Hugo’s lips pressed firmly together.

Just as Yvonne’s gaze grew heavy with disappointment as she watched his profile in silence—

“Therefore, I request that Your Majesty consider Yvonne Rosier, the only direct bloodline of that family, to inherit the Rosier title.”

Yvonne’s eyes slowly lifted in surprise at these unexpected words.

“Hugo……”

The Queen also revealed her surprise, and after a moment of silence, she slowly spoke.

“That thought… never occurred to me.”

The Queen turned toward Marquis Richmond standing beside her.

“Marquis Richmond, has there ever been a case of a woman inheriting a noble family’s title?”

“There has been no such case to my knowledge, Your Majesty.”

“Why? Unlike the imperial family, is there a law prohibiting women from inheriting titles in aristocratic matters?”

“That’s not the case. It’s not legally prohibited, but typically noble families pass titles to direct male descendants, and when only female descendants remain in the direct line, the title is customarily transferred to sons-in-law or male descendants from collateral lines.”

“……So it’s solely because of custom.”

The Queen’s brow slightly furrowed.

Though born a woman herself, she had become so accustomed to the long-standing customs of the society in which she was born and raised that she had never deeply considered how unfair they were to women.

‘I merely resolved to change Vertis society’s perception of women, yet I’m still full of shortcomings.’

The Queen shook her head, reflecting on her own inadequacies that she had just realized.

Perhaps, as Hugo suggested, if she directly granted the Rosier title to Yvonne, it might become an opportunity to indirectly announce the royal family’s new direction throughout Vertis.

“Count Yvonne Rosier……”

A gentle curve formed at the corners of the Queen’s lips as she murmured to herself.

“That wouldn’t be bad at all. I’ll soon formally order the Rosier family’s vassals to pass the title to Yvonne Rosier.”

Yvonne’s eyes widened.

To think she could inherit the Rosier family’s title herself, not someone else. For Yvonne, who had secretly blamed herself for being unable to do anything for her family, it was like a dream.

Hugo gently took Yvonne’s hand as she exhaled shallow breaths, unable to contain her overwhelming emotions, and offered her a smile.

Just as Yvonne barely managed to lift the corners of her mouth toward him, the Queen’s gaze lingered for a while on Hugo’s face as he comforted her.

After examining his face intently for a moment, the Queen slowly spoke as if she had just remembered something.

“But no matter how I look at you……”

“……”

“Lord Wenner, you bear a striking resemblance to someone I know in his younger days.”

Hugo’s gaze turned back to her at the Queen’s quiet words.

“I’m curious about who this acquaintance of Your Majesty might be, to grant me such an honor by resembling me.”

“You probably haven’t met him. Even Miss Yvonne, who has spent her time in the capital’s social circles, may have only seen him a few times.”

The Queen let out a soft chuckle as she recalled him.

“He’s not one to enjoy mingling with people, so he rarely appears at social gatherings. Moreover, he left the capital long before you came to Vertis. Have you heard of Grand Duke Merriott?”

“As for His Highness the Grand Duke Merriott……”

Yvonne trailed off, searching her memory.

Grand Duke Merriott was the Queen’s cousin and the previous owner of Hugo’s grand mansion located in the center of Upper Side Avenue No. 3.

It was known that due to friction with the royal family, he had left the capital about a decade ago and moved his residence to the provinces.

“Your Majesty, are you referring to the previous owner of the mansion where we currently reside?”

“Ah, that’s right. I had heard that you made it your residence when you first came to Vertis, but I had forgotten. What a coincidence……”

The Queen’s expression turned welcoming as if she had just realized something, but her gaze soon slowly sank.

“……He was one of my favorite cousins.”

A brief, regretful sigh escaped the Queen’s lips as she recalled him.

“He was a strong yet equally lonely person. After both his loveless wife and the woman he truly loved passed away before him, he lived alone as if punishing himself.”

“Did he have no children at all?”

After a moment of silence at Yvonne’s question, the Queen spoke again.

“Though not with his official wife, he did have a son with the woman he loved. But even that son he never saw throughout his life, so it’s as good as having none…… When that woman died, the son’s whereabouts became unknown, and despite searching everywhere for several years, he ultimately couldn’t find him.”

“I had no idea His Highness Grand Duke Merriott had such a story……”

“Many people seem to think he left the capital due to friction with the royal family, but in truth, that was his real reason.”

“……”

“The despair and sense of loss from never being able to find his only son eventually drove him away from his longtime residence forever.”

After exhaling a long sigh mixed with regret, the Queen’s gaze returned to Hugo.

“So imagine my surprise when your face reminded me of him today. Your father must be as handsome as you are.”

Hugo, who had been showing a faint smile with lowered eyes, slowly spoke.

“Actually, I…… was born out of wedlock. I never heard anything about my father until my mother passed away, so I don’t even know what kind of person he was.”

“Oh dear, I’ve said something unnecessary……”

“It’s alright. Not knowing my father’s existence isn’t even a wound to me anymore—it’s something I’ve grown accustomed to.”

The Queen lowered her gaze with a troubled expression.

Lost in thought, she blinked slowly before finally raising her head again.

“Lord Wenner, may I ask… what was your mother’s name?”

After hesitating briefly at the name he didn’t wish to recall, Hugo’s lips soon released a determined answer.

※※※

In the car returning to the mansion after meeting with the Queen, Hugo kept his gaze fixed outside the window in silence, his face full of thoughts.

Yvonne stared at his profile, recalling the Queen’s final farewell.

“Make sure to attend the next royal gathering, Lord Wenner. There will be someone waiting for you there.”

Though not directly stated, it wasn’t difficult to infer the Queen’s thoughts from their previous conversation.

The same would be true for Hugo.

As Hugo remained lost in thought with a complicated expression, Yvonne carefully took his hand, and he slowly turned to look at her.

“Hugo. Since we’re already out, shall we go on a date before heading back?”

A smile spread across Hugo’s face at her quiet suggestion.

“Is there somewhere you’d like to go?”

“Well, the weather is so nice that anywhere would be good, but……”

Yvonne pretended to think for a moment before smiling brightly.

“I think that place would be best.”

Following her request, the car turned toward the city and entered a familiar tree-lined avenue.

After driving for quite some time with the gentle breeze coming through the car window, the car finally stopped. The couple stepped out and entered through the iron gate of the abandoned hunting ground with familiar ease.

The workers busy inside the hunting ground spotted them and respectfully greeted them from a distance.

“It’s already looking nicely groomed. Both the grass and the trees.”

“Indeed. I think it will fully regain its former appearance before the wedding.”

The two walked along the path leading to a small hill, continuously admiring the significantly changed landscape of the hunting ground.

Since the couple had chosen the Rosier family’s hunting ground—the most meaningful place for them—as their wedding venue, the location had been gradually recovering its former beauty through the work of numerous laborers.

After walking for a while, appreciating the pleasing transformation, the two reached the small hill behind the grounds and sat down side by side in a spot overlooking the entire hunting ground.

Green grass, fruit trees that had regained their luster, blue sky with drifting clouds, and a pleasant breeze coming from somewhere.

As Hugo silently savored the beautiful moment at the hunting ground, Yvonne gently rested her head on his shoulder.

“It seems that person is your father…… don’t you think?”

Hugo took a deep breath at Yvonne’s quiet question.

“……Perhaps.”

Yvonne, who had been smiling gently while leaning on Hugo’s shoulder, adjusted her posture and looked at him.

“How do you feel?”

“I don’t know. It hasn’t sunk in yet. And above all…… I have no idea what expression I should make when I face him.”

Hugo’s gaze lowered.

Yvonne stared at his face, which seemed lost in thought again, and gently smiled while brushing his hair.

“It won’t matter how you appear. Your very existence will be precious to him.”

“……”

“Just like you loved me for who I am, regardless of how I appeared.”

The black eyes looking at Yvonne wavered slightly.

Yvonne was a star that had always shone brilliantly in an unreachable place.

Happiness deeply permeated Hugo’s face as he gazed at the precious star that had finally come into his arms after such a long time.

As his gaze, which had been carefully examining his lover’s beautiful face, settled on her lips, their lips soon embraced each other, sinking deeply together.

“……I love you, Yvonne.”

Her smile as she looked at Hugo confessing with their foreheads touching was as lovely as she had been on that brilliant summer day long ago.

Looking into each other’s eyes, the lovers could feel that this happiness they had finally reclaimed would continue forever.

By the side of you whom I love more than anything, and…

Who loves me.