/
At the same time Orion turned stiff, Lord Duke’s gaze slowly moved to him.
I was the first to leave the table surrounded in silence.
When I went to my room leaving the father-son looking at each other, Dana criticized me.
“Did you hurt Young Duke again this morning? The maids from the kitchen gathered and wet their handkerchiefs, feeling sad about it.”
I felt wronged at what Dana said.
“It’s me who was attacked unilaterally.”
At least I would have stopped it if he asked me before he told the Crown Prince that.
The problem got more grave as the letter had been delivered.
The chance of Orion’s opinion accepted was high considering the Crown Prince was showing goodwill toward me.
Feeling desperate, I put on the coat Dana gave me.
“Dana.”
“Yes?”
“Did Mom perhaps go out recently without Lord Duke?”
She looked confused at the sudden question.
“Well, it’s likely the salon she used to go to. Even that doesn’t happen often these days.”
“Really?”
“Why did you ask?”
“I mean, when I think about it, I think I don’t know much about what Mom’s doing.”
“There is no mother and daughter who are as close as you and Duchess, My Lady.”
She smiled brightly.
I began to wonder about things that I hadn’t thought about before.
When did Mom begin to visit the salon attended by aristocats?”
What kind of connections did she use to get into aristocratic society?
Who were her patrons?
How did she meet Lord Duke?
I suddenly realized that I knew nothing about her.
I thought I knew her better than anyone else, but I knew nothing except for the information she gave me.
Because I thought it would be better for us to not interfere too much with each other.
Come to think of it, I didn’t know exactly what Mom was doing except for the short times I was with her.
Rumors and words from other people were just unreliable stories.
“Erm . . .”
On my way out after finishing my preparation for the academy with a complicated mind, a young maid stopped me.
“My Lady, if you’re really troubled by it, I can investigate inside the mansion for you? I can just observe how much time the two spend their time together, and how good their relationship is.”
“No, it’s not . . .”
I stopped when I was about to shake my hand to refuse it.
There was something I wanted to know about my mother’s whereabouts.
If she really was in contact with Trevor, Lord Duke might be irrelevant, but at the same time he could be involved.
“Then will you do that for me?”
“Sure, My Lady. I didn’t know you would be uneasy because of that. So you thought you have to leave this house if there’s any discord between them.”
Her teary eyes looked very moist.
If I said no, the justification for wanting to know every move of them would be lacking, so I just nodded roughly.
“Don’t worry please. Even if they get divorced, you’ll always be our lady.”
“No, the family register will change then.”
Her face turned white and she soon turned into a determined face.
The other maids next to her, who suddenly ran somewhere, were wearing the same expressions.
If perhaps the earring was someone else’s, and it had nothing to do with them . . .
“Let’s apologize, then.”
Fortunately, the increased brazenness of staying with Orion reduced my guilty conscience.
* * *
The atmosphere in the academy was unsettling.
Everyone was on edge unlike me, who was calm since I had experienced this once.
The Crown Prince will surely not miss this chance.
If he conducted a thorough investigation of the details of the goods, without doubt, the people who manipulated the ledger and even behind them would come out.
Mago was too hasty doing her work, blinded by the success that was right in front of her eyes.
Otherwise, she could have wiped out all the traces smoothly.
My eyes naturally headed to the annex where the Magic Department was located.
I saw a familiar face between the students walking around the annex.
A familiar face, an unfamiliar expression.
It was the moment when I walked a few steps ahead to the annex as if I was possessed.
“Are you a new student?”
Someone suddenly grabbed my arm.
The male student, who opened his eyes wide, scanned me.
“If you’re absent minded like that, you’ll get in trouble. You’re a freshman, right?”
“I am, but I’m from Gene‚—”
“Then you must be in the basic class. You can come with me.”
The male student of about the same build as me dragged me along.
I was going to tell him that I was from the general department as he tried to drag me into the annex.
“Professor Ardin relentlessly deducts points if you’re late. One of the kids who was late for the first class was even the son of Count Kleenex, but he cut them fiercely.”
I unknowingly closed my opened mouth at the name Ardin.
The student dragged me, who was silent, to the classroom full of students.
Everyone was seated when we arrived.
A strict-looking figure standing in front of the students warned us.
“If you’re later than this, you’ll lose points. The professor hasn’t arrived yet, so I’ll let you go this time.”
“Thank you!”
I cowered unconsciously at the loud shout.
I had to leave before anyone recognized I was Marianne Miller.
Somehow, I didn’t want to be recognized.
Because the unfamiliar Zen that I didn’t know anything about was here.