“Your guard and you seem to be very close,” Alexander said as they strolled around the garden.  

“We grew up together,” Alessandra said. “And since I pay him enough, he sticks to me.” 

No one would go out during weather as bad as that, yet the two of them walked together as if it was the most normal thing anyone would do. Even though the storm had calmed down, the weather was still gloomy. Alexander might have started the storm and he stopped it as well, but it was not up to him to fully flip the weather.  

“I think I can say the same for your butler,” she said. 

“That old man raised me,” he said. “My parents were too busy after all.” 

Yeah, busy to try to mess with all other duchies and the Imperial Palace. 

“That reminds me, you were raised by Duke Albert alone,” he added. “It is impressive how good the duke is at raising children.” 

“Yes, Duke Albert raised me and my brother with all his might. After all, we had to go through the unfortunate event of our mother’s death at the tender age of five,” she smiled.  

“I am curious- how did the duchess even die? She wasn’t even ill to begin with.”  

“Alex, you’re too direct for your own good,” she said. “No wonder you’re called the mad duke.” 

“Thank you.” 

“You’re welcome,” she said. “And about the duchess’s death, I was only five years old then. How can I remember such a thing?” 

“That is true, indeed. Yet, I can’t convince myself,” he said. “But I think I will let it go for now.” 

Of course, you mad man. Did you think I will tell you everything just cause we signed a contract? 

“Duke Albert has chosen you as the heir when you were five. Can I ask based on what he chose you at that age even when Alessandro Maximillan was the same age as you?” 

“Obviously because I’m better than Alessandro,” she shrugged. “The duke has an eye to catch the similarity between things and also people. The duke is good at what he does. That’s why he knows that the same type as him will do a better job as the representative of the Maximillan duchy. But now that I will be marrying you, at least if everything goes as planned, Alessandro will be the heir.” 

I need to find him a suitable bride who is good at work as soon as possible. That guy can never do everything alone. 

“Alex, are you good with women?” she asked.  

“... Why are you asking this all of a sudden?” he asked, surprised.  

“Well, I’m looking for a bride for my dear brother. I was going to ask for recommendations,” she replied.  

“No,” he said.  

For some reason, Alexander could not say that she was the first woman whose hand he held.  

“Too bad. Then I will have to do everything alone,” she muttered.  

“What about Duke Albert?”  

“Duke?” she looked at him as if it was the strangest thing anyone asked her. “... It’s my responsibility to find my brother a bride since I’m the one who decided to marry you.” 

“But will the duke agree with your decision?” 

Of course. Why the hell would he oppose my decision when we think the exact same thing? And if he had to oppose, he wouldn’t make me the heir in the first place. 

“Yes. As I am the heir right now, the duke believes in me,” she said.  

For some strange reason, even though she was not the real Alessandra, she had the exact same personality as the duke, real Alessandra’s father. That was the reason it was easier for her to settle down with her second life without much of a problem.  

“What about your brother?” Alexander asked.  

He was interested in the Maximillan duchy, mostly because of how secretive they were. And the way the young duchess was interested him even more.  

“He knows that his sister knows the best,” she said.  

If he dares to refuse me, I will just tie him up with an old but capable workaholic noblewoman. 

“It seems your brother trusts you a lot,” Alexander said.  

“Of course, though I can’t say the same about your brother since right now he is looking at us intently from his balcony over there,” Alessandra said.  

“He thinks I’m stealing his fiancé,” Alexander shrugged. 

“He is not wrong.”  

That night, Alessandra could sleep soundly without worrying about anything. She had sent a letter to the Maximillan duchy saying that she would come back within a day. It usually took one day in the carriage to return to the Maximillan duchy. As she was to be absent for two days, her brother Alessandro needed to do all her work.  

Matt had found some interesting information. She could sleep peacefully knowing that Hayden Terrence was actively trying to kill Alexander and also that Matt had broken the limbs of the man who was sent to shoot poison darts at Alexander and sent his injured body as a warning not to do anything like that again though it was clear that Hayden would not stop only at this.  

“My lady, the poison was one of the strongest ones. Even though Duke Alexander would not die at this, his health would still be affected greatly,” Matt said.  

“Get out, I wanna sleep.”  

“I broke his limbs and made sure that Lord Hayden thinks that it was Duke Alexander who sent that man to him,” he said, ignoring her. “And just as you said, I found two more of his spies that he sent after us. I bribed them with the money you gave me and found evidence of him trying to take over the Terrence duchy while siding with the Achilles duchy.” 

“That fucking bastard...,” she grumbled with her eyes closed.  

Matt was sitting on Alessandra’s bed whose peaceful sleep was interrupted by him.  

“I placed the documents inside your bag. We’re leaving tomorrow, right?” he asked.  

“Yeah. That said, why the hell there was a chess piece inside my bag?”  

“Oh, that? I brought the chess box inside your bag since it had a lot of vacant space,” he said. “But that’s not the point. My lady, let’s stay here for a while more. The food is impressive and the orange maid can play chess better than you.” 

“Get outta here, you shameless brat,” she grumbled. “Let me sleep. And this is not a place I can stay as long as I want to. Though if I say so, Alex would perhaps let me stay.” 

“You two are on the first name base?” 

“But I have to return as soon as possible,” she continued. “I need to visit the imperial palace soon. I requested an audience with the princess though she had not replied yet. I think she is still upset because I mocked her fluffy hair a bit.” 

“Wasn’t that last year in the princess’s coming of age banquet?” he asked. “She almost cried because she was too angry.” 

“Yeah, that time. That’s the last time I met her,” she said. “Even though she is slow to respond, she is good at work. Her face is not remarkably pretty, but she is kinda cute like an angry kitty cat. She hates her brother’s guts just like me and even though she is quite annoying to deal with, she will still be a suitable bride for my brother. If I marry Alex, then I won’t have to deal with her anyway.” 

“Lord Alessandro hates women,” he said.  

“He is not gay,” she muttered. “And he doesn’t hate women. He is just too shy to deal with them. I can’t believe that incapable unworthy brat is my brother.”  

“Now you’ve come here and done it. You ruined my sleep, you bastard! Get out!” she barked.