Upon arriving at the Crown Prince’s palace, Herald encountered another unexpected person.

“Welcome, Duke Maximilian.”

It was Sonia Kaman Andreas, Austin’s wife and the Crown Princess. Austin was seated across from her.

“Welcome, Herald.”

Herald glanced at Austin, who greeted him warmly, then respectfully bowed to Sonia.

“I am honored to meet you, Your Highness the Crown Princess.”

Sonia smiled gently.

“There’s no need for such formality between us. Please feel free to treat me like a friend, Lord Herald.”

“That’s right. Before being the Crown Princess, she’s a friend’s sister and a friend’s wife, so you can be comfortable, Herald.”

If Sonia hadn’t been there, Herald would have immediately shut that mouth that couldn’t read the atmosphere. Regretfully unable to do so, he looked at Sonia.

If someone asked whether Austin was a perfect Crown Prince, he might hesitate, but if asked whether Sonia was a perfect Crown Princess, he could answer without hesitation that she was. She truly embodied the role of Crown Princess.

It seemed her father, Marquis Hainel, had achieved his goal perfectly in ruthlessly educating her to become the Crown Princess.

Sonia was also skilled at controlling her emotions, rarely revealing her true feelings. However, in her blue eyes as she gazed at Herald, a faint anger was visible. This meant something had angered her enough that she couldn’t perfectly conceal her emotions.

“Do you have something you wish to say to me?”

If she was angry at Austin, she would have spoken when they were alone. Seeing that she hadn’t said anything yet, Herald wondered if she was angry at him and asked directly.

“As expected, Duke Maximilian is quick-witted.”

Sonia smiled, her eyes curving prettily.

“Did you come because you had something to say to Herald?”

In contrast, Austin looked at the Crown Princess with wide eyes, as if he had no idea.

“Yes. There’s something I’d like to ask both Duke Maximilian and Your Highness the Crown Prince.”

“Me too?”

Sonia nodded gracefully, smiling. Unlike Herald who had immediately noticed, her husband hadn’t caught on at all, but she showed no sign of finding him pathetic.

“Please sit down, Duke Maximilian.”

“Excuse me.”

As Herald sat down next to Austin, Sonia personally poured tea into the cups. It was chamomile tea, known to calm the mind. From the tea selection alone, Herald could tell this was no ordinary situation. He stared at the yellow tea for a moment before looking at Sonia.

“I’ve recently heard a strange rumor.”

“A strange rumor?”

“Yes.”

Sonia continued speaking with an unwavering smile.

“I heard that His Highness the Crown Prince has recently been interested in a woman… Is this true?”

“Cough.”

As if choking, Austin coughed and put down his teacup. Sonia let out a short sigh of “Oh my,” and held out a lace-embroidered handkerchief.

“Are you alright, Your Highness?”

Herald inwardly clicked his tongue at her considerate action, which made it impossible to believe she had just asked if her husband was interested in another woman. This was exactly why he didn’t like Sonia.

It wasn’t that he disliked her like the Marchioness of Ariande. He just felt uncomfortable, as if dealing with an emotionless doll rather than a person.

On the other hand, that woman was full of emotion. A fleeting image of her bright smile crossed his mind, causing a faint smile to spread across Herald’s lips. But hidden behind his teacup, no one saw his smiling face.

“If you’ve caught a cold, I’ll call the royal physician right away.”

“Ah, no. It’s just that I choked a bit, so there’s no need to worry, my lady.”

Wiping his mouth with Sonia’s handkerchief, Austin stroked his dry cheek and stammered.

“More importantly, um, so you’re saying I’m interested in a woman other than my wife?”

“Isn’t that the case?”

“Absolutely not.”

Austin knew that his mother, the Empress, had suffered for a long time due to the Emperor’s concubine issue, and he himself was struggling because of his half-sibling and the sibling’s mother.

As a result, Austin despised the concubine system and didn’t even glance at women other than Sonia. He didn’t have the luxury to do so either.

“Who on earth is spreading such nonsense?”

Austin asked angrily. In response, Sonia silently looked at Herald, and as the Crown Prince’s gaze naturally followed hers, his eyes widened.

“What? Herald, did you spread this rumor?”

Herald was about to answer that he had never done such a thing, but then he remembered telling Olivia before that the Crown Prince was interested in a woman, and he swallowed his words. He also belatedly recalled that Olivia was Sonia’s longtime friend.

Olivia, befitting a woman who would one day be in charge of the Maximilian duchy’s household affairs, was known for being tight-lipped. So he thought she wouldn’t tell anyone, including the Crown Princess, but to think she had spoken up. It was a miscalculation. If he had known this would happen, he wouldn’t have made such an excuse.

“Did you really spread the rumor? Why on earth would you do that?”

As Herald remained silent, Austin, taking it as confirmation, raised his voice. Sonia too, seeming to notice that something was different from what she had heard, stared at Herald, demanding an answer.

“I think I heard that story from sister-in-law… Actually, it was a lie.”

I should clear up this misunderstanding decisively. After all, I can’t ruin a friend’s family just to avoid attention directed at me.

“Why did you tell such a lie?”

“That’s right. Why on earth did you tell such a lie!”

It was the same question, but the feeling was completely different. Sonia’s question made him feel like a criminal, while Austin’s question irritated him. Why was he asking such a question when it was because of him that he had told such a lie? He wanted to grab Austin by the collar and shake him.

But since he couldn’t do that because of Sonia, Herald glared at him, conveying his feelings through his eyes. Only then did Austin realize it was because of the incident at the Benjamin Viscount’s residence, and he let out a silent exclamation before avoiding Herald’s gaze.

“Your Highness seems to know something as well.”

The perceptive Sonia immediately noticed Austin’s strange behavior and asked. Austin made a groaning sound and scratched his cheek. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust Sonia, but he still couldn’t talk about Derius’s situation. The fewer people who knew, the better the secret would be kept.

If the word spread here and there, it could reach the ears of Derius and the Marchioness of Ariande, so it needed to be kept secret as much as possible.

As he was pondering how to make an excuse, Herald, who had moistened his throat with tea, opened his mouth.

“There is a woman I have a fondness for.”

Huh? What did Herald just say? Fondness? Foooondness?

At the statement that seemed impossible to have come from Herald’s mouth, Austin turned his head so violently that it made a sound as he looked at him. Even Sonia showed a rare surprised expression.

Herald Maximilian was once so uninterested in women that rumors spread that he liked men. If Herald hadn’t publicly humiliated a certain family’s young master who approached him believing the rumors, people would still believe that now.

So when Herald said he was interested in a woman, it was natural for the two to be surprised. Austin, who had completely turned towards Herald, grabbed Herald’s arm tightly. His golden eyes sparkled like they had stars embedded in them as he looked at him.

“What? You didn’t say anything like that when we met before. You said it definitely wasn’t Kennedy Stacy. Then who is it? Which family’s young lady do you like? I hope it’s a family that supports me. That way there won’t be any rumors…”

“Let go of this arm.”

Herald frowned and shook off Austin’s hand. He had spoken honestly because he didn’t want to ruin his friend’s family, but seeing his friend’s reaction made him regret saying anything.

“Let me be clear, I don’t like her, I just have a slight fondness for her.”

“Come on, that’s the same thing. Don’t you think so too, my lady?”

Sonia, who had been quietly listening to their conversation, nodded with a smile. At this affirmative response, Austin was triumphant, while Herald rubbed his throbbing head.

“It’s different. I have no desire to pursue a relationship with that woman.”

While it was true that he couldn’t and shouldn’t have a relationship with Liliana Benjamin, he couldn’t say that, so he deflected appropriately.

“I just have a slightly more favorable impression of her than other women.”

“But that’s lik-”

“Like the fondness I have for sister-in-law or Her Highness the Crown Princess.”

As Herald mentioned Olivia and Sonia, putting his foot down, Austin could no longer argue and closed his mouth. If he were to argue here, it would make Herald look like a madman who liked his friend’s woman, so there was no way he could argue.

Austin had thought that spring had finally come for Herald, who had never shown interest in women, let alone marriage, but it turned out not to be the case, and he slumped his shoulders in disappointment.

“While my fondness for Olivia and me can’t develop any further, that’s not the case for your fondness towards that young lady.”

Sonia, who had been smiling like a doll all along, spoke as she picked up her teacup.

“Even if it’s not now, it could develop at any time, so don’t be too certain, Duke Maximilian.”

“I’ll keep that in mind, Your Highness the Crown Princess.”

“So, are you attending tomorrow’s party with that young lady?”

At the following question, Herald imagined himself entering the party venue with Lily dressed beautifully, then laughed dejectedly. He realized it was an impossible wish.

Not only had the Benjamin Viscount family not been invited to this party, but even if they had been invited, it would be Fredrick Benjamin standing next to her, not himself.

That’s right. The opportunity for me to stand proudly next to that woman will never come.

This newly realized fact stuck in Herald’s heart like a thorn, tormenting him throughout his conversation with Sonia.