“He’s the naval officer who led the Battle of Phoenicia to victory. He’s scheduled to be specially promoted to vice admiral soon. Additionally, His Benevolent Majesty the Emperor granted him the title of baron last month.”
At Fabian’s detailed explanation, Hesder’s expression grew even more distraught. No matter how hard he tried, Fabian’s words sounded like a dog growling or a horse snorting.
Hesder, who had been gasping roughly for quite some time, furrowed his brows tightly and rose from his seat.
“O-Older brother!”
“You’ll collapse, young master!”
Yelodia and the servant cried out in alarm and tried to stop him.
Collapsing right here wasn’t the important thing.
“Let go. I’ll go to Father right now, no, to His Majesty and……”
Hesder, who had been gripping the headboard in agitation, suddenly erupted into a fit of coughing.
As Hesder’s upper body heaved as though he would cough up blood, the servant paled and laid him back down on the bed.
“Please calm down. You’ll collapse again at this rate.”
The servant then poured the medicinal tea that had been boiling on the brazier and held it out to Hesder.
Only after gulping down a cup of medicinal tea did Hesder exhale in relief. Fabian looked down at his younger brother with obvious displeasure and crossed his arms.
“You don’t need to be so restless. Baron Adrian is scheduled to visit the estate this weekend. Until then, recover somehow and get up. Even if you have to drink medicinal tea by the pot.”
“When is the engagement ceremony?”
“April 30th.”
“That’s the very last day of next month.”
Bluish veins bulged on Hesder’s forehead. When he muttered a curse under his breath, Yelodia and the servant flinched in surprise.
It was an actual curse. No one would have dreamed of seeing such a side from Hesder, who had been so gentle that his childhood nickname was “Softy.”
Hesder wheezed and asked.
“Did you prepare the alcohol?”
“I’ve specially prepared only the strongest stuff in the Empire.”
At Fabian’s triumphant reply, Hesder nodded as if it were only natural and added,
“Don’t just prepare strong liquor; prepare poison too.”
“Of course.”
As if he had expected Hesder to say that, Fabian grinned. Yelodia’s complexion turned pale in an instant.
“Older brothers!”
“That was a joke just now, Yedi. Surely you don’t think I’d kill your fiancé, do you?”
Yelodia was not reassured in the slightest. Hesder’s words hadn’t sounded like a joke to her.
Hesder looked around and muttered,
“Where did I put my sword…….”
“I already told the servant to have it ready.”
“Ah, thank you.”
“Don’t mention it.”
The two brothers were a matched pair, chattering away like that. It was the first time in ten years she had seen them so amicable.
A chill ran down Yelodia’s spine. She had a foreboding feeling.
＊ ＊ ＊
From the morning of the weekend, Yelodia wandered the mansion in a state of anxious trepidation.
Of course, it was entirely because of her two older brothers’ meaningful conversations.
Fabian and Hesder—the brothers who had been like oil and water—had unmistakably branded Edward a public enemy.
Whenever they had a moment, they put their heads together and exchanged meaningful remarks, and every so often they would glance at Yelodia as if she were pathetic and smirk.
‘As if I’d leave him alone.’
Afraid she might pick up a book or something, Yelodia had been restless since early morning. With the maids’ help, she dressed meticulously and walked around the mansion supervising.
But Yelodia’s valiant efforts did not amount to much.
She lingered in front of the hearth in the kitchen and ended up burning the bread, then squeezed in beside the cleaning servants and mopped along with them until she was chased out.
Unable to watch any longer, Masa intervened.
“My lady, please stay still. Doing this doesn’t help us at all. You might as well rest in your bedroom.”
“But if I stay in the bedroom, I feel like I’ll burst from anxiety.”
At Yelodia’s honest reply, giggles could be heard here and there. It was the mansion’s servants.
The servants of the Duke of Savier’s estate were themselves excited and worked up by the young lady’s unprecedentedly buoyant demeanor.
At the news that their beloved lady’s fiancé was visiting the estate, they had been sweeping, scrubbing, tidying the garden, and making a commotion since dawn.
The servants who cherished Yelodia—who had been frail since birth—sometimes like a daughter and sometimes like a little sister, could hardly believe she was getting engaged, yet on the other hand, they were deeply grateful.
Perhaps it was because there had been a time when they thought Yelodia wouldn’t survive past thirteen that they felt all the more affection for her.
“When are my older brothers coming?”
“The first and second young masters haven’t returned from the Imperial Palace, and the third young master is in the annex. There’s still two hours until dinner, so they’ll arrive on time.”
“Is there still no word from the Baron?”
Masa stared into the air for a moment as if she had finally given up.
“I’ll go ask the butler again. If you’re bored staying in the bedroom, take a walk in the garden. I’ll come get you when the Baron arrives.”
“Alright…….”
In the end, Yelodia sullenly stepped out of the lobby. She thought she might have heard the servants’ warm laughter behind her, though it could have been her imagination.
The sky was thick with gray clouds.
It might rain by tomorrow, but it didn’t seem like those clouds would ruin the dinner just yet.
Yelodia made her way to the back garden, where the rose vines grew thick.
She wanted to go to the stables to see her beloved horses, but she couldn’t let her dress smell of horse dung.
The garden scenery was somewhat desolate, but it had its own profound charm.
Thinking that soon the buds would bloom and the splendid rose garden would be complete, she strangely felt restless.
In a month, she would hold a grand engagement ceremony here.
Suddenly, a long sigh escaped Yelodia’s lips.
“……Something feels off.”
Yelodia had been unable to sleep since dawn, worried about the dinner party that would take place shortly.
It was all because of her willful and stubborn older brothers.
‘Surely Fabian won’t challenge him to another duel?’
Imagining how much her older brothers would torment Edward, she let out a groan, “Ugh,” even while standing still.
Who would have thought the dinner, which she had assumed would simply be an occasion to introduce her fiancé, would turn out to be an invisible dueling ground.
Putting everything else aside, this time it would be three against one, so Edward was sure to lose.
Having directly or indirectly experienced all sorts of trouble her older brothers caused since childhood, Yelodia knew all too well that there was nothing those three couldn’t win when they ganged up.
Even if Ionel, the Goddess of War, manifested right now, defeating them would be impossible.
‘I have to be of help.’
Yelodia renewed her vow to become Edward’s strength. Three against one might be difficult, but three against two might be worth trying.
Kias and Fabian would be hard to deal with, but she felt she could somehow manage her youngest brother, Hesder.
“I suppose it’s a truly absurd thought, but I can’t just pass it off as a joke.”
Yelodia had been grumbling to herself with a sulky face when she suddenly stiffened. It was right after she spotted Edward walking along the opposite path.
“Baron……?”
“Lady Savier.”
Contrary to the delighted call, Edward wore a somewhat troubled smile at his lips. He hadn’t expected to run into his betrothed in the garden.
Yelodia asked without any particular hesitation.
“Have you lost your way, by any chance?”
Edward let out a dry cough, “Ahem,” as if holding back laughter, and replied,
“I’m sorry to disappoint your expectations, but I haven’t lost my way. It seems I arrived at the mansion a bit too early, and the butler suggested I take a short walk in the garden.”
“Ah, I see.”
The quick-witted Masa had surely advised the butler to do so.
Yelodia unconsciously approached Edward. The two faced each other for a moment.
“…….”
“…….”
Edward was dressed in a suit, unlike his usual attire.
While his naval uniform had suited him well, the classic combination of a white long-sleeved shirt, black satin trousers, and a vest with blue jewel buttons suited him immensely as well.
If the uniform had looked splendid yet somewhat cold, one might say the suit seemed to carry a bit more warmth.
Though she was thinking that Sona would have snorted if she’d heard this, Yelodia offered a greeting as if she hadn’t been scrutinizing Edward at all.
“Um, good afternoon?”
“Good afternoon. Were you out for a walk?”
“Yes, the weather is quite nice.”
The moment she said that, a peal of thunder rumbled from somewhere beyond the mansion. Edward glanced up at the western sky and replied nonchalantly,
“The weather is quite nice indeed.”
Rumble, crash!
A white flash of lightning flickered behind Edward’s back. The heavy clouds looked ready to pour down rain at any moment.
Feeling as if the sky were furious, Yelodia confessed as if driven by something.
“Actually, I was chased out by the servants. They seemed uneasy about me mopping.”
“You were…… mopping?”
Yelodia belatedly let out an “Ah,” then her ears turned red and she nodded.
“Well, I was bored.”
“Ah, you were bored.”
Edward smiled brightly and agreed with refreshing alacrity.
She wished he wouldn’t imagine a lady mopping because she couldn’t overcome her boredom, but it seemed he was already imagining it…….
In an instant, Yelodia’s cheeks flushed red.
‘How did I manage to mess things up this badly in less than ten minutes of meeting him?’
Yelodia quickly changed the subject.
“I-I’ll show you around the garden. This is your first time walking here, isn’t it?”
Yelodia inwardly flustered again. Of course it would be his first time walking in the Duke’s manor garden. It was only his second visit, after all.
Somehow every word coming out of her mouth was absurdly nonsensical. Apparently, the shock of their previous meeting while she had been dressed as a man had been too much after all.
‘Ah, that’s right—we parted like that last time!’
Yelodia finally became restless beyond measure.