At the sound of the servant’s voice from the coachman’s seat, Selina raised her head suddenly.

Beyhern skillfully stepped down from the carriage and offered his hand to her, with a polite and courteous demeanor, as though this very task had brought him here.

Wearing a worn hat pulled low over her head and a ribbon tied tightly at her chin, Selina ignored the offered hand and stepped down from the carriage herself.

Beyhern, hiding his right hand behind his back, cleared his throat and said, “This is the Vice Admiral’s residence, ma’am. The butler will come to greet you shortly.”

Just as Beyhern had said, the butler was quickly walking out of the mansion, having apparently been informed in advance.

The mansion, set amid a well-tended garden, was magnificent and beautiful, as though a noble family had once lived there.

“After leading the war to victory, he deserves to enjoy this much,” Selina thought, stifling a sigh and turning back to Beyhern.

“Thank you for escorting me here. Now, please head back safely.”

Beyhern gave a wry smile. It was now clear to him from whom Edward had inherited his occasional cold and detached demeanor.

“Have a pleasant afternoon.”

Beyhern bowed respectfully.

＊ ＊ ＊

The Duke of Xavier’s four-wheeled carriage raced quickly down the street.

A servant dressed in livery sat at both the front and back of the carriage, which bore the family’s insignia of an osprey. The servants, loyal to the ducal family, maintained their posture without the slightest falter.

Hester, peeking out from behind the curtain, glanced over at Yelodia with a slightly tired expression.

“Glad the weather is so nice.”

“It is,” Yelodia agreed.

Just as Hester had noted, it was a sunny day. After a weekend of overcast weather, the skies had cleared yesterday afternoon, and warm sunlight graced the morning.

As she fiddled with her white hat, adorned with a large satin ribbon and netting, Yelodia glanced at Hester.

Hester, covering her mouth, gave a wide yawn and slowly blinked her red-rimmed eyes, causing Yelodia’s gaze to sharpen.

“You stayed up all night reading again, didn’t you?”

“Please understand, Yedi. While I was bedridden, so many new books came out. Even a new release from Lihanel! Oh, it would be a crime not to read it on the release day.”

Yelodia muttered inwardly that such a strange “crime” even existed and gave Hester a look.

“Just so you know, the reason you fall ill every season is because you don’t get enough sleep. Dr. Lichton, my physician, says that good sleep and regular meals cure many ailments.”

“Well, I don’t quite see it that way.”

Stifling yet another yawn, Hester turned her gaze away from her reproachful stare, as if it had been his plan all along, and looked out the carriage window.

“Judging by the salty sea breeze, we must be almost there. I heard from Kias that they’ll be setting off fireworks over the sea at sunset.”

“Really?”

Yelodia’s eyes lit up with interest.

“With a five-year war finally ending, it seems a grand celebration is in order. His Majesty the Emperor must have been waiting for this day.”

Hester looked quite eager, thinking it would be a remarkable sight. Yelodia cleared her throat and quietly spoke up.

“Will you stay with me until evening?”

“Of course. Even if I collapse, I’ll make sure you see the fireworks, Yedi, so don’t worry.”

Yelodia shot him a warning glance, her gaze sharp.

“Don’t even think about collapsing. If I have to, I’ll carry you myself.”

Hester burst out laughing. By now, the carriage was slowing as it entered the naval headquarters.

Soon, the surroundings became lively. It seemed many other guests had arrived as well.

“We’ve arrived, sir,” announced the servant.

Hester put on his gloves and straightened his attire. Yelodia adjusted her white hat to let the netting drape over her face and held a small parasol.

Hester ordered the servant, “Open the door.”

The door swung open, and Hester stepped out, elegantly extending a hand to Yelodia.

“Shall we step out, my lady?”

Yelodia took Hester’s hand and descended from the carriage.

She immediately sensed the many gazes directed at her, filled with a peculiar mix of interest and curiosity. It seemed the social circles were already abuzz with news of the engagement between the Duke of Xavier’s daughter and Baron Adrian.

“Quite popular, I see,” remarked Hester, who, although somewhat oblivious, had noticed the blatant stares. Still, unbothered by others’ attention, he merely raised his eyebrows and left it at that.

A servant respectfully informed Hester, “The interior of the naval headquarters seems busy, so we’ll keep the carriage parked on the main road and wait.”

“Please do. Thank you.”

Hester handed the servants a gratuity and personally unfolded Yelodia’s parasol. Yelodia, linking her arm with Hester’s, murmured, “I could have done that myself.”

“I know. I just worried I might forget how to open a parasol.”

Yelodia couldn’t help but laugh at Hester’s cheeky response.

At that moment, a soldier in uniform approached and asked, “Are you from the Duke of Xavier’s family?”

“Yes.”

“We’ve been expecting you. I’ll show you to the VIP seats.”

“Thank you for your kindness.”

The soldier’s face showed a faint relief and delight. Hester’s friendly demeanor, despite being a noble, quickly won over the hearts of others.

The young soldier guided the two to a table shaded by a white canopy.

It was a prime spot, offering a clear view of the parade ground.

A few other tables, slightly farther away, were also occupied by nobles, possibly set up specifically for the visitors.

“There will be an inspection ceremony soon. If you’d like to take a seat, I’ll bring you a cold drink.”

“Thank you.”

The young soldier was attentive, likely due to Edward’s prior instructions.

Hester closed his parasol lightly and offered the best seat to Yelodia. She took her seat and glanced down at the parade ground.

“Much wider and better maintained than I expected,” she thought.

She hadn’t noticed this detail during her previous visit.

“Is this where Fabian dueled Baron Adrian?” Hester asked.

“Your voice is too loud, brother.”

“It’s such a shame I missed it. If I hadn’t been unwell, I’d have had a great view,” Hester said with genuine regret. Yelodia took the opportunity, while no one was looking, to pinch his side.

Hester burst out laughing.

“So, who did you root for, Yedi?”

“I didn’t root for either of them!” Yelodia whispered back, glaring at Hester’s teasing grin.

Hester gazed at the parade ground, grinning.

“I would have cheered for the Baron.”

“Are you serious?”

“Of course, Yedi. Fabian could stand to be humbled now and then.”

Of course he’d say that.

Though they had united during the last banquet against a common foe, Fabian and Hester were typically fierce rivals, with a strong mutual dislike.

Hester even avoided staying in the main house during his visits to avoid running into Fabian, preferring the guest quarters instead.

“I really missed out. I would have loved to see him lose in swordsmanship with my own eyes.”

“Of course you would,” Yelodia muttered.

Though she wore a hat, the bright sunlight made her squint. The thin canopy didn’t provide complete shade, so the heat quickly became stifling.

She wanted to at least remove her gloves, but as an unmarried lady, it wouldn’t be proper to expose bare skin in public.

“So many things are uncomfortable. I wish the engagement ceremony were over already,” Yelodia thought to herself.

Just then, a voice interrupted her thoughts.

“Oh, could this be the third son of the Duke of Xavier?”

“Oh, hello, Ian,” Hester said, standing up with a pleased smile.

The man, apparently an acquaintance, asked with a concerned expression, “I heard you’d come down with the flu. How are you now?”

“I’m fine now. It’s a bit of a regular ordeal each season.”

“Please take care of yourself. The Empire would suffer a great loss if Hester were unwell.”

“Haha, I doubt my health could cost the Empire that much,” Hester replied, though his expression betrayed a bit of embarrassment. But the man seemed entirely earnest.

Ian also seemed to be an academy student, and he had clearly admired Hester’s intellect for a long time.

“I read your paper on the ruins of Bialte that you published last winter. I have a question about it…”

Sensing that the conversation would likely be lengthy, Hester gave Yelodia a slight glance, signaling that he’d step away for a moment. Yelodia nodded, granting him permission.

“I knew this would happen,” she thought.

It wasn’t the first time she had lost her brother’s attention to someone she didn’t even know. Due to his popularity, Yelodia often found herself left behind in such situations.

And so, Yelodia remained at the table under the canopy, now basking alone in the warm sunlight.

“On such a beautiful day, I’ve become a lone spectator,” she mused.

Suddenly, she sensed someone staring at her. It was an unfamiliar woman, gazing steadily.

“Perhaps she’s a relative of one of the officers being promoted today?”

The woman, who appeared to be around forty, had dark hair and wore a modest gray dress, somewhat plain but neatly presented. It didn’t quite match the large hat adorned with ribbons she wore.

Most of the VIP guests were nobles, so the woman’s attire stood out.

As expected, a few nobles seated at other tables glanced over at the woman, openly smirking and sneering.

‘Here we go again,’ Yelodia thought.