When they arrived at the main palace banquet hall, the princesses and Patrick were waiting. They had already introduced themselves, and Alesia, who had taken the lead in the conversation, was bombarding Patrick with questions about the undergraduate program at Tane Academy.

As the emperor and Patricia sat side by side at the head of the table, the chief attendant brought out the aperitif.

The emperor brought up the marriage proposal from Crown Prince Ralph of the Kingdom of Heiya. He asked Carolina for her opinion.

“Carolina, it seems the King of Heiya wants to set a specific date while he’s here. I heard Crown Prince Ralph has met you a few times, what do you think?”

“I don’t like him, elder brother. I’ve seen Ralph at parties before, and he’s not my type.”

“It’s been several days, so you’ve had enough time to think about it.”

“And I’m going to marry Prince Patrick. I’ve even kissed him already.”

Carolina’s clear voice caused the banquet hall to suddenly freeze. Even the attendants carrying food stopped in their tracks. The candles lit on the table remained motionless without flickering.

“Did I hear that wrong?”

At the emperor’s question breaking the silence, people finally looked back and forth between Carolina and Patrick.

Carolina calmly looked at Patrick. Patrick looked at Carolina with an amused expression, narrowing his eyes slightly and smiling.

“You didn’t hear wrong. First, I’ve received several proposals from Crown Prince Ralph, which I declined.”

Crown Prince Ralph of the Kingdom of Heiya was studying abroad at the Carsik Empire Academy.

For quite some time, he had been hanging around the handmade chocolate shop that Carolina and Julia frequently visited, the tea house where they held quilt gatherings, and even in front of the lace shop.

Finally, ten days ago, he blocked her way as she was coming out of Terarosa after buying paper, dried flower petals, and ink.

Then he proposed in a small voice that was barely audible. Of course, Carolina rejected him outright without a moment’s hesitation and turned around to get into her carriage.

“But Carolina, I’m not sure if this is rude, but where and how did you meet Prince Patrick…”

Isabella asked with her large eyes widened even further, slightly bowing her head, but trailed off when she saw Patrick’s grinning face.

“Elder sister Isabella. You’re not doubting me, are you? Or do you want to confirm His Highness Patrick’s sincerity?”

“Carolina, that’s not it. But I thought His Highness just arrived yesterday and there wasn’t time to meet.”

“Julia and Prince Patrick were classmates at Tane Academy. I’ve heard so much about His Highness from Julia that my ears are worn out. That he was always stuck to elder brother Harchen and recited poetry while drinking Tane liquor at the Foeni tavern. So I became interested and wanted to meet him.”

As he listened to Carolina’s clear voice, the corners of Patrick’s mouth subtly turned up. Patricia could tell just from Patrick’s expression.

Patrick has feelings for Princess Carolina.

Still, doubts arose. When and where did they kiss exactly? It didn’t seem like Patrick would act on impulse the moment he met someone. Especially with someone as proper as Carolina.

As they listened to Carolina’s words, the sound of cutlery clinking could be heard in the solemn atmosphere. Most people had no interest in the meal and swallowed the words they wanted to ask.

The emperor, who had been unaware of Patricia’s existence, had thought several times about arranging a marriage between Patrick and one of his sisters. He had even suggested it to Patrick during their academy days.

However, the sister he had in mind was Isabella. He thought the quiet and calm Isabella would suit Patrick well.

After the graduation party incident, time passed while they were estranged, and Isabella married the second prince of the Kingdom of Rubelin.

But to think it would be the annoyingly prim and proper crow Carolina.

“Carolina, so when did you kiss?”

Patricia was curious herself, but she gestured with her eyes for the emperor to stop his blunt questioning. It would be awkward not only for Carolina but for Patrick as well.

“This morning, Alesia asked me to find a book in the Notos Palace library, so I went. I met His Highness in the garden, and he asked to guide me to the library and followed me in.”

“Haa. Patrick, you tell us.”

Just then, a bright light flashed outside the window, followed by a series of booms.

“Wow, it must be the fireworks for the eve of the ceremony.”

Alesia ran to the window. Through the full-length windows of the banquet hall, brilliant fireworks were painting the night sky.

Although they knew there would be fireworks for the eve of the national marriage ceremony today, Anna had instructed them to return straight to the White Palace after the banquet.

*Young lady. Please think of the fireworks display as an event for the imperial citizens and guests. You should watch from the White Palace and rest comfortably. Remember my words.* #italics

Patricia leaned towards the emperor with an excited expression, her eyes shining, and said in a small voice,

“Your Majesty. Let’s go watch the fireworks.”

Alesia discussed with Isabella where to watch the fireworks while clinging to the window. They left the banquet hall, saying they would go up to the east tower of the main palace.

Harchen grabbed Patricia’s elbow and nodded. Patrick and Carolina, sitting across from each other at the table, were both keeping their gaze on the table.

Harchen took Patricia’s hand and helped her up. Patricia smiled, crinkling the corners of her eyes, and followed him out holding his hand.

Harchen instructed the attendants standing at the entrance of the banquet hall to give space to the two at the table, pointing at them.

Every time fireworks exploded outside the window with brilliant lights, the cheers of the crowd could be heard at regular intervals.

Carolina, who had been sitting silently, raised her head. Patrick was staring intently at her. There was a strange smile on his lips.

Carolina stood up with an indifferent expression. Keeping her gaze down and watching Patrick’s eyes move towards her, she slowly walked out of the banquet hall.

There were no footsteps behind her until she had walked more than halfway down the long corridor after leaving the banquet hall. Carolina had expected Patrick to follow right away.

Now she was at the point where the corridor ended in a fork. The stairs leading up to Carolina’s quarters were immediately to the left, straight ahead was the main entrance of the palace, and the right corridor led to the emperor’s office and private spaces.

“Haa.”

Carolina looked back at the empty corridor. She confirmed that Patrick had no intention of following her. Frowning irritably, she grabbed the hem of her dress and quickly climbed the stairs.

She was in a bad mood as she entered the reception room. She plopped down on the sofa near the window.

At first, she felt indignant, thinking he was ignoring her. Then she became anxious at the thought that he might be displeased by her lie.

Clearly, judging by the way he had looked at her in the Notos Palace library, his expression, and his flustered behavior, he had seemed ready to fall for her at the slightest touch.

“I should have seduced him more in the library.”

Carolina had made it clear enough to Crown Prince Ralph that she was rejecting him. She hadn’t expected him to propose again.

She disliked not only Crown Prince Ralph but men in general. She hated both the lustful gleam in their eyes when they openly showed their desire, and the secretive looks when they tried to hide it.

Rather than submissively agreeing to an arranged marriage by the emperor’s order like Isabella, she was prepared to stage a drowning accident in the lake.

Isabella had married a second prince five years her senior. The Kingdom of Rubelin already had several concubines for the prince. Isabella said she didn’t want to return, using the arranged marriage as an excuse to stay longer in Carsik.

Carolina knew she couldn’t keep rejecting arranged marriages indefinitely. She decided that if she couldn’t avoid it, she would have to find her own solution.

She had heard that the crown prince of Tane had arrived at the right time and place and was staying at Notos Palace.

She had heard plenty about Patrick’s academy days from Julia, and thought that with such a man, they could maintain their distance and live the lives they each wanted. She had planned to propose a contract marriage to him with conditions.

“But why isn’t he coming? What kind of person is he?”

Carolina abruptly closed the curtains, feeling as if the brilliant fireworks bursting outside were stirring up her heart.

Knock knock.

Just then, a knocking sound rang in her ears. Carolina sat up straight, her shoulders squaring with anticipation.

“Princess. It’s Jeina.”

“Come in.”

Jeina entered carrying a silver tray. On the tray was a folded white paper.

“His Highness the Crown Prince of Tane asked the banquet hall attendant to deliver this.”

“The banquet hall attendant?”

A letter entrusted to the banquet hall attendant, not even brought to her quarters and given to her own maid. It was outrageous, but Carolina unfolded the paper.

It wasn’t scrawled hastily. Nor was it written neatly in a formal hand showing care. The lazily flowing handwriting was just as annoying as the content, perfectly suited to wound Carolina’s pride.

「To Princess Carolina

Though the lips of the beautiful princess are indeed enchanting, please do not involve me in your play-acting.

Patrick Calian Evas.」

Carolina crumpled the paper with an icy expression that shattered her usually well-maintained composure.

Patricia, leaning on the railing of the terrace in the emperor’s office, cheered every time colorful fireworks embroidered the sky.

Occasionally she turned to look at the emperor sitting in the chair, smiling brightly like a yellow firework. Her smiling face caused a surge of emotion in his chest.

Harchen was in a very difficult situation right now.

He had imagined at least ten times getting up from the chair, going behind her, embracing her, and inside the neckline of her dress…

He lifted his waist from the chair, uncrossed his legs, and then crossed them the other way.

He drank the green Panian in the pewter cup. The more he drank, the more uncontrollable emotions welled up.

Harchen slowly rose from his chair. He went behind her and placed both hands on the railing.

“Your Majesty. Now it seems they’re setting off fireworks from three places at once. It’s too, ah!”

Trapped in his arms, she turned around and was startled when her lips touched the emperor’s cheek, quickly turning her head away. He took his hands off the railing and embraced her from behind.

“Too what?”

She rubbed her ear against her own shoulder as if his breath on her earlobe tickled.

“Beautiful.”

Patricia.

“My empress is far more beautiful.”

He turned his head to avoid the tiara pinned in her hair and placed his lips on her long, slender white neck. She had her familiar scent.

“Ah, no, Eva will scold me.”

“Pay a little attention to me, won’t you?”

“I want to look at the same place side by side. Wow, look there. The whole sky is fireworks.”

Patricia gestured towards the sky with a bright smile.

My empress, whose eyes sparkle like fireworks, loves fireworks more than me.

Harchen suddenly recalled the chief attendant’s explanation about the fireworks.

First, a thousand shots from one place, then two thousand from three places, then two thousand from five places. Finally, five thousand shots will be fired simultaneously from multiple locations.

The finale.

Harchen grabbed Patricia’s head, turned it, and pressed his lips to hers.