# 114
---
The Archduchess didn't show it, but she was a little surprised.
She thought that by making a little girl dress up as a maid and serve the princess, she would make it difficult and wouldn't treat her well.
The Archduchess, who was about to apologize to the child and give a speech to Duke Ellard, thought that she would be embarrassed if she discovered this fact too late.
However, the Archduchess's embarrassment could not be compared to Bianca's disappointment.
‘If you live in the duke’s house and are treated so kindly….’
This is because I thought it would be better for Leia to stay here instead of taking her to an unfamiliar principality.
However, Bianca couldn't figure out why her heart felt so heavy.
“Askart, is this the child you were talking about?”
At that time, the Archduke, who had been talking with the Duke for a while, suddenly looked at Leah and asked.
Leia felt her heart beat faster as she made eye contact with the Archduke, who looked very similar to Ascart, but had a darker expression.
Of all the adults I've ever met, he was the kindest, warmest person.
I felt warm and friendly, just like when I first met Askart.
Maybe it was because I thought he was my father.
“My dear, I heard a lot about you from Askart.”
“Oh...”
At that moment, Leah, who was so surprised by the name given to me that she couldn't even greet me properly, blinked.
The bright green eyes filled with laughter were beautifully curved.
“You fixed the magic circle's mistake, didn't you?”
“Yes…?Yes!”
“Thank you very much. Are you interested in magic? From what I heard, you seem to have a good ability to handle mana...”
When Leia suddenly found herf having a conversation with the Archduke, her mind seemed to be at a loss as to what to say.
“Your Highness!”
But even that conversation didn't last long.
“Why are you doing this, Duchess?”
said the Duchess, who had joined the conversation with a nervous look on her face.
“I think dinner is ready, so let's eat first.”
At those words, the Archduke smiled awkwardly and nodded.
“That wasn't polite, okay honey, let's talk again later.”
When the Archduke looked at Leia and spoke regretfully, the Duchess smiled awkwardly and continued.
“Archduke, please come here quickly, it may be a little disappointing that Lucio is not there, but I have prepared your favorite food.”
“Hmm. Now that I think about it, I don’t see the young master in this house.”
“Lucio has left to inspect the duchy for a while, by the way, the wizards who were waiting to see the Archduke also went together.”
“Aha, I guess that's why the palace is so quiet.”
If there were wizards, there would be a commotion when they rushed to see the wizard.
The Duchess, who was walking with the Archduke, who nodded saying that he was happy, looked behind her.
Leah, who seemed unable to take her eyes off this area for a moment, took Diana, who said she was hungry, and headed to the second floor.
'Is this something I'm good at?'
The Duchess had a confused expression.
Her life, almost fatal, was saved thanks to Leah.
So, I decided to spend the rest of my life doing my best to make my family and Leah happy.
Although the adoption was annulled due to her sons' opposition, it had been a long time since Leah had been accepted into the family.
However, because the child was so smart, there were a lot of people targeting her.
‘At least I was able to easily overlook Duchess Beronde….’
Bianca and Ascart were extremely powerful enemies.
Moreover, the level of magic that Leia had shown talent in was even more threatening due to the huge difference in level between the Principality of Pylos and the Empire.
'I intend to give her what she wants, but...'
If possible, I want to keep them by my side and take care of them one by one.
It was the Archduke's request that the children be excluded from tonight's dinner, but the Duchess, who was inwardly at ease, felt heavy when she saw Leia's back, whose shoulders seemed to be collapsing.
* * *
No matter if someone was upset, the dinner atmosphere was always friendly.
It starts with a light appetizer, then moves on to a meat-based main course, and ends with a sweet dessert.
At the palace table, small memories of people who had not been seen for a long time and conversations flowed continuously.
Even Duke Elad, who didn't usually spend this kind of intimate time with people outside his family, looked very happy for the first time in a while.
However, when his gaze briefly settled on the Archduchess sitting across from him, the smile on his face disappeared slightly.
No matter how quickly time passed, his only friend had changed much more than he expected.
I vividly remember the sight of her smiling brightly and wonderfully ten years ago, or even longer than that, the sight of him running excitedly, his face as red as an apple.
The face of the Archduchess looked like one who had seen all the vicissitudes of the world, and the words she spoke sometimes in a sour tone seemed dull compared to what they had been before.
Moreover, her thin body and pale skin clearly showed the mental difficulties he had gone through.
“Your Highness, I understand that it is nice to see you after such a long time, but it still bothers me if you cannot take your eyes off your wife to this extent.”
At this time, the Archduke smiled softly and spoke with a gentle expression.
Contrary to the content of his words, his expression showed that he did not care at all.
However, that was enough to make the Duke frown.
“Your Highness, please don’t say such things, even as a joke, Stella and I are like unparalleled brothers, I couldn’t take my eyes off you, so it would be logical to say that I was staring at you.”
Askart was extremely surprised when Duke Elad, who had always been cold and rational, became unusually upset.
However, everyone except me was watching the Duke with very happy expressions, as if they were aware of his reaction.
“Well, we promised to marry each other if we had children, but I said something rude.”
The Archduke added with a smile, as if he still wanted to tease the Duke.
Perhaps because this was the first time they had heard of this story, the people who were watching the Duke seemed to stifle their laughter in surprise.
Of course, Askart was the most surprised.
“Yes? Dad, what is this...”
“Ha ha ha, are you surprised, Ascart? Your mother and Duke Elad made a promise before, let’s unite the two when each other’s child is born.”
“Okay then...”
“If I were born a woman, or if the Duke were a woman, then as I promised...”
They must have connected the two.
The Duchess turned her head and looked at her husband, shrugging her shoulders indifferently.
“Did you really promise that?” It was a look in his eyes.
The Duke jumped up and said.
“No, that's just Stella doing whatever she wants...! It was a joke to make me angry, it doesn't mean anything.”
“Dominic, in the past, and even now, I don’t understand, why would you be angry about having an affair with my children?”
Then the Archduchess, who had been quiet the whole time, narrowed her eyes and spoke.
We wrote a pledge and signed it.
So, if you really think about it, the promise you made back then still holds true.
“Impossible! Pledge? You mean that thing you randomly scribbled on the paper that you were scribbling on because you didn’t want to study? This is what they forced you to sign!”
“I think it was a fair sparring result.”
"What's fair and square! Common sense tells us that if the person who taught you how to use a sword fights with someone who has been wielding the sword for less than three months, who will win? Do it again! Let's compete again."
“Ha. Dominic, you've grown so insignificant, at least when I was thirteen, I gave up on the fight even though I was tingling and crying.”
The Archduchess sighed and shook her head.
Then the Duke suddenly became excited and shouted: “Then, does it make sense to make a promise at the age of thirteen to decide the future of your future child?”
The corners of the Archduchess's mouth rose slightly, as if she felt much better after seeing her boyfriend jump up and down for the first time in a long time.
The pranks I pulled in the past and the things I said now were all meant to make fun of my friend.
The promise is true.
I didn't even know where the pledge we shared was at the time.
'Yes . …Do you want to stay in the palace?’
Now that I thought about it, I remembered that Dominic was so sad after writing the pledge, that he hid it in the library of the Duke's main building, where he often played.
He said that if he found it he would break his promise, but since he hasn't said anything yet, it seems he hasn't found it.
As the Archduchess thought about teasing her further, Ascart muttered with a puzzled look on his face.
"What is this … . ? . … ".
I knew that my mother and the Duke were childhood friends like me and Lucio, but I could not understand their conversations or their attitudes.
At this time, Bianca, who was sitting next to Askart, spoke calmly.
“Young Archduke, Duke Elad learned the sword from Your Highness, and of course, you are also a teacher to me.”
“Really?”
Bianca smiled bitterly as she looked at Ascarte, who looked surprised.
When he was very young, the Archduchess often carried a sword in Pylos Castle, so she thought he would remember, but looking at his expression, it seemed like he had no memory at all.
In fact, the old days were like a dream to him, so it was natural for the Archduke to forget those memories.
“If you continue to brag like this, I will officially send a marriage proposal to the princess.”
At that time, the Archduchess's slowly flowing words filled the dining room with silence.
How terrible this cold-blooded family felt, as if they would not bleed a single drop of blood even if they were pricked by a needle.
The Duke's white-faced face was so funny that the Archduchess was about to burst into laughter.
"Oh mother! Diana is so young!"
A trembling voice came from next to me.