I awkwardly adjusted my collar while waiting for Marghetta in the dormitory. For some reason, my normally comfortable uniform felt strange today.

I forgot again.

I sighed as I finished straightening my collar, realizing once more that I was going to the banquet dressed in my Prosecutor’s uniform instead of formal attire.

Of course, it wasn’t a big problem to attend the banquet in a Prosecutors’s uniform. After all, this attire was also meant to show respect.

However, the essence of the uniform was for work, and the nature of the Prosecutors Office’s work was quite grim. Some nobles even suffered PTSD at the sight of our uniform.

So I thought that I should buy some different clothes, but I kept forgetting.

I’d need to attend more banquets first.

I would have bought several outfits by now if I were a professional banquet-goer, but I only attended sporadically, at best every few months. There was no rush, so forgetting was the norm.

Well, it's not like I'm going alone.

Until now, my forgetfulness hadn’t been an issue. However, I was going with Marghetta this time.

Showing up in a uniform next to a finely dressed lady? It was no different from wearing a military uniform to a date in my past life. That wouldn’t make me just crazy, but someone who was completely out of his mind. It was a situation where I wouldn’t be able to complain even if I got slapped by the lady I was going with.

"Don’t worry, Carl. You look good in anything."

Even though the kind-hearted Marghetta reassured me, I was still honestly worried.

I should buy some proper attire right after this banquet. I should seriously dress appropriately at the New Year's Ball.

"Carl."

I heard Marghetta's voice from behind as I was telling myself that.

Then, my resolve to buy proper clothes grew even stronger as soon as I turned around.

She was dressed in a red dress that was adorned with various ornaments and a bracelet with green gems that resembled her eyes. She looked like she had put a lot of effort into it.

In contrast, I...

"I’m sorry. Did I keep you waiting for long?"

"No. I was excited to see Mar, so time flew by."

I replied pleasantly because I felt even more apologetic.

"I also hurried because I wanted to see Carl, too."

Luckily, Marghetta seemed pleased; she was smiling broadly.

Because of that, my guilt grew.

I’m sorry, I’m really sorry. I’ll dress better in the future...

***

We quickly arrived at the mansion thanks to the teleportation mage sent by the Invincible Duke.

The son-in-law, the Crown Prince, sent mages to capture runaway slaves. Meanwhile, the father-in-law, the Invincible Duke, sent them to bring his guests comfortably.

Why was there such a difference between the father-in-law and his son-in-law? The Crown Prince should learn from him.

"That's a lot."

Anyway, we saw a large crowd as soon as we landed at the mansion's main gate.

They said that it was only going to be a small banquet, but perhaps my understanding of ‘small’ had been incorrect until now.

"I heard that the Crown Princess is frugal, but even her birthday banquet is small."

Marghetta whispered as she scanned the surroundings as I had.

Ah, so it really was small. I suppose I’d need to attend more banquets to get a sense of their scale.

"It's already quite small that it's held at a mansion instead of the imperial palace."

She quietly added as if she understood my doubts.

That was a fair point. It wouldn't be unusual for the Crown Princess's birthday banquet to be held at the imperial palace, so opting for a mere mansion instead did make it a smaller affair.

Although referring to the Invincible Duke's mansion as 'a mere mansion' felt odd, it was indeed that compared to the imperial palace.

"It's an honor to be invited to such an intimate gathering. Let's go and greet the host."

"Right. It would be rude not to say hello."

Saying this, I extended my hand to Marghetta, who smiled warmly and took it.

I could feel the attention shifting our way as we walked towards the mansion. There were startled glances at my Prosecutors’ uniform, which were then followed by relieved looks when they saw Marghetta by my side.

"Executive Manager—"

"—The lady—"

Though they seemed to be whispering quietly, the snippets of conversations I heard were clearly about us.

This is the perfect spotlight.

I bitterly gripped Marghetta’s hand tighter. It seemed unfair that she was also receiving undue attention because of me.

I glanced at her worriedly. However, Marghetta only moved forward confidently, her smile unwavering.

She's okay.

I thought about it—between a rarely seen Executive Manager or the youngest daughter of a duke, who would be more accustomed to attention? Obviously, it would be the latter.

I worried too much, unintentionally treating Marghetta as someone who needed protection.

When I relaxed my grip, Marghetta squeezed my hand tightly.

"Mar?"

"I'm a bit nervous, so please keep holding my hand."

Despite her words, her expression was far from nervous.

"Okay."

But if that was what she wanted me to do, then so be it.

***

As expected. Even though the banquet was at a mansion and not the imperial palace, it was for the Crown Princess. Naturally, every attendee was a notable figure.

What did it matter if the scale was small? It didn’t matter if there were fewer people. After all, it was the elite who ruled the social circles.

Even now, I could feel it—the glances directed our way and the people pretending not to stare even though they were sneaking peeks.

Good.

Instead of feeling burdened, it gave me an uncontrollable sense of satisfaction.

Look all you want, everyone. Everyoneshould see this.

Carl is mine.

He was mine. This man holding my hand and the man everyone was watching was mine.

I could see them all.

The nobles who were silently watching us and calculating,

And the ladies who were whispering to each other behind their fans.

Fufufu...

This was the best outcome and was exactly the one I wanted. Once this banquet was over, word of my relationship with Carl would spread through them.

Of course, Carl said that he would go to father right after the New Year's Ball, but—

It's alright.

I just wanted more people to know about our relationship, and as soon as possible. That wasn’t too much to ask, was it?

Besides, it wasn’t like I was forcing Carl, who disliked marriage, into anything. Yes, this was perfectly fine.

As I struggled to control my smile from taking over, I felt Carl’s hand tremble.

Could he be nervous? Was it the stares that were making him shake?

So adorable.

My barely maintained expression almost cracked after seeing a different side of Carl. He spoke so freely of embarrassing things when it was just us, and yet he quivered when others watched.

"You’ve arrived."

It was only after Father cut through the crowd and appeared that I realized it had been a misunderstanding.

...Still, wasn't it cute to see a future son-in-law being nervous in front of his future father-in-law?

***

From afar, I spotted an old man who seemed a head taller than the rest.

He's here.

I closed my eyes unconsciously, my hand trembling with instinctive fear.

An urge to flee welled up within me the more the distinguished nobles cleared a path for the nobleman—who honestly looked more middle-aged than elderly—as he approached.

However, I held back. Showing your back to a predator meant certain doom.

“You’ve arrived.”

His voice was deep and even. Although it was usually commanding, it felt like a judgment from the king of hell today.

"Carl Krasius, heir of the Krasius family and Executive Manager of the Prosecutors’ Office, greets His Grace, the Iron-blooded Duke."

At my greeting, the Iron-blooded Duke snorted and threw back a single comment.

"Empty formality is pointless."

It was clear to anyone that he meant, 'I have many complaints about you.' Hearing that, my hand trembled again.

This is complicated.

The Iron-blooded Duke, who had previously told me that I should come to him and kneel if I wanted to marry Marghetta, was not known for joking. He seriously meant that he would only give his blessing after I did that.

But here I was, appearing as Marghetta's partner at the Crown Princess's birthday banquet without having knelt.

It wouldn't be surprising if he felt disregarded and insulted.

...Fortunately, no punches had been thrown yet, which suggested that he wasn't seriously angry.

"Father."

When Marghetta spoke up, the Iron-blooded Duke's stern expression softened significantly.

He really had a soft spot for his youngest daughter. Perhaps that was the fate of a father.

"Mar, I haven't seen you in a while."

"Yes, Father. Have you been well?"

Her polite inquiry was met with a nod from the Duke.

"My daughter won't stay with me, so I have to take care of my own health."

He added, somewhat sadly.

And with that, my already hesitant mouth grew even heavier.

"Father did ask me to come with him, but..."

Marghetta had cautiously mentioned this yesterday. Regrettably, she had already declined the Iron-blooded Duke’s invitation to be his partner before I had asked her.

It’s understandable that he’s upset.

Last summer vacation, Marghetta stayed at my mansion instead of returning to her father's territory. At this birthday party, she declined the Iron-blooded Duke’s invitation and attended with me as her partner.

I'd be furious too if I were the Iron-blooded Duke.

And the more upset he was with Marghetta, the greater his anger towards me seemed to grow.

"I've held up guests who just arrived for too long. Go and greet the host first."

After staring at me in silence for a while, the Iron-blooded Duke turned his back after saying that.

His remark about greeting the host 'first' sounded almost like a declaration of an impending confrontation—was I just imagining it?

"Carl."

"Ah, yes."

Marghetta's voice managed to anchor my wandering mind.

"Father is just feeling left out. Don't worry about it too much."

I nodded silently at Marghetta's comforting words.

Right, there was no need to panic. I should stay focused. While it was unfortunate to have encountered the Iron-blooded Duke right before a potential meltdown, it thankfully happened here at the Crown Princess's banquet.

Even the Iron-blooded Duke wouldn’t cause a scene at an event where the Crown Princess should be the center of attention. It would be too disruptive if the Executive Manager had to kneel and the Iron-blooded Duke was to make a spectacle of himself here.

The Iron-blooded Duke knows better than that.

That thought relaxed me a little.

***

It had been a long time since I had left the Magic Tower for non-work reasons.

I usually detested complicated gatherings like banquets. The lurking glances, whispered conversations, and bothersome approaches weren’t my thing.

However, I had compelling reasons to attend this particular gathering.

My baby.

Baby was rarely seen at gatherings except for the New Year's Ball and exclusive ones among the imperial families. Thus, his attendance at a banquet was a rare occurrence.

His workload had fortunately decreased recently, allowing him time to go out. Moreover, it hadn’t been long since he was released from a cold prison. I had to go, if only to ensure that he was doing okay.

Wait for me.

I had made a new potion for baby.

While it wasn't something that could extend his lifespan, it would certainly be good for his health.