Ten days later.

The Crystal Hall of the Imperial Palace was bustling with well-dressed nobles as soon as evening arrived.

“Oh my, your dress and hat are so gorgeous.”

“Hoho. I put some effort into it. It’s been a while since the Imperial Palace has held an event.”

“That’s true. There are also rumors that the Imperial finances are in trouble these days….”

“Oh my, that can’t be. Even if that’s the case, the Crown Prince will surely handle it well. I heard that His Majesty the Emperor has now delegated most of his duties to the Crown Prince.”

“Hoho. Of course, right?”

They exchanged refined smiles and quickly changed the subject.

There was no one present who did not know how great the power-hungry Emperor’s ambition was, despite his aging and illness. If he had delegated his duties to the Crown Prince, it meant that the transfer of imperial power was imminent.

Even if it was clear who would become the next Emperor, the period of power transition was usually chaotic. As if trying to erase such unease, a noble lady brought up a new topic.

“By the way, did you see the victory parade of the Holy Knights a few days ago?”

“Of course. Our mansion faces the main avenue, so we had a front-row view. Oh my, how can Leon be so radiant? His dignified appearance is still vivid in my mind, and my daughters are all lovesick.”

“Oh my, my daughters too.”

“So, I heard he is still in a relationship with that Lyuschino Countess. Are there no rumors of them breaking up?”

“Oh my, break up? Didn’t you know? All the magical tools used in this expedition were personally crafted by that young lady. She even donated them all to the Holy Knights without receiving a single penny! Thanks to her, this expedition was concluded without major casualties, and Sir Leon has been openly saying that.”

“Oh my. Is that why the Lyuschino Estate is swarming with guests these days? My husband was complaining that it’s hard to get an appointment to visit.”

“Don’t even mention it. The Raynommer Estate, which has a magical tool supply contract with the Lyuschino family, is also wearing out their doorstep these days.”

“To think that gloomy outcast had such hidden talents….”

“Oh my, if we’re talking about hidden talents, is it only the Tyrot young lady?”

“What do you mean by that? Wasn’t she living well after holding her wedding ceremony a month ago?”

“Don’t tell me you haven’t heard the news. Why has Lady Odette been in seclusion these days?”

“What on earth happened? Don’t keep us in suspense and tell us.”

“Well, since it’s going to be a rumor anyway, I’ll tell you. It’s just that… Lady Tyrot is already in her final month of pregnancy.”

“Final month? Oh my, she’s already pregnant?”

“It’s not just pregnancy. There are rumors that she will give birth in a few weeks.”

“But… it’s only been a month since the wedding ceremony. Ah, come to think of it, I did hear that she was in a relationship with Simon Blanche before that….”

“Oh my. You are really in the dark about rumors. The problem is that Simon Blanche and Lady Odette have only been together for three or four months!”

“Three or four months…? But then, how….”

“How? The rumors about Lady Odette’s private life were all true.”

“Oh my. If that’s true, then Simon Blanche was caught off guard, wasn’t he?”

“Oh my. Is being caught off guard the problem? I heard he’s completely under Lady Odette’s thumb.”

“What, even in that situation?”

“Do you think Lady Odette is the type to bow down to her husband over something like that? She would have crushed his spirit if she hadn’t already.”

“Oh my, Simon Blanche has met his match. But I heard he’s been quite arrogant these days at the Tyrot Company.”

“He needs at least that much to stay attached to that family without going crazy.”

Hohohoho.

The two noble ladies, exchanging smiles that were too dignified to be considered gossiping, soon continued their conversation on the topic of today’s event.

“By the way, I didn’t expect the Crown Prince to hold a victory celebration banquet for the Holy Knights. Until now, he didn’t create opportunities to put Leon in the spotlight.”

“That’s true, but for a victory banquet… it’s a bit ambiguous. The atmosphere is also like that.”

The noble ladies swept their eyes across the banquet hall, pretending not to do so.

The banquet hall, simply decorated with mostly achromatic fabrics and ornaments, did not match the festive atmosphere of celebrating a victory at all.

“Moreover… it’s a bit odd to combine a prayer service for Empress Anne’s recovery with a victory banquet.”

“Oh my, I thought I was the only one who felt that way. The invitation even stated to bring a hat suitable for the prayer service.”

“It’s slightly ambiguous. Is this really a place to praise Sir Leon or to give him a hint?”

It was almost an open secret that Leon’s father, Grand Duke Osilote, was behind the poisoning incident of Empress Anne. In such a situation, the implications of holding a prayer service for Empress Anne’s recovery at Leon’s victory celebration were honestly too obvious.

However, the noble lady who actually spoke those words out loud was noticeably flustered and lowered her voice.

“Oh my, why did I say that? I must have misspoken.”

“Oh my, indeed. Hoho. Our Crown Prince giving a hint to Sir Leon. How could that be?”

“Ah, of course not. Our wise and upright Crown Prince. Hohoho.”

They once again smoothly glossed over the uncomfortable topic with cultured laughter.

“……”

The brown-haired lady, Margaret Yonder, who had stopped behind the pillar where the noble ladies were standing and listened, smiled wryly to herself.

“It seems everyone is not unaware of how ridiculous this event is.”

Margaret was not happy that Kasha, who had returned from that arduous expedition, was being mobilized for this event and wasting her energy. It was not easy to calm down the bouncing Daril either.

That’s when someone whispered in Margaret’s ear.

“Of course. Everyone pretends to be a thoughtless puppet on the outside, but in fact, they are all busy using their heads to survive.”

“Oh my, Princess Melissa!”

Margaret was startled to see the princess, who had approached her from behind at some point.

“I, I apologize. I spoke out of turn….”

“No, Margaret. There should be people who can speak the truth like you.”

Melissa smiled weakly.

Princess Melissa had invited Margaret to the palace several times for tea since they met at the Imperial picnic held a couple of months ago.

And two weeks ago, she even proposed to Margaret to become her lady-in-waiting.

On the surface, it was an excuse to be close to a young lady of the same age.

However, through a few encounters, Margaret discerned that the princess was isolated in the palace. It seemed that even those who had been serving as the princess’s ladies-in-waiting had left her side one by one, citing trivial excuses.

Margaret decided to accept the princess’s request. The fact that she could obtain information about the Imperial family by entering the palace as a lady-in-waiting also influenced her decision.

She recalled Daril’s serious face from a few days ago.

‘Margaret. I think we’ll have to postpone our wedding for a while.’

There was an unavoidable reason for him, who had been eager to marry Margaret quickly, to say such a thing.

‘A letter arrived from my father. Kasha is in a dangerous situation right now. And I have a duty to protect that child. But if I do that, our entire family could be in danger. I cannot drag you into such danger.’

Daril’s face, which had always been straightforward, simple, and cute, was unfamiliarly serious and solemn. She didn’t dislike that appearance either, but she really didn’t like this situation itself.

‘When all this is over, I will propose to you properly, Margaret!’

After shouting so vigorously and disappearing with tears in his eyes, Daril really cut off contact since that day.

However, Margaret had no intention of just sitting and waiting for his proposal.

‘Kasha said to choose for myself and live the way I want.’

She was going to do what she could from her position. She smiled brightly at Princess Melissa.

“I think the Crown Prince will be entering soon. Let’s go to our seats together, Your Highness.”

The highlight of the victory banquet was the entrance of the Holy Knights, the protagonists of the banquet. Led by the Holy Knights Commander Alex and Leon, the captains of each squad entered solemnly in their pristine white uniforms.

It was rare to see the Holy Knights, the most popular yet exclusive group among all the knightly orders in the empire, at a banquet. It was not unreasonable for the noble ladies’ faces to be flushed with excitement.

“I sincerely commend your merits.”

When the Crown Prince, who had taken the head seat in place of the Emperor, who was absent again today due to illness, said those words, the entire hall was filled with applause and cheers.

A vein slightly bulged on the Crown Prince’s forehead as he looked at the nobles who were sincerely cheering for the Holy Knights.

Pretending to smile generously, he nervously opened the folding fan in his hand.

Swish!

At the sound of the folding fan opening, a few nobles turned to look at him.

“Oh my, the Crown Prince is using a folding fan. It’s usually something women use.”

“The Crown Prince is very open-minded and has extensive knowledge of various cultures. Somehow, I feel like that folding fan fashion will become a trend among male nobles in the future.”

Nigel inwardly snorted at the flattering remarks that were blatantly audible.

‘I’m using it because I feel like I’m going to go crazy from your awful smell.’

Enduring the suffocating stench, Leon’s noble and radiant figure standing in front of him looked even more envious.

‘How the hell did you endure this terrible curse? You’re only human in the end. The idea that you’re perfect must be a delusion created by those around you who are inferior!’

Along with his boiling inner thoughts, his fanning also became more intense.

Suddenly, he felt a particularly annoying gaze from the crowd. His fanning abruptly stopped. His eyes, searching for the owner of that gaze, stopped at one spot. At the same time, a bitter smile twisted his lips.

‘Yes, it’s you again. Kasha Lyuschino.’

She was annoyingly beautiful today.

The voluminous dress with brilliant flower patterns embroidered on the deep crimson fabric and the hat shaped like a rose accentuated her white skin and unique eye color. Her indigo-black hair also cascaded abundantly like a night waterfall, captivating the eyes.

She was looking at the folding fan Nigel was holding with an incomprehensible smile.

That gaze was unspeakably irritating. At the same time, it strongly stirred his desire for possession to the point of making his stomach churn.