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“Yes, I did! You’re not some kid entering the Academy; why are you playing games with an invitation?”
At Yevgenia’s firm rebuke, the Duke let out a scoff of disbelief.
“I have lived a long time, but I never thought I’d see such filial impiety. Do you truly not understand why I am doing this?”
Faced with the Duke’s counter-attack, Yevgenia found herself momentarily speechless.
‘What is it? Was there some issue at the Peton Auction House recently? If so, there’s no way Anna wouldn’t know. Was it a story that stopped at my father’s level? Then it shouldn’t be my fault for not knowing.’
No matter how much she pondered, a clear answer didn't come.
The Duke watched Yevgenia, who was lost in thought with her brow furrowed, and let out a deep sigh.
Then, with a slight wave of his hand, he dismissed Anna from the room.
Left alone with his daughter, the Duke stared at her for a long while before clicking his tongue and providing the answer.
“You—why are you trying to go to the Peton Auction House?”
“Huh? To, um, buy a gift...?”
“‘Who’ is receiving ‘what’ gift?”
Once again, it was time for Yevgenia to lose her words.
They said Duke Martir knew every piece of information in the Empire; did he even remember the birthday of the Second Imperial Prince, who was practically forgotten?
It was a birth date that even the Imperial Family seemed to have forgotten, as it wasn't mentioned in the apology letter.
She had hoped that her father might have forgotten it too...
‘As expected, it was as I feared.’
Yevgenia closed her eyes tight, opened them, and answered in a dwindling voice.
“For ‘Yuri’...”
“Hmm.”
“Fine, I get it. A birthday gift for the Second Imperial Prince.”
‘He already knows everything, so why does he insist on confirming it two or three times?’
Of course, from the Duke's perspective, it was to make her admit her own guilt, but from the perspective of a child who always had to go through this process before being scolded, there was nothing more frustrating.
Still, the reason she answered so obediently was likely because such experiences had become ingrained in her as she grew up.
“Why are you looking after that? Surely you haven't already forgotten what we agreed upon just eight days ago?”
“I remember, of course. You told me not to get close to the Second Imperial Prince.”
“Does a child who remembers that actually go to an auction house to prepare a birthday gift?”
Yevgenia forced herself to swallow a scream that almost burst out, replacing it with a sigh.
Committing a sin was one thing, but having it dissected and recited in such detail was another story entirely.
The only saving grace was that, according to the Duke's own logic, this was something she could sufficiently refute.
“You know what you always say, Father. A Martir pays back a favor at its full price.”
“...And?”
“And revenge is paid back tenfold! I could shout it in my sleep, really.”
Most people in the Empire only knew the first part of the family motto and believed the Martirs to be an incredibly moral family.
That was why Yevgenia would occasionally omit the rest of the motto on purpose.
After all, there were more than a few people who had been terrified after experiencing—or witnessing—a personal revenge from a Martir.
Shame was one thing, but she was practicing the teachings ingrained in her very clearly...
‘Right? If I hadn't, Raymond wouldn't be able to walk around the Empire alive right now. I really am an angel compared to Father.’
While Yevgenia was praising herself internally, the Duke, who found a hint in the motto she had suddenly blurted out, narrowed his eyes.
“Did you receive such an extraordinary favor from him?”
“Father, making a scene in front of a Duke's manor while pretending to be a commoner is truly an extraordinary feat. I wouldn't have been able to do that even in front of a Baron's manor. Who would make a scene when their head might be sliced off on the spot?”
She explained hurriedly, fearing the Duke's thoughts might reach the matter of her name being erased.
In truth, she suspected that the Duke might already know.
However, unless the Duke himself shouted, “The Second Imperial Prince erased your name!” Yevgenia had no intention of admitting it or speaking of it.
The Duke quietly observed Yevgenia’s infinitely confident face and sighed once more.
“Fine, let's say that was an extraordinary feat. But since he dared to pretend to be my daughter's lover, hasn't he paid back enough?”
“What? That was the help I received. We have to keep the accounts accurate, Father.”
“...Since when did you become so calculating?!”
The Duke finally exploded.
It seemed the Duke simply disliked the fact that Yulan had pretended to be Yevgenia's lover.
‘No, really. How is pretending to be my lover a way of paying back a favor?’
Yevgenia tried her best not to look at the Duke as if he were a strange person and changed the subject.
“Anyway, an item from the Peton Auction House should be enough to say the favor has been repaid. That's why I wanted to go.”
“...”
“You seem convinced, so may I take this?”
Yevgenia subtly reached out to snatch the invitation from the Duke's hand.
But the Duke was not that easy.
“Ah, Father!”
“If you are truly only getting a gift, make sure you do not meet him.”
“What?”
“Given that you've met so far, you must have found some secret way to meet. Then delivering the gift alone would be much easier.”
“That is... true.”
It was entirely possible if she asked Madame Magnolia.
The only problem was that Yevgenia didn't feel like doing that.
Seeing Yevgenia unable to hide her disappointment, the Duke clicked his tongue and spoke.
“Why do you not realize that if he grows greedy for you, you are the only one who will suffer?”
“...”
She couldn't refute that.
In fact, she had almost suffered exactly like that just eight days ago.
“Let's concede for a moment and say he falls completely head over heels for you to the point of losing his mind.”
“...”
“The Emperor would become your father-in-law, and the Empress would become your mother-in-law. Are you mentally prepared for that?”
“I mean, is it really a matter of having in-laws just because I'm giving a little gift...?”
Yevgenia grumbled softly, having run out of arguments.
The Duke did not miss this and let out a snort.
“On the day Rose gave me a tie pin as a gift, I proposed immediately and brought her to the ducal residence.”
“That's because it's you, Father...!”
“No, it was because it was Rose, not me.”
Yevgenia knew that every single word the Duke spoke was the nonsensical rambling of a man still deeply in love with his wife, but because he maintained such a serious atmosphere, she found herself being drawn in.
The Duke gently stroked Yevgenia's cheek and spoke in a voice full of worry.
“You resemble Rose too much. When you were young, the men who fell for you acted as if their heads were empty. Just as I did with Rose.”
“Father, exactly how long ago are you talking about?”
“It was when you were three years old.”
“...”
Continuing this conversation further was, quite literally, a ‘waste.’
Once the Duke entered the state of being a fool for his daughter and his wife, no one could stop him.
The only solution was to wait for him to run wild on his own and eventually calm down.
The problem was that invitation...
As she pondered, a great idea suddenly struck Yevgenia.
“Father, just as you said, I really do resemble Mother a lot.”
“That's right. Therefore...”
“Therefore, it means the person I love most in this world is only you, Father. Just as Mother did for you.”
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