Chapter 31

“Are you Duke Baltia?”

“…Yes, that’s right. And may I ask your name?”

Golden hair and dazzling attire. For some reason, there was an allure to the presence he exuded.

“Ah, forgive me; I neglected to introduce myself. I am Sieg von Gellam Osenheim. I’m the fifth son, born to a concubine, so please, feel free to be at ease.”

Saying this, the imposing Prince Sieg held out his hand. Refusing a handshake would be seen as impolite… so I clasped his hand in return. With that golden hair, he was indeed of royal lineage. It’s tricky to say whether a duke or the son of a crown prince takes precedence, but handling this respectfully should avoid any issues.

“I am Einsig von Shil Baltia. May I ask, what brings you to approach me?”

As we shook hands, I asked this question. Prince Sieg gave a playful look.

“You seemed a bit idle, so I thought you might want to chat.”

Now that we’d shaken hands, it would be difficult to decline his offer… I hadn’t been cautious enough. Well, I was free anyway; gathering some information wouldn’t be a bad idea.

“If I can be of any service, I’d be delighted.”

“Good, then… Hey! Kara!”

At Prince Sieg’s call, a woman approached us. With purple hair and slanted eyes, she gave off a cool, composed air.

“Let me introduce her—my fiancée, Kara. After all, women might get bored while men talk, wouldn’t you agree?”

Prince Sieg directed his gaze towards the lady standing half a step behind me—Lady Leila. She glanced my way as if seeking confirmation, and I responded with a nod.

“…I am Leila Shil Baltia. A pleasure to meet you.”

“My name is Kara Marlen. I’m of baronial birth, so please, no need for formality.”

“Now that the introductions are over, let’s have a little man-to-man conversation. Please entertain the Duchess Baltia.”

“As you wish, Your Highness.”

I conveyed to Lady Leila with a glance that it was fine for her to go with Kara. The two ladies moved away.

“Now then. We’re rather conspicuous here, so let’s move elsewhere.”

Following Prince Sieg’s lead, we arrived at a balcony just off the grand hall. There was no one else around, and a gentle night breeze brushed my cheek. From the balcony, one could see the view of the royal capital.

“It’s a nice view, isn’t it?”

“Yes, the sheer scale of the city makes it quite impressive.”

Even at night, with the moon rising, lights still illuminated the buildings. I took a sip from my glass and turned to face Prince Sieg.

“So, what did you want to talk about?”

Prince Sieg’s expression grew serious, as if preparing to broach the main topic.

“The talk is…well, nothing in particular. I was just looking for an excuse to escape the event.”

As I stood there, momentarily speechless, he laughed, seemingly entertained by my reaction.

“Ha, sorry. Your expression was priceless. But surely listening to the endless prattle of elderly nobles is tiresome too, right?”

“Well, yes, you’re not wrong…”

In truth, nearly every noble who greeted me was elderly, each going on about things I couldn’t quite grasp, which was indeed tiring.

“We’re close in age, so I thought we could chat. And while Kara’s here, we can’t exactly discuss our preferences in women, right? Though, of course, my favorite is Kara.”

Watching him laugh, I felt a sense of nostalgia. Ah, it reminded me of friends from my previous life… While I consider Werner and Erich friends too, the inherent master-servant relationship always looms between us. I didn’t have anyone I could call a true equal friend. For the first time in a while, I felt that familiar warmth as I conversed with Prince Sieg.