episode_0022

Among the nobles of the capital, the townhouse of the Baern family was a delicacy that occasionally lingered on their lips each time it was forgotten.

For those who couldn’t ascend to the capital’s changes and for the lineage that needed to keep at least one offspring in the capital, the palace offered various incentives.

Granting the Baern family’s townhouse exemption from the capital’s strict building regulations, which were designed to prevent challenges to the majesty of the palace, was also his doing.

Thanks to this, the Baern family’s townhouse rivaled any palace in the capital in terms of size, scale, and splendor.

It was said that there were dozens of people just to maintain the vast gardens of the mansion. The marble fountain placed in its center was larger and more magnificent than any other fountain on the continent.

From the famous artworks and sculptures that filled the grand mansion to the meticulously crafted furniture, if everything were to be sold, one could buy the entire capital, even rumors circulated that one could buy the imperial palace itself.

Of course, there were critics who claimed that the management of these collected works was lax, but that fell within the domain of experts, not the nobles.

As a result, the nobles of the capital desired to receive an invitation from the Baern family as much as they did from the palace. In terms of rarity alone, the latter was considered more valuable than the former.

Having an elegant tea time on the terrace of the mansion overlooking the grand garden and splendid fountain had become one of the bucket list items for the elite for centuries.

Since the popularity of romance novels that contained such scenes, the trend among the elite had not waned.

However, today’s protagonist seemed not to think so deeply about it.

Inside the large black carriage adorned with the golden lion emblem of the Baern family.

Today, instead of members of the Baern family, there were unfamiliar man and woman inside the carriage.

The man with black hair stared out the window with a sullen expression, resembling a teenage girl sulking after an argument with her parents. The woman with short hair opposite him sighed deeply while observing his expression.

“Your Excellency, are you going to act like this even in front of Lady Aeng?”

Daphne’s voice mixed with a sigh made Dmitri glance at her violet eyes.

“What’s wrong with how I am?”

Dmitri replied curtly.

After uttering only a few words, he turned his dark eyes back to the window.

“If you look at your reflection there, you should know what I mean.”

Even so, her Excellency remained impassive.

“Your Excellency, today’s meeting is truly important.”

“I know. Your nagging ears make sure of that.”

“If someone who knows that keeps acting like this, what should we do?”

There was no response, not even a sign of listening. Nevertheless, Daphne continued to speak to Dmitri.

“We received the invitation, but ultimately, aren’t we the ones going to ask for a favor first? If both parties don’t give equally, your Excellency’s attitude won’t matter. Right now, besides your title as the Grand Duke, you have nothing to offer in front of the Baerns.”

Daphne may have exaggerated a bit.

In fact, forming an alliance with the Verbreitz family could bring great honor to most noble families and serve as a useful tool in the political arena of the capital.

The Black Eagle Knights of the Grand Duchy were a unique group of soldiers left in the Empire.

Although their numbers had decreased compared to before, each individual had proven their strength by subduing monsters in actual combat.

They were on a different level from the knights of other families, who were merely named knights and served as household guards.

At the mention of Beauren Changbaek, neither the glory of the family nor his Black Eagle Knights were particularly necessary.

Certainly, if the grizzled old man enjoyed interacting with the Black Eagle Knights and his personal soldiers due to their lively nature, that would be quite pleasing on a personal level.

“Your Highness, if you continue to act this way in front of Lord and Lady Changbaek—”

“It feels like I’m being auctioned off! I’m not some street vendor!”

Unable to hold back, Dmitri suddenly raised his voice.

Dmitri’s words ultimately acted as the detonator that set Daphne off.

“What if I were a street vendor! What then? We barely have enough to get by as it is!”

Beneath her neatly arranged short hair, Daphne’s face trembled slightly.

Seeing Dmitri lower his tail ever so slightly in response to her fiery violet eyes, Daphne calmed down.

Daphne had been his lieutenant for a long time in the North. Occasionally, just like him and his comrades, she too would explode. At such times, he had learned from experience that wagging his tail was the best course of action.

Daphne’s angry voice grew louder and louder.

“Is wagging your tail in front of the Emperor not the behavior of a street vendor? Is it only because the other party is not the Emperor but a young and weak lady?”

“Uhm, Daphne. I understand, please calm down for now.”

“No, I can’t calm down! You did the same thing last night! I clearly asked you to retire early to bed since tomorrow’s schedule is important! Yet you kept drinking until the tavern closed and came back late at dawn!”

“Well… I am truly sorry. Daphne…”

“You keep saying the same things every day! In the end, all you’ve achieved by coming up to the capital is draining the operational costs of the communication post, isn’t it?”

The cold voice finally reached its breaking point. The coachman driving the carriage, sensing the disturbance behind him, was about to turn around.

As explosive as the outburst had been, Daphne quickly cooled down.

Soon, silence filled the carriage once more.

Dmitri, looking at the exploded Daphne inside the narrow carriage, was at a loss. Ignoring Dmitri, Daphne closed her eyes, trying to calm her excited and erratic breathing.

Finally regaining her composure, Daphne spoke.

“…I apologize, Your Highness. You had to witness such an unsightly display.”

“No! It’s okay, it’s okay. Come to think of it, it’s been a while since I’ve seen Daphne explode like that.”

“I thought I wouldn’t do that after coming up to the capital. My thoughts were short-lived.”

Although her appearance seemed quite composed, her voice was as cold as the harsh northern winds hitting a barrier.

“Your Highness, it’s not just about the lady. Through today’s meeting, we can send a message to the heavyweights of the Empire and the Council. This will make our movements even more flexible.”

“Alright, Daphne. I understand now.”

Dmitri uttered similar words to before, but there was a difference in his demeanor. Beneath his neatly arranged bangs, his dark eyes began to sparkle unlike before.

“In that case, I’ll properly court the lady for our dear Daphne.”

A genuine smile crept onto Daphne’s lips at the Grand Duke’s words. However, she couldn’t help but worry about that smile.

“Sigh. Can’t we just have a normal meal without any teasing, please, just a normal one?”

#.

In front of the mansion’s entrance, Eleonore stood beside her parents, hands clasped at her waist, standing gracefully.

Of course, this wasn’t intentional. Due to the strong spring breeze swaying her skirt here and there, she adopted this posture unavoidably.

The chilly wind rustled the hem of her skirt, brushing lightly against her milky white legs. The sensation made Eleanor squirm as she furrowed her brows. It was not just the tickling feeling that bothered her; it was also the fact that it was incredibly cold at the moment.

She had resisted wearing stockings until the very end, questioning whether they were necessary. The tight stockings constricting her legs, though providing a dizzying sensation with each brush against her skin, reminded her uncomfortably of her femininity.

Both her mother and Sophie had insisted that Eleanor’s milky white legs suited the sky-blue skirt better than white stockings.

“Excessive. They won’t even be visible…”

Eventually, the large gate of the mansion, enclosed by a grand iron fence, creaked open noisily, revealing an elegant black carriage entering the estate.

“So the family owns such a carriage.”

Eleanor’s gaze was captivated by the black carriage adorned with a golden lion emblem.

Being a man herself, she naturally took interest in wheeled vehicles, hence her curiosity about the family’s carriage.

That is until she experienced the uncomfortable ride.

As the carriage entered the estate, gradually slowing down, Eleanor swallowed nervously as she observed the approaching carriage. To think she would engage in a courtship she had never attempted in her past life, now in a woman’s body…

Feeling self-conscious, she followed her parents towards the stopped carriage, despite her inner turmoil.

Ugh, seriously. All this fuss from morning till now over just one man, what is the point of all this?

Despite her thoughts, her face remained smiling.

Honestly, considering the men she had been involved with so far, marrying the Duke was certainly not a bad choice.

No, it was more of a welcoming option on this side. Of course, embracing the idea of choosing a man was not entirely pleasant.

For starters, the Duke held his own unique influence in the North.

Moreover, from what she had heard from her father, his personal power was undeniable.

His title, along with the associated honor. Perhaps, if it were to happen, the status of the Beauregard family would not be compromised.

Furthermore, unlike anyone with red or silver hair, he was not a threat to her life.

Of course, looks aside… well, let’s leave that for another time.

The coachman swiftly descended from the driver’s seat of the stopped carriage, opening the firmly shut door with a loud noise.

Then, Dmitri, clad in a sleek black uniform with a white cravat scarf, bent his waist slightly as he stepped down from the carriage.

“Welcome, Your Grace.”

“Thank you for the invitation, Baronet.”

“Was your journey comfortable, Your Grace?”

“Thanks to your consideration, I arrived comfortably.”

Dmitri tapped the black carriage with his hand as he spoke. Judging by his gaze, he seemed quite pleased with the carriage.

“I am Etienne. I have heard much about our daughter’s misconduct at the ball.”

“Haha, misconduct? Rather, I was wondering where the beauty of our dear daughter came from, but upon seeing you, it all makes sense now, Madam.”

“You are too kind.”

Though she said that, Etienne’s smile widened.

“By the way, who is the beauty behind you?”

Obert politely inquired, looking at the blonde woman standing behind Dmitri.

In a setting where his daughter was present officially, bringing an unknown woman seemed quite interesting, evident from Obert’s expression as a father.

Responding to his gaze, Dmitri quickly introduced the woman standing behind him.

“Oh, this is my aide from the North and someone who assists me in various matters in the capital, Daphne.”

“I am Daphne Lebrun.”

Daphne took a bow, not the usual greeting of a common woman but a gesture of respect from this side of the world. In that moment, Hubert’s eyes lit up.

“Ah, the daughter of Marquis Leavre. Your father and I fought together in the Antibe turmoil in the south.”

“I’ve heard much about those times from my father.”

“Hahaha. We faced the rebels in that coastal city, staking our lives. Your father still has a debt unpaid from back then. Well, welcome.”

As she was the daughter of a comrade they fought alongside, his face had softened into the gentle countenance of a grandfather.

Next was Eleanor’s turn.

Facing each other, their height difference was quite noticeable.

Back then, indoors and with heels on, the disparity wasn’t as apparent. Eleanor’s head didn’t even reach the Duke’s broad shoulders.

The Duke’s steps exuded confidence. Eventually, beyond the refreshing scent of citrus cologne, Dimitri smiled at Eleanor. A green emerald brooch pinned to his black uniform reflected the warm spring sunlight, teasing her sky-blue eyes.

“It’s been a while, my dear.”

Dimitri gently bent at the waist, extending his left hand courteously towards Eleanor.

The meaning of the Duke’s hand before her had been vividly demonstrated by Yulian and Domi. Frankly, she really didn’t want to experience that subtle sensation again.

The moist lips brushing against her hand and the quickening heartbeat it caused… truly made her realize she was now a woman.

Eleanor concealed her emotions, smiling softly as she delicately placed her small, white hand on top of the Duke’s black glove.

“It’s been too long, Your Grace. I can’t express how delighted I am that you’ve come.”

Once again, the feeling of being treated like a woman made Eleanor’s eyes slightly tremble.

Endure, Eleanor. Yes, hold it in.

With the days left until she would be confined to her parents’ estate dwindling, she thought she should at least show filial piety.

But the long-awaited engagement—or rather, the dining event—was just beginning.