"...May I ask why you think so?"
"Haha. The Duke must now take on a pivotal role as well. There are quite a few who follow the Duke, you know. The merits he has established in war, it's no small feat. In fact, the Duke didn't even need to go to suppress this rebellion..."
As Charles's following words turned Ariel's smile into a gradually more wry one, he stopped speaking.
"I seem to have misspoken."
"No, it's because he took action that you had to accompany him, Lord Charles."
"No, it was only natural for me to follow. The Duchess will also become quite busy."
"It may be a disloyal statement, but that puts my mind more at ease."
Ariel nodded slightly.
If Lord Charles said this much, it seemed the past disappointments would not be repeated.
This meant he would not go to war anymore, and would be completely distanced from the risks of life and death.
If he spent more time face-to-face, his relationship with Lucy would improve, undoubtedly filling their family with only happy days.
"Hahaha. Who could object to such a thought?"
Ariel truly beamed a radiant smile from her heart matching Charles's laughter.
"Duchess Ariel."
It was then that Bruno, Damian's half-brother, called out to her.
"Ah, it's been a long time."
"Wow... Duchess Ariel is truly beautiful as always."
Despite Bruno's embarrassing compliment, Ariel did not fluster and kept a smile befitting a duchess.
Ariel too was always amazed at her conversations with Bruno.
No matter how much they were half-brothers, she wondered how their thoughts could differ so much.
Their differing hair colors and appearances were understandable, but having grown up in Genova receiving the same education... She was amazed their personalities could be so different.
From how they treated people to the way they guided conversations, the two stood at complete opposite ends.
If Damian was someone without an inch of wavering from principles and discipline, then Bruno was freewheeling and...well, to define it, cheerful.
"I was conversing with my brother. It really has been a long time since I saw you too, Lord Charles. ...Please, both of you come over here. We can't talk about the star of the award ceremony without him, can we?"
At Bruno's beckoning smile, Ariel and Charles nodded together.
"Everyone, this is the epitome of beauty of our era, Duchess Ariel. Haha. With my brother away at war for so long, it's hard to get a glimpse of Duchess Ariel's face. Ah, I did visit once before, but I heard you had gone out with Lucy. It seems you often go out with Lucy."
The broadly smiling Bruno abruptly grabbed Ariel's hand.
Ariel was startled, and when Damian saw this, he pulled Bruno's hand away.
"You?"
Damian tilted his head, looking at Bruno.
It was such an abbreviated sentence that even Ariel didn't understand what her husband meant.
She just felt his tone was a bit fierce, so she lightly grasped Damian's hand.
"Damian?"
Damian glanced at Ariel's upturned eyes and frowned.
"Haha. It seems my brother is a bit on edge as he's only recently returned from war."
"...Yes. It seems he has forgotten your amiable manner from being away so long, Lord Bruno. Though I was also startled when you abruptly grabbed my hand."
With a faint smile on her lips, Ariel gently pointed it out to Bruno while demurely lowering her eyes.
"Hahaha. I see. That could very well be. If Duchess Ariel hadn't said so, I might have misunderstood. ...Brother, I will be more careful next time."
Bruno let out his signature hearty laugh, and the nearby men laughed along.
"That's understandable. Bruno is quite friendly, after all."
"He's just too good-natured. Hahaha."
The only ones not laughing were Damian and Lord Charles, fidgeting beside him.
"Well, Damian."
Ariel called out to Damian, looking up at him.
Everyone here was on Bruno's side.
In other words, there were many men who had not participated in the war.
As the Duke and as a knight who had joined the war, Damian's superiority was far too high.
Thus, they would not take his side.
Taking sides would mean lowering themselves.
No matter how much her husband, who had gone through military school and spent his life participating in wars, had learned as a Duke to handle social circles and human relations, he could not match Bruno who had spent his life handling people in places like this.
It seemed better to send Damian away before Bruno subtly put down the taciturn Damian again.
There was no need for Damian to indulge a group that wouldn't be any help by staying longer.
"Lucy is walking in the gardens with Her Majesty. Just in case, it may be good if you pick her up at an appropriate time."
When Ariel told Damian this, one of the men chuckled upon hearing it.
"The Duke himself is going to retrieve the Young Lady? For the Duke to move personally for such a private matter, won't it be an issue for your dignity, Your Grace? Wouldn't it be better for the Duchess to go?"
Ariel smiled wryly at that derisive face.
She knew exactly what this man's words meant.
And for such a bothersome task, Damian, her husband, would originally not have complied either.
However, Ariel knew her husband would take her side in this matter.
The more they derided Ariel's words, the more so.
"As I very much love my daughter. Well then, Ariel. I shall go and return."
Damian, after kissing Ariel's hand, turned away. Lord Charles also bowed and followed behind Damian.
"Then I shall take my leave first."
"Please go, both of you."
Her prediction was accurate.
As long as Ariel was the Duchess of Genova, Damian would never belittle her in front of others.
For that would tarnish the status of Genova.
Even if he said something when they returned home, it was unthinkable that Damian would not take Ariel's side in public.
Higher than these men's pettiness and derision was the status of the Duchess of Genova.
Ariel substituted a nod as her greeting to Bruno's remaining group.
For the Duchess to remain alone among a group without her husband would be unbecoming.
Receiving Ariel's curt greeting with forced smiles, they bowed their heads.
Just like Jessica, Bruno too was short-sighted.
Moreover, she was the type easily influenced by those around her... she must not be tainted.
Ariel turned away, inwardly sighing with worry.
Pursing her lips, Ariel recalled the man who had just talked about a Duke's dignity.
...Does that man truly believe he could tarnish Damian's honor with just that?
If he really did believe so, then that man was deluded.
To Damian, who had carried the sense of mission and responsibility as a Duke all his life, retrieving his daughter was simply a bothersome task - it did not tarnish his honor at all.
For Damian, who did not even spare his life for the Empire, was undoubtedly the embodiment of the Duke of Genova itself.
...It was also a reason why, as his wife, Ariel could not easily speak to Damian.
Ariel gave a wry smile.
To her husband, who prioritized the Empire and ducal family over herself, she could not ask him to do something for their household.
The path Damian walked was not the private matter they claimed.
Blinking her eyes a few times, Ariel composed her expression once more.
Though saddened, she had no time now to waste her emotions on such things.
"Bier, Garich, ...and finally Westhaven, was it?"
Ariel counted off the three families that had been beside Bruno.
They were all declining families, so even if Damian clashed with them, they posed no real threat.
As Lord Charles said, with the major war now over, Damian too would advance into government affairs.
For that, Ariel would have to ably support him in the unseen power struggles.
It was time for her to once again take up the social circles as the Duchess, which she had neglected for some time.
Nobles with bladed tongues like Bruno's group were not just one or two.
If Damian fully entered government affairs, even sharper arrows would be aimed at him.
...What concerned her now was the sentiments of the people.
The people's sentiments were greatly inclined towards Damian. It was a double-edged sword.
Along with the praise came watchful eyes towards the Emperor.
The only thing that could easily slip from the mouths of nobles who wished to belittle Damian was that.
Thus, she had to firmly establish that those blades were sheathed fully in the Emperor's scabbard.
"Good day, Duchess."
The Countess of Orsini happened to greet Ariel.
"Good day, Countess."
Ariel demurely met the Countess's gaze.
The matter of Her Majesty taking a liking to Lucy could become a small stepping stone.
While she did not wish to entangle Lucy in such affairs, binding her future to this joyless palace, Lucy's natural rapport with the Empress seemed to necessitate some maneuvering.
And in that regard, the Countess of Orsini, who handled social circles, would be immensely helpful.
"The Duke of Genova has achieved great merit again by suppressing a rebellion. Truly remarkable."
The Countess began with praise before slightly lowering her fan.
"...Actually, though ladies do not attend the award ceremonies, I also told my husband when I heard the Duchess would be attending today."
The Countess subtly let her eyes gleam towards Ariel.
It seemed the timing was right for each to want something from the other.
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