he looks like a holy maiden with her veil. I like these two, this is what I expected from heroine (val) who doesn't want to marry and the "indifferent duke", he's tyrannical in a different sense. but still respects her boundaries. he listens when she communicates with him.
also what I expect from a powerful and equally indifferent heroine (sere), it's just out of their scopes to consider romance for themselves. little interactions is the plot, because Val doesn't strongly like or dislike them, same with the other two. their impressions hasn't developed to personal levels yet, and I think those bonds are promising.