“Here you go.”

Herald, receiving the letter Dillon handed over, smiled as he saw [Dillon Oppenheimer] written at the bottom of the envelope. Since only Lili knew this name, it was certain she had sent the letter.

I wonder what she wrote. Herald immediately checked the contents of the letter.

Her handwriting, as upright as her character, was striking. It showed signs of struggling over what to reply. Herald’s lips curved up cheerfully as he imagined Lili chewing on her pen in contemplation.

On the other hand, Dillon’s eyes narrowed as he watched this. Dillon crossed his arms and said discontentedly.

“So it was indeed a letter from Lady Benjamin to the captain. Why did you have it sent to me?”

“Why ask when you already know the reason?”

Herald replied nonchalantly while waving the letter.

“It’s fortunate you’re staying at an inn, not the duke’s residence. If you were at the residence, she couldn’t have written the address on the envelope.”

“…I’m not staying at an inn just for your convenience, sir.”

“I know. You’re staying there because it’s obvious your parents would be a nuisance otherwise, right?”

“Then do you know that you’re the cause of them bothering me?”

“What did I do?”

When Herald answered so brazenly yet shamelessly as if he had no idea, Dillon clutched his head. If he wasn’t the captain of the Cardin Guard and second son of House Maximilian, Dillon would have smacked the back of his head.

“Please stop impersonating me, Captain.”

Dillon pleaded earnestly, but Herald shrugged, seemingly having no intention of stopping.

“I had no choice. It becomes difficult to investigate if that woman learns my identity.”

“But how could you use someone else’s name without permission and even attach a family name as you please? Not just any family, but Oppenheimer. If the Oppenheimer family finds out you attached their name to an insignificant commoner like me, they’ll be furious.”

At the continued complaints, Herald lowered the hand holding the letter to his knee and looked up at Dillon with puzzled eyes.

“Why are you insignificant?”

The words ‘I am insignificant compared to nobles like you, Captain’ swirled in Dillon’s mouth, but he swallowed them. Unlike most nobles, Herald, despite being from the highest-ranking ducal family, didn’t care about social status. He was a rare noble who only looked at ability.

“The point is not that part, but that I’m a commoner. The Oppenheimer family will surely be angry if they learn this fact.”

“Ah, that’s fine. I can say I wrote it, and besides, you’ll be a noble in a few days anyway.”

“What nonsense are you saying? How could I become a noble? Surely you’re not trying to introduce me to a young lady from a noble family?”

The fastest and surest way for a commoner to become a noble was to marry into a noble family. Wondering if that was his method, Dillon asked, and Herald looked at him, blinking slowly.

“Did I not tell you?”

“What?”

“I guess I didn’t.”

Herald put Lili’s letter down on the coffee table and stood up, grasping Dillon’s shoulders.

“Listen carefully, Dillon.”

As Herald spoke with rare gravity and a serious expression, Dillon also tensed up and swallowed hard. Herald looked into Dillon’s eyes, clearly tense, and continued slowly.

“At the title conferment ceremony in three days, you will also receive a baronetcy.”

“…Pardon?”

What did I just hear? As Dillon doubted his own ears and asked again, Herald kindly repeated.

“Dillon, you’re becoming a baron.”

…Did I hear wrong?

“Don’t joke, Captain.”

Thinking Herald must be playing a nasty prank, Dillon denied it with an awkward laugh.

“Is this some kind of joke because I told you not to use my name…?”

“It’s not a joke.”

“…”

Seeing Dillon still looking at him with disbelieving eyes, Herald shrugged and continued.

“Do I need to stake House Maximilian for you to believe me?”

For a noble to stake their house was tantamount to staking everything they had. Only then did the disbelief in Dillon’s eyes disappear, replaced by shock and surprise.

“I’m becoming a baron? That’s impossible. This can’t be happening…”

“It is impossible. You’re just receiving what you rightfully deserve.”

Herald’s eyes curved gently as he looked at his adjutant who seemed unable to distinguish dream from reality.

“I didn’t subdue the Salaman tribe alone. It was only possible because you and others helped.”

Herald stroked his chin as he continued.

“I’d like to give titles to everyone, but since that’s impossible, you’re receiving one as a representative. Of course, others will also be sufficiently compensated for risking their lives fighting for the empire, so don’t worry about that.”

“…”

“By now, the rewards personally bestowed by His Majesty the Emperor should have arrived in Cardin. I wish I could see everyone receiving them and rejoicing, but it’s a shame I can’t.”

It was a talent, if you could call it that, to move people with every word. Dillon bowed his head deeply, swallowing the emotion welling up inside him.

There was so much he wanted to say, but he didn’t know where to start. If he opened his mouth, he felt the emotions he was trying so hard to suppress would come pouring out, making it even harder to speak.

Still feeling he should at least express his gratitude, Dillon finally raised his head, only to notice the small scar under Herald’s chin and frown.

That scar was from when he tried to rescue comrades captured by the Salaman tribe. Although they were mere commoners with no particular connection to him, Herald had willingly gone out in person to rescue them.

As a result, he was left with permanent scars on his face, arms, and back, but Herald paid no mind, saying it was worth it to save people’s lives.

Recalling that incident anew, Dillon’s eyes reddened. As the emotions that had just calmed surged again, threatening to spill tears, Dillon lowered his head once more. A tear that he couldn’t quite hold back fell.

“…You should have told me earlier.”

Not wanting Herald to see him crying, Dillon spoke gruffly on purpose.

“I’ll need to have expensive, fine clothes made to appear before His Majesty the Emperor, but how can I do that when you tell me so late? You might have plenty of such clothes, Captain, but I don’t. I don’t know what to wear to the after-party either.”

“Don’t worry. I’ve already prepared your clothes, so you just need to show up.”

What is he saying now? As a surprised Dillon raised his head, Herald grinned.

“I guess my words were touching enough to make you cry.”

“Ah!”

Only then realizing he had cried, Dillon hurriedly turned his head away, but it was a belated action. Even his earlobes reddened at the soft laughter behind him. As he was taking deep breaths to calm his body and mind flushed with shame, Herald added.

“It’s true that I’m handsome, but don’t fall for me. It would be troublesome in many ways if a man falls for me.”

His heart, which hadn’t calmed despite several deep breaths, settled in an instant. Dillon turned to Herald with a deep frown, as if he had never cried.

“That will absolutely never happen, so don’t worry needlessly.”

“That’s good then. You can go now.”

As Dillon was about to bow and leave, he remembered he hadn’t yet expressed his gratitude and turned back to Herald.

“…”

Herald, seated on the sofa again, was smiling while looking at Lili’s letter. Seeing that, a tinge of uneasiness crept up.

Surely… he hasn’t fallen for Liliana Benjamin?

“Do you still have something to say?”

“I don’t think I’ve properly thanked you yet.”

At Herald’s question, Dillon set aside his ominous thoughts for a moment and bowed deeply.

“Thank you for giving me the opportunity to become a noble, Captain.”

At the sincere greeting, Herald chuckled and waved his hand dismissively. It was an expression that he understood Dillon’s feelings well enough, so there was no need to thank him further.

“Thank you truly. And sincere congratulations on receiving your title.”

Still wanting to convey his feelings clearly, Dillon once again expressed his gratitude and congratulations before stepping outside.

Walking down the quiet, still corridor, the elated feeling of becoming a noble subsided, and the uneasiness he had momentarily forgotten crept back up.

Herald Maximilian likes Liliana Benjamin.

“Haah.”

As this impossible, absolutely unthinkable assumption invaded his mind, Dillon let out a big sigh and rubbed his face. He wasn’t sure if Herald really liked Lili, but he was clearly interested. He wouldn’t smile like that at a letter from a woman he had no interest in.

What mattered was whether this interest arose simply from wanting to know why the Second Prince was digging into House Benjamin, or if it was purely due to affection for Liliana Benjamin.

‘If it’s the latter, it would be a real problem.’

Dillon was willing to support Herald even if he loved a commoner woman rather than a noble lady, but not Liliana Benjamin. She was a married woman. Although she didn’t seem to be on good terms with her husband, the fact that she was married remained unchanged.

Herald couldn’t possibly not know this, and he wasn’t the type of emotional man to give his heart away knowing all this.

So it absolutely can’t be the latter. Firmly believing that Herald wouldn’t make such a foolish choice, Dillon shook his head vigorously, erasing the absurd hypothesis filling his mind.