“-Therefore, to recognize the merit of defeating the Demon King and saving the continent, I hereby elevate Count Elysia Frentz to the rank of Duke.”

Empress Cecilia proclaimed as if it were a given, in a gathering where nearly all the nobles of the Empire, except those from distant territories, were present.

Being made a Duke is such an esteemed position that even the Emperor who bestowed the title cannot treat it lightly. Especially, being a Duke of the Empire, the largest nation on the continent, holds power that could rival even the royalty of smaller countries.

The power that comes with the title of Duke is immense, so much so that most noble factions within the Empire are centered around the Duke’s family.

Naturally, achieving such a title is no easy feat. No matter how loyal one is to the Empire or how remarkable their accomplishments may be, they would only reach the rank of Marquis; Duke is out of the question. One must be a founding hero of the nation for even a chance.

Until now, there had only been three Duchies within the Empire for several hundred years, and now it was increasing to four.

Even though this meant that the noble hierarchy of most of the Empire would drop by a step, there was not a single word of dissent from the nobles gathered in the Imperial Palace. Instead, the sound of frantic attempts to curry favor with me echoed in my ears.

It makes sense, in a way. It may be embarrassing to acknowledge, but the title of hero who saved the continent is an achievement that is comparably as commendable as that of a founding hero, if not more so.

Moreover, unlike the Deretia family, which was originally established by the first hero, I was a Count from the very beginning. Thus, there should be no grounds for objections.

Of course, I know that my achievement is not solely mine; the Emperor made sure that I shared the glory with my fellow friends as well.

“Congratulations, Duke Frentz.”

After the formal event, a type of after-party began. Nobles approached me one by one to greet me in light of the rise of new power. Among them were those who had been pushed out of the existing power structure, trying to grab onto a new lifeline, as well as those assessing whether I was an ally or a rival.

Perhaps due to my lingering assassin instincts, I don’t particularly enjoy crowds, but as a Duke, I knew that such appearances would become part of my daily life, so I endured it.

However, the thing that truly troubled me was another matter. While it could be said that the approach of nobles seeking to connect with me in this new power structure was the same, the problem lay in their methods and intentions.

“This is my proud second son, Roy. Just between us, as a person, he’s far superior to my firstborn heir.”

“It’s an honor to meet you, Your Grace. I’m Roy Stella.”

A man standing beside the old Count stepped forward to greet me. If it were a lady like a Duchess or a Young Lady, she would perhaps have extended her hand, but as I was a Duke myself, I felt relieved not having to go through that formality.

“Haha! I heard you are also an alumnus of the Imperial Academy, and this young man graduated recently with excellent grades. Please treat him as a junior.”

The Academy…

While I indeed have precious memories and encounters tied to the Imperial Academy, it’s hard to say that the Academy itself holds significant meaning, given I only attended for a year. Of course, if we consider the regression, it would amount to several years, but it wasn’t anything particularly special.

“Uh… well? I only attended the Academy for a year; isn’t it a bit ridiculous for me to act like a senior? I didn’t even take a leave of absence; I should have been expelled or dropped out already.”

“Ha ha, that’s not what the Academy’s Director would say. Rather, wouldn’t he be begging you to at least let your name be mentioned? After all, Your Grace is none other than the hero who defeated the Demon King and saved the continent.”

Hmm. Come to think of it, I’d heard that the Academy’s Director was among the visitors from my territory, so that might explain it.

“Well then, this old man will take my leave. My duties can’t compare to the busy affairs of Your Grace, but I have urgent matters to attend to in the capital. However, my son will be your companion, I assure you he will serve you better than this old man.”

With his second son being left behind, Count Stella left with a spring in his step; perhaps a sense of accomplishment was driving his unusually spry movement for his age.

There was no need to ask what the Count wanted.

A tall youth, a nobleman’s son, and with excellent grades, he’d likely been quite popular at the Academy. Since graduating now, he would be approximately two to three years younger than me.

Moreover, as he was not the firstborn son to inherit the family, he’d be a beneficial pawn for political marriage.

However, for Count Stella, there’s an unfortunate truth— the premise is fundamentally flawed. Even if I might look like a woman, my spirit is undoubtedly more masculine than anyone else’s. So, introducing a man to me isn’t likely to go well.

Yet, considering my reputation, being too harsh doesn’t sit right with me either, which leaves me in a predicament.

Furthermore, it’s not just one noble approaching me in this troublesome manner; there are several.

How many of these precious children do they have? Most of the nobles have allowed their sons to flock around me and left their spots.

Having been surrounded by young men is truly lamentable.

If I had been surrounded by young ladies instead, albeit in a different sense, it would have startled me, but I would’ve welcomed it with joy. How did I end up in this situation…

Fortunately, it seems our gracious Goddess has not forsaken her pitiful servant.

“There you are.”

As I shoved away the young men surrounding me, a familiar voice came through. The beautiful golden-haired Selian appeared, fluttering towards me. She has always been my savior in times of despair and this time, too, she showed up like a messiah to rescue me from this horrid predicament.

“I’m sorry. I was away for a while, and a lot of work piled up, so I was late. Did you wait long?”

“Oh, come on, there’s no need to apologize between us. I know well how busy you are, Selian.”

I was just grateful she appeared before it got any later. If it weren’t for her, I would still be awkwardly smiling in the midst of those guys.

“What was this about, Lady Deretia?”

However, while I welcomed Selian, one of the men nearby openly voiced his displeasure towards her.

“Even if you are an ally of the heroes, such impolite behavior is…”

He was one of those she had shoved aside roughly, and it seemed he was quite unhappy about it.

Though the other men, who had been similarly pushed aside, didn’t voice anything, their expressions indicated they were siding with this one’s complaint.

How petty for a man to complain about a lady—especially a beauty like Selian—who merely gave him a light nudge. Shouldn’t he rather blame himself for being so weak that he could tumble over at a gentle push? Besides, shouldn’t one be grateful for the attention from such a beauty as Selian?

Regardless of his discontent, Selian opened her mouth with an even more frigid tone.

“Are you not the second son of the Gresia family?”

“Uh, yes, that’s correct.”

“I see. Now I understand why the Gresia family has fallen so low.”

Selian teased him mockingly. Considering her usually gentle nature, it was a sight rarely seen.

“Hey! Lady Deretia…”

“It would be wise to keep that mouth of yours shut. Oh, and please don’t make that unjustly hurt expression; I’ll let you know specifically what your mistake is.”

The young man, insulted by Selian’s words about his family, attempted to respond loudly, but Selian silenced him with an even colder voice.

“I am not merely Lady Deretia, but the formally recognized Marquis of Deretia. How dare you raise your voice to me, who has inherited a title? Oh, don’t make that face of disbelief; failing to grasp such a basic truth is itself a considerable crime. Do you understand why I said your family has fallen?”

The young man’s face began to pale as Selian’s words rained down upon him.

It’s understandable; exactly as Selian stated, she is not just any noble lady but a proper Marquis of Deretia. Furthermore, the house of Deretia is one of the most influential power players among the Marquises.

Thus, it isn’t surprising that he is aghast at having the nerve to challenge her.

“And most importantly, your biggest mistake is…”

Selian continued with a decisive tone, then turned slightly to glance at me, and fell silent.

“…I see no need to explain it to you. In any case, if you’ve now recognized your mistakes, I will leave your sins until later, so you should take your leave immediately.”

At Selian’s words, the young man hurriedly fled the scene as if he were running away. Many of the other young men who had surrounded me scrambled to leave, avoiding the chilly atmosphere that came with her words.

“Well then, shall we take our leave, El?”

With a clear path ahead, Selian tightly grasped my hand, asking, then without waiting for my reply, briskly walked away in a dignified manner, devoid of any urgency.

The remaining young men deemed it wise not to pursue, watching us with perplexed faces.

After walking a distance, we finally arrived at the garden outside the building.

Time had flown by; the sun had completely set, replaced by the moonlight illuminating the surroundings.

“Thank you. I was in quite a bind, but I can breathe more easily now thanks to you.”

I expressed my gratitude sincerely toward Selian. If she hadn’t shown up, I’d surely still be encircled by those young men.

“By the way, are you okay, Selian? Even if he’s the second son of a Count, if people catch wind of what happened…”

“Don’t worry about that. No commoner would dare to claim that they were wronged by me or make up false charges against me. Especially considering that Count’s son must realize the absurdity of confronting a marquess.”

If they don’t act accordingly, that itself is a lesson for others, Selian added nonchalantly.

Indeed, that explains why she reacted so coldly earlier.

“Anyway, enough about that garbage. What about the others?”

Since it was an imperial event, other noble friends of ours had also attended. Of course, non-nobles could attend as part of the hero party, but they each opted to attend to their own matters.

“Yuli is talking with her father whom she hasn’t seen in a while, and Anne was dragged away by her mother! What was it again? She ran away after skipping the family vision meeting?”

Hmm… I can clearly picture how Anne must look, even at over twenty years old, being dragged away like a child by her parents. It’s quite a sight.

“And the sorceress seems to be caught up with the Chief Wizard. They’re asking about the magic she used to topple the Demon King’s castle.”

Exactly how extraordinary was that magic, that it managed to attract attention even in the capital, spanning across the continent? Well, it was, after all, the magic that the Great Wizard Frecia had harnessed to its fullest and unleashed.

“By the way, isn’t this your first official appearance as a Marquis? Aren’t you busy? You shouldn’t have to deal with me…”

“Anyway, the main star of the event was you, El, so there’s no reason for a mere supporting character like me to be busy. Any genuinely important issues come through the family channels anyway.”

As Selian and I walked through the garden, we stumbled upon a bench and sat down side by side without saying a word; it happened so naturally.

It’s truly a garden that could almost be called a forest in its expansive size, leaving absolutely no sense of others nearby.

Escaping the crowded scene to sit here peacefully with Selian feels so soothing. There’s no comparison to being surrounded by those young men.

“It’s been a while since we were alone like this.”

Thanks to our mission to defeat the Demon King, this peaceful moment where we can just relax is quite the novelty since our Academy days.

Of course, even during our Academy days, Selian was actively trying to save me while I was in regression, so she probably never truly relaxed.

Thinking of that makes my gratitude toward Selian bubble up once more. One lifetime wouldn’t be enough to repay her.

“Um…”

As I opened my mouth to express this gratitude, it seemed we had coincidentally both wanted to say something at the same time.

“Ah, go ahead.”

“No, you speak first, El.”

We both insisted on the other. Seeing this was so amusing that I couldn’t help but chuckle.

“Ahaha… it’s nothing much, really. I just wanted to say thank you.”

Selian, who had been gazing at me intently, tilted her head in confusion, as if to ask what I meant.

“I’m just grateful for everything. If I hadn’t met you, I would never have known such happiness. The joy I’m feeling now is all thanks to you reaching out without giving up…”

I attempted to eloquently continue, but the depth of my gratitude is something that mere words can’t encompass. Consequently, even as I spoke, I felt my vocabulary failing me, nervously scratching my head to ease the awkwardness.

“In any case! Ultimately, I’m just trying to say thank you. It’s a debt I can never repay in a lifetime.”

Finally saying it out loud relieved me. It’s not like I had never expressed my gratitude before, but it was the first time I had created this kind of opportunity to confess it.

Casting a subtle glance at Selian’s face, I noticed she was initially surprised, her eyes wide, but soon she returned my gaze with a warm smile, beaming brightly.

“By the way, I’ve shared everything I wanted to say, so what were you going to say, Selian?”

I tried to divert attention to hide my embarrassment, but the response was silence.

Turning my head, I saw her nervously licking her dry lips repeatedly, as if she was trying to muster the courage to say something, but kept opening and closing her mouth without success.

I didn’t know what was making her so anxious, so I slowly reached out my hand and placed it on top of hers.

At that, Selian visibly flinched in surprise, her shoulders rising slightly before she turned her hand over and interlaced her fingers with mine.

Then she squeezed my hand tightly as if she had made up her mind.

“Um… El?”

“Yeah?”

“Earlier, you said you’d never be able to repay that debt of yours… is that for real?”

“Of course it is.”

Did I truly seem that untrustworthy? I pondered fleetingly, but then reflected on the times I’d told grand lies to my friends or broke promises while running away, and I understood why Selian might react this way. It’s all my doing.

“Then, as you said, can you… spend that lifetime together with me…?”

What? That’s all you wanted to say? I felt tense, thinking maybe something huge was going on, but the request seemed so obvious that I ended up feeling deflated.

“…No. Clinging to the kindness behind El’s feelings would indeed be cowardly. Especially toward our friends who have selflessly yielded…”

Yet, perhaps because I had eased my tension, those unexpected words cut deep into my heart.

“Elisia.”

Her gaze meeting mine, illuminated by the gentle moonlight, made her seem even more beautiful than usual.

Instead of the cute nickname we usually used for each other, she called my full name, and what followed was a phrase I’d never forget.

“I love you.”