"Your daughter is calm, my lord."
Butler Zorro entered the merchant ship's most luxurious suite and reported to Duke Violet, who stood by the window leaning on his scepter.
He had expected her to insist on having her way as usual, perhaps even to have a shouting match with her father. Instead, after just one day confined to her quarters, she was willing to go home with them.
"...She's grown up," the butler said with relief.
Duke Violet didn't see it that way. All he could think was that he couldn't even protect his own daughter.
Knock, knock—
Faru Barros stared in surprise at Annan standing outside his door.
"Want to talk outside?" Annan asked.
A few minutes later, Annan and Faru Barros arrived at the Park.
There weren't many people in the Park at night. Young couples hadn't yet taken to going on evening walks together.
"You're the second person I've called out at night," Annan joked.
"Who was the first?"
"You should know him. Little Smo."
As Faru Barros searched his memory, Annan went on. "After he came back from the Northern Frontier, he was a little... lost. I gave him a role."
Annan took out a letter.
"Read this. She wrote it to us."
"Katelina..."
Duke Violet turned from the room and looked at his daughter standing in the doorway. She seemed to have grown up overnight. "I hope you won't resent me."
"Why would I? It's only a role. Compared with the difficulties you're facing, Father, it's nothing."
Duke Violet said nothing. If his daughter had met him with silence or complaints as she used to, he would have laughed and coaxed her out of it.
But seeing her so quiet and understanding made his nose sting.
Duke Violet drew a deep breath, suppressing