After I gave Sub-Baron Ravioli the chance to make a "wise decision," I followed through with my promise to take Chloe on a picnic.

    We headed to a small hill near Florence—a place I''d often visited with my family as a child.

    "We''re going to a place where I used to go with my parents and brothers," I told her.

    "Really?"

    "Well, we only went about once a year. Both my parents were usually too busy to go out more often."

    Chloe gave me a look of sympathy, clearly moved. In Korea, family trips and outings are more common, and parents who don''t spend time with their children might be judged harshly. But in the Tuscany Empire, noble fathers simply don''t have the time or emotional connection for such things.

    In noble families, a father''s love often goes to the children of favored mistresses based on their looks or personalities.

    For children born to legitimate wives, the main inheritance; for children of mistresses, a portion of wealth and perhaps some affection.

    The arrangement still baffled me sometimes.

    "That''s how noble families are," I said. "Compared to others, my father was quite affectionate."

    "It still must have been lonely."

    I shrugged, remembering that my adult mind from a previous life had spared me from feeling the loneliness too deeply. But my elder brother, Albert, had been affected. His obsession with power and suspicion towards me might have stemmed from that.

    "It was lonely, but I managed. They did care for me in their own way."

    In other families, fathers often treated their children as mere subordinates.

    "How about you?" I asked, but the question immediately made her face fall.

    "No, I’m sorry," I said quickly.

    Chloe had lost her entire family to a famine-induced plague. My thoughtlessness made me wince.

    She forced a sad smile and looked out at the fields, her eyes misting over with memories.

    "We were poor, but we were happy. Father was strict but played with us often, and Mother would tell us stories before bed."

    I could imagine the scene—a burly but gentle father, a kind mother, and kids clinging to their parents.

    It was probably a simple but happy life.

    "Then last year, the lord changed, the crops failed, and the plague came. But still, it was a happy life."

    Tears gathered in her eyes.

    "I''m sorry," I said.

    She wiped her eyes quickly, turning back to me with a small smile.

    "But now, being with you, I’m happy again."

    I reached over and ruffled her hair. She looked up at me with a grateful expression.

    The past can’t be changed, but happiness now is what matters most.

    "We’re here, sir," the coachman called.

    We got out of the carriage on a secluded hill covered with wildflowers. It was a beautiful spot.

    "Shall we lay out the mat and have lunch?"

    As I was setting up, Sebastian approached.

    She knew all too well what might have happened to her otherwise: sold off to some unknown man, perhaps forced into a life as a concubine or worse.

    "I have no one else but him to trust," she murmured. "I have to try my best to be someone he can care for."

    While the thought of being his official partner was unlikely, she was content as long as she could stay by his side.

    "Are you hungry? Let’s eat," I called.

    She moved closer, sitting next to me so that we were just barely touching. She found comfort and security in that small connection.

    "This sandwich is really good, Chloe."

    "Is it?"

    "Yeah, it looks so nice I almost don’t want to eat it."

    Even though I had access to top-tier food from the estate chefs, I always appreciated the care Chloe put into her meals.

    "It’s so good I want more tomorrow. Would you make it again?"

    He praised her cooking as if it was the best thing he’d ever had, making her feel warm inside.

    Unlike most nobles, I treated her with genuine care.

    "Thank you," she said, meaning every word.

    "You’re really welcome."

    As I complimented her food, I noticed her gaze drift towards her own chest and linger for a moment. She probably thought I didn’t notice, but I saw it.

    But Chloe wasn’t stupid. She knew relying solely on looks could make her disposable someday.

    "Sir, I have a favor to ask."

    "What is it?"

    "I’d like to study. I want to be more useful to you."

    It was a request beyond what any servant might ask.

    "Of course. I’ll get you the books and hire a tutor if you need one."

    She smiled, and I could tell how grateful she was.

    "I suppose I really can’t live without you," she thought, grateful for the opportunity to learn.

    "If you keep studying, I’ll give you a reward too."

    She resolved to ask for a reward that would bring her closer to me, a little more intimate.

    Sebastian, watching from afar, sighed.

    "The young master is really clueless when it comes to these things," he muttered.

    "How did he climb so high in just four months?"

    In the end, with Chloe’s constant support, I formally established my own guild. It didn’t take long before I set off to Bioro Village to make it my base.