Due to Dylan’s warning, Avril didn’t completely let her guard down. Although, she was starting to think Fernand wasn’t someone she needed to flee from the moment they met. Of course, this assessment was also influenced by the fact that he was the next Marquis of Brandner.

“Miss Avril, are you enjoying the evening party?”

The real Fernand spoke to her in a friendly manner.

Although Avril hesitated over how to respond, she decided giving those around them the wrong impression would not do. The polite smile she gave carried a note of caution.

“I am the Duchess of Lancester. Furthermore, I am married, not a Miss.”

She stated herself clearly, yet Fernand laughed heartily.

“Ahaha. Even if you make an expression like that, you aren’t frightening in the slightest.”

“Lord Fernand Brandner, I hope you have been well.”

“Just Fernand is fine. There’s no need for such a formal greeting.”

Once again, he was interacting with her with no sense of personal distance. Thinking that he was a good person really did seem to have been a momentary lapse of judgment on her part.

“Elder Brother… please don’t go any further than this.”

Just as Samuel, who was serving as Avril’s escort, became openly wary of his brother, a young lady appeared from behind Fernand.

“Lord Fernand, who is this lady?”

Her voice was like the ringing of bells.  She was a young lady who gave an adorable impression with charming, round eyes that were as lovely as those of a small animal.  Her brown hair had been pinned up, and she wore a dark purple hair ornament that was the same color as Fernand’s eyes.

Her modest attire, which didn’t reveal excessive skin, was fitting for a young lady of a noble house to wear for a formal occasion. The jewelry she wore was also of the highest quality without being gaudy.

She looked like the very picture of a noble young lady.  She was obviously Fernand’s fiancé, that could be determined with a single glance.  Avril gave a lady’s bow.

“My name is Avril Lanchester. I look forward to making your acquaintance.”

“Lancester? You say?”

Avril felt an uncomfortable gaze, one that seemed to be appraising her worth.

She seemed to have recognized Avril’s family name immediately and thought of Dylan. Yet before Avril could say anything, Fernand displayed a pleasant smile meant for public events.

“This person is just a lady-in-waiting at the royal palace. She’s not someone you need to concern yourself with.”

“Hmm. You two seem to be quite close.”

“Not at all. She is just one of the friends I see at the palace. Right?”

“But, Lord Fernand, isn’t this the first time you’ve ever introduced me to a lady-in-waiting you met at the palace? You always say they’re not the sort of people I should meet and keep them away from me.”

She frowned from displeasure. She seemed to be aware of her fiancé’s womanizing habits and was frustrated at being unable to control them.

The ladies-in-waiting at the royal palace don’t seem to attend tea parties or evening gatherings where Lord Fernand’s fiancée makes her appearance. That they’ve never been introduced is understandable.

As a result, Avril seemed as though she would bear the brunt of her displeasure. Considering how his fiancé must have felt, it could not really be helped, but it still felt a little unfair.

As Avril stared off into the distance, the young lady looked back and forth between Avril and Fernand before turning away with a huff.

“Say, Lord Fenand, the Countess is over there. Let’s go greet her.”

She seemed to have decided to leave without introducing herself. Though Avril inwardly gave a wry smile at the young lady for placing her own emotions above the etiquette of polite society, she could understand how she felt, and so she bent her knees in a curtsy.

“Then, if you’ll excuse me.”

“Ah.  Well… until later.”

Fernand gave a casual wave in her direction before being pulled away by his fiancée.

Left behind by an encounter far too inadequate to be called a proper greeting at a social gathering, Avril could only stand there in bewilderment.

“Was that Lady Kitri Baudelaire?”

 Although Avril knew nothing at all of Fernand’s fiancée, she mentally narrowed the possibilities down to young ladies of an appropriate age whose family standing would not be out of place for an engagement to the heir of the Marquis of Brandner family.  From there, she compared them with what she had just seen and tilted her head.

While the House of Baudelaire was of a marquis family, their lineage could be traced back to foreign nobility.  Furthermore, although unusual, they still maintained close ties with them. As a result, their standing in high society wasn’t particularly high.

However, she had heard that their current head of the house was quite capable.

I’ve heard that family is working to form ties by marrying their children into foreign royal families, and that they are enthusiastic about providing them with an elite education abroad from an early age.

Samuel, who had been left equally taken aback, nodded.

“That’s right. My elder brother’s fiancée is a bit problematic. He neither introduce you as Lady Avril, the Duchess of Lancester, nor mention Miss Kitri’s name despite her rude behavior… This might be because he doesn’t want the two of you becoming too involved with one another.”

“I see. At first, I thought Lord Fernand was a terrible person, but after interacting with him, he’s actually starting to give the impression of a good person?”

“One reason for that might be that my older brother has changed because of your character, Lady Avril… Also, I think Miss Kitri falls into the category of a wicked woman. Though, she doesn’t quite meet my personal standards for a villainess.”

Avril nodded repeatedly as Samuel explained. His cute face was completely serious.

“By Samuel’s standards, a proper villainess needs to be of such beauty she could bring down an entire country. Even Corinna would have a bit of trouble with that.”

“I think Lady Avril could make a good showing well if she got serious.”

“Well…”

Their relaxed conversation continued without any tension.

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