* * *

“They all just showed up out of nowhere… ugh, and now I’ve got even more work.”

“Tell me about it. At least they’re not messing with the maids, though. Didn’t you hear about Helena? Back at the other castle, they…”

Their voices dropped as they whispered among themselves, likely complaining about how the number of knights stationed at the castle had increased along with their workload.

It didn’t seem like a temporary stay for the investigation—it looked like they were settling in.

The once quiet training grounds had become busy, and now I had an inkling as to why.

‘If they need to station knights here, maybe this is a bigger deal than I thought.’

It wasn’t exactly worrying, but I was curious about Hernan’s whereabouts, especially since it had been almost a week since I last saw him.

Not that I was anxious or anything, but when someone who used to come and go frequently suddenly disappears, you can’t help but notice.

I walked over to the window to see if I could catch a glimpse of him near the training grounds.

Through the window, I saw the knights and soldiers training.

Their uniforms, which covered them from head to toe with raised collars and gleaming silver armor, were a rare sight where I came from.

‘Nirvan doesn’t allow private armies, so that’s not something I’d see back home.’

When my father was promoted to Viscount, he must have been granted soldiers too.

But Nirvan isn’t in a position to worry about external invasions, so they were likely just given as a formality and sent back to work in the capital.

A large military force like that would be more than Nirvan could handle.

If I had to find a way to use them, I guess they could serve as laborers, but that would be unfair to them.

It was my father’s decision to make, but the Viscount of Everdeen wasn’t someone who’d make such a thoughtless choice.

As I mused, staring down at the training grounds, someone in the front row, directing the training, suddenly looked up at me.

“Ah.”

I quickly ducked to the side, but it was too late.

When I peeked back out, he was gone.

Great.

I clicked my tongue and continued walking, heading toward Hernan’s office.

I was on my way to see the very person who’d banned overtime work anyway.

Confident, I strode toward the office when I suddenly saw Anton rushing toward me from down the hall.

“Weren’t you headed to bed, my lord?”

I lifted my chin and replied.

“I have urgent matters to discuss with the Duke. Perfect timing. Escort me to him.”

Anton’s usually easygoing face twisted into an awkward expression.

“That might be difficult. How about you speak with him in the morning?”

Though he tried to be polite, it wasn’t enough to stop me.

“Why? Is he not in his office?”

I motioned for him to move aside, and he hesitated for a moment before blocking my path.

“He’s handling business in another location at the moment. If it’s urgent, you can tell me, and I’ll pass it on. Otherwise, please discuss it with him in the morning.”

I was stunned. For as long as I could remember, I could summon the Duke whenever I wished.

And now I was being told to wait until morning?

If it had always been like this, I might have found it reasonable, but after breaking down all formalities and barging into his life, suddenly being kept at a distance was absurd.

‘Is he still mad I shoved him under the bed?’

But if that were the case, he’d have complained right away.

Why go silent now?

I crossed my arms and glared at Anton.

“What if I insist on meeting with the Duke right now?”

Anton’s face, now filled with desperation, pleaded with me.

“You can’t. Please, just speak to him tomorrow…”

Just then, a few soldiers approached from behind Anton, their voices murmuring.

“Sir Cornus, we’ve completed the training as you ordered.”

“Is there anything else you need us to do?”

“We’re out of feed for the horses…”

They rambled on, but I could feel their eyes on me, confirming that wasn’t their real concern.

“Ugh, you guys! Stop your nonsense and get back to your posts. Get lost already!”

Anton, as if fully aware of the situation, swiftly shooed the soldiers away as though kicking them in the rear.

However, the curious gazes refused to fade away.

“What nonsense is that? How could I possibly handle something as important as the ratio of feed for the horses without reporting to the lieutenant first?”

“I was getting antsy just standing around waiting.”

He seemed to be in his early to mid-twenties.

Although around the same age as Hernan, his careless demeanor hinted that he was of lower rank among the soldiers.

“Get lost, get lost. You’re not needed.”

Anton ruffled his hair in frustration and turned to me, pleading.

“Please, sir, let’s call it a day for now. I’ll speak to the Duke and make sure he contacts you tomorrow.”

I didn’t fully understand what was going on, but being the center of attention for the soldiers wasn’t particularly enjoyable.

What made it worse was that the area they were staring at wasn’t exactly a pleasant one.

I could feel their sneaky glances lingering around the overlap of my night robe, particularly near my chest.

‘What the hell…?’

I couldn’t help but feel baffled. It’s not like I have a woman’s chest—what’s so interesting about a man’s chest?

I shook my head in disbelief and begrudgingly agreed to leave.

What on earth is going on?

I shrugged and started heading back to my room, but instead of going in, I paused just around the corner, straining my ears to catch the conversation behind me.

“I thought he was some breathtaking beauty or something.”

“But for all of us to come out here like this, just to stare?”

“The lieutenant must’ve been curious too, right? How stunning must he be for the Duke to be so head over heels?”

What were they talking about? I had only planned to listen for a moment before heading back, but their words rooted me to the spot.

“He’s handsome, I guess, but let’s be real, no one can beat the Duke in terms of looks.”

“Do all Southerners walk around with their chests exposed like that? I’ve never seen anything like it in my life.”

“Don’t ask me, man. This is the first Southern noble I’ve ever laid eyes on, too.”

I felt my face flush at their unexpected remarks.

Given my bold and often rude behavior, it wouldn’t be surprising if I was notorious among Hernan’s men for unusual reasons.

But to think I’d been mistaken for the Southern beauty who melted the Duke’s icy heart?

I would’ve never imagined.

Not that I cared about disappointing them.

Embarrassment aside, I was now self-conscious about my outfit.

Was it really that revealing?

It wasn’t like it exposed anything significant—the overlap in the front just wasn’t as tightly secured as Northern styles, but was that really so strange?

I didn’t think so, but I had no one to objectively assess it.

Unable to achieve my goal and only feeling more unsettled, I reluctantly made my way back to my room, a strange unease settling in.

Something was seriously bothering me, but I couldn’t quite put my finger on what it was.

It would likely appear that I was just annoyed that my usual confidence wasn’t having its effect, but it was more than that.

‘What could possibly be keeping him so busy?’

The most irritating part was the person responsible, who had been hiding away for a week.

‘If he doesn’t show up again tomorrow, we’ll see about that.’

Not that I had any real leverage, but I couldn’t help feeling frustrated.

Everything seemed to be getting under my skin.

---

After spending the night in a foul mood, I faced the next morning.

Anton arrived early at my office, and I looked up at him with clear annoyance.

“Is he really too busy to come today as well?”

I narrowed my eyes as I asked, and Anton scratched his head nervously before responding.

“I apologize again for yesterday. The Duke said he’ll come to see you this afternoon, as soon as he’s available, so I’d appreciate it if you could wait just a little longer.”

He wasn’t coming now, but later this afternoon?

Ha.

I suppressed a laugh and turned my attention to the documents on my desk with a displeased expression.

“Fine.”

It wasn’t like this matter was urgent enough to demand he come immediately, so I had no choice but to wait for now.

Still, I made no effort to hide my displeasure, and Anton, sensing the tension, tried to defend Hernan.

“The Duke isn’t making you wait on purpose. Please try to be understanding.”

If it’s not on purpose, then what is it?

He could at least explain what’s keeping him so busy. I grumbled internally, trying to distract myself.

“It’s fine. I’m not angry or expecting anything, so don’t worry about it.”

Saying that might’ve only revealed how irritated I actually was, but I didn’t care if it seemed childish.

Who wouldn’t be upset by someone’s sudden change in attitude after believing you could trust them, even for a little while?

“Besides, I’m not someone who waits around all day for the Duke, so there’s no need to be concerned.”

I added, my tone sharper than I intended.

Anton’s eyes shifted nervously before they widened in realization, and he broke into a sly grin.

What nonsense was he about to say now? I frowned at him.

“Sir, would you like me to tell you an old story?”

Suddenly?

I tilted my head, unsure of where this was going.

The thin chain attached to the arms of my glasses clinked lightly.

* * *