“I’m kind of tired.”

When I returned from the royal palace, I felt exhausted.

“I was tense the entire time.”

Gilmer served me a cup of tea. When I sipped it, the scent of black tea seeped through my body. It healed my fatigue.

“I’ll be pleased to serve you with this.”

“Yes, thank you.”

After Gilmer left and I had been left completely alone, I thought of His Highness Weiss.

I felt both uncertain and anxious about him.

The second prince—Weiss Wisner. He was the only one who behaved differently from my previous life.

How will it affect the future?

Is he truly in love with me?

If that was true, then I—…

…No, let’s stop.

It was meaningless to have such an expectation.

It’d be the best for me to not have any kind of expectations at all.

The documents I submitted to the legal officer that day confirmed my father’s defeat. Aries hadn’t been adopted, so she couldn’t succeed my family. So far, things were going well—or so I hoped.

***

“…Your Highness Weiss.”

“I’m sorry for the sudden visit. Am I an annoyance?”

“No.”

The next day, His Highness Weiss visited me in the mansion early in the morning.

“Your Highness Weiss, what did my daughter do?”

Without a single word of greeting, my father, who rushed to the entrance, asked such a question. He was keenly aware I had done something. After all, His Highness Weiss visited me instead of Aries.

Had he come to meet Aries, my father would surely have been convinced that he had something for Aries.

Well, since Aries was cute, it wasn’t impossible.

His Highness Weiss gave a dry smile to my father’s words.

“I have met with Sofia several times, and I can say that she’s a well-mannered lady. She did nothing wrong. Finding a better lady would be difficult. Unlike you, who doesn’t know how to give courtesy to a member of a royal family.”

“—! M,my apologies…”

My father, who finally realized that he had been uncouth towards a member of the royal family, apologized in a hurry.

“My name is Aries, the fiancée of His Highness Wagner. Pleased to meet you, Your Highness Weiss.”

Aries, who stood to the left of my father, smiled and greeted him. She gave an elegant courtesy in accordance with proper etiquette.

“It’s true, then. Wagner made a commoner his fiancée.”

“Eh?”

“The fact that you don’t have a surname, doesn’t that make you a commoner?”

Aries dared feign ignorance. However, His Highness Weiss was aware that she was a baroness.

Because she hadn’t yet been adopted by the duke, Aries could only give the surname of the fallen baron family. She was probably hesitant to do so, thinking that the prince would think less of her.

“No, she’s a well-bred aristocratic lady. She just doesn’t have a surname, yet.”

The tearful Aries glanced at me.

Through her gaze, she complained as to why I hadn’t signed the adoption papers, yet. It must had been a new experience to her. After all, only irresponsible men would fall for her charm and not care about her status.

“Could it be, you’re a half-aristocrat?”

“What?”

Aries, who thought that the second prince would sympathize with her, froze. She seemed to be unable to respond. Weiss, who should’ve noticed, pretended to be unaware and continued talking.

“Since she’s well-bred aristocratic lady without a surname, it can only mean one thing. She must been the result of a concubinage.”

“—Wha?!”

With a smile, His Highness Weiss asked, “Did I say something strange?”

“I have neither a mother nor a father, nor am I the child of a concubine.”

“But you do have a surname, don’t you? ‘Heldin.’ Otherwise, it’d be strange. Perhaps, did you lie to me because you wanted to garner sympathy? That’s not good, you know.”

He spoke in a low, cold, voice.

Despite the fact that his voice was directed at Aries, I shivered upon hearing it.

“N, no, that’s…”

“I consider her as a daughter of the Lark family.”

Father took a step forward to shield Aries. Thanks to my father’s back, Aries no longer needed to meet His Highness Weiss’ stare. She sighed in relief.

My father had never taken care of me like that.

“‘Daughter’? But you have a daughter, Sofia.”

His Highness Weiss’ voice became even lower. He seemed angry.

But why?

Is he aware of Aries’ scheme?

His Highness Weiss seemed to know that Aries was a baroness who wanted to be adopted by the duke family. Of course, I hadn’t spoken a thing to him.

---

***T/N: Dang, son. His Highness Weiss provided back up on the savage roasting. I like this guy now.

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