"I truly hope this tour isn’t making you or Princess Iryna too tired, Your Highness," Philia said, his voice dripping with refined courtesy as he guided them toward the shaded structure. "The capital gardens are vast, and after your long journey, I would hate to overexert our esteemed guests."

Iryna offered a polite, casual wave of her hand, a soft smile gracing her lips. "No, of course not. It’s been wonderful, truly. The capital’s architecture and flora are quite distinct from what we have back home. It is quite fun to take a look around."

The three of them stepped into the cool shade of the gazebo, where a pristine white table had already been set by the palace servants. A heavy silver tea service gleamed under the shadows, accompanied by a tiered tray stacked with delicate, pastel-colored cakes and premium capital pastries. They took their seats on the plush velvet cushions, the soft clinking of porcelain filling the brief silence as Philia personally poured the steaming, aromatic tea for the siblings.

For a short while, the conversation remained strictly diplomatic. They sat resting, sipping their tea, and eating the light cakes while discussing the general relationship between Auzelian and Solaric. Gillian spoke with a smooth, unshakeable composure, effortlessly deflecting Philia’s subtle hooks about Solaric’s internal affairs and turning the topics back to general pleasantries. But as the initial political small talk began to wind down, Philia masterfully shifted the direction of the conversation, steering it toward the most disruptive figures currently residing within the capital walls.

"Speaking of your journey here," Philia began, setting his teacup down with a soft, deliberate clink. He let out a small, dramatic breath, looking thoroughly relieved. "Thank goodness Duke Valtrane was there to help secure your path when you arrived. The capital has been in quite a state of unrest lately with those wretched bandits, and it comforts me to know His Grace was able to provide such timely assistance."

Gillian took a slow sip of his tea, his sharp eyes locking onto Philia over the rim of his cup. "Right. The Northern Wolf Duke’s timely arrival was indeed fortunate. His strength is as formidable as ever." Gillian paused, setting his cup down before adding casually, "Though, we must also credit his companion. They even helped create a special remedy to wake up those who collapsed because of the strange smoke during the encounter. Lord Cherion’s quick thinking was quite impressive."

Hearing Cherion’s name, Philia’s smile faltered for a fraction of a second, a subtle tension tightening the corners of his eyes before he quickly smoothed it over with a pitying, gentle expression. "Oh, right... Lord Cherion."

Iryna, noticing the subtle shift in Philia’s demeanor, tilted her head with curiosity. "Does Lord Philia know Lord Cherion well? We found him to be quite an intriguing individual."

Philia let out a long, heavy sigh, placing a delicate hand over his chest as if speaking of a deeply tragic, unfortunate matter. He looked out toward the sunlit gardens, his voice adopting a tone of soft, sorrowful regret. "In the capital, there is practically no one who does not know of him. But... things regarding him are a little bit complicated. Quite complicated, in fact."

Iryna set her pastry down, her interest thoroughly piqued by the sudden drop in his tone. "Complicated? How so?"

Philia turned his gaze back to the Solaric siblings, his expression filled with nothing but sympathy. He leaned in slightly, as if sharing a sensitive piece of high-society gossip that pained him to speak aloud.

"As you both already know, I am Prince Yerel’s fiancé... now," Philia began, ensuring his voice sounded soft, humble, and deeply devoted to his partner. He made sure to keep any mention of Yerel’s lingering thoughts entirely out of the narrative, protecting his fiancé’s image perfectly. "But... before me, it was Lord Cherion who held that position. He was originally betrothed to the Prince."

Gillian and Iryna silently glanced at each other across the table, a brief, knowing look passing between the siblings. They had heard whispers of the capital’s broken engagements, but hearing it directly from the new fiancé added an entirely new layer of political drama.

Iryna blinked, digesting the information before speaking up softly. "Oh... so they are a couple now? Lord Cherion and the Duke?"

"Yes, they are betrothed now," Philia replied smoothly, shaking his head with a slow, pitying smile. "But... you see, when a relationship ends, it is always best to accept the reality and move on with dignity. But unfortunately, some individuals have a very hard time accepting that certain bonds simply cannot be forced."

Philia took another sip of his tea, his voice dropping into a conspiratorial whisper.

"Before Lord Cherion went to the North, he caused quite a stir, unable to accept the end of his time here," Philia sighed softly, looking thoroughly grieved by Cherion’s supposed behavior. "But when Cherion finally realized he couldn’t run from the reality of his situation, he accepted his departure, though certainly not without a deep, lingering resentment. He simply refuses to let his bitterness go, which is why I always feel terribly sorry for him, truly. For the sake of the court and everyone involved, I had hoped we could handle the transition with mutual respect and maturity. But unfortunately, that desire was entirely one-sided on my part."

Iryna set her teacup down. "It must be difficult to navigate such lingering hard feelings, especially when everyone has supposedly moved on."

Philia offered a bittersweet, helpless smile, tilting his head as if deeply burdened by the tragedy of it all. "It is, Your Highness. No matter how many times I have tried to reach out or get close to him, it seems he simply harbors nothing but hatred for me. Though, I suppose I can understand his pain to some extent," he added, his voice dropping to a gentle, sorrowful whisper. "It cannot be easy to accept. But I do wish he would understand that clinging to what was never meant to be will only continue to ruin his own peace."

Philia let out another sigh, his attention entirely locked onto the Solaric siblings. He took Gillian’s quiet, steady expression as a sign of complete agreement, thoroughly convinced that his elegant performance had worked.

"I only tell you this because our capital high society can be quite cruel when it comes to past scandals, and I would hate for our esteemed guests to be caught off guard by any unpleasantness," Philia said sweetly, lifting his teacup once more. "I only hope that Lord Cherion behaves himself appropriately at the upcoming party, and doesn’t choose to cause a scene just to embarrass His Grace or provoke the court. After all, the capital has its rules, and bitter games do not play out well under the King’s eyes."

Iryna offered a quiet nod, sipping her tea as she watched Philia over the rim of her glass. words, Iryna and Gillian silently glanced at each other across the table, sharing a brief, knowing look before Iryna took another quiet sip of her tea and Gillian casually picked up his fork to eat a piece of the cake.

Gillian swallowed his bite of cake, a faint, highly amused smile playing on his lips as he broke the short silence. "My, Auzelian truly never lacks for entertainment."

He leaned back, his eyes crinkling with anticipation as he caught his sister’s eye once more. "I must admit, Lord Philia, I am suddenly looking forward to this party much more than I was yesterday. It sounds like it will be quite interesting."