How far did she intend to make him look like a debauched man at the banquet with her grandfather?

All his effort to reach the banquet hall felt pointless.

Cedric sighed lazily and gestured to the servant. The servant hurriedly opened the banquet hall door.

“Please, go ahead. The Grand Duke is waiting for you.”

As the servant finished speaking respectfully, the banquet hall doors opened. Arne, having just confirmed Lady Judith’s letter, wore a confident smile.

Arne knew better than anyone what drove the men of Renigrad mad.

“I greet the master of Renigrad, Grand Duke Calon Schopendha de Renigrad.”

Her flawless etiquette as the Grand Duchess flowed seamlessly, and the arrogant and distinguished face of Grand Duke Calon, who had been tilting a wine glass at the head of the banquet table, couldn’t take his eyes off her.

With each step Arne took, the amethyst decorations shimmered in the light. Her leisurely steps stopped before the Grand Duke.

She was a woman whose face was almost hidden by her bangs, giving her a strangely mysterious aura. However, the red eyes shining through her silver hair stared directly at the Grand Duke.

Anyone facing the Grand Duke would naturally shrink back. His large build and the sharp, deadly look in his eyes carried an overwhelming sense of intimidation.

It was a survival instinct. It wasn’t wrong. On the battlefield, it was either kill or be killed, and quickly fleeing was often the wiser choice.

But Arne’s gaze was one that meticulously observed every detail of the Grand Duke. It was a calm scrutiny.

A lazy smile spread across the Grand Duke’s lips. He found her attempt at scrutiny amusing.

Her slender neck, which could be grasped in one hand, seemed fragile enough to break with a little force.

Below the purple sapphire necklace, which was rare among sapphires, the mana core near her chest was severely cracked.

Given this, it was a miracle she was even alive. She had already been titled a grand mage at a young age, but in this state, it would be better to hand a sword to the servant carrying the food.

She seemed barely twenty, with a youthful appearance. Meeting her slightly expectant, clear eyes, he judged her to be an innocent young lady.

Those who were truly naive and knew nothing did not tremble before the Grand Duke. The more they knew, the more they shrank, guarded, and tensed up in front of him.

The Grand Duke, thinking Arne posed no threat, suppressed his deadly aura. She was sensitive to his presence.

‘Like a rabbit ready to flee at the slightest hint of danger.’

Arne blinked, unable to understand why the Grand Duke kept smiling lazily.

“I’m glad you accepted the invitation.”

“Thank you for inviting me.”

Arne placed her hand over her left chest and slightly tilted her head. The Grand Duke hummed and licked his lips.

“Your etiquette is flawless. Where did you learn it?”

“I never formally learned it. I picked it up by watching noble ladies at banquets.”

“…Really? That’s interesting. That’s the etiquette of the Grand Duchy of Renigrad. How does someone born and raised in the capital know the northern etiquette?”

Especially the etiquette of the Grand Duchess.

“If I were to learn by watching, I wanted to learn from the most beautiful, elegant, and noble lady at the banquet. That was Lady Judith, the Grand Duchess.”

The Grand Duke’s lips curled into a smile, pleased by her praise of Judith.

“Judith was indeed beautiful. She was well-respected and didn’t hesitate to bless the empire during her pilgrimages. She possessed the strongest holy power in history, and even the temple coveted her. She was elegant…”

Arne smiled softly at the Grand Duke’s endless praise.

“She was a lovely person. She was too good for me.”

The Grand Duke closed his mouth bitterly, a look of longing and regret in his eyes. Calon, the Grand Duke, held more power in the North than the Emperor, and there was nothing he couldn’t do.

The one thing he couldn’t control in his life was Judith’s death.

“She was a good person. She seemed like a holy saint.”

Arne had perfected her etiquette during her time as the Grand Duchess of Renigrad, but her inspiration was indeed Lady Judith.

Seeing Lady Judith at a banquet by chance, she truly seemed like a saint. Beautiful, elegant, noble—any adjective suited her well.

She was the complete opposite of Arne, who was infamous as the empire’s mad villainess. Perhaps she had liked Renigrad since then.

The Grand Duke’s voice softened, sensing Arne’s sincerity and infinite respect.

“I’ve kept a lady standing for too long. Please, have a seat.”

“Thank you.”

Guided by the servant, Arne took a seat opposite the Grand Duke. When Cedric sat next to Arne, the servant who was pulling out the chair next to the Grand Duke quietly pushed it back in.

At that moment, the Grand Duke’s gaze shifted to Cedric. It was rare for Cedric to dine with the Grand Duke unless it was a family banquet.

The Grand Duke noticed the purple dress Arne was wearing and Cedric’s purple cloak.

‘So, this boy…’

The Grand Duke realized he wasn’t the only one who had sent a dress. Unlike Arne, who was looking at the Grand Duke, Cedric was watching Arne.

‘This boy is showing he’s a man too.’

He recalled hearing that Cedric had been with Arne on the balcony at the last banquet.

Now that he looked closely, she was quite beautiful. Though her bangs covered most of her face, the glimpses of her features and eyes were enough to captivate.

Currently, she looked frail and sickly, but with proper nourishment, her slender neck would exude elegance.

The Grand Duke spoke to Cedric while staring intently at him.

“The Knight Commander mentioned that you broke Lady Ronia’s core.”

“I mistook the lady, who entered Renigrad territory due to her mana surge, for an assassin and acted rashly.”

“That’s a significant mistake.”

“I am doing my best to ensure the lady can recover.”

“The lady must have been greatly startled. Make sure she is comfortable.”

“Yes.”

The conversation was dry. It felt more like a knight reporting to his superior than a grandson speaking to his grandfather.

The Grand Duke, naturally taciturn and strict, was cold when dealing with Cedric. It was beyond awkward, almost chilling.

However, the Grand Duke’s expression softened when he turned to Arne and rang the bell. Servants began serving the food.

“Renigrad has committed a great offense. My apologies are late.”

“Cedric is helping me recover, so it’s alright.”

“That’s a relief. If there’s anything you need, let me know. Would you like some wine? Reta is particularly good for activating mana.”

“I’ve heard it’s a rare wine. It’s an honor.”

“You know well. Northern wine is the best.”

The Grand Duke chuckled and gestured to a servant, simultaneously glancing at Cedric.

Cedric, who had inherited the gentle nature of Judith and his weak-willed father, was a compassionate man. He once picked up an abandoned kitten his mother had discarded, thinking it was hopeless, and nursed it back to health.

‘Was it when he first stayed at the Grand Duchy of the North?’

One was a black kitten, the other white. After about a month, the purring kitten was running around energetically. It was so shiny and pretty that even the young lord of the Marquis Renal, who was staying because of the Elder Council, coveted it.

The young lord often kicked the kitten that only followed Cedric.

Cedric, resembling his weak and indecisive father, hid the kitten. One day, the young lord of Renal, in a fit of anger, threw the black kitten, killing it.

Though the Marquis tried to stop them, the two fell out of a window during their fight. Cedric broke his arm, but even with his broken arm, he beat the young lord. To this day, the young lord has a crooked nose and limps on one leg.

That day, the Grand Duke realized.

‘This boy is like me.’

He raised Cedric harshly. The position of the Grand Duke of Renigrad couldn’t be held by someone weak-willed, who would end with just a kitten.

The Grand Duke’s gaze shifted to Arne.

‘Did this boy take in another sick kitten, or is he just being kind to a beauty?’

If it was a sick kitten, he would let it go once it stopped purring. If it was just kindness to a beauty, he would end it when talks about his engagement came up again.

Meow.

A white cat appeared in the banquet hall. When Cedric placed a plate with a piece of meat and milk, it ran over.

Perhaps because it was left alone, Cedric had raised the remaining white cat with utmost care, and it roamed the Grand Ducal residence without fear. The white cat, having devoured the meat, looked at the Grand Duke with shining eyes.

‘It’s been spoiled. Coming into the banquet hall when there are guests.’

The Grand Duke glared disapprovingly and nudged it with his foot, but the white cat came back unfazed, tapping its tail on the floor and meowing.

Reluctantly, the Grand Duke threw a large piece of meat, which the cat deftly caught. It meowed in satisfaction.

His lips curled into a pleased smile, but when his eyes met Arne’s, he quickly dropped the smile.

Clearing his throat, he hurried the servant to bring the food. The Grand Duke suddenly looked at Arne’s silver hair, which was close to white.

‘…Could he really have feelings?’

The Grand Duke chuckled as he watched the white cat rub against Arne’s leg, wrapping its tail around her.

‘No way.’

She was a beauty, but nothing particularly special. The unique gaze that had caught his attention at the last banquet was no longer there.

‘It was a useful gaze. Did I see it wrong?’

The Grand Duke accepted the reta from the servant and handed it to Arne.