"The baron went up to his room."

Luke thought they would run into each other because he knew Seira's schedule, but their paths missed each other. Luke himself went up without summoning Seira.

"Baron. Are you inside?"

Seira, who had been resting in the bathtub for a long time, was startled. Splashing and large ripples of water, Seira jumped up.

"Yes, ah, I'm inside! Small Duke! What brings you here?"

Standing in front of the guest room, Luke thought his voice was quite far away. Was he in the bathroom?

"You must be busy. I'm sorry. I'll ask you later."

"No, it's fine! I'll get ready and go out soon!"

Seira played the role of Ian who held a title, while the other person was heir to a dukedom even if he currently held no title.

However, when it comes to the ducal household, they were members of the imperial family and the family of the current Empress. No matter how ignorant Seira was, she had to be tactful.

Besides Seira was now being tended to at the Duke's mansion. The territory had the Empress's investment.

Seira moved quickly, thinking that she should not keep Card's small duke waiting or walk to her room in vain.

She roughly dried her wet hair and body with a towel and quickly dressed. She couldn't tie her chest with bandages because she was in a hurry to dress up but supposed she wouldn't be caught. After all, her chest wasn't big anyway. Instead, she wore a loose, thick shirt.

"I'm sorry for keeping you waiting!"

And Seira opened the door.

Luke, who was waiting in front of the door with a bored expression, felt like he was hit in the head with a ton of bricks the moment he saw Seira.

Why didn't he notice it before?

All she had done was tie her hair back neatly and covered her body with several layers of clothes. How could he not notice with just that!

As soon as Luke saw her wet hair hanging down, he realized,

She was a woman.

'No, wait....... No way....... You watched the Baron train. There's no way a woman can fight like that.......'

Baron Hestia was also able to swing a heavy two-handed sword with one hand, which was a feat even for a man. He had been impressed.....

'No way.'

He must be a man with an overly beautiful appearance. Didn't he know men with beautiful appearances? Like Lyle or something.

However, the impression itself was different from that of the Emperor. No matter where he looked Lyle's face could not be mistaken for a woman's.

"Come on in. Are you alright?"

"It's no different......."

Luke saw Seira's slender neckline and her freshly bathed skin glowing like roses.

He had never been cognizant of it but he thought the lines of her face and neck were too thin for a man.

For a man, he would be of medium height, but for a woman, she would be tall.

Luke took a glance, their fingers were thin, too thin. Their hands were as big as a man's and their fingers were as long.... They were smooth and pretty hands without the thick bones of men. Despite having calluses from training.

'No, I don't think so. It can't be such a secret.....'

While asking Ian why he didn't want to keep a servant or if there was anything that made him uncomfortable in the duke's mansion, Luke was continuously peeking and studying at Seira's face and body.

"No! I thought it wouldn't be good for training if I was too comfortable.... That's why. There's no other reason."

"Is that so? Then, how can I leave you unattained?"

"Alright. If you insist and assign a servant to me. It's fine."

Luke looked at Seira, who spoke dauntlessly, with an uneasy gaze.

'If—if really— if Ian was a woman.......'

Wouldn't they be more anxious than this? Luke couldn't believe she came to the capital in disguise like that.

'What were you thinking? No way... Does her Majesty know about this?'

There was no such thing as a female knight in the empire yet. It was not that women wielding swords did not appear in history but he had never heard of a woman knight before.

Therefore, it was also true that there was no provision prohibiting him, and that there was no condition that women could not take the Knight's test.

However, the lack of regulations did not mean that there were no practical problems. When it comes to women, they wouldn't accept the application in the first place.

So even if she borrowed the status of a baron, she would be knighted in front of the emperor. If she was found to have deceived the emperor, she could be sentenced to death for blaspheming the imperial family.

'In a worst-case scenario, I think my sister would cover for me, but.......'

"I see. I'm sorry, you were taking a bath."

"Not at all."

Luke eventually turned around without asking or confirming. The days of full-fledged agony for the Small Duke began.