In the office of the Ducal House of Albert, the head of the family, Lilia Albert, sat in her chair, mesmerized by the package resting on her desk.
"Heh... hehehe."
Having ascended to her title at a young age, Lilia was known as an exceptionally serious person. Consequently, she told everyone that she had no real hobbies—at least, that was the public story.
In reality, however, she possessed a passion she kept strictly under wraps. And that was...
"The craftsmanship is exquisite. It cost quite a bit, but the level of detail on this Red Dragon Model is truly magnificent..."
A faint smile played on her lips as Lilia opened the wrapping, gazing entranced at the dragon figure within. She was in a state of pure ecstasy, a sight completely unimaginable to anyone familiar with her usual professional demeanor.
Yes, to tell the truth, Lilia had been obsessed with dragons since she was a small child. Collecting their scales, fangs, and models was her sole and greatest joy in life.
However, Lilia kept this hobby hidden from the world for a very simple reason: she found it terribly embarrassing. Because of this, she had purchased even this latest model under several layers of disguise to ensure her servants wouldn't suspect a thing.
After admiring the model for a few minutes, Lilia glanced restlessly around the room. No one in the mansion would dream of entering her office without knocking, and she had already confirmed that the hallway was clear.
Even so, double-checking was simply part of her nature.
Satisfied that she was alone, Lilia approached a large bookshelf and pulled out several specific volumes.
Deep within the shelf sat multiple Magic Crystals. Lilia touched them in a precise, practiced sequence. With a soft hum, the bookshelf slowly slid to the side, revealing a hidden door.
This was Lilia's Secret Collection Room. Inside, she meticulously preserved the various dragon-related treasures she had gathered over the years. Just as Lilia prepared to place her new Red Dragon Model inside, a sharp knock echoed through the room.
"——!?"
Terrified, Lilia restored the bookshelf at a speed that defied belief and snatched the model off her desk, shoving it underneath the furniture just in time.
Attempting to feign a composed expression, she called out toward the door.
"C-Come in."
"Pardon me."
A male voice answered. Since there was only one man staying in the mansion, she knew exactly who was visiting.
"Is something the matter, Kaito-san?"
"Sorry to bother you while you're busy. Actually, I was hoping to ask for your advice on something..."
"Advice? Yes, of course. What is it?"
(W-Why did he have to come at this exact moment!?)
Lilia maintained her facade, but beneath her smile, her heart was in a total panic. If Kaito found the dragon model, her secret would be out—a secret she hadn't even shared with her long-time friend and confidante, Lunamaria.
It would be a devastating blow to her dignity as a Duchess, but more than that, it was just too mortifying.
Desperate to protect her secret, Lilia wanted to finish Kaito’s business as quickly as humanly possible.
"Ah, right... Huh? Lilia-san, a book has fallen over there."
"Eh? Ah..."
Perhaps she had been too clumsy when she slammed the bookshelf back into place, but a single volume was indeed lying on the floor.
"Does it go on that shelf?"
"W-Wait! I'll put it back!"
(T-This is bad! I haven't locked the mechanism yet. If Kaito-san touches the shelf now, the door will open!)
Lilia practically lunged to intercept Kaito, snatching the book up herself.
The mechanism on the bookshelf was activated by touching the Magic Crystals in a specific order and would trigger if the shelf was moved while the "lock" was open. To reset it, she had to touch the crystals in the reverse order.
Because of that, she couldn't actually put the book back yet. One wrong touch, and the entrance to her secret room would slide open right in front of him.
"...Aren't you going to put it back?"
"I-I'll do it later!"
"I-I see..."
Kaito tilted his head, clearly confused by Lilia’s flustered behavior, but he was polite enough not to pry.
"S-So, Kaito-san? About your question..."
"Oh, right. I was thinking about getting a new pair of shoes, and I was wondering if you knew of any good shops in the city."
"Shoes, is it? In that case, I can recommend the shop I usually frequent..."
Relieved to have successfully steered the conversation away from the bookshelf, Lilia breathed a silent sigh of relief and quickly scribbled the shop's name and location on a memo.
"Go to this shop. If you tell them I sent you, I'm sure they'll give you a discount."
"Thank you very much... Um..."
Kaito took the memo and looked it over, his brow furrowing slightly.
The note included a small map, but since Kaito was still unfamiliar with the geography of the Royal Capital, it didn't immediately make sense to him.
"Lilia-san, is this plaza the one with the fountain?"
"Yes, you turn right there and walk for a few minutes."
"So... around that area..."
"Stop! Kaito-san, stop!?"
"Huh? Ah, yes. W-What is it? So suddenly..."
Kaito hadn't done anything wrong. He had merely started toward the large office window to look out and confirm the direction.
But for Lilia, this was a catastrophe. The dragon model she had hidden under the desk was tucked away in a shadow that Kaito couldn't see from where he had been standing.
However, if he reached the window, the change in angle would make the model perfectly visible.
Lilia couldn't let him get near that window, no matter what. As she scrambled to explain her sudden outburst to the baffled Kaito, her thoughts raced at high speed, searching for any excuse that might stick.
"T-That area is about to collapse!"
"...Excuse me?"
Unfortunately, Lilia was a catastrophically bad liar.
"Collapse? What is?"
"T-The floor! The floor is going to cave in! And the ceiling is about to fall, too!"
"That's... well beyond the level of a structural defect..."
Kaito’s flat retort hit home, but Lilia was too far gone to care about logic. Her only goal was keeping him away from that window.
"If I say it's collapsing, it's collapsing!"
"I-I understand. Could it be, though... Lilia-san, are you hiding something in your desk?"
"Wha—!? W-W-What are you talking about? I-I-I’m n-not h-hiding a-anything..."
Lilia’s composure shattered instantly. Her reaction was as good as a full confession; she had backed herself into a corner.
If Kaito had asked just one more question—if he had pushed to know exactly what was hidden—the panicked Lilia would likely have spilled everything.
But the interrogation never came. Before Kaito could say another word, a third person entered the room.
"Pardon the interruption. Milady, what is all this shouting? Oh, if it isn't Miyama-sama."
"Eh? Ah, hello, Lunamaria-san."
"You've arrived at the perfect time. It seems Kusunoki-sama and Yuzuki-sama were looking for you."
"Oh? Those two?"
"Yes, they mentioned having some urgent business..."
Kaito glanced back at Lilia one last time. He was certainly curious about what she was hiding, but he wasn't the type to force someone to reveal a secret they were clearly desperate to keep.
"In that case, I'll go find them. Lilia-san, thank you for your help."
"N-No, feel free to come by anytime."
Kaito gave a polite bow to Lilia and Lunamaria before heading for the door. Once he was gone, Lilia finally slumped into her chair, exhaling a long, weary breath.
"Milady? You seem quite exhausted. Shall I go brew some tea for you?"
"Yes... please."
"Understood. If you'll excuse me."
As Lunamaria stepped out of the office, she let out a small, weary sigh of her own, whispering to the empty hallway with a knowing smirk.
"Honestly... does she seriously believe she's kept it a secret from everyone? She’s as precious as ever."