Shortly thereafter, he carried his cup and made his way out of the hall so that he could be alone and appreciate the scenery outside. Right as he was leaving the hall, he just so happened to catch a glimpse of Larwood and his father, Duke Nandoon, out of the corner of his eye. The two of them were making their way into a room on the second floor.

Judging from the look on Larwood's face, it looks like he's about to cop an earful from his father, Erwin thought to himself as an amused smile played on his lips.

However, what the two of them were actually discussing in secret was something that Erwin completely failed to anticipate.

"Why has Her Highness appeared here?" Duke Nandoon asked with tightly furrowed brows.

"How was I supposed to know that Erwin would suddenly decide to bring her with us? By the time I found out, it was already too late to turn back," Larwood replied with a resigned expression.

"Make sure to be on your guard and don't let Erwin notice anything. He's always been a very observant child," Nandoon cautioned. "Of course, make sure...