It was yesterday morning, if I recall correctly.

The heir of Count Eshk's family, Dersian Eshk, sent me a letter.

It was a kind of invitation.

An invitation I absolutely could not decline.

[Notice of Count Leman Eshk's Death]

- With deep regret, we inform you of the passing of Count Eshk, the shield who protected the imperial capital throughout his life and the pillar of the Eshk family, after a long illness.

- Though he succumbed to his illness, he passed away peacefully.

- As his son, I intend to honor his final journey with a hopeful heart.

...

- It would be a great honor for our family if the Saint of Hibras would attend and guide my late father to his eternal rest.

- From Viscount Dershian Eshk.

Count Eshk had died.

In other words, it was Dersian's father's funeral.

* * *

Count Eshk had died of illness.

Sudden as it might seem, I had vaguely anticipated this. In the original story, Dersian had inherited the family title early, and he wouldn't have had many important matters requiring him to cross the Northern Mountains.

Naturally, not everyone shared my perspective.

The Eshk family was counted among the most prestigious houses in the Empire.

Due to their proximity to Edelmarion, they were commonly known as the Empire's final shield.

It was a nickname that had persisted since the days when the Empire lacked strength. They were said to have a history of desperately fighting to protect the capital.

A noble house with long history and influence.

Naturally, nobles from the central political circles and throughout the Empire would be flocking to Count Eshk's domain.

"Razen seems to know Isha well."

"I've been helping her with her swordsmanship whenever I have time."

"Hmm. I should have learned more about swordsmanship too. I regret it a bit."

"Why bother? If you became good with a sword too, I'd have nothing left to do."

Sirien narrowed her eyes.

She seemed to have a lot to say, but soon smiled and relaxed her expression.

"What do you think of Isha? Do you think things are going well between her and Dersian?"

"Well, at least she doesn't seem to dislike him, but whether that will lead to romance, I'm not sure."

"Perhaps she doesn't have room in her heart yet?"

"That might be it. She's in a transitional period with her skills, so swordsmanship is probably all she can think about. Once she reaches stability, things might improve. The fact that she chose to come with us suggests she cares to some extent."

Isha and Dersian had been growing closer.

More precisely, Dersian had been approaching her, and Isha hadn't been pushing him away.

If Sirien was like an affectionate puppy to me, Isha was like an aloof cat to everyone.

She was cynical for her age. At first glance, she seemed uninterested in others and living in her own world.

Still, Dersian's efforts weren't in vain.

This was a critical time when insights came like a rising tide. The fact that she willingly followed us must have required considerable determination.

Sirien sighed.

"You went through that phase too, Razen. You have no idea how upset I was then."

"Huh? Did I? I don't think I had any transitional period."

"No, you did. Every day, I'd talk to you and you'd barely listen, and whenever I couldn't find you, you'd be at the training grounds. That was the first time I couldn't bear waiting for you because it was too cold."

Sirien's gaze was piercing.

"Now that I... think about it, I suppose there was such a time."

"'Suppose' nothing. Looking back, I'm quite upset. I cried alone that day. I didn't want to disturb you by crying next to you, and I didn't want to show it, so I cried into my pillow."

"I-I'm sorry. I really didn't know. Honestly."

"Of course you didn't know. I pretended everything was fine in front of you. You fool, I'm getting angry just thinking about it, so hurry up and comfort me."

I patted her back as instructed.

It seemed Sirien had swallowed her sorrow alone in places I didn't know about.

Though she speaks openly about it now, she never showed when she was struggling back then.

Even when the fabric of her clothes bothered her at the cabin, she never really complained.

I remembered her saying she endured because everyone was together, and playing together made it bearable.

She doesn't need much to cheer up.

Just patting her back and showing a little affection like now makes Sirien very happy.

I've been rather thoughtless, haven't I?

I pulled Sirien closer and kissed her on the cheek.

"Huh? So suddenly?"

"I just want you to stay cheerful."

"O-okay... hehe. I will. I'll keep my spirits up."

Her beaming face was beautiful.

While I was encouraging Sirien, we soon arrived at Count Eshk's domain.

A guard at the gate asked our purpose, and when we showed the death notice, he guided us down a different road.

It was a wide-open path that seemed to have been cleared in advance.

The guards handled everything with practiced efficiency.

It appeared that quite a few mourners had arrived before us.

Of course, for a family like the Eshks, even the most sedentary nobles would move quickly.

As we passed through, the streets of the count's domain went by, and a castle bearing the marks of time grew closer.

Sirien rested her chin on her hand as she looked around the streets.

"It's nice. It looks old but not worn down. The streets feel well-organized too. This is probably how Viscount Isquente's domain will look if he develops it well."

"The viscount would be pleased to hear that."

"I wouldn't say it to his face. It's irritating when he gets too full of himself."

The news must have spread already, as Dersian was waiting to greet us in front of the castle.

He recognized us and smiled.

A lord situated near the capital finds it difficult to grow too powerful.

They must avoid being perceived as a threat to the imperial family in any way.

That's why few people considered Count Eshk a "great noble" like the Grand Duke of Ilensia.

But along with their long history, their influence in the central government was something beyond mere power.

At least none of the nobles involved in central politics would look down on the Eshk family.

Dersian was the heir to that prestigious house.

And now, Dersian bowed respectfully to Sirien.

"Thank you for coming. I've been waiting."

"First, I offer my condolences. I didn't expect you to come out to greet us. You must have had many other guests."

"I feel guilty. I heard you had a major event recently, but I couldn't attend due to family matters."

I still found his demeanor rather strange.

In the original story, there was a scene where he held his head high defiantly that was praised as satisfying.

Dersian had confronted Sirien without caring about others' opinions.

Sirien had pressured the Eshk family in various ways, as if to make him pay, and that incident had piqued the Golden Sphere's interest.

Come to think of it, Dersian was one of the characters who quickly became hostile toward Sirien in the original story.

It wasn't even due to the female protagonist's influence. At that time, he certainly didn't think of Elise as anyone special.

What exactly was the problem?

"You had your duties as an heir. I'm not so narrow-minded that I can't understand such circumstances."

"I'm relieved to hear you say that. I'm grateful you came, but also feel guilty. Is Viscount Isquente well?"

"I heard he needs a few weeks of recovery. He actually asked me to send his regards."

"Yes. Please tell him I'm fine. I'll visit him as soon as my affairs here are concluded."

"The viscount will be pleased."

Formal pleasantries were exchanged.

With others watching, they conversed while strictly observing proper etiquette.

Throughout this, I didn't miss Dersian's gaze.

At first, he looked at Isha who had followed behind us, and his eyes immediately widened.

I didn't think it was just my imagination that his expression brightened.

It seemed Dersian's love was still burning strong.

Of course, separate from that, the funeral hall was filled with a solemn, dignified atmosphere.

Nobles dressed in black mourning clothes took notice of us.

A familiar gaze.

Eyes trying to judge and measure us.

It was practically a foregone conclusion that Dersian would inherit the title of count and become the lord.

They must be curious about who these people were, to whom the heir had readily bowed.

The name Hibras would also be considered an unfamiliar religion.

"Well... Ra-, ahem. And the Guardian of Hibras?"

This time, Dersian's attention turned to me.

Though he didn't show it openly, there was doubt in his eyes.

Both Sirien and I had our faces covered.

Sirien had almost completely concealed her appearance with a veil and gauze, while I wore a mask covering my entire face.

Our attire and the emblems of Hibras made us easy enough to recognize.

Still, he must be wondering why we were hiding our faces when we had been appearing in public until recently.

Well, it was quite common for a saint of the order to cover her face.

But guardians don't typically wear masks. Unless they came in full armor with a helmet, especially since this was a funeral.

It was natural for Dersian to be curious.

"I have my reasons for wearing this mask. Is it disrespectful?"

"No, it's fine. I heard you were injured. No one will consider it rude if you keep it covered."

Dersian lied smoothly.

Obviously, I had no injuries, so this was purely out of consideration for me.

With Dersian explaining it this way, no one else would question it.

I nodded in gratitude.

"Thank you for understanding."

"It's nothing. The preparations for the ceremony are almost complete. Please follow me."