* * *

“Oh, come on. You didn’t have to prepare this. Thank you. I won’t refuse your kindness.”

When I subtly tried to slip him some extra coins as a token of appreciation, hoping he’d relax a bit and let me unwind, he accepted the silver pouch without hesitation.

For a brief moment, I was filled with hope.

Surely, he wouldn’t want to seriously oversee his superior’s guest’s sleep schedule, right?

I was about to start working a bit more comfortably when Anton, like clockwork, barged into the office at exactly 9 PM.

“…? Didn’t we settle everything?”

I looked up at him in confusion, and he smiled slyly.

“Well, I appreciate the extra compensation. But if the Duke hadn’t given me a heads-up, I might’ve disobeyed my orders.”

What on earth is he talking about?

As I frowned and glared at him in displeasure, Anton continued with that same infuriatingly playful tone.

“The Duke specifically told me to accept any ‘kindness’ you offer but not to neglect my duties.”

Oh, for crying out loud.

Both my superior and this subordinate had an infuriating talent for getting under my skin.

Having failed to bribe the watchdog, I remained stuck adhering to a proper schedule despite Hernan’s increasing busyness.

“Alright, let’s wrap things up early today.”

Just as usual, Anton rushed in 30 seconds before 9 PM, holding up his pocket watch with a grin.

I looked at him with a weary expression and reluctantly got up from my seat.

“Be honest. You’re tired of doing this every day too, aren’t you?”

Since neither of us chose this situation, I decided to be blunt.

Anton sighed dramatically, clearly as fed up as I was.

“Of course! Do you think I enjoy this? I’d rather be out meeting people after work, not stuck here looking at the same men all day.”

Though I didn’t quite agree with the last part, I certainly had my own grievances.

Exactly!

There were countless ways I could be spending my precious time instead of engaging in this pointless battle of wills.

“But what can we do? Orders are orders. It’s not like I have a choice.”

Despite his cocky demeanor, Anton was oddly loyal to Hernan—frustratingly so.

“Finish up early and get some rest. I’m still busy with my own tasks.”

As Anton ushered me toward my bedroom, I noticed the courtyard, usually dark at night, was lit with torches.

Perhaps the knights were training or holding some sort of event?

Before I could take a closer look, Anton hurried me along.

“Oh no, we’ll miss it if we don’t hurry. Please, let’s move faster.”

Caught off guard by his incessant nagging, I found myself shoved into bed, left with no choice but to burrow under the blankets.

Come to think of it, the head chef and the servants all seemed unusually busy too.

When I first arrived at Velon Castle, I had wondered how a place this large could be so quiet.

But lately, I’d been catching myself peeking out the window at the sounds of training coming from outside.

“Now that I think about it, a lot of strange things have been happening….”

It was only natural that security tightened after the day I got lost in the forest.

Someone had deliberately led me to that cliffside, though I couldn’t remember provoking anyone to that degree.

The influx of workers during the castle’s renovations made it impossible to pinpoint the culprit, so we ended up strengthening security instead.

“If it wasn’t about me, could they have been targeting Hernan?”

I was probably just collateral damage, and if the true target was Hernan, there were plenty of motives to consider.

“The once easy-to-manipulate young Duke is suddenly cracking down, so a lot of people must be feeling threatened.”

It’s amazing how universal bad behavior is.

Instead of straightening up, some people would rather resort to sabotage.

I hadn’t expected Hernan to personally lead the investigation, but if the culprit was trying to mar an event hosted by the Yudenet family, it seemed plausible.

“…Things are getting troublesome, huh?”

Even though the chaos stemmed from issues within the territory, I couldn’t help but feel partially responsible.

If I hadn’t intervened, things wouldn’t have escalated to this point.

While no one could blame me for it, I couldn’t shake the feeling of guilt.

I could wash my hands of it all and pretend not to notice, but that wasn’t my style.

I clicked my tongue and pulled the blanket over my head.

Hernan had only ordered me to go to bed by 9 PM.

He didn’t say I couldn’t think about things.

So, with that convenient excuse, I closed my eyes and pondered.

After all, it wasn’t my place as an outsider to meddle directly in the affairs of his estate.

“…….”

Hernan’s position was precarious in many ways.

Though he was the last surviving member of the Yudenet family after the deaths of his two older brothers, stepmother, and father, his political standing was shaky at best.

Despite earning the Emperor’s favor for his years of service on the frontlines defending the empire, politics was about more than just merit.

The reason I had to tread so carefully around the central aristocrats was because sometimes the Elder Council held more power than the Emperor himself.

The council was composed of the heads of the most prominent families across the empire.

While the Emperor and the Elder Council were naturally at odds, there was no harm in Hernan ingratiating himself with them a little.

It would be foolish to let the Emperor take him for granted.

By keeping the council close, Hernan could ensure the Emperor wouldn’t dismiss him too easily.

“Introducing Hernan to the central nobles seems like a good idea, after all.”

It’ll help with the pre-opening promotion for the new branch in Velon.

From what I know, Hernan has never made an appearance at any of the major central noble events.

Because of that, rumors have spread like wildfire, saying he’s some kind of ugly monster.

If anyone had actually seen his face, no one would’ve believed such nonsense.

As much as I hate to admit it, Hernan’s face alone is enough to leave most people in awe.

Even shallow people don’t dislike handsome men.

Just crashing any party and showing his face would easily double or triple the public’s interest in Velon.

Even if he’s not invited, the invitation wouldn’t matter—his presence alone would draw all the attention.

Especially now, with the Duchess of Velesa and her followers buzzing with interest in Hernan, showing off a face that surpasses all expectations would undoubtedly make him the rising star of high society.

‘Well… If some noble family ends up proposing a marriage to Hernan, that wouldn’t be bad either.’

See?

There are plenty of families that want the Duke as a husband.

So please, stop with that nonsense about no one wanting you and let me go.

If I could say that and step away, it’d be a win for me.

Alright. Let’s push forward with this before things get too busy.

I stood up abruptly, eager to go see Hernan immediately.

Even though I wasn’t allowed to work past nine, there was no rule against visiting someone.

And my worry about a servant guarding his door was unfounded—when I opened the door and stepped into the hallway, there wasn’t a soul in sight.

‘Phew…’

I only had a moment to feel relieved when something warm and soft suddenly landed on my shoulder.

“Ah!”

It was none other than my ever-faithful companion, Pori, with his thick, fluffy tail.

“Where were you hiding this time, suddenly showing up like this…”

Before I could even scold him, Pori bounced up and down in protest as if he had a lot to say.

“Ziiik, ziik-!”

For something the size of a fist, he sure had a lot to nag about, as if telling me to hurry back to my room.

But I wasn’t about to back down.

“Quiet down.”

I gently grabbed the plump squirrel with both hands and slipped him into my sleeve.

He squirmed around for a while but eventually settled in, finding it warm and comfortable.

‘Honestly, such a carefree creature.’

That was a relief for me.

Holding the now-quiet Pori in one hand, I walked slowly down the corridor, overhearing the grumbling voices of the servants just around the corner.

“Ugh, ever since the banquet last week, it’s been pure chaos.”

“And it’s going to stay like this, right? They’re not leaving anytime soon.”

“They say they’ll hire more help, but it’ll take time because of what happened before.”

I pricked up my ears at the mention of something Hernan hadn’t told me.

* * *