Even with the Crown Prince’s engagement ceremony approaching, the world did not just focus on the Crown Prince, but rolled on its own way, creating noise here and there.

Still, the engagement ceremony had to proceed anyway. With Count Austein joining in, the event preparations accelerated, but time was also tight.

Heavy-bottomed and haughty high nobles began to appear one by one in Kline, and the imperial palace was in a frenzy.

“Your Highness the Crown Prince!”

“Your Highness!”

Gregory used to just have to stand quietly behind the Emperor, but suddenly becoming the main actor of the event, he was about to lose his mind answering calls from everywhere.

“Marchioness, how should we do this?”

“D-don’t ask me, you’d better ask the Grand Duchess.”

Moreover, his mother, Marchioness Schröse, who had childishly thrown a tantrum not wanting to come out and finally came out after her maids coaxed and persuaded her, was of no help at all.

She sat curled up in a chair, eyes wide open, only watching Kaella’s reactions. Instead of apologizing for being sorry, she just trembled in fear, whether she didn’t want to do that either.

So as busy as Gregory was, Kaella was also moving busily. However, she was very calm.

“Now, Your Highness the Crown Prince. Come this way.”

She did not neglect practicing the procession and order in advance of the engagement ceremony.

When Kaella gave instructions, all the chaotic affairs were sorted out, what was lacking and insufficient was filled, and people who were flustered and confused became calm.

It might be partly thanks to Marchioness Schröse stepping back saying she couldn’t do anything, but it was because Kaella was excellent at handling problems, organizing events according to etiquette, and had outstanding ability in dealing with people.

The staff followed whatever Kaella said unconditionally. Even Gregory naturally ended up doing so.

“You should walk from here first. You’ll be marching alone. Go ahead.”

Gregory walked as Kaella told him to walk, and stood when she told him to stand. By doing so, most of the engagement ceremony order was inputted into his head.

“Now when the banquet starts and it’s time for dancing, you should start first, Your Highness. While leading the princess.”

The engagement ceremony that was about to be rushed through haphazardly gradually began to take shape.

Kaella acted as a stand-in for Princess Kerugian, who had not yet arrived, helping Gregory naturally learn the engagement ceremony order.

“Don’t tense your shoulders. Naturally extend your hand and the princess will respond immediately. Yes, that’s right. While leading the princess like that, yes, turn around and exit alone. When you walk, keep in mind that the princess will be wearing a heavy dress, so slowly.”

Gregory escorted Kaella to the hall with tension.

“Relax. If you don’t relax now, you’ll be even more nervous at the engagement ceremony.”

“I’m trying.”

“Don’t forget to take care of the ladies’ dresses. Your Highness will have to dance not only with the princess you’re getting engaged to, but also with Marchioness Schröse. Always be careful not to step on the skirt hems. Rather than being too conscious of it, remember that if you step accurately, you won’t step on the skirts.”

“How do you know all this?”

Kaella, who taught all at once everything from etiquette to small tips for following difficult etiquette, was clearly the same age as Gregory, but she was like an etiquette master who had stayed in the imperial palace for at least 30 years.

“Did you learn from a young age?”

Gregory, who became the Crown Prince only after being recognized as an illegitimate child in his late teens, had a complex about not receiving proper Crown Prince education from childhood. Marchioness Schröse, who should have paid attention to education, didn’t know much.

“No. I haven’t learned for long either. I just think about it often from a woman’s perspective.”

Kaella, who knew this well, answered smoothly and moved on.

“Since it’s a place to celebrate the birth of a new engaged couple, soft music will play at first. It won’t be difficult to follow the rhythm. Shall we start? Hold my waist.”

Gregory carefully took Kaella’s hand and held her waist with his other hand. Kaella took his hand and calmly repositioned it. The band that was preparing began to play one of the dance tunes they were carefully selecting.

“Relax your shoulders. They’re too raised. Straighten your back more. Look at me naturally.”

At those words, Gregory stiffly looked down at Kaella.

Kaella de Chasser, the wife of the man Gregory found most difficult and his mother greatly feared, and a noble lady.

She had a light but luxurious southern flower scent. Up close, she was much smaller than he thought. She seemed taller than her actual height because she was smart, spoke correctly, and led all the staff and nobles.

‘Smaller than I thought… and her eyelashes are long.’

The Grand Duchess of Lucenford was like the chiffon she was wearing – fluttering, flapping, swaying with the wind.

“Good. You dance well.”

After dancing a whole song, Gregory’s head buzzed at Kaella’s evaluation. Had she been watching his dancing skills too?

“Kaella, you’re like an older sister, not the same age.”

He grumbled glumly.

“I really don’t know what’s what, I’m just following you. Pathetically.”

“What are you saying, Your Highness? I’ve been married before.”

In fact, she had done it twice. The first time was a mess, and the second time she wasn’t interested, but anyway, she had done it twice. With a man known to have a mistress.

Come to think of it now, Peon seems to hate even the fact that he was known like that to a terrible degree. Why couldn’t such a strong-willed person refuse?

He was my servant since childhood. That’s how I brainwashed him. So he could never escape. You two are a pair of stupid spouses. Well, I made him stupid.

Whenever she had doubts, Kaella habitually recalled what Beatrice had babbled on the day she died. Brainwashing. To a strong-willed man, brainwashing.

‘It probably has something to do with that black smoke in his eyes?’

The criteria for distinguishing lies and truths among Beatrice’s words unnecessarily turn towards favoring Peon. Stupidly. Kaella quickly cut off her thoughts.

“It’s natural for someone who has experienced it first recently to teach you. If the order were reversed, I would properly ask for help from the princess who will become the Crown Princess.”

“So how do you know such things?”

Gregory whined and then grinned. Kaella smiled back.

“You’ll know as you do it, Your Highness. As you do it, you’ll get to know. Now, we need to go see the jewels His Majesty the Emperor has given out. Let’s go.”

Gregory, who remembered to ask later what to do after dancing, followed Kaella. His head was in a jumble with forcibly crammed knowledge as the engagement ceremony really entered the countdown.

“Make sure to take care of the princess when you walk too. Try it while thinking of me as the princess.”

“Like this?”

“Not your hand.”

Gregory quickly bent his elbow and held it out.

“Ah, like this.”

“That’s right. It’s more comfortable for a lady to lean on an arm than a hand. You need to take especially good care when going up and down stairs. The princess could get hurt.”

But Kaella very skillfully went up and down the stairs without leaning on Gregory. Her posture was upright, her attitude elegant and calm. She tried to exist as inconspicuously as possible, but her innate nobility could not be hidden.

“Ah, you’ve come, Your Highness the Crown Prince.”

“Your Highness the Crown Prince, welcome.”

Deep male voices greeted them lowly.

Gregory immediately spotted the Grand Duke of Lucenford, who stood out even among the three or four people gathered, and first thought that he shouldn’t shrink. But before he could even think that, he already felt himself shrinking and got annoyed.

Swoosh, the small woman like light chiffon naturally pulled her hand from his arm.

“Grand Duchess, how do you do?”

“Hello, Lord Ossis.”

“This way. These are the jewels His Majesty the Emperor has allowed to be used for this engagement ceremony by opening the imperial treasure vault.”

Lord Ossis, the treasure keeper, put his gloved hands behind his back.

“First, please lock all the doors.”

Click, click, the knights all locked the doors and stood by the doorways. In a state of extremely tight security, Lord Ossis spoke to the Grand Duke of Lucenford and others with significant positions who had come together.

“I ask you all to fulfill your duty as witnesses and guardians of the imperial treasures. Then I will open them.”

Only then did the boxes that came out of the Emperor’s treasure vault begin to open one by one. Lord Ossis explained about the treasures in a very solemn manner every time a box was opened.

“This is the engagement ring specially chosen by His Majesty the Emperor. This was obtained by His Majesty’s great-grandfather, Philip III, when he conquered Filmar…”

The value of a jewel is determined by the history imbued in it. No matter how small, if the owner is a famous person, the price skyrockets.

Gregory was honestly quite pleased to hear that even a ring was associated with someone as important as Philip III.

“And next is the medal and star that will be used when Your Highness the Crown Prince is appointed as a member of the Golden Lion Order this time. The diamond set on the front is the nephew of His Majesty’s great-grandfather, Philip IV, and…”

Of course, these weren’t jewels actually used by the emperors.

But even if they were used by distant collateral lines tied by complex blood relations, using such old and historic jewels was a great honor for the Crown Prince.

No matter how much he grew up in the imperial palace, and no matter how wealthy his mother’s family was, he couldn’t match the wealth and honor of the imperial family.

Being allowed to use imperial jewels meant being fully recognized as a member of the imperial family, so Gregory was truly the Emperor’s son.

He was quite proud and greatly encouraged, turning his head, when he suddenly saw the Grand Duchess of Lucenford who had stepped back one step.

She was here as the noblewoman in charge of the engagement ceremony, but her eyes looking at these amazing jewels were just utterly indifferent.

‘Is it because she’s seen more amazing things in Austein?’

No, even Austein’s jewels were mostly gifts and inheritances from the previous emperor, and couldn’t match the vast imperial scale.

Gregory, who had made it a habit to observe his surroundings, began to worry if Lord Ossis was exaggerating, and if in fact the Emperor had just given him some insignificant jewels.

This was because Gregory, despite being the Crown Prince, had quite a few occasions where he didn’t receive proper treatment from the Emperor.

“This livery collar is made of pure gold decorated entirely with diamonds and emeralds, and the medal attached here is also the symbol of the vice-grand master of the Golden Leaf Order, which only imperial family members belong to. You should wear it at the engagement ceremony.”

The grand master of the Golden Leaf Order is the Emperor, and the vice-grand master is the Crown Prince. Gregory tried to calm his increasingly excited feelings.

“Lord Ossis, will that livery collar be used at the wedding too?”

Despite the dazzling brilliance, Kaella was just checking the ceremony, not admiring at all. Women are supposed to like jewels more, and Kaella was the only woman here.

“Yes, that’s right. That’s the tradition. You know well.”

Lord Ossis nodded and opened the next box.

“And this is the medal and symbol for the Grand Duke of Lucenford, who will become a member of the Golden Lion Order along with His Highness the Crown Prince this time.”

There were several knightly orders in the Crania Empire. Among them, there was the Imperial Knights Order, which was literally an army of fighting knights, and honorary positions like the Golden Leaf Order and Golden Lion Order, which only gathered imperial family members.

Male members of the imperial family concurrently serve in various orders, but the honorary knightly orders were literally symbolic. It was a great honor given by the Emperor.

But this time, on the occasion of the Crown Prince’s engagement, the Crown Prince and the Grand Duke of Lucenford were to join the Golden Lion Order together, an order that not just anyone could enter and only the Emperor could choose to belong to.

“His Majesty the Emperor specially ordered and had these newly made.”

Now it seems the Grand Duke of Lucenford was here not to prepare for the engagement ceremony, but as a knight being appointed together.

No, wait a minute. Gregory stopped thinking. The Golden Lion Order appointment was originally notified in advance. But why gather everyone together and notify at once instead of notifying each separately?

‘Does it mean the Grand Duke of Lucenford and I are in the same situation?’

They were both illegitimate children hated by the Emperor. But wasn’t Gregory of imperial blood?

“And since the Grand Duchess is also a member of the Golden Leaf Order, His Majesty has issued a separate symbol for female members this time.”

The people receiving jewels at this place included not only the Crown Prince but also the Grand Duke and Duchess of Lucenford. It wasn’t a special place just for the Crown Prince.

Of course, it would be better to show everything at once for convenience and security, but considering the Emperor’s twisted personality, there must be a hidden meaning here too.

Gregory began to sharpen his nerves sensitively.

“The Grand Duke and Duchess of Lucenford may take these as they are. However, the jewels bestowed upon His Highness the Crown Prince are imperial property, so the principle is to keep them in storage and bring them out on the day.”

So Lord Ossis closed the most precious boxes for the Crown Prince with a snap and gave only the ones for the Grand Duke and Duchess of Lucenford separately.

Kaella looked down at the small symbol after receiving the box in a daze. Tiny pearls and diamonds sparkled in each piece.

“We are truly grateful that His Majesty the Emperor has bestowed such honor upon us.”

Though she said so, Kaella’s expression did not shine with joy and delight. Seeing the formal smile, Gregory immediately judged.

‘Kaella is saying that because she has a kind and careful personality. It must not actually be very good jewelry. My rank is still similar to the Grand Duke of Lucenford’s.’

Even at the engagement ceremony, they’re telling me to know my place. Gregory, who had always been compared, took it that way.

And Peon, who was watching Kaella just like Gregory, inwardly sneered.

There was no way imperial jewels would impress his wife, who had seen all sorts of gems in the dragon’s lair.