According to Cecil, the husband who ended up letting Kaella sleep in the imperial palace had held her the entire time from when she fell asleep until she woke up.

He held her very preciously and buried her deeply in his arms so she wouldn’t hear the sudden thunder and lightning, fearing she might be startled. But when she actually woke up, the rain that had supposedly poured down heavily had long since stopped.

“Are you going to work?”

Peon asked her with a look of resignation, and Kaella rolled her eyes and nodded.

“Normally, you’d say you can’t do it today and leave.”

“Putting aside how that would seem presumptuous… Lady Schroze would probably have reset everything to the beginning at this point. It’s fine if only my hard work disappears, but the staff would suffer more…”

So she was saying she would go and at least set up some semblance of an engagement ceremony.

“Will you be alright facing the marchioness?”

He asked tentatively.

“I think now is when it’ll be most okay, that’s why I’m saying I’ll work more. You really scared her. It’s probably the first time in Lady Schroze’s life she’s been so frightened.”

So how much easier would it be to work? Peon grinned at Kaella’s response.

“Let me know anytime if you need anything.”

“I think once was enough.”

“Won’t you be uncomfortable?”

Peon kept examining her over and over. No matter how scared she was, Lady Schroze was someone who had crushed Kaella’s pride to her face. It was a very awkward thing for nobles to face each other again.

“I’m fine.”

As expected, Kaella answered calmly. Her tone suggested she was used to it now, having had her pride bruised too many times. Peon nodded with a kind smile.

“I see.”

If she has no will to get angry or seek revenge, he might as well do it on her behalf.

If Kaella was willing to endure the uncomfortable situation of standing again before Lady Schroze, who had slapped her cheek, and the lady’s maids who had forced her to kneel, he could simply eliminate such a situation altogether.

Kaella, who returned that very day to check on the engagement ceremony preparations, did not get to meet Lady Schroze. This was because she had suddenly fallen ill and gone to rest, leaving everything to Kaella.

*

The crown prince thoroughly silenced everyone about what his mother had done. He was at least a better son than his mother in that regard.

On the surface, he apologized and rebuked his mother, but that was because she had administered “punishment beyond the law”, not because he thought his mother was unjust.

“Anyway, Mother is in charge of the engagement ceremony, and the duchess is only reviewing. Besides, Mother is much older, so couldn’t she point out if something went wrong?”

“Yes, that’s right, Your Highness.”

“So send a small consolation gift to Duchess Lucenford. Mother just went too far, but if she did something deserving of scolding, she should be scolded.”

Gregory was, after all, the crown prince with an upcoming engagement. He thought that with the backing of the powerful kingdom of Keruzhan, he could further solidify his position as crown prince.

After all, even that Duke of Lucenford, the impressive man who intimidated him, was treating him with proper respect as the crown prince.

“Mother must have learned a lot too, so this won’t happen again. Make sure this absolutely does not leak outside.”

“I will keep that in mind.”

The emperor would know, but if they resolve it well among themselves, he might surprisingly say nothing and let it pass. As long as it doesn’t get noisier. Gregory focused on sealing lips and further covering it up with another incident.

There happened to be a very good incident, and thanks to Gregory diligently pouring oil on it, the newspapers were completely covered with that incident, with no mention of Lady Schroze’s story at all.

The incident was about a party hosted by Lady Lavalle, the daughter of Duke Monde.

*

Beatrice couldn’t stand how Kaella had dominated daily, weekly, and even monthly publications as if she had merely gone for a stroll by the Ener River.

So she hosted a party full of appropriate gambling, exciting music, and even some scandalous romance to announce her return to Klein in grand fashion.

If she invited only a select few special people to have fun, everyone would be dying to know who was invited to the party, what jewels they wore, what they did for fun, and what dishes were served at the banquet.

Reporters would try to get even a little more information, but she didn’t intend to reveal much.

“That way they’ll be even more curious.”

“Indeed.”

The emperor, who had been listening quietly, nodded. So if she swept up twice as much media coverage as Kaella had during that period, she would win.

“Too much focus on Lucenford overshadows Your Majesty’s glory.”

The emperor laughed.

“Focus, you say. It’s natural for people to be interested in things like the jewelry and clothes young ones wear. I’m not a clown, what would I do with attention every day?”

“Oh my, but it was Your Majesty who brought that Lucenford here.”

Beatrice leaned slightly towards the emperor and smiled. She had been secretly entering Soleil Palace to restore the magic tools and perform rituals to bring back the unconscious empress’s consciousness.

“I prefer not to appear in the media frequently.”

Though he said that, there was no way the emperor wasn’t concerned about the attention focused on the Duke and Duchess of Lucenford.

Beatrice knew the emperor very well. He wanted to appear dignified, while at the same time thinking the popularity of young people should naturally be his as well.

“Then think of it as preventing attention from concentrating in one place.”

“You just want to have fun, don’t you?”

“Oh my, I need to keep tabs on the nobility’s movements before the crown prince’s engagement ceremony too.”

The emperor burst out laughing. Beatrice knew very well that was permission. She glanced at the empress’s bed visible in the distance while trying to hold back her laughter.

The emperor absolutely forbade Beatrice from going near that bed. With his very good intuition and abundant suspicion, he judged that she might use some evil spell on the empress.

He had her perform spells to save the empress while surrounding her with magic tools and checking each spell she used one by one.

‘Save her? Am I crazy?’

The empress had to end there in that bed as she was. Why on earth would she wake her up for anyone’s sake? Anyway, Beatrice was very weak at spells for reviving people or bringing back consciousness.

The spells she was good at were for enchanting, brainwashing, and hurting people. So she was just pretending now. The empress would end there as she was.

“Have fun.”

“It’s not fun. I’m telling you it’s work. Won’t you play with me now, Your Majesty?”

She tried to link arms with him while smiling coyly, but the emperor slightly backed away. Although the empress was unconscious, he was avoiding being unnecessarily close to Beatrice in front of her.

‘Why care so much about a woman who can’t even open her eyes?’

Beatrice gently pushed the emperor towards the door.

“The treatment is over, Your Majesty.”

When the empress first collapsed, he wouldn’t even let anyone touch her, but who could endure a long illness?

Of course, the emperor had an abnormal obsession with the empress. However, he was a man who had fathered numerous illegitimate children. Beatrice left the empress’s bedroom with the emperor.

Then, after rolling around naked with him for a while, she began to think carefully about where to hold the party.

Despite enormous debts, the House of Monde owned some real estate through various methods, such as stabbing creditors to death.

It was “some” by Beatrice’s standards. It was woefully inadequate real estate for a well-established family that was supposedly well-off.

But there were three properties in Klein, including a townhouse, and all were good venues for holding large events.

The townhouse where she stayed whenever she came to Klein was spacious and wide, and the townhouse on Klein’s Theater Street was perfect for a small number of people to come and go.

And the “Hill House” near the Ener River, boasting a magnificent night view, was good for holding a boisterous party with the windows wide open in weather like this.

‘Ah, yes. It should be the Hill House.’

It was very expensive and cost an enormous amount to maintain, but it was a symbolic old building sitting on the prime location of Klein, literally the ultimate luxury in architecture. It was also rightfully the kind of property Beatrice should have.

“I’m thinking of doing it at the Hill House, would you like to come too, Your Majesty?”

The emperor, who was opening a cigarette case after catching his breath, turned to look at Beatrice. She casually threw out an audacious proposal that no ordinary person would ever make.

“You always say such interesting things.”

“You’re actually enjoying it. Give me one too, please.”

She glanced at the ornate cigarette case and the framed portrait of the empress next to it as she reached out her hand. The emperor handed her a cigarette and asked:

“Why, do you want to be settled in now?”

He meant if she wanted to be acknowledged as his mistress like Lady Schroze.

“I’m just asking you to come have fun, why are you taking it that way?”

The emperor laughed amusedly at Beatrice, who had detested being publicly acknowledged since the beginning of this relationship.

“You hate it that much?”

“It’s still fun and thrilling, isn’t it? You don’t need to feel burdened, Your Majesty. I’m telling you I love you this much.”

The emperor laughed again.

“I’ll wear a mask.”

“Oh, really?”

Though his voice sounded indifferent, the emperor was capricious. He might appear briefly at the masked party where no one knows who’s who. Beatrice hurriedly left the palace as soon as night passed.

“This is from His Majesty the Emperor.”

Before she left, the gruff steward Count Horgen handed her a heavy box. The box would undoubtedly be full of gold coins.

She could put out urgent fires with that. Satisfied, she returned to her townhouse and immediately ordered preparations for the party at the Hill House.

“Oh, aren’t you tired?”

The Duchess of Monde complained about what all this fuss was about from the morning and went to a deeper room to sleep, but it wasn’t that tiring for Beatrice.

‘What strength does His Majesty have to make me tired?’

Now even the emperor was getting old and losing strength, and Beatrice, who was born talented at pretending to moan while acting appropriately, moved energetically.

A special night would take place in a jewel-like place. People would be even more curious if it was a party the emperor attended. She prepared for the party full of hope, no, full of ecstasy.

Everything of the highest quality, everything expensive, enough to make the reporters who wrote about Kaella as a knight regret and repent.

The employees who received the orders of Lady Monde were too familiar with preparing for such parties.

Since Lady Lavalle was known for holding all sorts of events, preparations for the small-scale but highly charged party began very smoothly, unlike the crown prince’s engagement ceremony.

Even in a short time, the guest list was completed with only “important figures who know how to have fun and have enough buzz”, and splendid music, food that would melt on the tongue, and even secret drugs that actually melted the brain a bit were prepared without a hitch.

The guests, all knowing that parties personally organized by Beatrice were something special, gladly accepted the invitations.

So everything was going according to Beatrice’s wishes.

Until the day of the party.

*

News that Beatrice’s “secret and special party” was being held was spread thoroughly to the media, but since none of the reporters received an invitation, everyone was dying of curiosity.

So reporters flocked to the Hill House where the party was being held. Even without any information, those full of determination to find out at least who was invited gathered with their eyes blazing to see something more.

Of course, the reporters didn’t get anything. The guests wearing masks and wrapped in black robes only took off their robes after entering the mansion.

The dimly lit lights added to the mysterious atmosphere. The party began with no one knowing who was who, just guessing.

“Oh my, it was you?”

“Hahahahaha…”

Amidst dreamlike music and a feast of delicacies, wine sprang from a fountain filled with gold coins as if from a dragon’s lair in legend. People drank the drugged alcohol like water, swayed, and laughed.

The party was getting more and more exciting. Someone spilled wine. Someone screamed and laughed at the sight.

A man kissed another man who was covered in wine. A woman pulled off the shirt of the kissed man. People were completely broken down and reveling enough to forget what had happened by the Ener River.

Until the lights suddenly brightened and the music abruptly stopped.

“Huh?”

Everyone was having fun until that dirty and vulgar scene was fully revealed, with all the participants giggling and increasingly making themselves look messy and obscene.

They looked at each other bewildered in the white light, then turned their heads at the sound of approaching footsteps.

“What a mess.”

An ordinary, very ordinary man walked in steadily and looked around with eyes full of contempt. He had an ordinary appearance but quite a solid build, and strangely, he had the power to make everyone pay attention.

Suddenly, through the wide-open windows, the hazy incense and smoke that had been lit dissipated, and fresh air rushed in. In front of the people who came to their senses, that man took out a watch from his pocket.

“It’s past midnight. Now.”

Clap! When he clapped his hands, people flinched in surprise. The large sound of air being struck, as if hitting the air itself, made everyone’s minds clear up instantly.

“From today, this property, due to Duke Monde’s failure to repay his debt, will be seized by our company. So everyone.”

The man smiled faintly. People blankly stared at that man. Though his impression was so ordinary that they would soon forget it, somehow they felt enchanted.

“Please leave.”

It was the moment when the content of the article to be published at dawn would change.