Chapter 5

Thanks to the non-stop riding, it took less than thirty minutes to get home.

When I opened the carriage door and jumped out, Lily shouted in a contemplative voice.

“Young Lady, you have to wait for the carriage to stop completely before getting off! It’s dangerous, really!”

“I know, I know, but…!”

…No matter how dangerous, is it more dangerous than a death flag?

Leaving Lily’s words behind, I hastened my steps toward the mansion.

As I was waving my hand while smiling at the employees who greeted me, I could see some unfamiliar faces among them.

…What?

When I stopped in the towering garden, Lily, who had been following me hurriedly, bowed her back and took a deep breath. I turned and glanced towards the carriage I was riding in, and there, a carriage I had not seen was nearby.

“Lily, who’s coming to the house today?”

Lily, who had turned her head at my question, opened her eyes narrowly and stared at the carriage. Checking the pattern engraved on the carriage, she then replied with an ‘Oh,’ sound.

“I think Baroness Jo Malone is here. The design belongs to Baron Jo Malone.”

“Baroness Jo Malone…?”

Isn’t Baron Jo Malone the first man to be removed by Cain in the first chapter of the novel after he clung to the side of Marquis Black and committed all sorts of foul things…? Just as Baron Jo Malone clung to Marquis Black, his daughter, Lady Jo Malone, also clung to Evelyn, the villainess.

Of course, that did not last long.

“Lily, do you know how old Lady Jo Malone is this year?”

“As far as I know, she’s eighteen. I heard that she’s going to make her debut this year, so they’re walking around the boutiques of Aren.”

That is it!

Knowing why the Baroness came all the way here, I swept my face slightly.

Then, it must be difficult for mother…

“What about father? Is he in the office right now?”

“I suppose that he is there. The Count said that he was going to organize the items to be exported to Repli before dinner.”

“All right, then it would be good to see father first.”

“Yes?”

I busily moved my feet towards the mansion again, leaving Lily, who was wearing an expression as if she did not know what I was thinking behind.

ﾟ･ : * ✧ * :･ ﾟ

“Father!”

“Oh, Lia. Did you enjoy your outing?”

As I opened the door to the tightly shut office, I could see father’s dark brown hair shining in the sunlight pouring in through the window and quickly took a seat in front of my father, facing his lovingly smiling face.

“Are you very busy?”

“If it is our Lia’s request for a date, who would be busy?”

Saying so, my quick-witted father pushed the documents he was looking at and leaned towards me.

Seeing my father waiting for my words, I smiled brightly and carefully added, “It’s nothing much actually. I just have one request to ask father.”

“Request?”

At my sudden words, my father tilted his head with a curious face. I quickly continued, tucking my protruding hair behind my eyes.

“It’s nothing much like I said, though I think during today’s meal, mother will tell me to have a debutante this year.”

“A debutant?”

“Yes, it would be around April of every year. So, if there is nothing special this time, I think it will be held soon.”

Father, who had nodded his head without thinking much at my comments, asked as though puzzled.

“Even though it’s a little later than others, if your health is good, it would be right to make your debut one year later now. Besides, it’s also customary. But, why are you asking that?”

Pretending to not realize my father’s puzzled face, I sat closer to him and persisted.

“I heard from Lily that mother is having tea with Baroness Jo Malone right now.”

“Yes. I’ve heard that story, too.”

Baroness Jo Malone.

The woman portrayed in the novel was a person with a strong desire for speculation and ostentation. Perhaps, the reason she came to see my mother today was to ridicule the fact that her daughter did not have a debutante yet while boasting about her daughter’s debut. For me, who was sick, my mother always wanted me to build a normal family like everyone else and live well.

“If Lady Jo Malone, who’s younger than me, is going to make her debut this time, I think mother will be impatient.”

“….”

“I’m not saying that I’m not going to debut. However, I just thought it would be better to do it next year, instead of this year.”

“…Next year?”

“Yes. It’s only been three months since I woke up after my illness. There’re a lot of things I couldn’t do with father and mother since I had to lie in bed for a long time…”

“….”

“So, I want to spend this year with you two.”

“Lia…”

As if he was moved, tears were swelling from father’s eyes.

My conscience was pricked at the sight of my father. Nevertheless, I could not be honest.

I am sorry, father…

Nevertheless, in order for your lovely daughter to live a long, long life, I should avoid the social debut as much as possible, in any case, not this year…

At least, until Irene returns to the capital, Aren.

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