My name was Dino De Chimenti, and I was an insignificant knight… no, let’s stop this worthless humility, and honestly, I was a pretty outstanding knight with lots of prospects. In the market of shrewd aristocrat marriages, the reason why I was listed as one of the candidates who didn’t even have any court rank was that I was expected to be promoted in the Knight’s order.

The other day, I was transferred from the Third Division, which was mainly responsible for maritime security, to the Fifth Division, tasked with maintaining security in the royal capital, in preparation for being promoted to the First Division, which was the core of the military. At the age of twenty-four, it was a smooth promotion, and my future was shining brightly.

It had been a long time since I had lived in the royal capital. In the glamorous evening party, which I didn’t even know how long it had been since I had attended one with a boisterous lady, I felt that even the air was so graceful that I took a deep breath. 

At any rate, when I was in the third division, I spent my days patroling and supervising from port to port and sometimes engaging in battles repeatedly. Even when I was standing by at land, I didn’t separate from the port, inevitably releasing my pent up frustration from the job in seedy taverns or brothels, getting into fights, secretly meeting with the beautiful wives of wealthy merchants; it was a life more like an outlaw than a regular soldier.

I was born as the third son of an upstart duke family who only had money. The manners and the etiquette I learned at the Royal Academy had already been blown away as I was now a man of the sea who didn’t look like a regular person at first glance.

Thanks to this, I had been gathering a lot of noblewomen’s passionate gazes. I guess the wild charm of my strong, tanned body and long, careless hair were something that the royal capital’s aristocrats didn’t have. From the looks of it, I’d have no trouble finding someone to warm my bed tonight. The women in the harbor were wild and really knew how to entertain men, but it was hard to discard the graceful game of love with the noble ladies. I would be bored if I continued my exciting harbor life alone, so I was reaching out for some sweet love.

“Dino, you’ve returned?”

The people who called out to me were my classmates from the Royal Academy. Some were serving the court as civil servants, some were helping their parents to take over the family business, some had gone into the military like me, but all of them looked thin and pale.

“Greetings, it’s been a long time.”

“What happened to you? The vibe around you has changed! Was the third division just as harsh as rumors say?”

“Well, it’s just as they say. But I got used to it…”

When I shared some of my sagas, the people I had been fooling around with in the Academy listened with interest and envy. Most of them are children of the aristocracy and other wealthy classes, but as a man, there would always be a part of you yearning for outlaws.

“However… if you live like that for a long time, you’ll forget the capital’s etiquette.”

The one who spoke with a sarcastic smile was Ambrogio. As the Marquis’ second son and the one with the highest position among us, he is a little proud of himself. Although I’m inferior in status, he’s just a little rascal who sees me as a rival, mainly because of my grades, stature, or eye-catching appearance, and doesn’t like to see me becoming the center of attention. 

“Well, there’s no particular inconvenience with this. As long as graceful noblewomen are interested in me.”

Ambrogio snorted to hide his frustration as I pointed to a glamorous and beautiful young woman staring at me with passionate eyes.

“A man like you would be exciting to bore married noblewomen. I’m sure that a truly lovely and intelligent young lady wouldn’t even bother with you. There are so many young ladies here today.”

“Countess Shimenyu likes looking after others; she likes to gather young men and women.”

“Ambrogio is excellent at this sort of thing.”

It annoyed me that my friends seemed to agree with Ambrogio.

Just as I was wondering what to say to dent his pride, the air in the hall changed suddenly. With an inexplicable buzz, the chaotic crowd broke up.

When I turned my gaze to see what this ruckus was about, I found myself nailed down to that scene.

A young lady with magnificent blonde hair, not losing to the glimmering chandelier and the vivid ice blue eyes that can make you sober with one glance, appeared while handling an unusually dark blue dress. Her looks gave off strong vibes through her clear-cut eyes and nose, but the mole under her eyes and her calm expression that was unusual for a young woman made her look calm and mysterious. 

“The d’la Love siblings…”

It was only when someone said that in surprise that I noticed a tall man next to her. 

The man looked very young, probably her younger brother since they were siblings. Even from a distance, I could tell he was a handsome man with platinum blonde hair, but it didn’t concern me.

Anyone who lived in this country knew the name of d’la Love. Of course, I, like a scrap of aristocracy, also knew that Duke d’la Love had a daughter and a son adopted from relatives and that the eldest daughter seldomly showed her face in high society.

It was frustrating, but I had no idea that the treasured young lady of Duke d’la Love’s house was a mesmerizing woman to that degree. 

The moment I saw her, I made up my mind. My goal tonight wouldn’t be the noblewomen who would be ready to warm my bed as soon as I raised my voice but her.

“If I’m not wrong, she’s Lady Philia, right?”

“Yeah, Lady Philia… ah, dammit, she’s such a beauty.”

“What’s it, Ambrogio? Did she dump you? That’s funny.”

My motivation increased as I teased Ambrogio, who couldn’t help but mutter in frustration while being fascinated by Lady Philia. 

“Hey, Dino, don’t tell me you will reach out your hands to her?”

“Of course, I have to pick the best flower of the night.”

“N-No, it would be better if you stop here, Dino!”

The rest of the guys, except Ambrogio, suddenly became restless and began to look at each other meaningfully. Why were they looking so pale?

“No offense, but I think it would be better if you don’t reach out for Philia…”

“No, it should be fine. If Dino has confidence in him, there’s no loss in him trying.”

The rest of the guys also exaggeratedly tried to stop me, saying that it would be better if I didn’t and that she was dangerous, but then Ambrogio’s eyes began to sparkle suddenly.

“Incidentally, I couldn’t even get close to her. You know you can do it, don’t you?”

“Well, let’s see.”

No matter how high the position, a woman was a woman; it was easy to get closer to her as long as your way of doing so was right.

I avoided the crown and approached the d’la Love siblings. It seems that the younger brother was being invited to play cards in the game room by an older gentleman of high status.

“Luca, since your great-uncle has invited you, go ahead.”

“There’s no way I can leave my elder sister alone…”

“I’m all right. I will wait for you here. When you come back, shall we go to see the garden where the Oriental flowers are?”

“Sure… But, sister, listen…”

“Don’t smile at other gentlemen, don’t touch them, and avoid making eye contact with them, right? I understand and will try to be careful as much as possible.”

Lady Philia smiled at her extremely irritating brother while fending off his excuses.

“Then I’m going to borrow Luca, Philia. You should stretch your wings while the noisy guard dogs are away.”

“Great-uncle, don’t joke about it, else Luca will strip you of all your possessions. Also, please gamble in moderation.”

I wonder if they were blood-related, as Lady Philia sent them off with a friendly wave. After that, she went down on the edge like a wallflower. The music was just starting to play, but no one tried to invite her.

I wondered if it was because of the fear of Duke d’la Love’s fame that they left such a beautiful woman alone, but the royal capital’s men were pathetic.

But such a situation was really welcoming for me, and I could approach her without being disturbed by anyone. I took drinks in both hands, and while extending one, I called out to her.

“Good evening, Lady Philia. Would you like to have a drink for your parched throat?”

Lady Philia looked at me fleetingly but then quickly removed her gaze. She didn’t seem embarrassed and replied briskly.

“I am sure you must know, but it’s a breach of etiquette to talk to an unmarried lady without introducing yourself. We have never met, have we?”

“I suppose we were meant to meet here tonight. It’s our first meeting. I’m Dino De Chimenti. I am affiliated with the Fifth Division right now, but I was with the Third Division until recently.”

If you mentioned the Third Division, which was famous for its saga of pirate extermination, you should get a good response from young and old alike. However, Lady Philia didn’t show any interest besides politely reminding me. 

Perhaps because I had properly introduced myself, she accepted the drink I offered. Still, she showed no sign of sipping on anything that a man she had never met before had given her.

Her solid defense fanned my determination, and as I was talking to her about this and that, a timid voice interrupted us.

“E-Excuse me, can I have a word?”

In contrast to me, who thought what an annoying fly, Lady Philia’s bored expression brightened up. 

“So you have also come, Julio! What a coincidence. I’m happy we’ve met.”

“H-hello, please don’t give me such a friendly smile! I don’t want to be seen…”

The meddler Julio’s face twitched, and he stepped back for some reason, frightened when Lady Philia gave him a smile like a blossoming flower and surveyed his surroundings restlessly. 

Julio was a colleague in the Fifth Division. However, he was an apprentice, so I had barely heard about him but never talked. I wondered why such a fellow interrupted us, but he seemed to be on quite friendly terms with Lady Philia.

“You’re as rude as ever, screaming in people’s faces. But I will forgive this impoliteness since it’s you.”

“I beg you, don’t say such terrifying words, please. Lady Philia, you have been saying it purposely recently, haven’t you?”

“That’s for me to know and for you to find out. It’s unusual for you to approach me like that.”

“W-well, it’s to rescue my superior from the danger zone…”

Julio turned to look at me and said something I didn’t understand. Lady Philia compared our faces and nodded in understanding. 

Maybe it was because of Julio, but I felt like the support I had earlier had disappeared, and my attitude softened.

“Lord Chimenti has said that he is affiliated to Fifth Division. Is he your friend?”

“No, I’m just a lowly officer. But I have come here to retrieve him from at my superior’s order not to put our division in danger any more than this.”

“Hey, aren’t your phrasing that horribly?”

“I-I was rude! But this is the order from the adjutant. I’m begging you, sir, please be brave and withdraw from this situation.”

“Julio, you are saying it like it’s a battlefield.”

“Because, in a sense, it’s an even more dangerous battlefield…”

Julio suddenly pointed at Lady Philia and shouted.

“Lady Philia, this isn’t juice!”

It was the glass I had presented to her earlier that Lady Philia had unintentionally drunk during our conversation. It was a cocktail with a naturally smooth taste and strong alcohol content, something I had chosen with ulterior motives, of course. She had been very interested in it since I was the one who offered it, but perhaps because she let down her guard due to Julio’s presence, she inadvertently sipped it.

I wondered if she was getting drunk. Lady Philia, whose skin was getting flushed, tilted her head like a child.

“But this is sweet and delicious.”

“That’s what alcohol is. Wow, your reasoning is dwindling quickly! You don’t have much tolerance to alcohol, do you?”

“What are you saying? There’s no way I’m speaking. I like to drink more than I can afford!”

“I didn’t understand what you said! Aren’t you absurdly weak? His Excellency will definitely kill me…”

Lady Philia chuckled amusingly, looking at a flustered Julio.

I couldn’t help but gulp down, looking at the erotic display of her drunk eyes and her cheeks with a thin shade of crimson.

“Julio, you’re all getting teary eyes… So cute!”

“Lady Philia?”

Lady Philia grasped Julio’s outerwear tightly. He had certainly begun to cry, and she looked up at him mischievously. Her upturned eyes were completely foul play. In addition, her dress had a large square neck opening so that Julio could see her soft white valley from the height of his eyes. Julio was making his lower body pull backward, but his eyes were swallowing down in the deep ravine. As a man, it was natural.

“Luca hasn’t been doing it recently. Will you do it, Julio?”

“It’s too suspicious. You are missing the point here! I-I am requesting you to please get away…”

“What do you want me to do, elder sister?”

A chill ran all over my body. The voice that tickles my eardrums was sweet, yet it evoked an instinctive fear in me, and my body immediately tensed up as if it were before a battle.

I quickly turned out to see that there was nothing dangerous instead of the young man with platinum blonde hair… Lady Philia’s little brother.

In contrast to my relieved state, Julio was furiously trembling while ruffling his hair.

“Luca!”

Lady Philia cast out Julio and jumped into her little brother’s embrace.

“Sister…?”

“Welcome back, Luca. I was lonely…”

“Sister… you seemed to be drunk.”

The younger brother raised an eyebrow as he hugged her thin body in his arms.

Hey, hey, weren’t these siblings sticking to each other too much, or so I thought when the younger brother turned to look at me.

As soon as his emerald-like green eyes stared at me, I felt as if ice slid down my spine. My body froze, and I couldn’t move. 

I couldn’t believe that I, who had fought off pirates in hand-to-hand combat, couldn’t move at the mere glare of this extremely handsome aristocrat young master.

“Are you the one who made her drink alcohol?”

I felt stuffy with the brother, who was obviously younger than me and yet completely showing a condescending attitude, but Julio entered between us before I could say anything.

“E-Excuse me, it wasn’t purposely but an accident. My superior also didn’t have ill-intent, probably…”

“Your superior? That means from the Fifth Division, right?”

“Yes…”

Julio, who exposed my identity intending to help me, covered his mouth.

“I see… just right.”

Saying that, the younger brother who raised the corner of his lips in a smile looked like a devil even to me who wasn’t so familiar with him.

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