* * *

“Thank you so much. No matter how skilled Luna is, I was deeply worried, but now I can finally go down to the Peils territory with peace of mind.”

The Baron, having left the court and boarded his carriage, took Royer’s hand and expressed his gratitude.

His assistance had been invaluable, so Luna didn’t forget to express her thanks either.

“Thank you very much. I can’t even imagine how to repay you.”

Royer responded earnestly to Luna’s kind words.

“Why do you talk about repayment? I just did what I had to do. Just continue to get along well with young lord Antes, that’s enough for me.”

No, actually, it was a reconsideration because that kind of repayment was something she couldn’t possibly offer.

The Baron laughed at Royer’s ideal response, while Luna, unable to outright agree, evasively responded with a smile.

“If you ever need anything, just let me know.”

“There’s nothing. It’s enough for me if you get along well with young lord Antes.”

“Hahaha! My man. Isn’t that obvious? If you have any other wishes, just let me know.”

“Really, there’s nothing. It’s enough if you just…”

No, it’s just that she didn’t like that.

Royer repeated the same thing like a parrot, so Luna changed the topic to divert from it.

“Are you leaving now?”

“No. I still have some things to do.”

“What things?”

What else could be left? It seemed everything was done. Luna, looking puzzled, was met with a sly smile from Royer.

“Aren’t you planning to buy a mansion? It’s a big contract, so naturally, I should accompany you. In any case, I have nothing to do until young lord Antes returns.”

The truth is, there had been a request from Antes. His tone was slightly harsh… No, to be precise, it was almost threatening. The threat was that if something happened to Luna and the Baron while he was away, he’d miss these times of laughter and chat.

Knowing what was likely to happen made it all the more daunting.

Of course, helping wasn’t entirely due to Antes’ threat. There was a larger motive of getting closer to Luna, who had Antes wrapped around her finger.

By doing so, he could later rely on Luna’s backing to lead a comfortable retirement. It was crystal clear.

“If it’s inconvenient for you, I’ll commute from my place. Just let me know anything. I will help with all my might.”

For my future. Royer smiled subtly, hiding his true intentions.

“Inconvenient? On the contrary, I’m more worried about whether my shabby mansion would be comfortable enough for you.”

The Baron couldn’t hide his awkwardness about hosting someone in his mansion, which was even more modest than a typical barn. Luna felt the same.

“Thank you. We should buy the mansion as soon as possible. Actually, there’s another favor I’d like to ask.”

Royer, hearing Luna’s request, waited with a serious face, as if willing to help even in building the mansion.

Luna couldn’t understand why he was so dedicated, but if he was offering help, she had to accept it.

“I want to hire a secretary for my father. Since it’s his first time dealing with mining, we need someone knowledgeable about mines.”

If asked if this was due to her being nervous, she’d proudly admit it. Even if it involved working alongside Antes, it made her nervous and anxious.

Without saying it explicitly, the Baron, realizing Luna’s concerns, nodded in agreement.

Royer then mentioned a suitable candidate.

“In fact, I know someone appropriate. He has worked in the mines for twenty years. He’s very straightforward and a bit curt, which is a minor flaw. He’s more skilled in fieldwork than paperwork, but he’ll undoubtedly be of help.”

“That’s no problem. As long as he can support my father well. Moreover, being proficient in fieldwork is exactly what we need now. Isn’t that right, father?”

It might actually be beneficial for him to be a bit curt. This way, the emotional Baron can be controlled more easily.

“Yes. As long as he does his job well. The fact that he’s worked in mines for twenty years is comforting.”

Given the Baron’s agreement and unaware of Luna’s intentions, the conversation progressed swiftly.

“Then I will tell him to come for an interview.”

As they were having this conversation, the carriage that had arrived at the Baron’s mansion came to a halt.

Then, as if they had been waiting, Emma and Laura rushed towards Luna as she got down from the carriage.

“Miss! How did the trial go?”

Their faces were filled with anxiety and concern. Seeing those expressions, Luna felt playful.

As Luna postponed her answer with a serious face, Lora turned pale and Emma held her head in her hands.

“Ah, Miss!?”

“Surely, it wasn’t…?”

It was fun, but if she delayed her answer any further, she might need to call a doctor. Luna burst into laughter and informed them of the lawsuit’s outcome.

“Of course, I won. How could I lose? After all the hard work we put in, why are you all so needlessly worried?”

“Oh, milady!”

“Why would you joke about something like that!”

Well, because it’s fun.

Emma sat down on the floor resentfully looking at Luna, while Laura, with a face that seemed both laughing and crying, repeatedly hit Luna’s arm.

It hurt a bit – no, it hurt a lot. So, Luna quickly changed the subject.

“What is that smell?”

“Ah! I was so anxious waiting, I tried making various dishes.”

Upon Emma’s recommendation, they headed to the dining room. There were varieties of dishes they had never seen before in their lives.

They say good things are good, and thanks to that, even though it wasn’t planned, they had a celebratory party for their victory.

All because of defeating just one person, peace and relaxation came to them.

* * *

Before the Duke’s family could stop the rumors, the nobles who had attended the trial had already spread the verdict.

Of course, since it involved the Duke’s family, they couldn’t spread it openly. So, they quietly spread it to a select few, centered around their close friends, as if they were sharing a secret only they knew.

And the first person who loved gossip and heard about this was Rosemary Vincent.

Due to the eldest son Antes leaving the family, she became the successor of the family against her will.

Her life was monotonous with only successor lessons, and gossips were her only pleasure.

“Really? Didn’t young lady Peils like young lord Rodrian?”

Rosemary, whose bright green eyes shone at the exciting rumor, asked with interest. The noble lady who attended the trial personally sipped her tea and then calmly replied,

“I heard so too, but seeing them in person, I thought otherwise. It seemed quite the opposite.”

“By opposite, do you mean young lord Rodrian was interested in young lady Pales?”

“In my eyes, yes. As soon as the trial was over, he clung to her desperately.”

Oh my God, what about the rumors that have been widespread till now?

Rosemary covered her mouth in surprise with both hands at the sudden turn of events. It was extremely entertaining, especially since it involved a person she disliked.

The noble lady, watching with a strange smile, hinted that this was just the beginning.

“As I mentioned earlier, the Peils family won the trial. The Duke of Rordrian’s family tried to cover up the case with a false statement.”

“I never expected them to be that type of family. Especially young lord Rodrian, I never thought he would do such a thing.”

Rosemary recalled the face of Fersen, who was often mistreated by Antes.

He was always the pitiable victim, so it was hard to imagine him hurting someone else.

“I thought the same. I naturally assumed that the Peils family was making false accusations. But, to me, this wasn’t that surprising.”

“Why is that?”

With words hinting at something even bigger, her eyes began to sparkle.

“Young lady Peils had someone she’s dating! I heard their conversation in court and hurriedly looked into it.”

“Oh, that’s it.”

That wasn’t exciting. Rosemary’s excitement cooled down a bit, considering that wasn’t enough to make a fuss about.

However, as if expecting this reaction, the noble lady opened her mouth again with a secretive tone.

“But do you know who that is?”

“I don’t.”

“You’ll be very surprised when you know.”

Well, how surprising can someone’s dating rumors be? Unless it’s something shocking like a disguise and secret relationships.

If the gossip wasn’t at that level, she probably wouldn’t be too surprised.

Still, in her monotonous life filled with successor lessons, gossip was the only exciting thing.

Without expecting much, Rosemary sipped her lukewarm tea and waited for the next piece of information.

“It’s Antes Vincent!”

“Phuuu~!”

Upon hearing the sudden mention of Antes’s name, Rosemary spat her tea out like a fountain.

It seemed like the noble lady was waiting for this reaction as she burst into laughter, got up from her seat, and said:

“I must be going now. Hahaha, today was fun.”

The noble lady left with a cheerful step, probably planning to add the fact that Rosemary spat out her tea to the gossip. That’s probably why she visited her first.

Normally, Rosemary would’ve handled the situation gracefully to avoid becoming part of the gossip, but today was different.

Frozen in surprise, Rosemary hurriedly called her maid.

“C-call William! Quickly!”