Transparent sunlight pooled in the woman’s blue eyes. In front of this enthusiastic audience, Russell Junior felt strangely parched.

Taking a sip of whiskey with ice, he opened his mouth, heightening the atmosphere.

“Edgar was already on the verge of collapse.”

It was, of course, a lie.

No way. Edgar wouldn’t have done that. But well, when the cat’s away, the mice will play.

Russell Junior rolled up his sleeves, flexing the muscles in his forearm to make the tendons bulge, and stroked his chin as he lowered his voice.

“I noticed his breathing was ragged. His eyes were unfocused. It was over, I’d say.”

“And then?”

“I could have cornered him and finished it with one blow. But of all things.”

“Of all things?”

Olivia opened her eyes wide.

“His shoelace came undone. Ahaha!”

“Oh my. How…”

“Life is God’s joke. Edgar must have wanted to kiss his shoelace. Ahaha!”

Russell Junior laughed cheerfully. Olivia burst out laughing too.

It was then that a snicker, closer to a scoff, was heard from behind.

The smile slowly faded from Russell Junior’s face as his gaze rose above Olivia’s head, before quickly hardening.

“……”

Why is he suddenly like this?

Puzzled, Olivia slowly turned her head.

A man wearing a navy blue top and white pants, with a boater hat on his head, was walking towards them. The sound of his shoes was lively as he approached with one hand in his pocket and a languid gait.

“Edgar?”

Olivia called his name in surprise. At the same time, Russell Junior turned pale.

What a pathetic fellow.

That’s what Edgar’s eyes said as he looked down at Russell Junior.

Like a fox tucking its tail in a tiger’s den, Russell Junior quickly averted his gaze.

“It’s been a while, Russell Junior.”

“Ah, y-yeah. It has.”

Where did his earlier bravado go? Edgar couldn’t help but chuckle at the sight of him stuttering so uncharacteristically, forgetting he was in front of a lady.

He couldn’t verify the truth of that day right now, but it was a perfect topic to seduce the woman before him. Especially if she was deeply into tennis.

Edgar placed his hand on the back of Russell Junior’s chair. With his other hand on the table, he slowly leaned forward. Russell Junior flinched, hunching his large frame.

“Why did your shoelace…”

Edgar whispered near his ear.

“Go on, Russell Junior.”

His low voice melted into the midday sunlight. The boisterous shouts of the rowing team gradually faded away.

“Why did you go quiet?”

Edgar smiled and gripped Russell Junior’s shoulder tightly with the hand that had been on the chair back.

“Suddenly can’t remember?”

“Ah, no.”

He shifted, trying to stand up. Edgar tightened his grip. Ugh, Russell Junior groaned.

“Then tell me. It seems a bit different from what I remember.”

Edgar tilted his head to glance at Olivia. Meeting her sharp eyes, Edgar let go of the shoulder. Russell Junior jumped to his feet.

“My father was looking for me. I forgot.”

Russell Junior hastily gathered his things. Flustered, Olivia briefly glared at Edgar before turning to Russell Junior.

“What about lunch? Coach?”

Coach, huh.

Edgar’s lips twisted into a crooked smile at Olivia’s polite address.

Of all people, she chose this hulking idiot.

“Ah, I’m sorry. I have to go first. See you later, Edgar.”

Hurriedly tucking his hat under his arm and grabbing his racket bag, Russell Junior quickly left the deck.

“That was too much.”

Olivia said reproachfully.

Edgar sat down, placing his boater hat on the chair, and grinned.

“Why were you listening to such nonsense?”

“It was entertaining.”

“I didn’t send you on a date.”

“I was managing my physical condition.”

“With whiskey?”

There was a hint of amusement in Edgar’s eyes.

“Ah, that was the coach’s.”

Their conversation was briefly interrupted by footsteps echoing on the deck. An employee placed a large plate of food on the table.

Olivia cut a small piece of white fish and chewed it. Edgar held a glass of white wine in one hand and rested his chin loosely.

“So. How’s the practice with your coach going?”

“Great, of course. Better than practicing with a wall.”

Edgar’s low laughter scattered in the breeze. The woman’s hair fluttered lightly as she smiled back.

Olivia tucked her hair behind her ear with her white hand. The nape of her neck exposed below her earlobe looked particularly pale.

Because of this, the blue veins showing through transparently stood out. Edgar’s gaze stopped on the fluttering blue veins, strangely stimulating his nerves.

It was when his gaze started moving again that his eyes met Olivia’s, who had been cutting the sea bass into small pieces.

For a moment, silence fell.

As if only the two of them existed in a world full of deep green foliage, Olivia felt breathless.

His skin, tanned just right from the sun, looked strong. Below the slender yet firm jawline. Over the white shirt with a faint blue tint.

Between the collar unbuttoned by one or two, his prominent Adam’s apple twitched. On either side of his sharp nose bridge, his pale blue-gray eyes were mysterious.

“Falling for me all over again?”

Edgar smirked playfully.

“Who looked first?”

Olivia retorted primly, retreating to the sea bass flesh.

The afternoon sunlight shone even more brightly on her cheeks, which had undoubtedly turned red.

Embarrassed, Olivia kept cutting up the poor fish.

Edgar found her reaction delightful.

This pawn to be used and discarded for this tournament was more than satisfactory.

“I came to give you this.”

After seeing Olivia’s face return to its normal color, Edgar took out an envelope from his inner pocket. Olivia stared at it intently.

“Open it.”

Olivia put down her cutlery and picked it up. She frowned as she unfolded the documents inside.

“This kind of thing…”

There were three or four more pages attached behind that she hadn’t checked, but she neatly folded them back into the envelope as she spoke.

“I don’t think I need this.”

“These are the players who would have won if Princess Anblyn hadn’t been a princess. Knowing their play will be helpful.”

Edgar said as he tilted the wine bottle into his empty glass.

“I want my player to win.”

“This is cowardly.”

“Cowardly, huh…”

It was a word Edgar found difficult to accept.

“Their playing styles have already been exposed through various tournaments. It means they all know about each other. Olivia, except for you.”

He meant there was no need to make a fuss over this bit of information.

“They don’t know my style either.”

Edgar chuckled. It was an incomprehensible stubbornness, but he decided to back off at this point.

He liked the blue eyes shining with determination.

Perhaps it was because they contrasted with Anblyn, who only attacked her opponent’s weaknesses analytically.

“Alright. Do as you wish.”

As long as she lived up to expectations. Edgar nodded willingly.

Only then did the woman smile. Sunlight pooled at the ends of her prettily raised lips. Edgar’s gaze was calm as he watched that dazzling sparkle.

The meal ended only after Olivia had cleared her plate completely.

Edgar took out his checkbook and signed it for the waiter who brought the bill. Thick tendons bulged on his wrist, toned by tennis.

With each scratch of the fountain pen, light reflected off the gold decoration slid across his wristwatch.

It was a classic and luxurious watch. Somehow familiar.

Olivia’s gaze fell on the blue dial inside the round octagonal frame.

“Patek.”

Olivia unconsciously read the brand name. Where had she heard it before?

She gazed at the distant yacht masts swaying in the wind, lost in thought.

It was frustratingly just out of reach, not quite coming to mind.

“Let’s go now.”

It was after Olivia turned around and met those pale gray eyes that she realized what it was. Those eyes reminiscent of Johan.

“Ah!”

Olivia, who had let out a short exclamation, stood dazed, overcome with bewilderment.

“Olivia.”

No sound reached her ears as she stood in a daze.

The Patek New Watch. It was the gift Olivia Blanchet had chosen to celebrate Johan’s twenty-eighth birthday.

And soon, the ‘Patek New Watch’ was scheduled to be delivered for Johan Leopold’s birthday.

The engagement of Johan Leopold and Irene de Krantz was officially announced at Princess Catherine’s birthday ball.

The plausible picture the two created as they waltzed was enough to look like an affectionate couple.

The princess was as graceful as could be, and the duke couldn’t have been more splendid.

“Why didn’t you give us a hint earlier?”

The maternal grandmothers, the Margaret sisters, surrounded Johan as soon as the dance ended.

“What does it matter, sister? It’s enough that he gave us good news. Isn’t that right, Johan?”

“Still, he should have given us a heads up. We almost offended Miss Josephine. She said she would attend today. I don’t think she came, did she, sister?”

The Margaret sisters’ nagging blended with the lively music. Johan didn’t know who Miss Josephine was, but he desperately hoped this topic would end soon.

“We hope you’ll live up to our expectations this time, Johan.”

Duchess Margaret admonished, putting on a stern expression. Johan nodded appropriately before slowly slipping away from the group.

As he passed through the dance hall where the waltz was in full swing, heading towards the terrace, Johan briefly glanced at Princess Krantz chatting with Catherine and Christian on the opposite side. He turned his head indifferently and went outside.

Johan lightly shook his wrist to check the time. Frowning slightly, he took out a cigarette, loosely placing it on his lips, and searched for matches in his inner pocket.

“Here.”

Mikhail, who had followed him out, held out a lit match. Johan leaned his head towards the flame.

The cigarette light flashed brightly between slender fingers before dimming as Johan raised his head.