Chapter 7

***

Evan decided to tell the butler to get ready to go out. I was told that all I needed was my body.

'Well, just because Evan goes doesn't mean I can't make money.'

Rather, I thought it would be easier burying it quietly because he was just following along.

Evan locked himself in the library, saying that he had something to study.

No, it's been a while since he came from the academy, and he's been in the library for a while…

'That's why Laria and Evan couldn't be a loving couple. They never saw each other's faces.'

I haven't seen him since breakfast, and it's been a peaceful day like before.

But that afternoon, there were 100 luxury handkerchiefs delivered in my name.

"These are the handkerchiefs that the Duke ordered."

There were 100 of them, and the luxurious handkerchiefs of each group looked expensive just by looking at them.

'How good it would have been if I had received all that money…'

I felt pressured to vomit as I received it, but I was thankful.

So I decided to go and thank Duke Icard in person.

The handkerchief he gave me yesterday was clean because I had not vomited blood yet, so I took it to return it.

'But it's kind of hard to just give it away…'

I asked Lisa for a card. And after writing the contents of the card with great effort, I headed to Duke Icard.

It was easy to find him because he had been confined to his office if nothing happened.

Knock, knock.

"Father, it's Laria."

I knocked on his office door and waited a moment.

"Are you busy? I have something to tell you."

"Come in."

He gave a short answer with a low voice, and I opened the door and went in.

Duke Icard was sitting at his desk in a picturesque chair looking at the documents.

'Wow, he looks a lot like Evan.'

Sitting in a straight posture with a scary expression on his face was the same as Evan I saw last night.

"Are you very busy?"

"Yes."

Duke Icard answered right away without negation.

"I have to do some work in advance if I want to take a day off during a busy time."

'Where are you going? Why take a day off?'

Well, it was none of my business.

He's plotting something faithfully to his role.

In fact, he was extremely busy.

Since the Duchess's death, the duke's office has been famous for keeping the lights on until dawn every night.

"Hey, thank you for the handkerchiefs you sent me. Thank you very much."

I bowed politely and handed over the card along with the handkerchief he gave me.

"I'll give this back to you. The card is from me."

"Really?"

Duke Icard opened my card on the spot.

There was nothing much to it. It was just a stereotypical saying to thank you for the gift and let's get along well in the future.

The only unusual thing was that I drew a scribble next to it.

For some reason, the card seemed so generous that it showed sincerity in its own empty space.

When it was difficult to fill the blank, the picture was more efficient than a sentence.

"What is this?"

Duke Icard frowned as he went over my painting.

"Is this a painting of two cubs and a beast?"

Oh, my God.

"Oh, no…"

I shook my head and pointed my finger.

"This is dad, this is Evan, and this is me. Three people getting along well…"

It can't be that the painting is that bad, right?

At times like this, there was a way to get around.

"Cough."

"…"

"Cough, cough."

I threw up a bout of blood after lunch earlier, so I didn't seem to have any more blood to vomit.

'Don't be questioned.'

I couldn't vomit out the blood that wouldn't come out, so I staggered for a moment with my hand on my head.

"I'm sorry, Father. I was dizzy for a while."

I blinked my round eyes and quickly changed the subject.

"Then I'll go…"

"What?"

"You seem to be busy, too."

I crept back and Duke Icard's eyebrows rose slightly.

"Are you done talking?"

"Yes."

"Really?"

"…. Yes."

"Are you serious?"

It was an atmosphere where I should not answer 'yes' once more.

"Didn't you forget something because your head was dizzy?"

I pondered for a moment.

I thanked him, and I returned his handkerchief. Then, let's see what else…

"Sorry… For not being able to draw?"

It was cheap and dirty, but the weakest had no choice but to bow their head to the strongest.

"I'm not going to draw anymore…"

"This."

I almost hiccuped when I saw Duke Icard's eyebrows frown.

"It's a picture of three people getting along well."

"… Yes."

"You said you wanted us three to get along, right?"

Is this not it?

I quickly rolled my eyes.

"Can't you think of anything like this?"

He let go of his pen and sighed.

"Didn't you say you wanted to go on a picnic together?"

I never did.

"I didn't know you were a two-tongued child."

I saw the papers in front of him. It was no longer he wanted a day off…

"Father!"

"I see! That was it!

As soon as I noticed, I said quickly.

"I forgot because I was so dizzy and nauseous. Actually, I had one more thing to tell you."

"Really?"

"In two days, Evan and I are going to a horse racing event."

"Yes."

The answer came out coldly.

His slightly crumpled brow opened gently.

"I want to go with my father!"

The beginning was empty, but if I noticed it, it seemed that the end would come, so I did my best.

"I can't wait to go on a picnic together. Father, if you're busy, it can't be helped, but will you come with me?"

When I eagerly gathered my hands together and asked, he cleared his throat.

"Yes."

He picked up the pen again.

"I'm not interested in horse racing, but I can't help it when a sick kid asks for it."

"Yes, thank you!"

I laughed like hell.

"Father, I'm so glad you're coming with me."

"No fuss."

"Really… Cough, cough."

This time, blood really poured out.

'That's good timing.'

I hadn't been pretty at all yet, so I had to appeal to the time limit.

I glanced at him and coughed more quickly, but there was no more blood. As the body was recovering, the amount of blood from the bloodshot wound has decreased.

"Well, I have to go."

I quickly left the office for the fear of being caught for the small amount of blood.

All that day, and the next day, I couldn't see Evan. Evan was stuck in the library all day.

Evan entered the middle of the night when I was asleep, and before waking up, he went out like a puppet. I didn't know that he had a hobby of studying like this.

'Well, it's barely a marriage.'

Besides the first breakfast, we couldn't eat together.

He wanted to go to the horse racing event with me, so I wondered if he liked me, but I didn't think so.

'Were you ashamed because I just really wanted to go to the horse racing event?'

Anyway, it wasn't until the morning that we all set out for the horse racing event that I could see Evan's face properly.

Evan's face was a little dazed, and as soon as we got into the carriage he began to doze off.

'You didn't even want to go to the horse racing event. I think you prefer the library.'

He was a child beyond all knowledge.

Well, eventually he'll grow up to be an emotionless kid who can't understand an ordinary person…

While Evan leaned against the window and slept, I vomited blood again.

'Good. These days I haven't coughed blood much lately, and it's been very timely.'

I did my best in front of the duke, so the cost-effectiveness was good.

The duke looked at me with unknown red eyes and turned his gaze out the window.