Duke, Is This Your First Time?

[Marquis Berten is excited to bring you down. After all, he’s in second place, so he wants to get first place. It is a pity that Duke Deimos does not see this summons. Shall I send him a secret letter?]

After Elysia said that she had a good conversation with Iker, Lulien seemed to have cut her interest in the coming meeting.

With her time to worry about that, she’d be better off doing one more business.

Elysia could fully understand Lulien’s attitude.

When Elysia comes down from the leader position, pressure will begin to come from the Duke of Russet and the Second Prince, so Lulien seemed to be trying to do what she could before that.

‘In that sense, Lulien is a thorough type.’

Elysia, who thought she was really lucky that Lulien was her aide, lifted her head at Hal’s voice.

He was looking at her with an expression that said ‘what are you so worried about?’

“Don’t worry. Even if you step down from the position, I will not let them touch you.”

Then he casually added if they bothered her, he would chop them down.

Elysia, who was dumbfounded and relaxed at the same time, smirked and spoke.

“Every time something happens, you want to cut people down. Someone might think that you studied abroad to deal with obstacles in front of me.”

“That’s right.”

“……What?”

“That’s why I went.”

“…”

After being silent for a moment at Hal’s unexpected reply, Elysia shook her head and asked Hal again.

 “Hal, what was your dream? Didn’t you want to be the best swordsman in the empire?”

“Your escort.”

“No, the original reason you grabbed the sword. Obviously, when you were young, you wanted to be a prosecutor… ”

Elysia, who was speaking with a frustrated expression, stopped. The memories of her childhood that she had forgotten flashed into her mind.

When she, Hal, and Lulien were eight years old, when Elysia’s parents found out that Hal had a talent for swordsmanship, they immediately hired a teacher.

Elysia, who was still a little girl, asked the little boy who had returned from his first swordsmanship class.

[Hal, what do you want to be when you grow up?]

[Your escort knight.]

[Eh, isn’t the dream too small? Don’t you want to be the best swordsman in the empire?]

[I don’t need that.]

[No! A man should dream big. Come on. The best swordsman in the empire!]

[No.]

No matter how stubborn young Elysia was, young Hal did not listen until the end with a sullen expression on his face. 

In the end, young Elysia got angry and yelled at young Hal to do whatever he wanted. Well, the anger lasted less than 30 minutes.

As she recalled the memories of the past with her close friends, a smile naturally appeared on her lips.

Looking back, her friends were very consistent.

When she asked Lulien about her childhood dream, Lulien replied that she would become the Marquess of Camellia’s aide. She then went to study abroad and she really did become Elysia’s aide.

So she was always grateful to her close friends, but also sorry.

Because they couldn’t get higher positions and do other things besides protecting her.

‘If it weren’t for me, wouldn’t the dreams of the two of them be different?”

It was when Elysia was about to become depressed because the question came up again.

She felt a sharp pain in her forehead with a click.

“Ouch!”

She raised her head in bewilderment and saw Hal holding his hand out to reveal his palm.

“What are you doing? It hurts!”

She rubbed her forehead, which must have turned red, and as Elysia was angry, Hal opened his  mouth with a blunt voice.

“You were thinking useless thoughts.”

“What?”

“If it’s not about me, what would you have thought?”

Embarrassed by Hal’s insight into her own thoughts, Elysia gently avoided her gaze. Then, as if he knew it, he swung his palm again as if he was about to slap her on the forehead.

“Should I hit you one more time to blow away your useless thoughts?”

“No, I won’t think about it. Meeting thoughts. I’m thinking of the meeting.”

Elysia quickly waved her hands. A single blow was enough to get her out of her mind.

While rubbing her forehead, the carriage arrived at the mansion of the Duke of Russet.

When Elysia got off the carriage first, grabbed Hal’s hand and got down to the ground, the butler of the Duke bowed deeply and greeted her, as if he had been waiting for her.

“Welcome, Marquess Camellia. His Excellency said today’s meeting will be held in the Plant Hall. I will guide you.”

“Please.”

Elysia and Hal were guided by the butler and moved their steps towards the Plant Hall. As the meeting room got closer, her shoulders stiffened and hardened.

No matter how much she prepared her mind, she had no choice but to be concerned as she was on today’s agenda. Taking a quiet deep breath inward to release her restless mind and tension, she suddenly thought of Iker. 

In the moonlit room, his characteristic body scent rushed to the tip of her nose in an instant, the light breath she felt on her lips, and his deep, low voice told her not to worry because nothing will happen.

She couldn’t understand what he was thinking, even now, but she was certain of one thing.

Thinking of his words calmed her nervousness.

 ‘He’s an unknown man.’

Unknowingly, she had a slight smile on her lips, and her shoulders were much lighter than before.

***

Marquis Berten, who was sitting in front of the long table in the Plant Hall, looked at the nobles who entered one by one and filled their seats.

As the start time was approaching, there were only a few vacant seats left.

His gaze, who had been checking who the nobles had not yet come, turned to the top of the table.

Where there were usually two chairs, there were three chairs. Looking at the newly placed chair, he rolled up his lips invisible.

‘I don’t think Marquess Camellia will accept the second Prince’s offer. It’s a good thing for me.’ 

Frankly, he thought that Marquess Camellia would accept the position as the Crown Princess.

Not only could she keep her current position, but she also had a chance to become Empress of the Empire in the future.

If that happened, it would delay his ascension to become the leader for several months, but he had no complaints. It didn’t matter if it was sooner or later because he had already been promised his position.

But this morning, the Duke of Russet gave him an unexpected order.

It was to dismiss Marquess Camelia from her position as leader now. He was also ordered to arrange a seat for the second Prince to attend.

There were no other words, but Marquis Berten could tell from Duke Russet’s eyes.

Marquess Camellia had rejected the second Prince’s offer, which greatly upset Duke Russet.

It seemed to be the same with the second Prince. Otherwise, they wouldn’t order for another seat. It seemed like the second Prince wanted to see with his own eyes the Marquess of Camillia deprived of her leader position at today’s meeting.

Marquis Berten, who was pensive, looked up at the sound of the nobles murmuring.

Marquess Camellia was entering the conference hall with the clattering of her heels.

She was dressed in a suit with her luscious red hair high up as usual. The collar of her all-white shirt was stylishly tied with a red ribbon the same color as her hair instead of a cravat.

Marquess Camellia was beautiful and charming, as the most beautiful woman in the empire. Besides, she was so smart that it was natural for the 2nd Prince to want to covet her.

The gaze of Marquess Berten, who was scanning Elysia’s outfit, turned upward.

He admired the mysterious dark purple eyes and the confident, young eyes. Her face showed neither fear nor concern, even though she knew she would be dismissed from her position today.

The thought of whether he could have appeared like that if he had been in the same position as the Marquess of Camellia flashed through his mind.

‘She’s indeed a descendant of the Camellia.’

Elysia, who was sitting in her seat, turned her head toward Marquis Berten as he was immersed in his thoughts. She seemed to feel the gaze staring at her.

One edge of her lips could be seen rising. Marquis Berten slightly frowned at the smile that was sure to sneer at him.

But he immediately loosened the strength he had on his eyes. Soon the position he wanted so badly would be his, and she would look up at him like he did.

Marquis Berten, imagining the victory, quickly got up.

The 2nd Prince was entering the hall with the Duke of Russet.

When Marquis Berten stood up, all the nobles who were sitting on their chairs also stood up.

Although it was a little slow, Marquess Camellia also got up.

While the nobles bowed their heads, the 2nd Prince sat next to the MarquessCamellia. And next to her sat the Duke of Russet.

The second Prince looked very unhappy.

With a twisted smile that could feel the irritation and disapproval, the nobles secretly avoided their gaze and sat down.

Marquis Berten, who was standing for the meeting, was also wary of the second Prince.

Fortunately, the Duke of Russet sent a glance to proceed with the meeting.

As if waiting, Marquis Berten opened his mouth as he looked around the nobles in the hall.

“Then, from now on, we will start the meeting on the dismissal of Marquess Camellia.” 

His eyes were shining with anticipation at the fact that the time he had been waiting for was approaching.

***

“What do you mean dismissal because of the scandal? It’s just her private life!”

“It’s just that! A leader who is supposed to protect her dignity and honor is in the middle of a scandal like that…!”

“There have been many scandals with the leader before! Why didn’t you say anything then!” 

Elysia sighed softly as she watched the two-sided aristocracy.

The outcome was decided anyway, but she was thankful for the nobles who stepped up for her, and she was also sorry.

But the man sitting next to her seemed to have misunderstood her sigh.

“Isn’t it overwhelming to get fired?”

A low, sarcastic voice penetrated Elysia’s ears.