The night sky over the capital, cleared of clouds, was in full swing with a party of densely packed stars. A few days ago, heavy rains in Central New Way had caused flooding in streams near villages quite close to the capital, resulting in a considerable number of flood victims.

The party in the sky, unaware of the conditions on the ground, was not something to be blamed.

As I opened the balcony door to enter, the violin of Franz, the genius composer who had stirred up New Way, wailed mournfully. Ladies dabbed their wet eyes with handkerchiefs, unable to stop praising Franz’s performance.

But here, Edwin had different thoughts while watching the same performance.

How much did Lady Denison spend to recruit that composer?

Today’s party host was the Viscountess Denison, who had ascended to become the queen of social circles this year. It wouldn’t have been strange no matter how much she spent on a place where wealth and honor should be flaunted. However, due to the flood a few days ago, the Viscountess Denison had to humbly endure blatant criticism disguised as jealousy.

The performance ended with Franz’s brilliant technique. The ladies who were usually his fans pretended to faint one by one, marking the climax of the main show.

“Oh. Here, over here. Gideon, come this way.”

Edwin’s head turned towards the middle-aged woman’s voice, which was clearly heard despite the audience’s curtain call. After taking a sip of champagne, a young man with similar features appeared behind the gentle-looking woman.

“Pleased to meet you, Your Grace. I’m Elizabeth Zimmerman. We exchanged letters recently, didn’t we?”

Around this time of year, the queen of social circles would hold a party, and that party would gather a large number of New Way’s upper class, including royalty, to promote friendships. The Zimmerman family was also included among New Way’s upper class, carefully selected by the queen of social circles to attend the party.

Regardless of the reason, it was not out of place to consider him as a match for Charlotte. Since the troublesome party had been put to good use, he decided to thank Lady Denison, who had hosted today’s party, rather than criticize her.

The Zimmerman baronial family was a modest nobility. Baron Zimmerman, who was humble, diligent, and clean in matters of women, while having enough authority to raise his voice appropriately, was indeed suitable as Charlotte’s husband.

“It’s our first meeting, Lady Zimmerman. I’m Edwin Baitness.”

Edwin received the baroness’s greeting with a customary smile. Then, Baron Zimmerman, who stepped forward, gently took off the hat he was wearing.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Your Grace. I’m Gideon Zimmerman.”

“I’ve heard much about the baron. It’s nice to meet you. I’m Edwin Baitness.”

Edwin extended his large hand. Gideon wiped his palm on his trousers and then grasped Edwin’s hand somewhat stiffly.

“Well then, you two have a chat. Gideon, don’t make any mistakes.”

“Yes, Mother.”

As Lady Zimmerman’s eye corners creased, the affectionate wrinkles that spread around her eyes increased the favorability of the Zimmerman baronial family.

Composer Franz had completely left the performance. With Franz, who had been the top priority of this party, gone, people’s attention turned to the second priority, Duke Baitness. Even with Baron Zimmerman by his side, as people came to speak, conversation with the baron became impossible.

As Gideon fumbled amidst the crowd of people trying to strike up a conversation, the two men, grabbing champagne, moved to the tea room where the noise had subsided.

“Phew. It seems Your Grace’s popularity is soaring even higher than Franz’s.”

Gideon took out a white handkerchief from inside his coat and wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. Raising his eyes to follow Edwin, who didn’t respond, he saw that Edwin was quietly staring at the vase on the table.

The yellow daffodils in the white vase.

“Your Grace?”

At the call, blue eyes slowly turned towards Gideon.

“You must have read the letter I sent, so I’ll get straight to the point. I’d like to hear what you think about the engagement with my ward, Miss Charlotte Windler.”

It was a stable tone as if he had never been distracted. But his eyes, lowered again, were fixed on the daffodils. As if they had eyes, he was making eye contact with the daffodils.

“Ah, yes. While I’m tempted by the conditions you’ve proposed, I’d like to meet Miss Windler first.”

“You mean you’ll decide after meeting Charlotte? If you’re concerned about appearance, you needn’t worry. She might not be a typical beauty, but she’s cute.”

“No, that’s not what I meant…”

Gideon scratched the back of his head sheepishly.

“If it’s alright with you, would you invite me to Rodinia? I’d like to have a long conversation with Miss Windler, and if we suit each other’s hearts, then…”

“Wait.”

Edwin, who couldn’t take his eyes off the daffodils, raised his eyes as if feeling frustrated. The bland expression, difficult to read any emotion, made Gideon tense.

“You want to say that you should fall in love before getting married. Is that what you mean?”

“Yes… That’s right.”

“I didn’t scrutinize and sift through everything to arrange Charlotte’s marriage based on such trivial emotions, only to reach Baron Zimmerman.”

“I understand, but… Wouldn’t it be good to give Miss Windler a chance to fall in love?”

“Well…”

He lost interest in the conversation due to the trivial topic of love. This also led to a decrease in favorability towards Baron Zimmerman. His eyes, lowered with boredom, fell on the daffodils, and his outstretched hand gently caressed the yellow petals.

The smooth touch of the petals brought his weary consciousness back to a long time ago.

Fourteen years ago, when he arrived in New Way, the first thing he did was beg for food. Next, he had to beg for a job and then for wages. Going hungry was commonplace. Getting into fights with passersby who picked quarrels and squandering saved money to pay for medical expenses was also frequent.

It was a spring day when he had no choice but to live like a mayfly. On the day he was delivering milk to Baron Baitness’s house, he discovered yellow daffodils blooming in front of the house.

The bright yellow color suddenly reminded him of a naive young girl. Golden hair that fell to her shoulders, swaying gently like the carriage rocking back and forth.

He had forgotten.

Overwhelmed by hunger, life-and-death situations, heat and cold. His family who had become dew on the execution ground and the golden-haired girl sitting nobly.

Crouching on the ground, he took in the daffodils for a long time.

Revenge, you know. Revenge is something you can do when you’re living decently. So you can’t take revenge. You pitiful Seire, who will die rolling around like this. Let me at least comfort you.

The daffodils whispered in his ear like a devil, mimicking the voice of that young girl.

“Let’s do that.”

Crushing the daffodil petals in one hand was an impulse. Just like he had crushed the daffodils in front of Baron Baitness’s house 14 years ago.

“It’s not difficult to give a chance to fall in love if that’s what you’re asking.”

Momentarily surprised by Edwin’s action, Gideon’s undisguised joy rose to his face as permission was granted.

“I’ll send an official invitation to the baron. Let’s meet next time in Rodinia.”

As Edwin opened his clenched hand, the mushy petals fell to the floor.

‘Who are you? Why did you ruin someone else’s flowers?’

If he hadn’t discovered the yellow daffodils that day. If he hadn’t been reminded of Eveline while looking at the yellow daffodils. If he had hurriedly left the place.

If he hadn’t met Lady Baitness as a result.

Eveline had been on every path he had passed.

That Eveline who had made him struggle with false hope by killing and reviving him, again and again.

He wanted to hurry back to Rodinia. He couldn’t wait to see Eveline’s face, regretting the man who had been revived by the young girl’s hand.

Two weeks and three more days. Edwin’s absence from the duke’s mansion had been longer than expected. For the servants, Charlotte Windler was a much more difficult and demanding person to deal with than Duke Edwin Baitness. While the actual owner of the mansion didn’t care, Charlotte fussed and picked on the servants like catching mice.

And today. The owner of the Rodinia ducal mansion was returning. Charlotte followed each servant cleaning the mansion, directing even the minute positioning of statues. Even the experienced butler threw up his hands and accommodated Charlotte’s sensitive behavior.

By the time Edwin’s carriage reached the entrance, they had finished preparing to welcome the master in front of the mansion. Charlotte’s heart pounded in sync with the sound of horse hooves echoing along the neat path past the mansion’s main gate.

The carriage stopped in front. As a servant opened the door, the person Charlotte had longed to see the most revealed himself. Under the gently shining sun, he stepped onto the ground with his superior stature and raised his blue eyes.

“Your Grace! You must have had a hard journey.”

Indifferent eyes fell on Charlotte as she approached without hesitation. Nodding his head lightly, he raised his gaze significantly. Charlotte’s head moved following him.

Soon he discovered Vivian looking down from the wide window, but when their eyes met, Vivian hid behind the curtain.

“…Was there anything unusual in the capital?”

Edwin knew Vivian wouldn’t come out to greet him. And he was certain she would be looking down at him.

“Nothing. Always the same.”

“When you left Rodinia, you said you didn’t want to go with a fuss, but I didn’t expect you to leave without saying a word to me. I was a bit hurt, Your Grace.”

“Don’t be hurt by such things, Charlotte. You’re not a child.”

The pain given by the heartless tone was a pain that squeezed the chest. It wouldn’t have mattered normally. The duke was no different from usual. After seeing his eyes searching for Vivian first, Charlotte began to resent Edwin, who was the same as always. She followed behind him, feeling bitter towards Edwin who showed no interest in her.

There was no such thing as conversation in this relationship. A relationship where the only interaction was appropriate responses when spoken to. A person who knew her better than anyone else but was more indifferent to her than anyone else.

And to attract the attention of such a person.

“Ah, by the way… On the day Your Grace left Rodinia, Miss Eveline didn’t eat.”

She brought up the name she didn’t want to mention.

“She didn’t eat?”

Edwin’s steps halted. His expression was still indifferent, but there was a glimmer of moisture in his blue eyes.

“Was it like that the entire time I was gone?”

“She only had light snacks instead of meals. She got caught in the rain that day and fell, so she looked terrible. It’s no wonder she might have been sick.”

“She was sick? Where exactly?”

It didn’t look like concern. Edwin’s expression when thinking about Vivian wasn’t that kind.

“It looked like a mild cold. She didn’t move from her bed for a few days. So I always prepared food that she could swallow easily and brought it up.”

“You should have fed her honey water or something. Or herbal tea.”

“I took care of her throughout those sick days. Feeding her soup and tea. I felt like I had become a nanny.”

Charlotte pouted her lips, wanting recognition for the difficult time she had been through.

“You played the nanny role well.”

A light, clean smile appeared on Edwin’s lips. His eye corners gently creased, and his long, straight eyes drew crescent moons. At the unexpected smile, her heart pounded heavily. A trembling heart sometimes makes wrong judgments.

“Miss Eveline’s illness seems to have gotten better, but she doesn’t think of taking off the scarf she’s been wearing the whole time. I was so curious that I asked, and she said her nape feels chilly. Oh, and Miss Eveline said she bought a gift for Your Grace. But on that day, because she fell, the gift was ruined along with her.”

“A gift?”

“Yes. It seems she was going to give you a tie as a gift. But you know what’s funny?”

Edwin gestured for her to continue without stopping.

“The gift she bought was similar to a tie Your Grace already has. Why would she buy such a thing?”

“Did you tell her that there’s a similar one?”

“Yes. She thanked me for letting her know.”

Edwin nodded with a smile. His halted steps began to move again, and Charlotte took quick steps to follow his large stride.

“And since Miss Eveline only had one dress, I lent her one of mine. Of course, it feels small since Miss Eveline is taller than me.”

“You really are Eveline’s nanny. Well done.”

Charlotte momentarily forgot her unpleasant feelings towards Vivian. When she talked about Vivian, Edwin smiled. He gave attention, and a pleasant conversation continued. Charlotte was greatly satisfied with just that.