“Of course, outing!”

“Then you should get on a carriage, Lady.”

“I don’t need it.”

“Pardon? We can’t go there on foot! It takes at least 30 minutes to go to the nearest Palatine Hill by a carriage!”

“Well, you don’t have to go to a faraway place for a picnic, right?”

Answering shamelessly, she pointed somewhere with her fingertips.

There was a table for tea at the place she pointed to. The chairs for three people were also carried to the place. The tablecloths, tea sets, cushions, and cushions that Cordelli packed were also laid out neatly one by one. The refreshing cherry aid was filled with ice in a glass, and the fruit and cookies cut into bite-sized pieces were placed on plates. They didn’t need a parasol because a large sheet was stretched over their heads, providing a pleasant shade.

“Well, Cordelli. It’s your turn. Turn over your cards first.”

While hearing her voice, Cordelli recalled playing cards with her a long time ago.

Placed on the delicate tablecloth, along with specially selected tea set, were thin cards.

When she came to her senses, Cordelli found she had already poker cards in her hand.

“Cordelli, turn them over.” Marianne urged.

Cordelli put them on the table quickly.

“Wow! It’s triple!”

Under number 5, three cards with hearts, diamonds and clovers were arranged side by side on the left side.

“Then Iric. Let me see your cards.”

Iric then showed his cards.

“What. Another high card?”

“Sorry.”

“No, you don’t have to be sorry to me, but I can’t believe it! You got a high card ten times in a row. This is impossible even if you try hard!”

Marianne sighed, looking at Iric’s cards on the table. It was already the tenth one. Cordelli quickly grabbed the ice, sipping a cool drink while trying to size up the situation quickly.

“You already knew Sir Iric is not talented in poker. I think in the past you had two pairs just once before? Those pairs were the best he got in the poker game until then.”

“That’s ridiculous. He got those two pairs only once after playing fifty games in a row. I thought you were better this time, but..”

“Let me try more.”

“That’s enough. I would rather teach Phebe poker.”

Marianne threw her cards, with her chin on her left hand. Three aces and double sevens. It was a full house.

“I won again. Not funny.”

Colored crystal balls used instead of chips rolled over the table.

“You’re so good, lady. Of course Sir Iric is still a poor player..” said Cordelli, picking up all the crystal balls that Marianne had won. Iric scratched the wound on his cheek as if he was embarrassed.

“Anyway, it’s no fun, guys.”

Marianne pouted her lips and turned away.

What came into her view was a glass greenhouse. The maids and servants, carefully selected by Cordelli, were busy planting flowers and a cage in the greenhouse instead of serving Marianne.

The main planting species was her favorite ‘Queen of Snow’, and many more flowers in pots

were lined up at the door of the greenhouse. In a greater or lesser degree, she loved all of these flowers.

Ironically, however, what caught Marianne’s attention was the potted plant standing alone over there. A desert rose with reddish flowers on its thick body, namely Adenium.

This unique flower reminded her of two opposing characters. Her father Kling Duke and Mrs. Chester. The voice of her embarrassed father overlapped with her smile, who tried to show her sincerity by giving her the flower. She had a gut feeling that something ominous was hidden in it, but she was displeased because she couldn’t figure out what it was.

If it was poisonous, her father would have told her to throw it out immediately. If it was nothing particular, there was no chance her father would know its name when she didn’t know either. As it happened, it was Mrs. Chester who gave the flower to her, so there was a possibility that Mrs. Chester had a plot in mind.

‘What the heck happened to them? Where should I start to find out first?’

As Marianne made a serious look, agonizing over it, Cordelli pushed a plate of sweet snacks to her.

“Did you decide on a name for the greenhouse?”

“Well..”

Marianne put a macaron into her mouth. Sour lemon cream stimulated her salivary glands. It tasted great. She focused on coining a name for the flower for a little while.

“Sea of Snow. What do you think?” Marianne asked, turning her head to Cordelli.

“Oh my goodness. That’s a nice name. Since you’ve planted Snow Queen flowers the most, I think there’s no better name. Maybe the rumor will widely spread in the capital soon that the Elior Mansion has beautiful greenhouse called Sea of Snow.”

Cordelli quickly saw eye to eye and pleased her. Marianne’s eyes slowly turned to the side.

“I think it’s a good name,” Iric cautiously agreed.

Sea of Snow. Marianne recited the name of the newly created greenhouse and turned to the table with a satisfied expression.

“Iric.”

“Yes.”

“As for the reception for my engagement ceremony..”

The moment she mentioned it, Iric clenched his fist quietly under the table. He was patient enough to keep a straight face up to this point.

“I decided to open a martial arts contest at the reception. I think I need to choose a new bodyguard for me.”

Iric could not stay calm any more past that.

“.. Do you mean a new bodyguard?”

“Yes. That keeps bothering me. This time I won’t give in, even if you refuse. So, don’t be stubborn. I’ve already the emperor about it.”

He could not hide his terrible expression. At the same time, he got up from his chair and knelt down on the grass to show his respect for her decision.

“It’s a wise decision..”

When he looked down a bit, he could see her scratched fingers. The wounds on her body aroused a sense of huge guilt in his mind. Although she would never blame him, he was constantly disturbed by the wounds, regardless of that.

‘If she had been wounded by his mistake and if he had been given the chance to protect her on that day..’

Agonizing over it, Iric looked down, clenching his teeth. His dull fingernails cut heavily into his palms as he tightened his grip.

But he was supposed to be in his place, a few steps from her, not close enough to stand side by side with her and raise his head casually.

His patience dissipated his unclean lust for her. In fact, he didn’t deserve her.

So, he didn’t want to see his status as her personal bodyguard be taken away by somebody else.

He was even ready to ask for her favor even if it was humiliating.

“As a knight who is lacking in everything, I reassured you that I would protect you, so I’m just more than satisfied as you haven’t expelled me until now.”

“.. Ugh?”

“As Duke Kling and you will continue to stay in Milan, please don’t send me back to the Astolf knights division, leaving you behind here. Please grant my request. I’ll be satisfied even if I stay at the Elior Mansion as a mere guard. Or I can be a horseman’s helper or a gatekeeper at the Imperial Palace. So, please allow me to stay here..”

“Wait a minute. What the heck are you talking about?”

Marianne hurriedly cut him off and recalled his remarks with a frown on her face.

“You didn’t believe I was going to fire you, right? You didn’t think so, right?”

Suddenly Iric raised his head.

“Iric, you are so stupid. Why do you think I asked the emperor to choose a new bodyguard?”

“That’s because I have disappointed you..”

“Disappointed me? You have never disappointed me! You protected my father well while I went to Roshan. You did you best at Lennox. When I suddenly came to Milan, you followed and protected me all the way, suffering hardships because of me. Why are you saying you have disappointed me?”

Marianne raised him in person, with a perplexed expression on her face. When he was raised, she now had to look up at him as he was taller than her. She stepped back a couple of steps to meet his eyes.

“The reason I decided to hire a new bodyguard was because you can’t stay by my side 24 hours every day. How can you keep working without any break? So, I need a replacement for you on a shifting basis.”

“I am fine. I don’t think it’s hard at all.”

“No, I’m not okay, Iric. Oh, you stayed with Curtis several times.. Were you influenced by him who was addicted to work? Curtis was also notorious for working endlessly for the emperor. If you were, fix it as soon as possible. If you don’t want to fix it, I think I have to consider firing you seriously.”

“Then.. Are you going to send me back to Lennox?”

“Of course! If a new guard is chosen, let me have a formal ceremony for you and the new bodyguard. You’ll be designated the chief bodyguard because you have served me for a long time.”

“.. Thank you, lady!”