Chapter 4

The Male Lover of the Duke of Hermont

The Duke of Hermont was the guardian of Lostría’s territorial waters and the head of the House of Hermont, the family with the noblest bloodline among Lostría’s aristocracy.

Vitor Carl Hermont, Duke of Hermont.

The young officer from one of the Empire’s most prestigious noble families had risen to fame as the hero of the recent Battle of Puralen.

As a reward for his victory, he had become the new master of Elysia Estate.

On top of that, his handsome appearance was often compared to a statue boasting the most perfect proportions.

With his sturdy, soldierly physique and magnificent smile that seemed to belong to a prince straight out of a fairy tale, it was said that many noble ladies were suffering in silence after the sea had stolen such a handsome man from them.

Now that such a famous figure was staying at Elysia Palace this summer for his vacation, even the estate’s servants were buzzing with excitement.

But he looks more ordinary than I expected.

Roy tilted her head.

He certainly wasn’t unattractive, even by her standards, but she didn’t think he was handsome enough to deserve all that praise.

Just then, someone suddenly grabbed her shoulder.

“Roy!”

Startled, she turned around.

A maid with wheat-colored hair stood there with a bright smile.

“Hailey.”

“What were you looking at?”

“I was wondering if that gentleman was the Duke of Hermont.”

Roy murmured while pointing toward him.

“Hm? That gentleman isn’t the Duke.”

“Really?”

“That’s Young Master Raul Hermont, the eldest son. The woman beside him is his mother.”

Raul Hermont?

Come to think of it, Roy vaguely remembered hearing that the former Duke had an illegitimate son born to one of his mistresses.

So that’s him.

Roy stared at the red-haired man who seemed strangely out of place before turning her attention back to checking the gun’s safety.

“Duke Vitor is much—much more handsome than him! I caught a glimpse of him when he arrived at the estate late last night, and I can tell you, the rumors weren’t exaggerating when they said he’s handsome enough to make even men fall for him.”

“So I’ve heard.”

“Roy, aren’t you curious?”

“I am curious.”

“Come on. You don’t look curious at all.”

Hailey playfully tapped Roy on the shoulder, smiling mischievously.

“Then again, you’re handsome too. Just looking in the mirror must be enough to feast your eyes. I fell head over heels for you at first sight, after all, without even knowing you were a woman.”

“Shh. Hailey, I told you to be careful about saying things like that outside.”

Roy hurriedly put a finger to her lips and gave her a stern look.

“Hehe. There’s no one else here.”

Hailey was the only friend who knew Roy’s true gender.

She had once confessed her feelings to Roy and desperately pursued her, only to eventually discover Roy’s secret.

That revelation had become the foundation of the deep trust between them.

“But did you quit working at Marx’s Tavern?”

“Yeah. It just worked out that way. I’m sorry, especially since you went through so much trouble to get me the job.”

Roy spoke while cautiously watching Hailey’s expression.

“No, it’s fine. You increased our sales, and the customers liked you, so that’s all that matters. But…”

Hailey paused before asking carefully,

“One of the customers asked for your address.”

“M-my address?”

“When they told him they didn’t know your address, apparently he even asked where he could find you.”

Roy bit her lip awkwardly.

Hailey gave her a meaningful look.

“Did you quit because of that customer?”

Roy hesitated.

She probably shouldn’t tell her the whole truth.

But at the same time, it didn’t seem right to refuse to explain why she’d quit to the person who had helped her get the job.

“Well…”

After thinking it over, Roy leaned toward her ear and whispered quietly.

Hailey’s eyes immediately widened.

“What?! You spent the night with a customer?!”

“Shh! Please!”

Roy hurriedly covered Hailey’s mouth.

After getting her to promise that she would keep her voice down, Roy removed her hand.

Hailey lowered her voice, but her eyes were still sparkling with excitement.

“Oh my goodness. What young master was he? He must have been from a family with a villa in Claireville, right?”

“I don’t really know. I’d never seen him at the tavern before. But he seemed to already know the other noblemen.”

“Tell me more. He might be someone I know. I’ll find him for you!”

“What’s the point of finding him? It was only one night.”

It was extremely common in Claireville for noblemen visiting for vacation to enjoy themselves with local women before leaving.

Roy herself hadn’t thought much of such fleeting summer affairs.

After all, she had always believed that something like that would have nothing to do with her.

Just a little fun while you’re young.

People said that if a woman got a bad reputation, she could forget about ever getting married.

But wasn’t it something everyone experienced at least once behind closed doors?

With such values, Roy naturally had no expectation that her encounter would turn into a romance or even marriage.

She was realistic by nature.

And wasn’t romance something you needed the luxury of time and money to pursue?

For Roy, who was constantly struggling to pay off debts, spending one night with a strange man had simply been an unfortunate and troublesome accident.

Something so fleeting that by the next morning, it would already feel hazy, as though it had barely happened.

“Still, you should know who he is so you can avoid him. You don’t want to meet that person again, do you?”

“Well… no.”

“Then tell me.”

There was an unmistakable sense of anticipation in Hailey’s eyes.

She had probably never imagined that she would get to talk to Roy about a man—much less a man Roy had spent the night with.

Roy let out a deep sigh and slowly began piecing together her hazy memories.

“He had turquoise eyes, and he was built like someone who exercised regularly. But his clothes and the way he carried himself made it obvious he was a nobleman.”

Moreover, he seemed to belong to a fairly prominent family.

The other young nobles had treated him casually, yet they had also seemed to watch his reactions and naturally place him at the center of their group.

His perfectly straight posture, calm way of speaking, and leisurely air characteristic of aristocrats were unmistakable.

“That’s unusual. Do noblemen have any reason to build that much muscle?”

“That’s what I thought too. When we arm-wrestled, he practically toyed with me.”

“Really? What does he do?”

“And he had a dimple on the left side. Whenever he smiled, his entire expression changed for a moment, and…”

Roy’s gaze wandered around as she tried to think of anyone who resembled him.

Then it stopped.

“Yeah. Someone like that…”

A man who looked remarkably similar to the man from last night was walking toward her.

No—more precisely, he was heading toward the tent where the noble ladies were resting.

The man smiled and kissed Grand Duchess Leonora’s hand.

“It’s been a long time, Grandmother. Have you been well?”

“Don’t call me ‘Grandmother’ so formally. A gentleman should arrive before the appointed time. Is it really proper for an old woman like me to wait for her grandson?”

“My apologies. I beg forgiveness from the most elegant lady in the Empire.”

“Honestly, I wonder who you inherited that slick tongue from…”

Leonora muttered with a sigh.

The man responded with a playful smile.

At that moment, Hailey suddenly shouted,

“Oh? That’s Duke Hermont!”

“What?”

“That’s the Duke! He’s incredibly handsome, isn’t he? Somehow he looks even more handsome in daylight!”

Hailey wasn’t the only one.

The other servants also stopped what they were doing for a moment and stared at the Duke.

Light poured over the man’s face, revealing a distinct dimple in his cheek.

His magnificent platinum-blond hair and turquoise eyes gleamed nobly beneath the sunlight.

It’s not just someone who looks like him.

That’s him!

Roy hurriedly lowered her head and ducked beneath the table.

Meanwhile, Vitor calmly faced his older brother, Raul.

“Vitor. Congratulations on your victory.”

“Yes. Thank you, Brother.”

“But war isn’t solved by strength alone. If you simply force your way through everything with brute strength like you do, you could complicate matters diplomatically.”

“Then next time, I’ll make sure to lose appropriately. You can handle things from there, Brother.”

“N-no! That’s not what I meant…! What I’m trying to say is that political balance and diplomatic judgment are important!”

“Yes, of course. I’ll leave it all to you, Brother.”

Roy secretly listened to their conversation while sweating nervously.

That smooth, carefree way of speaking.

The more she listened, the more certain she became.

It’s definitely him.

“Roy. What’s wrong? Why are you suddenly hiding?”

“Shh! Shh!”

Her heart pounded violently.

How could this happen?!

“Grandmother! Mother!”

A frivolous voice came from somewhere in the distance, making Roy’s mind go even more blank.

She knew that person too.

“You’re still as beautiful as ever! What on earth do you eat to stay so healthy?”

“You’re not a child anymore. Address your elders properly and speak respectfully!”

“So strict. Isn’t it nicer to speak casually and be friendly?”

The very same customer who had frequently visited the tavern where Roy worked.

Count Alan Quimiller…