And the kind-hearted Lady of Laurel, Hyacinth Hener, pouted a few times and let it go.

Of course, he was outrageously rude.

But what’s the point of dwelling on it?

Holding onto negative things only leads to unhappiness. Besides, nitpicking over trivial conflicts didn’t suit her. Especially not with the affection of her uncle behind her, behaving indulgently was out of the question.

So, even as she greeted her nanny and got into bed, Hyacinth didn’t remember the name ‘Ethan Erentis.’

It was the same when she woke up to the loud crowing of the rooster the next morning.

She only recalled the intruder’s existence when her cousin Caleb came to visit.

“Knock, knock, knock. I’ve come to fetch you, my lady.”

“Huh? It’s not time for the banquet yet. And don’t make knocking sounds with your mouth, it’s childish.”

Caleb mimicked her words like a parrot. Unable to bear her cousin’s teasing, a distinct frown appeared on Hyacinth’s forehead.

“Don’t mimic me!”

“Yeah, yeah. Anyway, we have to go soon. You might have heard, but the Northerners arrived in Tyche for the first time yesterday.”

How is that my business, Hyacinth was about to retort but then realized something.

Every lord of the kingdom had to have an audience with the King upon arriving in Tyche. It was a small ceremony where they reported their well-being and pledged loyalty in front of other nobles.

All the lords except for the Duke of Trisel had arrived weeks ago and had already had their audiences. That’s why there hadn’t been any audiences for a while, and she had forgotten…

“What about my hair?”

“It’s pretty.”

“Tell me honestly and sincerely.”

“Honestly and sincerely, if you don’t come out now, we’ll be late.”

“You should have told me earlier that there was an audience.”

“Oh. That’s my fault.”

Look at that light-hearted tone! Where did his decorum go?

Hyacinth clicked her tongue and glanced at the mirror. Her hair was a bit untidy but not a disaster. Her quick-witted nanny hurriedly draped a tunic over her.

“Let’s go, brother.”

She approached and playfully poked her third brother in the side.

The audience chamber on the second floor of Tyche Castle was already filled with most of the people. Greeting those around her with a nod, Hyacinth headed for the front row.

Just below the two thrones.

The place where she sat with the princes.

Ordinarily, Lady Laurel wouldn’t dare to sit there, but the King, who doted on his niece excessively, had allowed it.

Queen Johanna, upon making eye contact with her, tapped her earlobe. She seemed extremely pleased to see her gift being worn. Hyacinth gestured a kiss to both of them, then flinched at the appearance of the chamberlain.

The chamberlain, standing on the steps below the thrones, shouted loudly.

“Guardian of the Kelric Sea, Detia Plains, and the Nox Forest. Duke of Trisel.”

Clunk. The sound of the heavy door moving was loud.

Everyone, including Hyacinth, waited silently. They were awaiting the protagonist who had gathered them here.

Remembering last night’s rudeness, Hyacinth almost furrowed her brow.

Hmm. At least in front of His Majesty, he wouldn’t display the same rudeness he had shown her. If he was in his right mind, that is.

But silence ensued. Hyacinth blinked.

Another awkward silence followed. Hyacinth blinked again.

…What?

Surely there’s someone outside the door. There’s no way the chamberlain made such an absurd mistake.

Glancing around to gauge the reactions of others, Hyacinth grew more puzzled.

“What is it?”

Benjamin whispered softly,

“I don’t know either.”

Caleb replied in a tiny voice.

Unable to contain her curiosity, Hyacinth turned around quickly. Though it was against etiquette, her cousins and others, sharing her sentiment, also turned to look at the door.

And they witnessed it.

A young man standing languidly in the brilliant spring sunlight at the door.

It was almost magical. Everyone who had turned around held their breath.

The Duke of Trisel was clad in pure white. The clothes he wore were so starkly white that they hurt their eyes.

A holy knight. No, a pilgrim’s attire.

Someone silently moving towards the holy land, or perhaps wandering because they couldn’t reach paradise. He looked weary. His silver hair and pale skin made him appear even more so. The man’s unique somber expression and oddly slouched posture emphasized the impression.

Hyacinth unconsciously clenched her skirt tightly.

The Duke was there, yet not there. Everything except himself—perhaps even himself—seemed to hold no meaning to him.

Is this the arrogance of the ‘isolated one’?

In a world where arrogance was a virtue, the man showed his arrogance through thorough exclusion. Standing there, staring blankly to the side while the King himself waited, said it all.

But Hyacinth alone saw something different in him.

No. It’s not ‘arrogance.’ It’s more like…

In the midst of everyone losing their minds together, the first person to regain composure was the chamberlain.

He tried to draw the Duke’s attention with a few loud coughs, but the man lost in his own world was invincible.

“Your Highness, Duke Trisel.”

Perhaps because he called softly, the man didn’t budge.

A servant near the door discreetly stepped out of the audience chamber.

“Your Highness.”

A boy’s clear voice could be heard from afar. Only then did the Duke seem to awaken from his midday dream, regaining his senses abruptly.

“The Guardian of the Kelric Sea, Detia Plains and the Nox Forest. Duke of Trisel.”

The chamberlain solemnly announced again, and the nobles who had turned around to watch the commotion looked forward once more. Finally, the protagonist of the small uproar entered the audience chamber.

“Greetings to Your Majesties.”

His voice was filled with awkwardness.

It was as if he was explaining that he hadn’t intended to be rude.

The expressions of the King and Queen, who were looking at the Duke, who was about the same age as their sons, gradually softened. The King was originally magnanimous, and the Queen was kind-hearted.

“Raise your head, Duke.”

At the Queen’s permission, the Duke slowly lifted his face.

“Oh my, I didn’t know the Grand Lord of the North was so young and handsome.”

“Johanna…”

The Queen smiled sweetly, ignoring her husband’s grumbling.

“It seems the court will be lively for a change.”

The Duke did not respond, then belatedly thanked her. The King then addressed the young man, who seemed to be quite taciturn.

“You look very tired, Duke.”

“…Yes.”

“Is everything well in the North?”

“Everything is well.”

“Indeed, you have grown so much. Gabriel would be proud.”

Even when his father’s name was mentioned, the Duke’s expression didn’t change much. He simply blinked a couple of times and responded with a gentle face.

“Yes.”

“…”

“Thank you.”

And then silence. Silence, silence, silence.

Hyacinth released the hem of her bliaut she had been gripping. Watching was more painful than anything else. Realizing that this audience was going nowhere, His Majesty finally gave up first.

“It would be nice if you could come down more often.”

“Come down next year as well. The more handsome men, the better.”

“Johanna? Now I’m starting to feel a bit hurt.”

“Understand, Duke?”

“I will try.”

It was an attempt to sound like he would try, but it was clear he had no intention of coming often. This was the shared speculation of everyone in the audience chamber.

Hyacinth resisted the urge to shake her head and glanced sideways. Thanks to her front-row seat, she had a clear view of the young man’s profile.

…He really is very handsome.

Hyacinth was once again impressed. At that moment, the sunlight streaming through the window fell directly on the Duke’s hair. The silver sheen was incredibly mystical.

It felt like watching a unicorn from a legend. As she kept glancing at him, Hyacinth suddenly froze. While others might not have noticed, as they were admiring his hair, she saw it.

The man’s eyes were moving slowly.

His body remained still, but his gaze was scanning the surroundings. It was an unremarkable action, but Hyacinth couldn’t look away.

She admitted it. It was slightly fascinating.

Wasn’t he the man who had been lost in thought just a while ago? Now, he was as alert as a lone wolf walking through a vast snowy field. The more she observed this change, the more she couldn’t look away.

The Duke first glanced to the left, at Crown Prince Arthur and Crown Princess Beatrice. Then, he slowly turned to face Their Majesties directly. Hyacinth instinctively straightened her back.

She expected the man to soon look to the right, where she was standing.

As expected.

His eyes began to move to the right to complete his scan. The first person he saw was Benjamin. Then Caleb. And then.

Hyacinth held her breath.

The man’s eyes, which had been a dull ash gray yesterday, were now a watery blue-gray, perhaps because they were bathed in light.

The man blinked slowly. He seemed to recognize her, but he didn’t take any particular action. He merely blinked once and then lowered his gaze to her hair. Hyacinth instinctively raised her hand to touch her hair.

Her cheeks felt tight. She was nervous.

The density of the moment was too overwhelming to bear. Just as she was about to retreat in defeat, the Duke slightly raised his right eyebrow. It was a subtle movement that no one else would have noticed…

Oh my? Hyacinth’s eyes widened.

She couldn’t believe the playful gesture she had just witnessed.

No. No, no.

What did I just see? I must be crazy.