“They’ll be out soon.”

“Thank you.”

When Maude smiled kindly, the soldier’s face flushed even redder. Her gaze drifted back to the sea, to the summer landscape that shimmered like flowing light beneath the rippling waves. As she lost herself in the view, a sudden gust of wind swept in, snatching the hat from her head and sending it tumbling inside the checkpoint.

“Oh!”

She spun around just in time to see her hat caught deftly in the hand of a man who had just arrived. She had only ever glimpsed him from afar, dressed in civilian clothes, but she recognized him instantly. There was no mistaking him. This was Kyle Rizewell.

The lace ribbon of her straw hat fluttered in the breeze as it dangled from his hand. Through the fluttering lace, she saw his face, striking and impossibly handsome, and for a moment she gazed at him as if the scene before her were straight out of a novel.

The heavy sound of the gate opening accompanied his approach. He walked toward her without the slightest hesitation, each step purposeful. Under the golden sunlight, his neatly tailored naval uniform gleamed brilliantly.

“I believe I already sent you a reply,” he said in a low voice.

Maude found something strangely pleasing in the contrast between his stern expression and the gentle way he held out her hat. Her conviction grew stronger.

‘Yes… he’s the man who can give me everything.’

Her lips bloomed into a radiant smile.

“Hello, Captain. I know it’s improper to come unannounced, but I couldn’t wait. Did you enjoy your leave?”

Her eyes, lifted toward his, were the same shade as the green-tinted letter she had sent. Kyle recalled that very letter as the sunlight caught the fine strands of her hair, cascading across her cheeks like flower petals. Her face was clear, almost innocent—and yet the way she smiled, all while pretending ignorance of the lies she’d told, was audacious enough to make him sigh.

Regret came too late. What was done could not be undone. All he could do now was manage the situation quickly and carefully, to lessen the spread of scandal.

Though the base was quieter than usual, there were still too many eyes. And if Azel had already caught wind of it, Kyle would have to endure his endless teasing on top of everything else—a thought that already gave him a headache.

“If you go on ahead, I’ll follow shortly.”

Kyle wrote an unfamiliar address on a slip of paper from the checkpoint and handed it to her.

“I will. Forgive me—I was quite discourteous today.”

Maude bowed with grace. Kyle gave a curt nod in return before turning away, his tall figure retreating into the base. Maude’s gaze lingered on his back. How could a man be so aesthetically perfect?

Most uniforms glorified their wearers. In his case, it was the opposite—Kyle glorified the uniform.

‘The man who makes his uniform shine… Not bad.’

Her smile sparkled like midsummer sunlight.

***

The car carrying Maude, Sarah, and Thompson drove along the coast until it reached the address on the note: a coffee house set apart from Bergen’s busy center, standing quietly by the sea. Though not fashionable by current standards, the place carried an air of elegance, and its seaside view promised beauty.

“Three in your party?” a waiter asked after confirming their number.

“One more will join us. Please prepare two tables.”

“Of course.”

He led them upstairs to a spacious terrace. The entire second floor opened to the air, with views in every direction. Columns supported the roof, while cascades of wisteria wound their way up and spilled down like summer rain.

“It’s an especially clear, beautiful day,” the waiter remarked kindly as he seated Maude at the table closest to the sea. He offered nearby seats to Sarah and Thompson, but they chose a table a little farther away.

Facing the magnificent scenery, both Sarah and Thompson smiled from ear to ear. Maude, watching them, felt her own joy swelling. The breeze carried with it the scent of wisteria and sea salt, brushing softly against her cheeks. She closed her eyes to listen to the gentle murmur of the waves—until the sound of approaching footsteps made her open them again.

Kyle was coming toward her with long, purposeful strides. Though his height and refined features could make him seem slender, his broad shoulders and solid frame betrayed the soldier in him. Every time he drew closer, she felt it more acutely.

The dark hair that contrasted sharply with his white uniform caught the sunlight spilling through the wisteria.

“Maude Hablein, daughter of the Duke, greets His Grace,” she said, rising to meet him.

“I haven’t been a duke in a long time. Let’s stick with Captain.”

His voice was detached, his gaze briefly resting on her chair before he sat down. Soon after, he gestured to the proprietor with a flick of his hand.

“You’re here earlier than expected! I heard you would come tomorrow. Shall I prepare—” The older gentleman stopped mid-sentence when he noticed Maude seated across from Kyle.

“No, tomorrow is correct. Something came up,” Kyle said curtly.

The proprietor wisely held his tongue, offering instead a warm smile as he handed them menus.

“Coffee for me.”

“Yes, sir.”

“The same for me, please.”

“Very well.”

With that, the proprietor withdrew, leaving them alone.

Maude removed her hat and placed it neatly on the chair beside her. The sunlight caught her flaxen hair, making it glow. The breeze played through it, drawing Kyle’s gaze upward to her face. She was strikingly beautiful—objectively so. Her beauty itself wasn’t the problem. The problem was that she was sitting here, across from him.

The incident at the base had already made avoiding scandal impossible. Kyle had no interest in being entangled with the Imperial Court, much less in rumors involving one of its favored women.

He swallowed a dry sigh, his thoughts tangled. Maude, unbothered, smiled serenely at him.

“I accepted a wager from His Majesty. He wishes you, as Duke, to attend the Founding Festival ball with me.”

Kyle’s gaze chilled instantly, but Maude met his eyes with unwavering calm, her lips curved in a gentle smile.

“So, you want my help?”

“Just for one day, please give me the captain.”

To think she had gone to all this trouble for such nonsense. His eyes burned with disdain as he rose to his feet.

“In that case, I don’t need to hear any more. Let’s make sure we don’t meet again, Lady Maude.”

He had already taken a step away from the table when her voice stopped him.

“What if I can give you Ennen Voight?”

He froze, turning back to her.

“I know you always seek him out during the summer holidays.”

Her composure only deepened his irritation. A laugh, sharp and humorless, escaped him. That brazen, insolent attitude had irked him from the start.

“I must commend the Duke of Hablein’s daughter for her… diligence in digging into my affairs.”

“I only had a little help. My coffee house entertains many friends, you see, and they tend to bring with them all sorts of news from the world.”

Kyle finally recalled Maude’s coffeehouse. They said she had achieved great success by adding female-centered arts and culture to the male-dominated social scene of Berren. But even if that were true, it didn’t change the fact that she was trying to use him for a wager that served only her own interests.

“Ennen Voight can only be given to you, Captain, by me, Maude Hablein. The time left is two days. If you don’t hear from me by then, he said he would take on another commission. I heard it’s a mural project that might take quite a long time.”

Letting out a deep sigh, Kyle looked down at Maude with a cold gaze and said,

“And how am I supposed to believe that?”

“Well, I don’t know. I told you without a shred of falsehood, so the choice is entirely yours, Captain. I’ll simply follow it. Of course, it would be better if you accepted Ennen Voight from me and gave me your time in return.”

Though Maude spoke with a smile on her clear face, the sharpness in the man’s eyes left little room to expect that her wishes would be fulfilled. Accepting that truth humbly, she smiled even more gently. After all, not even he could spit on a smiling face.

Between the two, their locked gazes gave rise to a strange tension—like a cloud casting a shadow over a blooming flower.