Coby? Kisa widened her eyes and carefully observed the unfamiliar man again.

If her memory served her right, that was definitely the name of the person who was said to have been close to Seierd when he was at the Pavella Monastery.

The very person who, while working as an errand boy there, was caught stealing medicine from the pharmacy for personal gain and ran away.

“Oh, long time no see. Seierd.”

The man with tired eyes answered Seierd’s question with a somewhat awkward expression.

It really was Coby.

“What on earth happened to you all this time?”

Seierd looked Coby up and down with concerned eyes.

“Why do you look like this? I couldn’t recognize you for a moment.”

“Haha, I do look quite a sight.”

His hand that sheepishly stroked his greasy hair was gaunt.

“Some things happened after we parted ways like that. Of course, I couldn’t return to my hometown, and with nowhere to go, I wandered from place to place until…”

As he spoke, perhaps overcome with emotion, Coby began to sniff.

“For, for days on end, I only ate a piece of dirty bread. I couldn’t even rest properly in one place because of the other guys’ hostility.”

Stumbling over his words, he suddenly clasped his hands together and looked at Seierd with desperate eyes.

“Then, then when I thought it was truly the end for me, you came to mind. You’ve become really famous. Everyone on the streets is talking about you.”

“Coby.”

“So-sorry! I wasn’t by your side when you needed me, and now I’ve come to you without any shame. I’ll apologize a hundred times! I can even kneel down! If you want, you can spit on me!”

“Calm down, Coby.”

Seierd tapped his friend’s shoulder, whose anxiety was evident, with a composed hand.

“I won’t ask that of you. I’m not particularly angry at you either.”

At that gentle voice, Coby’s eyes flickered greatly.

“Re-really? You’re really not angry?”

“Yes.”

“I, I left you and−.”

“Yes, you left me and the Pavella Monastery. Honestly, I can’t say I wasn’t disappointed about you stealing the medicine and running away. It was a clear theft after all.”

“Oh? Oh, right.”

“Of course, I think you should formally pay for your crime. But separate from that, as a friend, I was worried about you all this time. And if you’re currently in trouble, I’m willing to help.”

“Seierd…”

Coby, tightly grasping Seierd’s hand on his shoulder, repeatedly thanked him and sobbed.

“I, I don’t know how I can repay this kindness. Even the saints in history wouldn’t be as merciful as you.”

“What are you saying, we’re friends. Anyway, it’s a bit awkward to continue our conversation here, so shall we move somewhere else?”

Seierd said and looked around.

As it was a main street adjacent to the department store, there were many onlookers whispering while watching them.

After all, it was a shocking sight to see the famous Hillan Duke not only happily greeting some beggar but also casually touching him.

Seierd turned to Kisa and asked for her understanding.

“Kisa, I’m sorry, but how about you take the carriage and return home first?”

“What?”

“I’d like to talk some more with this friend. Ah, I forgot to introduce him. This is Coby, whom I mentioned before. We often hung out together at the Pavella Monastery.”

Kisa hurriedly greeted Coby.

“Hello, I’m Kisa Vanspelt. I’m Seierd’s fiancée, and we’re getting married soon.”

It was the first time she greeted someone who could be called his friend, so it was a bit embarrassing, and she was also nervous because she had hardly interacted with people of Coby’s class until then.

“Ah, you’re the one I’ve heard rumors about…”

Seeing Kisa, Coby narrowed his eyes and licked his lips with his tongue.

“The rumors are true, you’re a stunning beauty. Seierd has great taste. Compared to the women in Bonzemos−.”

“Coby.”

Seierd swiftly cut off his words upon seeing Kisa’s complexion darken.

“Kisa has to go now. I’ll listen to the rest of your story to my heart’s content.”

“Oh? Okay, I got it.”

“Kisa, please go to the carriage now. I’m sorry I can’t escort you.”

“It’s okay. But what will you two do if I take the carriage?”

Seierd and Kisa had come to the department store together, so naturally, there was only one carriage.

“It’s fine. We’ll just hail a suitable hired carriage.”

Soon, at Seierd’s instruction, the people attending to them were divided in half.

Kisa, escorted by one half, headed to the Hillan ducal family’s carriage they had ridden in.

“Then I’ll see you next time, my Kisa.”

Before parting, Seierd gave a polite and sweet greeting as always, and Coby, standing beside him, looked at him with curious eyes.

“How should I put it, you… You’ve changed a bit? Is this what they mean when they say the position makes the man? Why, in the past…”

As the carriage departed, Coby’s voice, tinged with laughter, dispersed in the wind.

What was he like in the past?

Kisa gazed out the window with longing, but the figures of the two men had already become distant.

Come to think of it, the monks she had met at the Pavella Monastery did say that Seierd gave off a more free-spirited impression compared to now.

It probably meant that the position of a duke was that heavy.

“I’m curious too.”

Kisa wanted to know more about what kind of person Seierd Hillan, the man she loved, was.

What was it like at the monastery, what did he do to pass the time, what games did he enjoy as a child, and even if it was boring enough to make one yawn, she wanted to know everything, including if he was a picky eater in the past, unlike now.

However, she didn’t want to be treated as a nuisance by him.

She couldn’t interfere with Seierd’s reunion with a friend he hadn’t seen in a long time.

‘Coby.’

To be honest, although it was a brief encounter, he was a man who gave her an unpleasant feeling.

His gaze was somehow grating, and she also didn’t like how he unnecessarily put down the women of Bonzemos while complimenting Kisa.

“Well, he’s still Seierd’s friend…”

As he had explained before, there would be various shortcomings, but he didn’t seem to be a fundamentally wicked person.

And if given the chance, she wanted to hear stories about Seierd later.

Since Coby had even gone to gambling dens with him, there was a high probability that he knew new aspects of Seierd that the monks didn’t know about.

‘But is it too much to ask?’

After all was said and done, Coby was a thief.

If Seierd advised him to turn himself in and face the consequences of his crime, he wouldn’t have the leisure to casually tell old stories to Kisa.

“Maybe it’ll end on a good note?”

In fact, in cases of simple theft, depending on the victim’s intention, even if the perpetrator was caught, there were countless instances where they got away without punishment.

She had heard before that the monks of the Pavella Monastery held quite a grudge against Coby, but Seierd was by his side.

If he, as the Hillan Duke, mediated, there was a high possibility that the monastery would be lenient with Coby’s crime.

Seierd had said earlier that Coby should formally pay for his crime, so even if he didn’t make it as if it never happened, he might pull some strings to ensure he only received a light punishment.

Above all…

“Seierd looked truly happy.”

The moment she confirmed Coby’s existence, Kisa clearly saw the expression he had.

Seierd had a very satisfied smile. As if he had finally found someone he had been searching for for a long time.

Considering his personality of not expressing his emotions beyond a certain level unless there was a good reason, that was a noteworthy reaction.

It was evident at a glance how special of a friend Coby was to Seierd.

So, in all likelihood, he would do his utmost to improve Coby’s situation.

‘But.’

Recalling what had happened a little while ago, there was a memory that came to mind along with it.

“So-sorry. For breaking our promise back then and running away…”

What did Coby mean by those words he said to Seierd?

“Running away must mean he left the monastery when his theft was discovered, right?”

Didn’t he say that because Coby ran away alone like that, only Seierd, who was close to him, received disapproving gazes from those around him?

“Then what about breaking the promise?”

Kisa tilted her head for a moment and then clapped her hands with a snap.

“Right, he said he didn’t show up at the promised meeting place.”

Because of that, Seierd left the monastery without permission and went to another region, and by a startling coincidence, he even got suspected of murdering his own brother.

“Hmm.”

It didn’t seem like Coby would know such intimate details, but he had plenty of reasons to apologize to Seierd in many ways.

No matter how much she thought about it, Kisa found Coby quite unpleasant, so she let out a deep sigh.

Even so, she had no intention of interfering with Seierd’s friendships, and her desire to have a conversation with Coby at least once remained unchanged.

Kisa still wanted to know about Seierd.

How about the three of them having a meal together next time?

Kisa smiled, thinking she should suggest it to Seierd.

The thought of learning about his different aspects made her feel elated.

However, two days later, when Kisa visited the Hillan ducal residence, she had to face a result contrary to her expectations.

“I’m sorry, Kisa. I don’t think that will be possible,” Seierd said with a troubled face.

“Coby left the capital. Just yesterday.”