"I want to escort Mom too!"
Thump, thump.
Duren bounced on the spot, making sure everyone noticed him.
Those who had already been shocked just by the sight of Lennox and Estelle walking arm in arm now turned their eyes to Duren.
His round, chubby cheeks.
His gentle eyes.
And even a tiny little bow tie perched neatly at his collar—Duren looked every bit the adorable little gentleman.
"Want to give it a try, Duren?"
Estelle took his hand.
With the difference in height, it was impossible for Duren to perfectly imitate Lennox's posture.
"You have to hold your arm out like this."
Lennox, who had been watching in silence, corrected Duren's stance with his usual stoic expression.
"Like this?"
"Yes, that's it. Very handsome."
Ahem!
Duren beamed with pride.
They looked quite a lot like a real family.
The very people who had been the subject of all the capital's hottest rumors now stood right before them—but not a single person dared to approach first.
So instead, they themselves approached a small group.
"Hello."
"Ah—y-yes. Pleased to meet you."
The one who answered didn't hold a particularly high title, nor were they remarkably beautiful.
But one thing could be said with certainty: their group had the youngest average age in the hall.
For it was a cluster of children gathered together.
"Duren, you should greet them too."
"Hewwo."
All of them looked a year or two older than Duren.
Feeling all the stares of peers for the first time, Duren suddenly grew shy and clung tightly to Estelle's dress hem.
When Estelle urged him on, he finally gave a deep little bow.
"I'm Dudu."
"And what was your other name again, Dudu?"
"Duren Winterren! I'm Duren!"
"My, what a clever young master."
"Yes, he must take after the Duke."
The viscount couple standing nearby as guardians for their children praised him warmly.
It would have been a lie to say they didn't feel pressure at being approached by such figures as the Winterren couple.
But the shared bond of parenthood made it easier to overcome.
"P…pretty."
And then, what truly captured the children's attention was Estelle.
"She's a queen."
Children were nothing if not honest.
Their sparkling eyes gazed up at Estelle in awe as they whispered.
But then—right beside her—their eyes met Lennox's.
Gasp!
"M-Monster…"
They knew he was handsome.
Yet the first feeling the children experienced wasn't admiration, but fear.
Just before tears could spill from their eyes—
"Daddy!"
Standing in front as if to shield the other children, Duren called out to Lennox.
"Daddy, go over there!"
"…Alright."
If his son told him to go, then go he must.
Lennox was about to take Estelle with him and leave.
"Mom has to stay here!"
"Just me, alone?"
"Uh-huh!"
It was a bold demand.
Without argument, Lennox quietly withdrew, looking almost forlorn.
Wow!
In that moment, the children's eyes toward Duren changed completely.
He had become the little hero who drove away the demon.
"Your name's Duren?"
"Yeah!"
"I'm Aurora!"
"I'm Dylan! And this is my little sister, Ayla!"
The children eagerly introduced themselves one after another. Now that they knew each other's names—and with their fondness already growing—becoming friends was only a matter of time.
"Mom, Mom!"
"Hm?"
"I'm gonna play with my friends."
Giggling with the other children, Duren pushed lightly at Estelle's back.
"Mom, you should go play with Dad."
"Can't I just stay here and watch you?"
"No! Then Dad will be lonely."
He seemed to be thinking of Lennox, considerate as ever.
The way he stomped off after saying his piece was both adorable and a little heartbreaking.
'Is he really not looking back just to tell me not to worry?'
As Estelle lingered, watching her son laughing with his new friends, the viscountess beside her spoke up.
"Don't worry, we'll keep an eye on him."
"But I couldn't possibly trouble you when we've just met."
"Not at all. The other guardians do the same—we take turns watching each other's children at events like this."
"…."
"In truth, it's just making sure nothing dangerous happens nearby. But even that's enough to give peace of mind."
"Then I owe you a debt today."
"Please, don't say such a thing."
In the rumors, Estelle was painted as a woman steeped in vanity and extravagance.
But when faced with her in person, they saw she did not look down on them simply because they were only viscounts.
"Just speaking with you is an honor, my lady. Please don't worry—the young master will be well looked after."
Even as she said this, the viscountess kept sneaking glances past Estelle's shoulder.
Turning back, Estelle met Lennox's eyes—he looked, somehow, a little sulky.
"Thank you for your kindness," Estelle said quickly, and then hurried over to Lennox.
"It seems Duren was secretly worried about you. You should've seen how insistent he was that I go to you right away."
When she explained the situation, Lennox's expression softened.
"So he just needed friends."
"Of course. At that age, parents are their whole world, but friends their age are the bridge to a wider one."
There was no child who didn't need that.
Estelle, standing close at Lennox's side, whispered so softly that no one else could hear:
"I think it was the right choice to do as you said, Your Grace."
"My words?"
"It really does have an impact."
From the moment they had entered until now, the guests in the hall had been whispering and glancing their way.
They probably thought their whispers inaudible—but they all said the same thing.
"They say Duke Winterren actually touched his wife!"
So of course, there was no hiding it.
"Even His Majesty the Emperor will be convinced by this."
"…Perhaps. But it seems there is still one person who isn't."
The Princess was staring at them, her eyes filled with hostility.
It was obvious—she was waiting to seize upon the slightest suspicious detail.
"Let's dance a song."
Lennox extended his hand with solemn formality.
Estelle couldn't bring herself to take it right away.
"I can't dance. I've never been taught."
Had she been born a noble, it might have been different, but Estelle had been a commoner. Even after her adoption, she'd never received proper lessons.
'I never needed to make a debut, after all…'
She had never once felt ashamed of that fact—yet in this moment, it felt like baring a hidden flaw.
"It's fine."
That large hand was still there, steady and waiting.
"Anything that requires the body—I'm confident in."
With the kind of posture one might see in the fairy tales Duren loved to read, Lennox offered her the dance.
Countless eyes were watching.
Her cheeks prickled with heat.
Estelle acted as though she accepted his proposal with ease.
"What if I make a mistake? Step on your foot? Or clumsily fall over?"
"Don't worry."
Lennox clasped her slightly trembling hand firmly.
"Things like that are the least important in life."
They moved to the rhythm of a slightly brisk tune.
[Teacher, how do I look?]
[Like a graceful little angel! Mathias, try to keep up more enthusiastically!]
As a child, Estelle had only ever watched Vera and Mathias receive their etiquette lessons from afar.
Of course, back then she hadn't dared to ask to join them.
Recalling those memories of envy, she tried her best to follow Lennox's movements.
"You're very tense. Your back is stiff."
"I'm sorry."
"That's my line. Pardon me for a moment."
"…What?"
Lennox's hand settled against her back.
Until now, he had only hovered close, never quite touching—so Estelle's body trembled at the sudden contact.
"Just entrust yourself entirely to me. Think of it like riding a horse."
"I've never ridden a horse either."
"Then think of it as a carriage. You rode one today, didn't you?"
"I'm so nervous right now, I feel like I've forgotten even how to ride in a carriage."
A soft chuckle escaped Lennox as he guided her. At first, her nerves were so tight she nearly forgot how to breathe.
'W-what was it again… how do you blink your eyes?'
But by the middle of the dance, she began to understand—she only had to surrender everything to Lennox.
Little by little, the tension melted from her body.
'It really isn't such a big deal.'
Perhaps it was because she relaxed too much.
"Ah—!"
Her ankle twisted, and her balance tipped backward.
But Lennox did not miss the moment—he pulled Estelle firmly into his arms.
Startled himself, Lennox had pulled too strongly, closing the distance between them in an instant—
So close their faces nearly touched.
"Uh…"
"…."
The two of them stared wide-eyed at each other.
Just then, the song ended, and so their dance concluded as well.
Clap, clap, clap—
Applause erupted as the piece finished.
And at that same moment—
Duren was being overwhelmed by the sheer popularity he had attracted.
"Duren's going to play with me!"
"No, with me!"
Children clung to each of his arms, shouting in turn.
"Duren said he liked me best!"
"No, he said he liked me more!"
Spittle flying as they argued, the children turned on Duren.
"Duren, who do you like the most here?!"
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