"Hmm."
Standing in front of his wardrobe, Isaac was deep in thought.
He had nothing suitable to wear for the banquet today.
Having been Helmut's son-in-law, he had attended such gatherings a few times before.
He even owned a fairly decent and expensive formal uniform.
'I should've swallowed my pride and brought at least one outfit.'
But when he left Helmut, he abandoned everything.
It wasn't a pleasant departure, so taking what he had received there would have felt wrong.
'The one I wore during the title conferment ceremony…'
He considered wearing it again but dismissed the thought. It was too extravagant.
At the conferment ceremony, he had been the main figure, so dressing lavishly had been a form of etiquette.
But this time, he wasn't the protagonist, nor did he hold any particularly significant position.
'Sigh, this is troublesome.'
He had heard that impoverished nobles had to bow to wealthy commoners.
Wasn't that exactly his situation right now?
While he was stuck in indecision, a knock came from outside the dressing room.
"Baron, Her Highness the Princess has sent you an outfit."
"An outfit?"
When Isaac opened the door, Karen greeted him with a polite smile and explained.
"Yes, she sent it for you to wear at tonight's banquet."
"The princess? Why?"
"What do you mean, why?"
Karen beamed as she responded.
"You're her partner, of course."
"…I am?"
"Yes, Baron, you are."
A mere baron being chosen as the princess's partner for a banquet…
'She's really working me hard.'
But he didn't mind.
It saved him the trouble of picking an outfit, and since it was from the princess, it was bound to be a luxurious formal uniform—one he was getting for free.
"Haha! I'll finally get to enjoy a good meal again."
Karen chuckled happily.
As a maid, she was attending to assist with the banquet's preparations.
Since she had originally worked in the royal palace, she sometimes helped out at events like these.
"In that case, you don't have to come in tomorrow."
"Pardon?"
As Isaac held up the uniform and examined his reflection in the mirror, Karen blinked in surprise.
"I mean, you can drink. You're close with the royal maids, right? Take the chance to catch up."
"Baron—!"
Karen looked at Isaac, deeply touched.
Clasping her hands together as if in prayer, she praised him with a reverent expression.
"If only everyone were like you, Baron! To be honest, I was a bit worried when I was assigned to you… but I'm so grateful now!"
"Worried? Why?"
Isaac glanced at her curiously, and Karen confessed shyly.
"Well… I'm actually engaged. When my fiancé heard I'd be working alone under a handsome baron, he completely lost his mind."
"…I see. Just make sure to reassure him. Tell him I'm not that kind of person."
"Yes! Karen, your humble servant, will serve the Baron until her dying breath!"
"No need for that. Now get out."
He had to change and check the fit of the uniform.
"Understood!"
"Oh, and one more thing."
As Karen was heading out, Isaac offered her a piece of genuine advice.
"Think carefully before you get married. Love alone isn't enough."
"…Do you really want to say that to a bride-to-be?"
"It's the wisdom of experience."
***
The banquet hosted by Princess Adeline Seraphia Legardia, the first in line to the throne, was as grand and extravagant as her status suggested.
It was held in the palace's banquet hall, which was opened up for the occasion.
Clarice had spoken about it so casually, as if it were some kind of children's home party, but it was nothing of the sort.
"This is… way more than I expected…"
Since Isaac was the partner of Clarice, the event's host, he couldn't join the ongoing banquet just yet.
The hosts were supposed to make their entrance once the atmosphere was fully set.
So, he stood at the back of the banquet hall, adjusting his outfit.
"Wow…"
Clarice stepped into the room and let out a gasp of admiration.
"I was the one who sent it, but it really suits you. It was worth dyeing it black with such expensive dye."
Matching Isaac's black formal attire, Clarice had also donned a black dress. With a sly smile, she quickly approached him and adjusted his outfit.
"Your tie is crooked. You're not very good at tying it, are you?"
"Well… not really."
Isaac was used to such gestures.
But one thing was different—there was no lingering scent of roses.
…A tie.
Whenever he attended banquets as Helmut's son-in-law, Liana used to tie his tie for him just like this.
She had done it without any change in expression, but back then, even that had made him happy.
"There, all done. How do I look?"
"It's fine."
"No, I meant me. How do I look?"
"...."
Clarice took a playful step back, smiling mischievously.
With her elegant black dress and neatly styled hair, she looked so different from the woman he had once seen in the marketplace that he almost wondered if they were the same person.
A woman truly shines when adorned.
"You look like a princess."
"Is that a compliment? Or are you saying I haven't looked like one until now?"
"...."
Isaac held back his answer.
Clarice only pouted and grumbled but didn't press further.
"More importantly, are you sure you want me as your partner?"
After all, he was a divorced man.
If a princess chose someone like him as her partner, it wouldn't be well received.
Worse, it could even spark rumors that she was opposing Helmut.
"We're just using each other."
Clarice explained with an apologetic smile.
"I'll become known as a reckless, scandalous princess. And since you're at least good-looking, the story will be that I was completely swept away by your looks."
"For the sake of the throne?"
"Exactly. I need to support my sister."
"Hmm."
Understanding her intent, Isaac nodded.
"And in return, I, who left Helmut, will gain a strong backer in the princess, proving to the nobles that I'm not without support."
"Exactly! Isaac, have you ever considered being my bodyguard? You're way easier to talk to than Heirad!"
He pretended not to hear.
Regardless, he understood her intentions.
Helmut held immense influence, and many noble families were closely tied to it.
Some among them saw Isaac in a negative light for diminishing Helmut's prestige.
However, if he openly displayed Clarice's backing, he wouldn't need to worry about their scrutiny.
"Do you have much experience with banquets?"
"I used to attend them with Liana."
"Then that's practically nothing."
She wasn't wrong.
Back then, he had been nothing more than a puppy trailing behind Liana.
He had never mingled in noble conversations or played the game of politeness and hidden intentions.
"Banquets are mostly about appearances. It's all about showing who you are, how distinguished you are, through clothing, speech, and etiquette."
"Are you giving me noble etiquette lessons now?"
"I won't always be your partner, you know? I will get married someday."
"…Choose your husband wisely."
"Harsh, but fair advice."
Clarice chuckled softly.
"Do you know what's the most valuable thing to show off—something that draws envy and jealousy more than anything?"
She slowly extended her hand.
Following her unspoken request for an escort, Isaac gently took her hand.
"What is it?"
"A partner. Isaac, grant me the honor of being the partner of the most handsome man in this banquet hall."
"...."
"And in return, I shall grant you the honor of having the most noble lady as your partner."
Their eyes met, and a faint smile formed on their lips.
The atmosphere between them was not that of a man and woman but of mischievous childhood friends running through the backstreets of a village.
With the goal of attracting envy and jealousy, they stepped forward into the banquet hall.
***
'How boring.'
Inside the banquet hall.
The Grandmaster, sitting in a corner eating, let out a sigh.
She had followed Clarice here, but all she did was eat.
There wasn't much she could do, nor was there anything she particularly wanted to do.
If anything, she just wanted to take off the awkward hat she was wearing to cover her ears.
'Where are my fellow disciples?'
She knew that Princess Clarice was doing her best to search for them.
But even after two months, there was still no news, leaving her with no choice but to wait, pitifully.
"Haa…"
Her eyes closed.
Naturally, old memories resurfaced.
Nostalgia she had indulged in countless times before.
The same sequence, the familiar flow.
Living together, wielding swords together, striving toward a common goal together.
"Haa."
Just as her recollection reached its end, she slowly opened her eyes.
She had no desire to dwell on the tragedy as well.
'How fragile.'
The Grandmaster smirked bitterly at herself.
Just as she tried to distract herself with more food, a familiar name reached her ears.
"Baron Logan gave permission for us to drink too?"
"Does that mean you have tomorrow off, Karen? I'm so jealous!"
"Hehe, feels like just yesterday you were crying about leaving the palace. But look at you now—it was the best decision ever."
'Hmm?'
The woman being talked about was Karen, a servant working at Isaac's estate.
She was a former palace maid, and now, it seemed she had found some time to chat with her old colleagues while working in the palace.
"Oh, I'm so jealous. Just one look at the Baron's eyes, and you can tell how ridiculously handsome he is."
"I wouldn't even mind being used as his foot mat—just get me a job there!"
"I cried when Karen left, thinking she was pitiful. Pitiful, my ass. She's doing the best out of all of us."
'Huh, he's quite popular.'
It was amusing.
Gossiping about men and rumors was practically a maid's main duty, but their praise of Isaac seemed exceptionally high.
'Is divorce not a flaw for him?'
That shouldn't be the case.
"But Baron Logan is divorced, isn't he? Doesn't that mean something's wrong with him?"
One of the maids voiced her doubt, but Karen immediately countered.
"Oh, hush! Our Baron is nothing like that. Honestly, I don't know why his wife ever let him go."
"Does it even matter? If it were me? I wouldn't care one bit. I'd go straight to him!"
"You crazy girl!"
The maids burst into laughter.
They were the type to devour romance novels, so they had their own fantasies.
"Isn't it great, though? Holding the wounded Baron in your arms and whispering, 'It's okay. I'm here for you.'"
"Ahhh! That's a perfect setup. Monblin, why don't you write a novel about it?"
"The Baron would say, 'Monblin, I… I can no longer trust women.' And then I'd reply, 'I'll stay by your side whenever you need me.' Then, I'd embrace him in my arms—!"
'…That maid sure has a vivid imagination.'
Monblin twisted her body as she indulged in her fantasy.
At that moment, another maid voiced her own daydream.
"Oh, but I prefer a different scenario. What if the Baron is actually rough at night?"
"Ohhh."
"You mean… forceful? That's not bad either."
"One night, he calls me to his chambers, tells me to undress, and then—"
"Oh my! Baron! Please don't! But deep down, I'd be thinking, 'Hurry up and strip me! Get started already!'"
The maids cackled loudly.
'Ugh, I can't listen to this anymore.'
The Grandmaster was about to move away when Karen's sharp voice stopped her in her tracks.
"That's not true. The Baron would never do something like that. He's incredibly kind and considerate. Every time I prepare his meals, he always thanks me, and it's so touching."
"Well, that does sound like him."
"I was so shocked when I first heard that the eldest daughter of House Helmut was marrying a commoner."
"But I guess only someone like him could have made that possible."
The maids, finally realizing they had gone too far, settled down and returned to their duties.
Just then, the banquet hall fell silent as a man and woman entered.
Baron Logan escorting Princess Clarice.
Both dressed in matching black attire.
Their beauty alone commanded the attention of the entire hall.
"Hmm, I can understand… a little."
Understanding the maids' excitement, the Grand Master quietly raised the corner of her lips.