Karina panicked and immediately stopped her children.

“Kids, you have to be quiet”

But at the same time, she felt relieved.

Roland and Melissa helped her again this time.

The children quickly began chewing the food again, and Karina opened her mouth toward Claude.

“My husband’s… brother took all our remaining wealth. He even wanted to sell the children, so I ran away in a hurry without bringing anything.”

Claude looked at Karina with a gaze that seemed to judge the authenticity of her words.

“That’s why you ran away here. I thought it was a little weird. Not many people come to settle in Tors, they usually go to Edmoor. Since it’s the capital.”

Karina smiled bitterly.

“We were originally heading there, but the situation was not favorable, so we settled here.”

Claude’s answer came back a little slow.

“Then, does Madam intend to go to the capital when the children grow up?”

“……?”

Karina was surprised she stopped drinking and looked at Claude.

Claude’s voice contained a desperate desire that Carina could not ignore.

But her answer was already decided.

Karina will save money for several years and relocate to the capital.

Just to avoid Claude.

‘I just have to agree.’

However, she had no idea why this simple answer felt so heavy.

Karina answered hesitantly. 

“…yes.”

“Okay, I see.”

“Are you disappointed?”

“No.”

Claude sighed.

“I just… I just thought it was natural. Because the capital is a place with so many opportunities.”

It is close to what she wants, but Karina did not point out the fact.

“I have one more question for my Madam” 

“What is it?”

“Why don’t you ask me how to remove the mark?”

Instead of her answer, Karina nodded at her children.

The children pretended to eat food well, but Karina did not miss the fact that the children were listening to their conversations intently.

Perhaps the same is true for Claude.

“Oh, I see. I didn’t think much.”

“Actually, I’m not curious. Because there is nothing I can do.”

“That’s strange. Madam used to want to know everything. But why aren’t you curious now?”

“It’s a problem that I can’t solve at all.”

Claude frowned.

“Madam is a person who would give up easily if she can’t fix the problem by her own hands.”

Karina shrugged her shoulders.

“Isn’t it obvious? Of course, I would.”

Karina clenched her fist. 

“I feel comfortable not knowing the problem that won’t be sold from the beginning.”

“That…. I don’t think so. “

Karina looked at Claude with a puzzled face.

‘that’s… because it’s a duke…….’

Claude Deviatan Tors would have led a completely different life from hers.

He lives a life doing what he wants and solving seemingly impossible problems….

‘I wasn’t angry.’

How can we understand each other when we have lived different lives all our lives?

“Even if Mrs. Bloe can’t do anything to solve this problem, your part of it. Of course, you have to know how things are going.”

“It’s okay if I don’t know.”

Karina answered quickly.

Even if she knew, there was nothing that Karina could do.

‘I already knew what it feels like to be helpless.…….’

Instead of being distracted by such exhausting emotions, Karina wanted to do her best for children who would be anxious after moving to an unfamiliar environment.

“Your Grace will take care of it on his own. Since you promised.”

“I would, but…”

Claude looked at her as if she was not making any sense. 

“It’s time to get up now. I’ll call the chef.” 

Karina waited for the chef; a bit nervous. 

The distance from her kitchen to the dining room was short, so the chef arrived quickly.

“Is it these people?”

The gray-haired chef walked towards them.

The scars on the forearm that seemed to be traces of explosives, A huge scar on his back and face that looked like the traces of a sword were conspicuous.

Had it not been for his head-to-toe- white uniform, Karina would have thought he was a knight who had gone through all the hardships.

In fact, she looked like a knight disguised as a chef.

“Eduard, good to see you. Yeah, this lady here is Madam Bloe, and these kids are her children. The names are …… Roland, Melissa Bloe.”

Eduard grabbed Carina’s right hand and shook it vigorously.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Eduard Harris. Feel free to call me Eduard.”

“It’s nice to see you. I will do my best not to cause any inconvenience, so for the time being……… I look forward to your kind cooperation.”

“You don’t have to make any effort.”

Eduard said firmly.

“On the contrary, please erase those thoughts. Madam is a guest of Tors, so you can rest and die.”

Karina was a little startled and her eyes widened.

Eduard is kind, but he spoke as if he had become the master of the duke’s house.

Even when Claude is next to him with his eyes wide open!

If he had been Lord Renke, Eduard would have already been in a rice bag hanging upside down from the tallest tree in the area.

Eduard stopped Claude, who was about to leave with them.

“Your Grace, Sir Chichester seemed to have something troubling him.”

“Did he say that to you?”

“No. But you can tell when you see him, right?”

“That’s true. I’ll go up.”

Karina quickly understood why Claude put Eduard as her and her children’s escort.

Edouard is a person that would make you feel a sense of security just by being there.

Contrary to his terrifying appearance, he quickly became friends with his children.

“Mr. Eduard, what’s that?”

Roland pointed to a statue with horns and showing off his teeth.

It looked like a bat in a way and a vampire.

“It’s called a gargoyle. Have you heard of gargoyles?”

“Nope.”

Roland shook his head.

“They lived on this land a long time ago, and they were so cruel that they ate people alive. I left the statue in the hopes of not forgetting the days when I was helpless with them.”

“You don’t have any now?”

Melissa opened her eyes wide.

“Fortunately, not.”

“Why?”

“Because they were all thrown to the underground. They must now be living underground, eating each other.”

The corners of her lips rose spontaneously.

‘You had a lot of questions.’

It was only Karina who knew about Claude and Wilder’s mistake, and the children who didn’t know the story were just amazed at this situation.

And Karina never intended to let her children know the truth,

Karina sighed.

‘How did I become a walking target?’

Eventually they arrived at the annex.

Eduard chose a room on the first floor near the entrance.

“Madam and the children should use the second floor. If an intruder comes in, I’ll stop it.”

Karina nodded and went up to the second floor with the children.

“Are you done choosing?”

“This room!”

Roland and Melissa shouted loudly and ran vigorously without anyone saying anything.

The room the children chose was a huge room, about ten steps from the stairs.

“Oh.”

As soon as Carina entered, she could see why the children chose this room.

Two huge beds.

A desk, dressing table, closet, and mirror one on each wall.

“Wouldn’t it be better to use one room per person?”

“We want to share a room.”

Roland replied stubbornly.

“That way, I will be able to protect Melissa.”

“Thank you, but I will protect you. And Eduard is protecting us all, right?”

“But still… I like this room.”

Melissa muttered little by little.

“Of course, if you like this room, you use this room. I’m just saying that there’s no need for anyone to protect anyone. Got it?” 

“Yes!”

Contrary to Melissa, who responds vigorously, Roland glanced up at her with a face of seriousness.

A small question flowed from the child’s hesitant lips.

“Mom, did bad people… leave a mark on you?”

The sound of her heart pounding echoed in her ears.