But today, Dian was uncomfortable somewhere, continuously shrinking his body. He felt uneasy as if he had swallowed a hot potato, so he sighed and bowed his head.

“……I apologize, Your Grace.”

“What for?”

“……For daringly showing an unfaithful attitude to the lady to whom you pledged, based on my arbitrary judgment.”

Doing such a thing to a lady destined to be a duchess in Vicander, where even the faintest order moved, was impossible.

That’s why he had been avoiding the Duke all along. As Dian steadied his trembling breath, he awaited the Duke’s sentence.

“……I don’t know anything about it?”

“Excuse me?”

His head, which had been sagging, suddenly lifted. The Duke gave a vague smile and shrugged.

“My lady had asked me to make sure that people either welcome her or don’t welcome her when she goes to Vicander.”

“……. ”

“So, I’m watching right now. Olivia will take care of how to dispose of you.”

Dian’s mind became tangled like knotted threads. Rumors had clearly stated that the lady was a haughty one. If I talk to the Duke, I could easily solve a knight like me.

Why does that lady continually show different behavior from known rumors and my thoughts?

“Instead, let’s go train.”

“……Excuse me?”

Dian’s body creaked like an unoiled door for a moment. The Duke smiled brightly and draped his arm around Dian’s neck.

“I’m very hungry for a duel right now? It’s good. Dian, you can be my opponent.”

Anyone could see that there were boiling emotions beneath the lightly spoken voice. Dian hastily looked around. But not only the servants but even the knights avoided his gaze.

War hero. The ruthless lord of the North. Murderer.

As beautiful as breathtaking, Dian knew better than anyone how merciless the Duke was, seeing it right beside him. If he got dragged away by the Duke now, he would have to go to Yeniv Street to serve the duchess in tatters.

Suddenly, he caught Howard’s eye. Howard spoke with his mouth to Dian, who was seeking help.

‘We won’t go far.’

(This is a time delimiter.)

Olivia, who had come up to the room, sat at her desk. While fanning her flushed cheeks, she glanced beautifully towards the closed door.

“Anyway. To be playing around like this.”

More precisely, towards Edwin, who was invisible to the eye.

Just mentioning Edwin’s name, Olivia’s eyes rounded.

It was all Edwin’s fault.
A name that shines brilliantly even in pronunciation.

Tilting her head, Olivia pulled out a diary from the drawer. It was the diary that Hanaga had bought her when she was at the Duke’s mansion.

[Dash] I did nothing.

At the sight of the letters that appeared as soon as she turned the first page, Olivia faintly smiled. Every time she looked at the characters that spread arbitrarily, the day she had erased Maderleine was vividly recalled.

Now, even recalling that day, Olivia could smile. The new diary was filled only with good things.

[Dash] I can turn Sir Dian Stjelin’s heart toward me.

[Dash] My eyes are especially pretty. I think so too.

[Dash] I can turn Yenive Street into a playground the children want. My name is in this proposal. I can do it well.

Now the diary was no longer a constraint on Olivia.

It was filled with hope for herself. In Olivia’s pleasantly smiling eyes, one unfinished sentence in the diary caught her eye.

[Dash] And I can tell Edwin.

A sentence with a missing object.

Olivia quietly brushed the characters with her finger. Feeling the texture of the paper where the pen had pressed and passed, she quietly picked up the pen.

In the place where the scratching sound passed, one more sentence had lengthened.

[Dash] I’ll tell after I finish writing the proposal for Yenive Street.

“……yes.”

Without knowing, sincerity slipped out, and Olivia’s eyes widened. Covering her mouth, Olivia looked around the room. Her face turned bright red as she confirmed no one was in the room.

(This is a time separator.)

A little away from the entrance to Yenive Street, an empty lot.

“Do you think there needs to be something special for Yenive Street alone?”

[Dash] I can turn Sir Dian Stjelin’s heart toward me.

Should I erase that sentence?

At Dian’s sullen voice, Olivia momentarily pondered her diary, recalling it. Dian, who claimed to know about Yenive Street more than anyone else, had picked on Olivia’s plans at every turn.

“So, Sir, do you think it’s better for Yenive Street to remain as it is?”

“No, I don’t know about that.”

It seemed to me that he was just saying that because he didn’t like me, as he wavered and didn’t answer properly.

Eventually, Olivia exhaled lightly and looked straight at Dian with her body straightened. Dian flinched momentarily, then faced Olivia with a sullen look.

“Sir. You really seem to dislike me.”

“……If that’s how you feel, I apologize.”

“If I’m that uncomfortable, let’s change the escort knight first. I have to clean up this Yenive quickly.”

That way, I can speak more confidently to Edwin. But Dian, who didn’t understand her intention, spoke with a heated face.

“So! Why is the precious young lady interested in this Yenive, which she doesn’t even know well… Ah!”

Then, he suddenly clutched his right eye.

In his painful appearance, Olivia, who had been confronting him, looked at him with worried eyes. Then, her eyes widened.

“……Sir, are you wearing lenses?”

Below Dian’s brown eyes, a glimpse of green pupils was seen.

There was once a time when it was trendy in the system. Color lenses that make the eye color appear different.

Caught in a fact that Olivia stared at, Dian bit his lip.

It was a disheartened expression, as if something he never wanted to be discovered was caught.