Edith moved to the study and took the mood seriously.

“It’s about our family. Father also knows it can’t be like this.”

“It’s all my fault. I was so greedy for business in the past that I ended up at this point….”

“Let’s move on from that story.”

She cut off his words. If left alone, the story of that time would be unraveled for hours.

“More than that, father, I think we need to sort out the property issue. I will get paid in the future, but father might spend it at the gambling house if it keeps going like this.”

It was such a severe issue that she had no choice but to speak directly. Even before she graduated from the academy and entered the palace, she tried to figure out a way to overcome this hurdle.

“The property… I didn’t sell the estate, though. I also left the ownership of this mansion intact.”

“That’s fortunate. But I know that the creditor has the right to collect the estate.”

At present, the house’s income was cut off. Creditors were taking all the profits collected from the Gren Horn territory due to a large amount of gambling debt. The money was taken in the name of interest, and if the principal weren’t repaid, not a single penny would come from the estate forever.

Edith was convinced that the estate’s ownership was maintained because her father had not yet sold it. At this rate, it was only a matter of time before they lost their land and went bankrupt.

Therefore, special measures were necessary.

“Father, I’m sorry but you have to do me a favor.”

“What…?”

She would reluctantly make this proposal if she were the real Edith because the sentiment would have tied her as the man’s own flesh and blood.

“Give me the title of duke and the head’s authority.”

The duke’s dim impression improved for a moment as much as an average person. His puffy eyelids from his irregular life were raised, and he made an embarrassed expression as if he couldn’t grasp the situation.

“No, what does that mean all of a sudden?”

Usually, the head’s position was inherited only when the ancestors died. Even if it wasn’t codified, it has been passed down as a tradition for many years.

Exceptions were very rare. For example, when there was a big problem that causes the family to fall.

Edith compared the current situation to such an exception. She would be in trouble if she stay still. It was impossible to prevent the duke from gambling on her salary in the first place. Furthermore, sooner or later the house would be ruined.

With the situation at this point, she considered it would be better for her to inherit the title and position if the Duke allowed it.

“The family is on the verge of collapsing. If father admits it, you must leave everything to me. We can prevent the worst that way.”

“Well, the title–”

“If things get worse than they are now, we will go bankrupt. However, if you leave it to me, at least it won’t increase the debt.”

While persuading the Duke, Edith wondered how nice it would have been if she had acted this smart in front of Clyde.

When she stood in front of Clyde, the atmosphere kept flowing in a strange direction, and her words were twisted, making it difficult for her to respond rationally. She could act as smart as she was now if circumstances allowed.

She pointed out every detail of the postwar situation to the duke and future predictions.

Gambling was a serious mental illness.

In the novel setting, the two were blood relatives. Edith couldn’t stop it when the Duke spent her money. The salary would be the only source of income, and she could secure the debt collateral under the family’s authority. Even a lifetime earnings were possible.

After long conversations and logical explanations, the duke was almost halfway through. Despite the apparent pros and cons, he was unable to make a decision easily and was floundered due to his weak personality.

“Father, are you willing to quit gambling?”

“Of course. I’ll never step in there again. That’s why I’m home today.”

Certainly, she didn’t believe it. She just asked because it was necessary for persuasion.

These issues should be decided at once when it was in full swing. Delaying it would only made the duke contemplate more. He might go to the gambling house this evening and irreparable debt incurred.

Wearing the mask of a daughter who cared so much about her father, she didn’t seem to mind saying this because Edith cared more about her future than her family.

“I believe in father. In that sense, we must overcome our unexpected misfortunes together.”

The duke’s expression was moved by emotion.

“Edith…”

“I’ll do my best to pay back what I owe you. That’s what a family is for. I have to take responsibility and lead the family.”

After all, his daughter’s money was bound to his debt and interest. She just turned around and said that.

“I feel like I’m putting too much burden on you.”

She was almost there. Edith put a wedge in the verbal persuasion. She forced herself to cry and gave him a passionate hug.

She patted the duke’s shoulder and said that he should be strong.

“It can’t be helped.”

“Sure… sure, Edith.”

As soon as the duke made a crucial decision in a clear state of mind, she drove the momentum, took his hand and went to the Imperial Palace. She stopped by the Ministry of Government Affairs, which records the succession of nobles, and even filled out documents.

Since there were so many terrible rumors circulating about the Ketzmorris family, the person in charge kept glancing at both of them even while making the document as Edith requested.

The situation was finally settled when the two signed the title and family succession.

Like a bolt of lightning, she became Duke Paddleton IV and was responsible for the Ketzmorris family along with the huge debts.

Her father, who was now the former duke, said he had business to do and disappeared as soon as they left the palace. It was obvious where he was going.

Her father had utterly lost all sense of reality on the money issue. He was just trying to be nice to Edith, but he had no idea what he would do with the debt he already owed.

Even though Edith was left suffered with a lot of debt, he didn’t feel guilty as her father just by looking at the way he ran to the gambling house again.

But something has changed. The former duke’s debt made after this would become personal debt. She was no longer obligated to pay although she was his daughter. Because the family’s head didn’t have to pay back the family members’ debt.

Edith couldn’t contain her confusion as she returned home alone.

‘Still, this was the best I could do. I have looked up all sorts of ways and came to this conclusion.’

She suddenly ran into a lot of debt, but she couldn’t help it even if she had heartburn. In any case, parents’ debts were to be paid by their children according to the current law. The only way to overcome that was to deal with it.

The former Duke Paddleton was now unable to sell off the estate or get his hands on things in the house.

All the debts and property belonged to Edith.

* * *

“Hey, Duke Paddleton.”

She looked at him furtively as Clyde pulled decorative spectacles on his nose bridge.

“May I be excused from such a hospitality, Grand Duke Hilliard?”

Edith responded equally, citing one of the Crown Prince’s many titles. She was gnawing her teeth.

He laughed softly. The atmosphere between the two was quite satisfactory and less stiff compared to the beginning.

“It’s amazing and admirable, Edith. Even if you don’t, I’ve been worried about your family’s problems all along, and I can’t believe you’ve solved them this way.”

“Is it… a solution? You’d freak out if you knew how much I owed.”

“You don’t have to worry about your future yet, right?”

“Thank you for saying that.”

She couldn’t help sighing at the end of the sentence.

Today she had something to do in the office. A few years had passed since the emperor was sick, Clyde had no time to rest as a proxy.

Following his path, Edith also took on official duties up close like a thread following a needle.

During a tedious day, he looked for entertainment for a while. He pulled out some colorful glasses from the drawer and reflected in the mirror. It was like a costume play.

There were times when she changed paper knives or pens when her daily life was frustrating. For the Crown Prince’s play, he was very upright and sincere in a way.

“Would you like to try one too, Edith?”

He gestured to the woman who was beside him.

“No, I think I’ll look weird.”

“Don’t be like that, give it a try.”

After choosing round gold-rimmed glasses engraved with detailed patterns, he made Edith stood in front of the mirror. He would still put it on her even though she refuse it.

“You won’t feel dizzy because it doesn’t have a prescription. It’s fun when your face looks different.”

There were many people besides the two of them in the spacious office. Other attendants and officials started to get used to it, though astonished because Clyde treated her like a close friend. Therefore, even if they witnessed the Crown Prince’s unusual favor and unreserved behavior, they pretended not to see it.

Edith wasn’t very curious about Clyde’s stuff because accessories glasses were common in the world she lived in.

“I prefer my face without–”

However, she let him do what he wanted because he was so eager.

“I still want you to try it.”

Clyde was standing opposite her and tidied up her baby hairs. He stroked the hair under her ears with his fingertips, then tucked them behind her ears. He kept teased his hands until both right and left sides were neat.

As expected, she felt like a doll. He said he didn’t do this out of a desire to get married, so she was definitely a comfortable toy to play with.

Her cheeks were puffy and bulging as Clyde pressed slightly against her round cheek with his knuckles.

“Do you know you’re like a child?”

“I’m old enough.”

“You’re as cute as when you were young.”

Her mouth opened with astonishment, and the air inside came out.

Does he remember Edith from her childhood that she didn’t know?

Edith had no past memories of him. This was because the information that could be learned remains in her brain, but all memories containing emotions were lost the moment she possessed this body. So she wasn’t sure why she didn’t remember.

“When I was… young?”

Even when she asked back with fear, he didn’t stop touching Edith’s ears.

Clyde stretched his plump lips from side to side and acted sly as if something had happened. He didn’t say a word and was absorbed in putting glasses on her.

He made eye contact with her as he leaned slightly.

Strange hotness suddenly struck Edith. Maybe the room was a little hot. She didn’t know if she was sensitive to temperature.

The sparkling golden iris captivated her. Like a sandy beach in the brilliant sun, a haze seemed to rise in her vision as she tried to look straight ahead.

“Everyone has a childhood. I didn’t mean anything.”

He put glasses on Edith’s face, giving off a strange atmosphere.

Clyde’s large hand blocked her view. Clyde’s hands and face were the only things she could see with her hazy eyes within an inch of distance.

He had a male atmosphere and delicate scent.

It was so intense and impressive that tickled her stomach.

Her lower eyelids trembled at the sensual feeling of the man that was coming too close.