Selina promptly raised her head at the servant's voice from the coachman's seat.
Baihern alighted from the carriage with practiced ease and extended his hand to her. He was impeccably deferential and polite, as if he had accompanied her all this way for precisely this purpose.
Selina had pulled a worn hat low over her head and secured its ribbon tight beneath her chin. Pretending not to see the hand offered to assist her, she stepped down from the carriage unaided.
Baihern hid his right hand behind his back and cleared his throat before speaking.
“This is Vice Admiral His Excellency’s residence, my lady. If you wait a moment, the butler will come out to receive you.”
True to Baihern’s words, perhaps having been contacted in advance, a butler was hurrying out from within the mansion.
Whether purchased from a noble’s previous ownership, the mansion surrounded by a well-tended garden was magnificent and picturesque.
‘He led the war to victory, so he must be qualified to enjoy this much.’
Selina forced back a sigh and turned to Baihern.
“Thank you for escorting me here. Then, please return safely.”
Baihern allowed himself a bitter smile. He felt he could clearly see whose influence had caused Edward to become, at times, so chillingly cold and rational.
“Have a pleasant afternoon.”
Baihern bowed courteously.
＊ ＊ ＊
The four-wheeled carriage of the House of Duke Savie raced down the street at considerable speed.
At the front and rear of the carriage, emblazoned with the osprey emblem symbolizing the house, sat servants in formal livery. The servants, fiercely loyal to the ducal household, did not relax their posture in the slightest.
Hestor, having peeked through the curtains, looked across at Yellodia with a rather tired face.
“The weather is nice, so that’s fortunate.”
“Indeed.”
Yellodia answered as if in agreement.
It was just as Hestor had said. The weather had been beautiful since morning.
She had worried because it had been overcast all weekend, but fortunately, the skies had cleared since yesterday afternoon, and this morning the sunlight was warm.
Yellodia fiddled with her snow-white hat decorated with an enormous satin ribbon and mesh, then stole a glance at Hestor.
Hestor had been yawning widely with his hand over his mouth, and he slowly blinked his red-rimmed eyes. Yellodia’s eyes instinctively sharpened.
“You didn’t sleep again and stayed up reading all night, did you?”
“Please understand, Yedi. While I was laid up in my bedroom, an enormous number of new releases came out. Even Rihanel’s new book was released! Oh dear, not reading Rihanel’s book on the day of its publication is a sin.”
Yellodia inwardly grumbled that it was quite a strange sin and shot Hestor a look.
“For your information, the reason you collapse every season is because you can’t sleep properly. Dr. Lichten said that simply sleeping and eating properly can ward off many illnesses.”
“I disagree.”
Hestor bit back another long yawn, avoiding her gaze with an awkward expression. Then, as though that had been his intention all along, he looked out the carriage window.
“The smell of the sea is thick; we should arrive soon. I heard from Brother Kias that they plan to set off fireworks at sea after sunset.”
“Truly?”
A curious light surfaced in Yellodia’s eyes.
“It’s because the war that dragged on for five years has ended, so they’re holding a grand celebration. It seems His Majesty the Emperor has been waiting for just this day.”
Hestor wore an expectant expression, saying it would be quite a sight to behold. Yellodia let out a soft *hmph* and cautiously broached the subject.
“You’ll stay with me until evening?”
“Of course. Even if I have to collapse, I’ll make sure you see the fireworks, Yedi, so don’t worry.”
Yellodia warned him with fierce intensity in her eyes.
“Don’t even dream of collapsing. I’ll carry you on my back and keep you here if I have to.”
Hestor burst into laughter. In the meantime, the carriage seemed to have entered the naval headquarters, and its speed gradually slowed.
Soon it became noisy around the carriage. It seemed many other guests had found their way here as well.
“We have arrived, young master.”
At the servant’s words, Hestor put on his gloves and neatly arranged his attire. Yellodia positioned her hat so that its white mesh covered her face and took up a small parasol.
Hestor commanded the servant.
“Open the door.”
The door swung open. Hestor stepped outside and elegantly extended his hand to Yellodia.
“Shall we, my lady?”
Yellodia descended from the carriage with Hestor’s assistance.
Soon, Yellodia felt countless gazes pouring down upon her.
Most were peculiar gazes mixed with interest and curiosity. It seemed the news of Duke Savie’s young lady and Baron Adrian’s engagement had already spread boisterously through high society.
“Being whose sister you are, you’re certainly popular.”
Even Hestor, who was usually rather dense, seemed to have realized the blatant stares. However, as someone who paid little heed to the gazes of others, he merely raised an eyebrow and spoke.
A servant addressed Hestor politely.
“The interior of the naval headquarters appears crowded, so we shall park the carriage on the avenue and wait.”
“Do so. Thank you for your trouble.”
Hestor gave the servants a gratuity and then personally opened Yellodia’s parasol. Yellodia looped her arm through his and whispered quietly.
“I could have done this myself.”
“I know. I only did it because I was afraid I might forget how to open a parasol otherwise.”
At Hestor’s impish reply, Yellodia couldn’t help but burst into laughter.
Just then, a soldier in uniform approached them.
“Are you from the House of Duke Savie?”
“We are.”
“We have been waiting. I shall guide you to the reception area.”
“Thank you for your kindness.”
At Hestor’s response, faint relief and pleasure crossed the soldier’s face. Despite being the child of a high noble, Hestor’s kindness to all easily won people over.
The young soldier guided the two to a table shaded by a white canopy.
It was the seat of honor, commanding a full view of the drill grounds.
Perhaps because these were seats prepared for visitors, nobles were also seated at tables nearby.
“A military review will begin shortly. If you take your seats, we shall bring you cold beverages.”
“Thank you.”
Perhaps because Edward had given instructions, the young soldier attended to them meticulously.
Hestor lightly folded the parasol and yielded the better seat to Yellodia. Yellodia sat in the seat of honor that Hestor had surrendered and glanced down at the drill grounds.
*It’s wider and better maintained than I expected.*
She hadn’t realized that during her last visit.
“Is this where Brother Fabian dueled Baron Adrian?”
“Your voice is too loud, Brother.”
“It truly is a shame. If only I hadn’t been bedridden then, I could have witnessed a splendid sight.”
Sincere regret permeated Hestor’s voice. Taking advantage of a moment when no one was looking, Yellodia pinched his side firmly.
Hestor burst into laughter.
“Yedi, who would you have cheered for between the two?”
“I wouldn’t have cheered for either!”
Yellodia glared at Hestor’s impish lips and whispered as if snapping at him.
Hestor quietly looked down at the drill grounds and grinned.
“I would have cheered for the Baron.”
“Are you serious?”
“Of course, Yedi. Even Brother Fabian needs to be taken down a peg.”
She had expected as much.
At the recent dinner, there had been a common enemy, so the brothers had banded together tightly, but normally Fabian and Hestor were archenemies who thoroughly detested one another.
So much so that whenever Hestor visited the mansion, he disliked running into Fabian so much that he would stay only in the annex.
“It really is a pity. I should have seen with my own two eyes Brother losing at swordsmanship.”
“Of course you would.”
Yellodia grumbled.
Though she wore a hat, the brilliant sunlight was blinding, causing her to furrow her brows unconsciously. Perhaps because the thin canopy could not block all the sun, it quickly became hot.
She wanted to remove even just her gloves, but it was unthinkable for a lady who had yet to hold her engagement ceremony to carelessly expose her bare skin outside.
*There are too many inconveniences. I wish I could hold the engagement ceremony already.*
It was as Yellodia was complaining to herself.
“Goodness, could you be Duke Savie’s third son?”
“Ah, greetings, Sir Ian.”
They seemed to be acquainted, for Hestor brightened and rose from his seat.
The man called Ian asked after him with a worried expression.
“I heard you collapsed from influenza. How are you feeling?”
“I’ve fully recovered now. It’s like a rite of passage I undergo every quarter.”
“Still, please always take care of your health. An illness to you, Hestor-nim, is a tremendous loss to the Empire.”
“Ha ha, would the Empire truly suffer a loss just because a single man like me fell ill?”
Hestor made a cringing expression, but the other man seemed to genuinely believe so.
Reading the situation, Ian also seemed to attend the academy, and appeared to have long admired Hestor’s intellect greatly.
“I read your paper on the Bialte ruins from last winter, Hestor-nim. There is something I am curious about….”
Perhaps sensing the conversation would grow lengthy, Hestor gave Yellodia a slight look. It was a sign that he would step away for a moment. Yellodia nodded in permission.
*I knew this would happen.*
Having been through this many times before, she wasn’t particularly surprised.
Because she had an overly popular brother, Yellodia often had him snatched away by people whose names she didn’t even know.
And so Yellodia was left alone beneath the canopy streaming with brilliant sunlight, keeping their seats.
*To think I’d be all alone on such a fine day.*
Suddenly, Yellodia felt a gaze staring fixedly at her. Strangely, it was a woman she was seeing for the first time.
*A member of the family of the officer being promoted this time, perhaps?*
The woman appeared to be around forty, with black hair, and wore a neat but modest-looking gray dress. It was an outfit somewhat mismatched with the enormous hat adorned with a ribbon.
Because most of the guests seated in the reception area were nobles, the woman’s attire stood out considerably.
Sure enough, nobles seated at the other reception tables glanced at her pointedly, openly mocking her.
*Here we go again.*