Olivia, who opened her eyes in her sleep, thought her heart would stop.

Gray eyes with a pale blue tinge were in front of her. The man’s palm cupping her cheek was large and firm. Sleep instantly vanished.

She must be crazy.

No matter how tired or sleepy she was, this was too much.

As she tried to hastily pull away her face that must have turned bright red, the gentle touch became forceful.

“!”

Unable to shake off the large hand, Olivia slowly raised her gaze.

He had a look in his eyes she had never seen before. Eyes that made her feel strange, wanting to run away in fear yet also wanting to reach out and touch.

At that moment, Edgar’s sharp gaze softened. Her heart began to race madly.

Because of the man coming so close their noses almost touched, because of the man lowering his head as if to kiss her lips, Olivia reflexively stretched out her arm.

He grabbed her wrist. The spot where he held her felt burning hot.

“Here.”

His lips almost touching her earlobe.

“Something is on it.”

His cool breath touched her. Olivia instinctively pushed against Edgar’s chest, struck by a shiver that hit her head hard and ran down to her toes.

“I, I’ll… I’ll do it myself.”

Olivia barely managed to speak, covering her face with both hands as if hiding it.

“Not there. Here.”

Seeing the flustered woman look so adorable, he felt mischievous.

Edgar smiled slyly and pointed to his left cheek with his long finger. Olivia intuitively rubbed her left cheek.

“Here too.”

Not realizing it was a joke, Olivia thoroughly rubbed her face as Edgar instructed.

Rubbing here and there, it seemed like her entire face was involved.

With her already red face turning even redder from the friction, Olivia glared at Edgar.

Even if she had drooled in her sleep, how could it have gotten all the way to her forehead?

“You were teasing me.”

Edgar couldn’t hold back and burst out laughing. Imagining Johan’s expression as well, he couldn’t help but laugh.

The sulking woman turned her head towards the window. Edgar stifled his laughter.

The carriage ran over the Vichen River. The glittering reflections spread on the water, illuminated by the bridge’s elaborate lights.

It was beautifully dazzling, like the woman’s eyes.

For some time after the carriage passed by, Johan remained frozen without moving.

The watch on his wrist flashed briefly in the passing streetlights before sinking back into darkness repeatedly.

As Johan slowly closed his eyes, his face was clear yet somehow sharp.

‘I love you, Johan. I like you so much.’

Remembering the woman who cried in his arms, his left chest felt dull and heavy.

He had neglected the woman.

Though Diane Brook was also at fault, he couldn’t be free from responsibility since he had given grounds for such treatment by initially disregarding his wife.

And as a result.

He no longer loved her.

That was Johan’s conclusion after seeing Olivia together with Edgar.

A relationship that had already ended.

That was the current state between him and Olivia.

Johan opened his eyes. His slow gaze took in the night scenery of Ritten. He lightly clenched and unclenched his fist.

It wasn’t an appropriate time to reclaim the pink diamond necklace, his mother’s keepsake.

“To the hotel.”

The impassive face commanded briefly. The carriage turned the horse’s head.

“You played so well.”

The coach lavished praise on Princess Anblyn for her successful volley. Anblyn displayed a satisfied expression and said.

“Let’s take a break.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Passing by the coach who bowed his head respectfully, Anblyn approached the parasol where her friends were waiting.

The hem of her white pleated skirt fluttered at her shins.

Anblyn liked her newly tailored sports outfit.

Compared to the flare skirt that used to hang down to her ankles, it was incomparably less restrictive in movement and even felt cool.

As she handed her racket to her lady-in-waiting and sat down, Catherine handed her some soda water filled with ice.

The weather had become quite hot. Tennis on such a sweltering summer day. It was an incomprehensible ordeal for Catherine, but she gladly supported her friend.

“Your tennis outfit is so pretty.”

At Catherine’s compliment, Anblyn gave a fresh smile.

“I think this design is the best so far too. It feels somewhat fresh. It really suits you perfectly, Your Highness.”

One of the ladies-in-waiting chimed in.

Madam Lauren’s dresses were famous even in Rondos. After the Anne Gilbert necklace incident, everyone knew her for various reasons.

Catherine also owned several of her dresses.

“Since I’m in Ritten, I was thinking of having Madam Lauren make me a few autumn dresses. Could you call her for me later?”

At Catherine’s request, the atmosphere at the table suddenly sank.

Catherine saw Anblyn’s brow furrow slightly. The lady-in-waiting sitting next to her, watching the princess’s reaction, answered instead.

“That woman has now become Olivia Blanchet’s exclusive designer. It’s really outrageous.”

Catherine, unaware of the inside story, asked with wide, blank eyes.

“Miss Blanchet?”

“Yes. She’s really something else. From Viscount Lancelot to Madam Lauren.”

“Couldn’t there be circumstances we don’t know about?”

The Olivia that Catherine knew wasn’t that kind of woman. Though they had only met a few times, she certainly wasn’t the woman the newspapers were making her out to be.

So she didn’t believe it.

Living a life where her every move became news, she knew well how exaggerated it could be.

“What circumstances? Did you see today’s newspaper? This is really so fake it’s laughable.”

The ladies-in-waiting wore expressions of disgust as they looked at the article about Olivia Blanchet’s good deeds in the morning paper.

“An angel, they say. It’s ridiculous.”

In the photo of her playing with children against the backdrop of an orphanage, it was hard to tell who was the adult and who were the children.

She literally looked just like an immature child.

“It seems she intends to participate in the tournament after all. If it were me, I’d be too ashamed to step foot outside. She’s really an amazing woman in some sense.”

Catherine was uncomfortable with this topic. She was worried that Irene, who was engaged to Johan, might be displeased.

“Princess Krantz. You should be careful too, Your Highness.”

Irene, who had been quietly listening to the conversation, raised her half-lowered eyelids to look at the lady-in-waiting.

“I heard from my husband yesterday that the carriage carrying the Duke was heading in the opposite direction from the hotel.”

“He must have been going home. Surely.”

Another person waved it off.

“It wasn’t Winston House either, I’m telling you.”

“Then, surely not…”

“He said he had an important appointment with someone for business.”

Irene, who had been silently drinking tea, cut off the suspicion in one stroke.

The attitude of the ladies looking at her with pitying eyes was extremely rude and unpleasant.

“Oh right, have you decided on your dress?”

Catherine asked Anblyn. Watching Irene’s reaction, she appropriately changed the subject.

“Not yet.”

“Not yet?”

Catherine exaggeratedly exclaimed in surprise at Anblyn’s answer.

“The opening party is tomorrow and you say ‘not yet’?”

“I’ve narrowed it down to about three. But I like them all. Catherine, will you help me?”

“Leave it to me.”

Catherine clapped her hands and smiled like a young girl. For ladies, choosing a dress was as heart-fluttering as encountering their first love.

“Will that woman come too?”

“Are you crazy? Why would she come to her ex-husband’s hotel opening party just to be humiliated? The princess is here too.”

One lady snorted and then said viciously.

The topic that had been difficultly changed returned once again to Olivia Blanchet.

Catherine let out a short sigh. Ritten’s greatest interest seemed to be entirely on Johan’s ex-wife.

“You never know. She might show up proudly with Viscount Lancelot on her arm. You know, as a display. She’s more than capable of such things.”

“Now that you mention it, that’s true. That woman seems to like attention. This would be more certain than volunteering at an orphanage.”

Anblyn, who had been putting down her glass and wiping the moisture on her fingers with a handkerchief, stopped moving.

Anblyn’s amber eyes slowly sank into deep darkness.

“She won’t come. She’s not that tactless.”

Catherine said patiently.

At that moment, a camera flash burst in Anblyn’s mind.

If she doesn’t come…

Then I’ll have to make her come.

Anblyn wore a quiet smile.

The noon sunlight that slid off the pure white parasol touched Anblyn’s hair gently swaying in the breeze, making it shine red.

She swept back her hair tied up high with an elegant hand gesture.

The day that Ritten’s social circles and press would focus on.

There could be no more certain humiliation than this.

After completing his official luncheon schedule with the King of Britte, Johan had a separate audience with him.

The King greatly welcomed Johan.

There was an exchange of extremely formal and obvious words of gratitude for contributing to Britte’s economic development.

Then, as the two men got into the main topic in earnest, small arguments occasionally leaked out the door.

Soon the conversation flowed naturally, and Johan emerged from the audience chamber with a satisfied expression, having reached an agreement on adjusting tariff reduction rates on the condition of establishing factories within the country.

Morris, as if he had been waiting, held out a letter sealed with red sealing wax.

“It’s from Princess Krantz.”

“I have something to tell you.”

The elegant, neat handwriting was requesting him to stop by briefly before returning.

Johan, who was heading to the west palace, encountered Irene who was taking a walk in the garden.

“Do you have a moment?”

It looked more like the woman had been waiting rather than a chance encounter. Johan tilted his head slightly to look at his watch.

“That’s fine.”

“Then. Let’s walk for a bit.”

Irene held out her hand to her lady-in-waiting. The lady-in-waiting handed her a parasol. It meant not to follow.

The two walked silently along a quiet walking path. The golden late afternoon sunlight caught at their feet.

Only the sound of footsteps hitting the pavement echoed in the silence.

What is she going to say that she’s dragging out the time?

The woman’s silence irritated Johan’s languid nerves.

As they neared the large fountain where white foam was breaking, Irene finally slowly opened her lips.