Lieutenant Beyhern felt the oppressive heat from the early morning.

The scorching weather of Freia, which began as soon as May arrived, was enough to sap the energy out of the officers.

Navy officers, who had spent years on battlefields, found the stifling heat of the land unfamiliar and uncomfortable.

Though summers in the Mediterranean were also sweltering, they had spent most of their time aboard naval ships, where the cool sea breeze offered some relief.

On days of naval battles, there wasn’t even time to notice the heat. The enemy fleet’s cannon fire frequently brought chilling moments of tension that overshadowed any discomfort from the weather.

Livia, who had been silently scrubbing the tiled floor with a long-handled cleaning brush, stuck out her tongue and grumbled.

“It’s unbearably hot.”

“Agreed…”

Beyhern readily concurred.

Cleaning the soldiers’ restroom on a golden Saturday felt akin to walking n*ked through the desert.

What made it worse was knowing that all this was entirely his own fault.

‘If only I hadn’t given in to a moment of curiosity… I should’ve at least been more discreet.’

The crime of trying to sneak a peek at his superior’s love letter was grave, but that didn’t stop him from feeling a twinge of unfairness.

What irked him even more was that he had to atone for his misdeed alongside Livia.

At that moment, a voice came from beyond the door.

“Are you not done yet?”

Second Lieutenant Walter looked at the two with an expression that screamed disdain. Beyhern felt his temper flare.

“Don’t you have anything better to do?”

“Don’t worry about me, Lieutenant. I always find something to do. The question is, have you done any reflecting yourself?”

“I’ll handle my reflections on my own, so you worry about yourself!”

Even though Beyhern raised his voice, Walter’s attitude was indifferent, as if he were listening to a dog barking in the distance.

“Is that what you call a reflective attitude? If that letter hadn’t been a lady’s love letter but classified documents instead, the two of you could have been court-martialed on the spot!”

‘This insufferable stickler!’

Grinding his teeth, Beyhern fumed, but it was Livia who stepped in, voice sharp.

“From what I hear, Second Lieutenant Walter must be quite free these days.”

“Th-that’s not true…”

Walter stammered, swallowing nervously under Livia’s icy gaze.

“When did a mere lieutenant think it was appropriate to rudely meddle while superior officers are being disciplined? Do you think your superiors are children who need your supervision?”

“No, Major Livia! That wasn’t my intention at all!”

Sweating profusely, Walter stiffened into a salute. Livia placed her cleaning brush down with a sharp laugh.

“What does your intention matter when your excuses are so pitiful?”

Walter, now visibly anxious, fidgeted like a large, uneasy dog under Livia’s piercing glare.

“You know I’ve been waiting for you, Major…”

“Ugh…”

Beyhern felt his stomach churn as though he were seasick.

“Wait a second! Keep your romantic nonsense for when I’m not around! I feel like my ears are about to rot!”

“Major Livia! That’s not what I meant…”

Just then, a dark shadow loomed behind the flustered Walter.

“Well, you three seem very busy.”

“Sir!”

“What brings you here?”

The person who appeared was Edward himself, and Beyhern was the most shocked of all. That was because Edward was dressed in a tuxedo.

The combination of the black tuxedo jacket, red pocket square, crisp white shirt, and bow tie was both classic and striking.

“Isn’t today your engagement ceremony, Sir?”

“That’s right,” Edward replied with a slight nod.

This time, it was Livia who raised her voice in astonishment.

“Then why are you here?! Shouldn’t you be heading to the duke’s estate right now?”

Edward muttered, “Hmm, is that so?” before pulling out a pocket watch and sighing.

“As you know, only close family members were invited to this engagement ceremony. But when I woke up this morning and thought about it, I realized my only relative is my aunt. I can’t exactly bring the mansion staff and call them family.”

“…”

Edward furrowed his brow as if the situation were a minor annoyance. Beyhern swallowed hard.

Edward glanced at each of them in turn before finally speaking.

“If you’re not too busy, I’d like the three of you to attend my engagement ceremony.”

“…Pardon?”

“…What?”

“Yes…?!”

The three of them were equally stunned, as if they had rehearsed their reaction.

Edward, however, remained remarkably composed after dropping this bombshell on them.

“Let’s leave the cleaning here and get going, shall we? My engagement ceremony is about to start.”

＊ ＊ ＊

Beyhern pressed his hair down with his palm several times, but the unruly strands sticking out toward the sky refused to comply.

Livia was in no better condition. Having woken up and hastily washed before changing into her uniform, her hair was as defiant as ever.

The only one managing to maintain the dignity of a naval officer was Second Lieutenant Walter, who had woken up early to groom himself in hopes of impressing his lover. Even he couldn’t stop the cold sweat trickling down the back of his neck.

“We’ll arrive shortly,” Edward remarked.

Their superior, who had driven his three subordinates into complete disarray, was casually gazing out the window, looking even more dashing than usual.

Dressed in a tuxedo, Edward was so striking that even calling him “stunning” seemed insufficient.

Realizing just how handsome their commander was didn’t feel like much of a gain, though.

“Are we just going to get swept up in this storm? Huh?”

Livia and Walter threw pointed glances at Beyhern, silently urging him to speak up.

“You say something.”

“No way. Let’s make Second Lieutenant Walter do it.”

“That flashy guy won’t get anything done.”

In the end, Beyhern took the lead.

“Sir, are you sure it’s appropriate for us to attend your engagement ceremony?”

“You’re attending as my guests, so there’s no need to feel burdened. Besides, aren’t you all outstanding officers of the Feorn Navy? You’re more than qualified.”

“But we’re just lowly officers… Except for Second Lieutenant Walter, the rest of us are commoners. It’s inevitable that we’ll bring disgrace upon you.”

Livia quickly chimed in, supporting Beyhern’s argument.

“He’s right, Your Grace. The ducal family will surely mock us.”

Walter didn’t add that his family name wasn’t much to boast about either. The mere thought of the carriage heading toward the Duke’s estate was enough to make him feel faint.

Edward, who had been quietly observing his three subordinates, suddenly smiled.

“I think you’re all perfectly presentable. Or is it that you don’t wish to celebrate with me on such a joyous day?”

“N-no, Sir! We would lay down our lives for you!”

“Exactly! We’re only worried that our presence might cause you undue embarrassment…”

Walter’s eyes reddened, overwhelmed by the realization of Edward’s faith in them.

‘I can’t believe he values us so highly.’

Noticing Walter’s emotional reaction, Livia clicked her tongue.

“If you cry during the ceremony, we’re done.”

“I won’t cry!” Walter shouted defensively, making Livia scoff and Beyhern shake his head in exasperation.

The usually composed Walter turning into a blundering fool around Livia was something Beyhern simply refused to comprehend.

Suddenly, the sound of a heart-stopping announcement broke through.

“We’ve arrived.”

A servant hurriedly opened the carriage door, and Edward stepped out first. The three subordinates, hesitating momentarily, scurried after him at his beckoning gesture.

“Welcome, my lord. We’ve been expecting you,” the butler greeted warmly.

“Thank you,” Edward replied.

The butler, dressed impeccably in a tailcoat, beamed brightly, seemingly more thrilled than the master himself about the success of the engagement ceremony.

“The tuxedo suits you wonderfully, my lord.”

“Thank you for the compliment.”

With his usual composure, Edward allowed the butler to lead the way while asking, “Has my aunt arrived?”

“Yes, Viscountess Hyperion has already arrived and is in the hall. When I last checked, she was speaking with the Duke.”

Edward nodded and then turned to glance back.

“These three are my most trusted subordinates. Please take good care of them.”

“Of course, my lord. I will serve them with utmost care.”

“…”

The butler’s overly courteous demeanor made Beyhern swallow nervously. It was at that moment he fully grasped that his superior was a nobleman granted his title by the Emperor himself.

This realization struck Livia and Walter as well.

They felt a mix of fear and pride—fear of the situation and pride in being the only naval officers invited to their esteemed superior’s engagement ceremony.

“This is something we can boast about to our peers for a long time,” Livia murmured under her breath, grinning.

But her grin didn’t last.

“Gasp…!”

“Wha…!”

“Oh my…!”

Beyhern’s eyes widened. Walter drew a sharp, shuddering breath as though he’d been struck in the chest.