He led Lu, who had forgotten about the dance, in a circle. Oh, right. We were dancing. Thanks to Hayden, she hadn’t been in her right mind.

“This is purely private between us. So, I should receive something, too.”

Forced. Lu wanted to say it was forced. But whether it was a sense of betrayal or shattered expectations, she couldn’t speak, captivated by Hayden’s eyes and the dry smile that had appeared on his unresponsive lips.

“What…?”

What exactly are you trying to get? Lu’s uneasy voice deepened his smile.

“Well, I have to think about it. I can’t think of anything right now because I’m shocked by you.”

He seemed disappointed. Lu lowered her gaze. It was frustrating for her, too. Whether it was betrayal or crushed expectations, it couldn’t be helped.

Mom was right. She had to stay away from the emperor, and they couldn’t stand side by side. So, inevitably, the one with the bigger heart would suffer. Whether it was Lu or Hayden, it was unclear, but in any case, it was a painful and ending matter.

“Ah, yes…”

If you just endure it properly, it will end. If the Flache Viscount family were a solid noble family in the East, the situation might have been different, but that wasn’t the case. Lu had no choice but to wait silently until his interest waned.

Suddenly, the end of the dance she had been waiting for was approaching. Now, stepping back one step after two beats, and if she bowed modestly, it would be over. As Lu stepped twice and stepped back, the emperor asked her.

“If nothing was a problem, what wish were you going to make?”

She silently stared at the emperor.

“Other than the wish you promised, I have nothing to wish for.”

If she hadn’t met her parents, she might have secretly asked to see them even from a distance, but once she met her parents, Lu had nothing else to wish for.

“…It’s not a lie.”

The emperor, who had been silently staring at her, smiled slightly.

“That’s why I dislike him.”

Lu immediately understood that the ‘him’ referred to the Kaleta Emperor.

“He occupies too much of your mind, and I can’t find a way to sneak in.”

The emperor, who had been gazing at her with a dazzling smile under the chandelier, suddenly sparkled.
Lu wondered if there might be another wish besides revenge for her back then. It could have been a wish so small that it wasn’t visible or felt.

But it was already too late.

“Lu.”

Bowing to the emperor, Lu turned and walked towards her parents.

“Dad.”

“Yeah, let’s see. Very pretty. Looks like you’ve been eating well, huh. Yeah.”

The Flache Viscount, scrutinizing whether our daughter had been doing well in the Glera Palace, hadn’t lost or gained weight, nodded and smiled after carefully examining her.

“Was dancing fun?”

“It was just okay.”

“In that aspect, you’re exactly like your mom.”

“What about mom?”

Edan Arthur Genesis pointed with his chin in the direction of seven o’clock. There, Milene Genesis was chatting with noblewomen. It was clear that Milene was the center.

“She’s showing off her talents. Your mom is very sociable. That aside, why did you make such a wish to His Majesty?”

His wife went towards social circles, wielding influence and collecting information. So, Edan had to block the young men who dared to stand by his daughter, without any intention of approaching if they were not brave enough.

With her father guarding her, his daughter, who had a decent amount of courage, couldn’t be approached, and Edan intended to prevent any cowardly men from making eye contact with his daughter.

“Why? It was something essential.”

Lu, who still didn’t know her dad’s big picture, answered honestly.

“If it’s essential, Dad and Mom can help. Making a wish is asking for what you want. It would have been okay to ask for the wish you wanted.”

Lu laughed lightly and put her arms around her dad’s fist.

“I don’t have anything to wish for because I met Mom and Dad.”

“Well, nothing to wish for.”

Though he said it was just words, Edan’s lips slightly curled upwards. He thought he would stay by his daughter’s side for the same amount of time they had been apart, now that his daughter had returned at the age of twenty-five. No, it was okay to live together for a lifetime, to be honest.

“You’re still young and have a lot you want and a lot you want to do.”

Now, he could do anything. Edan had desperately accumulated wealth even in the harsh western region, and based on that, the economic power of the western region was currently dominated by the Flache Viscount family.

“Now, why didn’t you ask for something expensive?”

“Do you want something? Dad will buy it for you.”

Lu’s eyes widened, and she burst into laughter.

“Why? Dad can buy anything for you.”

During the time Lu was preparing for admission to the academy, Edan, who had always been frugal, had changed. He could now afford to do anything. Lu, who vividly remembered that time, might find it unfamiliar, but her dad was not just a seemingly frugal viscount.

“What do you want? A sword? I’ll buy it for you.”

“Really?”

“Sure, really. Is it fake?”

The viscount nodded repeatedly, laughing. What couldn’t he buy? There were too many things he hadn’t bought yet, and it had reached the point of regret. He sat Lu in a chair.

“Take a break. You did a great job today. You worked hard. Commendable.”

“Oh, I didn’t do anything.”

“Still, sit. How tough is it?”

Standing in front of the emperor, receiving people’s gazes, was a difficult task. Moreover, having worn heels and danced, Lu was just pitiful, so Edan insisted on her sitting down.

With her dad securely guarding her, the young men who were just looking at this side were still unable to gather the courage.

Why don’t these young men have such enthusiasm nowadays? Though he intended to light up his eyes and stare fiercely the moment he approached, Edan just inwardly tsk-tsked at the thought.
Objectively speaking, Lu was among the ladies in this banquet hall who could be considered remarkably beautiful. Those gentlemen who desperately wanted wealth or status advancement in the marriage market would immediately consider Lu as a target for courtship.

However, she had a flaw in that she came from Caletta, making it impossible for her to marry into a prestigious family with a long lineage. Moreover, there was an issue with the succession of titles, so marrying into a noble family was not feasible.

“Hello, Lord Genesis.”

Of course, there was inevitably an ambitious gentleman who aimed for the position of son-in-law.

“Nice to see you after a long time. Today is a day when the name of the Genesis family is elevated.”

Although the greeting was directed at Edan, it was clear that the gaze of a gentleman approached Lu. Edan naturally turned his body and greeted the first approaching young man while indicating his daughter.

“Thank you for the compliment. It has been a long time.”

Gradually, people started to gather in this direction.