The Duke had appeared before she could do anything.

‘Ah…..’

He really is huge. With such long legs, his stride is large too.

The man dominated her field of vision in just a few steps. Just standing before her, he filled her entire view.

As he leaned his upper body toward her, she felt a shadow fall over her. No, a shadow actually did fall.

“I heard you were hurt.”

His voice settled heavily. As his low voice bored into her ears, she felt the shadow growing darker.

‘How did he know I was hurt?’

Could it be that the Duke’s purpose for visiting was to check on her health? Like her friends in that room?

Though they had become somewhat less unfamiliar compared to the beginning, she didn’t think they were close enough for this.

Looking up at the tall and towering man, even though he was bending down, her head tilted far back. When she raised her head, his face was much closer than she’d expected.

Saena felt a strange sensation, as though his words and breath carried a tangible texture that brushed against her.

Already tilting her head back significantly, she reflexively tried to move her body backward, causing her center of gravity to collapse backward, and she nearly fell.

“Ah.”

A large hand wrapped around her waist as she lost her balance. It was a hand so big it could encompass and support her entire lower back with just the palm.

That hand she had held a few times….

Despite the dress fabric and gloves, and the many layers between them, she could clearly feel the shape of his fingers and palm.

“…Still clumsy as ever.”

Trying to avoid his breath, their bodies touched.

And for some reason, that point of contact felt hot. Her face seemed to be burning too.

Before, she had always felt an inexplicable coolness when seeing the Duke, but why was it different today?

“Th-thank… you.”

Though there were clearly several others present, Saena wasn’t aware of them. The Duke’s presence was too overwhelming. Trying to hide her trembling eyes, she lowered her eyelids and turned her body to escape from his domain.

It’s because his physique is too large that she can’t see anything else, that’s why, Saena muttered to herself.

“…Why did you come here?”

In her confusion, a direct question escaped Saena’s lips.

“I apologize for the sudden visit. I just heard the news.”

However, the Duke answered in a casual tone, seemingly not displeased.

“News?”

“I heard you were badly hurt yesterday at the Imperial Palace?”

“What?”

What kind of rumors were circulating outside? And even if Saena had really been hurt, it wasn’t something that should make him rush here like this?

“Saya, what’s this about? Wasn’t it just a fall?”

“……”

Thanks to His Grace the Duke, the sudden news-bearer, Sage’s eyes flashed again.

This is awkward, so awkward. Saena, becoming annoyed, found herself unconsciously glaring at the Duke.

“…But it seems I was misinformed. You look perfectly fine.”

At least he seemed to have some tact.

“Hmm. If you could spare just… a moment, I’ll leave soon.”

It might be difficult to be discourteous once, but twice seems easier. Saena cleared her throat while barely managing to control her increasingly sullen expression.

“…Actually, my dear friends are here right now.”

“Dear friends?”

“Yes. So the timing–”

“That room over there, I presume?”

“…Pardon?”

Just as she was about to ask him to say what he needed to say and leave quickly because of her friends, the Duke said something strange.

Saena followed the Duke’s gaze behind her and was startled.

“…Sister Kiki?”

Kirsten had come out of the room and was staring at them with wide eyes.

“Oh my, I was just heading to the ladies’ room…”

“Ah, I’ll have a maid escort you. To guide…”

“Saya~. We can’t leave such an esteemed guest standing out here.”

“I… was just about to show him in.”

“Really? Everyone who cares about Saya is gathered here, aren’t they? Would you like to join us, Your Grace?”

Kirsten asked the Duke about joining them so naturally, even gesturing towards the reception room as if to say he could come this way if he wanted.

‘This, this isn’t right……’

Wait, didn’t she say she was going to the ladies’ room?

She was momentarily speechless at this unexpected situation.

But it was at least fortunate that someone of his status as a Duke wouldn’t want to join a gathering of close friends huddled together.

Perhaps he would apologize for the interruption and leave right away…..

“I will.”

But her expectations were wrong as usual.

‘……What? Will? WILL?’

Saena looked at the Duke in surprise, but with his characteristically long strides, he had already disappeared into the reception room in an instant.

* * *

‘Ah…. What kind of combination is this again….’

In the end, the Duke had joined Saena’s friends and was drinking tea together.

The teacup in his hand was the same as the others, but it looked particularly small. It almost looked like he alone was using a child’s cup. Yet despite this, he appeared elegant rather than clumsy. It reminded her that he was indeed nobility.

Everyone was quiet in this bizarrely mismatched combination…

“What kind of relationship do you have with our Saya?”

……Just as she thought that, a bombshell question burst from Kirsten’s mouth.

‘What relationship!’

If she had been drinking tea, she would have surely spat it out.

“The tea has a nice aroma. Kalua, isn’t it?”

The Duke calmly drank his tea, showing no sign of being flustered by the direct question.

He even correctly identified the tea’s name.

“Yes. I heard this year’s harvest was quite good.”

Sage picked up the conversation.

Though still wearing a gentle smile, Saena noticed signs of irritation between Kirsten’s brows and cautiously spoke up while reading the atmosphere.

“We’re not any kind of…”

“I don’t believe I have any obligation to answer that.”

The Duke suddenly cut in.

After acting like he wouldn’t answer, why suddenly speak up? And answering like that makes it sound like there IS something but he doesn’t want to talk about it!

Saena looked at the Duke in bewilderment.

Not just her, but everyone in the reception room was staring at the Duke. Seemingly unconcerned by such piercing gazes, he casually drank his tea.

People rolled their eyes back and forth, waiting as his tone suggested there might be more to come.

But when the Duke maintained his silence, the rolling eyes fixed on Saena. Despite her shaking her head at their questioning looks, their suspicious expressions only deepened.

“It’s not like that…”

“If I must explain, hmm, you could say we meet out of necessity.”

“……?!”

He cut her off again before she could speak. And what a strange answer.

‘Meeting out of necessity’…. It’s technically true but sounds weird!

Saena looked at the Duke again with a bewildered expression.

Was this the same person with just the same face? She had no idea why he was acting this way.

“Hmm. Meeting out of necessity… I wonder what kind of relationship that means.”

Kirsten’s face showed both great amusement and desperate curiosity. The sparkling mischief in her eyes made observers uncomfortable.

“That’s not it, I…”

“Didn’t we agree to keep it secret?”

Just as she was about to explain that they only met because she was helping with Arlesian matters, the Duke cut in again.

What? Secret…? And what’s with this ‘we’…?

While she had been asked to maintain confidentiality about the jewel, hadn’t they agreed it was fine to reveal the fact that she was helping with Arlesian when necessary?

But since he explicitly said it was secret, Saena couldn’t clearly define what was secret and what wasn’t, so she couldn’t explain further.

In the end, they seemed to be reaching the strange conclusion that they were in a <‘presumably very close’ relationship sharing ‘secrets’ and meeting due to ‘necessity’>.

“Your Grace, speaking in such vague, ambiguous terms seems likely to cause misunderstandings.”

At that moment, Kayan spoke up.

For someone who had been sitting quietly until now, his tone was quite sharp.

“And you are?”

“I am Kayan, the eldest son of House Ackroyd.”

“Misunderstandings, you say?”

“Yes. Saena has just debuted in society, and unclear gossip could make her the subject of people’s talk. Your Grace may not care since you’re rarely in the capital…”

“Unclear? How do you make that judgment?”

“Are you saying it’s… not unclear?”

The Duke subtly intimidated Kayan by simply staring at him silently without offering a follow-up response.

Despite his title, Kayan, who had just emerged from boyhood, seemed overwhelmed facing the Duke who stood firm as a fully grown man.