‘...Does he dislike me?’
That's when Lark spoke.
"And Nero, you might have received the message, but from today onwards, you are to take charge of Navia's escort."
"I shall obey your command, my Lord."
"Then, everyone is dismissed."
As soon as Lark finished speaking, everyone except Nero disappeared like a mirage.
Navia glanced at Nero briefly before taking Lark's hand with an expression as if nothing had happened, and entered the mansion.
Just then, Margaret was coming out.
"I'm back, Margaret."
"You've worked hard, Miss. Was it very cold outside?"
"The sun was nice today, so it wasn't too cold. Suleiman?"
"He's taking care of Creed."
At that moment, Margaret noticed Nero.
"Oh, Nero. You've finally arrived. Welcome."
Nero simply nodded his head without a word.
Lark spoke again.
"Today, I need to gather the nobles for a meeting. Everyone, keep your evening free."
He intended to discuss the events that had occurred at the royal court today.
Margaret nodded her head.
"Understood. What about lunch, then?"
Lark lowered his gaze and asked, "What will you do?"
Navia glanced back subtly. 'It seems necessary to check, doesn't it?'
"I'll have my meal in the room with the commander. Since he's now responsible for my escort, I think it's time for us to get acquainted."
At those words, Nero's eyebrows twitched unseen by anyone else.
Navia turned around with an innocent smile. "Is that alright?"
"…Yes."
Though he pretended to be impassive, a hint of displeasure was palpable.
Navia, due to her upbringing, was particularly adept at sensing hostility. So, this undoubtedly indicated animosity.
'Why?'
It was their first meeting today; why would he dislike her?
Could it be because of her past as the adopted daughter of Duke Agnes?
'Well… that's possible.'
It wasn’t particularly surprising to her if someone disliked her.
Holding her father’s hand, Navia began to briskly ascend to the third floor.
Nero followed them silently, making no sound.
From the outside, Duke Eseled's mansion seemed unchanged from before. The mansion’s exterior was still grim, and the garden remained desolate.
As for the interior, everything had changed.
Firstly, the inside, which had been entirely engulfed in darkness, now glittered with golden light here and there.
Chandeliers, picture frames, and candlesticks were all made of gold.
As a result, the previously gloomy and dark, coffin-like black mansion now looked incredibly luxurious with a harmony of black and gold.
It seemed unlikely that even the mansion of a noble would be this special.
The sight of servants dressed in black uniforms bustling about was a shocking change as well.
The household had grown, and so had the number of people.
It wasn't hard to guess who was responsible for this change.
'...Navia.'
Nero silently rolled the child's name around in his mouth.
The daughter and sole heir of the lord.
The one he was sworn to guard.
Navia stood out as the most incongruous element in the lavishly transformed mansion.
Perhaps it was because of her silver hair that fluttered down to her thighs? Or maybe it was because of her red eyes, the same as the lord's?
Navia's eyes, when bathed in full sunlight, appeared a deep pink, making her heterochromia stunningly beautiful.
In the barren winter, the only thing that seemed to blossom in those eyes was a fragrant color that naturally drew attention.
"No, it's not just those things that are the problem."
Navia had a remarkable presence.
When she shut her mouth and stared somewhere, there was an odd sense of dignity that made one involuntarily shrink back.
When her eyes sparkled and she laughed heartily, she was excessively adorable.
Even while walking, hugging an absurdly large rabbit doll, her gait overflowed with nobility, embodying the very essence of a grand aristocrat.
Born and raised in nobility, she seemed like an entirely different being, special in every way.
Navia's calm voice quietly filled the space.
"The new year is approaching, so it's time to call the garden designer. We need to decorate the exterior as well."
"Do as you like."
"It might be nice for the servants to wear different uniforms each season."
"You're absolutely right."
"...Dad, can't we have a serious conversation?"
"You want me to talk back to what you say? I can't do that as a father."
Playfully laughing, a master unable to hide the affection in his eyes for his daughter...
Squeezing tightly.
Nero clenched his fist.
'I don't like it.'
Lark wasn't someone who laughed so defenselessly.
"Coming to die in someone else's house again, huh? This time, I'll really show you what it means to want death."
Even Nero Sylas, hailed as an unparalleled genius, had his times of inevitable weakness, utterly helpless in the hands of those who despised him.
It was during such times that he met Lark.
"If you weren't useful, I would have killed you by now."
The master belittled a talent that others sought to acquire or destroy by any means as merely 'useful'.
He was a person whose prowess seemed unreachable, even to himself.
To him, he was a god.
Such an overwhelming person, yet not the one to smile foolishly and act softly.
That child was ruining the perfect master.
Thud!
"......!"
Startled from his thoughts by the sound of Lark closing the bedroom door, Nero snapped back to reality.
As Navia's gaze met his, he smiled faintly.
"I'm going to the dressing room now."
"…Yes."
Charlotte appeared just in time to help Navia change her clothes.
Seeing a new face, she looked momentarily puzzled, then quietly followed, sensing something odd in the air.
Stopping briefly in front of the dressing room, Navia spoke to Nero.
"Wait here, please."
"Understood."
Nero leaned against the door, his face showing complete disinterest in whatever Navia was doing.
Every aspect of his demeanor radiated intense wariness, making Navia unwittingly smile slightly as she entered the dressing room.
Nero happened to catch a glimpse of Navia's smile.
Somehow, it felt subtly... like being treated like a child.
As soon as the door closed, Navia changed into comfortable indoor clothing instead of her outdoor outfit.
Charlotte, who was assisting with the change, asked curiously.
"Is that man the youngest ever Knight Commander, Nero Sylas?"
"That's right."
"He's very young and handsome."
Charlotte's genuine surprise and admiration made Navia laugh lightly.
"Now that I think about it, working in Eseled, I seem to see a lot of handsome men."
Although Nikan and Wood were also quite handsome, the level here was not just handsome, it was a different dimension. Moreover, the head of Navia's maternal family, the Erkin Vladina, was another story! Charlotte felt happy about the pleasant work environment.
At that moment, Navia asked,
"Is Suleiman taking care of Creed? Do you know what they're doing?"
"It seemed like they were doing some kind of training."
"Training?"
Navia quickly understood. Creed's martial prowess didn't just come about on its own, so naturally, he must have undergone some sort of training.
After Navia finished changing her clothes, she came out of the dressing room.
"Shall we go?"
Nero silently followed behind Navia.
The room was just set for a meal. Having had a busy morning, Navia, who was hungry, quickly took a seat, ready to eat.
"Please sit here."
Navia pointed to the chair opposite her, and Nero responded.
"I will decline."
"You're not going to eat?"
"Yes. It's not common sense for a bodyguard on duty to dine with the person they are protecting."
"Is that so? But this is a home, isn't it?"
Nero did not respond.
Navia shrugged her shoulders and began to eat alone.
Her stomach was somewhat full, and now it was time to fulfill the purpose of arranging this setting.
"I have a question."
Nero, who had been silently standing in one corner of the room, glanced at Navia from the corner of his eye.
Navia asked, "Do you dislike me?"
Nero was momentarily unable to answer.
Was it that obvious?
To the outside observer, he might just seem brusque, but Navia had accurately pierced through that. It was unexpected.
Well, she must be reacting this way because she's not used to seeing adults being unkind to her.
Nero dismissed the thought nonchalantly and turned his gaze away.
"It's not like that."
"Hmm. I thought it wouldn't be."
At that strange tone, Nero turned his head to look directly at Navia. His expression, though not smiling, had an air of ease, as if he already knew everything.
"You don’t like Dad having a daughter like me, do you?"
She hit the nail on the head.
Nero couldn't understand how Navia had so precisely pierced through his thoughts.
His expression, from the outside, appeared utterly unflustered, without a hint of agitation.
Nero, a genius magician, excelled only in combative fields and was still inexperienced in matters like this.
Unable to hold back, he revealed his true feelings.
"I just dislike the idea of having a weakness before my master."
"Does that mean you dislike me?"
Nero didn't bother to respond.
Navia nodded her head as if his silence was answer enough.
"Then continue to dislike me."
"…What?"
Nero's neat eyebrows sharply rose.
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