The story was quite simple. The young duke, who had been mingling with commoners during a festival to hear their sentiments, fell in love with a woman dancing in the public square. The beautiful woman from a humble background reciprocated that love, and the two overcame all the objections against their union and eventually got married.

It sounded like a cliché, but the process by which a peasant became the duchess was neither trivial nor simple.

When Kaon first learned about it, he was amazed that his father had been prepared to face all that just from one glance.

‘But my mother ended up…’

A shadow fell upon his face as he recalled unpleasant memories. His father had been so obsessed with love, and yet so incapable of it until he died. If it had been a great story, he would’ve understood, but in the end, didn’t falling in love at first sight only mean that one was drawn to the other’s appearance?

What was physical beauty if not something that withered?

He pulled himself out of his thoughts and promptly choked on air.

Alessia was close—too close. She was right in front of him, her face turned up to his. Kaon forgot to blink.

There was nothing else he could think of but the soft lines of her face and long, fluttering eyelashes framing big, beautiful eyes. Her height made her look adorable, and the fact that she was tilting her head as if in confusion only made her look cuter…

He was embarrassed, but he also couldn’t look away.

“Oh? I didn’t mean to surprise you, I was just worried because you were so quiet.”

“No, no, I was just lost in thought. I’m fine, really.” Kaon, who had clearly lost his mind because he couldn’t stop staring even then, backed away hastily.

Alessia blinked. “But you don’t look too good. Your ears have been red since a while ago… Could you have overexerted yourself?”

Ears? He quickly touched them, instantly understanding what she meant. Kaon could feel the heat on his fingertips.

“I just run a little hotter than most people, nothing to be worried about.”

“I’m glad to hear that.”

Of course, that was all a load of crap. He did have a bit more body heat than most, but his ears weren’t particularly hot to the touch or anything. Was that even possible in the first place? For a person to just be like that normally? He wasn’t a steaming teapot…

But now that he had already said something and refused to think too deeply about the real reason why his ears were hot, much less admit it out loud, Kaon decided to leave it at that.

Meanwhile, Alessia’s gaze was still on his face, which was concerning.

“Is there anything on my face?”

“No. I just think you resemble the late duchess a lot.”

Well, at least those words were familiar.

‘Personally, I think it’s just the eyes.’

Their eye colors were somewhat similar. His mother’s eyes were the blue of a clear sky, his were a light grayish-blue. Still, everyone who knew her well said he resembled her, so it was probably true.

‘Well, it’s pretty useless anyway.’

What use did a knight have for a pretty face? Rather, Kaon was more envious of Leonida’s face, which took after their father’s. The sharp and neat features were perfect for a knight.

“So that’s why you’re so handsome.”

Kaon blinked. Several times. It wasn’t the first time he’d heard that, and the word had been thrown around so often that he wondered if he really looked that unusual. But even though it was praise he only ever brushed off, waves were now crashing in his heart.

“Shall we go in now? It will soon be dinnertime, and I’m really curious about what other dishes will come out today. I had a great lunch earlier.” Alessia, blissfully unaware that she had just shaken someone’s heart up, walked away with a spring in her step.

Looking at her from a distance that was only growing wider, Kaon opened his mouth abruptly, “You as well…”

“Yes?” She turned around slowly, bright silver hair reflecting the sunlight pouring into the archway.

“You’re pretty too,” he said, then strode past her.

This time, her laugh only came after he had taken a few more steps further.

It somehow made his heart pound even more.