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"Then be careful, Your Highness."
Idris left the research lab, seeing off the employees of the airship research institute.
As the airship's stability check was nearing completion, checking the situation daily became routine.
"Your Highness."
Idris, just leaving the lab, encountered Heather, who had come to find him.
But her expression seemed unusual.
"Lady Leticia has purchased a mansion."
"...What?"
"If we said there were no properties available at all, she might find it suspicious, so we deliberately showed her a property with flaws, but she bought it."
Upon hearing the news, Idris's gaze turned coldly somber.
'It must be because of Baron Cloel.'
He had roughly guessed from the moment Leticia's expression turned sour after receiving Baron Cloel's letter a few days ago.
Baron Cloel would be visiting soon.
And, given her personality, she would try to leave the mansion to resolve her family issues alone.
'I thought I had barely managed to keep her.'
Idris disliked the fact that Leticia was trying to leave the mansion, but he hated even more that the reason she was leaving was to bear her family's problems alone.
'I can't just kill the baron...'
He was having dangerous thoughts that were impossible to realize, or rather, shouldn't be realized, when he was leaving the building.
"Grand Duke!"
Turning towards the voice, he saw a middle-aged man standing there.
With blonde hair reminiscent of Leticia.
Idris's lips twisted as he instinctively recognized who he was.
The person he was considering looking for had shown up on his own.
"Go wait in the carriage first."
Idris sent Heather away first, seeing Baron Cloel approaching him.
In the meantime, Baron Cloel closed the distance and greeted him affably.
"It's an honor to meet you like this! I've greeted you a few times at the banquet, I don't know if you remember."
The smile disappeared from Idris's lips as he looked at Baron Cloel, who was bowing to him.
So this man...
'He's the trash that left you lonely when you were young and left indelible scars on your ears.'
He recalled Leticia's expression, which would either avoid the topic or turn dark when she had to talk about her father.
She was so nervous in front of me, constantly on edge, afraid of offending me with even the slightest glance or gesture.
But you hurt her so easily.
"Well... There are so many people greeting me at banquets."
"Ah, I am Jade Cloel. Leticia's father. This is my wife."
Rosanna, standing behind Baron Cloel, smiled shyly and greeted him.
Only then did Idris acknowledge him.
"Ah, it was Baron Cloel."
Baron Cloel's face lit up as he recognized him.
Gaining confidence from there, the baron began to elaborate.
"I should have visited earlier, but I was away on a long trip... My greetings are late."
"Well, you don't have any obligation to greet me. But what brings you here?"
"Ah, I went to pay my respects at the mansion, but they wouldn't open the door."
"Aha."
"Leticia must have done something... As a father asking for his daughter's care, I thought it wasn't proper not to greet you, so I came to see you like this."
"Well, now that we've seen each other's faces, it seems like the business is over. Take care."
With those words, Idris brushed past Baron Cloel.
Baron Cloel, who thought Idris would be friendly now that he knew he was Leticia's father, was taken aback by his cold attitude.
The same was true for Rosanna, who was watching from the side.
"Honey!"
Baron Cloel, who had been momentarily stunned, snapped back to his senses at Rosanna's voice.
Then he hurriedly approached and blocked Idris's path.
"Y-Your Highness!"
The look in Idris's eyes was clearly annoyed.
It was an attitude that showed no respect for the father of the woman he loved.
Although he was a lower-ranking noble, no one had dared to treat him carelessly since Leticia married Peidan.
Hesitating for a moment due to the humiliation he felt after a long time, Baron Cloel regained his composure and asked Idris.
"I know this question is presumptuous, but... As a father, I would like to ask."
Instead of answering, Idris cast a glance.
"How much do you love Leticia?"
Idris frowned at the absurd question and burst out laughing.
But it was only for a moment.
Immediately erasing his smile, Idris asked.
"You didn't come all the way here just to ask me such a question, did you?"
The golden eyes, flickering with a chilling murderous intent, seemed to be asking as an afterthought.
How dare you ask me such a question?
Shrinking back from the oppressive atmosphere, Baron Cloel realized that he had made an unreasonable move and opened his mouth to recover.
"More than my own life."
"Y-Yes...?"
"You asked me, how much do I love Leticia."
"Ah..."
"I answered it."
Baron Cloel eyed Idris as he said that.
The cold golden eyes couldn't read whether the previous words were sincere or false. But...
'If he didn't really love her, he wouldn't have risked a scandal with a divorcee.'
Then he has a chance.
He swallowed hard and brought up the real purpose of his visit to Idris.
"If, if that's the case, would you be willing to help me, her father?"
"Help?"
"I brought back some precious items from the East Continent this time, but on the way back to the Empire, I was robbed of everything by bandits."
"So?"
"So, it seems like I need troops to get those items back from the bandits... Could you help me?"
Baron Cloel pleaded earnestly, as if appealing to emotions, but Idris's expression remained indifferent.
'Appealing to emotions doesn't work.'
Then he had to change his approach.
"Leticia is probably hesitant about marrying you, Your Highness. But she knows her place."
He saw a change in Idris's eyes when he brought up the topic of marriage.
Baron Cloel seized the opportunity and offered a deal.
"If Your Highness helps me, I will persuade her to make up her mind quickly."
To put it bluntly, it was a threat and a deal that took Idris's love hostage.
At first, he had planned to reunite her with Peidan, but after reconsidering, he decided that Idris was better.
'The Duke abandoned Leticia and had an affair, so he might not want to remarry.'
On the other hand, Idris is in love with Leticia now, so he would be easier to coax.
'I don't know when that feeling will change, but who cares? It's burning hot right now, so I have to take advantage of it.'
Now the deal has been made.
Baron Cloel wrung his sweaty hands nervously and waited for Idris's answer.
And finally, Idris opened his mouth.
"I can't refuse when the father of the woman I love asks me so earnestly."
"Does that mean..."
"I'll provide the troops."
Baron Cloel's face, having received the answer he wanted, lit up with an expression he couldn't hide.
Just as he was about to bow, Idris's voice continued.
"However, there is a condition."
"A condition, you say...?"
"Never appear before Leticia again."
Baron Cloel was quite taken aback by the unexpected story.
"Then I won't be able to persuade Leticia―"
"In your eyes, do I look like an idiot who can only get married by pressuring the father of the woman I love?"
The coldly looking down eyes were as if a heavy stone was crushing him.
Choking under the oppressive atmosphere, Baron Cloel unconsciously swallowed hard.
"This is not a request, but a warning."
The instinctual fear of the weak subsided, and a beat later, anger at the Grand Duke, who was much younger than him, surged up.
'The young brat is so presumptuous...'
But this was a class society, and since Idris had what he wanted, he had to bow his head obediently.
"Ah, and."
Idris noticed the anger that momentarily flashed in Baron Cloel's eyes, but pretended not to notice and continued with a smile.
"It would be nice if you could write Leticia one last letter."
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