“…Aren’t you overdoing it?”

“Pardon?”

At the sound of her voice, the Grand Duke blinked, startled. When he turned, he saw Lila’s calm face, as composed as ever. As their eyes met, Lila lightly tapped her fingers against her forehead.

“Your lips are smiling, but there’s a slight crease here,” she said, pointing to his brow.

“Ah.”

“Your expression right now looks like someone forcing himself to do something he doesn’t want to.”

“Is that so?”

Caught off guard by her remark, the Grand Duke rubbed his brow sheepishly.

“I didn’t think you’d notice… Was it that obvious?”

“Yes.”

Lila nodded. Ever since the day she’d heard about his past, she had been paying closer attention to his expressions.

A smile that looked unpleasant, or serious features hiding mischievous eyes—she began to pick up on subtleties she hadn’t noticed before, even without consciously trying.

“It seems I can’t lie to you anymore, Lady Lila.”

The Grand Duke shrugged his shoulders. His wrinkled nose suggested he was feeling quite embarrassed.

“Does it bother you?”

‘Should I have pretended not to notice?’ Lila asked cautiously.

“Not at all. In fact, I rather like it.”

The Grand Duke shook his head lightly and let out a refreshing laugh. His genuine smile made it clear to Lila that he really meant it.

“Being able to recognize each other’s true expressions is a sign that we’ve grown closer.”

“Is that so?”

It was true that compared to when she first met him—when she’d doubted and distrusted him—they had grown significantly closer. A strange sense of wonder filled Lila as she thought about it. Not too long ago, she couldn’t fully trust the Grand Duke. But now, even she had to admit how much she relied on him.

“But you’ve been able to read my expressions well from the very beginning.”

Lila spoke as if the thought had just struck her. She was aware that her face rarely showed emotion. Not even the instructor, who had spent the most time with her, could easily read her expressions.

But the Grand Duke was different. Even when she didn’t say a word, he always seemed to know exactly how she felt—whether she was happy or upset, what she wanted, or what she liked. He noticed everything so effortlessly it almost felt like magic.

Perhaps it was because of the memories of their childhood. Back then, she had been a child who cried and laughed far more freely than she did now.

“That’s because I always focus all my attention on you, Lady Lila.”

The Grand Duke answered as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

“Since you’ve already caught on, I’ll be honest. I don’t like banquets or tea parties—or any place crowded with people, for that matter. Too many pests buzzing around wherever you go.”

His expression turned pained, as if the mere thought of it gave him a headache. He even scrunched up his face like someone suffering from a migraine.

“Politics don’t happen only in the palace. Nobles use social gatherings as a pretext to form factions and engage in power struggles.”

“My teacher once said that the social scene is a battlefield without swords or magic.”

“Exactly. As Huon put it, the social scene is a covert war zone. Nobles attend banquets and tea parties to exchange information and make backdoor deals.”

The Grand Duke’s tone grew serious as he explained, and Lila recalled what she had learned from Huon.

“Social activities are one of a noble’s duties. Whether they like it or not, they have to participate to demonstrate their family’s influence and expand their networks.”

“Isn’t it just dancing and partying?”

“Well… There are some who indulge in luxury and pleasure, but most of them are smiling on the surface while fighting fiercely under the table.”

“Sounds complicated…”

“Whether it’s a garden tea party or a hunting tournament, events hosted by nobles aren’t simple amusements. They’re battlegrounds where participants engage in intense games of wits while wearing masks.”

Now that she thought about it, every time a banquet was held at the Imperial Palace, certain skilled agents known for their disguises were drafted as palace staff. At the time, Lila had thought it was just to guard the Emperor and Crown Prince, but now it seemed they might have also been keeping an eye on the attending nobles and foreign envoys, gathering information.

“So, for you, a banquet is just an extension of work.”

“It is.”

The Grand Duke answered firmly, without hesitation. Lila stared silently at him as he displayed his weariness.

His golden hair, glistening like sunlight on a sandy shore; his porcelain-white skin, flawless like Eastern ceramics; his clear blue eyes, as transparent as a serene lake. His beauty was so striking that it drew admiration every time she looked at him. It was obvious he would stand out even in a banquet of hundreds.

“Being popular must be exhausting.”

Even without hearing his reasons, Lila felt she understood why he disliked banquets. There was no way the nobles would leave him alone if he attended one.

“Will the banquet be held at the Grand Duke’s estate like the last ceremony?”

“No, this time it will be at the townhouse in the capital.”

“A townhouse? You have one?”

Lila looked puzzled. Townhouses were usually used by land-owning nobles when they stayed in the capital. But the Grand Duke’s estate was already centrally located, so there was no apparent need for one.

“The Grand Duke’s estate is in the heart of the capital. Why would you need a townhouse?”

“When inviting people outside the family, we use the townhouse. It’s a matter of security, after all.”

“I see.”

“That’s why I would like you to attend this banquet as my partner, Lady Lila.”

“Me?”

The Grand Duke chuckled softly as he looked at Lila, whose eyes had widened in surprise. Taking her hand with an air of formality, he lightly kissed the tip of her fingers. The soft touch of his lips sent a ticklish sensation up her skin, making her fingers instinctively curl slightly.

“May I have the honor of escorting you, Lady Lila?”

Lila looked down at the Grand Duke, whose smiling eyes were fixed on her, and her face twisted into an expression of hesitation.

“I’m sure there are plenty of people who’d love to be your partner instead of me.”

“If it’s not you, I don’t want anyone else.”

The Grand Duke answered with a warm smile, his tone decisive and leaving no room for refusal. His demeanor made it clear he wouldn’t take no for an answer, prompting Lila to roll her eyes in silent contemplation.

“Do I have to attend?”

After a moment’s hesitation, Lila spoke in an unenthusiastic tone. Although she had become somewhat more comfortable interacting with others while living at the Grand Duke’s estate—talking with the staff and sparring with the knights—she still found social situations burdensome.

Lately, she had been especially uneasy about the gazes of admiration and interest from the knights who sparred with her, as well as the staff who were overly fond of her.

“I don’t like crowded places either, just like you,” Lila mumbled quietly. Having lived her life hiding and avoiding attention, the idea of being noticed was still unfamiliar and frightening.

“I understand it’s difficult, but it’s necessary,” the Grand Duke said, his tone uncharacteristically firm.

“One of the purposes of this banquet is to help you expand your network.”

“Expand my network?”

“Yes. It’s a bit earlier than planned, but I think it’s time to move on to the next step.”

Softening his expression, the Grand Duke spoke in a gentler tone.

“You are now Baroness Knox, Lady Lila. The first thing a new noble must do is build a solid foundation of supporters. It’s time for you to create your own allies.”

“Ah.”

“Although I currently have control over the noble faction, not all of them will automatically support you.”

“I see what you mean.”

The noble faction was a diverse group. Some were loyal to the Grand Duke, but many were not. Alliances between nobles were like sandcastles, easily washed away with the tide.

“You mean there’s no guarantee that the people who support you will support me?”

The nobles backing the Grand Duke were aligned with him, not her. Those who followed him out of self-interest or ambition might turn their backs on her the moment she stepped into the spotlight.

“Exactly.”

The Grand Duke, too, would have preferred not to expose Lila to the public. But gaining the support of nobles was essential for standing up to the Emperor and establishing herself as a rightful princess of the Esteban Empire.

“You need to step into the social world and build your own allies. That’s something I can’t do for you.”

“I’m not confident in socializing,” Lila muttered. Even now, she struggled to hold casual conversations with anyone who wasn’t as familiar to her as the Grand Duke or Emma. It was unthinkable that she could charm people with her words.

Her face darkened noticeably, betraying her lack of confidence.

“You’ll do well. There are already many people who are captivated by you, Lady Lila.”

“Captivated by me?”

Lila blinked in disbelief. The Grand Duke, observing her surprised reaction, began to gently fiddle with her hands, which were covered in faint scars.

“You’ve been sparring with the knights lately, haven’t you?”

“Huh? Oh, yes. It just sort of happened.”

“I heard from Evan that the knights admire you greatly.”

“Admire me?”