"Evangeline raised this child by you. This is not the Duchess's duty, but a personal request."
"How are you, Rex?"
"Woof!"
Evangeline's laughter really came alive for the first time. Rex, who survived alone after his brother and mother died at birth, has followed her from the moment he was born until now. Without Evangeline, it was common for him to whine without eating.
"It's ridiculous that the noble prince of the north is such a picky eater."
"Woof!"
"You too."
She spread her fingers wide and brushed Rex's silvery fur with her hands. She felt even more heartbroken than when she was looking at the silent rose. Evangeline stopped trying to take the snacks from the basket in the corner and casually looked back at the entrance of the greenhouse. It was Deccarno who was the only one Rex could not bark even though his fur was upright.
"Here you are. You are not there, so you came in without permission."
"It's okay."
Evangeline, who was tired of him even at such a moment, hardened her lips again. There are dozens of things she wants to ask him right away, but she has to report first.
"All the guests went well, and no one seemed to notice it. I did enough to see him off for the last time."
"...I see."
Even though she told him the answer he wanted before asking for it, he didn't like it. Evangeline, who could no longer bear it, jumped to her feet and walked toward him.
"What happened? Did you look into the top job?"
"I'm looking into it."
"Oh..."
It was a very obvious answer. No matter how long they've been sharing the news, no matter how much she does, there is a limit as long as she's a person. Still, her face of disappointment became darker.
"It would be impossible to go to Lehman, but I want to go to the sea near it. If I leave early this morning, at least."
"What are you going to do?"
"Duke."
"There's nothing you can do. It only attracts people's attention."
"..."
He didn't say it particularly coldly, but his arms were cold. Evangeline touched his bare skin, and the Duke took off his coat. He approached her as if to wrap himself around her, but Evangeline immediately backed away and shook her head. She didn't want to get a coat like that anyway, and get warm.
"All the ships have sunk. I should know the situation."
"There's no reason you have to go and find out about it yourself."
"My father!"
"..."
"I need to know. I am the only child."
Her voice rose for the first time, and the Duke raised an eyebrow, but that was it. Deccarno draped his coat across his arms and stared directly at her.
"So you want to swim and save the Count?"
"Oh my gosh!"
"He hasn't died yet."
"..."
"Nothing has been confirmed."
He quelled the swirling flames in Evangeline's crimson eyes. The words that followed over her hesitation were extremely rational.
"If you make the wrong move in this situation, things get complicated. If the Count survives somewhere, he's better be quiet for safety."
"But... If anything is wrong."
"Then what about the top?"
Deccarno's eyes once again became sober. The upper end is not a place where money alone rolls. If it is swept away by public sentiment and public opinion, it is easy for a company that was healthy to collapse in an instant. Even the huge O'Hara Upper was mainly overseas, so its base within the Belice Empire was lacking compared to its size.
"If either the top stock or the top property had sunk, it would have been repaired somehow, but now both are gone. If people say it at a time like this, it will be difficult to deal with it even if the Count returns safely."
"..."
"I'll let you know as soon as I hear about the situation, so you'd better stay quiet."
It looks like a suggestion or an invitation, but in reality, it is no different from a command. If she didn't know something, she would refute it, but since she knows how the top works, she has nothing to say.
"..."
Evangeline bit her mouth painfully and looked at him closely. Deccarno took a cigar out of his pocket and immediately pulled it between his fingers.
"Why? Am I wrong?"
"No, you don't. I don't think so."
She smiled feebly. It was surprising to him that she could laugh at such a moment.
"It's true from beginning to end. It's ridiculous to say what you're saying."
"By the way?"
"...I'm scared."
"..."
"I think you're a scary person."
Evangeline's pink eyes let go of all her strength. He wasn't a man who would be shocked or angry to hear such words.
If it were like that, she would have felt a hint of humanity, but Deccarno coldly dismissed her after a long time.
"If you know that, do as I say."
***
Unfortunately, Evangeline did not follow the Duke's words. After that day, the Duke did not return home and had no communication, so she could have endured a few days alone. She cannot continue to stand firm forever. Finally, three days later, she went to the top of O'Hara in person. She made up her mind, so she decided that she would be able to endure any scene.
"Lady, are you here?"
"...This is hell."
However, in front of the office, which she saw with her own eyes, she couldn't say anything. It was not a mess that was hard to see with your eyes open, like a company that often went bankrupt. On the contrary, it was so perfect that she had nothing to say.
The employees who are busy handing over documents in their seats and the employees who process telegrams and receipts are all very busy. It wasn't until much later that she realized that she was the only one standing there in a daze.
"Philip."
"My, my lady."
The only person who was as upset as she was was the manager, Philip. As soon as he saw her stop at the entrance of the office, he got tired of her and hurriedly took her inside the store. In the meantime, she couldn't help but laugh at the way each employee she met bent down at 90 degrees.
"Ha!"
"Young Lady, how did you get here?"
"...Is that all you have to say to me now?"
She swallowed a snort and looked up at Philip. The color of her eyes was different, but she held her trembling hands with the dignity of her father, the Count.
"I know why and why, but the Young Lady should not come here."
"Philip. Don't make me angry anymore."
"...Not like that. It's okay to do this."
"Why? Someone is going to take it?
It wasn't enough to spin his words around, and Philip's constant observant attitude made her nervous. After all, it's just the employees here. Evangeline's eyes widened as she turned her head.
"Oh my! Our Duchess is here!"
"... Viscountess Levon."
The customer, who was guided by the staff, was delighted to see her. The noble lady only comes to the top to buy things. Moreover, the upper part of O'Hara, which is located in the center of the city, is a place that deals only in the highest quality goods, so it was a habit for aristocrats to stop by. But Viscountess Levon had never come here to buy anything.
At least for what he pays for.
"I was worried about the Duchess's face on your last birthday, but I'm glad to see that you are so unharmed."
"Thank you, but I'm not a Duchess yet."
"What a sad word. If the previous Duchess had not passed away suddenly, the two of you would have already had a ceremony."
"..."
"Honestly, who in the world can be Duchess of Theses other than Lady O'Hara?"
Viscountess Levon, who was in her thirties, was too much slandered by Evangeline, who was much younger than himself. As if to the people who came with him, he snuggled up next to Evangeline and praised her incessantly. She believed that the more she showed off her friendship with Evangeline, the queen of the social world, the higher her dignity became.
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