Doctor Resignation

After my tea time with the Duchess, I came out to the garden to look around the greenhouse and saw Erhan and Frederick playing with a racket.

“Oh.” I also saw them playing a month ago.

Unlike then, Erhan’s eyes had the desire to win.

Compared to the little boy who only looked sorry while drooping his shoulders, he grew up mentally in a month.

I sat in the shade of a nearby tree, hoping to rest my hips.

“Master Erhan!” I shouted aloud. “You have to win! Good luck!”

At that, both Erhan and Frederick glanced at me. After giving and receiving the ball a few times, Frederick eventually missed Erhan’s ball.

“Erhan, how can you pass the ball like that? It’s a foul.” Frederick frowned and said so, seemingly pathetic.

“Huh?”

“It went at the end of my racket and went off. I told you, you don’t have good motor skills.”

“I didn’t miss it. I wanted to send it there.”

“You don’t even know the rules? Haa… That’s why the servants ignore you.”

I jumped to my feet. It seemed to be a situation I could not dismiss.

“No.”

Hey! Why are you cheating my kid!

I stepped forward and stood next to Erhan.

I spoke confidently in front of both, who were surprised to see me.

“I saw it, and it didn’t hit the end of the racket and it’s not a foul.”

“What do you know?”

“Sir Frederick could’ve hit it if he stretched out his arm a little longer. Sir Frederick lost.”

“Hey, you’re Perelman’s new assistant, aren’t you? How dare you be so cheeky…”

It was Erhan who stepped forward at those words.

“What do you mean cheeky.” Erhan raised his chin.

“Don’t talk to Lise.”

Frederick’s eyebrows wriggled.

I was also surprised because I couldn’t even imagine that Erhan could look so scary.

Even to his cousin who even treats him recklessly, he’ll always just keep his thoughts.

“No matter how much older you are, if you shout at Lise, I won’t stay still.”

“Erhan, are you talking back to me now?”

“This is the Dukedom of Casseus.”

I choked up for a moment. How can a child’s personality change so quickly?

As expected, a growing child could be greatly influenced by its surrounding environment. After taking fencing classes with the other knights, I wondered if his spirit had increased.

“I am the next owner of the Duchy of Casseus, and brother cannot be rude to my people in my domain.”

“My people?” Frederick laughed as if it was absurd.

“This girl… Are you saying this girl who just barely came to the Duchy, a mere commoner who you don’t even know where it came from, is closer to you than me?”

“I think so,” I said. For some reason, I still had a strong idea of protecting Erhan.

So I added bluntly, “Isn’t that obvious? I’m prettier and cuter.”

“What?”

“I don’t even know if we are comparable. In many ways, I’m a landslide victory.”

Frederick’s face turned red. However, he couldn’t say he was prettier and cuter.

‘If you had the guts to say that, I would give you a mirror.’

Of course, it was obvious that he wanted to make more disturbances, saying something about the fact that I’m just a lowly commoner. But Erhan was stronger than I thought and was breathing hard.

“Oh… And I’m smarter, too.”

“How dare you!”

It was not until the veins of his eyes were red that Erhan patted his arm soothingly.

“Don’t get me wrong, brother. I like you, too. But I’m just warning you not to be rude to Lise.”

“Erhan, you…”

“I hope you don’t get too upset. After all, what Lise said is true.”

Oh, my God, I was so moved that I almost cried.

“Lise, shall we go? I’ll take you to your room.”

I looked at the seventeen-year-old Frederick with a mischievous gaze, and then secretly took my tongue out. I felt strangely victorious.

I turned around leaving him huffing, and Erhan took my left hand first.

“Why aren’t you wearing that ring?”

“Which one?”

“The one you shared with Diel yesterday.”

“Ah.”

I looked at Erhan and said casually.

“It’s a one-time communication magic item, so I can’t use it anymore.”

“Then did you throw it away.”

“I haven’t thrown it away yet, it’s in the lab. Why do you ask?”

“Ah.”

Erhan grinned.

I continued my words with my head tilted.

“It’s disposable, so I’ll have to throw it away.”

“Then throw it away with me.”

I didn’t know Erhan had a hobby of throwing things away.

It’s nothing difficult, and I nodded gladly because I was proud that he sided with me in front of Frederick.

***

After Frederick and Baron Ishid left, a peaceful time passed. And exactly 100 days after leaving the Duchy, Arga Perelman returned.

Diel went directly to the port to meet Arga. He waited for the Viscount with a little anticipation, but of course, there was no little girl following him. Finding his daughter also seemed to have failed in Irvia.

His complexion darkened as he thought he had to search other areas now. The continent was wide, and although thirteen-year-old girls with blonde hair and green eyes were rare, there were still quite a few.

Now, while Viscount Arga Perelman stays in the Duchess’ Castle, he will have to do it again.

“Viscount.”

It was a bit rough with the long voyage, but Arga had a pretty handsome face. His light double eyelids, dark brown eyes, smooth jawline, and slim appearance still caught the attention of women.

In fact, some noblewomen even sent him admiration letters. Of course, it was also Diel’s job to burn them.

Arga was not interested in remarriage at all, and he seemed to only devote his life to finding his daughter who looked just like his beloved wife.

“You worked hard.”

Arga sighed and nodded. Looking at his face, I could see that he had no results again.

Instead, workers were unloading behind him.

“And that is?” Diel frowned at the consecutive loads.

Since Arga was the type to move as simply as possible, he was the first he’d noticed.

“Well, this and that…”

“This and that?”

“I picked it up on my way here.”

“What?” Diel was dumbfounded and scratched the back of his head.

“Well, what did you pick up on your way here?”

“Irvian jewelry, dresses, and shoes worn by aristocrats…”

“….”

“Advanced laboratory equipment, fresh herbs, the latest medical books, and new drugs.”

“You really picked up a lot.”

Arga didn’t respond, only raising his glasses. Diel shrugged as he climbed into the carriage with him.

“And are you going to throw it away to Lise?”

“There’s nothing we can do about it since Lise is the only one who can use them in the Casseus Castle.”

“Just be honest. You bought it because you thought of her.”

“She can also take it as a bribe to research more on the paternity tests. I don’t want to burden her.”

“Don’t you think she will feel more pressured if you give her all of them?”

“I don’t think so.”

At Arga’s words, Diel nodded slowly.

If he knew Lise well, she would be grateful and receive it all without trouble.

“Well, I think so, too.”

If Diel were given the chance to say his thoughts, he will confidently say that she was extremely helpful with freeing the Viscount’s schedule to the point that she deserves all of this. It was an irrefutable truth.

Arga looked out the window with his arms folded and said in an incomprehensible tone.

“Diel.”

“Yes Sir?”

“While I wasn’t here… What did the lady do to Lise?”

“Uh… Umm….”

“Did she buy something better than the ones I’m bringing right now?”

“N-No.” At Arga’s interrogation, Diel unintentionally stammered and shook his head.

“Lise didn’t really want it.”

“Right. That tough noblewoman doesn’t know what a doctor like Lise really likes.”

“Uh… But the Duchess is helping Lise in something she really wants.”

Arga opened his eyes wide as if asking Diel to speak quickly. He spoke carefully, feeling the atmosphere of the carriage freeze.

“Li-Lise wanted help to find her birth parents. The Duchess issued an edict in the entire duchy looking for people who are believed to be the parents of Lise.”

“Birth parents?”

“Sometimes people say they have lost their thirteen-year-old daughter with brown hair and green eyes, but so far no one has passed the paternity test.”

“….”

“We-Well, why don’t you think about it positively?” Diel smiled awkwardly and said,

“Lise isn’t doing the paternity test research just for you. It’s also for her to find her parents.”

“….”

Of course, the atmosphere inside the carriage didn’t lighten.