#Chapter 17. White Lies

After finishing the first lesson, Ariel quite liked Daniel, but keeping possible situations in mind, she made him a proposal.

“I’d like to continue observing lessons, would that be alright?”

“……Do you mean you want to participate in the lessons themselves?”

Daniel’s question carried a strong sense of wariness.

When parents talked about one thing or another next to their child, they sometimes unnecessarily cut off the child’s thoughts, and he seemed to be worried about that.

Ariel thought she had finally found a tutor who perfectly matched her educational philosophy.

“No. I won’t participate directly. I was asking whether I could observe Lucy’s lessons anytime and continue the lessons.”

“If you’re not participating, there’s no problem with observing. You’re welcome to attend anytime.”

“I see. Then let’s set about four days a week.”

“Yes, then I’ll take my leave now.”

“Then, teacher. See you at the next lesson!”

When Lucy waved her hand toward Daniel with a bright greeting, a bright smile also appeared on Daniel’s face.

“Yes, then I’ll go first.”

Ariel glanced at Lucy and Daniel and was convinced that the tutor problem was now resolved.

Nevertheless, she didn’t forget to ask Lucy’s opinion until the end.

“Lucy, how was it? Mom thinks Teacher Daniel is really good……”

“I like him too! I like Teacher Daniel!”

Ariel, who watched Lucy jump, nodded.

*

A few days later, Lucy, who was staring at a thick book, and Ariel, who was writing replies to invitations at the desk across from her, simultaneously sighed.

“Ahyu……”

“Hah……”

When they sighed simultaneously, the mother and daughter made eye contact in an instant.

Ariel was the first to burst into laughter.

“…… Lucy, it must be very difficult.”

“Mom seems to have worries too.”

At Lucy’s words, Ariel waved a golden envelope indicating a letter from the imperial palace.

Then Lucy also grabbed the remaining pages of the thick book in a chunk and showed them while laughing.

“You know we divide sadness in half, right? Mom? Worries are the same. Let’s share our worries half and half with each other.”

“Haha. I didn’t know that worries also become half when you share them?”

“Of course! It’ll be much better if we share with each other.”

Lucy, who said this, closed the thick book and scurried over to Ariel, jumping onto her lap.

“Mom, you speak first. I’ll take my turn next.”

“Alright. Then, Mom’s worry is whether I’m dragging too many people into things with just my personal thoughts and judgment.”

“Is that connected to the imperial palace?”

“Unfortunately, it became so.”

“Hmm……”

Lucy narrowed her brow while pondering deeply.

Lucy, who concentrated on thinking for a while, gave Ariel an answer.

“I don’t think you need to worry about that. Because the judgment Mother made would be for the family, not for personal gain! I think that doesn’t fit the expression ‘personal.'”

“It’s for the family, but what if it’s ultimately something that conflicts with Dad’s opinion as the Duke of Zenova?”

“Then Mother doesn’t need to worry even more.”

The child, who spoke with certainty on her resolute face, met Ariel’s eyes.

“Father prioritizes the work of the Duke of Zenova, but Mother puts Father himself and me as your daughter as priorities. I think Father’s thoughts could actually harm the family. Does Mother think the House of Zenova should be above people?”

At Lucy’s words, Ariel, who slowly opened her mouth, answered firmly.

“……No. People should be above the house. The house shouldn’t be above people.”

At Ariel’s answer, Lucy smiled brightly and nodded.

“I think so too, Mom!”

“Talking with Lucy like this made Mom’s worries completely disappear!”

“Really?”

Lucy gave a thumbs up.

“Then, what’s our Lucy’s worry? Mom is very curious.”

“Mom…… Do you think white lies are necessary?”

At the question that was harder to answer than expected, Ariel’s eyes narrowed.

“Hmm…… White lies……”

“Have you ever told such lies, Mom?”

“Mom……”

Ariel, who stopped mid-sentence, looked at Lucy without being able to answer easily.

White lies were of course something done often in life, and in high society, they could be seen as essential in some ways.

But if she said Mom did such things often, she worried the child might think lying itself was good.

“I can’t say I haven’t.”

However, lying to the child here could make the child feel betrayed when she grew up later.

Moreover, that way, she would first learn from Ariel lies filled with betrayal rather than white lies.

Ariel, who told the truth after careful consideration, smiled bitterly.

“If Mom does it to that extent, it seems like everyone in the Empire lives doing it.”

She must have felt Ariel’s hesitation.

Instead of saying “If Mom did it, then I can do it too,” she deliberately said everyone would have done so, actually covering for Ariel.

Ariel’s eyes became moist at Lucy’s deep thinking.

“White lies are sometimes told to consider the other person, only for the other person’s sake. Ridiculously, people sometimes want to settle for a peaceful reality rather than the truth.”

Lucy, who heard Ariel’s words, blinked her eyes.

Somehow, it seemed like sadness was embedded in her daughter’s eyes, with only tears missing.

“Then what about Mom? Do you also want to settle for a peaceful reality achieved by the other person telling white lies? Wouldn’t you be angrier when you find out later?”

Ariel stroked Lucy’s eyes with her finger and said.

“Mom is the same person, so I might feel such emotions sometimes. But I don’t think I’d be angry. Lucy knows what the word ‘white’ that comes before lies means, right? Mom would just read the other person’s heart.”

“……I see.”

Lucy, who snuggled into Ariel’s arms, buried her face in Ariel’s chest.

*

Damian returned to the ducal residence only well past midnight.

As he was just taking off his coat in the study, the butler knocked and entered.

“Your Grace, Madam decided today to hire Daniel, son of Baron Mehirn, as the tutor.”

The butler placed a tutor file in front of Damian.

Damian, who briefly checked the name, picked up the file.

“……Daniel? I see. Did you check things related to Baron Mehirn?”

“Yes. There weren’t any particular major problems. His reputation around him wasn’t bad, so there was nothing particularly concerning about hiring him as a tutor. The person himself has a rather righteous personality, and his educational philosophy also matches what Madam wants, so it seems fine.”

Damian, who heard the butler’s story, pointed at the tutor’s background with his finger.

“He was pursuing a political career but suddenly turned to being a tutor. The reason?”

“The Zenova ducal residence is his second tutoring job, and he cited respect for Your Grace along with economic reasons.”

“Someone aiming to be a member of the House of Commons citing economic reasons…… Where did he work before?”

“Someone called Mrs. Parkers. Shall I contact the reference as well?”

Damian, who leaned back against the chair, shook his head.

“No. That’s fine. Just in case, make a copy of the file and leave one.”

“Yes, understood. And there’s one more matter to report. ……Madam selected Alento territory as the family travel destination. She wants to set the exact date, so how should I tell her?”

“……Alento territory?”

Damian asked back at the butler’s words.

It was one of the territories he had received from His Majesty the Emperor in recognition of his achievements.

It would certainly become a trip that publicly announced Damian had gifted that territory to Ariel.

It wasn’t a big problem since His Majesty the Emperor had already permitted it, but what was certain was that Bruno would go wild.

“Yes…… It seems she wants to talk about Alento territory at Her Majesty the Empress’s upcoming tea party.”

“What’s the tea party attendance list?”

“Madam and the lady…… and Mrs. Jessica and Master Derek will attend.”

“Hah……”

Damian, who heard the attendance list, briefly closed his eyes tightly.

As expected, it was an obvious sequence that the story would reach Bruno’s ears within a short time.

Ariel also knew and was close to deliberately intending to talk about it.

Damian, who pressed firmly on his tired temples, finally nodded.

“Understood. You may go now.”

“That…… Your Grace. How should I tell Madam about the family trip date……”

“I’ll tell Ariel directly about that.”

“Yes, understood.”

After the butler withdrew, Damian covered his eyes with the back of his hand.

Dawn with deep darkness settled. Damian’s sigh leaked out through the quietly settled silence.

Damian, who sat in place like that for a while, finally lowered his hand and moved his gaze to the reports.

There was a mountain of work to handle.