Arne slightly tilted her head. There’s much to gain from the Grand Duke of Renigrad taking special care of Arne.

Firstly, it creates a favorable scenario to dispel any suspicions of poisoning.

Moreover, wouldn’t it also earn him the honor of being seen as benevolent?

Yet, what she didn’t expect was the dinner invitation.

‘To think he invited me to dinner, even though taking care of me is one thing.’

Something about Arne must have piqued Duke Renigrad’s interest.

What exactly attracted her to him is unknown, but this was clearly an opportunity.

And the commander is both Cedric’s man and the Grand Duke’s man.

‘Directly having the commander deliver the invitation means he intends to scrutinize me.’

As expected of a warrior from the north. Exploration is always the first step before preparing for battle,

The Grand Duke will want to determine whether the other party is an enemy or ally, and how strong they might be.

At the same time, it meant that Arne was not just a young lady, but someone whom the Grand Duke himself found worth investigating.

‘Then, I should respond accordingly.’

A languid smile spread across Arne’s lips. When she turned her head, her gaze met Cedric’s, who had been watching her since.

Arne naturally extended her hand to Cedric.

Then, Cedric unknowingly took Arne’s hand, escorting her to stand up.

It happened so naturally that even Cedric, who had held her hand, didn’t feel anything odd.

Only the commander, who had been watching Arne on the Grand Duke of Renigrad’s orders, caught that moment.

‘Just now, to Lord Cedric……’

Arne’s interactions with Cedric were sometimes too natural.

‘As if she wasn’t a young lady who had just met Cedric, but someone who knew him well……’

The commander felt a strange feeling he couldn’t explain in words. He had felt this way around Arne before.

‘What was it.’

While the commander was reminiscing, Arne straightened her back.

She placed one hand near her chest and shoulder and stepped one leg back.

As she put weight on it, pain shot through her swollen ankle, but the smile on Arne’s face didn’t waver.

When she slightly bent her knees, the commander snapped out of his thoughts and faced Arne.

Up to this point, it was a normal greeting according to the formal etiquette. If it weren’t for what she said next.

“Glory to the warrior of winter.”

“……”

Silence fell. The words Arne spoke were a blessing said when sending off Renigrad warriors to war.

A greeting known only among the warriors of Renigrad, shared with their comrades, families, and lovers.

A wish for a safe return from the demonic beasts.

Respect was sent to the guardians protecting the empire’s people from the front lines against the beasts.

A resolve and respect solidified towards both those protecting inside and outside of Renigrad.

“How could the young lady know that……”

Was it a coincidence? No, it couldn’t be. Arne did not rise from her bent knee.

She was waiting for the commander to respond.

‘An outsider wouldn’t know unless she fought alongside Renigrad as a mercenary. How could she have participated in war?’

The commander almost chuckled at such an absurd assumption.

The young lady who’s barely standing now, involved in a battlefield?

It was an excessive fantasy. However, overwhelmed by her unwavering gaze, the commander responded.

“Blessings to the guardian of the empire.”

Only then did Arne slowly rise from her bent knee. Her posture was impeccably graceful.

As if it wasn’t her first time.

“How exactly……”

Behind Rein’s murmuring, Cedric’s face showed as much surprise as the commander’s.

Arne had not received formal etiquette training. She was not familiar with court manners, but she remembered Renigrad’s unique etiquette.

When Vivian was born, and without any response to the countless support requests she made to the Ronia Duchy, all she could offer to Renigrad’s warriors were these blessings.

‘And it was also the last greeting I gave you before you went to battle.’

Arne fixed her gaze on Cedric as she extended the back of her hand to Lux.

“Glory to the Grand Duke of Renigrad.”

Emotions deep and vast filled Arne’s eyes as she looked at Cedric, enough to shatter his tranquility.

But then she turned her head to look at Lux.

This wasn’t the time to be lost in thought. She was demonstrating with her whole body that she was an ally to Grand Duke Renigrad, Cedric’s grandfather.

Lux hesitantly kissed the back of Arne’s hand.

It had been a long time.

‘Did she know this as well?’

While it was common for a lady to receive a kiss on the back of the hand from a knight, in Renigrad before their deployment, this etiquette was reserved only for the Grand Duchess.

The commander receives this blessing on behalf of all knights from the Grand Duchess before deployment.

However, since Grand Duchess Judith Renigrad passed away, this was the first time such a blessing ceremony took place.

It was eerily reminiscent.

“The invitation.”

When a dignified voice flowed, the invitation elegantly rested in Arne’s hands from Lux’s hands.

It was of impeccable elegance.

“Please convey to Grand Duke Renigrad that it is an honor. I look forward to joining him for dinner as soon as I recover.”

“I shall deliver your message directly to Grand Duke Renigrad.”

After giving a polite bow, the commander immediately left his position.

Only then did Arne exhale and stagger slightly, relieved.

“My lady.”

Her ankle was so sore that she would start trembling if she had stood any longer.

Cedric immediately supported Arne, his gaze falling on her swollen ankle.

The ankle visible beneath the hem of her dress was in terrible shape. The bandage wrapped around it was discolored and ineffective.

At this point, she should have screamed in pain when pulling one leg out and bending her knee.

But Arne merely glanced at her ankle as if it were nothing serious.

Instead, Arne smiled proudly.

“I did quite well, didn’t I? My ankle was sore, but I managed to perform the etiquette perfectly.”

The more cheerfully Arne smiled, the more Cedric’s face contorted.

“…Were you keeping still and not standing up earlier just to perfectly follow the etiquette?”

Anger simmered in Cedric’s red eyes.

‘I thought I would be praised for doing well, why.’

“Are you angry?”

“Don’t bother with such etiquette. You don’t have to do that.”

“Why……. I just wanted to pay my respects to the Grand Duke of Renigrad.”

So that I could be with you. Those words rose to the tip of her tongue.

But like Cedric in her past life, as his red eyes swirled with anger, the words caught in her throat were swallowed back down.

‘After all, you had no interest in marrying me.’

It was presumptuous. Arne bit her lip. There was no need to feel disappointed. However,

“I thought you would say I did well.”

“My lady!”

If it had been Duke Ronia, he certainly would have said so. ‘Amazing, Arne. Just do that.’ What went wrong?

Why isn’t he happy? Arne couldn’t understand.

‘Was I too greedy?’

It felt like Bianca’s voice was ringing in her ears. Know your place, just because you’re called a noble lady doesn’t mean you’re the same as them, don’t dare to hope.

Arne bit her lip.

‘After all, it’s fine as long as Vivian is there. I decided not to expect such an expression from you. It’s okay.’

Let’s not think about anything else. As if there were room for that.

It seemed Cedric had become a bit kinder, and she got carried away.

The light faded from Arne’s red eyes. Her voice flowed calmly, tinged with moisture.

“I don’t understand why you are so angry.”

“Do you really not know?”

“I just didn’t want to create a situation where I’d be scolded by the Grand Duke of Renigrad when we first meet. People gossip that even an orphan noble lady can’t properly perform etiquette.”

Cedric’s face twisted even more. As Arne spoke, his anger seemed to snowball.

To the point where speaking further was frightening.

I really don’t know why he’s getting angrier and angrier.

It feels unfair.

“I didn’t want to be abandoned, and the fact that this becomes an obstacle to meeting you hurts me more. What did I do wrong?”

Arne limped toward Cedric.

She wanted to know why.

“What should I have done?”

“My lady!”

When Arne tried to take another step, Cedric, whose face had completely contorted, picked her up.

“Tell me! What should I have done? I did my best with what I could. What more should I have done?”

Arne struggled to get out of Cedric’s arms.

“Stop it, my lady.”

“Don’t act so kindly and then push me off a cliff in an instant, tell me!”

“Please!”

Raw anger surged from his mouth as he barely managed to hold it in.

“The lady’s ankle is more injured, isn’t it!”

Cedric’s heavy voice boiled threateningly enough to dominate her surroundings.

Cedric rubbed his thumb against his index finger, clenching his fist.

He didn’t intend to shout like this but he couldn’t hold back.

It drove him mad. He couldn’t think of anything when he saw her limping.

“It doesn’t matter who sees. If it hurts the lady’s body.”

Cedric’s suppressed voice boiled over, barely containing his overflowing emotions.

He pressed his palm against his eyes and then swept through his hair.

Seeing Arne frozen like a startled rabbit at his threatening voice made him feel guilty.

Hic. Hic.

But then Arne’s shoulders rhythmically jerked with hiccups.

Seeing this, Cedric blinked and let out a troubled groan.

Arne covered her mouth with both hands, but the hiccups wouldn’t stop because of that.

Hic. Hic.

Cedric supported Arne’s thighs with one hand and her back with the other, aligning their gazes with each hiccup.

Hic. Hic.

Seeing Arne unable to say anything because of the hiccups, eyes wide open, Cedric couldn’t help but laugh at the absurdity.

“I really can’t win against you, my lady. I was so angry just a moment ago that I thought I would go mad, but seeing you like this makes me laugh, which makes me think I might actually be crazy.”

Hic. Hic.

Arne, unable to stop her hiccups, just blushed helplessly.

Cedric exhaled a slow, languid breath, looking troubled. His expression, oddly twisted, was strangely sensual.

“My lady, were you very surprised?”