#Chapter 20. Outdoor Lessons

After finishing the morning meeting that had continued for quite some time, the emperor and Damian moved to another location and were having a casual conversation for the first time in a while.

“Damian. I heard you’re going on a family trip to Alento territory, that must be very enjoyable. Have you decided on the date?”

The emperor had been friends with Duke Damian since his days as a crown prince, so when there were no people around, he would treat Damian as if returning to the past.

“I haven’t decided on the date yet.”

However, Damian was different.

After ascending to the throne, even when the emperor joked that he had lost a friend, Damian did not treat the emperor as a friend.

In this one-sided friendship, the emperor did not bend his will, and Damian was the same.

Both were incredibly stubborn.

“Once the cabinet is established, you’ll have even fewer days to rest, so go at the earliest possible date.”

“Yes……”

“Oh, Eden said he wants to choose Lucy as his partner for his birthday banquet, is that alright?”

“I’ll ask her.”

“The empress likes her so much it’s troublesome. She talks about Lucy every other day. Moreover, Eden seems completely smitten with Lucy too. At this opportunity, an engagement……”

However, when the emperor brought up engagement, Damian cut him off sharply.

“Lucy doesn’t bring up Eden.”

“Really? It seems to be our Eden’s unrequited love.”

However, the emperor, who chuckled at Damian’s appearance, leaned his upper body forward.

“What’s this? Your face, which only hesitated in front of the duchess’s name, has changed a bit. Even at the award ceremony, you didn’t seem to react much, but why? Now that you’ve gone home and lived with your daughter, don’t you have such thoughts? She must be adorably precious, right?”

The emperor, who chuckled, burst into laughter at Damian’s displeased face.

“See, I told you. You’re no different. What’s the use of talking about iron blood?”

At the emperor’s words, Damian smiled briefly without any particular response and stood up from his seat.

“Then, I’ll take my leave first.”

*

Ariel thought she couldn’t trust the words of people inside the ducal residence to know about Damian and Bruno’s story.

Basically, they had higher loyalty to the Zenova family than to Ariel.

Especially the butler. Probably every process Ariel investigated would reach Damian’s influence.

That meant information judged by Damian or distorted information could come to Ariel.

“Butler. Daniel and Lucy get along so well, don’t they? What do you think from your perspective?”

Ariel, who smiled at the butler standing beside her, brought up the tutor topic.

For now, Ariel needed bait to hide that she was conducting investigations related to Damian.

“It seems so. His way of speaking and his attitude toward the lady, he seems like a very decent person.”

“Right? In that regard. Looking at Daniel’s file, I saw there was someone who recommended him. I’m thinking of talking with that person. Since they employed Daniel as a tutor before me, I thought we might be able to discuss something about the child’s educational philosophy.”

Ariel said while handing the tutor’s file to the butler.

“Then I’ll contact them in advance and prepare according to the schedule. Oh, about the matter the duke said he would speak about directly.”

“Ah, the family trip? I thought a month from now would be good, so I was about to look into it.”

*

And a few days later,

Daniel swallowed.

He had just come out after asking the duchess whether she would attend today’s lesson as usual.

After waiting briefly in the reception room, the butler knocked and entered.

“Today, due to the madam’s schedule, it seems impossible to attend the outdoor lesson. We’ll assign a knight from the ducal residence, so please let us know when you’re ready. Shall you go up to the lady’s room first?”

Daniel, who nodded at the butler’s words, clenched his fist tightly.

Every time Daniel climbed the stairs from the first floor, he pondered repeatedly about his judgment.

Was the duchess really selling information to other countries? Even if so, would she do anything that could harm her daughter, the lady?

Daniel, who stopped walking briefly in front of the door, grabbed the door handle while keeping his gaze on the floor.

The thoughts that continued to cross his mind never seemed to end.

Daniel, who closed his eyes tightly, finally turned the door handle without a clear answer.

“Teacher……!”

The lady’s voice welcoming Daniel was as bright as usual.

Hearing that pure voice made Daniel’s hands tremble as he bowed.

He had thought this was something he did for the lady’s sake, but if this was…… if it wasn’t.

If it was his wrong judgment as the lady had said.

Then…….

“Teacher, what are you thinking about so much? Today is an outdoor lesson! I think it’ll be so fun!”

At Lucy’s words, Daniel felt more and more guilt washing over him.

Nevertheless, he couldn’t express such signs, so he forced a smile on his face as much as possible.

Even if he pondered and pondered again, the work had already begun.

If he backed down here, he would truly become an idiot who couldn’t make any proper judgment.

Even if the judgment was wrong, it was right to lead her to the right path he thought of.

If you draw a sword, you must cut something.

Daniel, who took a deep breath, looked at Lucy and said.

“……Lady, shall we not have outdoor lessons today?”

But the words that actually came out of his mouth were completely opposite to his thoughts.

*

“Of all days, today has to be outdoor lessons.”

Ariel also wanted to attend the outdoor lesson, but things had gone wrong.

Ariel, who lowered her eyes at the butler’s words, shook her head.

“Mrs. Parkers is already waiting in the reception room, so it would be difficult to send her back. Please have the butler take care that they can go and return safely with a knight accompanying them.”

“Yes, understood.”

After the butler left, Ariel stood up from her seat.

Ariel planned to use Mrs. Parkers, who had recommended Daniel, to make contact with external personnel.

Of course, it wasn’t something she could do right away, but she planned to build rapport with tutor stories and naturally change the subject.

Getting help from her family, House Borghese, would be the fastest way, but that was too risky a strategy to be discovered…….

“Hello, madam. Thank you for responding to the invitation.”

“Not at all, I’m the one who should be grateful for being invited to the ducal residence like this.”

It was the moment Ariel, who began to continue the conversation smoothly, brought up Daniel’s name.

Puzzlement appeared on the madam’s face.

“I’m not sure who you’re referring to……”

“I’m talking about Teacher Daniel, the eldest son of Baron Mehirn.”

Ariel said again, but a bewildered expression crossed the madam’s face.

Then she slowly shook her head sideways.

“The tutor I recommended was a teacher named Colin. And from what I remember, he was the second son of a viscount family.”

“Co…… lin?”

Ariel put down the teacup she was holding and smiled slightly.

“……Oh my, the butler must have made a mistake.”

“That could happen.”

“But isn’t this also fate? What kind of tutor was Colin?”

Ariel calmly led the atmosphere and helped the madam speak comfortably. However, what dominated her mind was puzzlement.

The plan to obtain external information using the madam had already disappeared.

She had already looked at the tutor list several times.

Therefore, the madam the butler brought was the same person as the madam in that file.

Then did that mean Daniel’s file was entirely wrong from the beginning?

……How much of this information is wrong?

Ariel listened to the madam’s words with one ear and let them flow out the other while thinking she should end the conversation quickly.

Ariel’s head was pounding.

It happened to be the day Daniel was having outdoor lessons with Lucy.

She had certainly sent a maid and knight together, but she suddenly felt anxious about the suddenly changing location.

Ariel signaled to the maid beside her without Mrs. Parkers noticing.

Fortunately, the maid who immediately understood the signal approached Ariel.

“Madam. Today the duke……”

When the maid spoke vaguely, Ariel immediately played along and showed an apologetic face.

“Oh my, I had forgotten. I had something today……”

“Ah, is that so? I’m fine with it.”

“I’m sorry. I’ll definitely treat you again next time.”

After sending the madam away like that, Ariel said to the maid.

“……Where did they say today’s lesson location was?”

“They said they were going to the hill right behind the ducal residence.”

“Let’s go there immediately.”

Ariel was quickly coming down the stairs while telling the maid to prepare the carriage.

The maid who opened the front door wide cried out as soon as she saw Ariel.

“Madam! The lady has been kidnapped.”

Ariel dropped the lace gloves she was holding in her hands.

As Ariel’s legs gave out and she was about to collapse on the stairs, the maid standing beside her immediately supported Ariel.

“Madam……!”

“Support the madam, and we must inform the duke of this immediately! Right now!”