The Duchy of Lancester was located in a region that could be considered the southern edge of the Kingdom of Branwill. Even by train, traveling there took several days, so every visit was an important event.

When Avril and the others arrived at the duke’s main residence, the energy within the mansion was like a poked beehive. As the head of the house had suddenly returned during a period he normally spent in the royal capital, that was only natural.

The Count of Allingham household where Avril was born and raised didn’t have a townhouse, but even so, she had memories of the uproar that would ensue when unexpected guests arrived.

From the moment the procession of carriages carrying the Lanchester couple entered the grounds, Avril could hear voices saying things like, “They’ve already arrived,” and “It can’t be helped. Give up on the garden, get everything ready to welcome them inside.” It was making her feel uneasy.

“Everyone seems so busy, I feel bad… I believe half a year has passed since I last saw the people of this estate? I hope they remember me.”
“There’s no need to worry. They wouldn’t have forgotten you even if they wanted to.”
“You cannot be forgotten.”

Samuel finished for Dylan who responded to Avril’s worry. Before she could ask, “Where did this coordination come from?” the carriage door opened. Dylan stepped down first and escorted Avril out.

“Be careful.”
“Thank you very much.”

Upon stepping down into the garden, she was greeted by the scent of trees. The slightly cool scent, mixed with the sea breeze and soil, melted into the high, clear, blue sky. This was Avril’s first autumn in the estate.

The air feels so peasant.

Dylan, picking up on Avril’s curiosity from her expression, gave a faint smile.

“As this is a warm region, snow doesn’t fall even in winter. The coming seasons should be comfortable.”
“Then, it must prosper through trade. I don’t have many opportunities to come to the territory, but I’d like to learn more about it.”

She had the knowledge, but knowing something in her head and actually experiencing it were completely different things. And as she had married into the family, she would like to spend more time there.

However, within the main estate of the territory was the former Duke, Dylan’s father. Though his relationship with the former Duke had warmed from how it used to be, their relationship wasn’t good. Thus, they had come to expect that they’d be spending their time in the royal capital.

Avril understood that the rift between father and son ran deep. Regardless of whether the detached annex where he kept his mistresses had been demolished, and regardless of whether Dylan had shown everyone inside and outside the Duchy that he was the head of the house, their long standing relationship would not so easily change.  What the father did to his wife and son was not something that could be forgiven.

As she had such thoughts, at the far end of the row of servants lined up before the mansion’s entrance to welcome them, the doors opened. The one emerging from that door, acting as the representative of the mansion, was the former Duke.

He approached them with a relaxed poise. Dylan looked at his father with an unchanging expression, while the former Duke glared at his son with a sullen expression.

The former Duke’s dour air, however, unexpectedly vanished upon reaching Dylan. Then, one side of his lips curled into a smile.

“A rather showy return, isn’t it?”
“Compared to how you live your life here, isn’t it much more modest?”

“Hmph. To run back just because an illness is starting to spread in the royal capital, how ridiculous.”
“In the event of an emergency, I can’t leave this place in your hands. As the family head, it’s only natural.”

As sparks immediately flew between her husband and the former Duke, Avril pulled Samuel closer toward herself.

Being brought to an unfamiliar land and then seeing something like this is bound to make anyone uneasy.

However, Samuel was clever and didn’t seem particularly shaken. He stood there, unassuming and elegant, without any sign of fear. The former Duke, Brandon Lancester, noticed his demeanor and inquired about him

“Who’s this kid?”

Samuel, understanding his gaze as permission to speak, greeted him in a practiced manner.

“My name is Samuel Brandner. I’ve come for instruction in etiquette from the Marquis Brandner household.”
“Brandner… hmm.”

Brandon grimaced, displeased at both the family name and Samuel’s manners. He must’ve immediately realized that Samuel’s mother was a friend of Dylan’s mother, Anastasia.

Without even giving a proper greeting to Samuel, he turned on his heel and went back into the mansion. Avril and Samuel were both dumbfounded. However, Avril regained her senses and quickly met Samuel’s gaze.

“Samuel, I’m very sorry.”
“Please do not worry. I understand that there are all sorts of adults out there.”

Avril believed it her imagination that she sensed something meaningful in Samuel’s calm gaze when he responded.  In the end, she tilted her head all the same.

“Hmm. Even so, what exactly did he come here for? It didn’t seem to be a greeting.”
“Who knows.”

Dylan’s words were unusually harsh.

Samuel, watching, seemed perplexed.

“…Lady Avril, is the former Lord shy?”
“Eh?”

At the unexpected question, Avril and Dylan both tilted their heads at the same time. Samuel looked straight up at them.

“Because… when he looked at me, his expression looked troubled for just a moment.”
“Well, that’s only natural. He has probably rarely dealt with children in his life. —Samuel, pay him no mind. He’ll be nothing but a bad influence on you.”
“Understood, Sir.”

I see. The former Duke doesn’t know how to handle children…

Dylan seemed to be in a bad mood after meeting his father for the first time in a long while. Furthermore, it was clear that the “children” Dylan referred to also included Dylan himself from his younger days.

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