“May I ask why you thought that way?”

“Haha. Now the Duke must also take on a central role. There are quite a few who follow you, Duke. The merits you’ve achieved in the war are not just one or two. In fact, there was no need for you to go to suppress the rebellion……”

As Eriel’s smile gradually turned bitter at Charles’ continued words, he stopped speaking.

“I’ve misspoken.”

“No, it’s fine. Because he stepped up, you also went along, Lord Charles.”

“Not at all. Of course I had to follow. The Duchess will also become very busy.”

“It’s a disloyal statement, but that puts my mind more at ease.”

Eriel nodded gently.

If Lord Charles could speak like this, it seemed the disappointments of the past wouldn’t be repeated.

Now he wouldn’t go to war, which meant he would be completely removed from the risk of life and death.

If they meet face to face often, his relationship with Lucy will improve, so surely only happy days will be full for our family.

“Haha. Who could say anything about those feelings?”

At Charles’ laughter, Eriel also smiled brightly, this time with a truly heartfelt, radiant smile.

“Lady Eriel.”

It was then.

Bruno, Damian’s half-brother, called out to her.

“Ah, it’s been a long time.”

“Wow… Lady Eriel, you’re truly beautiful every time I see you.”

Eriel put on a smile befitting a duchess, unflustered by Bruno’s embarrassing compliment.

Eriel was also always surprised by her conversations with Bruno.

She wondered how two half-brothers could have such different ways of thinking.

While it was understandable that they had different hair colors and appearances, it was surprising that their personalities could be so different, given that they grew up in the same Genova with the same education.

From the way they dealt with people to their methods of leading conversations, the two could be said to be standing at completely opposite ends.

If Damian was a person who didn’t show even a hint of deviation from principles and discipline, Bruno was free-spirited and… well, to define it, a cheerful person.

“I was in the middle of a conversation with my brother. Lord Charles, it’s been a long time since I’ve seen you too. …Why don’t you both come over here. We shouldn’t be talking without the protagonist of the awarding ceremony, should we?”

Eriel and Charles nodded together at Bruno’s gesture, who wore a good-natured smile.

“Everyone, this is Lady Eriel, the unparalleled beauty of this era. Haha. Since my brother has been at war for a long time, it’s hard to even get a glimpse of Lady Eriel’s face. Oh, I tried to visit once before, but I heard you were out with Lucy. It seems you often go out with Lucy.”

Bruno, smiling broadly, suddenly grasped Eriel’s hand.

Startled, Eriel was taken aback, and Damian, who was watching from the side, removed Bruno’s hand.

“You?”

Damian tilted his head, looking at Bruno.

The sentence was too abbreviated for even Eriel to understand what her husband meant.

She just slightly grasped Damian’s hand, feeling that his demeanor seemed a bit fierce.

“Damian?”

Damian frowned slightly as he glanced at Eriel’s upturned eyes.

“Haha. It seems my brother is a bit on edge, having just returned from the war not long ago.”

“…That’s right. I suppose he has forgotten Bruno’s friendly manner after being away for so long. But I was also quite surprised when you suddenly grasped my hand.”

Eriel, with a soft smile on her lips, gently pointed out to Bruno while narrowing her eyes prettily.

“Haha. I see. That could be the case. If Lady Eriel hadn’t said so, I might have misunderstood too. …Brother, really. I’ll be more careful next time.”

As Bruno laughed with his characteristic hearty laugh, the men around also laughed along.

“That can happen. Bruno is just so friendly.”

“He’s just too good-natured. Hahaha.”

The only ones not laughing were Damian and Lord Charles, who stood beside him, fidgeting uncomfortably.

“By the way, Damian.”

Eriel called out to Damian, looking up at him.

The group here was entirely Bruno’s people.

In other words, there were many men who hadn’t participated in the war.

Damian’s superiority was far too high, both as a duke and as a knight who had participated in the war.

Therefore, they wouldn’t take Damian’s side.

Taking his side would mean having to lower themselves.

No matter how much her husband had learned to handle social situations and relationships as a duke, after spending his life in military school and then participating in war, he wasn’t as skilled as Bruno, who had been maneuvering people in such places all his life.

It seemed best to send him away before Bruno could subtly put down the taciturn Damian again.

There was no need for Damian to stay and listen to a group that wasn’t of any help anyway.

“Lucy is strolling in the garden with Her Majesty the Empress. You should probably bring her back at an appropriate time, just in case.”

When Eriel spoke to Damian, one of the men who heard this snickered.

“Is the Duke going to fetch the young lady himself? For such a trivial matter, the Duke moving personally, my goodness. It seems there might be an issue with the Duke’s dignity. Wouldn’t it be better for the Duchess to go?”

Eriel smiled gently at the face full of derision.

She knew what the man in front of her meant.

And normally, her husband Damian wouldn’t agree to such bothersome tasks either.

But Eriel knew that in this situation, Damian would take her side.

The more they showed contempt for Eriel’s words, the more he would.

“I’m very fond of my daughter. Well then, Eriel. I’ll be going.”

Damian kissed the back of Eriel’s hand and turned around. Lord Charles also bowed slightly and followed behind Damian.

“Then, I’ll be going ahead as well.”

“Take care, both of you.”

The prediction was accurate.

As long as Eriel is the Duchess of Genova, Damian would never belittle her in front of others.

Because that’s what keeps Genova’s status unharmed.

Even if he might say something when they return home, it was as good as nothing compared to Damian not taking Eriel’s side in public.

Because the status of the Duchess of Genova was higher than these men’s youthful pride and derision.

Eriel bid farewell to Bruno’s group with a slight nod of her head.

It wouldn’t be ladylike for Eriel to remain alone with a group of men without her husband present.

They bowed their heads, accepting Eriel’s farewell with sour smiles.

Like his wife Jessica, Bruno was also short-sighted.

Moreover, he had a personality that was easily swayed by his surroundings… I hope he doesn’t get influenced badly.

Eriel swallowed an anxious sigh inwardly as she turned around.

As she turned her steps, Eriel pressed her lips tightly, recalling the man who had just spoken about the duke’s dignity to her.

…Did that man believe he could tarnish Damian’s honor with just that?

If he truly believed so, that man was mistaken.

To Damian, who had carried the sense of duty and responsibility as a duke all his life, the task of fetching his daughter was merely a bothersome errand, not something that would damage his honor.

Because Damian, who didn’t hesitate to risk even his life for the empire, naturally embodied the very essence of the Duke of Genova.

…It was also the reason why, as a wife, Eriel couldn’t easily speak to Damian.

Eriel smiled bitterly.

She couldn’t ask her husband, who prioritized the empire and the ducal family over herself, to do something for the sake of their home.

The path Damian walked wasn’t about such trivial matters as they had said.

Eriel blinked a few times and composed her expression once again.

Although she was sad, now wasn’t the time to waste emotions on such things.

“Beoga, Garijiga, …and lastly, it was Westga.”

Eriel counted on her fingers as she recalled the three families standing next to Bruno.

They were all families on the path of decline, so even if Damian were to confront them, they weren’t very threatening.

As Charles had said, now that the great war was over, Damian would also step into the world of politics and finance.

To support him in this, Eriel needed to be able to back him up in the invisible struggles.

It was time for her to regain her grip on the social world as the Duchess, which she had neglected for a while.

How many nobles would there be who hide blades in their words, like Bruno’s group?

When he fully steps into the world of politics and finance, even greater arrows will be directed at Damian.

…What’s worrying now is public sentiment.

The public sentiment is largely inclined towards Damian. That was like a double-edged sword.

Along with praise comes the gaze wondering if it might become a blade directed at the Emperor.

The only thing that could easily come to the lips of nobles who want to bring Damian down was just that one thing.

So it was necessary to firmly establish the fact that that blade was fully sheathed in the Emperor’s scabbard.

“Hello, Duchess.”

Just then, the Marchioness of Orsini greeted Eriel.

“Hello, Marchioness.”

Eriel’s eyes crinkled gently as she faced the Marchioness.

The fact that Her Majesty the Empress likes Lucy will be a small stepping stone.

She didn’t want to involve Lucy in such matters, tying her future to this palace where one could neither laugh nor cry, but seeing Lucy naturally taking the Empress’s hand, it seemed necessary to move appropriately.

And in that respect, the Marchioness of Orsini, who controlled the social world, was a person who could be immensely helpful.

“It’s truly amazing that the Duke of Genova has once again suppressed a rebellion and achieved merit.”

The Marchioness, who started with praise, slightly lowered her fan.

“…Actually, although ladies don’t usually attend awarding ceremonies, when I heard that the Duchess would be coming today, I also spoke to the Marquis.”

The Marchioness’s eyes subtly shone towards Eriel.

It seemed like perfect timing, as they both wanted something from each other.