New Life, New Task: I'll Be A Mom Then!!!

Duke Vesala looked at his butler and ordered. "Send a notification to the Empress, I may have to talk to her personally regarding this matter."

"Right away Duke!" The butler bowed and moved to immediately follow his orders.

Moments after the butler left the Duke alone in the study, a soft knock was heard on his door.

"Father, it's Bella." A sweet gentle voice rang behind the door.

Hearing the voice, Duke Vesala's tense mood became much lighter, "Come, Bella! Let Father see you." His tone carried indulgence for his youngest daughter.

Arabella entered Duke Vesala's study, she walked gracefully like a gentle pampered princess she had been to her father.

Letting out a warm smile, paired with her delicate complexion, she walked near to her father and locked arms with him - a gesture she always did to her parents ever since she was a child.

Seeing her do this, Duke Vesala's heart immediately melted. He knew very well that whenever his dearest daughter did this, Bella would have something to request of him.

Caressing his daughter's head he helplessly asked with a heavy hint of doting, "Say it, Bella. What do you want from Father?"

Arabella sweetly giggled seeing that her Father knew her purpose right away, she coquettishly replied, "Bella wants to continue her journey now that the Winter Banquet is over."

Hearing that his daughter wanted to go away again, Duke Vesala's mood immediately darkened, he very wanted to scold his daughter but couldn't do so.

He just loved his daughter very much as she was the only one that they have since the two older children had their own lives to pursue already.

"Why can't you just stay in the estate? Is it not fun here in the Capital?" Duke Vesala could only say with an aggrieved tone.

"It's not like that, Father… I do miss you and Mother all the time, but it's just that…" Arabella knew that her father was extremely sad upon hearing her request.

Although she had been out roaming around the Empire for some time, she still missed being doted upon by her family.

"It's just that I was chasing the man I love." She blushed as she explained the matter further to her dad.

"Love?" Duke Vesala's tone became colder. Who is this man trying to snatch his daughter, causing him to be separated from her? "Who is this man?!"

Arabella chuckled as she saw her father act like his cabbage was stolen by someone, "Father, relax! Haven't you and Mother always been worried about me being unmarried yet in this age? Now that I have someone I fancied, could you bear to be harsh on the man I like?"

"But…" Duke Vesala choked upon hearing Arabella's reply. It was true that they have been worried for their young daughter's future. But still, for this mysterious man to suddenly snatch his daughter's affection… he couldn't help but feel bitter in his heart.

"Then tell me, who is this man? I'll see for myself if he is worthy of you.." He still insisted.

"No.. He has not known me yet. I have yet to introduce myself to him." Arabella shyly explained.

"Besides, he suddenly disappeared! My guard and I have been looking for his trace for months now. I just temporarily halted my search because of the winter banquet.." There was sadness and longing in the way Arabella spoke these words.

Duke Vesala hated to see his daughter aggrieved, although he didn't like the idea of his precious daughter pursuing a man, seeing his daughter feel lost and sad made his stance soft. "What could have happened? Do you need my help in searching for this person? It would be easier if you use our forces."

Arabella shook her head and said, "Father, I wish not to use our Vesala's forces so as to not make this person wary of my identity. I don't want him to run away because he became intimidated by my powerful background!"

Then she looked at Duke Vesala in a pleading expression. Her colorful amethyst eyes were sparkling with tears threatening to fall from her lovely face.

"Father, promise me not to do something that will startle this person. I have been watching him from afar and I am convinced that he is the only man for me!"

"He is humble, gentle and most of all a talented doctor! I am sure that even you would feel at peace because I am sure that he will know how to take care of me in the future!"

"Sigh!" Duke Vesala couldn't resist his daughter's pleading.

He was still unsure of letting his daughter go out again but he could not bear to take away his little baby's source of  joy.

With an unwilling yet defeated look, he cupped his youngest daughter's pale cheeks and softly wiped the tears in her eyes, "I promise, but on one condition. You have to use our private information guild to hasten the process of searching for that love of yours."

"I cannot bear to let you suffer outside for so long! You must use any way to cut your search time. In this way, you won't have to go out that early. Look, it's still in the middle of the winter. With the work being done by our investigators you would not risk your health in this harsh season."

"Really Father?!" Arabella was elated to hear Duke Vesala's consent. She squealed in delight while she jumped and hugged her father like a little child.

Duke Vesala couldn't help but let out a chuckle, "Yes! Besides, I might need your special guard for your aunt's matter. You may have known what happened during the clearing operations. Some of our forces were paralyzed because of this."

Remembering the current situation in the Empire, Duke Vesala's face immediately filled with worry.

"Sure Father. Is there something I can help you with regarding this matter?" Arabella was also vaguely aware of her Father and Aunt's ambition.

She knew that they hoped to let her cousin, Kazimir, be the crown prince of the Empire and eventually ascend to the throne.

"Well, for now I can only use the special guards to do some work under the dark. Our side still cannot fully understand the impact of the great inventor joining the two clans. It might be the best situation to have her on our side."

"But now with the Faraulds, I am afraid that they have long planned to do this for the Third Prince." Arabella followed her father's line of thought and managed to understand his side.

Duke Vesala nodded to confirm Arabella's thoughts. "That's why I wanted to mobilize our special forces to figure out the Prince's next move and also try to think of a way to find the great inventor's weakness. Who knows, we could use something to let her be pulled on our side."

"Hmm, why not use Elder cousin?" Arabella remembered how Alicia appeared to be friendly to Eli, "It seems like Elder cousin was close to the great inventor."

"Well, it has been a month since your cousin suddenly refrained from having anything connected to the Empress. Your mother tried to persuade her parents but to no avail." Duke Vesala rubbed his temples, feeling perplexed over this matter.

"They really did that?" Arabella was shocked to learn about the matter. It was known that the Count of Cross Household was adamant to get the favor of the Empress to ensure the future of their daughter, Alicia.

Hearing them refuse to do the Empress's requests would mean that they were no longer concerned with Alicia's future.

"They really did. Even though your Aunt had already confirmed to give Alicia the good position to the Vanderford Institute, they still refused to do it. If they were not your mother's family, I would have long punished them!" The irritation in Duke Vesala's face became apparent upon remembering them.

"Don't worry Father. Everything will be fine." Arabella appeased her Father. "I think the great inventor was not even that hard to get close to. I even managed to engage in a light hearted conversation with her."

"If you want, I can try to get closer to her while I am here." She suggested.

"My good daughter, are you willing to do that?" Duke Vesala was pleasantly surprised by his daughter's suggestion.

"Yes! I would have nothing to do anyways, so I could use the time waiting for the investigations to try to sound out the great inventor." Arabella confidently replied, "Besides, it has been a long time since I hosted a social gathering."

"Hahahaha! Do as you wish my good daughter! You make me extremely proud!" Duke Vesala's mood became happy upon hearing Arabella's suggestion.

After this, the father and daughter duo spent more time catching up and exchanging ideas. Before Arabella retired to her room she was reminded, "I'll have to summon my special knight and have him report to you right after."

However, even after sending six precious notifications on Igor's side, Arabella didn't receive any reply.

"What's happening? Before, it would only take him a minute to appear after one summon, but why has he not been responding after so many calls?!"