Viese went inside first with a thumping step.

Dump.

Then Shananet shook her head quietly as she sat in the chair in the middle, with a loud sound.

A total of four chairs were placed, but only Shananet and Viese attended today's meeting.

Shananet asked quietly far away from Viese chair.

"Is Laurels not coming today?”

“Now that I don’t look good to my father, what is Laurel sitting here for?”

“Not just to look good… Phew, that's enough. You can't help it if you don't like it."

"Gallahan isn't coming too, so why only Laurels?"

Viese poured oil on the conversation that was about to be concluded.

“Didn’t Gallahan go down to Chesire to take care of his estate? It's definitely different from being in the same mansion and not attending the meeting, Viese."

"If you have your own land, go down there and live there. Don't waste any more Lombardy's money. Isn't that right?"

It was time for Viese to forcefully raise his voice.

"Lombardy's money is not your concern."

"Father."

As Lulak entered the office, he looked at Viese with his eyes wide open.

"You who abandoned Lombardy for more than a year for no reason, and went to Angenas, you were there didn't you."

Viese clenched his teeth, unable to answer Lulak's word.

Lulak looked at Viese with displeasure for once and started a meeting.

It was a time to hear their opinions on the big and small things that happened in the family for a week.

The meeting did not last long.

And after a brief meeting, Lulak said.

"You've both heard that Florentia is in business with Devon, right?."

At the same time, Viese snorted dissatisfiedly.

"...Is there anything you'd like to say, Viese."

"What's important about my opinion? My father always does that... No, you've been generous to her, and you'll turn a blind eye to me again."

"I was generous. Yeah, it could have been."

Lulak's mouth smiled when talking about Florentia.

Viese looked at it with frowning eyes and turned away.

"Viese, your prediction is correct. I'm going to trust her again and watch her."

I can't believe it.

Viese grumbled inside.

His father had never trusted Viese for a single moment, he's sure about it.

But what's wrong with that girl?

I don't know what they're doing with the Devon, the poorest of the vassal families, but should I go ahead and disturb them?

It was when Viese thought so and looked up casually.

Lulak, who was already watching him, said a word in a low voice.

"So leave Florentia alone."

Viese flinched in surprise and hurriedly avoided eye contact.

After the meeting, Viese and Shananet left the office.

They were siblings, but there was no friendly conversation between the two.

Too much has gone wrong to do that.

But at the end of the long hallway, Viese called Shananet.

"Are you going to leave Gallahan's daughter alone, sister?"

"What if I don't let her? Didn't you also listen to our father's orders?"

"But!"

Viese unknowingly raised his voice, then sneaked a glance at the office on the other side of the hall and said.

“This is no different than tarnishing the family's name. People laugh at me! A Lombardy's only believes in the power of his family!”

"...What? Hahaha!"

Shananet, who opened her eyes wide, suddenly burst into laughter.

Not knowing what the hell she was laughing about, Viese was just frowning and gazing at it.

"Haha, Viese! What a funny thing to say! You worry about the reputation 'only for believing in the power of Lombardy's'. You!"

"Are you saying that I only trust the power of the family?"

Only then did Viese grit his teeth, when he realized why Shananet was laughing.

But Shananet was still happy, wiping the tears from the corners of her eyes.

"Thanks to you, I haven't laughed in a long time. And it is Tia's rights to be involved in the family business, Viese. There's nothing we can do about it."

At the easygoing words of Shananet, Viese shouted.

"Don't you get on your nerves? It's not like you don't know what it means to use your immediate authority! That's a blue little girl!"

"You're quite afraid that she'll be competing with us for the next Lord's position?"

"Afraid? Who's afraid of who? Ha! Competition! I'm just talking about fractions. If this isn't the half-blood who doesn't know the subject, then what else!"

"Sigh..."

Shananet shook her head with a sigh at such a Viese.

"Viese, I'll give you my sincere advice. Don't think about stopping her and focus on making your own progress. It's the only way you're gonna win."2

Shananet, who left the words, turned around and walked first.

Viese spat when she saw her back away in the middle of the hallway.

"Being condescending alone."

Then he turned to the other side and walked briskly.

It took quite a while to go to his own house, but Viese's anger had not abated at all.

As soon as Viese opened the door, his wife, Seral, welcomed him with a big smile.

"Are you home, honey?"

Perhaps reading the letter, Seral held a purple envelope and letterhead in her hand.

And Seral, as always, read Viese's mood sensitively.

"What happened out there?"

Seral, who said so, gently guide Viese to the drawing-room sofa.

“Whoa, that’s it.”

Viese began to confide in every unpleasant thing that had just happened.

Seral listened silently to Viese's story without saying a word.