Chapter 29
During the first week of August—the hottest time of the year—the nobles of Pellen temporarily suspend their social activities and leave for summer retreats.
To their own estates, villas, or vacation resorts.
The endless social events that had continued since spring come to a halt for about two weeks, and during that time, Pellen becomes a quiet city emptied of people.
Most families go away for about a week, but my family always spent nearly a month at the County of Brante, starting from the end of July.
During that month, while staying at the estate, Father would take care of the affairs he had entrusted to his steward. He hosted official events and communicated with the people of the territory, and my brother often assisted him.
As for me, aside from attending fairs or exhibitions Father hosted, I mostly lazed around. That was the plan for this year as well.
Spending carefree days in a beautiful, peaceful countryside like something out of Europe would normally have been something I welcomed with open arms.
The problem was that the timing overlapped perfectly with the summer break of the Landerst Royal Military Academy.
I finally started seeing Darius more often, and now I have to be away from him for a whole month?!
Still, I couldn’t throw a tantrum and refuse to visit the estate just because I wanted to see my favorite character. It was a long-standing family tradition, and it would be too long a time for me alone to remain in the capital.
It would be like skipping a major holiday gathering with your family just to attend your idol’s fan meeting.
After sulking for a week, I finally decided to attempt something reckless.
Let’s invite Darius to our Brante estate!
During the summer retreat, nobles often vacation with just their families, but it’s also common to invite close families to their estates or villas to spend the season together.
If I could even bring Kyle along and help mediate between the brothers, that would be perfect.
I ran to Father, who was busy with paperwork, and casually brought it up.
“Father, we’ll be staying at the Brante estate for a month soon, right?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“You said you’d be teaching Brother the estate work in earnest this time. I think I’ll be lonely all by myself.”
“Hmm… I’m sorry.”
I began carefully laying the groundwork to suggest inviting the Diern family. In reality, Millie and the other servants would accompany and look after me, but that wasn’t the same as having family or friends.
Even at my sudden pout, Father stopped his pen and looked at me with pity. I pulled a chair closer to him.
“So I was thinking—how about inviting another family to our estate this summer?”
At the unexpected suggestion, Father’s previously gloomy face brightened.
“Oh, that’s a fine idea! How about inviting one of the friends who attended your birthday party?”
“Ah… I’m not quite that close with them yet…”
“You can grow closer this time. Which young lady would you prefer?”
The conversation had been going well but suddenly veered off course. I bit my lip.
After my birthday party, I had exchanged formal letters with the young ladies and attended a couple of their tea parties, but our relationship was still nothing more than social courtesy.
After hesitating, I decided to just be direct.
“How about the Duke of Diern’s family? Darius is friends with my brother, after all.”
At my suggestion, Father’s lively eyes dulled in an instant.
Though he didn’t say it outright, it seemed he would prefer that I spend time with girls my age rather than Kyle. No matter how many times we insisted that we were just friends, perhaps as a parent it made him uneasy that his daughter’s closest friend was a boy—even if he was two finger-joints shorter than me.
“The Duke of Diern’s family, you say…”
He stroked his beard hesitantly, clearly troubled. Father usually granted my requests without hesitation—so the fact that he was thinking this hard meant it wasn’t simple.
“Um… never mind. Let’s just forget I mentioned it.”
I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t disappointed, but I decided to give up cleanly. I didn’t want to burden Father, who was already busy, by insisting.
Father raised his hand, sighed, and finally offered conditional permission.
“Very well. But when you play with the boys of that family at the estate, your brother must accompany you at all times.”
“…! I will! Thank you!”
It meant I’d have an extra tagalong, but I’d gotten permission at last.
I hopped down from the chair, barely containing my excitement. I could always shake off the tagalong somehow.
“Haha, you’re that happy? I hate to dampen your spirits, but the duke’s family may very well decline.”
“I know that. Still, I’ll go and ask!”
With plans forming in my mind for how to persuade the duchess, I left Father’s office and headed straight for the ducal residence.
Duke Selfius Diern had departed in early July for his northern territory, which meant I could visit without worry now.
I’d felt uncomfortable running into him, so I had been visiting the ducal residence less frequently than before. I still showed my face from time to time to maintain my relationship with the duchess, but only minimally.
Keeping to our agreement to play just once a month, I would greet Kyle briefly and then leave.
Though he often looked reluctant, Kyle now always returned my greetings. On the days we’d promised to spend time together, he would clear his entire day.
We met in everyday clothes instead of training uniforms and played in the garden rather than the outdoor training grounds.
Before, Kyle would threaten to return to training after just two hours, but now he would spend half the day without telling me to go home.
In fact, when I said I should head back, he almost seemed disappointed.
I should’ve done this sooner.
When I stopped pushing him, we stopped fighting. Truly, moderation was best in everything.
So even if Kyle refused the summer invitation, I had no intention of forcing him.
Of course, it would be wonderful if he came.
Humming to myself, I entered the ducal residence—and encountered unexpected fortune.
In the central hall stood a blond, handsome young man dressed in the brilliant uniform of the Royal Military Academy.
“Darius…?”
“Miss Riez! Welcome.”
Darius spotted me and approached with a bright smile.
True to the prestige of the Royal Military Academy, his ornate gold-trimmed ceremonial uniform was dazzling.
The perfectly angled military cap, the black jacket elegantly fitted to his body, the epaulettes and armband bearing the royal insignia, the boots rising to his calves…
I couldn’t believe this was the same outfit my own brother wore.
Darius wasn’t wearing the uniform.
The uniform was wearing Darius.
I didn’t know I liked uniforms this much…
Moreover, his porcelain-white skin had tanned slightly, giving him a healthy glow. This version was charming in its own way too…
As I shamelessly admired this limited-edition “uniform-and-tanned” version of my favorite character, he strode over to me.
It seemed he had just arrived as well—he had a musket slung over one shoulder and a large bag in his other hand. Servants bustled past us carrying luggage.
Darius swiftly handed the musket to a passing servant—perhaps assuming I might be frightened of firearms.
Goodness. He even has manners.
“Ah—Darius…! It’s been a while! Are you on break?”
I barely swallowed the gush of fangirling that threatened to spill out and asked casually.
“Yes. Since the day before yesterday.”
“Huh? My brother hasn’t come home yet.”
“Ah, Simon said he had some work left at school, so he’ll stay a few more days. You didn’t know?”
Father probably told me, but I hadn’t stored that unnecessary information. I nodded vaguely and focused on him, seeing him again after two months.
“You worked hard this semester. Congratulations on finishing, Darius.”
“Thank you. Have you been well, Miss Riez?”
“Of course! Oh, right—I’ve worn this every single day.”
I proudly held up the bracelet, and he gave me another radiant smile that seemed to melt the air.
“I’m glad you’re using it well. You’re on your way to see Mother, right? Let’s go up together.”
I followed his gesture and climbed the stairs beside him.
Ah… I had only come to invite the duchess to spend the summer at the Brante estate, and yet I happened to run into Darius right after he returned home. It felt like a dream.
Oh! Since things turned out this way, I should confirm Darius’s intentions first.
Even if I gained the duchess’s permission, it would be meaningless if Darius couldn’t come.
Now that I was about to ask him directly, I felt a flicker of nervousness.
Don’t get your hopes up too much. The disappointment will be worse.
After putting up several mental defenses to prepare for rejection, I carefully opened my mouth.
“Darius, would you like to visit our County of Brante during the August summer retreat?”
