***

“……”

Ethan looked at Claude from afar with no emotion on his face. Sarah, who was watching him from the side, spoke softly with a smile on her face.

“The weather is great. It’s the perfect time to play, isn’t it?”

“……”

“I never imagined that the Duke would keep his promise first! You are very busy these days.”

“……”

“Ah! I see! It’s because the Duke wants to play with Young Master Claude, right? I understand how you want to spend even a little time with our cute Young Master Claude. I’m like that, too.”

“Sarah.”

“Yes!”

When Ethan’s voice called out to her quietly, Sarah responded with a higher tension.

“Is that all you have to explain to me?”

“……I’m sorry.”

Ethan’s eyes narrowed at the sight of her meekly apologizing. His tenacious and sharp gaze seemed to determine the possibility of how far she knew.

“I’m sorry for going out on my own, and I’m sorry for inviting guests on my own.”

She pointed to the children who were now coloring the leaves of the garden with paint from afar.

“I’m sorry for making such a mess in the garden.”

It was obvious that the gardener would pull his hair off and scream of despair. It was no exaggeration to say that it represented the majesty and beauty of Ambrosia, but she had turned such a spectacular garden into a children’s playground.

“But I can solve all of that! I’m a magician, a great magician……”

Sarah’s voice gradually diminished as Ethan’s gaze on her grew darker. It wasn’t the kind of excuse he was hoping for, but somehow she didn’t have the courage to do it. Sarah felt she would not be able to bear the misunderstanding that she had a political purpose in what she was doing for Ambrosia and for Claude. Perhaps knowing her thought, Ethan took a deep breath and brought it up first.

“That child shouldn’t be with Claude.”

“But Young Master Claude likes him very much. The Duke also found out this time, but Ruth Naven wasn’t a good playmate. Young Master Claude needs a friend.”

“Even so, that child can’t be. I’ll have to send him back to where he was.”

He tried to get rid of Elexa quickly, as he thought Sarah didn’t know about the Third Prince’s illegitimate child. As Ethan beckoned, the Knights of Ambrosia quickly approached their way. After that, several servants who followed along, as Sarah knew, were those who worked for Ambrosia’s intelligence organization. Perhaps even the trace of Elexa staying here would be neatly erased. Sarah saw Claude’s face, who was having a good time with Elexa without knowing that the Duke had come.

‘You like him that much……’

It would be unacceptable to keep Elexa away from the child in this way. He had found a friend who could barely open his heart, and Claude was sure to be greatly disappointed. But if he found out that his father disliked his friend, Claude would obey his father’s will, though it might be painful for him, and it would leave a big scar on the child’s heart. Sarah knew that it would have a very bad effect on their relationship.

“Is it because that child is the Third Prince’s illegitimate child?”

“……Sarah, don’t tell me?”

“I’m sorry. Actually, I’ve known that child since the first time I saw him. He was a child with complicated circumstances to establish a relationship.”

Ethan’s beautiful face was distorted. He beckoned the Knights to approach Claude once more. Then they stopped walking.

“Would you like to walk with me for a moment, Countess Millen?”

“Please call me Sarah……”

“I’ll grant that request after I hear Countess’s answer.”

Sarah made her resolve as she looked at Ethan’s back as he passed by her and walked in front of her. To be able to tell Ethan the truth without mentioning the Flower of Darkness as much as possible. Sarah hurriedly opened her mouth as she followed Ethan.

“Are you angry because I did it on my own?”

“I’m not angry. However, I’m just curious about Countess Millen’s intention.”

“I didn’t mean anything else. I knew it would be annoying, but I’m Young Master Claude’s nanny and tutor. I just considered Young Master Claude’s heart the top priority.”

“Ha……”

Ethan stopped for a moment and put a hand on his forehead. Seeing him press down on his temple, Sarah took a step closer to Ethan. And she gently put her hands, which were wrapped with mana, on Ethan’s face.

“……”

Sarah’s cool magic permeated him. Then the headache that had been hurting like it was going to break gradually subsided. Ethan looked at Sarah with confused eyes.

“I don’t know what you think. It seems like you’re doing it for Claude more than anyone else but at the same time……”

“I always put Young Master Claude first. Always.”

“Then why did you let Claude stay with that child? If you had known that he was the Third Prince’s illegitimate child, you would have known what would happen next.”

“I felt Young Master Claude attracted to that child. For the first time, he found a kid he wanted to be friends with.”

“……It’ll be a harmful relationship for the two children. If he becomes Claude’s playmate, he’ll get attention, and the Third Prince will stop it no matter what.”

“I won’t let that happen. And even the Third Prince wouldn’t dare touch Ambrosia.”

“You never know. You never know if he would be able to break through Ambrosia’s protection and touch my son or not.”

Ethan took a deep breath and gently pulled Sarah’s hand away from his face. It was a pity that the hand that sent her cool magic was gone. A throbbing headache hit him again.

“We can’t let Claude take that risk.”

“……”

“This curse is enough to pose a risk to Claude. That alone is already dangerous enough for Claude. I don’t want to provoke him.”

“Then, are you going to keep Young Master Claude in Ambrosia like this forever?”

Ethan said nothing for a moment. He did not affirm, but neither did he deny it. Sarah realized that if Ethan could keep Claude locked up in Ambrosia, he would love to do so.

“If Ambrosia’s curse is weakened enough, then……”

“You don’t know when that will be. Duke, children don’t just need their families. There’s definitely something the family and parents can’t fill.”

“That’s what Claude has to bear. As long as Ambrosia’s power is sleeping in that child’s body, it’s inevitable. You have to know how to give up.”

“That’s too harsh on Young Master Claude. You can’t blow away every opportunity to make precious things in his life.”

“If you have something precious, you are bound to lose it.”

“······!”

Sarah’s eyes widened at Ethan’s words. For the first time, she felt like she saw Ethan’s inner side.

If you have something precious, you will surely lose it.

Had Ethan Ambrosia been living with that thought all this time? By losing what was precious to him one by one.

“Claude is an Ambrosia. What is precious to Ambrosia is nothing but luxury. So, to make such a precious thing in the first place……!”

Splash, with that sound, cold water fell on Ethan’s head. Ethan, covered in cold water in an instant, slowly blinked her eyes and looked at Sarah.

“……”

Sarah stood in front of him for the first time, completely expressionless. Sarah, who always treated him and Claude with a gentle smile, became unfamiliar in an instant. Ethan’s eyes shook violently.

“So, hasYoung Master Claude endured everything without making anything precious until now?”

“……”

“Were you really happy with that life?”

A single, transparent tear fell from Sarah’s eyes. Her expressionless face slowly contorted and collapsed very slowly and slowly. The image was engraved on Ethan’s heart. He couldn’t even breathe because his heart felt so tight.

“Don’t do that. Don’t do that, Duke.”

“…….Sarah.”

“We can protect the precious things together. Why did you want to throw away all the opportunities to be happy?”

“……”

Toc toc, the sound of water droplets falling from Ethan’s sharp chin could be heard very loudly. The droplets were formed on his long eyelashes and fell off. As if she was crying her last tears, Sarah once again reached out to Ethan’s face. She wiped the droplets flowing at the tip of Ethan’s chin with the back of her hand. It was a warm and friendly touch. Ethan unknowingly clasped Sarah’s soft hands and spoke like a sigh.

“I was saying the same thing as my father.”