Elara spoke calmly about potential improvements to some of the most well-known problems.

Aurelian answered her questions.

Sometimes, he added small insights or clarifications of his own.

All of them handled their own responsibilities well enough, but it was Aurelian who drew Seraphine’s attention.

Something about his expression looked more focused, almost impatient, as if his mind were somewhere else and only his body stayed in the dining hall.

And even when the conversation shifted to less serious subjects, he did not relax.

Not even when Seraphine gave him a faint smile.

"You look distracted."

Aurelian met her gaze briefly.

He didn’t deny the words.

Instead, he simply said, "I apologize."

Then he added one more thing.

"My attention was on another topic."

Seraphine studied him closely. "Oh, and what would that be about?"

Aurelian met her gaze. "You will know when the time comes."

Seraphine didn’t ask immediately.

The dinner ended smoothly.

Everyone returned to their duties.

But two people who did not do that, as Seraphine and Aurelian both tactfully decided that they needed to go out on a stroll, and so both of them went on a stroll all alone.

Seraphine and Aurelian were alone, walking side by side, both calm, as there was nothing out of the ordinary in what they were doing, as most people would find it normal.

Yet, neither of them had ever felt this uncomfortable with silence between themselves, but that wasn’t for lack of talking; it was more because the way the silence felt was different than what either of them was expecting, which meant there was something else behind that feeling that none of them had yet identified.

Aurelian decided to break the silence after it continued for more than he was willing to put up with any longer.

"You looked interested when we were talking earlier."

"I was."

That surprised him a little, but also made him even more curious about whatever she had seen in his words.

"Oh? What got your attention?"

Seraphine glanced at him with a faint smile. "Do you need to know immediately?"

"No, but I am curious what part caught your eye."

"Then let’s walk a little further first."

They went further as they passed one of the inner gardens.

Lights glowed among the trees, and soft water trickled over pale stone, giving the entire garden a sense of calm peace as they walked past the beautiful scenery.

They passed the fountain and sat on the benches nearby.

Even after sitting there on the benches, they both remained silent for a bit longer, until Seraphine spoke.

"You changed."

That made him pause.

"Oh, really? In what way?" he asked as he studied her.

Seraphine smiled faintly, and her eyes met his. "There was more life behind your words. More feeling in everything you said. You were much more focused, and it felt real."

That wasn’t what he had expected.

He was used to hearing more about command or training or some other noble topic, but when she spoke about him this time, that surprised him, as he hadn’t expected anyone to mention how he looked right now.

"So I am not just Aurelian Arcturus anymore, right? People will look at me differently."

Seraphine looked thoughtful. "Yes and no. Yes, people will see you differently, but I doubt that it is because you are an Arcturus or anything else like that; it is more because you became a Tier III commander much faster than most people expected and were able to take command of a Tier V shipgirl within such a short period of time. People respect power and achievement."

He nodded at the answer. "True, but I think that people will still ask why I was the one who received all of these things since there are people who are much older and have much higher prestige than I do."

She looked up at him. "Prestige only matters if someone has more. But in terms of personal power? It doesn’t matter. And you are powerful, which means people will listen to you whether you want them to or not."

Aurelian listened and thought about what she was telling him, as it was very important information to remember in the future when dealing with other people.

"Is that what you are doing too?"

"Yes, because while people look up to my family and me due to our position, I can still rely on power as a way to ensure that other people treat me well without thinking they can walk all over me just because I am young and pretty."

Hearing this made him even more intrigued about what exactly was going on between Seraphine and himself, as this whole thing felt far from normal, as he hadn’t expected her to be quite so candid with him about these kinds of things.

They stood up from their seats and went deeper into the garden, passing a large fountain surrounded by flowers and trees, then headed toward the path leading to one of the inner areas of the Arcturus estate, which was much quieter and calmer than the rest of the estate.

The Arcturus estate grounds were big enough that they wouldn’t be bothered by anyone unless they wanted to be.

Afterward, Aurelian and Seraphine kept walking past the outer gardens that looked beautiful under the starlit sky. The night air was cool, and the sky was filled with bright stars visible without difficulty.

Aurelian and Seraphine stopped near the balcony overlooking the Arcturus ship lanes.

Seraphine glanced at him. "Have you given my proposal much thought?"

"Your proposal?"

She smiled again. "Of marrying me."

That surprised him. "Marrying you? I didn’t think you would ask this question."

She chuckled. "True, I have been asked by quite a few people if I would marry them."

Aurelian looked at her, then asked. "And what did you tell them?"

"Nothing other than declining them due to the work as the reserve elder, which caused them to back off for a while, but it seems that the agreement that our great-grandparents have agreed on is about to be exposed after tonight’s dinner with you, so I just thought it would be better to bring this matter out and have a frank conversation with you on this."