With Killian’s brief introduction, Theodore bowed his head in greeting.

“It is a pleasure to meet you, Your Grace the Grand Duchess. I am Theodore Zapel. I currently serve as His Grace the Grand Duke’s aide.”

Theodore introduced himself directly and smiled warmly. There was not the slightest trace of reluctance on his face. The same was true of those standing behind him.

‘Ah……’

Ines swallowed her bewilderment and naturally lifted the corners of her mouth slightly.

“It’s a pleasure, Sir Zapel. I am Ines Delcarion Rupert.”

After that, Killian introduced a few more people in order, but when others began to slip in and join the line, making it grow longer, he looked faintly exasperated.

“Is the plan to spend the entire reception doing introductions?”

At Killian’s mild rebuke, the neatly uniformed knights burst out laughing.

“Come on, my lord. Can’t you include us too?”

“Hmm. The voice is grating, so no.”

“My lord! Are you really doing this to us?”

“Why not?”

At the warm, lively scene, Ines, who was standing half a step behind Killian, let out a small laugh without meaning to.

The unfortunate thing was that at the exact moment Ines laughed, the room happened to go quiet.

“Ah……”

Ines’s shoulders gave a small startled tremble at the sudden attention.

She was looking around helplessly when a shadow fell in front of her. She looked up instinctively to find a broad back shielding her.

Killian, who had tucked her behind him as though to protect her, let out a sigh.

“Step back two paces.”

“……Yes, sir.”

“Don’t you know that a group of grown men staring like that is intimidating?”

“We apologize.”

“We didn’t mean to……”

At Killian’s reprimand, the knights bowed their heads sheepishly.

Theodore, who had already stepped to the side, shook his head at them as though they were hopeless.

“That’s why I keep saying you can’t just live by the sword. You’re lacking in consideration. Starting tomorrow, let’s all read a book together, what do you say?”

“……Sir Zapel, not you too.”

“I can’t help it if my face looks menacing.”

“That’s true. We had absolutely no intention of threatening Her Grace.”

Starting with Theodore’s words, the knights, who had been drooping despite their large frames, began to grumble.

Watching them bicker, Ines laughed again.

“The Ikalante Knights are very close.”

Killian, who had turned at the sound of her laughter, looked at Ines for a moment, then gave a short laugh at her cheerful observation and nodded.

“We’ve known each other so long that at some point we all started living like brothers.”

“You too, Killian?”

“I am no different. Theodore and I have known each other for over twenty years now. He’s family at this point.”

Theodore, who had somehow caught his name in the middle of their bickering, looked over.

That seemed to be the signal, because the knights’ gazes began to gather again one by one.

But it did not feel as overwhelming as before, because the excitement written all over the knights was plain to see.

Ines looked at them and smiled softly.

“There’s plenty of time, so I’ll hear the rest of the introductions gradually going forward. Is that all right?”

“Yes, yes! Of course it is!”

In the capital, the reputation of Rupert’s Ikalante Knights surpassed even the imperial army.

That was only natural, given that unlike the capital, which was built on a foundation of safety, Rupert was situated close to the Kendal Mountains.

But looking at them now, that fearsome reputation, a blend of respect and dread, did not come to mind at all.

It was strange, and also touching, so Ines smiled quietly to herself.

In her past life, she had never laughed and talked this freely with the Ikalante Knights.

Just then, she saw Killian beckon to someone.

“My lord.”

The one who approached was a female knight with a lean, solid build.

“Ines. This is Merry Dianin.”

“It is a pleasure to meet you, Your Grace. I am Merry Dianin.”

She bowed with a crisp but disciplined posture, and she was someone whose face and name Ines knew very well.

Dianin. Apart from having known Merry in her past life, there was another person in Rupert who shared that surname.

“It’s a pleasure, Dame Dianin.”

At Ines’s gentle smile, Merry’s eyes went slightly wide, then she lifted the corner of her mouth in a smile of her own.

The reason Killian had called her over separately did not need to be said.

“Ines. Merry will be your escort going forward.”

Ah, as expected.

Many things had changed since her return, but some things remained the same.

That the maid Marisa had brought at Ines’s request was Cecile, and that the knight Killian assigned as her escort was Merry.

“Merry is an exceptionally skilled knight, currently serving as vice-commander of the Ikalante Second Knight Order.”

“I will protect Your Grace with everything I have.”

At Killian’s added introduction, Merry smiled and placed a hand lightly against her chest. Ines knew that was a knight’s oath.

And in her past life too, Merry had made that oath in front of Ines. It had not been with a smile or a warm manner as it was now, but Merry had sworn, and she had kept it.

Ines swallowed the familiar darkness, now well-practiced, and smiled as though it had been painted on.

“Thank you, Dame Dianin. I look forward to working with you.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

In this life, Merry would not die protecting her.

The imperial army’s boots would never trample the North, never trample Rupert.

“Go enjoy the rest of the reception. Tell the others not to drink too much.”

“Yes, understood.”

Merry bowed to Killian and Ines in turn, then left. Where she arrived, a burst of laughter rang out.

Ines watched for a moment, then naturally turned away. Her eyes met Killian’s.

‘……Was he watching?’

Her cheek felt oddly warm, and she looked away as though it were nothing, when a small laugh came from above her head.

“Shall we go somewhere quieter for a moment?”

The words that followed were rather appealing.

She nodded quickly before she could hide the eagerness, and Killian laughed again.

Following him, they arrived at a balcony set into the wall of the banquet hall. He untied the curtain cord, and the velvet cloth that spilled out half-covered the door.

“Please go ahead.”

She stepped through the door Killian held open, and he came out after drawing the curtain to cover the door completely.

Strangely, having only passed through a curtain and a glass door, the sounds that had filled the banquet hall cut off entirely.

“Would you look at the sky?”

Following Killian’s suggestion, Ines looked up and her eyes went wide.

“Oh my……”

The sun set far faster here than in the capital, and darkness had already fallen. The sky was studded with glittering stars.

But the most beautiful thing of all was the full moon, perfectly round.

“So tonight is a full moon……”

The moon always shone in the same shape, but where you watched it from changed how it felt.

That was probably why the full moon seen here, with Killian, felt unusually beautiful.

Ines gazed at the moon a little longer, then let her eyes drift very slightly toward Killian. She thought that since he would be looking at the moon too, a quick glance would go unnoticed.

“……!”

But their gazes met squarely, and Ines forgot to pretend it was an accident and gave a small startled shiver.

It would have been better to hold his gaze naturally or look away. In front of Killian alone, the composure that was otherwise easy to maintain crumbled completely.

“It’s a little hurtful that you startle so.”

The voice was low and gentle, but she was not so far gone that she could not hear the laughter in it.

“……Don’t tease me.”

“Ha ha.”

Ines murmured meekly, and was briefly captivated by Killian’s open laugh.

One of the things she had come to know anew since her return was that Killian laughed more than she had thought.

In truth, even before, Killian had not been someone who rarely smiled. She had occasionally seen him joking with Theodore, his aide and childhood friend, and he had often laughed aloud when with the knights.

When he smiled brightly, it was like clear summer sunshine, or like a precious jewel.

But Ines had not been able to see that smile up close.

Killian had always faced Ines with a smile, but that was only because they were husband and wife.

So if she happened to catch a glimpse of him laughing from a distance, Ines would stop walking without meaning to and watch him endlessly.

Because she wanted to hold even that much of his smile in her eyes.

After losing herself for a while, Ines came back to her senses.

‘……What am I doing.’

Fortunately, Killian was not looking at her strangely but at the full moon.

He looked at the sky for a while, then slowly turned and met her eyes. Perhaps it was because his gaze was unusually deep under the night sky, but Ines did not think to look away.