Chapter 29 Going Back

The return trip was much noisier than the ride there, mostly because Maria wouldn’t let the girls leave without a fuss.

“This house will become lonely again.”

Maria held Ambrosia tightly while speaking with the tone of a deeply betrayed grandmother.

“Grandma…”

“Stay another month.”

“We can’t.”

“Two weeks.”

“Grandma.”

“One week.”

Axios stood nearby laughing shamelessly while Amos watched the scene with crossed arms.

“You are negotiating downward surprisingly fast.”

Maria ignored him entirely. Lisa looked deeply conflicted.

Which was understandable, as Maria had completely won over both girls in just two weeks—especially Ambrosia. Once emotionally reserved, she now hugged Maria goodbye openly, fighting hard to hold back tears. Maria gently stroked her hair.

“You must visit again soon.”

“I will.”

“Promise?”

“I promise.”

“That’s my adorable granddaughter.”

Amos immediately pointed.

“Favoritism.”

“Yes.”

“That was immediate.”

Maria looked at him flatly.

“You have your childhood already.”

“That sounds cruel.”

“You were extremely troublesome.”

“Grandfather encouraged me.”

“That man encouraged arson-level behavior.”

Axios looked genuinely proud, and Roland would likely have agreed with both observations. Nearby, Lisa received a softer yet equally affectionate goodbye, while Maria carefully smoothed the girl’s hair.

“And you.”

Lisa straightened instinctively.

“Yes?”

“Eat properly.”

“Yes.”

“Sleep properly.”

“Yes.”

“And stop apologizing every five minutes.”

Lisa froze.

“…I do that?”

“Constantly.”

Ambrosia nodded immediately.

“You really do.”

Lisa looked mildly horrified by this revelation.

Maria smiled softly afterward before pulling Lisa into a hug too.

“You’re family now.”

Lisa visibly froze.

Then slowly relaxed.

“Thank you.”

Amos quietly watched the interaction from nearby.

The old Duke grinned before suddenly throwing an arm around Amos’s shoulders.

“And remember.”

“…Why do I feel danger creeping in again?”

“If you break a girl’s heart without reason, your grandmother will make sure you regret it.”

“That sounds like a threat.”

“It is.”

Maria nodded calmly. Ambrosia suddenly looked suspicious.

“Why does everyone assume Brother will become a problem?”

“Because I know him,” Maria answered instantly.

“Because I was in his shoes,” Axios answered proudly.

Amos looked betrayed by his own blood once again.

The carriage driver coughed awkwardly nearby.

“My lord… we should depart soon if we wish to arrive before nightfall.”

Maria sighed dramatically.

“Fine.”

Then immediately grabbed Amos’s face between both hands.

“You.”

“Yes, Me.”

“Eat better.”

“I do eat.”

“Desserts are not proper meals.”

“They filled me enough.”

“You sound exactly like Axios.”

She released him afterward before smoothing out his hair despite his resistance.

“You’ve grown well.”

The teasing faded slightly from her voice.

“So much taller.”

Amos paused briefly.

“You too.”

Axios immediately burst out laughing.

“PUHAHAHAHAHA, THAT’S YOUR RESPONSE?”

“I PANICKED.”

Even Maria couldn’t help but laugh at that. At last, the farewells began in earnest. Ambrosia hugged both grandparents once more, while Lisa bowed politely before being swept into another hug anyway Axios boomed a reminder to Amos to “continue the bloodline responsibly,” earning an immediate smack from Maria’s fan. And then, finally, the carriage began to roll away.

Amos rested quietly against the window, watching as the countryside slipped further into the distance. The fruit orchards. The lake. The little secluded where two former rulers had traded politics for peace. For a moment, the old estate already felt oddly far away. Beside him,rosia sniffled softly.

“I already miss them.”

“Already?” Amos admitted softly.

Lisa nodded quietly.

“It felt warm there.”

“Yes.”

Amos looked back one last time toward the shrinking silhouette of the countryside house.

“They looked happier than I remembered.”

Ambrosia smiled faintly.

“Maybe because we visited.”

Maybe.

Or perhaps—

They’d just waiting for their family to come back.

The carriage rolled smoothly along the road toward the capital. Ambrosia and Lisa sat side by across from Amos, looking far too content after two whole weeks of countryside calm and grandmother-style spoiling.

Amos narrowed his eyes.

“You two are hiding something from me.”

Ambrosia quickly averted her gaze, and Lisa froze, the truth hitting her all at once.

“I knew it.”

“We are not hiding anything,” Ambrosia declared far too quickly.

“Your acting skills are terrible.”

“They are not.”

“You just panicked before finishing the sentence.”

Lisa quietly tried to save the situation.

“Lady Maria merely talked with us.”

“That sentence somehow concerns me even more.”

Amos leaned back slowly.

“What exactly did grandma teach you?”.

Ambrosia coughed into her hand.

“Girl things.”

“Define girl things.”

“No.”

“That is not reassuring.”

Lisa looked genuinely apologetic now.

“We promised not to tell.”

Amos stared blankly.

“You made promises?”

“Yes.”

“To grandma?”

“Yes.”

Ambrosia suddenly puffed her cheeks proudly.

“Grandmother says some conversations are a lady's secret.”

“That sounds illegal.”

“She also said boys become arrogant if they know too much.”

“Grandma absolutely would say that.”

Lisa nodded carefully.

“She said it is important to stay mysterious.”

Amos slowly looked toward the ceiling of the carriage.

“She’s teaching social strategy again.”

“She is very wise,” Ambrosia defended immediately.

Amos narrowed his eyes further afterward.

“Did she teach you noble politics.”

“No.”

“Fashion?”

“Maybe.”

“Social manipulation?”

“That sounds bad when you say it.”

“Because it IS bad.”

Lisa hesitated quietly.

“She taught us how to identify dangerous men.”

Amos blinked once.

“Grandma is profiling people now?”

Ambrosia immediately pointed at him.

“She used you as an example.”

“ME?!”

Lisa looked guilty.

“She said charming men are the most dangerous.”

“That sounds unfair to me.”

“She specifically mentioned you.”

“That sounds extremely unfair to me.”

Ambrosia grinned victoriously now.

“Grandmother said you’ll accidentally make girls emotional and not realize it.”

“What does that even mean.”

“She said you inherited grandfather’s charisma but not his awareness.”

Amos slowly closed his eyes.

“I am going to pretend I did not hear that.”

Lisa quietly added another fatal strike.

“She also said you’re the type to say kind things naturally then disappear into danger before people can process their feelings.”

Ambrosia nodded seriously.

“She sounded very experienced saying it.”

“…That one is absolutely directed at grandfather.”

“Probably.”

Amos rubbed his forehead.

“So, for two weeks…”

“Yes?”

“Grandma spent the entire time psychologically profiling me to you two?”

“Correct,” Ambrosia answered immediately.

“That feels deeply targeted.”

“It was.”

Lisa tried to comfort him gently.

“She also praised you a lot.”

Amos paused.

“Really?”

“Yes.”

“What did she say?”

The two girls exchanged looks. Then Ambrosia smiled faintly.

“She said you act ridiculous because you care too much.”

Lisa nodded softly afterward.

“She said you always watch over everyone quietly.”

“And that you pretend not to notice people depending on you because responsibility embarrasses you,” Ambrosia added.

“Grandma reads too much into it.”

“She also called you lonely.”

The carriage grew quieter afterward.

Amos looked out the window briefly.

“That old woman definitely readss too much into it.”

Ambrosia’s expression softened slightly.

“She really loves you, you know.”

“I know.”

Lisa tilted her head carefully.

“You love them a lot too.”

Amos clicked his tongue softly.

“Of course.”

“…So.”

“So?”

“You’re both really not telling me anything else?”

Ambrosia smiled brightly.

“Nope.”

Lisa looked away with guilt. Which somehow made Amos even more nervous.

“What did she teach you.”

“That is sec-ret.”