‘I’m tired.’

Daphne, who had become a rag, sat limply in the carriage seat.

‘There were four geniuses, not one, and I didn’t expect Eddie to be the name of the dog.’

Without knowing that, she was wasting her time with Leon next to her.

She asked him why they called Eddie the youngest before leaving the house.

“Mori said he didn’t like being the youngest. So when I called Eddie the youngest, he settled down.”

It means that his real name, Eddie, disappeared naturally and settled down as the youngest.

She felt like she was going to cry.

‘No, let’s think positively. Processing must have been hard without Adne anyway.’

She didn’t know how the original story solved it, but now that Adne is saved, processing is possible.

So positively…

“Ha…”

She let out a sigh.

“Thank you for your hard work. Milady.”

Mariel said with sincerity next to her.

Daphne seemed to look tired as she poured water from the bottle she had brought in advance.

“Then I will take you to the castle, Milady.”

After returning home after a long time, Leon took a vacation.

However, he couldn’t let Daphne go back to the castle alone, so he said he would come back to the castle once and then go home again.

“Sir Leon, isn’t it too cumbersome? It’s not that far, so it’s okay to just go.”

“Aye, no. I am Milady’s escort knight.”

Leon grinned as he mounted his horse.

“And His Grace has told me to never leave Milady alone. You keep throwing yourself at dangerous things.”

She didn’t do that much.

‘Somehow I feel like I’ve lost trust.’

Daphne pursed her lips as she sat in the carriage.

The distance between the village and the castle was not far.

Soon after, the carriage stopped, and Daphne’s expression soon turned strange as she got out, holding the candy she had bought as a gift.

“Why is it so busy?”

“I know, nothing happened until this morning.”

The castle was literally bustling.

People were running around and installing things in the windows.

“I’ll go and ask.”

Even before Mariel stepped forward, someone came to explain. It was Sir Wessler.

“I’m glad you’re here.”

“Ca-Captain! I’m on vacation. I got a vacation after half a year!!”

Leon’s neck as he was creeping back as if he had already noticed something, was caught.

“Your vacation is returned. Where are you going in an emergency like this?”

“Eugh! Melcy is on vacation!”

“He went out the other day. And Melcy will have to stand guard in the village anyway.”

“Sir, what’s the matter?”

“Milady.”

Wessler, who was looking at Leon with regretful but unavoidable eyes, looked at Daphne.

“The red moon will rise in a few days.”

Already?

Daphne’s eyes widened. She knew the moon would rise soon.

She didn’t know it would come out this early.

‘It’s only been a few weeks since I came back from the South.’

It’s been less than a month. She thought she’d have a little more time.

“The moon rose earlier than last year.”

Wessler, who read Daphne’s expression, answered right away.

“I’ll borrow this guy for a while. I’ll give him back to you soon.”

Then he dragged Leon, who cried of his vacation, and disappeared to the end of the hall.

“That’s why everyone was so busy.”

Mariel looked around.

People were checking the bars on the windows in case there was a chance.

She heard that a castle that stood out is more vulnerable to attacks than a village.

“If there is anything you can do to help, please help. I will go to see His Grace.”

“Yes, Milady.”

Mariel began to help the maid struggling to move things right next to her.

Daphne ran down the long corridor. She had a glass jar full of star candies in her hand.

Daphne, who arrived at the office after a month, caught her breath and knocked on the door.

“Your Grace, are you there?”

The heavy-looking office door opened quickly.

“Miss Daphne, what’s the matter?”

The scene of the room, visible through the crack of the door, was chaotic.

Several people were discussing something with a map spread out on the desk.

Among them, some were familiar people, and some were people she saw for the first time.

“Am I interrupting?”

“No. It’s over.”

Kael stepped back as if to tell her to come in.

“It’s been a while, Grand Duchess.”

When Daphne went inside, Viscount Acmel bowed his head.

“Long time no see, Viscount.”

“I should have come a little earlier, but I was a little late trying to figure out the first sales of the hot spring.”

Viscount Acmel’s face was bright as he said that.

‘Though I’ll ask for the ledgers later.’

It was the first business she started, and she also provided ideas.

And most importantly, some of the profits went to Daphne.

‘It’s a slush fund to use when leaving Bertrand.’

Although there was already some extent of it while guzzling the money of the two count families during the fraud case.

The more money, the better.

“By the way, what were you doing?”

Holding back her laughter, Daphne turned her gaze to the desk where it was in the middle.

At the same time, a man whom she saw for the first time removed the map of the Bertrand territory from the desk.

It was a clear boundary.

“Hello, Grand Duchess. Nice to meet you.”

He was a typical knight-like man. His muscular and large build gave a sense of intimidation.

“My name is Count Philbert.”

Count Philbert, was one of the vassals of the Bertrand Grand Duchy.

Daphne laughed inwardly as she read the wariness and mistrust in the count’s eyes.

‘Yes, this is normal.’

Until now, the boundaries have been new because everyone around her has been strangely friendly.

“Hello, Count Philbert. It is an honor to meet Bertrand’s shield.”

Bertrand’s shield.

Count Philbert was a family who had been by the side of the grand duchy for generations.

“Oho, you know that.”

“Now I am the lady of the Bertrand Grand Duchy. Should I not know about their vassals?”

Daphne naturally revealed that she had the upper hand. Then Count Philbert’s eyes twitched.

Meanwhile, Kael, who had an important conversation with Skitt, approached the two.

“Have you said hello already?”

“Yes, Your Grace. I have greeted the grand duchess.”

It was a very polite attitude, the exact opposite of how he treated Daphne.

“Miss Daphne, may I ask what’s going on?”

“I have a favor to ask of you. How many caduceus demon hides can you get?”

Count Philbert and the Viscount Acmel looked surprised when Daphne spoke of the type of demon.

“You also know the types of demons in detail, Grand Duchess.”

“I’ve studied a little bit.”

Daphne laughed. She purposely asked Wessler, Leon, and Zegman about demons.

That way, they can understand when she says this.

This time Count Philbert asked.

“But why do you need demon hide?”

“I will make clothes and armor out of demon hides with it.”

“With the hide of a demon?”

A sneer appeared on Count Philbert’s face.

If only Daphne had been here, he looked like he would have laughed openly.

“There were many people in Bertrand who wanted to make money with demons…”

It was enough not to listen to the latter part.

Since everything has failed, you will fail too, doesn’t it mean that.

“Well. This time it will be very different.”

“What do you mean?”

As Daphne’s eyes bent, the corners of her mouth rose.

“They weren’t me.”

The count’s eyes twitched again, as if he was speechless.

“Come now. I vote for the grand duchess.”

When the atmosphere was about to turn ugly, Viscount Acmel intervened.

“The hot spring business was also done by the grand duchess. I’m sure she’ll do well.”

“Viscount Acmel.”

The count frowned when the viscount sided with Daphne, whom he thought would be on his side.

“That’s it, Count Philbert.”

Eventually, even Kael stepped up.

“The count had better cool his head now.”

It was a clear get out of here. Count Philbert sighed, immediately bowed his head, and left the room.

Viscount Acmel followed behind. Only Daphne and Kael remained in the office.

“Miss Daphne.”

“Don’t apologize for him.”

Daphne interrupted Kael.

“Your Grace didn’t do anything wrong. And do not speak to the count separately.”

“But it will be easier if I talk.”

“If you do that, he’ll only pretend to be compliant on the outside.”

All she could see was that he was hiding behind Kael and trying to live comfortably.

Rather, it was a picture that looked just right to swindle Count Philbert’s objection.

Such a person should be suppressed with skill to make it easier later on.

“I’ll take my place on my own.”

When Daphne raised the corners of her mouth, Kael also smiled and nodded.

“Then I will leave the matter of Count Philbert while I’m not here.”

“What do you mean Your Grace is not here?”

Why is the castle emptying?

‘Are you going to exterminate the demons nearby like last time?’

Kael answered Daphne’s question.

“Actually, this time we’re going a little far.”

Apparently, it was quite far from the castle. Considering the subjugation, it was a distance where you had to be away for at least a week.

“In the meantime, the count will protect the castle. In fact, the count came as soon as the extermination of the local demons was over.”

So, unlike usual, he seemed to be in charge of defending the castle to rest.

“After my return, he will return to Philbert County.”

Daphne nodded.

In other words, you’re saying to give the count a shot within a week, right?

“By the way, what is that in your hand?”

“Ah.”

She forgot the existence of the candy because of the sudden appearance of Count Philbert.

“I bought it on my way to Sir Leon’s today, but I want to give it to Your Grace.”

She held out a glass jar that was bound with a beautiful red ribbon.

“To me?”

“Your Grace, you like sweet things.”

Kael’s face softened bit by bit as she said so and smiled playfully.

“Yes, I will save it.”

Kael carefully accepted the candy jar she bought at the store as if it were a precious treasure.