“As expected of my lady—always the scholar, with a book in hand.”

The man said in a teasing tone as he handed the book to her.

“Sir Rocheste!”

“I’m honored you remember my name.”

The last time she had seen Rocheste was before the hunting competition, so it truly had been a long time. Because he had always looked out for her, Selina was all the more delighted to see him again.

“Sir Rocheste, have you been well?”

“No, of course not.”

Shaking his hair—tinged with the warm red of a ripe apple—he murmured with a hint of frustration.

“I heard you injured your ankle during the hunting competition. How could I possibly be well after hearing that?”

“Ah… my ankle has gotten much better.”

“That’s a relief, but you still shouldn’t walk too much. Just coming all the way to the library must have been quite the ordeal for you.”

His tone was playful, but the sincerity in his concern made Selina’s chest tighten with warmth.

“Thank you for worrying about me.”

“Think nothing of it.”

Rocheste smiled brightly as he placed the book into her arms.

“I must admit, I never would have guessed your preferred genre was… children’s books.”

The Midsummer Sun Festival—on the cover of the book Selina had chosen, adorable animals were busily preparing for a festival.

In truth, she had never read a densely packed book before. Whenever she opened one filled with nothing but information, she struggled to understand it and failed to find what she needed.

What she needed was not a reference book, but something that captured the essence of an event, such as a picture book.

She had reached this conclusion about herself with some objectivity, which was why she had picked up a children’s book about a festival.

However, she hadn’t expected to be caught, and so she answered with a flushed face.

“I—I have to prepare for the event… I wanted to know what the mood of a festival in Thalia is like.”

“An event, you say… Ah! You must mean the Summer Heat Relief Celebration?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

When Selina nodded like a small bird, Rocheste’s smile deepened with satisfaction.

“So my lady will be overseeing a Thalia festival as well. You’ve truly become one of Thalia’s own.”

“You flatter me…!”

As he watched the lady before him blush yet again, Rocheste thought to himself: I had expected the daughter of a marquess to be sharp and cunning, but here she was, resembling a gentle rabbit more than anything else.

He was fascinated by the way every emotion flared so vividly across her face. If this was all an act, then he might as well declare that there wasn’t a single trustworthy person left in the world.

“Very well, my lady. The Summer Heat Relief Celebration is one of the most important events in Thalia. Preparing such an event alone is out of the question. Absolutely!”

“R-Really…?”

Of course, that wasn’t true. The Summer Heat Relief Celebration was second only to the Spring Welcoming Festival in how easy it was to prepare—likely the very reason Selina had been given the role in the first place.

Still, Rocheste had no intention of simply sitting back and watching something this amusing unfold.

Moreover…

‘I’ll enjoy myself for a while, like everyone else.’

In recent days, his lord, Grand Duke Calix Silas, had been behaving like a man possessed—acting nothing like his usual self. Every day, he seemed to seek out only work and drink.

From this, Rocheste had realized something significant had shifted in Calix’s heart.

‘I don’t know the reason, but if my guess is correct…’

His eyes settled on the breathtaking figure before him—his lady, as luminous as moonlight.

If his guess was right, then the reason was most certainly connected to her.

“If you’ll permit it, I would like to help with the event in every way I can—both in effort and resources.”

Of course, what he truly meant was: If you’ll permit it, I’d like to find out what has caused such a change in His Grace’s heart.

“Sir Rocheste…”

But Selina, unaware of his hidden thoughts, looked genuinely moved.

“Thank you. I had no idea where to even begin with something like this, but knowing you’ll help puts me at ease.”

“You can count on me, my lady.”

In truth, Rocheste knew absolutely nothing about organizing the event. What he did trust, however, was his network of connections.

“There’s one fellow who never misses an event like this. If anyone would know everything about it, it’s him. I’ll have a servant summon him here at once.”

“What an impressive person he must be!”

Selina nodded in admiration, as if Rocheste had summoned someone of extraordinary importance.

Seeing her respond with such enthusiasm, Rocheste felt all the more determined to truly put effort into helping with this event.

Before long, the man he had called for arrived.

“Greetings!”

And that esteemed guest turned out to be someone Selina knew very well.

“Sir Alter?”

“Ah, my lady! Have you been well? To be able to help you once again is the greatest honor!”

As always, Alter greeted her with impeccable formality, brimming with energy. His cheeks were flushed with excitement, perhaps at the thought of being able to help Selina once more.

But Alter was not the only one who had come.

“Hm. I happened to overhear on my way here, and it sounded rather interesting.”

The unexpected visitor was none other than Calliope Silas.

“O-oh, welcome.”

It was the first time Selina had seen her since the party, where she had met her without realizing she was Calix’s elder sister. She had never properly apologized for her rudeness back then, and now, meeting her again, she felt a wave of nervousness.

“Ah, I should apologize for that day. I didn’t mention that I was Calix’s sister on purpose—you must have been quite startled.”

Instead, it was Calliope who offered an apology first.

“N-no, it’s fine. I was the one who was rude… I’m sorry.”

“Oh my, were you ever rude to me? I’d like to accept your apology, but I can’t remember, so I suppose I can’t.”

With a hearty laugh, Calliope brushed it aside as if it were nothing, then began asking Selina about the tasks for the event.

“There’s not much I need to prepare with my own hands for this festival. But there is one very important thing, and that is…”

Selina spread out the list of 975 possible supply items she had received from Lady Lily.

“Oh, scented candles?” Having even one is wonderful. After a long day at work, lighting a candle can help to clear your mind, especially if you have a headache. Fans are great, too — I especially love the ones from the Far East. The craftsmanship is so skilful, and they create the most beautiful pieces. They’re worth choosing even if they’re a bit more expensive.”

Scanning the list, Calliope’s eyes lit up as she happily shared the information she knew.

Selina was overjoyed to realize she had someone right beside her who could offer such helpful advice.

But Alter’s reaction was entirely different.

“Absolutely not! You can’t eat things like that!”

His forceful objection made Calliope stop mid-sentence and ask,

“This is a gift from the Grand Duke’s castle. If you’re going to give a gift, shouldn’t you choose something nice? Would anyone be happy to receive nothing more than food?”

“Yes! In a household with many mouths to feed, the first priority is food, and the second is food!”

“That only applies to people like you, Sir Alter, who love to eat. Most of the townsfolk would probably prefer to receive something they normally couldn’t afford to use.”

“That’s just what the people living in the castle would think! I’m sure the townsfolk, sweltering in this heat, would much rather have something that fills their stomachs!”

Their opinions were so drastically opposed that choosing one side was no easy task.

Selina cautiously turned to Rocheste, seeking help.

“Then… can’t we include both?”

Rocheste proposed, thinking it a decent compromise.

Selina was about to clap her hands, thinking it a fine idea—

“No! That would make it inconsistent!”

“Absolutely not! That way it becomes neither one nor the other!”

—only to be immediately rejected by both sides, and so she quietly lowered her hands again.

But soon came a situation she could hardly avoid.

“What do you think, sister-in-law?”

“What are your thoughts, my lady?”

Both of them turned their eyes to Selina at the same time.

“I… I…”

The way their eyes sparkled—as if urging her to say ‘I’m right, aren’t I? Agree with me!’—made it impossible for her to take sides so hastily.

After a long moment of deliberation, Selina spoke cautiously.

“I don’t think I have an answer just yet. How about we take a day to think about it and discuss it again tomorrow?”

Hearing her suggestion, both Alter and Calliope seemed to find it reasonable and nodded.

“Sir Alter, by tomorrow you won’t be able to resist agreeing with me. I’ll bring you a list filled with all the reasons why my idea should be chosen.”

“Haha! My lady, I’ll gather every witness I can to testify in support of my opinion, along with all the evidence I need.”

The two stared at each other as if they were lifelong rivals before finally leaving the study.

“I’m sorry, my lady. It feels like I’ve caused unnecessary trouble.”

“No, not at all. You’ve been a great help, Rocheste. I’d actually like to take this opportunity to think about which direction might be best.”

Selina shook her head, smiling shyly. She was grateful to Alter and Calliope for making her think, and she was glad that Rocheste had given her this chance.

“…In that case, I’m relieved as well.”

Watching her smile so brightly, Rocheste found himself unconsciously smiling along with her.