Chapter 32

He appeared in the study fifteen minutes later, accompanied by the sound of hurried footsteps.

He must have run, as he was out of breath.

"Did I keep you waiting?"

"No, not at all."

As she said this, she was startled. If it were her sister, she would have puffed out her cheeks in annoyance at being late.

She finds that cute.

—Even if that child thinks so, my interpretation of cuteness is a bit different.

Just as a slight difference in the interpretation of a holy text can lead to serious factions, Lucrezia and her sister can be said to have parted ways in their interpretation of cuteness.

It might seem trivial to others, but to Lucrezia, it is an important difference.

"…But, the time apart from Lord Lamirio feels very long."

As Lucrezia, with her usual gloomy eyes, calmly stated, Lamirio was genuinely pleased.

He broke into a sheepish smile, his sharp eyes softening.

"I see, sorry for keeping you waiting."

"It's fine. I was the one who was being unreasonable."

"No, no, such a cute request is always welcome."

He had already secured the word 'cute.'

—Well, how about it?

She glanced at Rosa. As expected, her sister was completely smitten with the handsome Lamirio.

"Is something wrong? I didn't expect you to say something like that."

"I was having a bit of an argument with my sister. About which one of us, Lucrezia or Rosa, you find cuter."

Upon hearing this, Rosa pressed up to Lamirio.

"My sister's face is like a Noh mask. Don't you think I'm cuter?"

Rosa, with her beautiful green eyes, looked up at him, already clinging to Lamirio.

—Even though she's my sister, she is cute.

Despite feeling irritated, Lucrezia acknowledged this.

However, Lamirio's expression suddenly turned stern.

"…Listen, I've told you this many times. My fiancée is Lucrezia. Your attitude towards her is really not cute at all."

He said it clearly, and Lucrezia was pleased.

"You might think she's a thorn in your side, but to me, she's the cutest wife in the world. She's beautiful and well-educated. I don't want to compare you, but if you keep saying things like that, your sister, who is dating me, must be incredibly kind."

Lamirio pushed Rosa away roughly.

"If you don't stop, I'll kick you out."

"…You say that every time."

"I'm not joking."

Lamirio emphasized this with a firm tone.

"If you don't change your attitude, you'll have to leave this house. I don't need rude people in my household."

Rosa fell silent.

—Even after saying all this, she still doesn't understand.

Lucrezia, who had been dealing with her sister's whims, felt a dark mood.

Lamirio ignored Rosa and smiled at Lucrezia.

"I've made some time. Would you like to talk? Of course, I won't do anything."

"Is that alright?"

"Yes. I wanted to hear your unique stories."

"I didn't mean to say anything strange…"

"Your stories are interesting. The one about the bee's nest in the tree outside the second-floor window was fascinating."

"It was quite a problem… Every time I opened the window, bees would fly in…"

Rosa, childishly, slammed a nearby book with a loud thud.

The sound was so loud that it made Lucrezia jump, and the spine of the valuable book was slightly dented.

"Rosa, treat books with care."

"I don't care!"

Rosa stormed out of the study.

Lucrezia tried to follow, but Lamirio stopped her.

"Just leave her be."

"But…"

"Whether she's your sister or not, her attitude is so bad that I wouldn't invite a guest like her again. If she doesn't show any sign of repentance, I'll really make her leave."

"…She has nowhere to go."

"I'm the master of this house. If I say I'll do it, I will."

Lucrezia was genuinely troubled.

—There's no way she'll repent.

She had never listened to Lucrezia's warnings before. It seemed she was just being stubborn.

At that moment, someone burst into the study again, making a commotion.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but just now, a thief broke into your office and stole important documents…"

Lucrezia was speechless.

Those documents were practically her only asset.

She couldn't grasp the reality of the situation.

What would happen if her assets were gone?

Lamirio placed a comforting hand on her shoulder as she trembled.

"I'll go too. I'll get the carriage ready."

***

The scene was gruesome.

The door was broken, the glass shattered, and the desks and cabinets were ransacked.

It seemed an agent had been stabbed and was in critical condition, his fate unknown at the hospital. Lucrezia felt dizzy.

"What a mess…"

"You shouldn't go. Wait here. I'll check it out."

Lucrezia waited for Lamirio to return, helping the office staff clean up the scene.

—Why were we targeted? There was no cash or jewelry here.

Securities could be rendered useless by contacting the bank. There was no benefit in attacking the office.

***

When Lamirio arrived at the hospital, the agent had just regained consciousness.

"I'm sorry, I handed over a few documents. However, all the assets are managed by the bank associated with Lord Lucrezia's grandfather. If I contact them, they can prevent any withdrawals in advance."

"You did well."

Lamirio couldn't help but say this, and the agent, proud of his actions, continued.

"Also, the capital will soon be invaded by the army of the Kingdom of Rai, and war will break out. It's uncertain whether the bank will still be under the grandfather's management at that time. If the assets are seized by Rai, anyone who tries to withdraw them…"

Lamirio laughed.

"…They might lose their life."

"Yes. It would have been better to transfer them here earlier."

Lamirio wasn't so kind as to wish for the thief's safety. He decided to see it as just desserts.

"No, it might be for the best. The troublemaker will be gone."

The agent winced, as if the pain from his injuries had flared up.

"…I agree."

"Yes, you did a good job."

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