The outdoor banquet hall, where many people gathered, was noisy with one topic.

  "Isn’t it beautiful?"

  "It’s as if it’s alive!"

  All the people who poured out their exclamations were looking at the center of the green garden.

  There was a large wooden sculpted figure of a woman looking at a small tree growing out of branches.

  "I’ve heard about Alpheo Jean’s reputation, but I didn’t expect it to be this much!"

  "I don’t know who that woman is, but doesn’t she seem to be full of her affection for trees?"

  "But why such a small tree, not a grown one?"

  At a time when people are eager to talk about the statue.

  A coachman, who came to Lombardy from the Imperial office with a low-ranking official from the Lombardy scholarship, entered the mansion.

  A face with a shabby outfit and a rough beard.

  The only unusual thing about the coachman, which is common everywhere in the Empire, was that his right-hand sleeve was loosely draped.

  Tak Tak.

  He walked up the stairs without hesitation, looking indifferently at the crowd outside in colorful clothes.

  And he reached one door with a natural step.

  It was Lord of Lombardy’s office.

  For some reason, the door with the fully armed Lombardy’s knights was empty.

  "Whoho."

  The coachman, who let out a low sigh, knocked carefully on the door.

  "Come in."

  The voice of Lulak Lombardy, the owner of the office, was heard.

  As soon as he entered the office, the coachman, holding his hat on his chest, bent down deeply and straightened his head.

  "Huh."

  Lulak, who was watching, laughed.

  "Did you really become a commoner after living as a commoner?"

  "I’m sorry."

  The coachman smiled awkwardly.

  Lulak Lombardy stood up and tapped the coachman on the shoulder.

  "Long time no see, Gillard Brown. No, now that you’ve succeeded the family, I’ll have to properly call you Lord of Brown."

  Gillard Brown laughed bitterly at a name no one else is calling now.

  "Thank you for your time, Lord Lombardy."

  "Sit down."

  Lulak personally gave the tea he had prepared.

  And he said, looking closely at Gillard Brown.

  "You must have a hard time."

  "……I feel like I’m lucky to be alive."

  Gillard Brown’s gaze was cut off and stayed where his right hand was.

  Lulak also watched the scene and asked.

  "It must be Angenas. They’ve done a terrible job."

  It was more than 40 years ago that Angenas took all the land of the Brown family.

  Since then, Angenas has dried up the Brown family.

  They forced him out of the estate and killed Gillard Brown’s father, the Lord of Brown, who was in charge of a nearby estate.

  "I’d rather die humanely."

  Lulak said with his tongue flicked.

  Despite the harsh words, Gillard Brown did not lose his temper.

  Over the past years, there have been many nights when he thought it would have been lucky to die that night together.

  "They take the right hand of the one who lifts the sword."

  The killers sent by Angenas killed only the young Brown family, their first son, and adult men who could succeed the family.

  The Lord of Brown’s younger brother, who survived difficult times at that time, had both legs cut off.

  And boys, including Gillard, had to lose their right hand.

  They were survivors and witnesses forced to remain silent.

  "But you survived."

  Lulak said to Gillard Brown.

  "Only those who survive can sharpen the blade of revenge."

  Brown’s shoulder was shaken upon the word.

  He was surprised that Lulak knew everything even though he hadn’t brought it up yet.

  Lulak’s deep brown eyes filled with a strange smile.

  "Say it yourself. Why did you want to see me today?"

  And he added, looking at Gillard Brown’s stiffly nervous face.

  "Don’t worry about Angenas. These days, they’re busy putting out my tailed fire. Now that I’ve held a scholarship, don’t worry about the leak of your visit to me today."

  "Thank you……"

  Gillard Brown bowed his head deep.

  And in that state, he spoke earnestly.

  "Please help the Brown family, elder."

  "How?"

  "……I have found a way to get back the land that was taken away by Angenas, but before that, I must regain my name."

  Angenas eventually succeeded in removing the Browns from the aristocratic register ten years ago.

  Strictly speaking, now the Browns are no longer aristocrats.

  "So please help me get my name back to aristocracy?"

  "……I’m ashamed, but I am……"

  Lulak stroked the white beard slowly.

  "So what does Lombardy gain?"

  "The Brown family, who succeeded in the aristocracy, will be Lombardy’s eternal allies."

  "Hahahaha!"

  Lulak burst into laughter.

  "Where else can you find empty promises like that? Now the Brown family, which can’t be found in the aristocratic register, allies."

  At that moment, Lulak’s eyes became sharp.

  "Besides, what do I believe in you who have become the Second Prince’s man?"

  Ugh.

  Gillard Brown was engulfed in vain.

  "It’s……"

  "Did that wolf say that? You can’t use your power in the aristocracy, so you go to Lombardy and throw an empty promise?"

  "……I’m sorry."

  Gillard Brown was unable to speak.

  Because it was as Lulak said.

  Meeting the Lord of Lombardy was the idea of the Second Prince, and it was right to use Lombardy’s friendship with the Brown family in the past.

  "Hmm."

  Lulak’s lips were quietly twisted while watching Lord of Brown, who seemed guilty at first glance.

  "You’re lucky."

  "Yes?……"

  Gillard Brown’s eyes opened wide.

  "Fortunately, I don’t like the way Angenas is doing these days."

  "Elder, then……"

  Lulak did not answer for a moment.

  And rang the bell.

  Butler John came into the office.

  Lulak looked at him and said.

  "Get Tia here."

  * * *

  "Did you know……?"

  Ramona Brown’s voice trembled.

  "Yes."

  "Since when, no, how……"

  I just smiled instead of answering.

  "Ramona."

  Caitlyn approached and gently touched Ramona’s shoulder.

  It was an act that seemed to soothe the confusion of Ramona, but it wasn’t.

  Now Caitlyn is telling Ramona to stop prying questions.

  "I’m sorry, Lady Florentia."

  I can tell by looking at her apologizing instead of Ramona.

  "No, Caitlyn. And……"

  I looked at Ramona and Caitlyn side by side and said.

  "You two look a lot alike."

  Caitlyn, who has a neat and modest appearance, and Ramona, who is tall with red hair, blue eyes, and a colorful appearance, are very different.

  But the good eyes and the straight atmosphere were very similar.

  In my previous life, Caitlyn asked my grandfather to help the Browns.

  But my grandfather refused and eventually, Caitlyn chose to be Perez’s man entirely.

  It would have been a very difficult and painful decision for Caitlyn, who has a lot of affection and loyalty for Lombardy.

  But eventually, Caitlyn chose the family.

  Ramona became Perez’s official lover, and the Brown family was successfully reinstated, becoming the West’s leading family instead of the Angenas.

  "Then, the Lord of Brown would be meeting my grandfather right now."

  Ramona was surprised at my words once again.

  "I’m not going to tell you how I knew again."

  "Oh?……"

  Ramona blushed quietly.

  She may be angry at me who knows all her secrets and her family but I don’t tell her how I knew it half-teasingly.

  However, Ramona had no sign of it.

  The lake-like blue eyes only deepened her curiosity toward me.

  "Shall we sit down first?"

  I led two people to the drawing-room.

  "But Caitlyn. Can I ask you a question?"

  "Yes, go ahead."

  "Why did you want to introduce Lady Ramona Brown to me?"

  In fact, it was the most incomprehensible part.

  It was better for her to take Ramona to my grandfather rather than me and make an impression at least once.

  Caitlyn thought for a moment and answered my question.

  "Because you’re an important person."

  "Important person?"

  Caitlyn nodded.

  "At present, Lady Lombardy is the most powerful person in the Lambrew Empire, except for Lord Lombardy."

  Oh, right.

  Caitlyn was Perez’s maid.

  Of course, Perez would never have told Caitlyn about me.

  But it is Caitlyn who has been assisting Perez right next to him for a long time.

  So, there are a lot of things she naturally knows about.

  Probably there are things she knows about me as well as she can guess.

  Perhaps Caitlyn hadn’t even given details to her nephew, given Ramona’s reaction of alternating between me and Caitlyn with her surprised eyes.

  As a maid of the Royal Family, she fulfilled her duty to keep a close silence on what she learned during her duties.

  That’s Caitlyn.

  I nodded, feeling strangely proud.

  "So?"

  "I think Ramona can learn a lot from such a figure of Lady Florentia."

  I looked at Ramona.

  I already know that Ramona likes Perez.

  You can’t help but notice it at a glance.

  But what’s that Ramona could learn from me?

  "Can I see your hand for a second?"

  I spoke to Ramona.

  Ramona, who hesitated for a while, reached out to me.

  "You didn’t let go of the sword."

  Ramona is a member of the Brown family.

  And with Perez, she learned swordsmanship at the Academy.

  But that’s also a story from years ago.

  As an employee of the Monak Top, she would have lived a busy life moving from place to place, but the calluses still remained in Ramona’s hands.

  Caitlyn also trained in swordsmanship, but it was a little different from when she entered the Palace and became a maid of honor.

  "I don’t skip a day of training."

  Ramona shook her head and replied.

  "I’m the daughter of the Brown family."

  I could tell from Ramona’s clear answer.

  The meaning of what Caitlyn said.

  Somehow I thought I was going to laugh.

  It was then.

  Knock! Knock!

  John the Butler came in with a low knock.

  And said with a polite bow.

  "The Lord is calling for the Lady Florentia."