She had to be crazy. Why would this be given to me?

The invitation that had been shoved into my hand felt heavy.

“Wow, you should’ve invited us too.”

“An invitation from Her Highness the Princess… I’m so jealous.”

The noble wives congratulated me with gazes of envy.

If you’re so jealous, you guys go instead!

‘What excuse can I give to refuse this invitation?’

I didn’t want to get involved with Dahlia any more than I already was. But no matter how much I racked my brain, I couldn’t think of a suitable answer.

I glared at the invitation in my hands.

“It seems that Grand Duchess Lapileon doesn’t appreciate the invitation. You haven’t said anything.”

“Thank you for the invitation. I’ll visit later, after checking my schedule.”

Later. Maybe in about 30 years? I’ll probably go at least one time before I die!

Dahlia crinkled the sides of her eyes and smiled as she approached me.

“Since your body is so precious, you shouldn’t do it yourself if you’re busy. Just let the lower ones do it for you.”

“I can decide that for myself quite well.”

“Is that so? Then you shouldn’t be so busy. When will that ‘later’ be?”

I could feel her strong desire to select a date today.

“To be honest, my body condition hasn’t been the best lately, so I can’t give you a definite answer.”

“Oh no, what a shame to hear your body isn’t well. Then I must invite you to the palace even sooner. We have quite talented doctors at the palace, you see.”

“No. When ill, it’s best to rest at home.”

“Since you’re sick, you must receive treatment from the best doctors in the Empire.”

“Who knows what disease it is? If it’s infectious, it’d be a terrible inconvenience if it spread to Your Highness the Princess, so I must be cautious.”

“If it was infectious, you wouldn’t be going around like you are now. So it seems that’s not the case.”

Our battle continued endlessly.

Seeing how she was trying to invite me at any cost, I strengthened my resolve to not go even more.

‘If I go, I’ll die!’

An alarm kept ringing inside of my head.

And just as Dahlia’s smiling red mouth was about to open again,

“Your Highness the Grand Duchess!”

I could see Selphius approaching quickly as he called me loudly from afar. He ran to my side and stuck closely to me, his wary gaze aimed at Dahlia.

“I greet Your Highness the Princess.”

“…Yes. It would’ve been fine if you came a bit slower. What a shame.”

Preparing for the worst, Selphius put his hands on his red ruby earrings.

‘Just what is he about to do?!’

After I saw him repeat the actions that he’d taken in his fight with Siph, I pulled him back in surprise.

“Selphi, just what are you…!”

“Are you okay?”

“If you keep doing this… Huh? What?”

I was about to start scolding him, but was taken aback and fell speechless at his concern.

‘Why is he suddenly asking me if I’m okay?’

I couldn’t reply easily because I didn’t know the meaning behind his question. Selphius wrinkled his forehead in frustration at my silence.

“Your Highness the Grand Duchess. I’m asking if you’re okay, and if you’re not hurt anywhere.”

“Oh my, if someone heard, they’d think I was bothering Grand Duchess Lapileon. Nothing happened, Young Lord Lapileon.”

“I wasn’t asking Your Highness the Princess, but Her Highness the Grand Duchess.”

At Selphius’s sharp actions, I shook my head at him in surprise, motioning at him not to.

‘Why are you so on edge! The person you’re talking to is a crazy psycho!’

Selphius shouldn’t know that we’re on bad terms, though?

Not to mention, he probably doesn’t know she’s a crazy princess since she’s smiling right now.

“Don’t misunderstand. I simply gave Grand Duchess Lapileon an invitation.”

Even at Dahlia’s reassurance, Selphius turned to me for confirmation.

“Is that the truth?”

“…Yes, I did receive an invitation.”

It wasn’t wrong. Since she had yet to do anything today.

‘For now,’ that is.

“Really?”

“Yes.”

“…Then that’s a relief.”

Selphius dropped the hand that had been holding the ruby earrings, before mumbling quietly so only I could hear.

“I was taken aback by how scared Your Highness the Grand Duchess’s expression was from afar.”

So that’s why he ran here and was so wary of Dahlia. Was my expression that bad?

“If someone is bothering you, just tell me.”

I looked at Selphius through narrow eyes. Then, grabbing both his hands so he wouldn’t be able to touch his earrings, I whispered to him.

“You haven’t already forgotten my words from this morning, right? Selphi.”

“I do remember. However.”

“However?”

“If someone dares to bother Your Highness the Grand Duchess, I won’t let them be. It’s alright if I live in the countryside by myself for the rest of my life.”

I could feel Selphius’ sincerity. At the child’s unconditional faith, I was shocked into a loss for words.

After confirming there wasn’t a big problem, Selphius looked around at everyone. Then, as if wanting everyone to hear, he spoke loudly.

“Let’s go back to the residence, Your Highness the Grand Duchess.”

It seemed like he was warning everyone that he was there at my side, so no one should touch me.

‘Seeing him growl, even though he’s so small, makes him seem like a cat… No, maybe a cute dog?’

Regardless, it was clear that thankfully enough, he had the intent to save me from this hellhole.

As I was nodding my head in assent and was about to leave, Dahlia stopped me.

“It’s the first time the Grand Duchess has been out in a long time, so why don’t you go first, Young Lord Lapileon?”

No! Too bad! I’m going back with Selphius!

“No, I’ve been waiting for Selphi, and he’s here now… So it’d be best if we took our leave. Let’s go, Selphi.”

“It’s your first time out in a while, so stay a bit longer. You don’t seem sick today, so let’s go to a delicious tea house in the area and drink some tea together.”

As Dahlia smiled and tried to approach me, Selphius blocked her quickly.

“Her Highness the Grand Duchess has rejected you already, so I’ll take her back to the residence.”

Dahlia’s eyebrows flinched. Looking down at Selphius, her eyes lost their color and became cold.

“…How lucky of you, Grand Duchess. Like a flower in a greenhouse, it seems he’s preciously protecting you.”

Dahlia’s voice dropped a tone.

Although Selphius didn’t know the situation, he must have gotten a brief sense of the atmosphere, for he didn’t budge an inch.

“That’s because the Grand Duchess is a precious person who must exist in our family.”

Dahlia’s face crumpled up erratically, seemingly losing her wits after hearing him refer to me as a “precious person”.

“His Excellency himself told me to make sure that not a single bug gets in her path.”

“…A bug.”

Dahlia bit her lower lip harshly, causing a drop of blood to form. It seemed her patience had reached its limit.

‘Who knows what that crazy bitch will do!’

It seemed like she might hit someone at any moment. Selphius was blocking my way, so I quickly hugged him and hid him behind me. It was then.

“It seems you were all here.”

The voice of a person with the ability to resolve this situation rang through the air. At his sudden appearance, the noble wives covered their mouths with their hands and bowed their heads, while Dahlia took a step back.

“It seems we meet again, Your Highness.”

“Your appearance was like that of a savior,” Dahlia mocked as she watched Theodore, who came to my side, and Selphius, who kept looking at her warily.

“Wow.”

After glancing at Selphius and I, he casually stepped in front of us, hiding us behind his back. Standing behind his wide back, my unease melted away like snow.

“To make such a fuss just because of one invitation. If I invited the Grand Duchess twice, my head might go flying.”

Looking around at the noble wives around her, she laughed.

“It might even seem like I’m harassing the Grand Duchess.”

As if warning her, Theodore looked down at her as he spoke in a low voice.

“There’s no way the wise princess would ever harass the Grand Duchess in a place where everyone could see, right? Although you might be able to do that if you met with her separately.”

At the direct shot, Dahlia gave a chilly smile. Her red lips closed tightly. The noble wives who were watching did the same.

With his appearance, the atmosphere was resolved smoothly.

“If you have anything else to say, please do so now. Since it’s difficult for both my wife and I to give you time.”

Instead of replying, Dahlia stared at Theodore with a deep gaze. That gaze must have been uncomfortable, as Theodore crumpled his face.

“Since it seems there’s nothing, we’ll take our leave.”

“…Take your leave.”

As soon as Dahlia gave her permission, Theodore turned his body, as if he’d been waiting for it.

“Let’s go back, both of you.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Selphius removed himself from my arms. Then, he promptly jumped onto the carriage that I had arrived on, and closed the door with a slam.

“I’ll return first with the carriage that the Grand Duchess rode here in, so the two of you take your time and return in His Excellency’s carriage.”

“W-What?”

I locked eyes with Selphius. He smiled with a satisfied expression.

No, you don’t have to! Don’t be considerate of me!

Before I could even reach out to him, the coachman started driving the carriage at Selphius’ order.

‘Damnit.’

Although I watched the carriage that was getting further away with an astonished expression, the carriage did not return.

“Let’s take our leave too.”

A calm Theodore opened the door of his carriage and reached out a hand to me. At his actions that weren’t anything special, the noble wives started exclaiming ‘Oh my, oh my!’

Of course they would. Since Duke Lapileon had never escorted anyone until now, although that was probably because he had been avoiding physical contact.

‘Hah, I’m tired.’

I wanted to leave this place as soon as possible.

Giving up, I grabbed my forehead with one hand, and Theodore’s hand with the other, getting onto the carriage.

Dahlia just silently watched this series of actions.

Shortly after, the carriage started off safely. Only after we had left that scene did I open my mouth, which had been clenched tight in fear.

“Why did you come here?”

“Your lady-in-waiting returned to the residence first. Seeing that you didn’t arrive even though you’d left first to pick Selphi up, I came to check on you.”

Rebecca, nice one.

“What did you discuss with the Princess? Nothing strange like getting your hair cut happened, right?”

Instead of responding, I stared at the invitation that was still in my hands.

“It must be because others were at the scene, but she didn’t do anything. All she did was invite me to the palace.”

“It’d be best to burn that invitation.”

“Eh, is it okay to burn an invitation from the royal family?”

Taking the invitation from my hand and putting it into his pocket, Theodore snorted.

“They won’t know whether I burned it or not, so who cares?”

That was true. After I nodded in understanding, Theodore asked.

“I’m asking just in case, but you weren’t planning on actually going, right?”

“I won’t go even if you push my back and tell me to go. I hate going towards my death, you see.”

“How wise… Something like today might happen again.”

If Selphius attends Delfanil Academy, there might be more incidents where I bump into the Princess, just like today.

“If you dislike it, we can switch Selphius to a different academy.”

Although it was an attractive offer…

After considering it for a while, I shook my head.

“I heard all prestigious families go to this academy? Then our Selphi has to go there.”

“Will you be okay?”

“We can ask Rebecca to send and pick up Selphi. If I don’t go to pick him up, it’ll be fine. Send him to Delfanil Academy.”

I couldn’t let Selphius give up on the things he should be enjoying because of that crazy princess!

“Will you be okay?”

“If Princess Dahlia has truly made up her mind to keep meeting me, it won’t matter if we switch academies.”

Theodore nodded, seemingly agreeing with what I said.

“But still, if your mind changes at any point, let me know.”

“I will.”

He was surprisingly quite considerate of me, seeing how he was planning on changing the academy of the heir of this family just for me, even though I was only here because of a one-year contract.

‘He’s quite different from the rumors.’

Absent-mindedly, I stared at Theodore’s face. The thought that his menacing-looking face must have played a role in spreading those rumors came to mind.

Even though he was just staying still, he gave off such a dirty impression.

His chin was sharp, his nose was sharp. Even his eyes were sharp. Was he a saw blade, or what? Look how menacing his face appeared. Even those red eyes…

“Why do you keep looking at me like that?”

“Ack! Your face looks menac… Ah, no no!”

Surprised at how suddenly our eyes locked, the thoughts in my head came out of my mouth.

“…Menacing?”

Theodore wrinkled his brows. Crossing his arms, he stared at me carefully.

“You’re not talking about me, right?”

I was.

“No way. So…”

“So?”

“So, um…”

“So, um?”

Head, work. Brain, think.

“The person with a menacing face…”

“The menacing face?”

“…Is the lawyer that I met today!”

It was a laughable excuse.

“Lawyer?”

“Y-You know how I met a lawyer today. His face was much more menacing than I thought it’d be.”

But I had to make it believable. I made excuses with all that I could, although Theodore just kept listening with an apathetic expression.

“So? How was your conversation with the lawyer with the menacing face?”

Phew, it seemed he believed it somehow.

“Um… The law terminology was difficult, so I don’t remember it that well, but we discussed situations where your inheritance gets cancelled.”

“Falsifying the will, blackmail, or murder?”

“Oh, you know it well?”

“…Was your family talking about that?”

As I nodded, Theodore spoke with a cold voice.

“They’re quite impressive, in a sense.”

I thought so too.

As if he understood, he let out a low sigh.

“Don’t worry. He’s a skillful lawyer, so he’ll be of help to you.”

“Yes.”

The carriage was filled with silence. I felt fatigue rush over me suddenly. Hearing the constant sound of the wheels turning, I looked outside the window at the quickly passing view.

‘When I return, I should sleep a bit.’

It was when I was thinking this that Theodore spoke.

“I heard from your lady-in-waiting.”

“Pardon?”

“That you sorted out the wreckage of the statue?”

…Rebecca. Why did you tell him that? I was trying to avoid telling him so he wouldn’t get upset.

“…I wasn’t the one who sorted it out. I just ordered them to sort it out.”

“Thank you for saving me some trouble.”

Even though he’d heard that his statue had been desecrated, Theodore was calm, as if it was someone else’s issue.

“Aren’t you worried?”

“Worried about what?”

“His Majesty’s statue was fine, although it was next to yours. It’s only your statue that was destroyed.”

“So?”

So? Wait, did he have no awareness? Or did he simply lack the ability to understand?

“Aren’t you worried, since someone acted out of ill intent for you?”

“Did you worry about me?”

“Who? Me?”

Ha, gosh!

“Do I seem like I’d worry about you?”

“Forget it.”

I swear, should I just hit him on the head?

As I was wondering whether or not I should form a fist, pretend I’m crazy and just hit him once, Theodore spoke.

“I told you last time.”

“You told me to hit you last time?”

Whoops, my mistake.

Theodore stared at me with a gaze wondering what kind of nonsense I was spouting. So focused on thinking about hitting him, I couldn’t help it.

“That the Lapileon family has many enemies. I definitely told you.”

“Yes, you did.”

“So I’m used to stuff like this. It’s not something to make a fuss about.”

To think he’s used to being threatened. How ironic.

“So what has to happen for you to make a fuss and be surprised?”

Theodore, who had been indifferently staring out the window, turned his head at my question. The sun must have begun to set, for Theodore’s face was aglow with a red tone.

“Who knows.”

“I swear…”

“If you ever get hurt or threatened, I’ll be sure to make a fuss.”

The sky that had been painted by the sun eventually lit my face in red as well.

“As if.”

“For real. Trust me.”

“I’m moved to tears.”

After our short exchange, I rested my chin on the windowsill and watched the passing scenery.

The whole world was colored in red.