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~Chapter 18~
A sudden image flashed across his mind.
Beneath the blooming rose shade, a young lady sat with her back straight.
Her long, flowing black hair.
Her perfectly composed posture, likely the result of rigorous training.
That elegant figure had left a lasting impression.
“She was Lady of the Ansi Viscounty… Her name was… Larit, wasn’t it?”
Now that he thought about it, he’d been hearing that name quite often lately.
Dietrich’s blue eyes darkened with thought.
The next day.
At breakfast, Dietrich heard the name “Larit Ansi” again.
“Brother, did you check the documents?”
Evangeline asked the moment she saw him, barely touching her food.
“Well? Weren’t they really well made, huh?”
While elegantly handling his utensils, Dietrich gave her a small nod.
“Yeah. Not bad.”
“Right?!”
“But, let me ask you something.”
Suddenly, Dietrich narrowed his eyes and stared at his sister.
“Did you really make those documents yourself?”
“……”
Evangeline flinched instantly.
Dietrich pressed further.
“Hmm?”
“N-no! I mean…”
She glanced around nervously.
“Lady Ansi helped a bit… just a tiny bit.”
“A bit? This is what you call a bit?”
“W-well I did a lot too! And she said I had talent!”
“I see, I’m sure she did.”
Dietrich chuckled at his sister’s flustered reaction.
But her pout didn’t last long.
“Anyway, you do like the documents, right?”
“Yeah. They were excellent.”
“Oh…”
Evangeline looked at him, surprised.
Then, quickly realizing herself—
“O-of course! Who do you think worked on them?!”
Her face turned bright red as she raised her voice.
Dietrich narrowed his eyes again.
“Eva, must you raise your voice so ungracefully?”
“T-this is all your fault!”
She covered her cheeks with both hands in frustration.
“You’re always so uptight, Brother…!”
“Even when I compliment you, you act like this.”
He clicked his tongue in mock exasperation.
Then Evangeline murmured with her head lowered.
“…It’s the first time you’ve ever said you liked something I did.”
Her ears were so red, he felt like touching them would stain his fingers red.
“If I tease her more, she might explode.”
With that thought, Dietrich subtly changed the topic.
“So Lady Ansi was quite helpful, wasn’t she?”
“Oh, yes!”
Evangeline’s head shot up, nodding enthusiastically.
“Isn’t she amazing? I’ve never met someone as smart as her!”
“Right. To take your nonsense drafts and make them presentable…”
“Hey! That’s mean!”
She pouted, but quickly rested her chin in her hand.
“You know, she holds the title of Viscount Ansi. Do all heirs from noble families handle paperwork this well?”
Not really.
Dietrich silently answered.
He had worked with many officials before, but Larit’s documents were among the best he had ever seen.
Evangeline smiled brightly.
“Still, I’m glad the documents were to your liking, Brother.”
“……”
At that moment, Dietrich felt a tangle of emotions.
He had always protected Evangeline, shielding her from even a drop of ink on her fingers.
He did it out of love, thinking it was the best way to care for his only sister.
But now—
“She seems livelier than before.”
Compared to when she was pampered like a greenhouse flower, now—experiencing actual work—she looked much happier.
Was it just his imagination?
And the person who brought that bright expression to her face…
“Larit Ansi.”
A lady from the Ansi family, whom he hadn’t even met yet.
“Then, Brother, I’ll be off first!”
Just in time, Evangeline stood up after finishing her meal.
“I didn’t get to finish reviewing the budget yesterday. You’ll check it for me later, right?”
She gave a final plea before skipping away.
Her footsteps were light and cheerful.
Watching her retreating figure, Dietrich lifted a finger.
“You. Come here.”
His secretary approached.
“June 2nd. What’s on my schedule?”
“June 2nd, sir… that’s the day of the salon.”
Dietrich smiled.
“Good. I’ll be attending the salon too.”
And so, June 2nd arrived.
As scheduled, the Claudius Duchy hosted its salon.
The event was held in the annex of the townhouse, and the guest list had been dazzling even during the preview.
“Looks like every powerful figure in the Empire has been invited…”
“Should I even be here…?”
I swallowed nervously.
It was rare to see this many social elites all in one place.
“That’s the Marchioness of Baldwin… and over there…”
Thanks to assisting Seraphina, I had memorized the faces of the Empire’s influential nobles.
To see them all in person now—
“No wonder Seraphina wanted to attend this so badly.”
“It’s the perfect place to get noticed.”
And the host of this salon was a lady of such high status that she instantly outshone all the other notable guests.
“Lady Ansi!”
A cheerful voice rang from behind as someone ran toward me and suddenly hugged my arm.
Speak of the devil.
It was the princess.
“You came! I was waiting for you!”
Her eyes sparkled as she looked up at me.
Then she seemed to remember something and gently let go of my arm.
“U-um, I’m not usually this unrefined. You know that, right?”
“Of course, I know.”
I smiled.
Today, the princess wore a snowy white dress with a matching hair corsage.
She looked just like…
“A Persian cat.”
One that pretends to be aloof and untouched, but still lingers sweetly near its owner.
At the same time, she peeked at me sideways.
“So? What do you think of the salon?”
“It’s truly wonderful.”
I answered sincerely.
The artworks displayed were all breathtaking.
Since they were selected by the Claudius Duchy, it made sense that each artist seemed incredibly talented.
The princess smiled in satisfaction.
“Next time, I’ll show you the artworks my family owns. If you want to see them, that is.”
“I’d love to!”
My eyes sparkled with excitement.
The Claudius Duchy was known across the Empire for its collection.
Both in number and in quality—some even said it rivaled the Imperial family.
“Well, don’t get too excited. Most of them are kept at the main estate.”
The princess added coyly.
But then—
“Eva.”
A deep, pleasant voice called her name.
The princess turned around, eyes wide.
“Brother?!”
Gasp.
I froze.
Dietrich von Claudius.
The Empire’s only Duke.
Its sharpest sword.
And one of the two male leads of this world.
The man who had captivated Seraphina—who had never given her heart to anyone else.
And now…
That man was standing right in front of me.
