Only then did Julian extend his arm towards me inside the carriage. Of course, his honey-colored eyes were still fixed on Sabrina.

“Young Master Rochester asked you to wait in the third-floor lounge. He said it might be difficult to keep the order of entry, but he would like to enter together.”

No sooner had I set foot on the ground than Sabrina’s melodious voice was heard.

“My, how thoughtful of him.”

“And he also asked me to escort the lady.”

I had considered Sabrina’s escort, but it was common for a man to enter with two women. So I vaguely thought Ricardo would escort both Sabrina and me…

“Oh my, I wonder if I should impose such a burden.”

Sabrina, didn’t you just say you’d hide in an inconspicuous place? Yet here you are, welcoming the entry with one of the most eye-catching men at this banquet.

“A burden? It’s an honor for me.”

Their conversation flowed as naturally as if there was a predetermined script.

Suddenly, I recalled when I first saw Julian. At that time, I thought he resembled someone. Apart from the intense colors or slightly exaggerated gestures compared to others, the way his eyes and mouth corners were slightly raised just the right amount…

I looked back and forth between Sabrina and Julian.

“Ah…”

The way they slightly wrinkled their nose as if a butterfly had gently landed on it when speaking, the gaze that didn’t look directly at people but slightly askew, and the soft voice that seemed to melt the listener’s ears were very similar.

They were too alike.

The two stared intently into each other’s eyes as if they were the only ones in this world.

Seeing this, I realized.

Ah, a master has recognized a true master.

“Then I’ll first guide you both to the third-floor lounge, and then escort the young lady to the banquet hall.”

I shivered briefly at the sweet tone that was chilling. Of course, there was no problem in their own world.

As he extended both arms folded, I tried not to make a grimace as I linked arms with him.

As we entered the corridor exuding splendor from the entrance, people glanced at us. Of course, there was no problem in Sabrina and Julian’s solid world.

“How should I address the lady?”

“How do you… want to address me?”

“Pardon?”

He hesitated for a moment but immediately let out a hearty laugh that didn’t suit him.

“It would be awkward to call both of you Lady Pennel…”

“Sabrina. Please call me Sabrina.”

Sabrina’s clear voice, dropping like staccato notes, continued its performance.

“Of course, it’s a name I’ve never allowed anyone to use, but given the current situation, it can’t be helped.”

“Then please call me Julian.”

“Oh my, would I dare to address Young Master Parquin so familiarly.”

“I too don’t easily allow anyone to use my name, but somehow it feels right to be called by name now.”

I had to bite the inside of my mouth to suppress a laugh as I watched their private play without an audience. It was a moment when the best opponent met a formidable rival and exchanged names.

The third-floor lounge Julian guided me to was empty. He left me with instructions to wait for a moment and departed with Sabrina to their own world.

While it was noisy outside with the banquet, silence enveloped the lounge. On the sofa table where I sat, a champagne glass brought by a royal maid stood alone.

Though spotlessly clean and well-organized, there were no signs of habitation. Feeling the characteristic coolness of a place untouched by human hands, I briefly rubbed my chilled shoulders.

By the time moisture had run down the champagne glass surface, leaving a semicircular water mark on the table, I had the leisure to look around.

‘So this is what a palace lounge looks like.’

It was peaceful. Peaceful enough that I could just hide well here and return to Rochester.

As my mind relaxed a bit, the front of my feet started to throb with pain. It was due to wearing shoes with higher heels than usual. Since this lounge was said to be inaccessible to just anyone, I thought it would be okay to take off my shoes for a moment.

Even if someone were to visit suddenly, I could cover them with my skirt and quickly put them back on without any problem, I thought.

Not brave enough to take off both, I removed the right shoe that hurt more and examined my foot. Wiggling my reddened toes, I thought of Ricardo who would be meeting the Emperor.

“I hope everything’s alright?”

But at that moment, external noise invaded the quiet space. Because the well-maintained door opened silently, I wasn’t prepared to encounter anyone.

“Oh…?”

Startled by the teal eyes I met, I reflexively stood up. My body tilted slightly towards the side where I had taken off my shoe.

I managed to stand nimbly without showing that I had removed my shoe, but the problem was the shoe that had flown off due to the sudden movement, pushed by the hem of my dress.

My gaze, which had been directed at the shoe, quickly shifted to Walter. He was bowing his head deeply, completely covering his mouth with his hand. He was clearly trying hard to hold back laughter.

Oh no, a small curse escaped through my tightly clenched teeth.

For a moment, he and I couldn’t say anything and just fixed our gaze on the innocent shoe. It was a beautiful silver shoe custom-ordered to match my water-colored dress.

Walter broke the silence first as he stepped inside.

“Lady Pennel, you seem to often have problems… because of the items you possess.”

“…”

“Yellow, white, and now silver. I wonder what color you’ll use to entertain me next time.”

At this point, I felt a desperate need to correct the rumors circulating in Lesotia about the heirs of the three great ducal families of the Dermeyer Empire.

There’s a saying that Walter Shaw Chaplin is a heaven-sent gentleman. Justice, righteousness, and faith. It’s said that the three pillars supporting the Chaplin family were all perfected in his generation.

But looking at him now, the young master of the Chaplin family didn’t seem much different from Julian Bow Parquin. Ah, perhaps the difference was in how easily they allowed the use of their names?

“If I’ve unintentionally entertained you, then it’s quite an honor for me.”

A true gentleman should have rightfully pretended not to notice this situation. Wasn’t it partly his fault that I had experienced trouble because of the item I possessed? My eyes narrowed involuntarily.

Ignoring my disapproving gaze, he slowly approached where the shoe was, like the heaven-sent gentleman he was. Realizing what he was about to do, I hurriedly tried to stop him.

“It’s fine!”

He, who had bent down to pick up the shoe, just slightly turned his head and looked at me with puzzled eyes.

“As you said, young master, since the problem arises because of the item I possess, it might be better if you don’t touch it.”

Based on past experience, nothing good would come of it, you see.

However, he had already picked up my shoe and was holding it in his hand. I faced him for a moment as if we were in a standoff.

“Just leave it there like before, and I’ll go put it on. It’s not a difficult task, right?”

I really didn’t want to experience moving through space with him while holding the shoe again. A flicker of doubt crossed Walter’s eyes.

“Surely…”

“Yes?”

“Do you find it so terrible to be in contact with me?”

“Wh-what are you saying?”

How could such a twist in thinking occur? The sincerity in Walter’s eyes was so genuine that I unconsciously blurted out an excuse.

“I’ve never particularly found it unpleasant to be in contact with anyone. I just don’t want to fly somewhere again with a shoe as the medium.”

Contrary to my judgment that things would be fine with this added explanation, Walter’s face crumpled even more, almost painfully so.

“Are you saying that I’m an incompetent heir who can’t even properly handle the family’s power? Is that what you mean?”

“No, not to that extent…”

Does the conversation go that way? Now that I hear it, it does seem like that… But is that important right now?

Walter didn’t seem to care much that I knew about his power.

“That’s quite an exaggeration.”

From my perspective, it wasn’t entirely wrong since I had an unwanted experience due to his carelessness. Normally, I would have denied it, saying that wasn’t what I meant, but my sarcastic mood took precedence.

“Anyone can make mistakes, after all.”

For a moment, a look of reproach and self-blame crossed Walter’s face.

“Do you… really think that?”

Seeing that it was directed entirely at me, I began to wonder if I had committed a great rudeness.

“W-well, I had such an experience last time, so isn’t it a natural concern…”

At that moment, external noise once again invaded the quiet space. Walter and I naturally turned our gaze towards the door.

There stood Ricardo.

“What are you… doing here?”

Ricardo leaned slightly against the door and tilted his head to one side.

His cool gaze moved from Walter’s face to the shoe he was holding. Then his pitch-black eyes lingered on my bare foot slightly visible beneath the hem of my dress. And then back to my eyes.