“Spring festival?”

Noah’s hand, which had been stamping seals incessantly, stopped. A wrinkle formed between his brows as he dealt with the backlog of work after returning from the ancient god’s altar. Melvin wiped the sweat from his temples with a handkerchief, casting a glance at Amy standing beside the Grand Duke as if seeking help.

“Yes… So, the common opinion of the Grand Duchy’s family is that it would be good to hold a festival again to commemorate the achievements, since His Highness the Grand Duke has ascended and true spring has come to the North…”

“Rejected.”

Noah cut off Melvin’s words at once and stamped the seal roughly. Melvin’s expression became choked, as if the stamp had been pressed on his own heart.

Unable to bear it any longer, Amy stepped in.

“It’s a good idea, why don’t you listen a bit more…”

“Go on.”

Seeing the Grand Duke immediately urging her on as if he had never rejected it, Melvin silently stared out the window. This is what work life is like, after all.

“There was originally a spring festival. It’s just that it became nominal. The temperature difference between spring and winter wasn’t much, so it didn’t really feel like a festival…”

“Rita said that at least they could take off their furs in spring.”

“Yes. You could say it was a festival celebrating that.”

Melvin nodded glumly. Noah thought for a moment and then stamped the seal again with a thud.

“Bring me the proposal and I’ll review it.”

“!”

That was as good as approval. Melvin’s eyes widened as he looked at Amy. Amy was surprised too. She thought she’d have to persuade him more…

‘There will probably be many occasions for the Grand Duke to lose face as the main character. Is this really okay?’

Noah disliked appearing in front of people so much it was a waste of his handsome appearance. No, to be precise, he found it troublesome. Amy narrowed her eyes and observed Noah, surprised by the permission given faster than expected.

“What?”

“Pardon?”

After stamping the last document, Noah raised his head and looked straight at Amy.

“You agree too, don’t you, Amy?”

“Ah, that’s right. But…”

Noah handed the organized documents on the desk to Melvin and said,

“I’m fine with it.”

“Pardon?”

Glancing at the puzzled Amy, Noah slightly raised one corner of his mouth.

“You always make that face when you’re worried about me.”

“…I wasn’t really worried.”

“Sure, sure. Then, concerned.”

Noah stretched both arms up, relaxing his body, and muttered,

“Joseph will have a hard time.”

“Ah…”

That was true, so there was nothing to say. Last autumn, after collecting taxes here for the first time, Joseph was the one who organized it all and made this year’s budget alone.

Walking around muttering something with a haggard face from staying up for days, he was like a living ghost. Even the children running errands from the village sprinkled holy water, saying they were chasing away a ghost.

Now if they hold this spring festival, they’ll have to somehow take out the budget for it from the existing allocated items. The image of Joseph readjusting the budget from scratch while whimpering was vivid.

“But this time James is here, so it should be a bit better, right?”

Noah had appointed James as Joseph’s aide. Since then, Joseph’s face had brightened so much. Lucy, the kitchen maid, didn’t recognize him sitting in the high seat and told him to move because it was Aide Joseph’s seat.

“The New Year’s banquet budget is left untouched, so adding that should make it a bit easier.”

Amy nodded vigorously at Noah’s words. Noah had canceled the New Year’s banquet when he went to the ancient god’s altar. There was no backlash as there were no expectations due to the Grand Duke’s attempted poisoning incident anyway.

Amy lowered her voice and whispered,

“The spring festival has more local color than the New Year’s banquet, so we don’t have to worry about the Empire sending envoys.”

“That’s why I gave permission.”

Noah lowered his eyes primly. His long eyelashes cast shadows on his cheeks, making his fine-featured face look seductive. Amy stared at him blankly.

‘He’s getting prettier by the day…’

Noah tilted his head.

“Is there something on my face?”

“No.”

Amy quickly answered, turned her head, and cleared her throat.

“Then I’ll have the proposal submitted.”

“Alright. And…”

Noah frowned, thinking about something. Melvin and Amy opened their eyes wide, waiting for his words. Noah grumbled,

“Tell Rita to keep it moderate, moderate.”

“…Yes.”

Melvin’s expression became one of trying to hold back laughter as if he understood something. Noah really seemed worried as he sank into contemplation, while Amy brushed it off casually.

‘Come on, surely Rita wouldn’t say she’s going to hang His Highness’s portrait all over the North?’

And then it happened.

“There are three candidates in total, gentlemen.”

Three easels covered with white cloth were placed on the platform. Rita paced back and forth in front of them with a disciplined posture.

“These are works completed with utmost care by Mark’s father, the best painter in the village. I guarantee that all three works have a level of completion worthy of being hung in a temple right away.”

Rita, standing tall in the middle of the platform, tapped a long stick on her palm and wore a stern expression.

“We will proceed with a secret ballot for a fair decision. This instructor expects a unanimous vote, but I hope you will decide carefully.”

Evie, standing at the bottom of the platform, playfully whispered to Cecil next to her.

“Unanimous? Did they paint the Grand Duke naked or something?”

Cecil frowned at those words.

“That’s impertinent, Evie.”

“Oh, sorry…”

Just as Evie shrank her neck, intimidated, Cecil said savagely,

“Such things should only be shared among the Grand Duchy family. Evie, you lack professional ethics.”

“…”

Whispers wondering what kind of portrait was expected to receive a unanimous vote could be heard here and there. Rita pretended not to notice and gestured to Mary.

Mary, standing in the corner, pulled a string, and the white cloths connected to it were all removed at once, revealing the paintings.

The crowd stirred greatly, and hands went up without delay.

“Number 3!”

“It’s number 3.”

“There’s no choice but number 3.”

“1 and 2 to my room. 3 on every wall of the Grand Duchy.”

As Rita said, votes poured in for portrait number 3. Rita nodded contentedly and raised her fist in the air with a determined expression.

“Encouraged by your fervent support! I will definitely get approval!”

“Wooooo!”

“Rejected.”

Amy said as soon as she saw the portrait. Rita’s mouth fell open, then she clenched her fists and shouted,

“Ah, why!”

“…”

Amy silently looked at Rita. Rita immediately tucked her tail.

“I apologize for raising my voice, Head Maid.”

“Always maintain your dignity, Rita. You are not the face of the Grand Duchy and His Highness.”

Letting Amy’s strict reprimand go in one ear and out the other, Rita thought regretfully to herself.

‘Ah, what if the face was Cecil’s? Poor Grand Duke…’

Rita was under the misunderstanding that someone like herself would be fine.

‘No, now’s not the time for this.’

Rita straightened her posture and put strength in her eyes.

“I would like to know the reason why this portrait was rejected.”

“…You’re asking because you don’t know?”

Amy’s mouth fell open in disbelief, then she let out a sigh.

‘She doesn’t know moderation, just as His Highness said.’

Amy smiled as if coaxing her. But the hand pointing at the painting had veins popping out.

“Why am I in the Grand Duke’s portrait?”

As she spoke, Amy got heated and blew her bangs up with a puff of breath.

“And this composition! It’s not like we’re newlyweds, it’s really embarrassing…”

In the portrait, Noah and Amy were touching their hands and foreheads, gazing at each other with moist eyes.

“No, it’s so full of affection and good, and this is my deep intention predicting the future…”

Rita muttered to herself, hands behind her back and head bowed low, tapping the toe of her shoe on the floor. Amy put her hand to her forehead and cut her off,

“I won’t say much. Put it away.”

“Aw.”

“Rita.”

“Yes…”

Rita pouted dejectedly. Regardless, Amy looked over the remaining two paintings and picked number 1.

“Let’s go with this portrait, but as you said, we can’t put it on every wall. Let’s just put one in the lower town of the Grand Duchy.”

“No, why? Such a face should be widely known to bless the world…”

Amy firmly cut off Rita’s indignant words again.

“Because it could become a target for assassination.”

“!”

Rita’s mouth shut in an instant. She blinked her wide eyes a few times and then quietly bowed her head.

“I was short-sighted.”

“It’s better to be conservative with things like this.”

Amy softened her stern gaze. Then she smiled coaxingly.

“I hear your morale is through the roof? Joseph and Melvin are making quite a fuss. The proposal submitted to His Highness was as many as 53 pages…”

Amy’s face became slightly overwhelmed, then she composed her expression again.

“It would have been better if you had considered the budget, but it’s not bad that it has local color.”

There’s no need to mention that Joseph fainted when he saw the plan to make a fountain by melting gold.

“Anyway, His Highness is choosing something appropriate, so when it’s decided, everyone will have to work together. Can I expect that?”

“Leave it to us!”

Rita, regaining her spirit, puffed out a breath. Amy patted Rita’s head, saying, “Sure, sure.” As always, she thought, the girl was good-hearted, just overly enthusiastic.

At that moment, the door opened and a guard entered. He reported on the families and individuals who had requested an audience with the Grand Duke. Amy’s eyebrows rose.

“I’ll report to His Highness directly.”

After the guard withdrew, Amy sank into serious thought. Rita hesitantly approached and asked,

“Who’s coming that you’re like this?”

“Ah…”

Amy raised her head and shrugged.

“Spencer Coleman. The heir to the Coleman Count family. It seems he’s finally returned after finishing his grand tour.”

In reality, it wasn’t a grand tour but running away from home. Coincidentally, the timing of his visit to the Grand Duchy overlapped with the spring festival. It was impossible to know whether this would work out well or badly.

‘According to the report from the mercenaries His Highness sent, the bedridden Count Coleman’s condition has improved a bit.’

She wasn’t sure if the Grand Duke knew that Coleman’s heir had returned. The mercenaries currently dispatched to various territories in the North were contracted with the Grand Duke, not Amy, so she didn’t know the details.

“I should go to His Highness.”