“Please don’t worry too much, Lady Rosalyn. The Duke is a very generous man.”
“…Really?”
“Yes! So just greet him as usual and return to your room.”
But Rosalyn’s anxiety didn’t fade.
Everyone else believed she was the young master’s biological daughter…
But in truth, she wasn’t.
Somehow, she had a strong feeling that the Duke of Arcas would see through it right away.
Maybe it was just guilt gnawing at her.
“Rosalyn.”
“…Young Master?”
Knock knock.
As the door opened, Deon leaned against the frame, lightly tapping on it.
Rosalyn looked up at him in surprise.
It was the first time he’d come to her room personally.
He took a quick glance around her space. Although it had been decorated at his instruction, this was his first time seeing the child’s room himself.
But his interest quickly waned, and he stepped inside.
“Are you ready?”
“Yes, Young Master.”
Rona bowed respectfully as she answered.
“Then let’s go, Rosalyn.”
“…!”
“To meet Grandfather.”
Rosalyn flinched at those words.
Grandfather.
One of the Empire’s greatest noblemen, Duke Arcas, had just been referred to as “Grandfather.”
“Calling him ‘Duke’ between family feels a bit distant, don’t you think?”
With that remark, Rosalyn understood Deon’s intent.
And Rona, silently watching, thought to herself:
That coming from the Young Master, who always calls him ‘Duke’ himself…
* * *
At the entrance of House Arcas.
Key retainers of the household were gathered at the gates, awaiting the Duke’s return.
“He’s coming back earlier than expected this time, isn’t he?”
“Yes, thankfully there must’ve been no major issues in the territory.”
“Last year, he stayed an entire month overseeing the construction of that new bridge for supply lines.”
Kaimon Arcas had always devoted himself wholly to managing the estate.
“…Honestly, it’s about time the Young Master was entrusted with overseeing the territory, don’t you think?”
“Who knows what the Duke is thinking. …Still, he is rather late.”
“Shh. The Young Master is here.”
As Deon and Rosalyn appeared, the murmuring stopped.
Standing at the front of the line, Rosalyn instantly sensed the shift in atmosphere.
They had clearly been talking about one of the two of them.
She glanced sideways at Deon.
His face remained calm and unaffected, as if this were nothing new.
…He must be used to this.
In truth, Rosalyn wasn’t unfamiliar with whispers behind her back either.
The children at the orphanage always talked behind her.
As odd as it might sound, in this moment, she felt an unexpected sense of kinship.
“There’s the carriage!”
“…Sigh, the Elder Council will probably convene tomorrow. I wonder what scolding awaits us this time…”
The elders visibly braced themselves and straightened their posture.
Rosalyn stared at the carriage approaching the estate.
It was large and luxurious, draped with the red banner of House Arcas.
Once it came to a full stop in front of the mansion, the door opened.
Rosalyn took a deep breath.
The elders bowed low in perfect unison.
It was a sight to behold—men who would be treated with great respect anywhere in the Empire were now all bowing their heads.
“Welcome home, Duke.”
“We greet Your Grace.”
They all welcomed the return of Duke Arcas, and Deon bowed slightly as well.
“Was the inspection of the territory successful, Your Grace?”
“It was.”
“Please come inside and rest.”
Deon smiled politely, continuing the formalities.
At that moment, something small caught Kaimon Arcas’s eye.
A round head of golden hair.
…?
He thought perhaps his eyes were deceiving him.
But the round head kept appearing in his line of sight with every step he took.
What is that?
Kaimon furrowed his brows and looked down.
And then—
His piercing blue eyes widened in disbelief.
Rosalyn had been bouncing slightly, trying to catch the Duke’s eye—and her face lit up when she finally succeeded.
“Ah, h-hello!”
“…”
“Haa…”
“…”
“H-Hello, Grandfather!!”
A hush swept over the crowd like a crashing wave.
Kaimon Arcas raised one eyebrow as he looked down at Rosalyn.
“…What is the meaning of this, Deon Arcas?”
The Duke’s icy blue gaze shifted toward Deon.
* * *
Oh no… The Duke must not like me.
In the Duke’s study.
Kaimon, Rosalyn, and Deon were seated on a sofa in that order.
Soon, a maid entered and placed steaming tea before each of them, then exited.
Kaimon took a sip and finally spoke.
“Explain.”
A short, heavy word.
Rosalyn flinched, her shoulders visibly trembling.
It felt like walking on the thinnest sheet of ice.
“You heard it yourself earlier. Or did you not? What Rosalyn called you.”
“…You…”
“How does it feel to meet your great-granddaughter, Duke?”
Deon said it with a pleasant smile, but Kaimon’s expression turned to stone.
He didn’t need to ask why Deon had adopted a child.
It was clearly in response to the last time he summoned Deon and informed him he couldn’t pass down the family name arbitrarily.
That made Kaimon all the more furious now.
“…Do you even realize what you’ve done? You wait until I leave the estate, and then—!”
“Could you lower your voice, Duke? You’re frightening the child.”
“…!”
He was right.
Rosalyn sat there, pale as a ghost, her face full of fear.
Of course, no child could behave normally in front of Kaimon.
To children, he was an overwhelmingly intimidating presence.
Kaimon glanced at the trembling Rosalyn and then sharply turned to Deon again.
“Let me reintroduce her. This is my daughter, Rosalyn Arcas. You wouldn’t believe how long I searched for her… but you wouldn’t know anything about that.”
“Deon Arcas!! You will regret this.”
“I won’t. All the paperwork is already done.”
“You dare disrupt the order of this house for your selfishness?!”
Finally, Kaimon couldn’t contain his fury any longer and shouted.
BANG—!
He slammed the table with such force that Rosalyn flinched and shut her eyes tightly.
I’m scared… so scared.
That was the only thought in her head.
Her mind went blank. Her vision flickered.
“Uuu…”
In the tense silence, soft sobs began escaping from Rosalyn.
Kaimon, finally registering her presence, backed down slightly.
Both men watched as tears quietly streamed down her face.
“…Tch.”
Deon clicked his tongue at the sight of Rosalyn trembling all alone.
There was something deeply unpleasant about it.
The moment he saw the tears roll down her chubby cheeks, his mood turned sour.
He couldn’t explain why, but he knew one thing: he needed to get out of this room.
Without hesitation, Deon stood up and lifted Rosalyn into his arms.
“What do you think you’re doing, Deon? I’m not finished.”
“And what do you think you’re doing, Duke?”
“…What?”
“Can’t you see how terrified my daughter is?”
Deon’s voice was cold as ice.
He saw the tear rolling down her chin and let out another annoyed click of his tongue.
Then he gently brushed her cheek.
Rosalyn, flinching slightly, wrapped her arms around him and buried herself in his chest.
Kaimon, watching closely, was visibly startled.
Unbelievably, the child was clinging to Deon for comfort.
“…Sniff…”
“You alright, Rosalyn?”
“…Yes…”
She gave a tiny nod.
The soft scent of a child tickled Deon’s nose.
It felt strange, holding her like this. It was the first time someone had ever relied on him so completely.
He had never allowed anything so fragile to remain at his side before.
Deon, after watching her for a moment, turned to face Kaimon.
The Duke stared at the two in stunned silence.
“Well then, I’ll be going.”
“…”
“Rest well, Duke.”
And with that, Deon left the study.
