The path leading to the pond was quiet and serene, a place even the servants rarely ventured.

Edward glanced around the pathway and shared a brief thought.

“This is a perfect spot for reflection.”

“Except for the occasional unfortunate encounter with Kias, it’s flawless,” she replied.

“Is there a reason why meeting the young duke here would be a problem?”

“Well, I usually take this route to escape my lessons with the tutor,” she admitted.

Edward suppressed a chuckle. After all, today was yet another instance of such a scenario.

“Is it always geometry that’s the culprit?”

“That’s one, but math, in general, is one of those subjects I’d rather avoid.”

“That makes me curious—what subjects do you enjoy?” he asked with a tone of genuine curiosity.

Yelodia hesitated, pouting slightly before confessing honestly, “I love horseback riding. History and literature, too, although I’m not particularly good at them.”

“Why do you think you’re not good at them?”

“Once, I seriously asked my tutor if I had any academic talent. After some reluctance and a long pause, he said I might have a knack for composition—but only because I’m a noble. He probably forced that answer out of pity.”

“I doubt that,” Edward replied.

Having once received a letter from Yelodia, Edward had confidence in the tutor’s assessment of her writing skills.

Yelodia, however, seemed to dismiss his words as flattery.

“Did you ever have subjects you disliked learning, Baron?”

“I found celestial navigation rather challenging. But when I had to calculate a warship’s position on a map during active duty, I realized how invaluable it was.”

“Wow, a practical subject like that? I think I’d enjoy learning something like it,” she said, clearly impressed.

Edward responded with a quiet smile.

For him, studying had been a matter of survival. The greater the error in a map’s coordinates, the higher the risk to his men’s lives.

But he refrained from being too blunt about this. He didn’t want to frighten Yelodia during what was meant to be a lighthearted conversation.

Just then, through the dense spruce trees, a sparkling blue pond came into view.

Edward unconsciously held his breath as he gazed at it.

“…”

Contrary to his expectations of a small ornamental pond for koi, the blue pond was vast and deep enough to feel overwhelming.

Swimming across to the other side would certainly take some time.

As someone who cherished nature, Edward found himself captivated by the serene beauty of the pond, unable to look away for a while.

With pride in her voice, Yelodia said, “In midsummer, my brothers often swim here. If you enjoy swimming, you’ll surely love it.”

“I can imagine. Have you ever swum here yourself, my lady?”

“There was this one time Fabian pulled me in, so I pretended to fall in willingly. Kias scolded me harshly afterward, but at least I learned how to swim because of it.”

Edward frowned slightly and remarked, “So it wasn’t just once, was it?”

“Well, as you might know, summers in Freia are unbearably hot and humid. Even wearing a thin silk dress leaves you completely drained.”

“I can relate to that. During my cadet days, I often swam in the sea during summer to cool off,” Edward shared.

“You swam in the sea?” Yelodia exclaimed, surprised.

“Indeed.”

To Edward, sea swimming seemed more modest than a noblewoman swimming in her dress, though he refrained from pointing that out.

Yelodia, her expression like a child witnessing magic for the first time, asked, “Aren’t there monsters in the sea?”

“The waters near Rommel Port are quite safe. The Feorn Navy patrols the area regularly. It’s been ages since a sea monster was last reported near the Imperial Capital.”

“Still…”

As Yelodia imagined a mysterious sea creature extending its tentacles from the dark ocean depths, her entire body shivered involuntarily. Even the thought made her tremble.

“Have you ever encountered a sea monster during the war?” she asked cautiously.

Edward nodded, and Yelodia’s eyes widened.

“You have?”

“Yes. But the monsters in the Mediterranean rarely attack humans. The sea has abundant fish and waterfowl, and they seem to fear human retaliation above all else.”

“Why is that? Aren’t monsters stronger than humans?”

“Humans band together to attack their females and eggs.”

“Oh… I see,” Yelodia murmured, her voice tinged with unease.

Though she had read about humanity’s cruelty in history books, hearing it firsthand from Edward felt far more visceral.

At the same time, she realized how little she knew about him, despite having known him for almost a month.

Tentatively, Yelodia glanced at Edward and asked, “Do you remember the wish you promised to grant me last time?”

“I do.”

Edward’s response was calm and straightforward.

It was true. In the Empress’s palace, he had promised to grant her a wish if she refrained from throwing a tantrum.

Edward never made promises he couldn’t keep. If it was within his power, he intended to fulfill it—even if it meant something as outrageous as hanging himself n*ked in Lyris Square.

Of course, he doubted Yelodia would wish for something so absurd.

Exhaling a breath she had been holding, Yelodia finally said, “Then, please call me Yelodia.”

“That’s… Lady Xavi—”

Edward’s expression turned perplexed, words catching in his throat. It was the first time Yelodia had seen him so flustered, save for the imperial banquet.

Yelodia involuntarily pouted.

“Is it so difficult to call me by my name, considering we’re engaged?”

“It’s not… difficult.”

“If you dislike it, would you prefer to call me Yedi?”

“That… I’ll take my time with, Lady Yelodia.”

“Drop the ‘Lady.'”

“…Yes, Yelodia.”

Edward finally conceded, addressing her by her name. Yelodia beamed brightly, her eyes curving into crescents.

“I’d be even happier if you could manage a nickname.”

“I’ll consider it… once I grow more accustomed to your name,” Edward replied, his tone inexplicably stiff.

Having never had a sister, Edward had no experience dealing with a woman who closed the distance between them in such a manner. He’d never so much as linked arms, let alone held hands with a woman.

On the other hand, Yelodia, who had three older brothers, had never lost a battle of wits like this. From the start, it had been an unfair contest.

“I also wanted to call you by your name, Baron… but I suppose you wouldn’t like that.”

Edward couldn’t bring himself to respond. Yelodia pursed her lips and spoke with a faintly sulky tone.

“I thought so.”

“For heaven’s sake…”

“Pardon?”

Edward almost blurted out a plea for mercy but caught himself when he saw how visibly downcast Yelodia looked. He couldn’t help but smile in the end.

When he thought about it, Yelodia always managed to make him smile. Without fail, every time.

It was truly peculiar.

“Why are you smiling like that?” Yelodia tilted her head, puzzled.

“I was worried the incident at the Empress’s palace might have upset you, but it seems you’re more resilient than I thought. That’s a relief.”

“Her Majesty the Empress undoubtedly arranged that setting intentionally. I dislike playing into her hands. Besides, if you hadn’t called off your prior engagement, I wouldn’t be engaged to you now, and…”

Yelodia trailed off, sneaking a glance at Edward to gauge his reaction. She worried he might interpret her words too deeply.

Simultaneously, a sense of warmth spread through her, making her feel oddly flustered.

“Do you… still dislike the idea of being engaged to me?”

“…Pardon?”

Edward’s eyes widened in surprise. Yelodia let out a small cough, attempting to mask her embarrassment.

“I mean, you sighed earlier… And at the banquet, you requested His Majesty the Emperor to reconsider the betrothal. Ultimately, this engagement was forced upon you by His Majesty’s will, without any consideration for your wishes. I was just wondering if you still feel that way…”

“That applies to you as well, does it not?”

She bristled at his use of “you” again, her expression souring. Edward quickly corrected himself.

“That applies to Yelodia too, doesn’t it? You were suddenly betrothed to a soldier you didn’t know by name or face. Surely it must have been far worse for you than for someone as unremarkable as me.”

“Unremarkable? Far worse? Please don’t ever say such things in my presence.”

“…I apologize if I’ve upset you.”

“I’ll accept your apology, though that’s not what I wanted to hear. Oh, that reminds me—I forgot to explain something important to you, Baron.”

Yelodia lightly clapped her hands as if realizing she’d missed something crucial.

“Actually, His Majesty the Emperor—”

At that moment, the fir trees outside rustled, and an out-of-breath Rellia appeared, her face flushed. Yelodia unconsciously smiled warmly at the sight.

“Yelodia, Fabian has arrived. It seems it’s time to return to the estate.”

“Fabian? At this hour?”

Yelodia asked, puzzled, as Rellia caught her breath and explained.

“It seems your feigned illness has traveled far and wide.”

Yelodia’s face twisted in frustration as she glared toward the estate.

She silently vowed to find the culprit behind the spreading rumors.

When the three of them stepped into the main reception room, Yelodia immediately sensed another guest was waiting. She also realized why Fabian had yet to show himself.

“Yelodia, are you just returning from your stroll?”

At the familiar voice of a woman, Rellia’s brow furrowed deeply. Yelodia clenched her teeth in frustration.