Although she joked about being curious, Diane wasn’t entirely oblivious and must have realized the subject of the conversation.

Who could the Duchess of Trisel be so sure about? It must be a knight belonging to the Trisel Duchy.

The Duchess’s bodyguard, or… the Duke of Trisel, Ethan Erentis.

“I see.”

Hyacinth answered calmly and looked ahead again.

A bodyguard, or Ethan Erentis?

If it were the latter, Bridget Erentis was a woman with a temper that could almost be admired. She attempted to assault and wreak havoc on such a great knight.

…I wouldn’t dare for fear of my life.

Hyacinth scoffed inwardly. She never imagined there would come a moment when she disliked her hair color because of someone else.

Just then, the sound of trumpets announcing the start of the tournament rang out. Hyacinth stopped clicking her tongue and straightened her back. She honestly didn’t care who would win, but she was curious if the Duchess’s confidence was justified.

Two knights appeared from each end. They were knights with ribbons tied to their helmets. Hyacinth watched quietly as they eyed each other and then spurred their horses forward.

Hoping the favorites would quickly stand out.

Only four knights remained. It was the semi-finals.

Three of them each had a lady’s token, but only one had nothing. Naturally, everyone’s curiosity was directed at that knight.

In red armor with no family crest, the knight looked like a wandering knight at first glance.

But Hyacinth adjusted her posture and frowned. Whether the Duchess’s confidence was contagious or confidence itself was contagious, she was certain.

It was the Duke of Trisel. Ethan Erentis.

The mysterious knight survived and advanced to the finals.

It seemed to be a bigger surprise than expected, as even the men, not just the women, seemed to focus. Even her uncle and aunt who were sitting in the upper seats.

In a scene where even the two monarchs were fully focused, the two knights clashed. Dust rose white. Hyacinth watched without any agitation or anxiety. Every moment felt strangely unreal, a bit unfamiliar.

A sense detached from reality.

It felt like there was an invisible wall between the final match unfolding below and her sitting here.

What did it matter if the knight down there was the Duke of Trisel?

Ah. It might be a bit annoying if the Duchess gets triumphant.

Hyacinth looked down with a rather indifferent expression. While the surroundings were boiling with anxiety, waiting for the dust to settle, she alone was at peace.

When it’s over, I’ll have a bottle of apple wine.

I’ll toast to myself for enduring sitting here all day.

“Hyce. Oh my god, Hyce!”

Diane grabbed her arm tightly. Only then did Hyacinth slowly blink and look down.

A single knight stood tall. Not surprisingly, it was the knight in red armor without a family crest. Perhaps because the day was ending,

he looked as fragile as if he would fade away, wearing armor the color of the sunset. As if he would soon melt into the twilight and disappear. It wasn’t the kind of expression one would use for a knight who had defeated dozens of opponents to win the jousting tournament.

Perhaps because it was such an impressive scene, exclamations came from everywhere.

At the king’s voice asking who it was, the knight slowly moved to remove his helmet. Even Diane leaned forward, tense, in the most dramatic moment of the day.

Ethan Erentis slowly revealed his beautiful face. Hyacinth silently took in the scene.

“Ahahaha! The Duke of Trisel is a remarkable talent indeed.”

Her uncle burst into hearty laughter.

A grand event to welcome the high lord. Since the high lord himself won the event, he couldn’t be more pleased.

“Wow…”

Diane exclaimed softly. She was still gripping Hyacinth’s arm tightly.

“It really was His Highness, the Duke of Trisel.”

“…Indeed.”

Bridget Erentis, I’ll pay my respects to you.

Her courage to assault such a skilled knight is anything but ordinary.

“Who will he present the tiara to?”

“Right?”

It won’t be the Duchess, even if it kills her.

Her intuition told her the answer, but Hyacinth rejected it. She didn’t particularly want to receive it. She didn’t want it. Just thinking about the gossip Tyche’s busybodies would spread made her head ache even more.

A servant brought the gold tiara.

The beautiful trophy with elaborate craftsmanship, placed on a velvet cushion.

* * *

Before turning back time, Ethan Erentis had done something quite insane. He wore the gold tiara, the trophy, himself.

There was no lady he particularly wanted to give it to—at that time, he was a fool blinded by prejudice and unaware of his own feelings—and he couldn’t find a reason to hand over the trophy he had worked hard to obtain to someone else.

For the Trisel ducal family, such a gold tiara was trivial, but…

Now, facing the gold tiara again, Ethan was fiercely contemplating. Hyacinth Hener from before the time reversal had desperately wanted this tiara.

To be precise, she didn’t want the ‘gold tiara.’ Whether it was a gold tiara or a simple wreath, Hyacinth Hener wanted Ethan Erentis. She dreamed of the romantic notion that Ethan Erentis would dedicate the glory of his victory to her.

Back then, he scoffed at such feelings.

Now, it was an innocent first love he would never receive again.

The current Hyacinth Hener wouldn’t want this luxurious tiara. Ethan knew this reality as well, but he couldn’t help but hesitate and hesitate again.

If only I could go back and give it to you then.

Even if someone tore his soul to death, even if they cut his frozen heart until it felt pain, even if he wandered for eternity without reaching hell, he would gladly endure it.

There are feelings that cannot be turned back even if time is reversed.

Ethan Erentis now realizes this miserable truth. He slowly reached out to the cushion and picked up the tiara.

Hyacinth Hener wouldn’t want it, but…

He also didn’t want to trouble her by giving her a gift, but at least today, the most glorious protagonist had to be Hyacinth Hener. No one else was acceptable.

The moment he placed the tiara on her, Hyacinth showed a look of disgust.

Ethan , not even deserving to be sad, just smiled.

* * *

The ball after the jousting tournament.

The first dance, which marked the beginning of the splendid after-party, was exclusively the privilege of the winner and the lady he chose.

Standing in front of the ballroom, Hyacinth quietly checked her attire. Regardless of how she felt about the current situation, as the flower of Tyche, she had to be perfect wherever she went.

The elaborate hair decoration that her nanny had decorated with a grin was perfect, and the lemon-colored bliaut that her aunt had personally gifted her a few days ago was also beautiful. The gold tiara on her head, though she didn’t want to admit it, suited her well. In fact, it suited her so well that it was a bit embarrassing.

Ethan Erentis had not arrived yet.

As someone who disliked socializing, he might not show up at all. Hyacinth reflected on such idle thoughts and then reprimanded herself. No matter what, Ethan Erentis wasn’t stupid.

If he were to snub her now, her uncle who cherished her would be furious. The Duke wouldn’t be foolish enough to risk such a threat.

Sure enough.

From the darkness at the end of the corridor, a silver glimmer appeared. The hair that shone dimly even in the dark reminded her of stars in the night sky.

The nearby servants began to show expressions of interest as if on cue. Judging by their blatant glances, they seemed ready to gossip to Tyche’s busybodies.

I knew it.

While Hyacinth was grumbling in her mind, the Duke of Trisel had approached her closely. When the corridor lights fully illuminated the man, she was momentarily speechless.

It wasn’t just her.

The servants who had been smirking, and even the head servant who was watching them instead of keeping them in check, were also stunned.

Hyacinth couldn’t show any reaction and just stared. She even forgot to blink. It was a scene that deserved such a reaction.

Ethan Erentis, with his perfect features and physique, wasn’t someone who usually dressed up. Whether it was because he was overconfident in his charm or not, he never tried to maximize it.

But whether he had paid special attention to his appearance for the ball, his already perfect face was even more splendidly groomed.

You have to acknowledge what needs to be acknowledged.

…He was sensual.

His melancholic gaze, his languid movements due to unavoidable fatigue. They skillfully stimulated the viewer’s nerves.

Humans are inherently creatures governed by their senses, and it was true. Excessively intense visual stimuli were rather violent. Her breath quickened, and she felt dizzy.

“Am I late?”

“N-no.”

Why are you stuttering? Hyacinth clicked her tongue at herself.

“I just arrived early.”

“Even so, for making a lady wait, I’m disqualified. Please forgive me.”

“…I didn’t wait long. It’s fine, Your Highness.”

Ethan Erentis politely extended his arm. Accepting his escort, Hyacinth swallowed her breath without a word.

The air she inhaled deeply carried the man’s scent.

A man from the north carried the scent of the north. The smell of a cloudy winter, the seasonal atmosphere stirred her heart.

Only at the last moment when the door opened could Hyacinth manage to muster a smile.

* * *