“How did the Duke end up here…?”

Lea slowly blinked her eyes, as if questioning whether she had seen something wrong. However, the voice flowing from the man’s lips was that of someone she knew too well.

“To think the high-profile heir of the prestigious Bellarus Duke’s family would be present in such a chaotic place. Quite an impressive feat.”

As if preparing for a formal greeting, Lea, who had regained her composure with a sarcastic tone, stammered her words.

“I, I really didn’t know it was this kind of place…!”

Momentarily surprised at encountering Akkia, she tried to justify herself to him, as if he was blaming her.

Understandably, who would have imagined that sophisticated nobles would revel in such a disorderly place? It felt unjust.

However, it was only for a moment. Akkia also seemed to be enjoying the party, and Lea’s eyes narrowed slightly at his appearance.

“Why, Duke, did you come here for some reason? Perhaps to enjoy the party? Knowing what kind of place this is?!”

Although she might have come without knowing anything, Akkia was different. Being a noble from birth, he surely knew what a masquerade was.

When this thought occurred to her, something choked up inside, but the Duke, as if flustered by Lea’s question, swept his hair back.

Lea’s reaction was not that of someone making excuses.

“Do you think I came here because of someone? Absurd.”

In his somewhat annoyed tone, Lea’s lips, which had blinked for a moment, parted.

‘No way.’

“Did you know I was coming here?”

Without even waiting for the Duke’s answer, Lea’s heart had already loosened. She had been avoiding him, and it felt a bit uncomfortable that he didn’t seem to care about her.

Knowing that he followed her here meant that he was always watching over her. It felt a bit like having a stalker, but she didn’t dislike it.

At the Duke’s busy moment, he was also in a somewhat awkward situation. Originally, he had planned to quietly observe from behind.

However, his body jumped forward involuntarily when some strange guy was getting too close to Lea. ‘Is that even considered clothing?’ he thought when he saw Lea, who revealed her collarbone despite the autumn chill. It felt somewhat irritating that she showed this to others, not just him.

Akkia was in a quite awkward situation. He had originally planned to quietly observe from behind.

Suddenly, his body jumped forward when some strange guy was getting too close to Lea. ‘Is that even considered clothing?’ he thought when he saw Lea, who revealed her collarbone despite the autumn chill. It felt somewhat irritating that she showed this to others, not just him.

Akkia was suppressing his anger when Lea, who had been blinking her eyes, suddenly asked, holding her thick jacket over her shoulders.

“I didn’t know you’d come here?”

Akkia had already swallowed the curse he was about to say without even realizing it. It was quite pitiful to make such a statement after a long time.

When Lea, expressing her grievances, continued speaking, however, the awkward silence between the two lingered. Akkia, who broke the silence first, replied.

“You, who was enjoying dancing so much with other guys, don’t seem to have the right to say that.”

‘Damn.’

Akkia swallowed the words that were thrown without even realizing it. It was pathetic to call them such narrow-minded words when they finally met after a long time. He couldn’t help but feel regret even when he thought about it himself.

“Are you talking about Edward?”

“……Edward?”

‘Edward. Edward…’

How could she already be calling his name after seeing him for so long? Calling each other by their names in social circles was only possible in intimate relationships.

Especially for men and women, it was only possible in relationships where they had been childhood friends or made promises for the future.

But to say ‘Edward’ so casually. He involuntarily suppressed the curse he was about to say. Then, Lea caught his wrist.

“Anyway, let’s go.”

“Where to?”
“Continuing to make a fuss here, we’ll soon find out who we are.”

Come to think of it, more eyes were directed towards the two people. Perhaps because he exposed his face, attention seemed to be drawn to him.

With those words, Akkia, who adjusted his mask, led Lea out of the mansion. Then he guided her to the carriage that was prepared in front.

“This carriage…”

Seeing the pattern decorated on the back of the carriage, Lea realized it was the Bellarus family carriage. Lea, who had secretly attended the masquerade without her grandfather’s knowledge, wore an awkward expression.

“Could it be that I mentioned coming here to my grandfather?”

“Of course. As the legitimate heir, Bellarus Duke is your guardian. He’ll guide his granddaughter so she doesn’t stray down the wrong path.”

“Duke!”

After helping Lea into the carriage and neatly stepping back, Akkia smiled.

“Well then, listen to your grandfather’s words, Bellarus Young Lady.”

‘She must have deliberately chosen that kind of dress!’