“As you might be aware, Lady, the eastern nobility…”

“It’s okay. I had anticipated this to some extent.”

Only the oblivious and tactless nobles had greeted Viare; the ones well-versed in the eastern social circles remained silent. It wasn’t because she was from the Ruschepf family, but simply because she wasn’t from the east.

Ultimately, she had come here to seek out nobles who would align with her goals and be of help, so she didn’t have the luxury to dwell on this snub.

She had already shortlisted the neutral and anti-emperor factions from the information she had gathered about influential eastern families.

‘I’ll have to be content with just making my presence known today.’

When Viare found herself alone for a moment, she went upstairs in the banquet hall.

She watched the waltzing couples below as the music echoed once again. On one side of the lower floor, Guyzen, still unable to escape Count Alhenbar, was listening to his enthusiastic stories in her stead.

Smiling briefly at this scene, Viare was lost in thought when someone approached her side.

“……Duke?”

Surprised, Viare glanced at Dension, who shrugged nonchalantly and said, “The celebration seems to bore you.”

She looked at him intently before turning her head back to the crowd, replying, “It seems the same is true for you, Duke.”

“I generally don’t enjoy such gatherings.”

‘But why is Sion here?’

Normally, Dension would not attend official events, so his presence here was puzzling.

“So, what brings you here, Duke?”

Caught off-guard by her question, Dension showed a hint of confusion and even coughed awkwardly.

“……I stopped by briefly to meet someone.”

Viare thought he too must be here to meet with the eastern nobility and decided not to take up more of his time.

“Then I should leave. I’ll excuse myself first―”

“Would you mind taking a walk with me, Lady?”

“Me?”

Unable to hide her surprise, Viare looked at him with wide, questioning eyes.

Though he seemed a bit flustered by his own suggestion, Dension quickly composed himself and asked, “Did you know that in the east, there’s a flower that blooms only at night?”

‘Traum grass…’

Eastern flowers, often exotic and unique compared to those in the capital, included the rare Traum grass. This flower only bloomed at night and closed its petals in the morning.

Dension had tried to show her this flower in the past, but they had always missed it. Even the easterners rarely caught sight of its bloom, as it was highly sensitive to its environment and difficult to cultivate.

Intrigued, Viare looked at him curiously and asked, “Has that flower bloomed?”

“A noble I met earlier mentioned it.”

Dension’s lips held a rare smile as they headed towards the garden to witness the nocturnally blossoming Traum grass.

Outside, in contrast to the warm banquet hall, a refreshingly cool breeze was blowing. Viare glanced at Dension, who was thoughtfully matching his steps to hers, and harbored a bittersweet smile.

‘I never imagined I’d be walking like this with you.’

Spending time with him still felt surreal, yet her heart swelled with an overwhelming sense of fulfillment.
Sneaking a glance at Dension’s expression, Viare noticed no change; he was just silently walking ahead, which made her feel somewhat disheartened, thinking perhaps she was the only one feeling excited.

She figured that he had brought her here out of courtesy, simply because she was a guest in the east.

‘You’ve always been a kind person.’

The thought of being the only one excited made her spirit inadvertently sink.

Noticing her subdued demeanor, Dension pointed to the flowers and said, “Fortunately, the Traum grass is still blooming.”

The Traum grass he pointed out was hidden among other flowers, but it shone brilliantly under the moonlight, its golden glow radiant.

‘Just as you said, it’s indeed a beautiful flower.’

The flower was dazzlingly beautiful, just as Dension had wanted to show her. She now understood why he had been so eager to show her this flower in the past.

“It’s truly beautiful.”

Dension had thought that showing her the flowers might lift her spirits, as she seemed downcast throughout the banquet.

Though he couldn’t explain why he cared about her mood, seeing her brighten up made him feel his choice was probably right.

“……It seems so.”

Continuing to watch her, Dension naturally responded.

He was surprised by his own words, his blue eyes widening. Thankfully, the lady in front of him didn’t seem to notice, but he kept his gaze on her, not on the Traum grass.

Perhaps Dension Berdeum really had gone mad.

Initially, he thought she was just a woman who cried easily, as she always seemed to tear up whenever they met. Even after learning she was the Lady of the Ruschepf family, he had planned to use her for his own purposes, as the Ruschepf family was suspected in the death of the previous Duke Berdeum.