.
Thanks to that, I could observe, confirm, and ask about a few things.
Considering her emotional well-being, maybe letting her meet her uncle is the better choice…?
But then again, there was the whole runaway incident, and her protective magic had been broken.
Maybe cutting off contact entirely would be better to help her settle emotionally… Ugh, I don’t know!
It’s not like I’d ever raised a child before.
Even people who have probably agonize over moments like this.
With my heart in turmoil, I walked slowly through the garden.
I’d heard somewhere that going for a walk could calm your mind.
But this walk led me to an unexpected encounter.
“Good afternoon, Lady Bellona.”
It was the butler from House Kiliet.
Well, the wall between our estates had been lowered recently, so it was easier to meet—but I didn’t expect to run into him here.
“It’s a lovely day for a walk, isn’t it? That dress looks wonderful on you today.”
This was a far cry from how he’d practically rammed into me the first time we met.
He clearly seemed eager to make a good impression.
My confusion didn’t last long.
“I heard the Duke has proposed to you.”
“Ah.”
Even if the boundary between our estates had been lowered, the garden was still wide—running into each other by coincidence would’ve been rare.
Was he waiting here on purpose to talk to me?
Why would he want to meet with me?
Was he being friendly, or… the opposite?
“I’ve felt bad ever since our first meeting—when I was rude to you because I was siding with the Duke.”
The butler’s attitude was courteous now.
“You may soon become the Duchess. I should’ve known better.”
“…”
“The late Duke and Duchess got along well, didn’t they? I believe Kiliet and Sortis are a good match.”
Judging by his attitude, the proposal wasn’t a joke.
So he’s approaching me because I might become the Duchess, huh?
Me and Elios… married.
The butler and those from the Duke’s household had seen me taking care of Artea, so maybe they saw me in a favorable light.
But other people probably wouldn’t.
“I heard you broke up, but in the end, Lady Artea brought you two back together!”
Sure, I guess that’s what it looks like—that I used my niece to push for marriage with the Empire’s most eligible bachelor.
I don’t care if I get criticized.
The only one who matters is Artea. As far as I’m concerned, everyone else can say what they want.
The butler, watching me carefully, gave a warm smile.
His demeanor was far more amiable than during our first encounter.
“If anyone dares to speak rudely to the future Duchess, please let me know. As a loyal servant of House Kiliet, I’ve long awaited the Duke’s marriage.”
He started talking about how Elios had never shown any interest in women, rejecting every marriage proposal that came his way.
He speculated it was because he didn’t want to destabilize Artea’s position as heir.
“He’s devoted to his niece, after all. Even though the monster subjugation is nearing its end, I didn’t expect him to run off mid-campaign. But marrying the woman who cares most for Lady Artea? That’s wonderful news.”
“…I haven’t actually accepted the proposal yet.”
He already seems convinced I’ll become the Duchess… using formal speech feels weird now…
I switched to a more casual tone.
“Haha, of course, you’ll need time to think!”
But the butler didn’t seem to think there was even a possibility I’d refuse.
Do I really look that bashful?
He clearly had no idea how ridiculous the contents of that proposal were.
“Since you’ll be the Duchess, may I ask—are you planning to dismiss the nanny?”
“What do you mean?”
“People in the ducal household are far too soft. To leave the very person responsible for Lady Artea’s disappearance by her side… if this continues, the same thing could happen again.”
‘The person responsible for her disappearance’?
The butler sighed deeply, his face dark.
“You know Lady Artea went missing during an outing, right? Do you know what the nanny was doing at that time?”
Artea had gone missing during an outing.
The person who had been with her right up until then was the nanny.
But she had apparently fallen asleep—and didn’t wake up until evening.
By the time she realized Artea was gone and reported it, she still looked groggy and couldn’t even answer questions properly.
The butler was furious as he recounted it.
“If the nanny hadn’t taken Lady Artea on that outing—or at least kept proper watch—things would’ve been different.”
“…”
“What kind of nanny takes a nap during an outing? Whether that was her excuse or the truth, either way it’s unacceptable. We should investigate whether she’s in financial trouble or who she’s been close with.”
So this was the real reason he came to talk to me.
He’s not entirely wrong—but he’s saying that because he doesn’t know about the sleep incense.
As I paused to choose my words, the butler pressed me anxiously.
“Unlike the others in the ducal household, Lady Bellona, I trust you’ll make a wise decision. You haven’t met that woman yet, have you? She’s a nanny, yet she doesn’t even seem close to Lady Artea—”
But just as he was about to continue—
“Lady Bellona! There’s a problem!”
A servant from House Sortis came running toward me in a panic.
There was trouble with a newly released magic device—bad news.
I’d wanted to postpone leaving Artea’s side as much as possible, but this was something only I could handle.
“You’ll need to leave immediately!”
“I understand. I’ll head out as soon as preparations are complete.”
I told the butler we’d continue our conversation after I returned.
He seemed disappointed at the abrupt interruption, but quickly composed himself and bowed.
“Artea. Auntie’s going to step out for a bit. I’ll be back soon.”
Artea’s eyes widened like a startled rabbit’s at the mention of me leaving.
“A–Auntie, don’t go!”
“Lady Artea, your aunt has work to attend to, you understand?”
Artea, who’d seemed fairly stable lately, suddenly turned pale.
Her breathing quickened, and her body started to shake.
“I’m not leaving for good—just for a little while.”
“T–Then take me with you.”
“It’s too dangerous for a child.”
Her eyes trembled violently at my refusal.
Even as I held her and patted her back, I could feel the storm of emotions inside her.
Has she always felt this anxious—every time Elios left for a subjugation, and every time I was away for work?
At that moment, the people the butler had mentioned earlier came to mind.
“They said the nanny was brought here to help stabilize Artea, right?”
When I saw how uneasy Artea had been before, Elios and I had talked.
To help her feel secure, she needed familiar people and things around her.
So, from the ducal estate, we’d brought her clothes, belongings, and as many people she trusted as possible.
“Lady Artea!”
The nanny, who had been fidgeting anxiously from afar, burst into tears as soon as she saw Artea.
Her distress was palpable.
“I can’t tell you how worried I was when you disappeared…”
“Shall we read your favorite storybook together?”
“I couldn’t even eat properly because I kept thinking of you, my lady…”
But even as the nanny approached, Artea just rolled her eyes nervously.
She didn’t shy away from familiar people normally, but her tension wasn’t easing at all.
“Lady Artea must have been through a lot…”
The nanny seemed hurt, but she took a step back after seeing Artea’s discomfort.
Strange.
These were the people who spent more time with her than Elios, who went off on subjugations.
So why… why was the atmosphere like this?
