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It was truly astonishing.
Edrick couldn’t believe it. The servants who had pretended not to hear him when he had begged to send him out were now getting ready to go.
He still couldn’t believe his eyes as he watched the mansion getting smaller in the distance. He was really going back to his hometown.
And at the center of it all was the servant, Rovel, with a soft smile.
“It’s better to leave as soon as you are ready, right?”
Rovel had asked him right after he got the permission to go out.
Looking at what he was doing, he thought he was going to use this as an excuse to gain something, but the tone was light and casual as if he was talking about the weather outside.
So— he couldn’t help but be skeptical.
He took the initiative and pretended to be there for him. Wasn’t this the perfect situation for him and the Duchess to plot some kind of scheme?
‘That servant— is he trying to make me let  my guard down under that woman’s orders?’
Even though he was suspicious, he couldn’t act as rashly as before.
It was because the memento his mother left behind was still in his hometown.
He had endured it until now because it was obvious that even speaking to that woman could ruin this.
But now that he had the chance, he had to go and get it at all costs.
Of course, he wasn’t sure that he would find it when he got there, but he couldn’t just give up.
It’s the only trace of his mother left in the whole world.
‘—And if I tell that servant, it will definitely reach the ears of the Duchess.’
Rovel’s excited face was reflected in the carriage window.
When he saw the excited look on the servant’s face, he became even more irritated.
‘He must think we’re going on a trip, right?’
Edrick sneered and looked outside.
When he first came to the Duke’s House, it was raining heavily. And he was down hearted, so he didn’t have mind to enjoy the scenery.
Looking at it now, it was cozy and beautiful just as its reputation said, a paradise in the southeast.
That didn’t mean he was at ease.
He felt dizzy as if green paint had been poured all over. Everything blurred together in his eyes.
At that moment, he heard Rovel saying,
“Young Master, I have something to tell you.”
It’s probably some nonsense again—.
Edrick just continued staring silently out the window.
He didn’t show it, but he felt increasingly strange that he was going back to his hometown.
It felt like something was burning in his chest. Both hot and cold at the same time—.
But the next words he heard wiped out all thoughts from his mind.
“I was actually bought by the Duchess.”
—What did he just hear?
Edrick turned his gaze away, forgetting his previous impressions.
What the hell happened the night before? And he saw Rovel smiling evily with a vicious glint in his eyes.
“Madam ordered me to report the Young Master’s every move without exception. So I said I would follow it.”
“….”
He was so shocked that he was at a loss for words.
But, as always, the ignorant guy didn’t care about the Master’s reaction.
With his upper body tilted close to him, he covered his mouth with one hand, and whispered as if telling him a secret, “But don’t worry, we’re on the same team. I’ll take care of everything from now on. If the Young Master only trust me like you are now and not keep getting annoyed—”
—same team?
The words belatedly woke him up.
“Don’t be crazy! When did you and I suddenly become one team?!!”
He was so angry that three or four green veins popped out on his long and delicate neck.
Then, Rovel said ‘Ha’. After that, he protested as if he was very disappointed.
“What? Did you just find out that we’re on the same team?”
*****
Edrick was still very much full of suspicion.
“Don’t be disgusting. Who knows who is trying to get rid of me by making me let my guard down like this again?”
That was understandable.
The only person he trusted other than his mother had poisoned her and betrayed him.
He had to experience such things at such a young age. It was no wonder he had trust issues.
It was a pity that he had no idea of the hard work that I had done to prepare for the outing. I was running all over the place day and night. But I could understand it.
Edrick, however, could hardly hide his anger.
“You don’t have any pride, do you? Even if you don’t like me, even if it makes you uncomfortable, you still do it.”
How should I deal with someone who won’t believe me no matter what I say?
I looked into the eyes of the Young Master with a little difficulty—.
“Yes. Both are true.”
I just confirmed it.
“I don’t have much pride because I don’t have anything. And I don’t like Young Master either.”
“….!”
“Think of it with common sense. Can you like someone like the Young Master when you’re someone who curses and throws things at people as an excuse for your anger? Well, if the Young Master likes that, I’ll do it right now.”
As soon as I finished speaking, I pretended to throw a cushion at him and he glowered at me.
Look at that. Look at that.
He doesn’t like it either.
I hugged the cushion I was pretending to throw and said,
“It was just a joke. I said it because you just seem to believe the opposite of everything I say.”
“….”
“And you keep getting suspicious of me because of my relationship with the Duchess. Please don’t do that. I’m a human too, shouldn’t I have my own preferences? I don’t like the Duchess.”
This time, Edrick looked genuinely surprised.
Well, whenever the Duchess opened her mouth, people in Denkart adored her every word, almost like a saint.
But I really hate that type of person.
“I prefer someone who has a bad personality but who is honest like the Young Master rather than the Duchess.”
“Don’t make me laugh.”
“This time, it’s real.”
Although it was the most honest thing I’ve ever said in my life, he didn’t seem to believe it.
Rather, I opened the window wide as if I was already in a better mood.
It was tough love. Although I didn’t throw the cushions at him, he was hit by a bomb of facts.
I smiled and looked at the Young Master who was honest even though he had a rude personality.
The breeze from the open window blew on his bangs and revealed his fine forehead.
His dark green eyes, which had always been gloomy, were now gleaming in the soft sunlight. And they looked even more striking than the greenery outside the window.
But his rude way of speaking remained the same.
“I’ll cut you off as soon as I get back.”
“No, Young Master can’t do that.”
“….!”
“I’m a servant who was hired with the salary given by Madam, right? Unless I quit or Madam fires me, it’s impossible. Well, except for the butler. He might be able to do it.”
“….”
The Young Master did not immediately respond to my blatant lie.
He seemed to be confused to the point where his eyes were shaking.
I sighed inside.
‘I knew this would happen.’
The Young Master was ignorant.
In the past, he had no education because he was from a poor commoner’s family, and even after becoming an aristocrat, he did not receive proper aristocratic education.
The way he talked to the butler was so formal because he tried to imitate other noblemen but it only made it more awkward.
Besides, this time, I even managed to get him to go out, so he seemed to believe such nonsense.
In conclusion, it’s an opportunity for me.
Should I then try to get along with him?
“However, if you want to cut me off like that, you can get well as soon as possible and become an official successor. Then you can do whatever you want and you can have everything. Of course, that also includes cutting me off.”
Even before I finished speaking, he closed his eyes as if he was tired of listening to it.
But if I close my business like this, I’m not a daughter of a merchant family.
I kept looking for an opening and trying to choose what to say.
Meanwhile, we arrived at the campsite. Rimson Hyung carefully knocked on the carriage door waiting for us to get off.
Instead of getting off right away, I opened the carriage door wide and beckoned to the vast scenery.
“Well, look outside. Isn’t it amazing? The veins of the Elkine region and Roxan Mountain, including these vast territories, are all yours.”
“….”
“And— all the wonderful knights will pledge their loyalty to the Young Master. Where else would that be? You can meet any man you like.”
“—What? Who’s going to meet who?”
—Huh?
Mortified, I closed my mouth.
Edrick didn’t care about the opposite sex or the same sex either.
If it hadn’t been for the persistent relationship with the Crown Prince, he would never have met him. Even then, he didn’t open his heart easily.
Rather, handling this situation comes first.
I hurriedly made excuses for myself. He was staring at me as if I was a crazy person again.
“So, I mean, whoever it is, you can freely meet the person you like. Whether it’s a man or a woman! Regardless of gender! If it’s a Denkart successor, so what— Gender is not the problem! Wouldn’t it be possible to meet both the Imperial family and several people at the same time!!!!”
I hurriedly explained, but it was the truth with no exaggeration.
With that face, that background and that personality, how can there be anyone he can’t have in the future?
There was nothing strange about having a few more people on a sub-male lead list—. Sheesh, I’m suddenly getting jealous.
But then, Rimson, who was holding his breath near the open carriage door, let out a squeak, ‘Ugh’.
Ah, that’s right.
This Hyung hasn’t left yet.