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It wasn’t me who flinched.

And that wasn’t the sound of my heartbeat either! All of it was the Duke’s physical reaction. Even though my face was buried in his chest, I didn’t feel the slightest bit uneasy. It seemed everything really had been reset!

“Oh my, Young Lady…” Lily spoke softly, her voice tinged with sadness as she observed me.

“You must have been terrified by the kidnapping incident, even if you don’t say it. It seems you’re relying a lot on the Duke.”

“…Well, it’s natural for a child to be scared,” the Duke said, his tone calm, but I could sense a subtle excitement in him. Being so close to him, I could feel his slightly elevated body temperature and the rapid beating of his heart.

‘Could it be…?’

Does the Duke actually have fond feelings for me? Did he really mean it when he said he didn’t dislike me?

Still nestled in his embrace, I tilted my head to look up at his face. Sensing my gaze, the Duke lowered his head to meet my eyes. As our eyes locked, the corners of his mouth twitched slightly.

“…We don’t have time to waste. The main character might arrive late, but we can’t keep the guests waiting.”

Main character? Guests? I blinked in confusion at his words, which prompted the Duke’s twitching lips to curl up into a small smile.

“It’s your birthday party, my lady.”

* * *

I was carried into the grand banquet hall in the Duke’s arms. He walked along the long blue carpet that stretched down the center, heading towards the head table prepared at the front of the room. On either side of the carpet, vassals who had come to report to the Duke stood, offering their congratulations as I passed.

“Happy birthday, Lady Elpinard!”

‘Wow…’

“Congratulations on your birth, Lady Elpinard!”

‘Wow…!’

With each congratulatory greeting, paper confetti cannons popped, sending colorful pieces of paper fluttering through the air like petals. I couldn’t help but be amazed by the sight. The grand banquet hall itself was decorated lavishly with beautiful flowers and ornaments, sparkling no matter where I looked.

Even when we had defeated the Mad Dragon and entered the Imperial capital, I hadn’t received such a grand welcome. Back then, the Emperor had forbidden gatherings of people, citing concerns about accidents, though in reality, he simply couldn’t stand the thought of his son, Kirke, being hailed as a hero by the masses.

While I was marveling at everything around me, the Duke took his seat in the prepared place of honor.

Still sitting on the Duke’s lap, I naturally settled there, even though there was a small chair beside him that seemed intended for me. I couldn’t help but wonder if that was supposed to be my seat, but the Duke didn’t even glance in its direction. Axel was already seated at the head table, but Noah was noticeably absent, likely due to the situation with his father.

“Today is the fifth birthday of my ‘daughter,’ Lady Reshia Elpinard,” the Duke began, his voice commanding the attention of everyone in the hall. The vassals, who had been busy offering their congratulations, fell silent in an instant.

“As you all know, Reshia is not my blood daughter.”

“!”

The Duke addressing such a sensitive issue so directly caused the vassals to widen their eyes in surprise.

“I’m aware that there’s been much talk among you regarding Reshia’s status. But do not forget that this child’s name is Reshia ‘Elpinard.'”

The Duke’s sharp gaze swept over the vassals as he leaned back leisurely in his chair, continuing, “Let me ask you this. If I were to bring in a stray dog from the streets and command you to bow your heads to it, what would you do?”

As if rehearsed, the vassals all dropped to their knees, bowing their heads in unison. “We would bow our heads, of course.”

“And another question: if I were to bring a large boulder before you and declare it ‘Elpinard,’ what would you do?”

“We would serve the boulder as our master.”

“Indeed, that is the answer.”

As the vassals echoed their response, the Duke smiled languidly and then placed me in front of the head table, creating the impression that they were all bowing to me.

“This is the final warning. From this moment on, anyone who questions my decision will not go unpunished. If you feel tempted to speak out, remember Gallio.”

“!”

It seemed that news of the Duke’s expulsion of his own son, Gallio, who had once held the title of duke’s heir, had already spread. The vassals, visibly shaken, trembled as they bowed even lower. Some of the more faint-hearted vassals looked as if they were on the verge of passing out. At this rate, it wouldn’t be surprising if someone had to be carried out.

‘The power of Duke Elpinard…’

It was truly overwhelming. I gazed at the Duke in awe. Though I had heard much about his immense power, seeing it firsthand was an entirely different experience. Instinctively, I understood that if I wanted an easy life, I needed to stay close to this power.

Why had I thought just completing a few quests would be enough to earn the Duke’s favor? If I could truly secure this person on my side, my entire life would be smooth sailing!

Without hesitation, I toddled over to the Duke, tugging at his pants.

“Duke…”

The fierce look the Duke had been giving the vassals softened instantly as he gazed down at me.

With a teary-eyed expression, I hugged the Duke’s leg tightly. 

“Duke, if you get angry, Reshia will be sad!”

My ultimate weapon—an adorable plea—rendered the Duke completely stiff. 

“Hmph…” Axel let out a half-amused, half-exasperated chuckle.

* * *

No birthday would be complete without presents, and this one was no exception. The vassals lined up one by one to present me with their gifts. Judging by the fact that these presents were prepared in advance, it seemed they hadn’t come to the Elpinard estate just for their regular reports but for my birthday celebration.

“Young Lady, let me tell you about this gift…!”

“Young Lady, our gift is so humble… we beg for your forgiveness!”

Some presented their gifts proudly, while others trembled with fear, asking for forgiveness. To me, even the gifts from those who claimed to have committed a “mortal sin” looked quite impressive. However, it seemed that by the standards of the nobility, those gifts weren’t up to par.

As each vassal finished presenting their gift and left, the pile of presents beside me grew steadily. It was the first time I’d ever amassed such wealth, and I couldn’t help but swing my legs with delight. The chair was so high that my feet dangled in the air.

Then, a commotion arose near the entrance of the grand banquet hall. However, because of the vassals lined up in front of me, I couldn’t see what was happening.

‘What’s going on?’

The murmurs started at the back and quickly spread forward.

“What’s this? Is it true?”

“Weren’t there rumors that he had died?”

“What’s going on?”

And then…

“It must be the will of the gods!”

With that exclamation, the vassals in front of me parted to the sides, creating a path. A group of people dressed in white robes entered the hall, led by an elderly man.

‘The Pope!’

Seeing his face, I widened my eyes in shock, nearly toppling off my chair.

“…Your Holiness,” the Duke muttered, also rising slowly, clearly surprised.

The Pope, with a gentle expression, walked steadily to the front of the head table.

“Duke Elpinard, an uninvited guest has set foot in this esteemed gathering. I humbly ask for your indulgence and request that you consider me a guest,” the Pope said politely.

The Duke returned the gesture with equal respect. “We would be honored to have you as our distinguished guest. However…” The Duke’s eyes flashed with curiosity. “I heard you had been bedridden for a long time. Have you recovered your health?”