Chapter 10
“What did you say? Mother… no, you mean the Duchess has arrived?”
Istein’s composure noticeably faltered upon hearing the head maid’s words.
“Yes. She just stepped down from the carriage.”
He glanced to the side. Despite the commotion outside, Miela was still wholly focused on her meal.
Thankfully, she didn’t seem interested in their conversation. It was as if she were wrapped in her own peaceful little world.
‘So oblivious.’
Usually as quick as a squirrel, yet at moments like these, she was as slow as a sloth—it was amusing.
A soft chuckle escaped Istein before he caught himself. Now wasn’t the time for that—his expression turned serious again.
‘Didn’t her last letter say she’d come two weeks later?’
He had no idea what prompted this sudden, unannounced visit.
“This is a bit troublesome.”
His eyes narrowed. First, he had to go greet his mother.
But what if she spotted Miela and started asking who this commoner girl was?
He hadn’t thought up a good explanation yet.
‘I’ll just think on the way.’
With that decision, Istein walked quickly over to Miela to get her attention. He felt a little bad disturbing her while she was enjoying her meal.
“Hey, Miela.”
“…Huh? What is it?”
Her response was a beat too slow. Surprised, she looked up at him with her big brown eyes.
‘Ah.’
The sight made his heart skip a beat, and for a second, he almost forgot what he was going to say.
He couldn’t tell whether his symptoms were worsening because of the curse, or if Miela had cast some new spell on him.
One thing was clear—he’d changed a lot since meeting her. In his actions, and in his heart.
He was doing things he normally wouldn’t—just like now.
“Ahem, the thing is… something urgent came up, so I’ll need to step out for a bit.”
“Something urgent?”
“Yeah. A very important guest just arrived. I need to go greet them.”
He hated making lame excuses. It felt undignified for a noble.
But with Miela, he found himself making excuses often.
The version of himself known as Titi was surprisingly full of holes, unlike the usual Istein. Still, he didn’t exactly dislike being a fool only for her.
“If it’s an important guest, should I go greet them too?”
The unexpected response made Istein frantically wave his hands.
“What? No! That’s not necessary. Greeting guests is the servant’s job—you’re a guest yourself, remember?”
“O-oh, really?”
Miela’s cheeks turned slightly red. The idea that someone like her, shabby as she was, was being treated like a guest at this grand villa made her happy.
Meanwhile, Istein breathed a sigh of relief. That could’ve gone very wrong.
He shook his head and added firmly:
“Just finish your meal.”
“Okay!”
Her cheerful reply came immediately. Still, Istein couldn’t fully relax.
“I might be gone a while, but don’t come looking for me, okay? This place is bigger than it looks, and you could get lost. Just call a servant and ask for more dessert instead.”
“Uh-huh, got it. I’m fine, so don’t worry and go ahead, Titi!”
Only after hearing her bright voice did Istein finally leave the dining hall.
But someone was already waiting for him at the door—a woman wearing a feathered hat over golden hair braided into a crown.
Her green eyes, the exact same shade as his, blinked with amusement.
“Finally coming out? I was starting to wonder what fascinating conversation you were having in there.”
How long had she been waiting?
Though flustered, Istein kept a calm face as he looked at her.
“…Mother.”
The woman was none other than Regina Valroire, Istein’s mother and the Duchess.
Her lips curved in a graceful arc.
“So, Titi. Have you been well? As for me, I’ve been enjoying a peaceful life lately, so no need to ask.”
“Yes, I’m glad to hear you’re doing well. As you can see, I’ve been fine too. That said, I believe I asked you not to call me by that nickname.”
“Hm?”
He hadn’t minded when someone else had just called him ‘Titi’ moments ago, and yet now he was all stiff and formal about it—how irritating.
Though she had given birth to him, Regina sometimes truly had no idea what went through her son’s mind.
“Of course, I remember. But I’m just so confused.”
“…What do you mean, Mother?”
He tried to play dumb, but it was no use—Regina went straight for the topic he’d hoped to avoid.
“I don’t know who you were talking to, but you were being called ‘Titi’ just now, weren’t you? So I figured you must’ve gotten used to the nickname.”
“T-that’s…!”
Istein’s eyes wavered. As expected, his mother had overheard his conversation with Miela.
Though the mansion was soundproofed, it was useless against Regina. She was from a swordsmanship lineage and could use aura, allowing her to pick up even faint sounds.
“Well? Do you have anything to say to contradict your mother?”
“….”
Regina’s specialty was pretending not to know while actually knowing everything, slowly tightening her web as she toyed with her prey.
Istein knew this well. At this point, there was no use denying it further.
“The truth is, there’s a reason for all this, Mother.”
“Oh?”
“A few days ago, I went into the village alone and happened to be helped by a child.”
“Hold on—a walk alone? What were your escorts doing?”
There was a flicker of confusion in Regina’s eyes. Istein hurriedly clarified:
“Please don’t blame the knights. I acted on my own.”
“I’m sure you did. Now then, tell me more about this child who helped you. I’m quite curious.”
With an intrigued expression, she prodded further. Istein responded quickly and flatly:
“She’s just an ordinary village girl. I invited her to the villa to repay the favor with a meal. I couldn’t reveal my identity, so I told her a nickname instead of my real name.”
“I see. A nickname instead of your real name—that’s unlike you. And I heard from the head maid that you’re even pretending to be a servant in front of this girl.”
“….”
So she already knew everything. Regina’s green eyes shimmered faintly.
“Is it true?”
“Yes, Mother.”
Regina tilted her head slightly in genuine puzzlement.
“My, why go to such trouble? Didn’t you just say she’s a normal village child? What is it about her that makes you go so far…?”
And she was right.
‘Exactly. What is it about her…?’
Even Istein didn’t fully understand why he was acting this way.
But one thing was certain—he didn’t want to leave that silly girl Miela alone.
‘Just today, she was being bullied again by a bunch of kids for no reason.’
She had nothing—not in food, clothes, or shelter.
And yet her mind remained bright and pure. To put it bluntly, she was naïve. The perfect target for someone with ill intent.
‘While I’m here, I can watch over her. But what happens after that?’
If his condition improved, he’d leave this villa and return home. If it worsened… he might die.
Either way, there was no guarantee he’d be around for long.
“Mother, actually… there’s something I’d like to ask of you regarding that girl.”
With that thought, Istein finally opened his mouth.
“A request?”
“Yes, it’s about—”
Just as he was about to speak, the dining room door creaked open slightly, and someone peeked their head through the gap.
“T-Titi?”
He’d told her not to come out.
What a stubborn squirrel she was.
