They just silently looked at each other, and the carriage became quiet again.

Transparent sunlight seeped into the stillness. Over the pale face covered in white powder, over the eyes swollen with purple bruises, over the lips crusted with dried blood.

Despite the misery, the woman was beautiful. Edgar suddenly felt the urge to remove the ridiculous hat.

He loosened the tie constricting his neck. Perhaps due to the early heat of late spring, he felt thirsty.

“Mr. Lancelot.”

The woman called out to him anxiously, interpreting the prolonged silence as rejection. It might have sounded much better if it were more desperate.

“Edgar.”

Pretending to be calm with difficulty, Edgar slowly pronounced his name.

“That’s enough. Edgar.”

The ill-fitting bright red lips closed. The scenery outside the window changed.

The carriage, having emerged from between the high-rise buildings, now began to run across the park. Then the red lips parted carefully.

“…Edgar.”

His name called by the woman sounded pleasant.

“Speak.”

Edgar’s lips curved upward in a long smile.

“Your wish.”

The start of the commotion was, once again, Olivia Blanchet.

When the two people who were currently the hottest topic in Ritten’s social circles appeared, the consulate staff were thrown into confusion.

Of course, the most surprised person was the employee who had sent Olivia away empty-handed three hours ago.

No way, who is this…

The employee who would have lost everything if he had bet on ‘the woman begs, the man refuses’ almost dropped the cap of the fountain pen he was holding in his mouth.

A gentleman in a bright gray suit approached with confident strides. As rumored, he was indeed a great beauty with an air of nobility, truly a match for Duke Johan Leopold.

The consulate employee stood up abruptly upon seeing Edgar Lancaster Lancelot, whom he had only encountered in news articles.

“I’m sorry for the trouble. I’ve come with the guarantor you mentioned.”

The woman said with a much brighter face than in the morning.

“Is the consul in?”

The man with cold, clear gray eyes asked in the dignified voice typical of noble aristocrats.

“Th-This way.”

Although he should have first informed the consul about the visitor according to protocol, for some reason he was acting like Marquis Lancelot’s attendant.

Impossible. He really came…

And in person, at that.

“Shall we?”

The man’s smile as he offered his arm to the woman was impeccably handsome. It was certainly not the attitude one would show to a woman to be discarded after sharing a bed for one night.

Olivia and Edgar headed to the consul’s office, guided by the employee.

The Rondos consul welcomed Marquis Lancelot, treated him with utmost hospitality, and promised to take care of all procedures thoroughly.

The power of authority was strong, and everything was resolved smoothly.

And the next day, a photo of Olivia boarding Edgar’s carriage and the two of them entering the Rondos Consulate side by side was published prominently in the newspaper, turning the social circles of Brit and Rondos upside down.

There were many beautiful landmarks in the Brit Palace. If one had to choose one, it would undoubtedly be the Botanic Garden in the West Palace where Princess Anblyn resided.

Anblyn enjoyed tea time in the space adorned with exotic plants. But today, her face was clouded with deep concern.

Anblyn, who had been quietly staring at the untouched teacup, looked at the late spring greenhouse where butterflies frolicked with miserable eyes. Her heart ached as she reminisced about the memories of occasionally inviting Edgar to have tea together.

I was so foolish.

The rash judgment of her youth, filled with vanity, had made her miserable. It was Edgar, the man she had abandoned, wanting to become the wife of a prince of a country rather than a duchess.

“This woman seems to be serious. Now she’s openly going around with Marquis Lancelot.”

“After causing such a scandal, how shameless.”

“They must be dating. At this point.”

The chatter of the noble ladies didn’t reach her ears. Anblyn’s eyes welled up at the sight of a single photograph filling her vision.

The woman receiving Edgar’s gaze in the newspaper, named Edgar’s rose, was truly nothing special. Except for the fact that she was Edgar’s rival, Johan’s wife.

Could it be for that reason?

Simply to provoke Johan.

No. I don’t know.

Anblyn bit her lower lip hard.

She couldn’t fathom Edgar’s heart. It was the same when they were dating. He was a man whose depths were as elusive as water.

That’s why it was more frustrating. And that’s why she chose Prince Agent, who acted like a sweet candy in her mouth.

She had secretly hoped he would cling to her, but Edgar had cleanly let her go.

“What business did they have at the Rondos Consulate?”

Anblyn asked, shaking off her gloomy mood.

Whether Edgar had hushed it up or not, even the reporter had only written speculative articles without accurate facts. It ended with an irresponsible sentence saying it was fortunate that there was no marriage registration among the consulate’s duties.

“This is what I heard from the International Bank side, Princess…”

One of the noble ladies leaned towards the princess and lowered her voice.

“That woman. Her face was a mess.”

The women’s eyes all widened at once. Then they all clicked their tongues, saying it was understandable. She was a woman for whom it wouldn’t be strange to be involved in a love triangle.

“Why did she show up at the International Bank in such a state?”

“They say she had her bank guarantee and ID stolen.”

“My goodness. How could such a thing… She wouldn’t have been carrying around something like a bank guarantee. Could it be that a robber broke into the Lancelot Hotel?”

The women made a fuss.

“That’s why her face was in that state. It seems she tried to cover it with makeup, but how could she hide the swelling? Whether it was a robber or a thief, it’s clear she went through something rough.”

“At the best hotel in Brit? That’s impossible.”

“Otherwise, what reason would the two of them have to go to the consulate together?”

“Even if she sent a lawyer, it would have been fine.”

Anblyn muttered to herself as she listened to her friends’ conversation. Everyone’s gaze turned to the princess. Not wanting to be a miserable woman, she forcibly raised her lips.

“Don’t you think so?”

Yet in her mind, she couldn’t understand Edgar. It wasn’t like the man who extremely disliked troublesome matters.

Even with Anblyn, he was a man who spent more time in bed than sharing trivial daily life.

Of course, she didn’t dislike it, but sometimes it was upsetting. He was a lover who found it boring to go to performances, view exhibitions, or even attend parties.

The reason Princess Anblyn started learning tennis was because of Edgar. Tennis was the only thing among the few things he was interested in that she could do together with him.

When she returned after her divorce, Lancelot Company had become the host of the Dumblin Tennis Tournament.

Anblyn participated in the tournament without fail even after getting married and always won the championship cup. In a way, it was an inevitable result.

There might have been players more skilled than her, but there was no woman with the courage to dare try to win against a princess of a country. The princess donated the prize money to the Royal Pediatric Ward and Brit Orphanage every year.

The people loved the princess, and Anblyn was called the Queen of the Tennis Court.

Now, if only she could regain Edgar’s love.

Shouldn’t he have forgiven her by now, after she had made so much effort? Anblyn felt Edgar was unkind.

“Is that woman an ordinary woman? She’s extraordinary from birth. She must have blackmailed Marquis Lancelot. Threatening to report the theft incident. Otherwise, what reason would the Marquis have to be with such a woman?”

“How dreadful. Blackmail, you say.”

“That makes sense. The Leopold Hotel is opening next month too, and it would be a fatal blow if they got embroiled in controversy over security issues for no reason.”

I see.

The corner of her heart that had been aching gradually became peaceful.

So she blackmailed Edgar.

As the dark clouds that had hung over Anblyn’s heart receded, the sun named hope shone brilliantly again.

As expected, tabloids were not to be trusted. They were just unconfirmed rumors.

Suddenly, she felt sorry for Edgar who had fallen victim to such a vicious woman. It seemed she was the only one who could save her former lover.

Anblyn finally smiled.

“Princess.”

The secretary who had approached her side broke her reverie.

“Madam Lauren has arrived.”

“Madam Lauren…”

“Today is the day you were supposed to discuss the outfit you’ll wear for this tennis tournament.”

“Ah.”

The princess’s brow furrowed as if recalling that day.

Anne Julbert.

The noble ladies held their breath and stared at the haughty princess, wondering what kind of punishment would be meted out to the designer who had contributed to humiliating the princess.

Cool streams of water shot up from the small fountain in the Botanic Garden. A rainbow spread over the foam in the sunlight pouring through the glass ceiling.

“Isn’t there any talented designer these days?”

Anblyn smiled gently as she looked around at the faces focused on her.

“It’s about time for Madam Lauren to make way for her juniors too. Don’t you think?”

It was a brilliant smile like the red flower blooming in the middle of the flower bed. At the same time, it was also a signal of the end of the heyday of Eve Lauren’s boutique, which had been thriving with the backing of the royal family.

In any field, generational change takes place in various ways. But she never dreamed she would be cast out like this overnight.

“What did you say?”

Madam Lauren’s eyes flashed.

“I said to return your palace entry pass.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means you don’t need to come anymore from now on.”

“I want to see Her Highness.”

“I meant there won’t be any reason to see her. Don’t you understand? You, you’ve fallen out of favor with the Princess.”

Madam Lauren let out a bitter laugh.

“I thought she was someone who kept public and private matters separate. I guess not.”

“Madam Lauren! Mind your words!”

The secretary spoke with an arrogant expression, as if an insult to the princess was an insult to himself.

“Who do you think put you in your current position? Your skills? Not at all. Wasn’t it all thanks to the Princess’s consideration?”

Madam Lauren’s whole body trembled with anger as if she had been doused with ice water.