Kaern, dressed not in the usual attire from the Duke’s mansion but in formal attire for an audience, was gradually approaching me.

So, as I tried to approach him, the captain blocked my way.

“Not allowed.”

“What?”

“You must not converse with anyone until the trial begins. Go inside.”

“I’ll just exchange a brief greeting.”

“Not allowed.”

The captain was adamant.
I frowned, looking at him with a displeased gaze.

“Can’t it be just for a moment?”

“No. It’s not allowed. Please go inside quickly. If you don’t walk in on your own, I’ll have to use force.”

“I wouldn’t stand idly by if you even touched my fiancé, but is it still okay?”

While exchanging words with the captain, Kaern had arrived in front of me without my notice.

“Kaern.”

“I greet Duke Laberion.”

The captain quickly turned around and greeted Kaern.

“I only follow the orders of the Emperor.”

Then, he promptly began to approve of the words and actions he had just uttered.

“Just a moment.”

“But… Okay. Then, please exchange greetings for just a very brief moment.”

In the end, the captain, who couldn’t stop Kaern, stepped aside in front of me.

Now able to properly see Kaern, I took a step closer to him.

“Herena.”

“Kaern.”

“Is your body okay? Anywhere hurting?”

“Yes. I’m fine.”

To alleviate his concern, I deliberately smiled brighter as I answered.

“Keep the promise to just exchange greetings. We must go now.”

The captain, frowning at me instead of Kaern, spoke.

“Got it. Kaern, I’ll go in first.”

“Sure. Let’s have dinner together tonight.”

“Yes. Sounds good.”

Leaving Kaern behind, I entered the building.

“Making promises you can’t keep.”
The conference room seemed farther than I thought.

So, as I walked silently, the captain suddenly spoke to me.

“What does this mean?”

When I asked in a clear voice, a mocking expression briefly appeared on his face and quickly disappeared.

“Can the Duke join us for dinner tonight?”

As he said that, he had a meaningful smile.

“I think he can.”

“Do you think so?”

Facing the captain’s seemingly provocative attitude, I quickly suppressed the excitement I felt.

“The Duke is not someone who makes promises he can’t keep.”

With a confident expression, I stared at the captain.

After a while, we stopped in front of a large door.

“We’ve arrived. I hope Lady Herena’s wish comes true.”

“It surely will.”

As I finished speaking, the door to the conference room opened.

Inside, many nobles had already filled the room.

As the door opened, their interested gazes were all directed at me.

I stood tall without avoiding their eyes and walked confidently into the room.

“You spent several days in the underground prison?”

“Really? Oh my, how difficult it must have been.”

“Don’t say that. He’s the culprit who attempted to poison the Empress. If we speak carelessly, we might be in danger too.”
“Oh no, that’s true. Making a mistake in words here could lead to being implicated as an accomplice.”

Whispers about me seemed to be even more audible, perhaps because they were talking about me.

And many had already labeled me as the culprit.

It didn’t matter.

The truth would be revealed soon anyway.

So, I tried not to care about what they said, regardless of the content.

Sigh.

However, apart from that, I couldn’t help but feel tension.

I tried to hide such feelings and sighed inwardly.

It’s okay.

It will work out.

So, stay calm.

While comforting myself like that, the entrance door opened.

Glancing sideways, I saw Kaern entering.

The attention shifted from me to Kaern.

“You’re here.”

“By the way, they say this incident is related to the Duke. Is that true?”

“Surely not.”

“No, it seems to be really true.”

This time, various speculations involving Kaern echoed in the gathering of men.

But as Kaern approached, they abruptly fell silent, as if nothing had happened.

Before Kaern took his seat, our eyes met.

While exchanging a glance that only we could understand, the door to the conference room opened again, and the doorkeeper’s voice echoed loudly.