Surprised by the unexpected appearance, Nikolai was just as taken aback as Luka.

‘Why did you come out of there?’

He looked at Luka with that exact expression.

“Please have a seat in that chair.”

Unaware of the situation, Katya gestured towards the empty chair in the center.

As Luka attempted to explain, a gentle knock on the door was heard, and Bianca peeked inside, then poked her head in.

“Ah, is it not finished yet? You said it was the last one.”

“I think this is the last one. Do you want to come in too?”

“Is that okay?”

Bianca smirked playfully, then passed through the door and headed towards the interviewer’s seat.

As she sat next to her sister, her eyes met Luka’s, and she finally recognized him, exclaiming,

“Huh? Hello. It’s you!”

He was the customer she had met at the perfume shop.

Feeling relieved to see a familiar face, Luka sat down in the chair.

“Oh my, I thought you were an attendant, but you’re a private tutor?”

Nikolai shot a puzzled look at his friend, as if to ask what this was all about.

Luka tried his best to avoid the Grand Duke’s gaze, feeling quite flustered.

How did this situation come about?

He had promised to marry the eldest daughter of this household, Katya, but that was all he knew. Today, he came to formally greet his future father-in-law, Duke Smirnov, as an engagement was confirmed.

From what he could observe, it seemed like they were conducting interviews for a home tutor position.

But why was Nikolai sitting in the interviewer’s seat? And what was the perfumer, who had packaged cheap perfume for him, doing here?

“Is it a coincidence?”

Katya asked her sister.

“Well, that’s… um…”

Bianca paused, unsure of where to begin her explanation.

Then she remembered the time she accidentally packaged the wrong perfume. She needed to clarify things, but the situation wasn’t suitable.

“Maybe I should leave then? It’s a position for selecting a home tutor for you. If we know each other, it might be difficult to evaluate fairly.”

“Just wait, Tia.”

Interrupting his sister’s thought, Nikolai interjected, gazing intently at his friend.

“We can’t be sure if it’s really a coincidence.”

“Yes?”

“Wait, how does the sister-in-law know that man? From his appearance, he doesn’t seem like someone from the south.”

Katya nodded, acknowledging her fiancé’s sharp point.

“Well, I happened to meet him in a shop. We exchanged a few words, but that’s all. I don’t really know him, but I just assumed he might be an attendant to some difficult and eccentric nobleman, given the way he ordered him to fetch the perfume.”

“A difficult and eccentric nobleman?”

“Yes. He asked me to fetch the perfume, but he was quite insistent about it. He was sighing heavily all the way while looking for the perfume, and I thought to myself, ‘His master must have a strong personality.’ I felt sorry for him.”

“Oh, so the master sent him on an errand for perfume?”

Nikolai’s eyebrows twitched as he quickly realized that it was his story being described.

Nikolai’s eyebrows wiggled as he quickly realized she was talking about him.

He smiled playfully and turned his gaze to the formidable servant who dared to witness the Grand Duke’s displeasure.

Without realizing it, Luka averted his gaze.

Even though he was looking in another direction, he could still feel the piercing glares directed at him.

“I’m curious about which family he belongs to. The master seems to have a nasty personality, and the servant’s mouth seems cheap.”

“……”

“From the way you’re dressed, I thought you were a boyanin lord, bred to be as precious as a plant in a greenhouse, but I didn’t realize you were a commoner.”

As Nikolai spoke, Luka turned his head, and their eyes met.

Upon seeing his expression, Luka began sending subtle signals with his eyes as if pleading for him to stop.

Nikolai found Luka’s cautious demeanor intriguing and couldn’t help but take interest in the situation.

What the hell was going on between them?

He glared at Luka with a menacing face.

Now as the son-in-law of Duke Smirnov, he had duties to fulfill. As a robust man responsible for protecting this family with only an elderly father and two delicate daughters.

Bianca was a younger sister cherished by her wife.

If he’s a guy who bothers his sister-in-law, I’d break all his limbs, no matter if he’s a close friend or not.

‘Beautiful and kind words.’

Nikolai controlled the bad thoughts in his head.

Katya had told him to pray to the gods when he had crazy thoughts.

Though he didn’t have faith, to keep her from worrying, it was best to suppress his tyrannical temperament and strive to be a better person.

“You don’t even have a resume, but how about sending it anyway?”

Upon hearing Nikolai’s words, Luka, who was about to get up, stopped moving after hearing the next words.

“How can you teach anyone if you’re not even prepared?”

As he pondered on it, he felt offended.

Every time the Grand Duke caused trouble, it was Boris and himself who had to clean up the mess.

Moreover, he was a prodigy to the point of being selected as a close associate of Grand Duke Nikolai and had learned under the same mentor together.

But now, being treated like this here hurt his pride a little.

“Please give me a chance to have the interview. I have come all the way here with the help of many people, to make it in time like this.”

“Well, why don’t you try your hand at translating an ancient language on the spot, in lieu of a resume? This whole page.”

Katya pushed forward a book and paper written in the ancient language of the continent.

“How long do you think it will take?”

“Just one page, including proofreading, should be enough in 10 minutes.”

At that remark, Bianca blinked in surprise.

The book was as large as a woman’s torso. Furthermore, the characters were minuscule. It was just one page, but it would easily contain a thousand words. And yet, he claimed it would take only 10 minutes.

At this level, could it be dictation?

Having walked to the interview room, Luka returned to his spot and quickly scanned the book before diligently transcribing something onto the paper.

The interviewers left the room with only one of the Duke’s attendants, allowing the interviewee to concentrate.

As soon as the door closed, Nikolai leaned towards Katya and whispered softly.

“Do you know the ancient language?”

“No?”

“But how will you find out if it’s a proper translation?”

“The Grand Duke speaks it well, doesn’t he?”

“To some extent. Did you plan on leaving it all to me?”

“In fact, besides the Grand Duke, there is something else I trust.”

Katya took out a book she had been holding in her arms.

“It’s a complete translation of Hersian translation. I thought there might be a need for such a test, so I prepared it in advance.”

It was a kind of answer sheet.

Nikolai chuckled softly as he watched her confidently reveal her trade secret.

She was cunning when it came to scheming.

“Why are you laughing?”

“Because you’re adorable.”

“It’s not just the two of us, you know?”

Seeing her sister’s expression, Katya turned back and lightly patted her robust arm hidden under the sleeve.

“When it’s just the two of us, we can do whatever we want, right?”

“Hey! No way!”

“Sister.”

Katya, who was pouting, turned at the quiet voice.

“Huh? Bianca, why?”

“I forgot something, I’ll be back in a moment. If the interview is over, tell that person to wait for a while before sending them away.”

“What?”

“Then I’ll be back!”

Bianca quickly walked towards her bedroom, leaving her sister and her prospective brother-in-law behind.

It was because of the real perfume that Luka had been looking for, and she had been keeping it since that day. She had planned to give it to him if they ever met by chance again, but she didn’t expect that day to come so quickly.

For some reason, her steps felt strangely light, like feathers.

Seeing her younger sister walking with a spring in her step, Katya raised an eyebrow in amusement.

“Is she that excited about studying?”

“What?”

“She seemed so thrilled, Bianca.”

Katya said with a proud smile.

“Actually, when she was young, her health was weak, and she couldn’t graduate from school.”

“School?”

“I attended the Molniski Ladies’ Academy.”

“You went to Molniski Ladies’ Academy?”

Nikolai asked, surprised.

The Molniski Ladies’ Academy was well-known to everyone. It was the only school in Hersen dedicated to women, and its level of education was exceptional. Every year, noble families from all over the country eagerly tried to enroll their daughters in the academy.

Graduating from Molniski was practically a qualification for becoming the mistress of a family before marriage.

“It’s just not for me, isn’t it? It didn’t go well with me, and Bianca was sick, so I dropped out before the higher years.”

“Observing you during the interview, you seemed very knowledgeable. Isn’t that something you can’t learn in lower grades?”

“I’m self-taught, you know. As I mentioned before, when I was young, my mother read to me a lot, so my reading comprehension improved. Even after dropping out, if I had any questions, I would order books and read them at home.”

Nikolai couldn’t close his mouth and looked down at her.

“Why are you like this?”

“It seems like I’ve fallen for you again.”

“Suddenly?”

“You’re independent, well-educated, and have a rich culture. How can I not fall for someone like that?”

“I’d hardly call myself cultured Anyway, that guy’s ego is the problem. Get a hold of yourself, Grand Duke!”

Seeing the love-struck look in his eyes, Katya clapped her hands as if trying to liven up the mood.

“Anyway, the conclusion is this! Bianca has a passion for learning. For other subjects, she had private tutors before becoming an adult, but recently, she seems interested in the ancient language and music. I want to support her in everything she wants.”

“A deeply affectionate sister.”

“I take after my father and am healthy, but Bianca takes after our mother and often falls ill, so I feel sorry for her.”

“Why are you feeling sorry?”

“Whenever Bianca suffered from small or serious illnesses, I had such thoughts. If it was impossible for both of us to be born healthy, I would rather suffer together with Bianca.”

How can someone so kind and gentle be called a villain?

Nikolai gently brushed her rosy cheek with the back of his hand.

Amidst the sweet atmosphere between the prospective couple, someone entered the lobby on the first floor, visible from the balcony.

To be precise, it was two men.

His eyes widened when he spotted them.

Nikolai knew these two men’s faces very well.

“Why are they here?”

These people should not be here, daring to intrude upon the sanctuary of his and his beloved family.

They were intruders who appeared in the peaceful Duke Smirnov’s residence.

Feeling the presence of unwelcome guests, the senses of the Duke’s son-in-law were sharply heightened.