Stella's eyes fell upon the child's hand. It was chapped, as if to prove that it had folded three thousand paper cranes all by itself.
'I made you do something unnecessary.'
Stella was overcome with a sense of guilt.
"Did you really do all that by yourself?"
"I am the type of person who sees things through to the end."
He chuckled. Stella felt a pang in her heart from guilt. In truth, it was homework she had given, hoping he would give up halfway through. She hesitated for a moment, then signaled to Rincasta.
"Sit here."
He wore a surprised expression.
"Yes?"
Stella was even more surprised by that.
'Why are you so surprised?'
Stella glanced at the chair, wondering if something was wrong with it. However, it was an ordinary chair with nothing strange about it. Stella's eyes turned back to Rincasta. He met Stella's gaze with a cautious expression.
"Can I really sit here?"
Let's take a look; Rincasta's face was filled with emotion.
"I thought Stella hated me."
Hmm. Stella looked at him. To be precise, it wasn't that she disliked the boy named Rincasta. It was Duchess Lanedict who had put her in a difficult situation by sending such a strange gift. What fault could that young child possibly have? However, Stella did not want to explain the situation in detail.
'Forget it. I'm sending him off today and won't be seeing him again.'
Stella silently brought the first-aid kit and applied ointment to Rincasta's fingertip.
"Are you applying it yourself?"
"It's not because I like you."
The children at the orphanage run by Stella will be Rincasta's age in just a few years. This meant that Rincasta was just like any other child. Consequently, whenever Stella saw Rincasta, she was reminded of the wounded eyes of the children at the orphanage. The eyes that trembled in fear at the director's shouting when she first visited the orphanage.
"It's just that I can't really ignore it when I see children hurt."
'Besides, these wounds were inflicted because of me.'
'I made you do something unnecessary.'
Stella was overcome with a sense of guilt.
"Did you really do all that by yourself?"
"I am the type of person who sees things through to the end."
He chuckled. Stella felt a pang in her heart from guilt. In truth, it was homework she had given, hoping he would give up halfway through. She hesitated for a moment, then signaled to Rincasta.
"Sit here."
He wore a surprised expression.
"Yes?"
Stella was even more surprised by that.
'Why are you so surprised?'
Stella glanced at the chair, wondering if something was wrong with it. However, it was an ordinary chair with nothing strange about it. Stella's eyes turned back to Rincasta. He met Stella's gaze with a cautious expression.
"Can I really sit here?"
Let's take a look; Rincasta's face was filled with emotion.
"I thought Stella hated me."
Hmm. Stella looked at him. To be precise, it wasn't that she disliked the boy named Rincasta. It was Duchess Lanedict who had put her in a difficult situation by sending such a strange gift. What fault could that young child possibly have? However, Stella did not want to explain the situation in detail.
'Forget it. I'm sending him off today and won't be seeing him again.'
Stella silently brought the first-aid kit and applied ointment to Rincasta's fingertip.
"Are you applying it yourself?"
"It's not because I like you."
The children at the orphanage run by Stella will be Rincasta's age in just a few years. This meant that Rincasta was just like any other child. Consequently, whenever Stella saw Rincasta, she was reminded of the wounded eyes of the children at the orphanage. The eyes that trembled in fear at the director's shouting when she first visited the orphanage.
"It's just that I can't really ignore it when I see children hurt."
'Besides, these wounds were inflicted because of me.'
Stella regretted that she had assigned him a different task instead of making three thousand paper cranes. Rincasta silently watched Stella.
Stella was standing in front of Duke Lanedict's mansion with Rincasta.
"You come out a little later."
Stella intended to speak with Sercia first. An argument might break out during the process, and she felt that Rincasta would be hurt if he heard the details.
"Are you really going?"
Rincasta grabbed Stella's sleeve with a desperate gesture.
"If I go back like this, I..."
He drooped the corners of his eyes again. Not wanting to show her weakness, Stella got off the carriage immediately and closed the door. She went straight to meet Sercia.
"It's been a long time, my daughter."
Sercia greeted Stella with a relaxed smile. It appeared she hadn't left her seat, as she had mentioned yesterday that she would be returning. Stella silently sat down where the tea was placed. Duchess Lanedict sipped her tea.
"It's the first time since Skyle's party, right?"
At Skyle's celebration party, she pushed a pill that supposedly helps with conception onto Stella. And she retaliated with insulting words and actions.
'Is she doing this as revenge for that?'
That thought crossed her mind in passing, but in Stella's eyes, her parents were not particularly emotional people. They valued the family's honor and wealth more than such things, and she suspected that this incident was also related to that.
"What kind of rude behavior is this?"
Stella didn't elaborate, but Sercia realized what she was talking about. Sercia took a bundle of photos from the drawer and tossed them onto the desk.
"This came to my house. It gave me goosebumps so much that I tore it up as soon as I received it."
Stella's eyes widened. The desk was covered with photos Stella had received from Anton Geron. A photo of Kendrick with Doctor Decrit.
'Anton Geron took photos all the way here?'
Stella felt a throbbing headache for a moment.
"I know this woman well. You don't need to worry about her."
First of all, Stella tried to explain about this photo.
"Stop pretending you're okay."
However, it did not work on Sercia. Seeing Stella’s displeased expression, Sercia became even more confident, as if she had found a weakness.
"If you didn't have the sincerity to bear a child, you should have held onto your husband by any means necessary. Your connection with Adrian is extremely important to Lanedict."
Stella let out a short sigh. It was clear that they still considered Stella one of their possessions. Of course, Stella had shaken them off at the last banquet, but that one time hadn't changed everything.
"So that's why you sent him? To make Kendrick jealous, at least?"
Sercia still tried to teach Stella.
"I care about you this much. What was that child like? He was a smart kid, so I imagine he would have gotten along well with you."
'How could you say such things about a young child...'
That was not the only thing that angered Stella. It was because Rincasta, who hadn't even reached adulthood yet, was being treated in that way. Of course, taking a minor as a mistress was common among the nobility. However, Stella was not the type to welcome such a trend.
"He is still a child. I will leave him at Lanedict."
Above all, she felt sorry for the child who knew nothing and was being swayed by power. Calling himself a servant, saying he wanted to be the second groom, he said far too many things he should not have said. And not of his own free will, but under duress.
"That is a gift I sent you. Returning my gift is impolite. By now, I think you must have realized what I'm saying."
Stella suddenly had such a thought. Sercia was not a very good adult, even to Stella, who had grown up as a young lady of a ducal family. She was a parent who regarded her child not as a child but as a means, leaving deep scars on her heart. If she was so cruel and heartless toward her own child, Stella, it seemed likely that she would be even worse, not less, toward other children.
'She's determined not to lose at all.'
It was a meaningless fight. Stella gave up on winning this argument.
"I'll be leaving now."
Sercia leaned back deeply on the sofa. Then, with a relaxed smile again, she took a sip of tea.
"As for that kid."
She knew very well that Stella was weak to compassion.
"He's a really pitiful kid."
"Don't try to persuade me with such words."
If Sercia sent it as a gift, it meant she cared for her to some extent.
"He tried to become a knight to earn money, but he lacked the talent to even become a knight's squire."
Stella recalled Rincasta's arm. No wonder it looked like he had been working out. Stella brought the tea to her lips to hide her expression.
"He begged me. He said he had a family to take care of and asked me to give him any work. That is why I sent him to you. If he achieves the purpose for which I sent him, he will receive a substantial sum of money. If that fails, that child and his family will starve to death."
'We can't understand each other.'
She was well aware that Duke and Duchess Lanedict cared only about the family's honor. However, even taking that into account, this had crossed the line. They were treating the child, Rincasta, as a complete tool and threatening Stella.
"If you go that far, I have no choice but to consider cutting off contact with Lanedict."
Stella wanted to end this fight. She thought it would be best to go back to Adrian.
"Well, that would be a huge blow to Adrian as well. I don't think Duke Adrian would let that happen."
Sercia acted as if Stella would never be able to have what she wanted. After all, Lanedict and Adrian were families that formed the backbone of the capital's aristocratic power. If they were to ostracize each other, hundreds of merchant guilds would suffer economic losses. Stella frowned.
'You're taking this kind of risk just to provoke jealousy?'
Stella thought there would be more to it.
"I know my husband better than anyone."
"Yes."
Sercia chuckled.
"But that kid has really ended up in a pitiful situation. I sent him there just to please you since he didn't know how to do anything else, but to think you're come looking for me like this because you hate it."
Sercia started bringing up Rincasta.
Stella carefully examined Sercia's expression. She had drunk a tremendous amount of tea in a short period of time. This meant she was either extremely thirsty or had to hide her expression while pretending to drink tea.
'Why on earth?'
Stella waited for Sercia to finish speaking.
"Still, give it a try for a month. I sent it for your sake, after all. Wouldn't that be good for the harmony between our two families as well?"
At first, she thought she sent Rincasta to Stella just to do it because of what happened last time.
"Then I will be going. I'll take Rinkaste with me, too."
However, through this conversation, she realized it completely. There is a reason beyond that for Sercia sending Rincasta.
"That's a good idea."
Stella still didn't know what her ulterior motive was. She also couldn't understand why her mother wanted to keep Rincasta by Stella's side. However, one thing was certain: Sercia was overlooking something. It was about Kendrick.
'Kendrick stops at nothing when it comes to me.'
Because they were trying to get Stella and Kendrick married as quickly as possible, they didn't thoroughly assess his temperament. Consequently, they knew little about his drive or ability to take action. Also, since there was no interaction between the families, they probably wouldn't know how much Kendrick cares for Stella.
'They obviously wouldn't know that he likes me abnormally because of the potion.'
Stella returned to the carriage, thinking about how to untangle the complicated situation. Lanedict's servants bowed repeatedly as they looked at Stella. When the carriage door opened, Rincasta turned his head away after looking out the window. He seemed to be deep in thought about something. He turned his head at Stella's presence and looked at her.
"Did you come?"
"Yes."
Stella sat in a chair and adjusted the hem of her skirt. She felt Rincasta's gaze. He looked anxious.
"I decided to take you back to Adrian."
His expression wavered, then gradually brightened.
"Really?"
"Yeah. For the time being."
Rincasta's blue eyes curved into a happy roundness. He cheered and shouted, "Hooray!"
'At times like this, he seems like just an ordinary boy.'
"From now on, I will take full responsibility and satisfy you, Lady Stella."
When he said such things, he seemed like a power-hungry child again. Meanwhile, Stella felt conflicted.
'If I take this child back, Kendrick will...'
He probably won't let it slide.
She had to think of a way to cheer Kendrick up. Also, it seemed like she needed to re-evaluate my relationship with Lanedict as well.
***
Stella was standing in front of Duke Lanedict's mansion with Rincasta.
"You come out a little later."
Stella intended to speak with Sercia first. An argument might break out during the process, and she felt that Rincasta would be hurt if he heard the details.
"Are you really going?"
Rincasta grabbed Stella's sleeve with a desperate gesture.
"If I go back like this, I..."
He drooped the corners of his eyes again. Not wanting to show her weakness, Stella got off the carriage immediately and closed the door. She went straight to meet Sercia.
"It's been a long time, my daughter."
Sercia greeted Stella with a relaxed smile. It appeared she hadn't left her seat, as she had mentioned yesterday that she would be returning. Stella silently sat down where the tea was placed. Duchess Lanedict sipped her tea.
"It's the first time since Skyle's party, right?"
At Skyle's celebration party, she pushed a pill that supposedly helps with conception onto Stella. And she retaliated with insulting words and actions.
'Is she doing this as revenge for that?'
That thought crossed her mind in passing, but in Stella's eyes, her parents were not particularly emotional people. They valued the family's honor and wealth more than such things, and she suspected that this incident was also related to that.
"What kind of rude behavior is this?"
Stella didn't elaborate, but Sercia realized what she was talking about. Sercia took a bundle of photos from the drawer and tossed them onto the desk.
"This came to my house. It gave me goosebumps so much that I tore it up as soon as I received it."
Stella's eyes widened. The desk was covered with photos Stella had received from Anton Geron. A photo of Kendrick with Doctor Decrit.
'Anton Geron took photos all the way here?'
Stella felt a throbbing headache for a moment.
"I know this woman well. You don't need to worry about her."
First of all, Stella tried to explain about this photo.
"Stop pretending you're okay."
However, it did not work on Sercia. Seeing Stella’s displeased expression, Sercia became even more confident, as if she had found a weakness.
"If you didn't have the sincerity to bear a child, you should have held onto your husband by any means necessary. Your connection with Adrian is extremely important to Lanedict."
Stella let out a short sigh. It was clear that they still considered Stella one of their possessions. Of course, Stella had shaken them off at the last banquet, but that one time hadn't changed everything.
"So that's why you sent him? To make Kendrick jealous, at least?"
Sercia still tried to teach Stella.
"I care about you this much. What was that child like? He was a smart kid, so I imagine he would have gotten along well with you."
'How could you say such things about a young child...'
That was not the only thing that angered Stella. It was because Rincasta, who hadn't even reached adulthood yet, was being treated in that way. Of course, taking a minor as a mistress was common among the nobility. However, Stella was not the type to welcome such a trend.
"He is still a child. I will leave him at Lanedict."
Above all, she felt sorry for the child who knew nothing and was being swayed by power. Calling himself a servant, saying he wanted to be the second groom, he said far too many things he should not have said. And not of his own free will, but under duress.
"That is a gift I sent you. Returning my gift is impolite. By now, I think you must have realized what I'm saying."
Stella suddenly had such a thought. Sercia was not a very good adult, even to Stella, who had grown up as a young lady of a ducal family. She was a parent who regarded her child not as a child but as a means, leaving deep scars on her heart. If she was so cruel and heartless toward her own child, Stella, it seemed likely that she would be even worse, not less, toward other children.
'She's determined not to lose at all.'
It was a meaningless fight. Stella gave up on winning this argument.
"I'll be leaving now."
Sercia leaned back deeply on the sofa. Then, with a relaxed smile again, she took a sip of tea.
"As for that kid."
She knew very well that Stella was weak to compassion.
"He's a really pitiful kid."
"Don't try to persuade me with such words."
If Sercia sent it as a gift, it meant she cared for her to some extent.
"He tried to become a knight to earn money, but he lacked the talent to even become a knight's squire."
Stella recalled Rincasta's arm. No wonder it looked like he had been working out. Stella brought the tea to her lips to hide her expression.
"He begged me. He said he had a family to take care of and asked me to give him any work. That is why I sent him to you. If he achieves the purpose for which I sent him, he will receive a substantial sum of money. If that fails, that child and his family will starve to death."
'We can't understand each other.'
She was well aware that Duke and Duchess Lanedict cared only about the family's honor. However, even taking that into account, this had crossed the line. They were treating the child, Rincasta, as a complete tool and threatening Stella.
"If you go that far, I have no choice but to consider cutting off contact with Lanedict."
Stella wanted to end this fight. She thought it would be best to go back to Adrian.
"Well, that would be a huge blow to Adrian as well. I don't think Duke Adrian would let that happen."
Sercia acted as if Stella would never be able to have what she wanted. After all, Lanedict and Adrian were families that formed the backbone of the capital's aristocratic power. If they were to ostracize each other, hundreds of merchant guilds would suffer economic losses. Stella frowned.
'You're taking this kind of risk just to provoke jealousy?'
Stella thought there would be more to it.
"I know my husband better than anyone."
"Yes."
Sercia chuckled.
"But that kid has really ended up in a pitiful situation. I sent him there just to please you since he didn't know how to do anything else, but to think you're come looking for me like this because you hate it."
Sercia started bringing up Rincasta.
“If you really hate it, I'll quit too.”
'Why on earth?'
Stella waited for Sercia to finish speaking.
"Still, give it a try for a month. I sent it for your sake, after all. Wouldn't that be good for the harmony between our two families as well?"
At first, she thought she sent Rincasta to Stella just to do it because of what happened last time.
"Then I will be going. I'll take Rinkaste with me, too."
However, through this conversation, she realized it completely. There is a reason beyond that for Sercia sending Rincasta.
"That's a good idea."
Stella still didn't know what her ulterior motive was. She also couldn't understand why her mother wanted to keep Rincasta by Stella's side. However, one thing was certain: Sercia was overlooking something. It was about Kendrick.
'Kendrick stops at nothing when it comes to me.'
Because they were trying to get Stella and Kendrick married as quickly as possible, they didn't thoroughly assess his temperament. Consequently, they knew little about his drive or ability to take action. Also, since there was no interaction between the families, they probably wouldn't know how much Kendrick cares for Stella.
'They obviously wouldn't know that he likes me abnormally because of the potion.'
Stella returned to the carriage, thinking about how to untangle the complicated situation. Lanedict's servants bowed repeatedly as they looked at Stella. When the carriage door opened, Rincasta turned his head away after looking out the window. He seemed to be deep in thought about something. He turned his head at Stella's presence and looked at her.
"Did you come?"
"Yes."
Stella sat in a chair and adjusted the hem of her skirt. She felt Rincasta's gaze. He looked anxious.
"I decided to take you back to Adrian."
His expression wavered, then gradually brightened.
"Really?"
"Yeah. For the time being."
Rincasta's blue eyes curved into a happy roundness. He cheered and shouted, "Hooray!"
'At times like this, he seems like just an ordinary boy.'
"From now on, I will take full responsibility and satisfy you, Lady Stella."
When he said such things, he seemed like a power-hungry child again. Meanwhile, Stella felt conflicted.
'If I take this child back, Kendrick will...'
He probably won't let it slide.
She had to think of a way to cheer Kendrick up. Also, it seemed like she needed to re-evaluate my relationship with Lanedict as well.
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