Hehe, everyone’s going to be absolutely green with envy, aren’t they? I should probably have a preservation spell cast on it too. And a reinforcement spell — it might get scratched up when I go out on missions later.
She already had a capable mage she knew well in mind, and planned to commission them right away.
Sona’s eyes gleamed as she methodically laid out her plans, one step at a time.
Her awe-struck gaze couldn’t seem to tear itself away from the materials spread across the desk.
A sudden prickling sensation ran down her spine. Riersha flinched and turned her head.
Sona, who had been staring down at Riersha making the jewelry with an expression of unsettling seriousness, instantly melted into a warm smile.
“Is something the matter, Lady Riersha? Shall I bring you a snack? Or is there something else you need?”
“No, I don’t need anyfing.”
Had it just been her imagination?
Riersha tilted her head slightly and turned her attention back to making the bracelet.
It’s not even that impressive, so I’m just glad everyone seems happy with them.
Watching her family receive her handmade gifts with such delight made her want to do even better next time.
Some hours passed.
Riersha held the finished bracelet up toward the ceiling, stretching her arm high.
“Done!”
Evening was already drawing near.
Riersha beamed and rose from her seat.
“You’ve already finished the gift for the Young Duke?”
“Mm-hm. I’m gonna go give it to him. …But it’s gotten a little late — do you think it’s okay for me to go see Daddy?”
“Of course. If you go to see the Young Duke, he’ll be so pleased. It’ll cheer him right up, I’m sure.”
“Then I’d better go quickly!”
The faint worry that had been clouding Riersha’s expression lifted at once, replaced by a bright, open smile.
“Yes, let’s go together.”
“Okay.”
Sona smiled gently and held out her hand.
⁂
The Young Duke’s study.
Pernoa turned over in his mind the report Rosinante had delivered to him just moments ago.
“Oberon has been lingering around Lady Riersha.”
His crimson eyes had gone very still.
The moment he received the report, he had checked Riersha’s schedule for that time. She had been in the middle of a lesson with Count Ian Charlotte.
There was no question that Oberon’s appearance at the training ground where the heirs were receiving their ability lessons was strange.
Oberon was a man who acted solely on Arcmund’s orders.
“There may be instructions from the Duke that were given to Oberon separately,” Rosinante added after delivering the report.
After all, raising suspicion about one of Arcmund’s own men was a delicate matter.
And yet—
Pernoa pulled out a document he had received several days ago.
It contained the personal background of Ian Charlotte.
He was the man appointed to oversee Riersha’s ability training on Arcmund’s recommendation — a young count who had only recently inherited the title from the previous Count Charlotte.
A man whose abilities had been proven at a young age, earning him a seat as the youngest elder of the Arachrene family.
The Charlotte family was one that had produced skilled strategists, and Pernoa himself held them in fairly high regard.
Which meant, at the very least, Oberon’s appearance at that training ground during the lesson was almost certainly not something carried out under Arcmund’s orders.
Pernoa narrowed his brow as he studied the documents.
“I can’t make sense of it.”
And yet, the idea of Oberon circling around Riersha was even more baffling. Oberon was, without a shadow of a doubt, Arcmund’s man.
Knowing him to be someone capable of doing absolutely anything for the sake of the Arachrene family, Pernoa could not simply let this report pass him by.
“Keep watching, then, Rosinante. Follow Oberon as closely as you can without being detected.”
“Yes, sir.”
With that, Rosinante left the study.
Even so, Rosinante could not be expected to handle every matter indefinitely. The more frequently he was absent and the longer those absences stretched, the more people would start to notice.
Pernoa looked at the recall letters he had just finished writing.
Four in total, each stamped with the Young Duke’s red seal.
I’ll be calling them back sooner than I expected.
He had always intended to gradually fill the household with people loyal to him, but he hadn’t thought it would come to this so soon.
Still, now that he knew someone was targeting Riersha, there was no room for delay.
The people around the child had to be composed of those he could trust without question.
Pernoa was rubbing his temple, preparing to set his work aside and leave the study for the night, when his crimson gaze shifted toward the door.
The corners of his mouth curved upward in a quiet, pleased arc. A small, familiar presence was moving rapidly in his direction.
“Daddy!”
A moment later, the door burst open and Riersha came tumbling inside.
“Lady Riersha, you must knock,” Sona said, flustered.
“Oh, right! I just wanted to show you this so badly…”
Sona hadn’t expected her to simply fling the door open like that, and she sputtered out a gentle reprimand.
Riersha let out a sheepish laugh and began inching backward toward the door.
Pernoa, who had been watching the whole thing with calm, direct attention, raised one eyebrow.
Riersha had quite the audacious streak in her.
The child slipped back over the threshold, reached out, and pulled the door shut.
Thunk. The door closed with a soft, decisive sound.
It seemed she intended to pretend the whole thing had never happened. Pernoa let out a quiet huff of laughter.
A few seconds passed.
Knock, knock, knock.
Pernoa considered for a moment. Should he answer, or shouldn’t he? His crimson eyes glinted with mischief.
But despite his deliberation, his lips parted of their own accord.
“Who is it?”
“It’s Wiersha!”
“Come in.”
At his permission, the door cracked open and Riersha peeked her face through the gap with a brilliant smile.
She padded inside with quick little steps and came right up to the front of the desk.
Planting both hands on the surface, Riersha rose up on tiptoe, her red eyes darting this way and that with curiosity.
She seemed very interested in whatever was sitting on Pernoa’s desk.
“Curious about what this is?”
“Yes.”
Still with her gaze fixed on the documents, Riersha answered without hesitation.
“Come here, then.”
Pernoa pushed his chair back and reached out his hand. Riersha, not immediately understanding what he meant, blinked up at him in disbelief.
She hesitated, then shuffled toward him tentatively, and Pernoa lifted her easily and settled her on his knee.
He drew the documents closer so she could see them properly.
Sona blinked in bewilderment from where she stood.
Most documents the Young Duke handled were classified.
“Carden tells me you pick up difficult words rather quickly. Let’s see whether you can read something like this.”
“Hmm…”
Riersha’s brows knit together in fierce concentration.
Fast learner she might be — but that didn’t necessarily mean she could breeze through a report filled with critical family business.
Still, Riersha read slowly, one character at a time.
“Arachrene Ducal… Estate… Surrrvey… Consstrucstion…?”
As the words grew increasingly unfamiliar, Riersha’s mouth gradually fell shut.
This is way too hard!
And to show this kind of pitiful display right in front of Daddy, no less. Riersha’s eyes wavered with distress.
She let her gaze drop further down the page, hoping to find something easier — but complicated content continued all the way to the bottom.
It seemed to be about repairs to the ducal estate, roughly speaking, but her head had begun to ache.
Does Daddy look at difficult things like this every day when he works?
Riersha reached out and pushed the document aside.
At that, Pernoa laughed softly.
“It’s too hard!”
“You’ll need to study more, then.”
“…”
“You’ve got a long way to go.”
At his teasing reply, Riersha’s cheeks puffed out in a sulky pout.
From above, he glanced down at her and gently poked one of those round little cheeks. Riersha, who had been leaning back against him, looked up.
“Even so — this is genuinely difficult, just like you said. You can read a fair bit already. That’s quite impressive.”
Seeing her expression crumple toward tears, Pernoa smiled and spoke in a soothing tone.
