"......I did not even realize how I ended up coming in here myself."

Sitting at a small table in the drawing room, Selina crossed her arms.

In front of her, the girl who had just opened the door was noisily chatting with several people—whether they were her family or not was impossible to tell.

"Hey, Bale. Tie said we should greet the house across from us and the neighbors on the side."

"Greet them? Everyone in this alley is an aristocrat."

"Even if they are aristocrats, you still have to greet them. That is why a friend came here."

"They hate people like us. If we go to their house, they shake out the entrance mat right after, like this, like this, with disgust. That is the kind of people they are."

"......Why shake the mat? Is there a lot of dust?"

"Ha. That is not what I meant."

At the utterly pointless conversation with no context or value, Selina let out a sigh.

Immediately, six pairs of eyes turned toward her.

Selina shook her head and raised her gaze.

"You let a guest into the drawing room, and this is how you behave?"

At her words, they all looked flustered.

Soon, however, the slender man with the handsome face asked the large man beside him:

"Hey, what was your name, Basto. Do you know anything about noble etiquette? Like how to receive a guest."

"I do not."

"Raul, Enzo, what about you?"

"In situations like this, usually only the representative remains, and the others withdraw."

"Representative? Who is that supposed to be."

"Well... you could say the de facto master of the house. Normally that role is fulfilled by the head of the family, but......"

"We do not have a head of the family."

"But we do have a squad leader......?"

All eyes turned at once toward Tie.

Tie blinked in confusion, and Bale said:

"Kid. Can you receive the guest?"

"Huh? Tie alone......?"

Bale glanced briefly at Selina and whispered into Tie’s ear:

"Yeah. She is about your size anyway. Just talk to her about something. We cannot just throw her out."

"But......"

"She came from the house across from us, and from the way she speaks she is not ordinary. An aristocrat. Before sending her away, we should at least keep up appearances."

Tie swallowed and looked at Selina again.

Neat and beautiful clothing.

Hair carefully arranged without a single strand out of place.

A calm expression and perfectly straight posture.

"All right, we are going. When you finish talking, come out, got it?"

The squad members filed out of the drawing room in a group.

Tie stared blankly at Raul, who waved at her as if saying good luck.

And just like that, only Tie and Selina remained in the drawing room.

After a short pause, Selina spoke first.

"......My name is Selina Belmore. I live in the mansion across from here, which is registered under my mother’s name."

Tie hurriedly nodded.

"Mm-hmm!"

"And what is the young lady’s name?"

But Tie became confused again.

She could not understand whom Selina had been calling "young lady" this whole time.

If you do not know something, it is best to ask.

Tie energetically raised her hand.

"Tie has a question! What is a young lady?"

Selina’s brows furrowed.

But Tie continued confidently:

"Tie is not a young lady. Tie is Kim Astie. Why do you keep calling Tie young lady?"

Selina’s mouth opened slightly.

But she quickly regained composure and answered with a somewhat awkward expression:

"Young lady is a form of address that was once used respectfully for the daughters of aristocrats and distinguished families."

"Oh, a form of address......"

"But recently it is used for all refined and well-mannered women. I addressed you that way out of courtesy."

Tie fell into thought.

'So that means......'

Young lady is like nim in Korea.

Like when Hyunu and the others play games on the tablet and add it to their nickname.

Selina’s words began to make sense to her, like something in a game chat.

'Is that a user? The owner of the mansion is the user?'

'The host receives the guest. If the user came out, then that means she is the host?'

'Very powerful Marvelcraft style......!'

But that was not the important part.

'So here, instead of nim, they say young lady to be polite!'

Tie straightened her back.

And cheerfully said:

"Selina young lady asked Tie’s name, yes."

Selina frowned.

But Tie beamed and continued:

"Tie is Tie! Actually Kim Astie, but everyone calls Tie Tie. Selina young lady, how old are you?"

Selina involuntarily leaned back a little.

'What is this......'

She had already realized that the girl in front of her was not an aristocrat.

But could someone truly be this ignorant of basic manners?

Moreover, Tie was using the term young lady so strangely that it was irritating.

It would have been better if she had not used it at all.

Of course, Astie had no idea.

"You know, Tie is four years old. Selina young lady, do you like fairies?"

Suddenly Tie jumped to her feet, and Selina flinched.

But Tie paid no attention. She ran to the door, took her uniform from the hanger, and came back.

Sitting on the sofa, she proudly showed the Tanipang embroidery.

"Look!"

Selina’s tightly pressed lips parted at once.

'......Wow.'

The fairy in the embroidery looked nothing like the toys she had seen before.

Bright pink.

Sparkling eyes and a round face.

Selina asked hesitantly:

"......Is that a fairy?"

"Mm-hmm!"

Tie went further and practically shoved the uniform into Selina’s hands.

"You know, in a few nights an artist will come and paint thirty or forty more like this in Tie’s room!"

"......In your bedroom, these fairies?"

"Mm-hmm! And Aunt Marshal said she will add lots to Tie’s clothes too!"

Selina swallowed.

And examined the embroidery more closely.

"Then perhaps......"

But she suddenly stopped herself.

'I almost gave in.'

She had almost asked whether the same embroidery could be added to her favorite indoor clothes.

But that would have been completely unacceptable.

Especially for a noble young lady of five.

Composing herself, Selina quickly placed the uniform back.

"I did not come here for that."

"Huh? Then why?"

"I was curious what kind of ill-mannered neighbors moved in and did not even greet us."

Selina stood abruptly.

"But now that I at least learned your name, that is enough. I have lessons at the Imperial Academy, so I will take my leave."

Tie watched blankly as Selina left the drawing room.

'Wow...... The Imperial Academy!'

She really must be an aristocrat.

Neat steps and precise speech.

But something felt strange.

"Why is she walking alone......?"

In fact, the garden gate had been closed since last night.

But Selina had knocked on the door.

She had climbed over the fence herself and approached the entrance.

"Without adults, that is very dangerous......"

And then—

ding—

the bell on the wall of the drawing room rang.

It was pulled at the gate when guests arrived. 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

Tie jumped up.

"Maybe Selina came back!"

But when she ran happily to the gate—

it was not Selina standing there.

"Excuse me. My name is Leonardo Luminel. I have come from the Valentis family to escort......"

"Huh? The uncle with bird droppings?!"

Tie’s mouth fell open.

The very same man on whom bird droppings had fallen at the bounty office.

The one to whom Tie had given her handkerchief.

And now he stood before her—with a luxurious carriage and many attendants.