Of course, the ride didn't take long with my over-the-top expensive carriage.
Faye's house was just on the outer part of the Golden District, one of the cheapest areas in the entire location, well... cheap for noble standards at least.
If I said that to anyone but a noble, they'd just look at me like I'm crazy for calling something that costs their entire lifetime 'cheap'.
Her entire estate proved it: a mansion set in the center of a vast garden that encircled the building, with dozens of maids and servants needed just to maintain a single section.
She might be an unlanded noble, but she was a noble nonetheless.
Perfect for a female heroine.
"We're here..."
She let out an anxious sigh as we stepped down from my carriage and entered the compound, where two lightly armored guards opened the steel gates for us.
But despite being guards, they clearly had their composure broken the moment they laid eyes on me.
Hah...
I'm not going to get used to this, aren't I?
A maid greeted us just by the mansion's entrance, her uniform pristine and perfect, her discipline doubly so. She wasn't so different from me in terms of general characteristics.
But it was obvious to me that Faye had a closer relationship with her servants than I did.
"Welcome back—!?"
The maid stuttered the moment she saw me, grabbing Faye by her arm and pulling her closer to whisper something in her ear.
"M-My lady! What's Duke Noctierre doing here!?"
She urgently whispered. Nothing good came from a duke visiting an unlanded noble's estate. Dukes were the second-highest power in the entire empire, if one were to visit an unimportant piece of land...
That meant there was something deeply wrong that needed fixing.
"R-Relax, Madam," Faye awkwardly tried comforting the maid, leaning closer to her ear.
"W-Well... he's my... betrothed."
"E-Eh...?"
Faye's reply immediately broke the maid.
Did she seriously hear that right?
A random noble in the cheapest area of the golden district, someone who literally had nearly no power in the entire empire... was betrothed to a duke!?
"This is no time for jokes, Lady Faye—"
The maid tried to get a real answer, but after studying her lady's face, she realized she was telling the truth—she could always tell when her lady was lying.
ahem!
The maid immediately cleared her throat and let go of Faye's hand, straightening her posture as she bowed, very deeply, I might add.
"W-Welcome, Duke Noctierre, I never knew you took an interest in our humble lady, please! enter!"
She made way, and Faye gave me a glance that could only be described as asking me for forgiveness for her maid's disrespect.
I only nodded; of course, I had no intention of punishing someone for such a small action.
As soon as I entered the building, however, the maid once again took Faye's hand and leaned in closer to whisper something in her ear; this time, I didn't pay it any mind.
It was their business, and it looked personal.
I was sensible enough not to interfere in matters that didn't involve me.
What greeted me inside was a cozy foyer, its walls adorned with paintings of beautiful landscapes and a variety of flowers.
The inside completely matched the outside.
Before I could even take a single step onto the stairs leading to the second floor—
Clasp!
I felt Faye grab my hand to stop me.
"Maybe we leave the upstairs for later..."
She awkwardly chuckled, clearly hiding something, and since I still haven't opened the novel yet to get a refresher.
I had no idea what her motive was.
"Maybe you want to take a look at the guest room first!"
She was obviously trying to divert my attention elsewhere.
But...
"I'm fine with that."
"Great! Really great!" She chuckled again, frantically pulling me away from the foyer and deeper into the mansion.
This girl... I'm a duke, yet she's dragging me along?
She's more politically inexperienced than I thought.
Although... that's perfect for someone like me who also had no idea what I was doing.
I let myself be pulled along, mostly because resisting felt awkward and partly because I genuinely didn't know where I was supposed to go.
The guest room turned out to be on the first floor, tucked away in a quiet wing of the mansion. Sunlight streamed in through tall windows draped with light curtains, the sun's warm rays patterned across the polished wooden floor. The furniture was elegant but simple; nothing screamed excess, and nothing tried too hard to impress.
It felt lived in.
Not gloomy like mine.
"This is usually for visiting relatives," Faye explained, finally releasing my hand as she gestured around the room. "O-Or diplomats. But we don't get many of those."
"That's fine," I said honestly, taking a few steps inside. "It's nice."
She blinked. "Nice?"
"Yeah," I nodded. "It's comfortable, not too stuffy, and not too over-the-top."
Her shoulders relaxed just a little at that, as if she'd been bracing for criticism she never quite expected but feared anyway.
"I'm glad…" she murmured.
An awkward silence settled between us, not really unpleasant, just plain unfamiliar. The kind that came from two people suddenly sharing a space neither of them had prepared for.
I cleared my throat.
"So," I said, glancing around again, "this is where you grew up?"
She nodded, clasping her hands together. "Mostly. My parents are usually away, so it's been… quiet, for a long time."
That explained it.
The house wasn't empty, but it wasn't bustling either. It had warmth, but the kind that lingered rather than overflowed.
Also explained the huge space as well...
"I didn't come here to inspect anything, by the way," I added quickly. "I just thought it'd be better to talk somewhere you're comfortable."
Her eyes widened slightly.
"…Thank you."
She hesitated, then motioned toward a small sitting area by the window. "Would you like some tea? Or snacks? I can ask the kitchen to prepare—"
"Tea sounds great," I said immediately. "And please don't stress about it. I'm not… that formal."
She laughed softly at that, clearly unconvinced, but she rang a small bell anyway.
As a maid hurried off to fulfill the request, Faye sat across from me, posture straight but fingers nervously fidgeting in her lap.
"So," she said after a moment, gathering courage, "about earlier… at the conclave."
"Yeah?"
"Why… did you really choose me?"
Ah.
The obvious question...
I leaned back slightly, thinking. I could give her the polished, noble answer. I could talk about virtue, alliances, or destiny.
But honestly? Lying would just backfire in the long run.
It's better to be honest while twisting it to make sense for my character.
"You're the only safe answer," I said. "And I didn't want to make a choice I'd regret later."
She tilted her head.
"You looked like someone who didn't belong there," I continued, scratching the back of my head. "And, well… so did I."
Her lips parted in surprise.
"I-I find that hard to believe..." She smiled slightly. "Are you trying to play it humble for me to be comfortable?"
Well, look at that...
She gave me the perfect excuse on her own.
"I guess you could say that."