Saiki was so shocked that she quickly pulled her upper body back. She almost fell and barely managed to regain her balance, but for a moment it felt like they were about to touch.
Claude, who was watching the two, involuntarily opened his mouth wide. If Clint had reached out to grab something, Saiki's hair would have been within his reach as well.
“Why do you do what you shouldn't do?”
The inexperienced Alexandro stepped forward. He approached Clint, took a look around, then shrugged.
“There's nothing here. It would be better to quickly explore somewhere else.”
“….”
Clint raised his eyebrows, looking like something was bothering him.
“Mrs...”
He muttered to himself again but quickly gave up. After scanning the surroundings again, move away from Saiki.
“Let's get back here, this place looks like a ruin.”
“Right? We should quickly go and look for the lady. If we go north from here, we will definitely reach the castle.”
Alexandro slowly walked next to Clint, desperately trying to adjust to Clint's mood. He seemed hopeful and added that they could find Psyche. But he didn't even know if Saiki was in front of him or not.
After they left, Saiki fell to the ground where she was standing, her legs weakening.
"Mrs!"
Claude quickly backed her up.
“Ha… that was very surprising.”
She clasped her trembling hands together, trying to stop the trembling.
In fact, she was also nervous when dealing with Johnny internally.
Although she tried to appear stronger, she was secretly suppressing her trembling emotions. This was the first time she had expressed her opinions so forcefully, and she was holding on to her nervousness.
But…
At such a moment, Clint's unexpected appearance.
He probably wouldn't have collapsed at that moment.
“You did a really good job, ma'am.”
Claude smiled and spoke kindly.
“I was so scared that I was shaking inside.”
"What? Don't exaggerate."
"I'm serious!"
Claude joked to relieve the tension as he gently helped Psyche, whose body was still trembling slightly.
“Ha...”
Her pent-up breath suddenly exploded. However, she stood firm in her place, even as an empty-handed beggar who had not acquired anything.
She preserved what her father left behind.
Suddenly, Saiki's eyes filled with tears.
“It was very scary...”
Both Johnny and the Duke who came looking for her.
It was a series of unexpected events that she couldn't handle even if she used her intelligence.
She endured alone in silence, standing firm in the face of the pathetic reality.
That's all she could do.
“Even that alone is really cool.”
Claude praised her sincerely.
Saiki's eyes filled with tears in response.
She reassured herself that it was okay.
From where everyone had left, I lifted the heavy heart that was sitting alone.
“….”
“They are all gone now. Surely you are the owner of this palace.”
Claude laughed and spoke.
It was hard to believe.
Because, for the first time, she achieved something on her own...
I was immediately overwhelmed by a strange feeling.
It was happy and bitter at the same time.
Much has been lost so far.
Now she promised herself that she wouldn't lose anything anymore.
❖ ❖ ❖
Four years have passed.
Psyche has become a proud lady for Alastair, and Claude has become her trusted assistant.
Sherit has grown so much into a sweet little girl.
In case the Duke comes back looking for her again, she decides to use the side castle as her residence.
Although she had to bring some distant relatives and some side-branch heirs to Aleister Castle in the process, the results were not bad. And she wasn't bad either when it came to keeping Johnny under control.
She changed her name and lived a new life.
Now, she felt like she was back to a somewhat normal life.
She couldn't afford the luxury of a noble life, but her heart became more at ease than before.
Of course, when she was alone, she couldn't help but think about Clint or the child she lost, and it was extremely painful. However, she decided not to bother herself with such thoughts.
I have already let go of broken relationships.
As it was impossible to bring back the late child just by thinking about it.
She believed that doing her best in the given reality was all she could do.
“Mother...no, sir. What should we do with this? Shall I put it here?”
Claude, who was accustomed to being called “Lady,” scratched his head awkwardly and asked.
“Don't ask me; ask Sherritt.”
“Oh, do I have to do that?”
Claude entered carrying a large gift box and stopped when Psyche spoke.
“Yes, it is Sherit’s birthday. The heroine’s preferences are the most important.”
Saiki said as she looked at the documents in the office. Claude, who was carrying the gift box, approached her after placing the gift in the corner.
Then suddenly he took the pen she had and held it.
"What do you do?"
With an annoyed look, Saiki looked up from under her glasses that had slid down her nose.
“Cherrit probably wants my lady, or rather sir, to play with him more than anything else... you know...”
He made a dissatisfied face.
“You know I'm busy.”
“That's not true, is it? I think you're just worried that Sherrit might get attached to you while playing. Later, you'll make excuses like having to separate when he finds his parents again.”
“….”
Psyche avoided Claude's gaze, looking annoyed.
This was indeed the case.
Psyche truly loved and adored Sherrit, but there was always the worry of what to do if her parents showed up one day and demanded his return. While she naturally believed that he should return to his biological parents, a corner of her heart couldn't help but feel uneasy.
Moreover, as Sherritt grew older, his almost mother-like attachment to Psyche became more and more annoying to her.
However, the more Sherit acts like a child following her, the more hesitant to keep her distance.
Claude was very aware of her actions because she was a good observer.
"You don't have to do that. Just take care of him enough without causing him unnecessary emotional pain," Claude said, as if making a request.
“….”
Psyche wanted to do it too, but there was another reason.
The more Sherit follows her like a mother, the more she becomes unable to bear thoughts of the child she has lost.
Since Claude was not aware that she had lost a child, he did not take this aspect into consideration.
Reluctantly, Psyche nodded.
“By the way, Sherritt will be three years old soon. Hasn’t it been a while since he started talking? He’s slow, except for those baby sounds. Please pay more attention,” Claude said.
“...Okay, okay, stop being so mean.”
Psyche frowned.
“Maaa!”
At that moment, the study door opened.
The child who came running, his face flushed with embarrassment when he saw Psyche, was Sherrit. He immediately rushed towards her, waving his arms.
"Come, Sherrit. Be quiet when you come in. The master is busy," followed Helen, Psyche's cousin and Sherrit's attendant.
"No, it's okay. I was just taking a break. Sherritt!"
When Psyche extended her arms, Sherrit immediately embraced her as if he had been waiting for her.
Helen was carrying a bunch of documents, and she tried hard to put them on the table and rubbed her hands.
“Oh, Claude is here too.”
“Yes, I was about to leave now. Continue your conversations.”
After giving a satisfied look at Cherette as she hugged Psyche, Claude walked out of the study.
Helen looked longingly at him as he left, and turned her attention back to Psyche and Sherritt.
“Mama, mama.”
Sherritt's plump cheeks were tinged with a pink tint. Because he didn't know why, he continued playing with Saiki's hair while laughing.
Helen seemed upset, so she approached them and muttered, as if she wanted them to hear her, but she did not quite hear her.
“The sister is not even your real sister.”
"Sshh! Don't say such things anywhere!"
But Saiki stopped her with an angry expression.
“Fine, fine.”
Helen surrendered, raising both hands in surrender.
“Anyway, sister, you should really think of an heir.”
"heir?"
“Yes. Even if you marry again, you should give up your position. Don’t you think so? After all, Sister earned her position through so much hardship. Don’t you agree?”
I asked her twice if Psyche agreed, and she seemed displeased with Sherrit the whole time.
“Are you proposing to give the sovereignty to a child of no noble blood?”
“Helen!”
“Okay, I got it.”
As Psyche scolded her, Helen added with a sarcastic smile: “But, sister, I’m serious.”
“Kya, maa-a-”
Sherit, still sitting on Psyche's knees, continued to play with her fingers.
Do you understand what you are saying?
Psyche sighed deeply. Helen's words made sense, but she was not ready to marry again.
"Oh, by the way, didn't I hear something yesterday? A noble came from the capital? A really high-ranking person. How about we catch a high-ranking noble and marry him again?"
"What?"
Saiki stood up without realizing it, surprised by those words.
“Wow, oooh!”
Suddenly Sherit fell from her knees and started crying in surprise.
"Sister! He's crying!"
"Oh, so sorry. Sherrit, come here. Are you okay? I'll hug you."
“Wong… inhale.”
As Psyche consoled Sherit, he quickly stopped crying.
Watching the scene, Helen opened her mouth again.
“I heard they're looking for someone. Anyway, it seems like that.”