Click.
The door opened, and people entered.
Leading them was the Duke of Lucia.
Thud. Thud.
All eyes turned to a man,
And simultaneously, the room fell silent.
'Is that man Duke Eseled...?'
His arrogantly raised chin and oddly lowered gaze emitted an intense atmosphere that seemed out of place in this elegant setting.
His long strides, as he walked in, carried a certain defiance.
Gulp.
Several onlookers swallowed dryly as they watched him.
Lark glanced around the room and then parted his lips.
"Am I late?"
At his captivating deep voice, Lady Windia unknowingly lost herself and then abruptly stood up.
"Oh my, not at all! Please, come this way, Duke Eseled."
'How can a person look like that...!'
Windia's heart fluttered like a young girl's.
All the noble adults gathered here had children aged between eight and thirteen. Hence, their ages were not much different.
Lark, now thirty-two, was among the younger ones but still in a similar age group to those present.
However, Lark possessed a presence that did not fit the image of a father with a ten-year-old daughter.
Firstly, his appearance was strikingly distinct, as if carefully crafted by a deity.
And what about his bored demeanor and indifferent expression?
The noblewomen's cheeks flushed as they whispered among themselves.
"My goodness, I knew he was handsome, but to this extent..."
Their reactions were hardly surprising.
The men they usually saw were either husbands with average height and protruding bellies or young men too thin and narrow-shouldered to exude any masculinity.
It was no wonder that noblewomen and young noble ladies were infatuated with knights and courtly romances featuring them.
That's why Nikan and Ulrich, who took care of their appearances, were considered highly attractive.
Of course, Erkin, still unmarried, was regarded as a separate entity.
"Ahem."
"Hmm, hmm!"
The male nobles coughed uncomfortably at their wives' indiscreet behavior.
Their gaze soon shifted to the girl who gently took Lark's outstretched hand and entered.
'That must be Navia!'
People began scrutinizing Navia with curious eyes.
Navia had a very unique history among the noble society, especially the upper-class nobles.
She was once known as Nikan's foster daughter before being revealed as Lark's biological daughter, causing an uproar in the capital.
Navia stood quietly beside her father, like a serene lake, but her poise clearly set her apart from her peers.
Nikan narrowed his eyes as he stared at Navia.
The child was still extraordinary. Her almost otherworldly beauty seemed to grow more prominent with each day.
'If she continues to grow like this, she'll become the social belle I predicted.'
She was undoubtedly the most coveted prospect for marriage.
'Wood still has some time before graduating.'
Was there a way to naturally bring the two together?
Nikan's gaze deepened.
"Nice to meet you, Lady Eseled."
Lady Windia greeted Navia with a somewhat distorted smile.
She took great pride in having the prettiest daughter in the capital. However, that pride cracked the moment she saw Navia.
"It is a pleasure to meet you. Navia Eseled sends her greetings to the Duchess of Lucia."
As Navia greeted with impeccable manners, those around her couldn't hide their admiration.
The expression on Lady Windia's face turned even colder. Indeed, as the Empress had warned earlier, Navia seemed far from ordinary.
'So I made Sara undergo more thorough etiquette training...!'
But all those efforts seemed futile next to Navia, making everything else appear fake.
Navia's expression was perfect.
Her smile, as if carved in stone, or her seemingly indifferent smirk, made it impossible to discern her true feelings - exactly what Lady Windia and Diana had wanted to teach Sara.
Navia's uniqueness wasn't only felt by the adults. Children of her age were also unable to take their eyes off her, especially Sara and Vivian.
Someone whispered quietly.
"The Lady of Eseled seems superior to the Lady of Lucia..."
It was a whisper as faint as a breeze, yet strangely, Sara heard it as clearly as if it had been shouted in her ear.
'She's better than me?'
Navia, wrapped in silver, looked as pure as snow on a winter plain.
In a word, she was unparalleled. So much so, it was maddening, filling Sara with a sense of inferiority so intense it was almost paralyzing.
Sara realized that the protagonist of this event had changed.
From her to Navia, that girl!
Crack-.
'And what about that dress?'
The dress Navia was wearing was unlike anything seen in any boutique.
Yet its design seemed strangely familiar.
'It looks like a Hart Boutique dress, but that can't be.'
Sara owned at least one dress from every season's collection.
Hart Boutique was particularly known for its children's dress designs, which Sara adored.
Therefore, she was very familiar with the unique patterns of Heart Boutique.
Sara wanted to immediately confront Navia about where she got the dress and how she managed to acquire it.
But her pride wouldn't allow her to do so.
"…Sister…?"
Vivian stared blankly at Navia.
In her memory, Navia was dressed like a lowly maid. Her appearance from childhood was blurred, but the memory of her attire was as clear as yesterday.
But now, Navia was...
Vivian's shocked feelings were clearly written on her face.
Navia looked at Vivian indifferently and then slightly raised the corners of her mouth in a smile.
"Hello?"
It's been a while, but not exactly a pleasant reunion.
As a quiet yet restless atmosphere settled, the Duke of Lucia strove to draw attention to himself.
"Thank you all for attending the book club hosted by my daughter, Sara!"
The people, momentarily setting aside their curiosity, looked at the Duke of Lucia with a cultured demeanor.
The Duke of Lucia, noticing the focus on him, cleared his throat and emphasized the importance of the reading club.
He also spoke about how much Lucia loved literature, clearly mindful of Eseled's presence.
Everyone present knew that the Eseleds had been pioneering in magical studies for generations.
Although Theorban, being foolish enough to be barely recognizable as an Eseled, had diminished the family's former glory.
Nonetheless, Theorban met a death befitting his vulgar behavior.
And Eseled had managed a dazzling transformation, shedding the stigma of being a cold, heartless family of mad scientists, a dump for eccentrics.
So people were curious.
Duke Eseled, sure, but what about his daughter?
Would she be as bright as Eseled?
Or a mutant like Theorban?
Duke Lucia finished his long speech and guided adults and children to their respective places.
"Come, adults, this way."
After all, this book club was primarily for the children, so the adults stepped back.
This was also an opportunity for the adults to engage in important conversations among themselves.
Soon, the parents gathered in small groups.
They flattered each other with insincere compliments about how cute their children were.
Among them, only Lark refrained from mingling with anyone.
He sat alone, comfortably leaning back in his chair, crossing his long legs, appearing as a complete entity.
His gaze was fixed on his daughter, the apple of his eye.
Navia, though she was dressed up beautifully today, truly stood out among her peers, a crane among chickens.
Her presence was calm and observant, yet undeniably prominent.
'Hmm. She must be the prettiest daughter here.'
Navia was indeed the most adorable, cutest, and coolest that day.
'Well, of course.'
A smooth curve formed at Lark's lips, causing the ladies who were stealing glances at him to gasp.
Just then, Nikan suddenly sat down next to Lark with a friendly smile.
"It's been a while, Duke Eseled."
He acted as if the unfortunate incident two winters ago never happened.
Lark glanced at Nikan indifferently and opened his mouth.
"Yes."
That was the end of his reaction.
Nikan was both annoyed and relieved at Lark's continued arrogance.
'Foolish brat.'
This kind of behavior would only tarnish Lark's reputation, not his own.
"Let's interact more and get closer. After all, there are only three ducal families, we should stick together."
Lark looked at Nikan with a bored expression.
"What does the number of ducal families have to do with sticking together?"
"Well..."
Nikan was at a loss for words.
In reality, it didn't matter. It was natural and advantageous for the most powerful class to be few in number.
He was just using the small number as an excuse to suggest a collusion among the privileged class.
It was a routine expression, but to question it like a ten-year-old was unexpected.
Nikan decided it was best to move on from this topic.
"By the way, Duke Eseled, you are a magician too, right? What is your ability? The Eseled bloodline is known for diverse powers, aren't they?"
Lark replied to Nikan, still not looking at him, with a casual tone.
"I can do everything."
"Everything? What do you mean by that?"
"It means exactly that. What else could it mean?"
Lark sighed deeply, clearly annoyed.
"It means I can use all types of magic."
Nikan felt both offended and puzzled by Lark's rudeness.
"Are you saying you're a copycat?"
Lark, now truly irritated, just shut his mouth.
'If he bothers me again, I'll just punch him in the mouth, that disgusting wretch.'
He thought this, knowing Navia would be horrified to hear it.
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