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Two muscular horses pulled a luxurious carriage into the courtyard of the Castle of Rondore.

It was a carriage adorned with the distinctive olive tree emblem of the Dubos Family.

Sleek-looking knights approached to escort the carriage, and upon seeing Vivian’s red hair, they offered a tidy salute.

Vivian nodded in acknowledgment, her demeanor gradually showing the determination she had lacked when I first saw her two years ago.

Anyone who didn’t know Vivian might think she was a cold and arrogant woman.

But I knew.

…That she was nervous.

I leisurely watched their meeting from the second-floor window of the castle, which had a clear view of the courtyard.

Balron, Willas, and Martin, who had nothing to do in the Punishment Unit, were next to me.

The reason I was hiding here was twofold: first, I didn’t want to get involved in the complicated events of Rondore’s official function.

Second…

…Vivian told me to stay out of sight.

She didn’t say “get lost,” but insisted I should keep to a place where no one could see me.

They would be here for about three days, and during that time, I was to remain unseen.

She argued so passionately, insisting she didn’t want me ruining things again.

Given everything that had happened, I could understand her anxiety, though it wasn’t entirely lost on me.

As she knew, I tended to stir up trouble wherever I went.

As long as the other party approached with common sense, I had no intention of being the one to cause issues.

Even so, I understood.

The first friends that might form for Vivian could very well be the young ladies of the Dubos Family.

She had always felt lonely, so how could she not be this anxious?

She was working hard to minimize any little variables.

Just a few days ago, Vivian had been practicing her greetings to the Dubos young ladies in secret, nervously repeating, “Hello, hello,” like a parrot.

It was amusing that she, a virtual feudal lord, was this nervous about meeting the ladies of her own vassal family… Yet, as I wanted to mock her, I held back, knowing all too well how hard loneliness could strike.

After all, it was Vivian and I who had lost our families and were growing up with nowhere to lean on.

We met at 14 and 13, and here we were, now 16 and 15.

Sadly, the only ones who understood our loneliness and pain were one another.

We were the ones who desperately needed someone to share our hearts with.

If I had someone other than Vivian, I might have exchanged some feelings with them.

And perhaps if Vivian had someone else, she might have looked right past me and only punished me.

But that wasn’t the case.

Only the two of us had suffered through the harsh feelings of hostility in our families, with no other adults to rely on.

No matter how much we hated one another, the only ones who could understand our feelings were ourselves.

So knowing how much Vivian was looking forward to this meeting, I was more than willing to stay out of sight.

The carriage came to a stop as the coachman opened the door.

Out stepped the young ladies of the Dubos Family, dressed in luxurious attire.

“Oh.”

Martin whispered as he saw them.

Balron nodded in agreement.

“…Whoa…”

The Dubos young ladies, who hailed from a region even warmer than Roktana, appeared like wildflowers in their dresses.

Their cheerful outfits harmonized beautifully.

Both had slightly tanned skin and brown hair.

“That tall one… what’s her name?”

Martin asked, and Willas answered.

“Asha Dubos.”

Asha Dubos, the eldest daughter of the Dubos Family, third in birth order.

Tall and slender with solid legs, her beautiful brown hair framed a warm yet mysteriously secretive smile.

She had just become an adult this year, showing a bit of maturity to match.

Next to her was her sister, Lani Dubos.

The second daughter and fourth in line, the same age as Vivian at 15.

Lani stood slightly shorter than Asha, around Vivian’s height.

Her bright smile directed toward Vivian radiated a lively energy.

With her big, sparkling eyes full of mischief and curiosity, her deep dimples added a cute flair to her smile.

Now it made sense why Vivian had warned me they were beauties.

“Wow…”

Willas exclaimed, then absentmindedly said, “…I’d love to grab Asha’s chest and give her a kiss.”

-Thwack!

I smacked Willas on the head for that comment.

The trio stared at me, wide-eyed in surprise.

“What, what was that for?”

Rubbing his head, Willas asked back, but I sighed in exasperation at his ignorance.

“It’s because you guys talk like that! Even I…”

…Even I might end up making Vivian think weirdly about me, but I just kept my mouth shut.

Despite my outburst, they quickly shrugged it off and returned to ogling the young ladies.

“They’re so pretty.”

“How do nobles look that pretty every time?”

“You fool, it’s because nobles marry beautiful women. After just a few generations, they’re all stunning.”

“Whenever I see that Kyle guy, I’m not envious of nobles, but then I think of how they can have pretty wives, and I get jealous…”

“…Seriously, so pretty.”

The trio jabbered on, but their eyes remained glued to the young ladies.

I quietly studied the Dubos young ladies.

“…”

A thought crossed my mind.

As I let my mind wander for a moment, I asked them.

“…Are they really that pretty?”

Martin let out a scoff, taken aback.

“Are you serious, Kyle? Where are your eyes? Of course they’re pretty…!”

“I know they’re pretty, but…”

I scratched my head, casually asking, “…What about Vivian Rondore?”

But contrary to my intentions, the three fell into sudden silence.

I pretended not to notice their awkwardness and looked off at the distance.

Balron spoke up first.

“…Well, even so, if we compare them to Lady Vivian…”

“Hey, comparing with Lady Vivian is cheating…”

“Are you out of your mind? Who could even stand next to Lady Vivian for comparison…?”

“…”

I too thought Vivian was the best, but… I only sought confirmation out of my unease.

Was I under some curse that made Vivian seem more beautiful, I wondered.

But knowing that wasn’t the case, I felt a little relieved by the trio’s answers.

Asha and Lani Dubos slowly approached Vivian.

Vivian stood quietly in place, waiting for them.

The young ladies of the Dubos Family lightly brushed their skirts and bowed in greeting.

Asha spoke on behalf of them.

“Greetings to the Sun of Rondore.”

Vivian initially didn’t respond but smiled gracefully and replied.

“Thank you for coming, it was quite a journey.”

There was undoubtedly an air of aloofness and grace. Whether it was an act or something she had genuinely acquired, the authority emanating from Vivian could not be easily dismissed.

Did the young ladies know Vivian had practiced for a long time to achieve this?

It took a lot of effort for someone who stuttered to reach this level.

Seeing their friendly beginnings, I could finally relax.

“…Let’s go, now.”

So I told the trio to stop gawking.

They were still transfixed by the young ladies but finally moved on.

****

“…And this is the hall of Castle Rondore.”

Vivian was guiding the Dubos young ladies around the castle structure.

Asha looked on with a calm smile as she took in the interiors, while Lani gaped in wonder, her excitement palpable.

“It’s really beautiful, Lady Vivian.”

“I’m glad you like it.”

“Ah… it’s just…”

Lani, full of her characteristic cheer, dashed into the open space of the hall.

Having someone other than the maids stepping into the room where she always dined with Kyle made Vivian feel slightly awkward.

Lani seemed thrilled, overwhelmed by the beauty of the hall, and twirled around with her arms outstretched.

Oblivious to the world’s stains, she was purely joyful and ran up to Vivian, grabbing her hands.

“You’ll invite me here again next time, won’t you? It’s such a shame to see such a beautiful space just once…”

Vivian flinched at Lani’s sudden closeness, her unease showing.

Asha, noticing, shot a warning glance at Lani.

“Lani…! What are you doing to Lady Vivian…?”

To not ruin the atmosphere, Vivian quickly added, “No, it’s okay. I’m happy to see Lani enjoying herself.”

Nevertheless, Lani quickly withdrew her hand, offering a sheepish smile in apology.

Then she gently continued, “…Lady Vivian, will you also host a ball here someday?”

A ball.

That was a word Vivian had never even considered.

A gathering of various families coming together to socialize and dance.

She had been learning to dance and etiquette steadily from Lady Linne, but she had never anticipated a ball like Lani’s.

Vivian envisioned filling this hall, once empty when she dined alone with Kyle, with people.

At that moment, one person came to her mind who she’d like to dance with.

…Only one came to mind.

“Uh, someday we’ll have to.”

Ignoring the puzzling daydream, Vivian responded.

That person had only come to her mind because there was no one around her today.

If she could become friends with people like Asha and Lani, things would surely get better in the future.

The maids brought in tea into the hall.

Following Vivian’s gesture, Asha and Lani took their seats.

As the atmosphere calmed, Asha offered an apology.

“Lady Vivian, I apologize. Lani can be a little… rash at times.”

Vivian responded with a light smile.

“It’s fine. It’s refreshing to have such a playful ambiance; I’m really happy.”

“Lani is still so naive and innocent about the world…”

“…”

Vivian looked at Lani.

Lani had fallen silent, seeming awkwardly shy after Asha’s apology.

Realizing her mistake through Asha’s words, she seemed to be more careful.

But it was alright.

Vivian felt positively about Lani.

Lani was like a glimpse of what Vivian might have been had she not lost her family.

Even though she could never be Lani after traveling such a long way, just seeing her bright energy was contagious.

Vivian wanted to lighten the mood.

“Still, I bet you’re quite popular, Lani. With your bright personality…”

Asha covered her mouth and smiled demurely.

“It’s a personality that divides opinions, but… yes, she is quite well-liked. Especially among many young gentlemen from various families.”

“…”

Vivian paused at that remark, nodding with a smile.

Lani’s face flushed, and she could only blink her eyes.

Though she wasn’t particularly interested, Vivian had been learning from Lady Linne about how to attract men lately.

For that reason, Vivian naturally followed the atmosphere, asking curiously.

“Is that so, Lani? Please share your secret with me.”

“Ehehe… I don’t really know… I think I’m just lucky that people find my foolishness charming… But I think you, Lady Vivian, are way more popular…”

Asha chimed in with praise.

“Exactly. I don’t mean this in a bad way, but you seem distant and graceful… I also heard you joined a monster-hunting expedition. I thought it was so cool.”

“…”

Distant and graceful.

Those were just opposites to what Kyle would call a crybaby, a coward, pitiful, weak…

When had it been so long since anyone praised her attitude instead of berating her?

But why, I wondered?

Why does Kyle’s opinions resonate more deeply than Asha and Lani’s?

Vivian concluded that she was merely good at wearing a mask.

Vivian wore her smile again, engaging in superficial conversation.

As she gradually sipped her tea, she got to know the Dubos young ladies better.

It was enjoyable.

To break free from the political strains and pressures, it was not bad to spend time in light conversation.

It felt like a resurgence of peace she had forgotten.

…But as time passed, the weight of maintaining this light-hearted demeanor began draining her strength.

It wasn’t easy to keep a façade of lightness and fabricated smiles.

It felt like wearing clothes that didn’t fit right.

Their purity felt so foreign to her now.

It was like she was mingling with another race altogether.

Perhaps it was because, after going through so much, she had drifted too far from innocence.

-Thud.

Then, Lani set her teacup down.

“…Lady Vivian.”

“Yes.”

Lani, who had gone quiet after Asha’s comment, seemed to hesitate for a long time, as if she had something on her mind.

Vivian patiently waited for Lani to speak up.

Finally, Lani nervously began.

“A-Actually, there was something I wanted to ask you the next time we met.”

The anticipation laced in her voice piqued Vivian’s interest.

“Yes?”

“You went on an expedition, right? I’m really, really interested in that sort of thing…”

Vivian smiled lightly at that.

“You’re interested in expeditions? You must be braver than I thought.”

“N-No, it’s not like that…”

“…?”

“…I really like stories about knights. You know, knights, dragons, princesses… that sort of thing?”

Vivian froze once again.

Her brow furrowed inadvertently as she waited for Lani’s next words.

It couldn’t possibly be about Kyle.

Even if Kyle had shone bright, Lani, as a young lady of the Dubos Family, would undoubtedly know about the relationship between the Allen Family and the Rondore Family.

To mention Kyle’s name while knowing that would be a grave faux pas.

Fortunately, Lani didn’t bring it up.

“B-But Lady Vivian, you were chased by a dragon! Did all the knights of Rondore protect you?”

“Not all the knights of Rondore… just the ones nearby. Some were just fodder and soldiers.”

“I see… But how did you escape the dragon’s pursuit? Or was the story about being chased exaggerated?”

Vivian paused to recollect.

She remembered the moment Kyle had ridden behind her, facing down the dragon alone.

…Before she knew it, she found herself mumbling.

“…My knight protected me all on his own.”

“Eek!”

Lani’s excited exclamation startled Vivian.

“Can we see that knight sometime?”

Vivian’s expression stiffened at the sight of Lani’s eager little face.

“No.”

Once again, she spoke with a coldness she couldn’t even comprehend herself.

“Ah… what?”

Lani’s face dropped, realizing she had overstepped.

Vivian felt the same embarrassment.

Realizing what she had done, Vivian quickly added an excuse.

“His… personality is rather unpleasant… If you met him, it might just ruin your mood.”

As she said that, Vivian brought the teacup to her lips again.

She kept rationalizing her own lie.

Right, there was no way she could introduce Kyle—who was especially driven by teenage impulses—to innocent Lani.

 

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