Giselle glanced sideways at Sched standing next to her.

“Come to think of it, Grand Cardinal. Didn’t you say you had something to say at the last banquet?”

When one of the priests who had been talking brought up the topic, Giselle nodded with a bright smile.

“That’s right. I have something I wanted to announce on this occasion.”

“An announcement?”

At Giselle’s words, the eyes of the people gathered at the banquet hall turned to her.

As Sched’s gaze also shifted from afar to her at that moment.

“I intend to marry Duke Sched Lester.”

Giselle’s clear voice reached his ears.

As his intense purple eyes turned towards her, Giselle gave a gentle eye smile.

“I’d like to proceed with the marriage right after the heretic hunt is over.”

“It would be better to discuss the details after the hunt is over, Grand Cardinal.”

The conversation they had when she called him to the temple last time.

At that time, Sched had clearly postponed the discussion of marriage.

Nothing had been decided for certain.

Yet Giselle had unilaterally taken action. And in such a public place.

The nobles who were unaware of the situation clapped and laughed heartily.

“I thought that would be the case!”

“You two are finally getting married.”

“Of course. It’s something we’ve all been waiting for a long time!”

They came to offer congratulations, celebrating the couple’s marriage in advance.

The marriage of Sched and Giselle was also a long-cherished wish of the vassals gathered here.

The union of House Lester and House Marlhein.

This was also a union that could strongly check the Chepvolden family, which had monopolized the imperial throne for a long time.

The reason Giselle had her eye on Sched Lester as her fiancé was probably for such political reasons.

The vassals welcomed with open arms the completion of this transaction that had been stagnant since the engagement.

“So when exactly do you plan to make the marriage vows?”

“Naturally, you’ll go to Munherna or Laitia after leaving Paradel, right?”

“Since it’s the Grand Cardinal’s marriage, won’t His Holiness the Pope officiate the vows himself?”

The nobles poured out their curiosity about the couple’s marriage.

As Giselle was trying to calm the excited people and answer one by one.

“Unfortunately, nothing has been decided yet.”

Sched’s chilling voice poured cold water over the excited people.

His gaze was so cold that those who had been chattering all closed their lips.

It was Giselle who broke the silence.

“We’ll have to work out the specific plans from now on. After the heretic matter is over.”

“Y-yes, it is difficult to discuss joyous occasions like marriage while the heretic problem remains.”

The priest nodded and glanced at Sched.

Sched’s eyes were narrowed in irritation.

But Giselle paid no mind and drew attention to herself.

“By the way, everyone has worked hard for today’s Grand Holy Festival. The people of Paradel…”

She naturally eased the somewhat subdued and awkward atmosphere and changed the subject.

Just as Sched was about to grab his willful fiancée.

“Um, Y-Your Excellency!”

Dietrich called out to him.

It was the first time he had spoken up, after awkwardly keeping his place as Grand Cardinal without mingling with the crowd.

As Sched looked at Dietrich, Dietrich fidgeted with his hands and parted his trembling lips again.

“Um, d-do you know where Miss Riana is…?”

Riana, that name he wanted to detach, stuck in his ear.

“Why do you ask?”

“W-well, I have something I w-want to say to Miss Riana.”

Is he clueless or is he doing this knowingly?

Even though Sched had shown his dislike in front of him several times, Dietrich dared to come and ask about Riana.

Ah, could it be that after hearing about Giselle and my marriage just now, he thinks it’s okay?

Sched’s mouth twisted.

“Grand Cardinal, I am not so idle as to keep track of every single maid’s whereabouts.”

At his fierce reply, Dietrich swallowed a gasp and adjusted his glasses.

“Ah, r-right…?”

“Moreover, for the Grand Cardinal to bother about a mere maid’s whereabouts…”

As he was snapping irritably, that thick scent that had stimulated him again brushed his nose.

With a thump, as if the string holding his heart had snapped and was falling, heat rose.

His head spun and the veins on his forearms bulged.

‘This is clearly…’

It was like the symptoms of being in heat.

Had the effects of the medicine worn off?

Sched felt inside his chest.

There was the sedative he had kept like a lifeline.

He tried to calm his pounding heart and looked around.

There were too many people in the banquet hall.

Dietrich took advantage of the pause in his speech to flee like a frightened mouse.

However, Sched had forgotten that he and Dietrich were in the middle of a conversation.

Traces scattered throughout the banquet hall constantly distracted his mind.

He could not control his gradually quickening breath and heart that was starting to pound as if it would burst.

“Your Excellency?”

“Are you alright, Duke Lester?”

Sensing the change in Sched, the nobles next to him inquired about his condition.

“…It’s nothing.”

Sched barely steadied his breath and feigned composure.

But he simply could not focus on the conversation.

“By the way, what is this sudden fragrance?”

“I know. I said it was there earlier, but it seems to be getting stronger…”

The people talking turned their heads and inhaled.

At that moment, Sched realized that the fragrance the people were talking about was coming from him.

He hurriedly distanced himself from the nobles.

“…Excuse me for a moment.”

He left his seat as if being chased by something.

“So our lady and the Grand Cardinal are finally getting married.”

“If they announced it at such an official occasion, they must have made up their minds for sure, right?”

The servants who were talking glanced at Riana, who was crouched in a corner wiping dishes.

“The bet is over. In the end, a maid is just a maid.”

“I never expected anything in the first place. Was our lady the type to casually bring women to bed?”

They whispered in lowered voices.

Riana pretended not to hear their audible conversation as she wiped the moisture off the plates with a white cloth.

Every servant who returned from the banquet hall was talking about the marriage rumors between Sched and Giselle.

“We should talk a bit about our marriage too, shouldn’t we?”

Sched was gradually and smoothly distancing himself from Riana.

As if helping to make it easier for him to leave.

As she was lost in such dry thoughts, splash, water was poured over her head as she crouched.

Riana, who had been quietly wiping dishes, stiffened and took a breath at the sudden cold liquid soaking her body.

“Oh my! A mistake!”

When she looked up, the maid Janette was standing there holding a water bottle.

Riana wiped the water streaming down her face with her sleeve and stood up.

Water droplets dripped from the ends of her wet hair.

“Janette…”

“I was so distracted that my hand slipped!”

Those around laughed at Riana, who looked like a drowned rat.

Riana let out a hollow laugh as she saw her reflection in the wet marble floor.

“You’re really amazing…”

Riana stood in the middle, shaking off the moisture soaking her clothes.

It wasn’t sarcasm.

She felt genuine admiration.

To have the persistence and obsession to plot such things even in the midst of being so busy.

Riana thought she was truly diligent, consistent, and energetic.

“But, you know, Janette.”

Riana raised her head and met Janette’s eyes.

“You lack originality.”

The level of bullying is too childish and one-dimensional.

Nothing has progressed beyond the level of six or seven-year-olds.

The corners of Janette’s mouth, which had been raised, stiffened at the ordinary and calm eyes.

“What did you say?”

Janette was bewildered.

Even after being treated like this, that girl was impossibly calm.

Her face burned hotter than if she had been cursed at a hundred times by the eyes looking at her as if she were pathetic.

And that soon turned into base anger.

“You’ve really done it now!”

Angry Janette reached out to grab Riana’s hair.

As Riana slightly moved her body to avoid it, Janette lost her balance and slipped on the water that had been spilled on the floor.

“Aack!”

Crash! Clang!

Where Janette fell with a scream were the plates that Riana had been wiping dry.

“Janette!”

“Oh my goodness!”

Even those who had been watching the two opened their mouths in surprise.

As the stacked plates scattered, some broke, and because she had placed her hand where the porcelain shards fell, a long cut appeared on Janette’s palm.

“B-blood…”

Janette trembled as she looked at the blood dripping from her palm.

Riana looked down at Janette expressionlessly.

As if she really thought she was pathetic.

“What on earth is all this commotion!”

Werner, who had been organizing work on one side, came running while holding his forehead at the disturbance in a corner of the kitchen.

“That, that girl…!”

Janette pointed at Riana while holding her bloodied hand tightly and shedding tears.

Me?

Riana furrowed her brow.

Werner looked at Riana and Janette and let out a big sigh.

“You again.”

To make him worry about such things during the busy banquet.

Werner’s tired face showed his emotions unfiltered.

“Janette. Stop crying and go get treated quickly, then come back. Riana, you too. Change your clothes and return immediately.”

Cakes, food, and drinks to be sent out to the banquet were piling up.

Werner had no leisure to pay attention to each and every person.

“I’m sorry, Head Butler.”

Riana bowed her head, still wet, and obediently followed his orders.

“Riana, you…!”

Leaving Janette’s shout behind, she immediately moved her steps and came out of the kitchen.

She didn’t want to become a pathetic person like Janette by associating with her.

Behind the kitchen stretched a gray corridor.

Unlike the splendid and noisy banquet hall, this place was quiet like a different world.

The sound of people talking and moving busily could be heard faintly.

Only then did Riana feel like she belonged to the world she would stay in.

A static, lonely place tinted gray.

A place away from the laughter of Sched, Giselle, and the nobles.

She walked through the silence wearing clothes damp with moisture.

Perhaps because her hair wet with water was heavy, her head kept falling down.

Her shoes, also damp and wet, were just as heavy.

At that moment.

“…Riana Serpens.”

As if binding her ankles, a low voice spread through the corridor.

When Riana raised her head, the protagonist of the banquet was alone out here.

“Your Excellency…?”

Why is he out here in this remote place?

Why, when he should be busy receiving attention from people inside…

Sched exhaled a rough breath through his teeth as he looked at Riana.

“You… why do you keep bothering me.”

Why, every time this happens.

Sched muttered quietly.