On the morning of the masquerade ball, Patrick went to the west tower gate with Eden.

“Open the door.”

“……”

The two guard knights recognized the crown prince and silently knelt down in salute.

“The oath of silence you swore to my father, His Majesty the Emperor.”

“……”

Patrick had decided to become emperor while attending the academy. He hadn’t been interested before.

Discussing with Prince Harchen of the Karsik Empire, princes from various principalities that were once kingdoms but became the Tane Principality under Emperor Kazan’s occupation, children of the Valenti family of the royal family of his mother’s Torun Kingdom, and noble descendants of Tane, he saw hope and developed will.

He grasped the situation of the imperial family and empire administration with the help of Viscount Patterson. The person who reacted sensitively to Patrick’s changes was Empress Pamila.

“His Majesty is bedridden with illness, and your oath has been passed on to me.”

“……?”

Unable to grasp Patrick’s intentions, the knights tilted their heads and glanced at each other.

“Strengthen the external invasion security. And you who cannot speak, remain silent.”

The two bowed their heads even deeper.

“Open the door.”

The knights opened the door. Eden followed behind Patrick, carrying boxes stacked neatly in both hands.

“What is all this, Your Highness the Crown Prince?”

Eva looked at Patrick as she received the boxes from Eden.

Patrick wore a ruffled blouse covering the back of his hands and a cravat of white muslin overlaid with lace. His purple culottes and vest were elaborately embroidered with silver thread.

The justaucorps was also matched in deep purple. The mismatched lion mask was held in his hand.

Dressed more elaborately than usual, Patrick took Patricia’s hand, kissed the back of it, and smiled brilliantly.

“My lady, would you please attend the masquerade ball as my partner?”

“What are you saying, I don’t want to.”

“Risha. My heart has been aching since the moment I found out you wore armor instead of me.”

“……”

“It felt like my heart had become as thin as mignon cloth.”

“Ah, Patrick.”

“Today, wear a dress for me. I want to see you in a dress.”

Eva carefully examined the dress and shoes, taking them out one by one from the several boxes.

Touching the rustling fabric of the corset and double pannier, the purple dress skirt, and the matching cream-colored lace, tears welled up in the corner of Eva’s eyes.

Our princess. How beautiful you’ll look in this dress.

“Someday, there will come a day when I’ll introduce you officially. Today, let’s just dance one waltz.”

“I’ve danced waltz with Your Highness Patrick thousands of times. Go and show off your skills.”

Eva cleared her throat and spoke cheerfully, trying hard.

“You’ll be attending as Risha Patterson, borrowing Eden’s family name. Also, no one will recognize you. Especially with the mask on.”

“The cat mask is so pretty.”

Patricia, fiddling with the mask of a white cat face with makeup applied, nodded slightly as if giving in to Eva and Patrick’s persistent encouragement.

Eva immediately took Patricia to the dressing room. She applied toner to her face while rolling her hair, had her hold onto a post, and tightened the corset firmly.

While Patrick sat reading a book in a wisteria chair in the west tower garden, Eva displayed her innate sense in adorning Patricia.

Wearing a purple chiffon dress, cream-colored lace gloves, and holding a fan embroidered with pale pink roses, she stood before Patrick, who exaggeratedly expressed his admiration, dropping the book he was holding.

“You’re so pretty, you’ll stand out.”

Patrick took out a pearl necklace from the box placed on his knee and put it around Patricia’s neck.

“Beautiful lady, I’m honored that you’ve given me the opportunity to be your partner.”

“Your Highness the Crown Prince looks handsome too.”

Patricia slightly lifted her dress skirt and bent her knees.

Eden, standing by the open door of the carriage waiting at the west tower gate, was wearing an eagle mask pushed up on his head.

The Tane Empire was famous for its poisonous plants. Poisoning incidents were frequent, so entrance surveillance was strict at banquets regardless of scale. Invitations were thoroughly checked. Externally hired servants had to undergo drug tests.

At the entrance to the banquet hall, Eden told a familiar guard knight that His Highness the Crown Prince wished to enter quietly. Patrick wrote “Risha Patterson” in the partner column of the guest book.

Even without the servant’s announcement, as the two dressed in purple and Eden entered the banquet hall, a few people whose gazes fell upon them turned to look.

“Would you like some champagne? Ah… ouch.”

“Patrick?”

“Your Highness!”

“Wait, I’m feeling dizzy.”

“Patrick, let’s just go back.”

“We can’t do that. You’ve dressed up so prettily for the first time.”

Patricia and Eden knew. If he was feeling dizzy now, there must have been severe pain earlier. He had been enduring the pain behind the lion mask.

“Eden, I’ll go back on my own. Please take care of Risha.”

“I want to go too.”

Patricia and Patrick bickered, each trying to let Eden accompany the other.

“Then, I’ll escort Your Highness back and return.”

“I’m sorry, lady. We’ll have our waltz next time.”

Patrick deliberately acted flippant while gritting his teeth to endure the pain.

Eden said he would have a horse waiting at the usual secret spot used for academy proxy attendance, just in case.

‘Alright, let’s just watch until the horse is ready and then go back.’

Patricia received a glass of champagne from a servant.

Although it was a masquerade ball, ladies who recognized each other gathered in groups like bunches of blooming flowers.

Patricia leaned against the wall and drank champagne. The ladies’ voluminous dress skirts swayed lively to the waltz played by the live orchestra.

She was happy just watching people laugh, drink, and dance. The champagne mixed with music and laughter was refreshing.

It wasn’t difficult to spot the Karsik Crown Prince.

Wearing white formal attire and a mask symbolizing golden wings, he danced the waltz with an exceptionally tall stature and upright posture. Patricia smiled behind her cat mask.

It was a stiff waltz compared to Patrick, who danced flamboyantly with his body enveloped in rhythm.

‘His waltz skills are quite… terrible.’

Still, Harchen seemed quite popular, with no time to rest.

The arrogant and perfect handsome Harchen, ladies dancing shyly with their fragile waists entrusted to his hands, ladies with dresses puffed up by double panniers, ladies wearing tiaras and necklaces, with deep necklines revealing milky skin.

Jewels sparkling under the brilliant lights and lively melodies.

People living proudly with their own names and bodies. People born with gentle fates.

Was she envious? Yes, she was envious.

She was confused about what she envied, what gentle fate she was jealous of.

She wanted to dance the waltz. She was confident in waltz, having danced countless times with Patrick.

However, she gripped her dress skirt and turned around.

At that moment, there was a commotion at the entrance of the banquet hall, and a servant announced the entrance of the academy’s chancellor, professors, and imperial guests.

Patricia fixed her gaze on a woman in a striking red dress amidst the forest of dresses that fluttered like fresh and tender flower petals.

Although she wore a mask with elaborate black lace and feather decorations, she could be recognized. It was her. The woman with voluminous wavy blood-red hair let loose, Pamila Lasbur, the empress of Emperor Kazan.

The empress, the mastermind who ordered the poisoning of Empress Aldisha. Her mother’s enemy.

Patricia glared at the empress, who was walking gracefully, escorted by Prince Chris, with pale blue eyes.

The empress and the 2nd prince, who would become a new student at the academy, representing the imperial family as distinguished guests. It was an overreach. That’s how Pamila interfered in the empire’s affairs, big and small.

Young ladies who recognized the empress gathered in small groups, went to the VIP seats where the empress sat, and curtsied in greeting.

Patricia, her fists clenched so tightly her nails dug into her palms, went out to the terrace. She had no intention of returning through the banquet hall.

She walked along the long stone colonnade to the dark end of the terrace away from the banquet hall lights. There were two wisteria chairs there. She was about to sit in a chair but stood leaning on the railing.

Remembering Pamila’s appearance, she felt suffocated and her pulse raced.

Impulse. A strong impulse to swing a sword arose.

She took off her cat mask. As the cool breeze hit her face, the suppressed resentment welled up. Tears that had been welling up overflowed onto her cheeks.

“Excuse me, lady, could you please move aside a bit…!”

Patricia instinctively turned towards the sound.

“Gasp… hic.”

Having turned around without time to compose her intense emotions, she saw a man before her and her breath caught. Her mind went blank. She felt dizzy as if struck by lightning, and her limbs stiffened.

.

.

.

Harchen usually didn’t enjoy balls. Persuaded and threatened by Calip, he danced the first waltz with Lady Leak.

Julia Leak had come to study abroad following Harchen, who had come to study abroad as part of the peace treaty between the two empires.

“Your Highness. I’m worried you might be misunderstood as lovers if you only dance with Lady Leak, so please dance one more song with another lady.”

He danced one more song as Calip suggested.

“Your Highness. If you only dance with ladies from the Karsik Empire, the ladies from the Tane Empire might resent…”

Calip nodded towards the ladies standing in a circle, half-covering their faces with fans. Harchen glared at Calip.

“You dance instead.”

At that moment, the academy chancellor and the empress’s entourage entered the banquet hall. Fortunately, the Tane ladies surrounding Harchen rushed towards the empress.

“Your Highness. You should greet the Tane Empress…”

“Me? Why?”

Harchen turned abruptly, taking off his stuffy mask as he walked down the colonnade.

Having barely escaped the forest of young ladies due to Empress Pamila’s appearance, Harchen went out to the terrace carrying a bottle of atrazhan, Tane’s traditional liquor. He headed to the usual smoking spot he frequented with Patrick.

Under the pale moonlight, a lady in a purple dress was leaning on the terrace railing, looking up at the moon. It happened to be where the cigar box was placed.

Harchen put down his mask and liquor bottle on the wisteria chair. He asked the lady to move aside. As her golden hair rippled like a shower of golden water, the lady turned her head.

Tears sparkled on her white cheeks flowing with moonlight, but her blue eyes blazed with hatred.

Were you crying, my lady?

Harchen couldn’t speak. At that moment, the lady staggered like a flower petal swept by the wind.

“Can’t… can’t breathe…”

Thud.

The mask fell from her hand.

Harchen caught her arms and waist to support her. Her face, drained of blood, had turned pale.

He had seen many ladies fainting at banquets. They would stagger from shortness of breath due to starving themselves and tightening their corsets excessively for the party, cutting off blood flow, and then collapse.

His three younger sisters also tightened their corsets excessively.

When they felt dizzy during banquets, his crow sisters would call him behind the curtains and ask him to loosen the corset strings inside their dresses. He found it quite pathetic.

This lady seemed to be in the same situation.

Harchen deftly untied one ribbon knot on the back of the woman’s dress. Through that gap, he inserted his hand and loosened the corset strings.

“Huff……”