Chapter 79
Thanks to all the good news, the Grand Duke’s household was filled with laughter for the first time in a while.
The servants all stood a little straighter with pride,
and Vernon’s face, free from any worry about money or manpower, shone like sunlight.
The hard days spent preparing for the banquet seemed to have been rewarded at last.
Meanwhile, there were others laughing for a slightly different reason.
Click.
In a secluded room no one ever visited,
someone carefully opened the door. As soon as they turned on the light, the person already inside spread their arms wide in delight.
“……You saw it, didn’t you?!”
“I did see it!”
Melissa and Gerald both wore radiant smiles.
It felt as though all their efforts had finally borne fruit.
All that time Melissa had spent dressing up Lady Edith, and all those times Gerald had secretly sent signals whenever Denok appeared…
All their efforts to make the two “accidentally” bump into each other flashed through their minds.
They even remembered when they tried a jealousy tactic by using Arbel—only to later find out he was underage and abandon the plan in despair.
As those memories rushed by like a lantern slide, Melissa and Gerald’s eyes both grew misty.
All their plans had failed, one after another,
but those moments had still led to this result.
“These days, His Grace the Grand Duke really doesn’t leave milady’s side, does he!”
“I’ve never seen the prince’s face look this soft before.”
Like a loyal hound beside its master, Denok hardly ever left Edith’s side.
And that was, without a doubt—
“Thanks to that prince from Elka, right?”
“Mhm, certainly.”
The two nodded firmly.
Melissa had seen it clearly in the banquet hall:
the moment Prince Siren suddenly embraced Edith, Denok’s expression had sharpened like a drawn blade.
That delightful piece of news had, of course, already been shared with her comrade Gerald.
“So what should we do next?”
Melissa lifted her head like a student asking her teacher a question.
Gerald crossed his arms and put on a thoughtful, serious look.
From what he’d seen, the jealousy had definitely sparked some emotional change.
The question was—did their lady know that?
After all, Denok had never been in love before. Could he really win a woman’s heart so easily?
‘Seems doubtful…’
Gerald stroked his chin and came to a decision.
Now was the perfect time for his romantic coaching.
On the road to Marcana’s workshop district.
Denok was personally leading a field inspection to check the actual effects of the economic boom.
But someone who would never normally tag along had suddenly volunteered to act as his escort.
Denok glared across the carriage at Gerald,
who was humming a tune and gazing lazily out the window.
“What are you plotting.”
“Eh? Oh, come now—plotting? What plotting.”
Gerald waved his hand with a goofy smile.
“Your Grace’s prestige grows by the day! As your knight commander, it’s only natural I should personally attend to my lord’s safety.”
“Cut the nonsense. Since when does a man whose favorite pastime is sleeping around the house care about my safety?”
At Denok’s sharp tone, sweat beaded on Gerald’s forehead.
Denok was more on edge than he’d expected.
It was understandable—Denok’s mind was bursting with restless thoughts:
the identity of that prince called Arbel,
when he’d send his invitation,
what his true intentions were toward Edith.
Even leaving her side now felt irritating.
As Denok’s burning eyes bored into him, Gerald suddenly had an idea.
“Well, actually…”
A faint blush crept onto Gerald’s cheeks.
Scratching his cheek and turning to look out the window, he muttered,
“Recently, there’s… a woman I’ve taken a liking to.”
“What?”
Denok’s eyes widened at the unexpected confession.
Gerald… in love?
Reading Denok’s disbelief, Gerald quickly waved his hands.
“Ah, nothing’s happened yet! Really!”
His once-booming voice grew small and shy.
“I’m just… watching her from afar, that’s all.”
In other words, it was a one-sided crush.
Denok pressed his lips together.
Gerald—the man obsessed with the sword, who, when not training, either drilled his subordinates or napped under a tree—
him, with a woman he fancied?
He’d taken Gerald along to Marcana a few times before, so… maybe it was one of the mages?
At that thought, all of Denok’s prior worries vanished.
His gaze sharpened with focus.
Gerald was like family to him. If there was something he could help with, he would.
“So who is it?”
“Huh?”
“One of the mages in Marcana?”
“Uh—y-yeah! How did you know? As expected of Your Grace’s intuition!”
Gerald’s eyes widened, and he let out an awkward laugh.
Denok took it as praise for his perceptiveness.
“Hmm… In that case, perhaps I should entrust you with overseeing the guild directly.”
Gerald froze.
He might’ve said it to gain sympathy, but he had no intention of taking on more work.
“Ah, no, no! It’s fine! I’ll handle it myself!”
“But still…”
Denok looked unconvinced. Gerald, forgetting all pretense, suddenly shouted,
“I already have a plan! I know exactly how to win a woman’s heart!”
“……A plan?”
At that, Denok took the bait.
Gerald’s eyes gleamed.
Now was his chance. He lifted a hand to cover his mouth, hiding the smirk that crept up.
“Ah, well, you know—the usual tricks.”
Denok said nothing, just waiting with a calm, impassive stare.
‘He’s listening closely. Perfect.’
Gerald cleared his throat, then began to explain, wagging a finger.
“Show your face often—make her notice you. And when your eyes meet, smile faintly and look away.”
“Look away? Why?”
“You have to leave her wanting more! The key is to seem interested, but not too interested—spark her curiosity!”
“……”
“And of course, there’s one more thing—something only a man can show.”
“What’s that?”
Gerald straightened his posture and rolled up his sleeves.
Firm, well-built arm muscles came into view, bulging as he bent his elbow.
He gave a proud shrug.
“You have to show your masculine side. Subtly, of course—too much is no good.”
With a sly smile, he winked.
“It’s all about subtlety. Like letting her see your forearms while you work… or, even better, getting caught in the rain.”
“…Are you insane.”
Denok replied without a flicker of expression.
Gerald ignored him and slowly lowered his arm.
“When your clothes get wet, your body’s outline shows through just enough. That’s the point. Hm… thinking about it, that might be the most effective move.”
His eyes flicked briefly toward Denok’s chest as he muttered to himself.
That broad, powerful torso—one that looked like it could crush a boulder—was impressive even to another man.
But Denok didn’t notice Gerald’s glance at all. He was deep in thought.
‘…Subtly, huh.’
