Estelle forced herself not to avert her eyes from Lennox.
She couldn't afford to show even the slightest sign of guilt.
"An amusing metaphor."
She had never believed she could deceive Lennox forever.
'Since the map fragment was found after my visit, I must have been the prime suspect.'
But if he pressed her on how she had known the relic's location, she had no proper excuse prepared.
"Duren likes Mini-Mew."
She did her best to steer the conversation away.
Fortunately, Lennox didn't seem intent on interrogating her, and let it pass.
"Mini-Mew?"
"It's a children's play series that's popular these days. They've even made it into storybooks. Duren loves it so much he asks me to read the same story to him several times a day."
As Lennox was frowning in thought—
Bang!
The door burst open with force.
Had Duren returned?
Estelle and Lennox turned their heads—only to find Glesia standing there, clutching a pillow tightly.
Her hair was disheveled, her eyes blazing with a feverish intensity.
"You—get out!" she shouted.
Estelle quietly rose to her feet.
But Glesia jabbed her finger straight at Lennox.
"Not Estelle—you!"
"Me?"
"Yes, you."
What in the world was this now?
Meeting his spirited elder sister again after so long, Lennox pressed his fingers to his temple.
"Sister, this is my house."
"Is it really yours?"
"…Mine and my sister's," he quickly corrected.
"No—it's mine. So get out. If you're gone, Estelle will divorce you and—!"
She had blurted out her true intentions.
While Glesia froze in shock, Estelle quickly shot Lennox a look.
She's misunderstanding us. Hurry—say it, quickly.
Gulp.
Unable to avoid it any longer, Lennox swallowed hard and forced the words out.
"Sister… Estelle and I made a contract to remain married for one year."
"…What?"
"It wasn't out of love. When the contract ends, she's meant to leave naturally."
"Why?"
"To register Duren into the family…"
"In this harsh land, where one could die at any moment—you bound young, beautiful Estelle into a marriage that isn't even real?"
The explanation was clumsy and roundabout, but not incorrect. Lennox gave a small nod.
Trash.
With her eyes alone, Glesia cursed her younger brother, who accepted the scorn so meekly.
Then she turned to Estelle.
"Estelle, step outside for a moment."
"…Y-yes."
As Estelle moved to leave, Lennox naturally followed right behind her.
"Lennox Winterren."
Flinch.
"You stay here."
In the end, Estelle left alone, leaning against the wall outside. Soon, the muffled strains of stately classical music drifted from beyond the door.
After several minutes—
"It's over. Come in."
When the song ended, Glesia called her back.
As Estelle opened the door and stepped inside, white feathers were scattered everywhere.
The side of Glesia's thick pillow had burst open, and Lennox's usually immaculate hair was a complete mess—enough to make it obvious what had happened.
"If this is how things are, then divorce at once."
Glesia fixed her eyes on Estelle as she spoke firmly.
"Why did you agree to this contract?"
"Well…"
"Not you. Estelle will answer."
"…For money."
"If it's money you need, I'll give it to you. Divorce him and return to your normal life."
"I can't."
"Why not?"
Wouldn't it be a gain to receive compensation even without fulfilling the full term of the contract?
Glesia could hardly believe Estelle had refused without a moment's hesitation.
"If I don't complete the contract period, there's a clause that all of my assets will be forfeited to Winterren."
Glesia was aghast.
"That's a poison clause! This is a fraudulent contract!"
Her fury shot straight toward Lennox.
"Are you insane? Tricking innocent Estelle with something like that? Don't call yourself my brother."
"Sister, I wasn't the one who added that clause."
"What? If not you, then who? Don't you dare lie to me."
The atmosphere turned tense.
Estelle quickly cut in.
"He's not lying."
"You don't need to defend my brother."
"But it's true. I was the one who asked for it to be included."
Glesia's eyes widened.
After a brief hesitation, she repeated her earlier request to Estelle.
"Estelle, could you step out for a moment?"
"…Y-yes."
Out in the hall again, Estelle heard the strains of classical music once more.
Between the elegant melodies, Glesia's voice cut through from time to time—
"You should have stopped her! Knowing full well it was a poison clause, and you still went along with it? What are you, a devil? A swindler? Both?!"
…Words like that.
"Come in."
Several minutes later, Estelle was called back.
There were even more feathers drifting in the air than before.
Lennox looked utterly exhausted.
"So in the end… you mean divorce isn't happening."
"Yes."
Glesia's feelings were tangled.
She was relieved Estelle wouldn't be divorcing right away.
But—she feared Estelle might walk the same tragic path as Jeremy.
Still—she was glad Estelle would remain family for at least a few more months.
Glesia wrestled with herself.
"I'll find a way to survive and see this contract through to the end. So please, don't worry too much."
As if reading her thoughts, Estelle spoke gently.
"And Lady Glesia—sorry for deceiving you into thinking I'd divorce right away."
"No, you don't need to apologize. But… may I call you by a nickname?"
"Of course. Please, call me Tia."
"Th-then call me Lea! Our nicknames even sound alike."
A faint blush colored Glesia's cheeks as she then turned to glare icily at Lennox.
"If Lennox ever does anything strange, you must tell me. Promise me—understood?"
"Yes, I promise."
"Sister, you must be tired. If you've said all you wanted, why not go and rest?"
"…Are you giving me orders right now?"
"It was only a suggestion."
"Don't even suggest."
Lennox shut his mouth at once.
At that moment, Estelle realized—
Without even meaning to, she had drawn Winterren's true power-holder over to her side.
Even without the mandrake medicine, his sister had regained her spirit.
[Sister, you called for me.]
[Yeah. Turn off the light.]
[...]
Duren had called him papa.
[If you keep glaring at me like that, you'll get wrinkles.]
[Papa looks like Dark Lord.]
[And what's that supposed to be.]
[The evil villain who bullies Mini-Mew! Doo-doo hates him the most!]
[...]
His contract wife was still very much alive.
On the surface, everything was perfect.
Yet with each passing day, Lennox's worries only grew heavier.
Now his sister treated him as if he didn't exist.
Duren might call him papa, but it was always followed by "don't like!"
And Estelle was…
[Your Grace. Here are the receipts for today's expenses made by the lady.]
Thud—!
A thick stack of papers landed heavily on the desk.
Lately, backed by the boundless affection of Winterren's true power-holder, Glesia, Estelle had been buying luxury goods.
She was spending money like water.
For the first time in his life, Lennox found himself excluded within his own estate. Looking at Estelle, he resolved—
If that was how things stood, then he would try to resolve this situation with money.
"Doo-doo will transform you!"
Duren was in the middle of playing dress-up Glesia.
Holding a red lipstick high like a wand, he shouted with confidence.
"Mmff, mmf, mmf—"
Glesia's face was mercilessly prodded and smeared. Estelle watched them silently, hiding her laughter.
"Como! Only here is still white!"
In the middle of his decorating frenzy, Duren grabbed a lock of Glesia's hair.
In that instant, Glesia's expression stiffened.
Catching the look on her face, Duren glanced around, then whispered softly as if sharing a secret:
"Como is Snow Dragon, right?"
"…What?"
"Doo-doo likes Snow Dragon too!"
Snow Dragon?
Glesia didn't understand, but decided to play along.
When she nodded, Duren beamed with delight.
"Snow Dragon was trapped in ice but now is free! Were you very cold? Doo-doo will bring something warm!"
Whoosh—!
With a sound like rushing wind, Duren dashed busily around the room.
"It's from a children's play series called Mini-Mew," Estelle explained. "There's a character called Snow Dragon. I think he calls you that because of your streak of white hair."
"Como!"
Not long after Estelle finished her explanation, Duren came running back, carrying a steaming cup of tea.
But he looked nervous—because a dark shadow had followed him inside.
"Como! Drink! It's warm!"
"…Mm."
Why are you here?
Already sharp from Duren's clumsy eyeliner drawn at right angles, Glesia's gaze grew even fiercer.
"I'll join as well."
Lennox, who had followed after Duren, naturally tried to take part in the game.
The response was immediate.
"Papa, don't like!"
"I don't like my brother either."
Cast off coldly, the only one who welcomed Lennox was Estelle.
"Why don't you sit with me and watch?"
She smiled, patting the spot beside her.
With a lonely look, he watched as the play drew to a close.
"Customer, that'll be five million gold."
"Too expensive."
"Then ten million, please!"
"…?"
Still too young to understand the value of money, Duren demanded the price with full confidence.
It was outrageous extortion.
"Ten gold."
"Ten million gold, please!"
The little shopkeeper had struck hard.
After quietly observing, Lennox now strode forward, brimming with confidence.
"I'll pay instead."
He proudly handed over a sheet of paper.
"What's this?"
"A deed of ownership."
"It means this toy shop is yours now. Every toy in the shop belongs to you as well."
Taking Estelle's advice that Duren liked Mini-Mew, Lennox had gone so far as to buy an entire toy store.
'He's sure to love this.'
Lennox was certain.
…At least until he saw Duren's unamused expression.
"Papa's a fool. Even Doo-doo knows this is just paper."
Sighing heavily, Duren turned away.
"If you didn't have money, you could've just said so. Como, I'll give yours for free."
With that, he let out a deep sigh, then shouted "Mama!" and bolted straight into Estelle's arms.
Watching Duren toddle away, Glacia asked in a bewildered tone,
"…Is that kid on his second life or something?"
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