“Are you sure that child is coming today? She might not show up even after saying she would.”

“I’m certain, so stop being noisy and keep your mouth shut. Are you going to take responsibility if you ruin everything?”

The Baron Larishi household was busy preparing for guests from early morning.

Baron Larishi scolded his restless wife and then glanced at the window.

“It’s about time for the guests to arrive. Is the meal preparation complete?”

A servant standing by politely answered his question.

“Yes. Everything has been prepared as you ordered.”

“Good. I trust it’s been handled without any mistakes.”

Baron Larishi stroked his chin with a satisfied expression.

Soon, his gaze returned to the Baroness Larishi.

“You too, watch your mouth today. Don’t babble and let that child find out.”

“Stop talking nonsense and think about what we’re going to do today.”

The Baroness answered haughtily and turned her head away.

“The plan is perfectly laid out, so there’s no need to worry. You just need to quietly observe.”

Baron Larishi smiled wickedly and approached the window.

“Ah, I see a carriage coming.”

Just then, a carriage could be seen approaching outside the window.

At that moment, Baron Larishi, who had been staring out the window with a welcoming face, froze.

“Darling? What’s wrong?”

Seeing his unusual expression, Baroness Larishi turned her head towards the window.

Simultaneously, her face also hardened.

“Th-That…!”

“Tell them to prepare tea immediately! The most expensive we have!”

The highly agitated Baron Larishi berated the servants around him.

The servants who received the order ran out in a hurry, not knowing what was going on.

‘What’s happening?’

Once all the servants had left, Baron Larishi anxiously bit his fingertips.

His gaze never left the window.

‘Why on earth is the Averon ducal family’s carriage in front of my house!’

***

At the same time.

A large carriage approached the front of the Baron Larishi residence.

The six-horse carriage, which even most high nobles rarely used, was spacious enough to have room left over even with four people riding.

Moreover, on one side of the wall, a picture was drawn so large that anyone could recognize it.

A large snake swallowing a sword.

In other words, it was the emblem representing the Averon ducal family.

“Aren’t we too conspicuous?”

Yvette muttered, peeking outside through the window.

Perhaps because it was her first time riding such a large carriage.

It felt nothing but awkward.

“Well. I’m not sure about that.”

Noel answered nonchalantly as he looked at Yvette.

If he usually gave off a more languid and light impression, today’s Noel exuded a strange sense of pressure from his attire.

It seemed he was deliberately trying to intimidate Baron Larishi.

‘There was no need to dress up like that.’

Yvette, glancing sideways at Noel, couldn’t help but feel embarrassed.

A few days ago, she had honestly confided her circumstances to Noel.

There was no reason to hide it since he would find out eventually anyway.

Of course, she didn’t tell 100% of the truth but added a bit of embellishment to it.

She intended to act as pitiful as possible to stimulate Noel’s sympathy.

And as a result, Yvette found herself heading to the Baron Larishi residence in the most splendid carriage in the empire.

‘By now, the Baron Larishi household must be in chaos.’

The Averon ducal family’s carriage was so grand and large that it was noticeable even from afar.

She couldn’t help but smile thinking of Baron Larishi’s face, who must have been quite flustered upon seeing the carriage.

“…You’ve been smiling more.”

Noel, who had been watching Yvette with his chin resting on his hand, muttered as if talking to himself.

An indecipherable emotion flickered in his blue eyes and then disappeared.

“What? What did you just say?”

“Nothing. Just talking to myself.”

As Yvette flinched and raised her head at those words, Noel shook his head as if nothing had happened.

It was just then.

“We’ve arrived.”

As the rattling carriage came to a complete stop, the coachman’s voice was heard.

Noel withdrew his gaze from Yvette and stood up.

“Let’s get off now.”

As he opened the door and stepped out first, Yvette followed, stepping onto the stairs.

As the two appeared, onlookers around them began to murmur.

“That emblem, isn’t it the Averon ducal family’s?”

“I think it is.”

“Then, the person who just got off…?”

At first, it was just quiet whispers.

But as the two got closer, people couldn’t hide their excitement and shouted.

“Look there! It’s Duke Averon!”

“What? No way! There’s no reason for Duke Averon to come to a place like this!”

“No, I’m telling you! That person is definitely Duke Averon!”

As the murmuring of the people grew louder, the crowd gathering around also increased.

‘At this rate, won’t I end up on the front page of tomorrow’s newspaper?’

Yvette looked around with a somewhat bewildered feeling.

Whether he knew her feelings or not, Noel smiled and extended his hand.

“Shall we go, Lady?”

Hearing this unfamiliarly gentle voice for the first time, Yvette hesitated and stepped back.

Her face clearly showed her bewilderment.

“…What’s with that embarrassing title?”

As she asked in shock, Noel tilted his head slightly.

“Why. Can’t engaged couples do even this much?”

Yvette lowered her voice so only he could hear while glancing around at their surroundings.

“We’re not even really engaged yet!”

To which Noel calmly replied.

“We’re going to announce the engagement soon anyway, so there’s no harm in acting in advance.”

He shrugged lightly, then extended his arm to Yvette again.

After hesitating for a moment, Yvette reluctantly took his arm.

Soon, the two arrived at the entrance of the Baron Larishi residence.

“Pl-Please enter this way.”

The servant who came out to greet them was trembling and couldn’t even make proper eye contact.

Judging by his unfamiliar face, he seemed to be a newly hired servant.

Yvette and Noel followed his guidance towards the first-floor drawing room.

Yvette took a deep breath before entering.

The thought of facing Baron Larishi again made her sigh involuntarily.

‘Still, it’s fortunate that I’m not alone.’

Yvette glanced sideways at Noel standing beside her.

Unless Baron Larishi was a fool, he wouldn’t dare to act recklessly in front of Noel.

Thinking this way made her feel much more at ease.