~Chapter 30~
“Oh, where are you going? Weren’t we supposed to head to Count Alton’s estate?”
Alfred hurried after Diego, panting.
“…You wait in the carriage.”
“Ha! That would be great—wait, no! You’re not officially active yet, sir!”
Alfred was nervous about what trouble Diego might cause next. The way Diego had recently purged all of Ruet’s supporters was still fresh in his mind—he remembered Diego’s bloodied sword and cold face.
‘He’s so scary… you never know what he might do.’
‘He needs to take care of his image, especially now. He’ll want to get married one day, and it’s dangerous to get on the emperor’s bad side.’
As his assistant, Alfred worried all the time—if something happened, he’d get blamed too.
‘Or maybe getting fired would be good?’
Gasp!
‘What am I thinking?’
He slapped his own cheeks to clear his mind. Diego looked at him like he was pathetic.
“You’ll be fine alone, then.”
“N-no! Ha, ha… So, where are we going? I’m your assistant! Trust me!”
“…There’s a famous dessert café in the capital, right?”
“Ah, yes, Ramos Café, sir.”
“Wait here.”
With that, Diego turned and left. Alfred couldn’t protest and quietly stayed put.
Without hesitation, Diego walked to Ramos Café—but suddenly stopped.
He saw a young lady smiling brightly in the distance.
‘…’
She was talking with a silver-haired girl. Diego recognized her instantly—the gentle touch, the sweet scent, the warmth he remembered so clearly.
Her long, wavy dark brown hair, her lively violet eyes—Astia had become more mature and was smiling beautifully.
“Astia.”
Just saying her name filled Diego with indescribable feelings. He wanted to run to her and hug her, but forced himself to hold back.
‘Not yet.’
He knew now wasn’t the right time. If he acted on emotion, it could backfire. So, he pulled his robe low over his face, tried to blend in, and listened to their conversation as he walked by.
“…Ramos Dessert Café…”
That was the most important word. Diego hurried to the café and handed a pouch full of gold coins to the manager.
“I want to reserve the entire second floor.”
“Excuse me? But there are still customers…”
The manager hesitated at Diego’s sudden request. But Diego’s aura was so intimidating, he had to agree.
“I-I’ll do it right away!”
And the gold was just too much to refuse.
“What name should I put for the reservation?”
Diego almost said his own name, then stopped.
“…Ruby.”
“Alright, sir.”
After giving the manager instructions about Astia and Cecilia, Diego left. The manager looked confused, but as soon as he saw all the gold, he smiled brightly.
In the back alleys of the capital, all sorts of illegal things went on. At night, the alleys came alive; by day, people hid from the guards.
“Aagh! Spare me!”
But in the bright daylight, a sudden scream rang out. A terrified man was running for his life.
A disgusting, dark red mist chased him.
He tripped and fell in fear.
“Please, s-spare me…”
He begged for his life, but the mist slowly crept over him.
“Aagh!”
He seemed unable to make a sound as he twisted in pain.
Then, a dark figure in a robe walked toward him.
Step, step—
The figure reached out a hand.
Flash—
The dark red mist was sucked into a glass bottle that appeared out of thin air.
It was as if nothing had happened; the man was gone.
“Mission accomplished.”
The robed figure took out a crystal ball and reported to someone.
After the tea party, Astia was busy—her debutante ball was coming up.
The debutante was a coming-of-age event that every young lady dreamed of. So, girls worked very hard to look their best for it.
For Astia, it was her first time joining a big society event, so she prepared with care. Honestly, she was already skilled in all the manners and only needed a review.
[“Countess Helen will be your etiquette teacher.”]
Damian asked Countess Helen—famous for her perfect manners and from a noble family with a long tradition—to teach Astia.
The Helen family’s etiquette had been officially recognized since the founding of the empire, and their ladies passed down that tradition. The current Countess, Evelyn, was especially famous.
‘She’s every girl’s role model.’
Many girls wanted lessons from her, but she was always fully booked. Yet, for Damian, she cleared her schedule for Astia—out of pure curiosity.
After the tea party, rumors about Astia were spreading in society, and most were positive.
‘Overwhelming beauty and manners.’
People expected she’d get all the attention at her debut.
Countess Helen wanted to see the mysterious lady for herself. If the rumors were true, it would be rewarding to teach her. But she also thought the rumors were probably exaggerated.
‘How much could a girl who’s been sick for so long really learn?’
She didn’t expect much as she visited the Rovellito estate.
“Nice to meet you, Duke.”
Sitting elegantly on the sofa, Countess Helen talked with Damian about Astia.
She drank her tea with perfect manners and a relaxed smile, then asked,
“I heard the young lady was sick for a long time?”
“Yes, that’s true.”
“Then her etiquette can’t be perfect.”
Damian’s forehead tensed a little, but he kept calm.
“No way. Our Astia is so smart, if you teach her one thing, she learns ten. Her manners are perfect, and she’s also very beautiful and graceful in everything she does.”
“…I see.”
“You’ll be surprised, Countess. Astia is truly an angel—unique in all the world.”
Damian praised Astia so naturally it was almost funny.
Countess Helen almost dropped her mask of politeness, but managed to keep her composure.
‘What a unique man…’
The Rovellito duke was nothing like his cold reputation—at least when it came to Astia, he looked happier than anyone.
“Even her former etiquette teachers were surprised at how quickly she learned. And…”
Countess Helen soon realized that Astia was indeed a rare beauty and very clever.
“She really is amazing.”
“Right? You have good taste. I hope the Helen and Rovellito families can be on good terms from now on. I appreciate people with good judgment.”
“…”
Countess Helen realized something was a bit off, but couldn’t say anything. Damian looked so earnest, she didn’t dare disagree.
