“Christine!”

He was Leonard Blake Klein, a viscount.

With his short brown hair swept back, wearing a deep blue formal attire, the man with a kind expression spoke to me urgently.

“What happened? Why didn’t you wait for me?”

“…Leonard.”

“And why didn’t you reply to the letter I sent a few days ago? Did you not receive it?”

I deliberately put on a troubled expression towards Leonard, who looked anxious. His gentle gaze looking at me with yearning eyes, the warmth of his hand touching mine, felt disgustingly repulsive.

Suppressing the urge to shake off his hand, I said to him.

“That’s…”

At that moment, a servant shouted loudly.

“Everyone, show your respect! The Empress is entering!”

At that sound, the nobles gathered in the banquet hall split into two lines and bowed their heads towards the throne.

I naturally moved away from Leonard’s side in the meantime. Right now, successfully carrying out today’s plan was more important to me than dealing with him.

Afterwards, I slightly raised my head to look at Empress Maria, her family, and Duke Elliot Francis Haven following behind them as if guarding them. Wearing a black velvet formal attire with his short hair stylishly combed back, he scanned the gathered people in the banquet hall with an expressionless gaze.

In the process, our gazes met directly.

I looked at him straight for a moment.

‘You haven’t forgotten our promise, have you?’

Duke Haven silently turned his head away. At that time, Empress Maria, who had sat on the imperial throne with the support of the prince and princess, spoke in a solemn voice.

“Thank you all for attending my birthday banquet. I am truly delighted that you have not forgotten this old one’s birthday and have come to visit.”

“Thank you for inviting us, Your Majesty.”

“Sincere congratulations, Your Majesty.”

The nobles rushed to offer congratulatory greetings to the Empress.

The Empress, who gave a dignified smile towards them, nodded to the chief servant standing by her side. The chief servant, as if he had been waiting, shouted loudly.

“Now I will give you the opportunity to have an audience with Her Majesty the Empress in order. First, the envoys from the Kingdom of Carton and the Kingdom of Reifen, please come forward.”

Starting with the envoys from the Kingdom of Carton, the royalty and nobles who had brought gifts to present to the Empress had their audience with her in turn.

The guests came forward in pairs before the Empress, offering congratulatory greetings along with their gifts. She responded by sincerely expressing her gratitude.

Eventually, it was the turn of Duke Elliot Haven and Duke Yusten. As the leaders of the two factions openly competing over who would be placed on the throne as the successor to the empire came forward side by side before the Empress, the gazes of all the nobles gathered.

Soon, the chief servant turned to the two and said.

“Now, please show Her Majesty the Empress the gifts you have prepared.”

“Sir Oliver, bring that.”

“…Christine.”

The two called for their guard knight and me, who were holding their gifts, in turn.

I handed the gift to the Duke and then stepped back. The Duke’s gaze lingered on me for just a moment before disappearing.

A moment later, Duke Haven and Duke Yusten opened their boxes simultaneously.

“Oh my!”

“How can such a coincidence…”

In both of their boxes were ruby gems of the same size, shape, and form.

It was the very jewel I had received from the Duke. The nobles whispered about Duke Haven and Duke Yusten who had prepared identical gifts. Empress Maria, surprised by the situation unfolding before her eyes, opened her eyes wide and said.

“My. Did the two of you coordinate in advance? Or is this the result of coincidence upon coincidence? How very surprising.”

At that moment, Duke Yusten twisted one corner of his mouth upward. Then he spoke towards her.

“Your Majesty. This ruby I have prepared is known as the ‘Black Prince’s Ruby’, and I understand it to be the only one of its kind in this world.”

“…The only one in this world?”

“Yes, Your Majesty. Therefore.”

The Duke moistened his lips with his tongue for a moment before speaking again.

“…I am hesitant to say this, but I suspect that the ruby prepared by Duke Haven might be an imitation modeled after the Black Prince’s Ruby that I have prepared…”

At this, everyone in the banquet hall drew in a sharp breath.

This meant that either Duke Haven had deliberately prepared a fake to present as a gift to the Empress, or he had been deceived into buying a fake jewel thinking it was real. If the Duke’s jewel was indeed fake as the Duke claimed, either way, the Duke would be publicly humiliated in front of all these people.

Either way, it was an unfavorable situation for Duke Haven.

At that moment, the Duke, who had maintained an expressionless face all along, opened his mouth.

“I don’t understand why you are so certain that mine is an imitation, Duke Yusten.”

“…What do you mean by that, Duke Haven.”

“Conversely, yours could be the imitation, couldn’t it?”

The Duke added, looking at Duke Yusten.

“That’s impossible. There’s no way my jewel could be an imitation. Absolutely not.”

Then Duke Yusten said with a confident smile. The Duke immediately responded.

“Then it would be good to have both the Duke’s and my jewels verified to see which one is the real ‘Black Prince’s Ruby’.”

“What…”

“What do you think, Your Majesty?”

The Duke looked up at Empress Maria and asked politely.

She pondered for a moment with an intrigued expression. Then she looked down at Duke Haven and Duke Yusten and replied.

“…Very well, I allow it. Duke Yusten, will you accept the Duke’s proposal?”

“Of course, Your Majesty.”

“Good. Then, have an appraiser brought in.”

The Empress gestured to the chief servant. The chief servant bowed and left the banquet hall, and the nobles whispered to each other, eyeing one another.

I eavesdropped on their voices while glancing sideways at Danae. Having finally realized what she had done, her face had turned pale as she stood nearby.

Shortly after, the Empress’s chief servant returned to the banquet hall with an appraiser. The appraiser, who manages the Empress’s treasure vault, knelt respectfully before her and greeted.

“You called for me, Your Majesty?”

“Welcome. You’ve heard the situation from the chief servant, haven’t you? Please examine those two jewels right away.”

At her command, the appraiser immediately began examining the two rubies in turn.

With a small portable microscope in hand, he carefully examined the two jewels for a while before taking a step back. The Empress asked him.

“Well? Can you tell which one is the real Black Prince’s Ruby?”

“Yes, of course, Your Majesty.”

The appraiser paused for a moment to catch his breath before answering.

“The jewel in the box on the left is the real ‘Black Prince’s Ruby’.”

What he pointed to was Duke Elliot Haven’s box.

Then Duke Yusten, his face turning bright red, shouted at the appraiser.

“Impossible! That can’t be! Please examine it properly once more!”

The appraiser shook his head and said to the Duke.

“No matter how many times I look at it, it’s the same. The one in the box on the left is the real ruby, and the one in the box on the right is a spinel.”

“No! I tell you it’s not!”

The Duke raised his voice, shouting at the top of his lungs in great agitation. The Empress looked down at the Duke and said.

“Enough. Calm yourself, Duke Yusten. I understand your frustration at being deceived by a merchant, but is it right to badger the appraiser like this?”

“Your Majesty! No, I…!”

“I said that’s enough. I will treasure your spinel just as I will the Duke’s ruby. So please cause no more disturbance.”

She cut off the Duke’s repeated shouts with a cold rebuke. Duke Yusten clenched his teeth, seething with rage, and reluctantly closed his mouth.

Duke Haven, who had been silent all along, opened his mouth, looking at the Duke.

“You confidently accused mine of being an imitation, but it turns out yours was the imitation.”

“…!”

“I don’t know who appraised that jewel for you, but you’d better fire that servant who has embarrassed their master immediately, Duke.”

A cold sneer hung on the Duke’s handsome face as he spoke sarcastically.

The Duke gritted his teeth and responded to the Duke’s words.

“…Thank you for your advice, Duke Haven.”

After that, the Duke bowed politely to the Empress and then fled the banquet hall.

“Ah, Father!”

Danae hurriedly followed after her father.

The nobles whispered again, glancing at the two as they left.

“Oh my, what a disgrace.”

“I wonder what he heard to accuse Duke Haven’s jewel of being fake?”

“I wouldn’t know. In any case, it’s quite a laughable situation. How could he think to present a spinel to Her Majesty, mistaking it for a ruby?”

“Surely he didn’t lack the money to buy a real ruby?”

“Surely not. Rather, don’t you think he might have been trying to deceive Her Majesty’s eyes with a cheap spinel instead of an expensive ruby? You know, they say only expert appraisers can distinguish between rubies and spinels.”

I enjoyed their whispers like music as I slowly followed after Danae and the Duke.

I felt Duke Haven’s gaze following me from behind. I just turned my head slightly and shrugged towards him. See, I kept my promise.

The Duke’s handsome face twisted strangely, as if smiling or frowning, as he looked at me.

When I entered the salon set up in one corner of the banquet hall, following the Duke, the inside of the salon was already in a mess.

It seemed that Duke Yusten had caused a commotion, unable to bear the humiliation. I spoke to the Duke with a hardened expression.

“…Uncle.”

No sooner had I opened my mouth than a silver candlestick flew past my face and hit the wall.