Meanwhile, the carriage arrived at the venue.

A space for the nobles’ tea party was prepared surrounding the vast field. Lavishly dressed nobles sat in their seats, admiring the green expanse.

Considering how dynamic and aggressive polo matches are, it seemed contradictory to enjoy an elegant tea party right next to it.

However, since Ansi had also become part of that space, she could no longer criticize its ostentatiousness.

Before the match began, a simple socializing session was arranged. At the center where fragrant tea scents wafted, many came to greet Duke Orphe and his wife.

Ansi, who was meeting almost everyone for the first time, had to introduce herself to over a hundred people before the match started.

“I am Ansi de Orphe.”

“It’s so wonderful to meet you! My, what a well-matched couple.”

“As expected, the Duchess’s daughter-in-law has a special aura about her.”

Empty but well-packaged responses came back, but what they said didn’t matter. At least to those people, it was important to recognize that Ansi had become part of the Orphe family.

Until the end, Ansi firmly stated her name to each person one by one.

“You can just bow slightly, it’s fine.”

Damion, standing beside her, whispered in her ear while wrapping his arm around her shoulder like an affectionate couple.

To him, the sight of a woman stubbornly giving her full name to so many people one by one was unsatisfactory.

But Ansi shook her head.

“That wouldn’t be polite.”

She really was stubborn about the strangest things.

Just then, cheers and murmurs arose among the nobles. Turning their heads, they saw riders appearing in the field along with horses with trimmed manes and braided tails.

Soon, the match began.

On swiftly running horses, riders leaned down to roll the ball with their sticks. A fierce battle ensued as they tried to get the ball into each other’s goals.

Run faster! Score! Damn it! No!

The previously elegant venue was suddenly filled with loud noises mixed with curses.

While everyone’s bloodshot eyes were fixed on the polo field, Damion observed the nobles.

People who had been pretending to be the most refined in the world, holding teacups and covering their mouths with fans, were now fidgeting as if about to jump out of their seats.

A sneer formed on Damion’s lips.

It was a petty and contemptible sight.

“Ah…!”

Hearing a clear voice beside him, Damion lowered his gaze.

Ansi, too, had her gaze captivated by the horses’ movements. Her expression changed moment by moment with the fierce hoof beats and close maneuvers, her face gradually flushing.

Hmm, so… rather than being contemptible… it’s… transparent… to reveal emotions without hiding them even amidst such formalities?

Damion, his gaze fixed on Ansi, pondered seriously, then suddenly realized that he too had lost that refinement and was making a contorted face.

“Wow!”

The ball went through the goal. Cheers erupted. Ansi, her face flushed, let out an exclamation of admiration.

Damion blankly watched her.

It was like a flower bud blooming in an instant. That sight couldn’t have been more radiant.

Damion hurriedly turned his head towards the polo field. If he was going to have a stupid look on his face anyway, he might as well do so while watching the intense match like everyone else.

But Damion’s face contorted for a different reason as he watched the polo match.

Damn it.

It wasn’t… that intense.

Compared to his heart right now.

For Ansi, today’s event was more satisfying than expected.

The Duke and Duchess of Orphe seemed pleased with her as their daughter-in-law, and the polo match, which she hadn’t been particularly interested in, turned out to be unexpectedly fun.

It was a meaningful day, peaceful yet a step forward. Ansi felt she could end the day well like this.

If only she hadn’t encountered Kardian upon returning to Sobelvio.

“You arrived first, Damion. And Ansi.”

For a moment, Ansi felt as if she’d been hit on the back of the head.

As if someone had asked her what she was doing, laughing emptily, cheering at the match, enjoying the wind and scenery as if she’d really come for fun.

They are your enemies, they said.

The family of that bastard, Kardian de Orphe.

“Damion, you should have told me. Then I would have timed my arrival accordingly.”

“…I just arrived yesterday.”

“I see.”

Kardian’s gaze swept over Marianne and Basilov in turn. A strange tension was felt.

The last place his gaze landed was beside Damion.

“Ansi, it’s been a while.”

His golden eyes shone even more brilliantly in the light of the lobby. Ansi’s eyelids trembled at the penetrating gaze that seemed to see right through her.

“…It hasn’t been that long. We met recently when I went to see your mother.”

Ansi forced out her voice. Kardian let out a soft exclamation, “Ah,” and narrowed his eyes.

“That’s right.”

He nodded as if just remembering. It wasn’t something someone who had waited for her with even a hairpin should say.

Ansi knew this was Kardian’s way. To pretend not to know anything at first, then reveal just enough while observing the other person’s reaction.

“Bekishi, you should greet them too.”

A gentle yet authoritative voice was directed at the woman beside Kardian. Bekishi de Orphe. Kardian’s wife.

“This is our first meeting since the wedding. It’s nice to see you.”

Bekishi greeted them with a slight nod. Her neatly tied dark brown hair and light green eyes gave off an elegant atmosphere.

“Go change your clothes now. It’s almost dinner time.”

It was Marianne who broke the heavy tension.

Ansi fled to her room.

It was fortunate that Damion had stayed behind to talk with the Duke and Duchess for a moment.

As she changed her clothes, Ansi took several deep breaths. She recalled the lavender field she had seen with Damion. It helped to calm her mind.

Seeing that bastard will probably become familiar after a few times.

It would.

It had to.

“Why is Kardian here?”

Damion, who had entered the Duke’s room, asked in a lowered voice. At his chilling tone, the Duke rolled his tongue in his mouth and raised an eyebrow.

“We don’t know. He said he’d come in a week, but he arrived without notice.”

“Please make sure the conversation doesn’t go in a strange direction during dinner.”

“Well, you know how perceptive Kardian is. He’ll probably watch his words.”

That bastard is so perceptive that you must have acted awkwardly in front of him. That’s why he sensed something and came here without notice, isn’t it?

Damion closed his eyes and sighed. Basilov nearly lost his temper at that insolent attitude.

“You…!”

“Remember. I’ve already paid the price.”

“Are you talking about price to your father now? Honestly, it’s because you’re my son that I’m accepting this, the Orphe family doesn’t really need those company shares.”

“Then you’re free to discard them.”

Basilov ground his teeth. He had asserted his pride, but the truth was that the price was quite, no, extremely satisfactory.

“I’ll see you soon.”

Having received a silent answer, Damion strode out of there towards his own room.

It was fortunate that he at least shared a room with Ansi. He had asked for them to be assigned together because he felt uneasy leaving her alone, but who knew this situation would arise.

“Ansi, I’m coming in.”

After knocking on the door, Damion entered. The door closed.

At the same time, Kardian’s door opened.

Kardian, who was heading towards the landing, suddenly stopped. He looked at Damion and Ansi’s room as if amused, then turned back and went down the stairs.

He was looking forward to dinner.

Colorful dishes were placed on the spacious dining table. Unlike yesterday, this table’s food was completely prepared in the northern style, using fish and fruits said to be found only in this region.

“If it doesn’t suit your taste, you don’t have to eat it.”

Damion whispered to Ansi.

It was advice born from experience.

When Damion first came from the south to the capital, and then to the north, he struggled quite a bit because the food didn’t agree with him.

The Duke clicked his tongue, asking if he had become such a cheapskate that he couldn’t eat expensive food anymore.

Afraid of hearing that, Damion couldn’t even complain and forced himself to eat. For some dishes, he swallowed each piece whole without chewing.

When Marianne caught him doing that, she frowned as if in contempt.

Damion hoped that Ansi wouldn’t eat food that didn’t suit her just to be considerate among these people.

However, Ansi replied indifferently.

“I’m not picky about food.”

“That’s good.”

Thinking it was fortunate that she was oblivious in this aspect, Damion leisurely savored the northern food that he had now grown accustomed to.

Dinner was more peaceful than expected. The Duke went on about a friend’s business failure while praising the achievements of the ducal family, and Marianne talked about a dress the empress supposedly wore at a diplomatic event.

Kardian simply enjoyed his meal silently.

It was a feigned peace, but if it ended like this, it wouldn’t be bad.

“What was Damion like as a child?”

If only that woman, Ansi de Orphe, hadn’t asked such a question.