“Duchess.”

“Speak.”

“As you know, I am in a position where I cannot freely roam outside the ducal residence.”

At my words, the duchess’s brow furrowed briefly. However, her questioning expression quickly changed to one of understanding.

“Don’t worry about that, Lienne. No one will know that you are the lady of the Pennel family. Since it’s an invitation to our family, if you take it with you, no one will be able to stop your entry.”

I accepted the invitation she held out. Inside was written the name of Pola Gardarelli Rochester, the duchess.

“Will the duchess not be attending?”

“Of course, it would be proper for me to attend, but today the duke slightly injured his wrist while doing pallium.”

“Is it a serious injury?”

“No, just a slight one. But our lord dislikes it when I leave his side when he’s unwell.”

I simply responded with a short “Ah…” There was no room for escape at all.

With a feeling of making one last desperate attempt, I asked once more.

“If it’s because only nobles can enter and I have to go, wouldn’t it be better if one of the duchess’s maids went and delivered it?”

“Of course, I’ll send one of my maids along. A maid with chaperone experience. How could I send a noble lady alone to an evening party? But entrusting a handkerchief embroidered with the family crest to a maid doesn’t make sense, does it?”

“…”

“Besides, sending just a maid alone would be discourteous to the host. Don’t you think?”

She tilted her head as if perplexed, but I was the one who was actually flustered.

Just a maid? Most of the duchess’s maids were ladies from families of at least count rank.

If she was speaking like this, could there be some other meaning to the family handkerchief?

“But I have never been to such a gathering before. If someone like me goes with the duchess’s invitation and makes a mistake, wouldn’t it cause tremendous trouble for the Rochester ducal family?”

“Lienne.”

As if my desperation was of no concern, she called my name so kindly. I wanted to lean on her kindness and ask.

Why! Why are you trying to send me there? What is the real reason?

“Going with Rochester’s invitation means that whatever you do there, it’s all correct.”

“Even if I do a handstand in the middle of the banquet hall?”

“Even if you dance while doing a handstand. Because…”

The duchess who had been smiling like a gentle breeze until just now was no longer there. The gap between warmth and coolness that came and went freely moment by moment naturally reminded me of Ricardo.

“Pola de Serhen, my name itself is the social world of the Dermeyer Empire.”

The proud curve of her lips as she pronounced her name instantly captivated me.

“Pola Gardarelli Rochester, it’s because this family’s name is exactly the same as saying it’s the law in the empire.”

I swallowed a dry lump that wouldn’t go down. There was no more resistance I could offer. I could only nod my head obediently.

How could one defy the order of a woman who was both the law and the social world itself?

After more than an hour of preparation, I soon boarded the duchess’s splendid carriage.

Although it had the best ride of any carriage I had ever ridden in, my head throbbed with discomfort as if I were sitting on a bed of needles.

The ducal couple’s bedroom.

Pola was lying in bed waiting for her husband. It was dinnertime, but having no appetite, she had retired to the bedroom early. Having heard from Freddie a few hours ago that Lienne had departed for the Enehaz count’s residence, she must have arrived at the Enehaz family by now.

Pola pondered over Lienne’s unsettling reaction she had seen earlier in the day.

‘Could it be, she doesn’t know?’

Just then, the duke entered the bedroom.

“Already in bed?”

“Yes, I didn’t feel like having dinner. It seems your meeting ended early.”

“Yes, I was going to have dinner together, but hearing you were in the bedroom, I came straight here.”

He immediately pulled the bell rope to have some light refreshments prepared. Knowing that if Pola skipped a meal, her husband would surely do the same, she got up from the bed and sat across from the duke.

“The children won’t be coming today, right?”

“I suppose not.”

Although this annual gathering held by Count Enehaz was not to their liking, they had no choice in the matter at present.

Since Enehaz’s gathering satisfied the base desires of the nobles, even though some conservative nobles clicked their tongues, the gathering continued uninterrupted every year.

The Enehaz family was geographically located in the very center of the imperial capital. The reason Enehaz, who only had a small manor in the provinces, could hold such an extravagant gathering every year was because many nobles were secretly sponsoring him with large sums of money.

Moreover, this gathering was also a place where the crown prince and the heirs of the three ducal families regularly met each year. Although the meetings had started coincidentally due to the timing and location aligning, for the Enehaz family, it was as good as having secured an enormous source of income.

Not only would the most prominent families of the empire attend, but even royalty from countries subjugated by war were sure to come.

“No, with the engagement barely a month away, does it make sense to still not introduce his fiancée to society?”

“It’s not a typical engagement, so that’s probably why.”

“Because it’s not typical, he should act even more so.”

As Pola sighed, the duke slowly stood up and moved behind her. He began to gently massage her shoulders.

Feeling her husband’s tender touch, she suddenly called out to him as if remembering something.

“Darling.”

“Yes?”

“If you happen to meet Lienne, don’t use your arm. I told her you injured your wrist and that I needed to stay by your side.”

The duke laughed softly at his wife’s cute lie.

“I had prepared assuming we’d naturally bring her along since this is the only gathering before the engagement ceremony…”

“…”

“Although it’s unfortunate that it’s only this vulgar gathering, it can’t be helped.”

Pola shook her head, recalling her bewilderment when she heard that Ricardo had left the ducal residence alone.

“That’s right.”

“Besides…”

As Pola trailed off, the hand caressing her nape paused momentarily.

“Besides?”

“She seemed not to know.”

“Know what?”

“The fact that she’s engaged.”

The duke’s brow furrowed involuntarily.

“That can’t… be.”

“No, the more I think about it, I’m certain she doesn’t know.”

Ha, Pola exhaled deeply. She added that it seemed they knew their son less well than they thought, not noticing her husband smiling at her adorably.

“But is it alright to send her off so abruptly?”

“She wouldn’t… not know the meaning of a handkerchief embroidered with the family crest, would she?”

“She might not know. She’s not a lady who grew up in the empire, after all.”

“Of course, that’s true. But I couldn’t suddenly bring up the engagement when she didn’t even know exactly what the situation was. If she really didn’t know, that would be rude in its own way.”

“…”

“And what kind of rumors would spread among the servants? The autumn villas are already in an uproar with engagement preparations.”

Pola shuddered slightly as if she didn’t even want to think about it.

“By the way, I wonder if the Pennel family members’ quarters were moved to the Camellia villa properly.”

The Camellia villa was the most beautiful mansion among the duke’s winter residences. Although it was uncertain how long the relationship with the Pennel family would last, they were nonetheless a family engaged to the Rochesters. Treating them with utmost hospitality was only natural.

However, it had long been considered unfavorable for engaged families to be located close to each other. Hence, the Pennel family was moved to the winter area, furthest from the main house in the spring area.

Winter was a place that took quite a while to reach even by carriage from spring.

“I’m sure Freddie took care of it properly.”

Pola took hold of her husband’s hands that were gently massaging her shoulders. In response, he slowly lowered his head and kissed his wife. It was a respectful kiss filled with reverence and faith.

“Don’t worry too much, my lady. She seems quite intelligent. The young lady Pennel.”

“Yes, Lienne is a clever child, so she’ll quickly understand the meaning of being told to deliver the handkerchief personally.”

“She certainly will.”

Despite her husband’s firm words, the duchess’s worries were not easily dispelled. But what was done was done. Pola quietly recalled Lienne. And also the image of her son who couldn’t take his eyes off that girl. So the arrow she had shot would fly towards the target one way or another.

Meanwhile, at that time in Count Enehaz’s residence, the crown prince and Ricardo, who had met after a long time, were standing side by side on the second-floor balcony overlooking the banquet hall.

Without much conversation, the two simply watched people spinning around dancing. Many things were visible to their eyes, but not a single scene actually registered in their minds, which were completely empty.

“Yellow roses, it’s really nauseating.”

Crown Prince Stuart Reid Schneider was a person of particularly rich sensibility. Although this aspect mostly didn’t match with Ricardo, for now, Ricardo shared the same sentiment as the crown prince. He held out the wine glass he was holding towards the crown prince.

“That’s why they only serve wine made from Chardonnay, isn’t it?”