“Your home is so remote that it seems the news hasn’t reached you yet,” Edward said with a gentle smile.

“So, that means this lady isn’t your fiancée? My apologies; I may have been presumptuous, but she’s such a lovely person.”

“It’s too kind of you to say, ma’am. Once you meet His Excellency’s real fiancée, you’ll likely forget all about me. Haha, at least I’ve got something to brag about now,” Livia replied playfully.

Edward couldn’t help but laugh at Livia’s quick-witted response, and she joined in with a cheerful smile.

Edward’s thoughts briefly wandered to Lieutenant Walter, Livia’s beau, who would surely become envious if he learned about this conversation. Feeling a sudden wave of fatigue, Edward turned to Lady Selina and said,

“My fiancée’s name is Yelodia Louise Xavier. I’ll arrange for you to meet her soon.”

“Xavier… Is she by chance related to the Duke of Xavier’s family?” Lady Selina asked cautiously.

Livia proudly puffed out her chest. “Yes, ma’am. His Excellency’s fiancée is the youngest daughter of Duke Xavier.”

“Good heavens, how could this be!”

Lady Selina’s face showed sheer astonishment.

“How is that possible!”

Her mind reeled, and her vision wavered from the shock.

As a tenant farmer under a lord’s estate her entire life, Lady Selina knew well the influence of the Xavier family, which held half of the southern lands. As far as she was aware, no one in the Duke’s family—or even any of its branches—was to be taken lightly.

It was best to stay far away from these high-ranking nobles, known to have “blue blood” flowing through their veins. This was a hard-learned truth she had acquired over her lifetime.

“It’s a monumental event for you to forge a connection with such a powerful family,” Lady Selina murmured, her lips quivering slightly before she looked up at Edward, her face now clouded with worry.

“Edward, it’s your life, but seeking too much might lead to trouble.”

“I understand, Aunt.”

“Then why did you make such a risky choice?” she asked, a hint of reproach in her gray eyes.

Having lived a life free of major ambition, she now feared for the future of her nephew, whom she considered almost like a son.

Only a month ago, Edward didn’t even hold a noble title. This opportunity reaching out to him must have seemed irresistibly alluring.

But the swift accumulation of wealth and power inevitably incites envy, leading to scars that are often deadly.

“If I’d been there, I would have advised against it,” she thought.

He had already worried her sick when he decided to become an officer like his father. Now, news of his engagement to a noble’s daughter seemed almost too much to bear.

Struggling to shake off her concerns, Lady Selina spoke as Edward let out a sigh.

“It was His Majesty who arranged the engagement. After learning of my father’s passing, he graciously stepped in to make the match.”

“His Majesty himself introduced you to Duke Xavier’s daughter?”

“Yes, he did.”

Lady Selina felt as if the ground had dropped from beneath her. His Majesty!

She took a sip of her now-cold tea, but her mouth was so dry that she ended up downing the whole cup.

Livia, watching intently, quietly stepped out to fetch a fresh pot of tea.

In a voice tinged with trepidation, Lady Selina spoke.

“For His Majesty to have decided… Duke Xavier must have been furious.”

“Not exactly.”

“So you’re saying the Duke welcomed you with open arms, despite you having nothing?”

“Aunt, Duke Xavier is a loyal servant of His Majesty.”

Edward conveyed, in a roundabout way, that the Duke had no choice but to follow the Emperor’s wishes.

He couldn’t help but feel a renewed respect for the Duke’s serene disposition.

Duke Xavier must have had to sacrifice his honor and reputation as a great noble in order to fulfill His Majesty’s wishes.

The fear in Lady Selina’s eyes was deeply ingrained in those who had served lords their entire lives. Her expression likely mirrored the sentiments of many who viewed this engagement with trepidation.

“So that’s how it came to be.”

After a long silence, Lady Selina finally seemed to compose herself and spoke with a newfound calm.

“Since this is His Majesty’s decree, all I can do is quietly support you. Edward, you have been calm and sensible from a young age, so I trust that even if great hardships come, you will handle them wisely.”

“Please help me as best you can, Aunt.”

Lady Selina gave a gentle smile and rose from her seat.

“I’ll stay at an inn tonight and then return to my country house tomorrow.”

Edward, taken aback, stood up with her.

“How can you say that? An inn? There is a room prepared for you at my residence, Aunt; please stay there.”

“…”

“The inauguration ceremony is the day after tomorrow. His Majesty will be presiding over the military parade, and I hope you’ll attend that, as well as my engagement ceremony.”

“Edward, the best way I can help you is by going back to my village and continuing to live quietly, as I have until now.”

In that moment, Edward fully grasped the meaning behind her words.

The aunt who had raised him as if he were her own son had no intention of staying even briefly in Freia, fearing that her presence might hinder his future.

Yet Edward had no desire to cling to this place in exchange for such a price. Although he deeply valued the connection arranged by the Emperor, it was never meant to come at the cost of turning his back on the person who raised him.

Edward had never been a man driven by ambition.

He had only stepped forward because he couldn’t bear to see his subordinates perish at sea. In the process, he’d unexpectedly achieved a great accomplishment, catching the Emperor’s attention.

Unexpectedly, the Emperor was very fond of Edward, so much so that he quickly introduced him to his only niece.

“Aunt, you are like a parent to me. No matter what, you must attend my engagement ceremony.”

“Edward, this isn’t something you should stubbornly insist on. You know well enough. How do you think the nobility will view us?”

“I don’t care at all about the opinions or judgments of others. If you don’t attend, I won’t go through with the engagement.”

“Edward! Are you saying you’ll defy His Majesty’s wishes?”

Lady Selina’s stern rebuke was so loud that not only the servants waiting outside, but even his lieutenants, flinched.

Yet Edward, unfazed, replied calmly, “I’ll escort you to my residence. Please stay there and rest comfortably, attend the inauguration ceremony the day after tomorrow, and come to the engagement as well.”

“Edward!”

“Is anyone outside?”

At Edward’s quiet call, Livia and Beyhern entered one after the other, their eyes sparkling with curiosity about the situation.

Instead of scolding his overly curious aides, Edward gave them a cool order.

“One of you, escort my aunt to my residence. I’ve already notified the butler, so ensure she has a room and is made comfortable. Also, see that she doesn’t leave until I return.”

“I’ll go,” Beyhern volunteered eagerly, and Edward nodded. Then, looking at his aunt, who seemed half in a daze, he spoke firmly.

“Aunt, this time, please listen to me.”

“Ted, I…”

The sound of her nickname for him, long unused, left a nostalgic and tender echo. But Edward didn’t let her finish.

“Please go to my residence and rest there, Aunt.”

Lady Selina looked both astonished and reluctant, and Edward firmly added, “Staying in an inn is absolutely out of the question. Don’t even think about it.”

＊ ＊ ＊

“It’s an honor to meet you, ma’am. I’ve heard you raised the Vice Admiral from his childhood.”

Beyhern began cheerfully, but Lady Selina fixed him with a piercing gaze, her dark gray eyes as sharp as if they could see through everything.

Seeing that steely gaze, so similar to his superior’s, made Beyhern inwardly break out in a cold sweat. He belatedly realized he hadn’t introduced himself.

“Oh, I’m Lieutenant Beyhern. It’s a privilege to serve His Excellency, the Vice Admiral.”

“I’m Selina.”

Lady Selina responded curtly. Beyhern managed a small smile, thinking he could now see where his superior’s reserved nature came from.

“You needn’t worry so much about the Vice Admiral. Even if he were dropped in the middle of enemy territory, he’d find his way back safely.”

“…”

“Ha-ha, though you must still worry about him?”

“It’s inevitable. By the way, Lieutenant, have you met Edward’s—no, the baron’s fiancée?”

To his relief, Beyhern felt confident answering this question.

Grinning, he replied, “She’s as beautiful, wise, and spirited as the rumors around Freia suggest. I’m sure you’ll like her once you meet her.”

“Thank you for saying that.”

Lady Selina, murmuring a vague response, turned her gaze to the window.

The pristine imperial roads and grand, beautiful buildings outside failed to capture her interest.

If anything, the more magnificent the buildings, the heavier her worries grew.

‘A young noblewoman of such high status would hardly be happy about an engagement to a baron who’s only just received his title.’

Unlike Edward and his aides, Lady Selina couldn’t view things so optimistically.

She was certain that the Emperor was using Edward.

If that weren’t the case, there’d be no reason to grant a mere soldier a title and arrange an engagement with the daughter of a great noble family.

The problem was that she couldn’t even begin to guess what the Emperor’s intentions were.

‘If my brother were still alive, he could have given Edward better guidance.’

Thinking of her brother, who had passed away alone at sea, tightened Lady Selina’s chest with a painful ache.

“We’ve arrived.”