After the banquet ended, I went to report on the Empress Dowager’s matters to my grandfather.
“Ah, Grandfather!”
He happened to be in the hallway.
Just as I was about to speak, my second aunt Bastina hurried up behind me.
“Father~!”
“What is it?”
“I have good news. Our Selene has been nominated for the original painting competition!”
“Well done.”
“They say Selene is amazing. Even the social circle calls her a rising star, and many say her original painting spot is practically guaranteed.”
“Tell her to keep striving.”
Grandfather’s indifferent tone made Aunt Bastina silently pull a sour face.
‘She expected more, huh? And this is all?’
Then she spotted me and frowned.
‘I’ve been here the whole time, haven’t I?’
“What are you doing here again? Not studying, just chasing after Father?”
‘Is she talking about herself?’
Aunt Bastina and her husband were both good at spending money but bad at making it.
Everyone in Astra knew they always came to grandfather asking for money because they never had enough.
It was obvious her coming to talk about Selene was just an excuse to ask for money again.
‘I don’t mind if she clings to someone reliable, but don’t badmouth me.’
Blinking innocently, I said to Aunt Bastina,
“I came to report to grandfather about the Empress Dowager, Your Majesty.”
“What did you say?”
At the mention of the Empress Dowager, Aunt Bastina frowned.
“Why do you care about the Empress Dowager?”
“I wanted to ask grandfather how to behave since I was invited to the tea salon.”
“The Empress Dowager’s tea salon?! How could you be invited! Even original painters aren’t allowed in there!”
“I gave Her Majesty a painting she liked. She seemed very pleased.”
“That’s nonsense. She has countless precious paintings. Why would she care about some painting you have...?”
“Her Majesty said I have a similar eye for art as she does.”
That was the highest compliment. A ten-year-old like me being compared to the Empress Dowager’s taste.
Aunt Bastina was speechless, staring at me.
I pretended ignorance and continued,
“I heard the Emperor also often visits the tea salon. Is that right, Grandfather?”
“Well...”
“Do you dislike the Emperor? Then I won’t go to the tea salon.”
Aunt Bastina burst out,
“What?! Are you crazy? Why wouldn’t you go to such a place!”
“But...”
I grabbed grandfather’s sleeve and said,
“I hate anyone who makes you unhappy, even the Emperor.”
“No, but still, the Emperor...”
As Aunt Bastina muttered helplessly, grandfather cleared his throat.
Ahem.
Though acting casual, the corner of his mouth twitched.
“Bastina. If you have nothing more to say, go on.”
He took me by the sleeve and headed to his office.
As soon as we arrived at the office, Duke Astra said to me bluntly,
“Why does it feel like it’s been ages since I last saw your face?”
“Huh? I saw you yesterday, though?”
Seeing my confused face, his aide screamed silently inside,
‘Miss, please!’
The duke was pretending, but the aide knew well.
He /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ had been looking forward to my visits... a lot.
“Why don’t the third generation receive dormitory training like when they were younger?”
He made excuses like he didn’t want to see all of them, though.
The duke thought things were normal, but it was clear they weren’t.
The difference between days he saw me and days he didn’t.
If a strict duke like him became a professional grumbler because he didn’t see me...
The thought of being nagged to death made me want to scream.
‘I can’t take it anymore!’
The aides, unable to endure the duke’s nagging, stayed up many nights trying to implement dormitory training for the advanced education course.
But soon they met fierce opposition.
From none other than my father, Daymond Astra.
As soon as the dormitory training rumor spread, Daymond came to the aides.
“It’s too early for that.”
The aides wanted to scream.
A duke in front, Daymond behind.
What should they do? A twist worthy of a drama.
‘Should I just quit...?’
No way out.
After talking with grandfather,
I rode alone in the carriage home. Father had duties at the castle.
Outside the carriage window, a serene scene unfolded.
A night sky beautiful as a desert oasis.
Countless stars glittered overhead as if pouring down.
‘I love Astra’s night sky.’
A scenery I had loved since I was very little.
Enjoying the solitude, suddenly—
Clatter!
The carriage jolted sharply and stopped.
“What’s going on?”
The driver, flustered, knocked on the window.
“Sorry, miss. Looks like the wheel got stuck in a swamp. We’ll have to wait a moment to fix it.”
He looked worried I might be upset, but I had no intention of getting angry.
It was unavoidable.
However, the stewardesses Heidi and Betty shot sharp looks.
“Be quick about it!”
“If our miss catches a cold in the cold wind, what then!”
Startled, I looked at them.
‘When I was three, I was just naive and kind.’
Seven years since I first met them, Heidi and Betty were now senior servants.
Their experience grew, and so did their influence.
They became so formidable that other servants feared them.
‘But I still find them cute.’
Still, if others see them as formidable, no worries about being scammed.
While they tightly gripped the coachman’s reins, I looked out the window.
The carriage had stopped near a lake.
‘Maybe I’ll take a walk.’
I got out and told the sweating coachman,
“Take your time. I’ll just walk nearby.”
“Wait, miss, I’ll come with you.”
“Coat, coat...! It’s chilly at night after all!”
Heidi and Betty dashed out.
We chatted as we walked along the lakeside.
Then—
Rustle rustle.
A boy suddenly jumped out from the bushes.
“Oh my!”
Betty shrieked, and Heidi stiffened, shielding me.
But he wasn’t the type to harm like a poisoner.
About fifteen years old.
A familiar face.
“Haha, what a coincidence, right?”
He was the boy I saw when picking up Armand’s hat.
Was it Posloni?
He acted just as boldly back then.
I frowned.
‘Could that jerk be the reason the carriage stopped?’
It was strange; on the way to the castle, everything was fine, but suddenly there was a swamp.
Crazy?
I glared at Posloni, who rambled without being asked.
“I came because I regretted not having time to talk last time. You look even prettier at night.”
He stopped the carriage and wasted time with nonsense.
I frowned further, and Posloni laughed.
“I’m not weird. You know my name, right? Posloni Caldere. We’re pretty rich. Old money.”
He was probably poor before but became old money after selling land to grandfather.
“Get to the point.”
“Haha. Maybe it’s because I’m common born? You’re a bit prickly. But hey, you’re Astra blood.”
Muttering to himself, the boy went on.
“At first, I didn’t believe your background. So pretty yet common-born! You’re really beautiful.”
His ‘compliment’ about common birth was ridiculous.
“As you know, nobility is everything, right? But my mother would die for me. No matter what father says, she’s on my side.”
Why do I need to know such TMI?
“I can convince her all right. So I’m giving you a chance to be my girl.”
‘Wow.’
I was speechless.
Posloni acted like bestowing a title, as if I should be honored by his attention.
“Honestly, I feel a bit sorry for you, but you’re half Astra, so I can give you some leniency.”
“Oh my.”
“Crazy.”
If it weren’t for Betty and Heidi backing me up with little interjections, I probably couldn’t have tolerated this nonsense.
They were shaking so fiercely, gnashing their teeth as if they’d tear their handkerchiefs.
Crunch, crunch.
The sound was so vivid it gave me goosebumps.
“Miss, who’s that guy? Is he some noble you shouldn’t ignore?”
“Just a noble from the countryside. Don’t know much.”
“What did you say?!”
Betty and Heidi grabbed their necks and nearly collapsed.
They kept grinding their teeth, and I started to worry about their dental health. There are no dentures here.
“It’s okay. I’m just watching. It’s funny.”
While explaining, I sensed movement behind me.
‘Oh no.’
I spread my palm toward the approaching Posloni.
“I’ll give you five seconds to run away.”
“Run? Why? Wanna play ‘catch me’?”
Posloni grinned slyly, still clueless.
I warned seriously.
“If you come closer, you’re in big trouble.”
I counted on my fingers, one by one.
Five.
Four.
Three.
Two.
One.
As soon as the countdown finished,
Bam!
A loud, clear crack echoed around as Balzac flew in with a flying kick to Posloni’s head.
“Ugh!”
Posloni collapsed clutching his head.
“Get up. It’s not over yet.”
Whack!
Balzac opened his fierce eyes and kicked Posloni’s abdomen.
“Ugh, eek...!”
Posloni staggered backward.
But not for long.
He was blocked by Joshua who appeared from behind.
Joshua smiled coldly but beautifully.
“If you’re going to run, you might as well jump into the lake.”
You won’t get away from us.
I thought I heard the rest of the unspoken words.
The twins gave me a very gentle look.
Their gaze was dripping with honey sweetness.
Balzac flailed his arms and said to me,
“Eril, wait. Count to ten for me.”
What should I do? Spare him?
I groaned, hesitated, then decided.
‘I gave him a chance to run.’
I did all I could.
Slowly covering my eyes with my hand,
“One, two, three...”
“Ah! Ahhh!”
Whack! Bam─!
“Sorry! Sorry!”
The sound of a pig being slaughtered echoed beautifully near the lake.
Balzac raged wildly after turning Posloni into a pulp.
“How dare a Caldere’s son talk like that to Astra’s direct line? Acting all high and mighty? Has he gone mad?”
Joshua calmly denied Balzac’s words.
“More like fear overcame desire.”
“Huh? What do you mean?”
Joshua looked at his idiotic brother with pity and explained.
“If you use monsters well, humans don’t stand a chance. Practically, the strongest attack-type gaho is now Erilot. So he didn’t know his place but still tried.”
Joshua’s eyes gleamed chillingly.
“And he insulted Erilot while he was at it.”
“Damn...”
While the twins were planning to harshly punish Posloni, I blinked sleepily.
Balzac’s fierce attitude had vanished, replaced by a gentle tone.
“Eril, sleepy?”
“Yeah. It’s been a busy day.”
“If you sleep like this, you’ll catch a cold. Use my coat.”
“No, I’ll use your coat.”
Watching Balzac and Joshua bicker, I felt even more tired.
Yawning in Betty’s arms, nearly asleep,
The communication stone blinked.
I checked who it was.
‘Gasp.’
It was Alexis.
At that moment, I felt a sharp gaze.
Looking back while holding the stone, Balzac was staring at me like a hawk.
Joshua’s gaze was no less intense.
“Who is it?”
“...Conrad.”
Balzac’s keen intuition made his eyes flash.
“Why contact at this hour?”
“Seems like there’s something going on...”
My heart trembled, but I calmly stuffed the communication stone deep into my pocket.
They knew Conrad adored me.
𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂 Because I once saved Conrad from being thrown into a mess during grandfather’s attack.
Thanks to Conrad’s help over the past seven years, it wasn’t strange he was contacting me.
Balzac still looked displeased but didn’t press further.
‘Ugh. That beastly temper...’
Maybe worse than a beast.
I stuck out my tongue and quietly clenched the communication stone.
I dodged the twins pestering me about grapes and entered my room, citing tiredness.
Connecting the communication stone, I heard Alexis’s voice.
[Erilot.]
“Yes. I’ve been well.”
[And you?]
“Well...”
Work was plenty, but I was safe and warm inside the fence my father built.
Alexis was living somewhere far less comfortable than me.
But it felt embarrassing to complain about my troubles, so I changed the subject.
“By the way, why?”
[You said you needed a monster.]
“Yes.”
[I found a giant tarantula. I’ll send it.]
“Wow!”
Monsters are always welcome!
But a giant tarantula?