Baron’s face, which had been gentle for a while, crumpled into a scowl.

It was because he remembered the fact that Yerena had been killed by Benjamin’s follower.

‘I warned her so much to keep her distance from Benjamin!’

He hated Benjamin, the ultimate cause of her death, more than Rosie who had killed Yerena.

And he was also angry at himself for wanting to believe Benjamin’s speculation that Yerena might not be dead.

He hated to believe Benjamin’s words even if he were to die and come back to life, but still…

Still, he hoped that Yerena wasn’t dead. Quite desperately, to an extent he was reluctant to admit.

This too was a wish whose reason he couldn’t understand.

And it was also the first wish he had since Diana’s death.

Baron, harboring this earnest feeling, began to keep an eye on the McCloy Duchy, separate from what he had ordered Johnson to do.

Baron thought that Benjamin, who was certain Yerena was alive, wouldn’t just sit still.

Though he seemed indifferent to everything except Diana, he was the type to see through to the end any task he set his mind to or anything he wanted to know.

It would probably be the same with matters related to Yerena.

Therefore, he had no doubt that Benjamin would visit the Duchy to interrogate Rosie.

Sure enough.

He could hear that Benjamin had knocked out the knights of the Duchy.

Those knights, who were present at the scene where Yerena fell off the cliff, reportedly confessed that ‘they hadn’t confirmed Yerena’s corpse’.

It was a testimony that lent weight to Benjamin’s speculation that Yerena might be alive.

‘Damn it, to think Benjamin would be the first to notice that fact…’

It seems Benjamin’s speculation wasn’t so far-fetched after all.

Baron too began to harbor a tangible hope that Yerena might be alive.

And although Benjamin had speculated about Yerena’s survival, Baron had to be the one to have the last laugh.

Baron thought he should be the first to find her wherever she might be hiding.

To do that, shouldn’t he visit Yerena’s funeral that was to be held today?

But to go there, leaving Diana behind…

Baron bit his lower lip, unable to make a decision easily.

It was the first time he had thought of going somewhere else on the day of Diana’s memorial service.

“Baron! I’ve brought the suit you ordered!”

He pushed away his worries and let Johnson into the room for now.

Behind Johnson, maids pulling long hangers followed.

Several styles of suits were hanging on the hangers.

“I prepared various styles just in case.”

“Which one among those is the most expensive suit?”

Johnson took out one from among the various suits hanging on the hanger.

“It’s this one.”

“Hmm.”

It was a clean and gentlemanly suit without any particular accessories.

‘I wonder if I’ll look more handsome than Benjamin wearing that.’

Baron recalled Benjamin, who looked good in a black uniform.

At that moment, Johnson spoke as if he had read Baron’s mind.

“This suit is the most expensive one sold at Benjamin’s regular shop.”

The most expensive suit from the shop Benjamin uses?

There was no need to hesitate any longer.

Baron spoke with a tone full of certainty.

“I’ll wear that one.”

“Yes, Baron.”

A triumphant smile spread across Johnson’s face as he nodded.

It had been several years since he served Baron as his master.

Just as Baron couldn’t fire Johnson who catered well to his tastes, Johnson had a good understanding of Baron in his own way.

‘Our master can’t resist when told something is better than what Benjamin uses.’

Soon, preparations for Baron’s outing began.

***

At Count Eleanor’s residence, the largest hall was filled with people dressed in black.

And in the hands of everyone filling the hall were white chrysanthemums.

They were people gathered to commemorate the 10th anniversary of Diana’s death, who had been a ward of the Marquis’s family.

While offering words of comfort to the Marquis and his wife, the mourners periodically glanced somewhere.

Where their gazes unconsciously turned to, stood the three pillars of the Allen Knights.

Lambert wearing only a white shirt without a jacket, Baron wearing the most expensive suit, and Benjamin is in his usual black uniform.

They looked like the protagonists of this memorial service, receiving people’s attention.

The three men were standing close enough to talk, but they weren’t conversing.

They even thoroughly ignored each other, not even exchanging glances.

They were merely lost in thought, recalling their own anecdotes with Diana.

People only stole glances at them, not daring to approach.

Amidst this, someone who was at least acquainted with the three approached them.

“…Benjamin, Lambert, Baron. Thank you for coming this year as well.”

It was Countess Eleanor, Diana’s mother.

The three men slightly bowed their heads in greeting and opened their mouths for the first time.

“It’s a place I should naturally come to.”

Was Benjamin’s answer,

“Diana would be disappointed if I didn’t come.”

Was Baron’s answer,

“Yes…”

Lambert, who wasn’t good with words, dismissed with a short answer.

The Marchioness, who understood their personalities as well as Diana did, didn’t find Lambert’s short answer disappointing.

Everyone in the Empire’s nobility knew that they had been sincere to Diana.

The Marchioness was just grateful to them for not forgetting Diana’s death anniversary for 10 years.

“I heard that you received a disciplinary action from the Center… I think it’s okay if you don’t stay late to commemorate today.”

Diana’s commemoration continued for nearly a whole day.

The three men would spend the night at the Marqui’s residence every time a memorial service was held. Whether it rained, or they had urgent matters, regardless of the situation.

The Marchioness expected them to do the same today.

Even though she said they could leave early, she thought they would stubbornly stay to commemorate Diana.

But strangely, a different answer came today.

“…Then I’ll leave early today.”

The Marchioness couldn’t quite believe the answer Benjamin gave.

So she unconsciously asked him again.

“Pardon?”

“I apologize to you, Marchioness, but I actually have a place I must visit today.”

“Ah… Oh, no. I’m rather grateful that you came to commemorate my child despite having urgent matters.”

“Thank you for understanding.”

Though she said that, the Marchioness was curious about where Benjamin said he was going.

‘Has he finally found a woman other than Diana? As far as I know, there’s nothing unusual in the Vicente Duchy…’

Of course, even if Benjamin had found another woman, she wouldn’t feel disappointed.

It had been a full 10 years.

The Marchioness hoped that the three men who had loved only Diana for as long as 10 years would now find their own partners.

They couldn’t keep longing for a woman who was no longer in this world forever.

At that moment, Baron, as if he couldn’t lose to Benjamin, gave a similar answer.

“Marchioness. I also happen to have a place to visit. I’m sorry.”

“What? You too, Baron? Do you perhaps have a prior engagement with Benjamin?”

Baron, who had answered quite calmly, spoke emphatically with veins popping on his neck.

“No. That damn… I mean, the noble Benjamin would never be together with me, would he?”

“……”

The Marchioness answered with a smile.

It was because she had long known that the two were at odds.

Baron and Benjamin hadn’t gotten along since they were very young, even when Diana was alive.

She thought they might have become a bit closer after becoming members of the same knightly order and always attending the memorial service together…

‘They still hate each other.’

No, perhaps she should correct that to Baron being wary of Benjamin.

To the Marchioness’s eyes, the two men just looked cute.

If Diana were alive, she would have had fun pondering which of the two men to marry her to.

She felt newly saddened by her daughter’s early death.

The Marchioness, feeling a bit choked up, looked at Lambert.

Lambert wasn’t at odds with the two men, but he wasn’t close friends with them either.

Lambert, whose eyes met hers by chance, slowly shook his head.

“I… If it’s not disrespectful to you, Marchioness, I’ll stay.”

“It’s not disrespectful at all. Please feel free to stay.”

That was the end of the conversation.

The Marchioness left, saying she was going to greet other nobles.

As soon as she did, Baron, as if he had been waiting, badgered Benjamin.

“Benjamin, you. You’re planning to go to Yerena’s funeral, aren’t you?”