Robert and Eric were sitting in front of me.
A week ago, I had arranged a meeting between Eric and Robert. Since then, they had not been in touch. I waited patiently.
And yesterday, I finally heard from them.
'The fact that they came together means they have reached an agreement.'
What they had to say would likely be in my favor.
I offered them tea and began, "Have you come to bring me good news?"
Robert, still gaunt but with a clean-shaven face and neatly combed-back hair, smiled and replied, "Yes, Lady. We have decided to accept your proposal."
"I am truly grateful. I will prepare the contract soon. And I will assign people to ensure your safety."
They looked a bit surprised.
Eric, perhaps recalling what had happened to his family, quickly nodded in agreement.
Robert, who initially had a puzzled expression, soon nodded as well.
They seemed to have realized that the Grand Duchess, who had brought them to this state, was not an ordinary woman.
Once they realized this, a faint fear appeared on their faces.
Robert, with a pale face, looked up at me.
He hesitated before carefully speaking, "You seem quite familiar with such matters."
"Yes. You donât seem surprised at all, and you seem to know how to handle it."
I slightly bowed my head to hide my smile.
This was nothing to Tatiana.
I might be the one who knows Tatiana best in this world.
"I just thought it would be like this. Thereâs always a possibility, after all."
Eric looked even more anxious at this.
Unlike others, he had experienced his family being involved.
Moreover, unlike Robert and Alison, Eric had a wife and daughter.
I could understand why he was so anxious.
To reassure Eric, I said, "Tatiana wonât touch your family again. Iâve already taken care of it."
I had personally reported the human traffickers Tatiana had gathered, using my own name.
By now, Tatiana must have known about it.
Knowing that I was protecting these people, she wouldnât dare to act rashly.
Moreover, I held the leash of Raymond, who loved her dearly.
"Thatâs a relief, but..."
"If youâre still worried, I can send knights to your home as well."
Eric bowed his head several times in gratitude.
After they left, I prepared for the situation again. After the Nivea incident, I did everything to prevent it from happening again.
Fortunately, Tatiana did not react strongly.
I proceeded with the original plan. With more than half the people gathered, we needed a building immediately.
Instead of the land I originally intended to buy, I decided to use the plot on the opposite block that the ducal family owned.
Building a hospital was much more difficult and required a complex procedure than I had anticipated.
The problem didnât end with appointing a hospital director.
Finding people to work there was an even bigger issue.
"Iâve already done the paperwork, but it wonât be easy. The two of them donât have a good reputation in the medical society."
It was completely different from the Nivea case.
They were all professionals, and it was better for them to work in a place with a good reputation for a job change.
I doubt anyone would think a hospital run by two doctors known as has-beens would run smoothly.
"If thatâs the case, the problem is to create a hospital where anyone would want to work."
I knew a few magical words that would make 'anyone want to work there.'
First, I needed to meet Aster.
Aster stared at the letter in front of him.
The neatly and clearly written letter was an invitation to meet.
It was hard to believe it was from someone who had recently rejected his proposal.
It only made his mood worse.
Even though he was the one who had rejected her.
He rubbed the letter with his fingertips, held it up to the sunlight, and tried to calm himself.
Her mysterious blue eyes, her mischievous red lips, and the movement of her long, lustrous black hair that always emitted a unique fragrance when she spoke.
But his deliberation was short-lived.
Instinct overpowered reason.
Seeing her wouldnât be so painful that he would die, but the desire to see her grew rapidly.
Aster wrote down a suitable date and sent it back.
Since seeing her letter, Asterâs days felt like he was walking on clouds.
His mundane routine, always boring, was now colorful and full of life because of the appointment with someone.
The day of the appointment finally arrived. He considered calling Andrew again.
Aster had a small pleasure in deliberately making Carina and Andrew meet when she came to see him.
Seeing Andrewâs stiff face when he met Carina was quite enjoyable.
But lately, he didnât do it on purpose.
He didnât want to show Carinaâs face to Andrew, and he didnât want to see Carinaâs stiff face after meeting him.
Aster, who had been staring blankly out the window, noticed Carina walking in a light orange dress with her hair loosely tied.
Even from a distance, he recognized her immediately.
Aster had been watching Carina for quite some time.
Although Carina might not remember the first time they met, they had met a long time ago.
It was because of the rumor that the runaway prince was hiding in the academy under a different identity.
He had changed his hair color and cast a spell to alter his appearance to catch his own brother and headed to the academy.
Carina was a lovely young girl who still looked quite young.
She still had chubby cheeks, and her now sharp eyes were still gentle.
And at that time, Aster didnât know that Carina was starting to suffer emotionally because of Tatiana.
The girl was secretly sorting out her feelings as she watched Daniel and Tatiana slowly getting closer.
It was something that had been planned, and she had expected it, so she thought she wouldnât be affected.
But perhaps because of her life away from family in a foreign place, there were times when her weakened defenses let her emotions pour out.
Carina was yelling in a secluded spot, kicking a tree with her shoe-clad foot.
Aster, who had been taking a walk after inspecting the academy students, discovered her by chance.
At first, he thought she was insane.
A noble lady yelling and kicking a tree was unheard of.
She was cursing someone with strong language, which was a very intense scene.
She was caught because she had been standing there, staring at her.