A startled Livia quickly turned her head, but the girl was no longer there.

“Brother! Are you out of your mind?”

“…Yedi?”

Fabian froze, his hand stopping in mid-air. Edward, too, was visibly shaken.

The girl who suddenly appeared between them spread her arms wide and glared fiercely at Fabian.

“What on earth do you think you’re doing?”

Fabian was initially shocked by the girl’s appearance.

His brows furrowed deeply.

“Yedi, did you steal my clothes again?”

“Is that really what matters right now? A duel? What did you do to my fiancé?”

“I can’t accept this arranged marriage of yours! Do you know how much effort I put into raising you?”

At Fabian’s audacious claim, Yelodia clenched her teeth.

“When did you ever raise me, brother?”

“I’ve been watching over you since you were born. I even changed your diapers, and I was the one who made sure you wouldn’t be blown away by the wind.”

Yelodia’s face flushed red in an instant. Curious gazes from those around her bore down on her.

She felt a wave of shame and embarrassment, wishing she could faint on the spot.

‘Why today of all days?’

From the beginning, she’d felt uneasy due to Martha, who had persistently followed her throughout the day.

As she approached her second brother Fabian’s mansion on Zeus Street, Yelodia became increasingly convinced that he would oppose her engagement—though she couldn’t understand why.

‘That brute Fabian Xavier wouldn’t let anything related to me slide easily.’

Her nerves grew tenser by the minute.

Yelodia had hoped to win over Rellia before things escalated.

If Rellia, Fabian’s wife, took her side, convincing her second brother would be much easier.

“Welcome, my lady. You must be warm from walking all the way here, are you not?”

As always, Rellia greeted Yelodia warmly.

“I’m fine. It’s good exercise.”

It didn’t surprise Rellia in the least to see Yelodia wearing Fabian’s old clothes, as Rellia herself had passed them down.

“I heard the news! You’re getting engaged to Baron Adrian? Everyone around me is buzzing with excitement.”

Rellia’s eyes sparkled with enthusiasm.

“The rumors have spread that far already? I’m sorry for visiting so late. Things have been hectic.”

“Don’t worry about that. I’ve been wanting to catch up, too.”

“I have so much to tell you.”

The two quickly fell into a lively conversation.

Rellia, who had married Fabian after a dramatic courtship, was a bright and vivacious woman.

Her marriage to Fabian, the second son of a ducal family, had shocked high society since Rellia was the daughter of a baron with only a nominal title.

Despite once facing the threat of a broken engagement, the couple had tied the knot, becoming the envy of many young women as they enjoyed their honeymoon phase.

“Rellia, could I trouble you to make time before the engagement ceremony? I’d like to introduce you to my fiancé.”

“Oh my! Fabian will be furious, but I’d love that.”

Rellia chuckled, her warm, tawny eyes crinkling, and a soft blush gracing her cheeks.

Yelodia couldn’t help but smile, finally understanding why Fabian cherished and loved Rellia so much.

Just then, a servant rushed into the parlor, his face pale.

“Madam! There’s trouble—Master Fabian has taken a horse and headed toward Rommel Harbor!”

Both Yelodia and Rellia turned white. Rommel Harbor housed the navy headquarters.

“When did he leave?”

“About ten minutes ago. Sir Bale was so flustered he sent a servant directly.”

“Sir Bale? Did he give any specific instructions?”

“Master became furious upon hearing about Lady Yelodia’s engagement and stormed out.”

“What…?”

Rellia was at a loss for words.

Yelodia stood abruptly and asked, “Is there a carriage at the mansion?”

“Well, there is a carriage, but we don’t have a coachman. He broke his foot two days ago.”

Rellia’s face grew even paler.

The mansion’s coachman had fractured his foot from a fall, and the stable master was on leave, leaving no one who could drive.

“We do have a donkey used for grocery runs, but…”

There was no need to hear the rest. Martha quickly interjected.

“I’ll find a coachman!”

Martha dashed out of the parlor.

What followed was utter chaos.

Martha couldn’t find any idle cart drivers loitering around the tavern that day. In the end, Yelodia herself had to drive a four-horse carriage, pulled by two massive black stallions, all the way to Rommel.

“…”

Now, remembering the urgency of the recent events, Yelodia wiped the sweat from her brow, breathing heavily.

“When did you ever dote on me, brother? Are you mistaking your bullying for affection?”

“Yedi, that’s—”

Fabian faltered, visibly flustered.

Lifting her chin defiantly, Yelodia retorted, “In any case, can I relay that statement to your wife as is?”

Fabian sucked in a sharp breath.

Edward, grasping the full scope of the situation, sighed and sheathed his sword.

So, that burly knight was Yelodia’s second brother?

“Her real brother?”

Edward found himself at a loss for words at that moment.

Yelodia shouted, her voice sharp and piercing.

“When are you going to grow up?”

She stepped forward, blocking the way. “Baron Adrian, pick up your sword again. I’m not done here.”

“If you want to strike down the Baron, you’ll have to get through me first.”

“Yedi!”

Fabian’s voice rose in panic, his eyes flashing with alarm.

“Have you lost your mind? How can you tell me to cut you down?”

“Why not? Or would you prefer my fiancée kill you instead?”

Caught in the middle of this sibling quarrel, Edward barely managed to suppress a sigh. However, the conversation between the two siblings soon took an unexpected turn.

“Step aside now, or I’ll make sure you’re stripped of your title. You know I can pull that off, especially against a newly appointed baron.”

Fabian glared at Edward with a menacing intensity, his eyes filled with a deadly glint. Yelodia choked up in response.

“Fine! Let’s see how well you live without ever seeing me again!”

For the first time, Fabian looked visibly troubled. Yelodia’s face turned as red as an apple, her eyes welling up with tears.

Despite her boldness, it was clear she felt intimidated and frightened amidst men wielding swords.

Fabian sighed heavily, sheathing his sword before reaching out his hand. His expression softened.

“Yedi, that’s enough. Come here. I’ll take you back to the estate.”

Instead of responding, Yelodia spun on her heel and stormed off. She didn’t want to see her second brother for a while.

Yet, she didn’t get far before Edward stepped in front of her, blocking her path.

“Walking that fast will only get you hurt.”

Yelodia bit her lower lip, saying nothing. She didn’t know what to say to Edward, nor did she want to speak.

At that moment, Edward knelt and dusted off the hem of Yelodia’s trousers. They were half-tattered, as if she’d been rolling around on the dirt floor.

“Did you fall on your way here?”

“……”

“It must have hurt quite a bit.”

Yelodia avoided his gaze, lowering her head. Her lips quivered as if she was unsure of what to say.

“Fortunately, there doesn’t seem to be any blood. Are you in pain when you walk?”

“…It wasn’t from falling. I scraped it when I got off the carriage.”

Edward’s lips curled into a faint smile at her feeble excuse. The subordinate officers around him gasped audibly in surprise.

“That must have left a bruise. When you return to the estate, be sure to apply a hot compress.”

“…Yes.”

After carefully straightening her clothing, Edward suddenly scooped Yelodia up in his arms. She let out a small gasp of surprise.

“H-Hey! What are you doing with Yedi?”

Ignoring Fabian’s panicked outburst, Edward strode forward, issuing a command without hesitation.

“Escort the guest out through the front gate. If he causes any further trouble, you have my permission to detain him.”

“Yes, sir!”

The soldiers and officers responded crisply, while Fabian’s face contorted in dismay.

Edward draped his cloak over Yelodia’s bowed head, shielding her, and continued walking. The subordinates watched the pair intently, but Edward paid them no mind.

When they reached the drawing room, Edward gently set Yelodia on the sofa. Even then, she continued to stare silently at her fingers.

“It’s all right now. You came here because you were worried, correct?”

“I’m sorry… My brother was so rude. He only acted that way out of concern for me…”

Yelodia’s voice was barely audible, trembling with emotion. She still couldn’t believe what had happened, as though trapped in a bad dream.

“I’m sorry, Baron. Please, allow me to apologize on his behalf.”

“You don’t need to apologize. Sir Fabian shares in that sentiment.”

“……”

“Now, could you look at me?”

Yelodia hesitated before timidly raising her head. Her eyes quickly began to blur with tears.

If either her second brother or her fiancé had been injured, she would have been heartbroken.

Edward, now visibly unsettled, could only watch as large, clear tears rolled down Yelodia’s cheeks. He clicked his tongue softly and wiped her tears away with his sleeve.

“Don’t cry.”

“Sniff… I wasn’t going to… hic… but I was so scared… sob… I’m sorry. It’s all because of my brother…”

“I assure you, I’m perfectly fine. Nothing happened to me.”

As Edward gently cupped her cheek, trying to comfort her, Yelodia only cried harder.

“I knew he’d get into big trouble someday… Hic… That useless, troublesome brother of mine…”