Penelois and Sarah were able to communicate just by looking at each other without speaking aloud.

‘I think the Duke is going to propose to me!’

‘I guess so!’

Sarah’s eyes were shining brightly as she cheered without making a sound.

“Did the Duke really say he was going to propose to me?”

“Eung! I heard Father talking to Veron! A deal that will please Nanny when the war is over.”

Heok. Sarah breathed heavily, clutching her chest. Suddenly, her heart was beating fast and her earlobes seemed to be burning brightly.

‘When the war is over……’

When the war is over, the best man in the Empire asks me to marry him!

Sarah raised her hand and covered her mouth, pressing down on the desire to shout for the whole world to know.

“Is proposal that good? Then I’ll propose to Nanny and make her happy!”

“Young Master Claude……”

Sarah, who was swimming in the waves of joy, looked at Claude with moved eyes. Today, that bright, soft-colored platinum blonde, unique to Ambrosia, shone from Claude, who smiled lovingly. The man she loved would also kneel down on one knee and hand over the ring, with his brilliant platinum blonde hair like Claude.

When the war is over, when the war is over!

“I need to contact the magic tower, quickly.”

Sarah’s eyes changed in an instant. Her gaze at Penelois also narrowed significantly. She grabbed Penelois’ hand and said in a stern voice.

“Do you remember what I said before??”

“……Pardon?”

“I’ll let those high-nosed aristocrats crawl like dogs in front of Lady Penelois.”

Sarah’s eyes were now burning brightly. Her happy future depended on how quickly the war was resolved.

“……Pft.”

Seeing that, Claude secretly blinked and smiled.

“Claude?”

The only one who witnessed it was Elexa.  Claude lifted his index finger and brought it to his lips as Elexa called out to him with a curious tilt of his head.

“Shh.”

“……?”

Claude said to Sarah, holding on to Elexa’s hand, who only tilted his head because he didn’t know what was going on.

“Nanny, Father told me to come, so I’ll ask him to play with me!”

“Pardon? The Duke is now with His Highness the Third Prince……”

“I’ll just ask!”

He seemed to be asking Sarah for permission, but Claude was already running toward Ethan, holding Elexa’s hand. No matter how fast Sarah was, Claude was already too far to catch up. Leaving Sarah behind, Claude rushed straight to Ethan. His steps were so fast that Elexa was dragged away without even saying a word.

“Claude, what are you going to do? My mother said that since my father and the Duke were doing national affairs, we shouldn’t interfere……”

“I am more important than national affairs!”

Claude’s voice was very firm. If he didn’t step out, when would Sarah become his mother and his father’s wife?

‘Both of you can’t do without me!’

Claude had once sneaked a peek at May’s book in the library. In that book, hindrances appeared in front of the male and female protagonists who confirmed each other’s feelings. Interrupters were women who liked the male protagonist, men who liked the female protagonist, and sometimes people around them or family members. Because of these conflicts, fights, and chaos, the male and female protagonists get married very, very late.

“When do you plan to wait!”

Claude didn’t like the story very much. It was over if they had confirmed their feelings. Why would the story drag on? Everyone knew that the male and female characters would end up getting married. Even if the story dragged on further here, only the viewer was bored and frustrated. Claude wanted Sarah and his father to marry as soon as possible. Only then would he be able to officially become Sarah’s perfect child.

“Father!”

When Claude called out to Ethan loudly, Ethan looked back incredulously. The same went for Eleon, who seemed to have lost his soul in front of Ethan. Somehow, while Eleon was having a brief conversation with Ethan, all energy was drained from his face.

“Aigo.”

Unlike Claude’s confident approach, Elexa took a step back when he saw Eleon’s face.

What was that?

“Father, what’s wrong? Are you sick?”

Elexa, perhaps worried about Eleon, rushed to his father and hugged him.

“Elexa……, Dad thinks that Dad is in trouble. I miss your mom……”

“Shall I call Mother?  But Mother is busy too.”

“Haa……”

Eleon embraced little Elexa and began to weep softly. Claude looked at the father and son’s behavior as if he was curious, but immediately reminded himself of his purpose.

“There’s something I want to ask Father!”

“Um?”

Ethan looked at him and gently stroked Claude’s hair, whose eyes were shining brightly.

“Ask me anything.”

“What’s a proposal?”

“……Proposal?”

“Yes!”

At the unexpected question, Ethan opened his eyes wide and looked at the child’s pure eyes. Ethan felt like Claude had made a big decision, came up to him with curiosity and asked him about the proposal. No one would have expected that.

“Huh?”

At Claude’s question, Elexa tilted his head puzzledly.

‘Hasn’t he asked that before?’

Just as he was about to call Claude, wondering why he bothered to ask the same question again, Claude continued.

“Earlier, I heard Nanny say that she would be very happy to get proposed to after the war.”

“……!”

“Is that a good thing? If it’s a good thing, I’d like to propose to Nanny and make her happy!”

Ethan’s eyes suddenly changed at the question that showed the child’s innocence.

“Sarah said she wanted to be proposed to?”

“Yes! I heard it clearly. She said she’d be very happy.”

“After the war?”

“Right! She thought it would be a good time.”

“……Is that so?”

Ethan’s graceful mouth curled up smoothly, and a very beautiful smile appeared on his face.

‘Can I do it? Proposal.’

Ethan couldn’t sleep easily every night because of anxiety. Considering Sarah’s popularity, which would soar after the war, he couldn’t sleep comfortably. Rumors had already spread throughout the capital that the Small Countess of Millen was the Master of the magic tower who died in Alton. From the moment it became known that Sarah was alive, it was clear that her marriage proposals would be flooded in beyond words.

‘Marriage……’

Ethan’s lips loosened at the thought of his marriage to Sarah. They would go to bed together every night and start new days together. No blatant possessiveness, no monopoly. It would be allowed to some extent within the boundaries of being a husband. In short, he could legally ask Sarah to look only at him.

“Thanks, Claude.”

“Hehe.”

Ethan looked at Claude as if he were very lovely and hugged the child’s body. Claude, who was in Ethan’s arms, erased the pure look on his face. One corner of the child’s mouth grinned and curled up. It was very similar to Ethan’s faint smile when he schemed something. Ethan, who did not see Claude’s face, said, looking back at the open-mouthed Eleon.

“We must go to end this war right away, Your Highness the Third Prince.”

“You mean right away? Didn’t you say you’d give me time to think, Duke?”

“Circumstances have changed.”

After dropping Claude off, Ethan got up and headed out of the greenhouse.

“Where are you going?”

“There is not enough time to proceed with the coronation immediately after the war is over. I need to deal with it right away.”

“……”

Eleon put Elexa down in his arms and hurriedly followed Ethan’s back.

“Hold on a second, Duke Ambrosia. Wait a minute!”

“I told you I didn’t have time, Your Majesty.”

“Don’t call me Your Majesty already!”

Looking at their backs, Claude was smiling brightly. Elexa asked, looking at Claude, who seemed strange.

“Claude……, do you not know what a proposal is?”

“Huh?”

“A proposal is asking permission to marry. Give the other person a ring.”

Elexa did not hesitate to share his learnings for Claude, who kept asking the same thing from earlier. However, Claude answered Elexa’s words with a smile.

“I know too.”

“……Huh? Then why do you keep asking them what a proposal is?”

Elexa made a face of incomprehension at the moment and asked. Looking at Elexa like that, Claude felt a touch of envy. He probably didn’t understand Claude’s efforts because he already had parents who would be with him all his life from birth.

“I’m glad you don’t understand me.”

“Huh?”

Elexa still didn’t understand Claude, but it didn’t matter. The child’s head was spinning faster now.

“My father is going to get married.”

Claude’s voice, who clenched his fist and vowed, was solemn.