Cassian’s shawl was a different color than the Duke of Anais’, but the texture was the same.
‘…What, is that the latest fashion in the capital?’
Such thoughts flashed through their minds simultaneously. Questioning gazes alternated between Cassian and the Duke, but if they were wondering, they weren’t as curious as the two of them.
They glared at each other as if they were going to kill each other. The Duke of Anais sat up straighter, followed by Cassian.
“The meeting…”
The Duke, who was apparently in very good spirits, spoke in a low, raspy voice.
“…Let us begin.”
He looked like he was about to go to war. Cassian, of course, was no better, muttering through clenched teeth that made his jaw stand on end.
“I’ve been waiting for you.”
That must be…
The Duke looked like he was about to murder him, and the only people in the room who didn’t roll their eyes were the ones between them.
As everyone held their breath, there was suddenly a loud clap.
“Heheh, that’s great!”
As soon as Ropa’s less-than-perceptive words were finished, the Duke gave a short jerk of his chin.
The Head of the Cabinet cleared his throat cautiously and continued, “The… agenda will be presented, Your Excellency.”
The Duke of Anais and Lord Cassian Gray, wearing strange scarfs.
It was certainly a puzzling situation for the nobles, but they didn’t dare ask what was going on.
They had many agendas and matters to attend to, and the talk turned to the need to provide more magical resources for the demon wars. And then to the social banquet that had been set aside to celebrate the victory in the demon wars.
Then, in an impassive tone, the Chief Minister, who had been reciting the list of attendees, spoke carefully.
“His Royal Highness, the Duke of Cornwall, has expressed his desire to attend.”
The Duke of Cornwall had been confined to the Duke’s mansion for several years now, and all the affairs of the House of Cornwall were handled by a representative.
“Is this true?”
“Yes, he has certainly expressed his intention to attend the banquet…”
The Duke of Anais raised an eyebrow in surprise at the familiarity of the name.
“The Duke of Cornwall?”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
The movement of the mysterious man was certainly a curiosity.
But the flicker of curiosity in the Duke of Anais’s eyes was fleeting.
“I see.”
To the Duke of Anais, the fate of House Cornwall was of secondary importance.
To him…
At that moment, the Duke’s gaze met Cassian’s.
Cassian was looking at the Duke with an unflinching expression on his face, but his quill was tensed in his hand.
The Duke, staring at his strange demeanor, nodded.
“Let’s move on to the next item on the agenda.”
The nobles and knights at the table swallowed hard whenever Cassian’s and Duke Anais’ gazes met.
“Ah, yes, Your Excellencies, the next item on the agenda is the dress code for the banquet…”
The tense meeting ended with a few small talks about the upcoming banquet.
It was the moment everyone had been waiting for.
Cassian bowed deeply to the Duke of Anais, and the Duke of Anais inclined his head.
But neither of them asked the other how they were doing, nor did they remove their shawls.
It was a very strange atmosphere.
The assembled nobles returned to their respective mansions with doubts.
Though they didn’t dare to say it out loud, most of the nobles were deeply curious.
What on earth could be the relationship between those two?
They must have had very little contact with each other, and they hadn’t seen each other since the time of the Demon War, yet they exchanged glances like that.
They must be enemies, judging by the way they exude animosity toward each other…
What are those matching shawls?
Were they acquaintances or bitter enemies, the questions piled up.
And the gossip was fueled by the news that Cassian Gray had volunteered to become a court knight to the Duke of Anais.
Before the Duke returned to the manor from a meeting at the Imperial Palace, I hastily wrote a letter to my brother.
I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to talk to him long enough on the day of the banquet, so I came up with a trick.
‘Since I have asked about the diary, perhaps we can meet and talk briefly on the day of the banquet.’
This could be the last letter she would ever write to him, as both wings of Cello’s were breaking off every time it went in and out of the mansion these days.
I hurriedly let the bird out the window so no one would see, and cheered myself up.
‘The Duke of Cornwall is rumored to be attending the banquet.’
I picked out a dress for the occasion, a glittering ball gown with a lace sash.
The maids frantically gestured for me to try on the outfits and told me interesting stories about the banquet.
They told me that the pre-war banquets were usually called the Eve’s Banquet, and that the Emperor himself was decorating the interior of the ballroom because the Princess would be attending it to marry a man of his choice.
In fact, Sally and Jenny weren’t the only ones working, so the other maids in the mansion joined me to help out.
“Oh, did you hear the story of the Princess and the Duke?”
Their eager chatter was cute.
As I stroked the yellow-green silk fabric, I answered her, “What story?”
“There’s also news that the two of them are getting an arranged marriage…”
Sally, her eyes so wide you could see the whites of them, pinched the maid’s side.
“Aaah, ouch, why are you pinching me!”
The maid opened her mouth to protest with a pout.
But Jenny beat her to it, picking up the bat she’d been working on with her broom and speaking sinisterly.
“You want me to leave when I’m trying to say something nice? What, why…!”
I maintained a nonchalant expression until one of the clueless beast maids was chased away.
Sally and Jenny, who were nearby, glanced at me, but I kept my expression nonchalant.
‘…There was no arranged marriage, and the Princess wasn’t much of a figure, but we should still do some research into her background.’
It was a side story, so I don’t remember exactly, but the princess didn’t end up marrying the duke.
I pondered, ‘So, did the princess fancy the duke, and what happened in the end?’
While I was choosing a dress, plotting my revenge like a fierce chessboard in my head, someone opened the door to the parlor and entered.
“Astel.”
I whirled around quickly, recognizing the voice at once.
It was the Duke.
The Duke opened the door and stepped into the room. I craned my head toward the doorway and said brightly.
“Ah, you’ve come?”
The maids who had been chattering and picking out clothes around me scattered in unison.
I stopped what I was doing and sat down in an armchair, smiling up at him.
“It’s only the beginning of winter, but you look like you’re in the festive mood, don’t you?”
The Duke, sitting in the armchair across from me, chimed in lightly.
“Yes, the mansion is in a wonderful spirit, too.”
“Ah, yes, but why do you keep your scarf on…”
‘It’s indoors…’ I decided to leave out the next part.
“Because I like wearing it.”
The Duke stared at me for a moment.
His words were pleasant, but they were tinged with an unfamiliar emotion.
As I scrutinized him, I detected a vaguely blue jealousy-like emotion.
‘Am I mistaken? You have a strange look on your face.’
Somewhat puzzled, I cautiously spoke up, “This particular scarf… everyone in the manor is wearing it.”
“Oh, right, those scarves.”
“…Yes.”
I cautiously trailed off.
“They’re all similar, but yours is a little different because it’s the first one I’ve made.”
The Duke stared at me nervously. Shrugging, I rubbed the back of my head, which had grown slightly brighter.
“Actually, the gold thread on the inside of the shawl is only found on the Duke’s.”
“…What?”
“That thread, it’s expensive, I worked hard to get it… I don’t know if you’ll like it.”
I added the words cautiously, but I could see the Duke’s expressionless face become a little more cheerful.
Furthermore, I smiled inwardly with satisfaction, thinking that people like special things after all.
“This is… a very special scarf indeed.”
“Oh, right!”
I beamed, and he smiled back.
The atmosphere between us, fortunately, loosened enough to allow me to ask questions.
I placed my hand on the fireplace beside the armchair, pretending to bask in the warmth, and casually inquired as to the status of the Princess.
“I… I’ve heard that this ball has something to do with the Princess, is that correct?”
My eyes sharpened. The Princess, an uncharted figure in many ways, had the potential to be an unexpected variable in my revenge.
So far she hadn’t proven to be much of an obstacle, and from what I knew of her, she wasn’t even close to Count Vietry.
However, it was rumored that she was the youngest member of the Duke of Cornwall’s family, so I could not rest easy.
I needed to know something about the Princess and the relationship between her and my imprint, the Duke of Anais.
“Ah, the relationship with the Princess.”
The Duke’s brow furrowed slightly, as if he was recalling something annoying.
‘Why does he look like that? I haven’t said anything to him yet.’
From the look on his face, which he rarely wears in front of me, I could tell that his relationship with the Princess was far from good.
“What kind of woman is the Imperial Princess? I’ve heard there’s talk of her marrying the Duke…”
“A marriage of convenience…”
My muttering stopped dead in its tracks, and the Duke’s expression suddenly changed. He suddenly stared into my eyes with a strange look of anticipation.
‘Why are you suddenly smiling like that?’
I still don’t know why he’s smiling, but it’s a smile that gives me chills.
Cassian’s shawl was a different color than the Duke of Anais’, but the texture was the same.
‘…What, is that the latest fashion in the capital?’
Such thoughts flashed through their minds simultaneously. Questioning gazes alternated between Cassian and the Duke, but if they were wondering, they weren’t as curious as the two of them.
They glared at each other as if they were going to kill each other. The Duke of Anais sat up straighter, followed by Cassian.
“The meeting…”
The Duke, who was apparently in very good spirits, spoke in a low, raspy voice.
“…Let us begin.”
He looked like he was about to go to war. Cassian, of course, was no better, muttering through clenched teeth that made his jaw stand on end.
“I’ve been waiting for you.”
That must be…
The Duke looked like he was about to murder him, and the only people in the room who didn’t roll their eyes were the ones between them.
As everyone held their breath, there was suddenly a loud clap.
“Heheh, that’s great!”
As soon as Ropa’s less-than-perceptive words were finished, the Duke gave a short jerk of his chin.
The Head of the Cabinet cleared his throat cautiously and continued, “The… agenda will be presented, Your Excellency.”
The Duke of Anais and Lord Cassian Gray, wearing strange scarfs.
It was certainly a puzzling situation for the nobles, but they didn’t dare ask what was going on.
They had many agendas and matters to attend to, and the talk turned to the need to provide more magical resources for the demon wars. And then to the social banquet that had been set aside to celebrate the victory in the demon wars.
Then, in an impassive tone, the Chief Minister, who had been reciting the list of attendees, spoke carefully.
“His Royal Highness, the Duke of Cornwall, has expressed his desire to attend.”
The Duke of Cornwall had been confined to the Duke’s mansion for several years now, and all the affairs of the House of Cornwall were handled by a representative.
“Is this true?”
“Yes, he has certainly expressed his intention to attend the banquet…”
The Duke of Anais raised an eyebrow in surprise at the familiarity of the name.
“The Duke of Cornwall?”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
The movement of the mysterious man was certainly a curiosity.
But the flicker of curiosity in the Duke of Anais’s eyes was fleeting.
“I see.”
To the Duke of Anais, the fate of House Cornwall was of secondary importance.
To him…
At that moment, the Duke’s gaze met Cassian’s.
Cassian was looking at the Duke with an unflinching expression on his face, but his quill was tensed in his hand.
The Duke, staring at his strange demeanor, nodded.
“Let’s move on to the next item on the agenda.”
The nobles and knights at the table swallowed hard whenever Cassian’s and Duke Anais’ gazes met.
“Ah, yes, Your Excellencies, the next item on the agenda is the dress code for the banquet…”
The tense meeting ended with a few small talks about the upcoming banquet.
It was the moment everyone had been waiting for.
Cassian bowed deeply to the Duke of Anais, and the Duke of Anais inclined his head.
But neither of them asked the other how they were doing, nor did they remove their shawls.
It was a very strange atmosphere.
The assembled nobles returned to their respective mansions with doubts.
Though they didn’t dare to say it out loud, most of the nobles were deeply curious.
What on earth could be the relationship between those two?
They must have had very little contact with each other, and they hadn’t seen each other since the time of the Demon War, yet they exchanged glances like that.
They must be enemies, judging by the way they exude animosity toward each other…
What are those matching shawls?
Were they acquaintances or bitter enemies, the questions piled up.
And the gossip was fueled by the news that Cassian Gray had volunteered to become a court knight to the Duke of Anais.
Before the Duke returned to the manor from a meeting at the Imperial Palace, I hastily wrote a letter to my brother.
I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to talk to him long enough on the day of the banquet, so I came up with a trick.
‘Since I have asked about the diary, perhaps we can meet and talk briefly on the day of the banquet.’
This could be the last letter she would ever write to him, as both wings of Cello’s were breaking off every time it went in and out of the mansion these days.
I hurriedly let the bird out the window so no one would see, and cheered myself up.
‘The Duke of Cornwall is rumored to be attending the banquet.’
I picked out a dress for the occasion, a glittering ball gown with a lace sash.
The maids frantically gestured for me to try on the outfits and told me interesting stories about the banquet.
They told me that the pre-war banquets were usually called the Eve’s Banquet, and that the Emperor himself was decorating the interior of the ballroom because the Princess would be attending it to marry a man of his choice.
In fact, Sally and Jenny weren’t the only ones working, so the other maids in the mansion joined me to help out.
“Oh, did you hear the story of the Princess and the Duke?”
Their eager chatter was cute.
As I stroked the yellow-green silk fabric, I answered her, “What story?”
“There’s also news that the two of them are getting an arranged marriage…”
Sally, her eyes so wide you could see the whites of them, pinched the maid’s side.
“Aaah, ouch, why are you pinching me!”
The maid opened her mouth to protest with a pout.
But Jenny beat her to it, picking up the bat she’d been working on with her broom and speaking sinisterly.
“You want me to leave when I’m trying to say something nice? What, why…!”
I maintained a nonchalant expression until one of the clueless beast maids was chased away.
Sally and Jenny, who were nearby, glanced at me, but I kept my expression nonchalant.
‘…There was no arranged marriage, and the Princess wasn’t much of a figure, but we should still do some research into her background.’
It was a side story, so I don’t remember exactly, but the princess didn’t end up marrying the duke.
I pondered, ‘So, did the princess fancy the duke, and what happened in the end?’
While I was choosing a dress, plotting my revenge like a fierce chessboard in my head, someone opened the door to the parlor and entered.
“Astel.”
I whirled around quickly, recognizing the voice at once.
It was the Duke.
The Duke opened the door and stepped into the room. I craned my head toward the doorway and said brightly.
“Ah, you’ve come?”
The maids who had been chattering and picking out clothes around me scattered in unison.
I stopped what I was doing and sat down in an armchair, smiling up at him.
“It’s only the beginning of winter, but you look like you’re in the festive mood, don’t you?”
The Duke, sitting in the armchair across from me, chimed in lightly.
“Yes, the mansion is in a wonderful spirit, too.”
“Ah, yes, but why do you keep your scarf on…”
‘It’s indoors…’ I decided to leave out the next part.
“Because I like wearing it.”
The Duke stared at me for a moment.
His words were pleasant, but they were tinged with an unfamiliar emotion.
As I scrutinized him, I detected a vaguely blue jealousy-like emotion.
‘Am I mistaken? You have a strange look on your face.’
Somewhat puzzled, I cautiously spoke up, “This particular scarf… everyone in the manor is wearing it.”
“Oh, right, those scarves.”
“…Yes.”
I cautiously trailed off.
“They’re all similar, but yours is a little different because it’s the first one I’ve made.”
The Duke stared at me nervously. Shrugging, I rubbed the back of my head, which had grown slightly brighter.
“Actually, the gold thread on the inside of the shawl is only found on the Duke’s.”
“…What?”
“That thread, it’s expensive, I worked hard to get it… I don’t know if you’ll like it.”
I added the words cautiously, but I could see the Duke’s expressionless face become a little more cheerful.
Furthermore, I smiled inwardly with satisfaction, thinking that people like special things after all.
“This is… a very special scarf indeed.”
“Oh, right!”
I beamed, and he smiled back.
The atmosphere between us, fortunately, loosened enough to allow me to ask questions.
I placed my hand on the fireplace beside the armchair, pretending to bask in the warmth, and casually inquired as to the status of the Princess.
“I… I’ve heard that this ball has something to do with the Princess, is that correct?”
My eyes sharpened. The Princess, an uncharted figure in many ways, had the potential to be an unexpected variable in my revenge.
So far she hadn’t proven to be much of an obstacle, and from what I knew of her, she wasn’t even close to Count Vietry.
However, it was rumored that she was the youngest member of the Duke of Cornwall’s family, so I could not rest easy.
I needed to know something about the Princess and the relationship between her and my imprint, the Duke of Anais.
“Ah, the relationship with the Princess.”
The Duke’s brow furrowed slightly, as if he was recalling something annoying.
‘Why does he look like that? I haven’t said anything to him yet.’
From the look on his face, which he rarely wears in front of me, I could tell that his relationship with the Princess was far from good.
“What kind of woman is the Imperial Princess? I’ve heard there’s talk of her marrying the Duke…”
“A marriage of convenience…”
My muttering stopped dead in its tracks, and the Duke’s expression suddenly changed. He suddenly stared into my eyes with a strange look of anticipation.
‘Why are you suddenly smiling like that?’
I still don’t know why he’s smiling, but it’s a smile that gives me chills.
