“It truly is all right.”

The Duke of Winfried whispered from behind her.

“I know what you’re worried about. But we do not know whether they will gossip about me.”

“…….”

“If you judge people solely by your prejudices, you will never discover what lies within them.”

“But….”

Irina parted her lips, her face filled with things she wanted to say.

Logan smiled.

“You had heard the rumors about me too, Miss Irina.”

At Logan’s words, Irina looked up at him.

A faint trace of guilt appeared in her eyes.

He really should not be this kindhearted.

“Was I anything like the rumors?”

Irina shook her head, her golden hair swaying with the movement.

“Hmm….”

After a brief silence, Irina nodded with determination.

“Very well. I’ll go speak to them, Your Grace…!”

Clenching both fists, Irina looked at Logan.

“If they have heard any false rumors about you, I’ll correct them immediately.”

“How reassuring.”

Although Irina did not seem to believe him, Logan was sincere.

“Phew.”

After taking a deep breath, Irina stepped forward.

She joined the group of young ladies and noblewomen rather awkwardly.

They studied her briefly before welcoming her with smiles.

“…….”

Logan continued watching her.

Had someone not spoken to him, he might have gone on watching indefinitely.

“Logan.”

Only after hearing his name repeatedly did Logan finally tear his gaze away and turn around.

A man stood behind him, his bright golden eyes striking against his sun-bronzed skin.

He was Kaal Fedrick, one of Logan Winfried’s few close friends.

“It’s been a long time.”

Flashing his white teeth in a broad smile, Kaal lightly clapped Logan on the shoulder.

“I never thought I would see you in the capital.”

“It truly has been a long time. How many years has it been?”

“I boarded a ship two years ago and only just returned, so at least that long.”

“You spent two years aboard a ship? Such is the life of a naval officer.”

“We were at war. What choice did I have?”

Kaal gave a casual shrug before draping an arm across Logan’s shoulders.

“But who is she?”

“Who?”

“The young lady who came with you.”

Looking toward Irina, Kaal gave a light whistle.

“I’ve never seen her in the capital’s social circles before. If I had ever encountered a beauty like that, there is no chance I would have forgotten her.”

“Enough with the vulgar remarks.”

“Vulgar?”

Kaal winked at him.

“I would prefer to be called a romantic.”

“…….”

Logan did not answer.

He merely regarded his friend with an expression of utter disgust.

“All right, all right.”

Removing his arm from Logan’s shoulders, Kaal took a step backward.

“But seriously, who is she? Everyone has been talking since the moment you arrived. You even remained glued to her side while viewing the paintings.”

“She is Lady Leonid, the daughter of Count Leonid.”

“Aha!”

Kaal snapped his fingers.

“That explains it!”

He looked Irina up and down as she conversed with someone in the distance.

“I’ve heard about her. She certainly resembles them.”

Although it had been many years, Kaal had also met Count and Countess Leonid in the Winfried duchy.

“Do you remember them?”

“Of course I do. How could I forget them merely because I met them as a child?”

Apparently recalling the count and countess from long ago, Kaal chuckled.

“Are they well? Since you’ve returned to the capital, they must have come with you. Where are they? I ought to greet them.”

“…They couldn’t come.”

“What?”

“Count Azen Leonid and Countess Leira Leonid were killed in battle.”

The smile instantly vanished from Kaal’s face.

“…When?”

“During the Battle of Peydan.”

The moment Kaal heard the name of the battle, he seemed to understand and rubbed a hand across his mouth.

“It was a difficult battle.”

Releasing a short breath, Kaal raked a hand through his hair.

“A long and agonizing one.”

His hair, long enough to tie into a short ponytail, swayed beneath his hand.

“I don’t understand why good people always leave us so soon.”

“…….”

Logan did not answer.

He merely lowered his head with his lips pressed shut.

“So that is why Lady Leonid came with you.”

Finally understanding, Kaal nodded.

He swept his hair back and looked at Logan.

“I thought you had finally found another fiancée instead of Lady Florence.”

“Sainer is not my fiancée.”

“But the two of you were always attached at the hip.”

“That only happened a few times when we were children.”

Sainer was born quite late, leaving a considerable age gap between her and her only older brother, and between her and her other cousins.

Consequently, whenever she visited the Duchy of Winfried, she would follow Logan around, as he was the one closest to her in age.

That was the period Kaal was referring to.

Even then, hadn’t it happened only two or three times?

The Duchy of Winfried was far too dangerous a place for a child to visit frequently.

“Come now. There was plenty of talk afterward as well.”

Ignoring Logan’s objection, Kaal continued,

“Lady Florence openly went around telling everyone that she would become the Duchess of Winfried, yet you never once stopped her.”

“…….”

“Am I wrong?”

Kaal was telling the truth.

Logan had turned a blind eye while Sainer Florence subtly implied to others that she would eventually become his fiancée.

“That was….”

Logan began to say something, only to close his mouth again.

Kaal glanced at his silent friend.

“When a man who behaved that way suddenly appears escorting another woman, how could I not reach such a conclusion?”

“It was merely an escort. Nothing more.”

“For something you consider so insignificant, you….”

Kaal turned to face his friend.

“You’ve been smiling ever since you arrived.”

“What?”

“You even naturally stepped in whenever someone tried to speak to her.”

Had he?

As Logan carefully searched his memory, he thought that perhaps Kaal was right.

When they first saw her, two or three people they had passed in the corridor had approached Lady Leonid out of curiosity.

But he had only intervened because he wanted her to be able to enjoy the paintings in peace.

“You didn’t realize?”

Kaal let out a soft, incredulous laugh.

“You were never this oblivious before.”

“Was I not?”

Logan answered briefly and frowned.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Irina standing with the others, fidgeting with her fingers.

She had blended into the group reasonably well, but she seemed tired out by the unfamiliar setting and strangers.

There she goes again.

Biting her lip.

Logan’s eyes narrowed.

She had already drawn blood that way earlier, yet she was once again worrying at her innocent-looking lip.

“Excuse me.”

“What? Hey.”

Ignoring Kaal calling after him, Logan immediately walked away.

“Pardon me, but may I join your conversation?”

“……!”

The people who had been chatting so cheerfully moments ago flinched in surprise.

“Oh my. Your Grace the Duke of Winfried.”

The oldest-looking woman among them was the first to recover and smile.

“Of course. You are always welcome among us, Your Grace. I was just wondering whether to greet you myself, but I never expected you to come over.”

The woman greeted him gracefully.

“I am Liberty Larkbird of House Larkbird.”

She then naturally nudged the young woman beside her towards the duke.

“And this is my daughter, Sandy Larkbird. I hesitate to boast, but she is a remarkably talented pianist.”

Once the ice had been broken, the others who had been standing back began to step forward one by one.

“Your Grace, I am Baron Isvin. This is my younger sister, Lily….”

“I am Count Samuel. My primary business is cotton. Ah! These are my wife and daughter, Millia Samuel.”

“Your Grace, I am….”

They had been startled stiff when Logan first addressed them. Yet now they flocked toward him like moths to a flame, each trying to say one more word.

Logan smiled with only the corners of his lips raised.

Only after receiving the greetings of nearly everyone gathered there did he finally speak.

“I would like to introduce Lady Leonid to my friend Fedrick. Would you mind if I borrowed her for a moment?”

“Ah….”

Their fans began fluttering more rapidly.

Disappointment appeared in the eyes of those who had lost a precious opportunity to form a connection with the House of Winfried.

“We had only just begun to grow acquainted with Lady Leonid. What a pity.”

“Indeed.”

However, they could not openly express their disappointment.

They lacked the familiarity and status necessary to detain the duke.

Instead, they directed their disappointment towards Irina.

“Wouldn’t you agree, Lady Leonid? We were having such a delightful conversation about the artist Daniker.”

“That is true, but….”

A young lady wearing white gloves that extended past her elbows subtly linked arms with Irina.

“We must obey His Grace’s wishes, of course, but I’m reluctant to let you leave like this….”                                                                                                                                                                            

“I would appreciate your understanding.”

“Oh my.”

No one would have dared protest even if Logan had simply taken Irina away.

Nevertheless, his courteous request appeared to please them, and faint smiles blossomed across their faces.

“Moreover, I hear the admiral will soon return to sea. I would like to introduce Lady Leonid to him before his departure.”

“Oh my!”

This time, the exclamation sounded genuinely surprised.

The woman who had spoken first widened her eyes.

“Hasn’t the admiral only just returned? If I recall correctly, it’s only been a few weeks.”

“The waters off Fedrick are not yet peaceful. There’s still a chance that enemy remnants are hiding there.”

“Enemy remnants? How frightening.”

“With a man as capable as the admiral attending to the matter, it should be resolved quickly.”

“If you feel that strongly about it, Your Grace, I suppose there’s nothing we can do, especially since the admiral will soon be returning to sea.”

The young lady unlinked her arm from Irina and shook her head.

“In exchange, Lady Leonid must promise to answer my letter. I would hate to lose the chance to know someone so delightful.”

The young lady looked at Irina.

Logan looked at her as well.

Finding herself beneath both their gazes at once, Irina appeared to hesitate for a moment before—

“Yes, I promise, Lady Wheeler.”

Then she nodded.

At her response, the young woman called Lady Wheeler smiled brightly.