* * *
Sylvian glanced at his father for his reaction.
“What kind of rumors do you think would spread if I entrusted the duchess to you?”
There was no need to stain his precious belonging with filth.
Even if he wasn’t completely attuned to social currents, he at least knew how dirty this man’s reputation was.
Scoffing, the viscount pulled Sylvian closer.
“What are you saying, sir?”
“You should know best. I’ll handle the duchess myself, so go about your business elsewhere.”
At the viscount’s firm words, Timothy narrowed his eyes and winked at Sylvian.
When his father yanked him forward again, Sylvian stumbled in surprise, while Timothy waved meaningfully before retreating.
“Be careful around men like him.”
“…What?”
As they walked, the viscount clicked his tongue at the persistent young Alphas requesting introductions to the duchess.
Their looks weren’t even close to matching his wife’s feet, yet they flocked toward Sylvian, seduced by nothing more than his mediocre pheromones and the title of duchess.
It was laughable.
It would be far better for both him and Sylvian to deal with those who held actual titles and wealth, rather than these young fools.
“Ah, Father. P-please slow down.”
“You can’t even walk a five-minute distance without getting exhausted? And you came to a banquet?”
That’s why I said I needed to rest in the lounge.
Sylvian scanned the area, looking for someone who might help him.
By now, it seemed Zeroth was deliberately leaving him alone.
“Do you need assistance?”
Karl Rooster!
A tall man with long silver hair approached them with perfect courtesy.
“R-Rooster Marquis?”
“Viscount Nertian, it’s been a while.”
Hearing the viscount’s trembling voice, Marquis Rooster greeted him with a warm smile.
“Is the duchess perhaps in some trouble?”
“N-No! Of course not!”
“Then why does he look so exhausted?”
Karl Rooster was, without a doubt, the second most sought-after bachelor after Zeroth.
For some reason, however, he had remained unmarried all this time.
A completely unattached, pure-blooded noble!
Feigning shyness, Sylvian hid behind his father’s back.
However, he still peeked out to observe the marquis.
The viscount quickly adjusted his stance, completely shielding his son.
Sweat beaded on his forehead as he desperately searched for an escape route from Karl.
Despite his gentle and amiable expression, something about the marquis unsettled him.
There was no reason for them to ever cross paths, given their difference in status, yet whenever they did, the viscount always felt uneasy around Karl Rooster.
“I appreciate your concern, Marquis, but he just needs a short rest. That’s all.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. The duchess is not as frail as he appears, so there’s no need to worry.”
Sylvian found it strange how his father froze like a small animal before a predator.
The Karl Rooster he knew was merely an extra in the novel.
And yet, he was quite the competent one!
He was the one who supported the crumbling empire amidst the fight between the crown prince and Zeroth.
He was also the one who comforted the grieving Yuri.
An Alpha with no interest in filth, a man of righteousness and integrity.
Sylvian recalled the image of Karl Rooster from the book.
If it’s him, he might actually be able to help me.
That’s why he was at the very top of my list of people I needed to befriend at this banquet.
“Duchess, are you truly alright? I believe we greeted each other earlier when you were with Duke Graham.”
“Marquis Rooster.”
After a brief pause, the marquis spoke cautiously, as if considering his words carefully.
There was no way Sylvian’s current state looked normal to him.
Sylvian felt relieved by his respectful manner.
His father couldn’t simply brush off the words of someone with a higher title.
“Thank you for your concern. I’m just a little tired. Once the duke arrives, we’ll be heading home.”
“Leaving so soon?”
“Yes. I’ve never spent this long outside before.”
Oh dear.
A sigh of regret followed my words.
Sylvian’s gaze was drawn to Karl Rooster’s shimmering silver hair, as if crafted from pure silver, and his violet eyes, embodying the very definition of integrity.
His appearance alone could rival Zeroth’s.
If he were to simply drape a white robe over his current attire, he would easily pass as a priest—so pristine and pure was his presence.
“In that case, I would be of more help than the viscount. No one would dare treat me carelessly.”
The viscount hesitated but could not brush away the marquis’s extended hand, stepping aside instead.
His face contorted in frustration, yet he seemed to lack a justifiable reason to refuse.
“Ah, Father?”
“It would be best to follow the marquis’s suggestion.”
What’s going on?
He wasn’t someone who would easily abandon his desires, yet the viscount couldn’t meet the marquis’s gaze, clearly preoccupied with thoughts of escape.
“Viscount, I will speak to the duke on your behalf.”
“…Yes. Please take care of the duchess.”
Even as Sylvian accepted Marquis Rooster’s escort, he sent a desperate look toward his father.
But the viscount feigned ignorance and quickly disappeared into the ballroom.
“You may feel uncomfortable with me, but I ask for your understanding. Once we enter the ballroom, I will lead you straight to Duke Graham.”
If courtesy and kindness took human form, would they look like this?
My fingertips tingled.
Sylvian couldn’t bring himself to hold onto Karl’s arm tightly, shifting his gaze here and there.
“You are quite timid.”
“…”
“Are you afraid of me?”
A small nod.
Karl chuckled softly at Sylvian’s reaction and reassured him, explaining that when a partner briefly stepped away, it was common for someone else to take over their protection.
“Have you been unable to debut in high society because of your weak health?”
“Yes.”
“How did you come to meet the duke?”
Why does this feel like an interrogation?
Though his voice was gentle, the marquis’s questions were clearly driven by personal curiosity rather than idle chatter. Sylvian hesitated.
“I see I’ve overstepped. Haha, I was merely curious about the one who has captured Duke Graham’s affections. My apologies.”
Noticing Sylvian’s expression, Karl quickly apologized, and Sylvian waved his hand to dismiss the concern.
“Just consider it light conversation to ease the atmosphere.”
Tap.
“Zeroth?”
“There’s no need for you to get too familiar with my wife.”
Before they could enter the ballroom, Sylvian was suddenly spun around and pulled into a firm embrace.
A cold voice spoke from above him.
“Duke Graham. I merely escorted your wife for a moment as he was feeling fatigued. It is a gentleman’s duty.”
Zeroth frowned at Karl Rooster’s smile.
He found the man’s polite, mask-like demeanor in public deeply unpleasant.
“I hope we meet again, Your Grace.”
“…Thank you.”
Caught off guard by the marquis’s formal farewell, Sylvian hastily returned the greeting.
“What did that bastard say to you?”
“He asked if I had been sickly since childhood and shared some interesting tidbits about the party.”
Indeed, during their short walk, the marquis had made sure Sylvian wasn’t bored by offering various conversation topics.
Thanks to that, Sylvian gained some sense of how to interact with other nobles.
“He is a deceitful man. You should be cautious.”
“…?”
Him?
Karl Rooster, who seemed the very embodiment of integrity?
Sylvian found it hard to believe Zeroth’s warning but nodded nonetheless.
“It’s unlikely, but be careful not to be alone with him.”
Giving one final warning, Zeroth escorted Sylvian back into the ballroom.
Because of the emperor’s unnecessary summons, Zeroth had been unable to fully enjoy Sylvian’s first ball.
“My lady, may I have the honor of this dance?”
“Yes.”
Sylvian carefully placed his hand in Zeroth’s extended palm.
* * *
