Night. The study of the Lamprog family mansion.
　Blaise Lamplogue was looking through a stack of papers that had been piled up.
　When it came to the management of the estate, he left most of it to those he could trust.
　However, sometimes there were matters that had to be approved by the lords themselves in this way.

　Holding his eyes, tired from a task he didn't like very much, Blaise called out to the man who was standing beside him.

'Edith,'
What the f*ck, Blaise?

　The freed slave, waiting for Blaise's work, returned it bluntly and briefly.
　A sloppy attitude that he would never show on the surface. But to both of them, this was the proper relationship.

　Blaise asked without making eye contact.

'You don't mean to tell me you're still angry with me?
....

　Blaise exhales in dismay at Edith, who remains silent.

'Yifa must have looked fine.
....
They're doing pretty well over there too. You did the right thing by going to college. Didn't you?
....
'It would be unfair to let them spend all their time in such a remote place. That one and your daughter.
'Don't talk like that. I like it here.
'You and Yifa are different. That boy will want to see the outside world, too.
''Well that's not what I'm complaining about. I just can't stand the fact that you acted like you were giving Yifa away so easily.

　Edith never asks that Yifa be freed from her slave status.
　It is not uncommon to see examples of children of freed slaves being kept on hand as slaves. In many cases, it is almost like a hostage, so to speak, to make them work obediently as subordinates after their release.
　However, between these two men, there was another meaning.

''........much less attaching them to that abomination's followers.
"Edith,

　Blaise says admonishingly.

'Ifa is not a memento of that, nor is it a bill of fidelity for you. The sentimentality of you and me will only fade with age. Enough of this, let the boy go his own way.
Hmm.
And don't call Seika an abomination. That's just an ordinary boy now.

　Blaise continues.

'He goes to school as an excellent student. He hasn't caused any problems. After all, they weren't demons or anything. Even that Bertha thinks the same way I do these days.

　Even Blaise himself was surprised at the manner in which his wife Bertha had shown Seika at the dinner table.
　His wife had always been afraid of Ceika.
　She had always seemed to be afraid that that mysterious magical power would harm Luft and Glai.
　But now both of his sons have grown up well, and Seika has established good relationships with various people in distant lands.
　So maybe that's why he has a forgiving heart.

''Hm ... I still find that creepy.

　Edith says as she spits.

'He was strangely mature since he was a child, but he's still the same on the inside.
'I disagree. The face I turn to Yifa and my friends in the school is not the same as the one I turn to me, Bertha, or the servants.
I don't care how you feel about it, but what reason did you have to put Yifa on it?
"...Edith...

　Blaise says in a voice sounding like he's about to sigh.

'Come on, you have to admit it. You just have to see it. That boy seems to like Seika a lot.
....
'I thought I'd have been happy to report to you when I decided to go to the academy with Seika.
Tsk!
I'm a father too. I know the feeling.
You don't have a daughter.
Hmmm ... well maybe.

　Blaise smiled and then spoke to Edith.

'Seika is a good man. Don't you trust what I say?　Edith.
No, I'll trust you.

　Edith replies with a sigh.

'You are a strange man, you know. You don't seem to be interested in anyone else, only in what you see.
A researcher must have an eye for detail. And, not surprisingly, a good sense of humor.
From what I see of you, I don't think so. If you're going to be sociable, why don't you try talking to Her Highness more often?

　Blaise gave a slightly bitter look as he was told.
　Blaise also had a hard time with Fiona, to be honest.

　He didn't know what the young girl was thinking in the first place, but he didn't know how to treat her, especially to the Holy Princess who seemed to be daydreaming, but he didn't know how to treat her.
　Fortunately, she is usually with her own maidservant and Glai, who is determined to be a holy knight, so she is thankful that she is not on her own.

　But on the other hand.
　Blaise felt that there was some significance to her stay here.
　The Holy Empress was not a girl as she looked and said and did.
　Otherwise, she wouldn't have been able to make her presence felt so far from that state of affairs, where she had no backing and was the furthest thing from the imperial throne.

　It was probably true that he wanted to meet the girl named Amu, who was one of the most outstanding students in the school.
　But that's not all.
　Whether the hidden purpose was an object, information, an opportunity, or another human being...we don't know. But it has to be one or the other.

　And I'll never know which one it is.
　I'm not sure if I'll ever know, but the princess will accomplish her goal and leave without my knowledge.
　I have a feeling that this is the case.

　There was no need to pry into unnecessary details.
　He had no need to pry into anything else; he just needed to get through the next few days without incident.

　After a silence, Blaise opened his mouth.

'Would you like to join us for dinner tomorrow?　And to have dinner with my daughter....
'I thought I told you that tomorrow I had a dinner with the Chamber of Commerce executives coming from far away. Don't try to involve me in this. If you won't do your job as a lord, at least do your duty as the head of the Countess.

　Blaise sighed deeply at the unexpectedly good argument.