After Duke Belaste left, time slowly passed and the day of the memorial banquet arrived.

Since Jade could see, there was no need for me to accompany him and help.

However, I had previously sent a reply saying I would attend with him, so I had to go along.

So I arrived at the Rowe Marquis residence before going to the memorial banquet.

“Where’s Jade?”

I asked a servant I encountered in the hallway about Jade’s whereabouts.

“The Marquis is changing clothes in his room.”

“Thank you for letting me know. Go on with your work.”

After sending away the servant who kindly informed me, I went up to Jade’s room and knocked on the door.

“Jade. It’s me.”

“Come in.”

Since he was changing, I thought I’d just let him know I was here and wait outside. But Jade told me to come in.

‘He must be mostly dressed if he’s telling me to come in, right?’

I opened the door and went inside.

“Wait a moment. I’ll be done soon.”

“Okay. Take your time. I’ll sit here.”

Jade was putting on his jacket with the help of his butler. I sat on a nearby sofa and watched him.

‘He’s almost fully dressed.’

Wearing a black formal suit with his hair swept back, Jade’s eyes looked dark.

‘It seems he didn’t sleep well last night. He looks in a bad mood and on edge.’

I felt sympathetic and understood. Today was the death anniversary of the late Marquis and Marchioness Rowe.

He usually couldn’t sleep deeply without sleeping pills, so he must be even more tired.

‘Would it have been better if he didn’t know?’

On the death anniversary of the late Marquis and Marchioness Rowe, he had to face Grand Duke Usith, who killed them, without showing any reaction.

‘Will Jade be able to control his emotions well when he sees Grand Duke Usith?’

For some reason, I felt uneasy.

Was it because in the original story, Jade attended this memorial banquet and stabbed Grand Duke Usith with a knife?

Even though I had gotten Jade to promise he wouldn’t do that, I still couldn’t feel at ease.

‘I can’t let Jade stab Grand Duke Usith like in the original story and meet an unhappy ending.’

I glanced at him out of the corner of my eye, wondering if he might have hidden a knife on his body.

“What are you staring at so intently?”

“…Nothing, just…”

As I was doing that, Jade called out to me. I felt embarrassed, thinking I might have been too obvious in looking at his body and getting caught by him.

Just then, the butler came in with ties of various colors, diverting attention.

“Put them down and you may go.”

“Yes, Your Excellency. I’ll prepare the carriage outside.”

Jade suddenly dismissed the butler.

I watched the butler put down the ties and leave the room, feeling puzzled.

‘Why is he sending him away already?’

He hadn’t even chosen which color tie to wear yet, let alone put it on.

‘Is he going to tie it himself?’

Jade’s gaze lingered on a wine-red tie before he picked it up.

“Are you going with that color?”

“Yes.”

Usually at memorial banquets, people wore ties the same color as their formal suit, or plain ties.

He wasn’t originally the type to like flashy things either. I didn’t understand why he chose such an eye-catching red tie.

“This was the color of the last tie my mother chose for me.”

“…Ah.”

“She really liked it because it matched my eye color.”

I had no idea there was such a circumstance. I felt choked up at Jade’s emotionless eyes and calm tone as he spoke.

That he had now become an adult who no longer cried when remembering his mother.

Thinking about how much he must have cried to reach this point of apparent indifference.

‘I’m sorry for making you recall memories of your mother. The last tie she chose for you…’

Jade went to the mirror, put the tie around his neck, and fiddled with it for a while before turning to look at me.

“It’s difficult to tie by myself.”

“Then why did you send the butler away? I’ll call him back.”

But he came up close to me, pulled my shoulder, and whispered softly in my ear.

“I’m asking you to do it.”

“…”

“I’d like you to tie it for me.”

It was clearly an excuse that he had trouble tying the tie alone. So that’s why he sent the butler away before putting on the tie.

“You really… I can’t with you. Give me the tie. I’ll do it for you.”

I accepted because I felt sorry about the mother thing just now, and tying a tie wasn’t a difficult task.

“Lower your head a bit.”

Even standing on tiptoes, it wasn’t easy to tie the tie around Jade’s neck.

Why does he have to be so tall, anyway.

“Larien. You’re just small.”

As if suspecting he had the ability to read minds, Jade chuckled and lowered his head.

“…No. I’m average height. You’re the tall one. You’re 186cm, remember? Okay? I’m not small.”

My voice came out sulky, annoyed at Jade who still thought I was small.

“Okay, you’re right about everything. I’m the tall one.”

Today, Jade didn’t even quibble and meekly agreed.

‘Usually he’d tease me by patting my head saying I’m small, or purposely move around to play tricks…’

He must be in a bad mood.

I pressed my lips together and focused on tying the tie.

“There, all done.”

“It’s tight. Uncomfortable.”

“Does it hurt? That’s strange, I didn’t tie it that tightly.”

I hurriedly checked the tie, seeing Jade furrowing his brow.

‘Why does he say it’s tight? If anything, isn’t it a bit loose?’

When I looked closely at Jade’s face, one corner of his mouth was turned up.

“Jade. Do you have time to joke around? We need to leave soon.”

I sighed, realizing he had lied on purpose, but Jade rested his forehead on my shoulder.

“…I don’t want to go.”

Unable to stroke his hair because it was fixed with wax, I patted his back slowly instead.

“I know it’s hard. Let’s endure it just a little.”

“…Alright.”

After staying like that for a while, Jade raised his head and smoothed out the wrinkled parts.

“Let’s go, Jade. Ayla said she’d be a bit late, right?”

“She’ll probably come after the banquet starts. She said she was going to visit Mother and Father’s graves.”

I linked arms with Jade as we left the room and went down the stairs.

Outside, the carriage we were to ride in was waiting. He didn’t get into the carriage easily. He was already struggling, and on the death anniversary of the late Marquis and Marchioness Rowe, it must be even harder.

I got into the carriage first and reached out my hand to Jade.

“Jade. Take my hand and come up.”

“…Okay.”

Fortunately, Jade got into the carriage with a somewhat improved expression compared to earlier.

We sat on opposite seats, and soon after, the horses began to move and the carriage drove off.

Moving at a slow pace, Jade’s complexion didn’t worsen. Still, as if it was hard to keep his eyes open, he leaned his head against the window and closed his eyes.

“I’ll let you know when we arrive, Jade.”

He nodded silently.

Grand Duchy of Usith.

As soon as we got out of the carriage, we saw people mostly dressed in dark colors.

‘Even though this memorial banquet has been held annually for over a decade, there are always many guests.’

In reality, most came wanting to make connections with Rowe.

Though they couldn’t approach due to Jade’s hardened expression, they were all eager to get close to him.

“Jade. Let’s go in.”

There was no one of a status we needed to greet first, so I led him inside.

From behind, I heard whispers about how the Earl of Boston and Marquis Rowe had grown particularly close.

‘When an unmarried man and woman become close, there are certainly many watchful eyes wherever we go.’

I regretted coming to the memorial banquet, feeling rapidly tired.

‘I want to go back and sleep while smelling Blanche.’

I missed Blanche, who had wanted to come along and whom I had barely managed to leave behind.

‘I should leave after the first part, before the second part starts. Ayla will arrive by then too, so it shouldn’t matter if Jade isn’t here.’

Glancing at Jade, he also didn’t look in a state to stay here long.

“Jade, are you okay?”

“…I’m fine.”

He looked as if he was suffocating just being in the Grand Duchy of Usith.

“Isn’t this our nephew.”

All the people inside the hall slightly bowed in greeting.

Grand Duke Usith was approaching Jade.

‘Grand Duke Usith…’

Grand Duke Usith’s black hair was peppered with white, and his eyes had lost their color, becoming a dull green.

‘If someone who really knew nothing saw this, they’d think he was a kind family elder who holds memorial banquets for years despite poor health, grieving for his younger brother’s couple and nephew.’

Jade clenched his molars tightly, then barely raised his eyes.

“Ayla said she’d be a bit late because she’s visiting her parents. I’m sorry. After you went to the trouble of holding this.”

“It’s only natural on their death anniversary. Don’t worry about me. Rather, I find Ayla admirable.”

Grand Duke Usith patted Jade’s shoulder lightly and smiled benevolently.

“No matter how much you say it’s fine, I’m sorry for troubling you like this every year. Though it’s late, from next year on, we’ll hold the memorial banquet at the Rowe mansion.”

“…Preparing this memorial banquet was my only joy.”

Grand Duke Usith’s expression hardened for a moment, but he quickly softened it, conscious of those around.

“Ah, isn’t this the Earl of Boston?”

“…I greet Your Grace, Grand Duke Usith.”

“I’ve been wanting to see the Earl, I’m glad to meet you like this. Ah… you resemble her a lot.”

The person he recalled was probably originally me.

“Since we’ve met like this by fate, I should treat the Earl.”

He gestured to a passing servant to bring wine.

“This is the wine my younger brother enjoyed drinking when he was alive. Please drink. Jade, you have some too.”

Jade wrinkled his nose at the smell of the wine.

‘…Is there poison in it?’

Soon after, he stared intently at the wine, swirling it around.