I was at a loss for words.

Seeing the newlywed Crown Prince dancing with another woman’s hand in his was not a pleasing sight.

Moreover, even though it was a hastily arranged relationship, I, the Crown Princess, was watching with wide eyes!

Just imagining Nathaniel dancing with Diana made me seethe.

“Her Majesty the Empress mentioned such a thing.”

Nathaniel’s voice was somehow more dangerous than usual, sounding much lower.

I clung to the hem of his clothing tightly.

Irritation filled Nathaniel’s eyes as he looked back at me for a moment.

He was ready to chase after the Empress at any moment.

“Let’s go talk about it together.”

At my words, his anger seemed to subside a bit.

The maid seized the moment and ran away.

Nathaniel spoke, his lips pursed.

“You don’t seem to care if I dance with another woman?”

“What are you talking about? I’m so angry…”

Nathaniel’s lips were curving upward as he looked at me. Somehow, that look irked me, and I changed the subject.

“Hmm, anyway, I will formally question Her Majesty the Empress.”

Nathaniel looked suddenly pleased.

With a faint smile, he took my hand and entered the banquet hall.

The doors opened with a resounding announcement.

A moment of silence followed, then envious glances were cast our way. At first, I was taken aback, but now I thought nothing of it.

Because Nathaniel’s facade was so perfect.

I reassured myself as I crossed the hall.

“Why am I angry about this?”

Thinking about it, it seemed unnecessary to be angry.

I shook my head to dismiss the thought.

We headed for the platform where the Emperor and Empress were, to resolve the matter.

The Empress, with a haughty face, looked down on us unfavorably from the platform.

But my father told me to smile in such situations.

I greeted them with a bright smile.

“I greet the sun and moon of the Empire.”

“Ah, come on.”

The Emperor, knowing nothing, greeted us with a wide smile.

“Jaina was very concerned about tonight’s banquet, wasn’t she? Every person coming to greet us asked whose artwork that sculpture was, creating quite a fuss.”

“It is the work of an artist sponsored by Princess Anais, Your Majesty.”

Turning the conversation to Princess Anais, the Empress’s face crumpled, while the Emperor’s brightened.

I almost clicked my tongue at the blatant scene but held back.

I heard Nathaniel chuckling beside me.

“Heh, heh, heh. I’ve felt it before, but Anais has an exceptional eye for art. I must entrust her with some work soon.”

The Emperor had thought Anais had no talents at all.

The quiet and demure girl seemed to have neither likes nor dislikes.

He thought it best to just leave her to do as she pleased, then marry her off when a suitable match arose.

But if she had this discerning eye, the story changed.

“I will start sponsoring artists soon. I need to receive some recommendations. Heh, heh, heh.”

The Empress’s eyes narrowed at the Emperor’s words.

That stupid girl who knew nothing was stealing the attention Henry should receive. Even if it was her daughter, she could not forgive it.

To change the subject, she deliberately brought up the request she had mentioned earlier.

“Crown Prince, about the request I made. You can take care of it smoothly today, right?”

“I apologize, but I must refuse.”

Nathaniel declined even before I could stop him.

The Empress, as if waiting for this reaction, began to shout at me, glaring.

“Why? Is the Crown Princess jealous? Don’t you feel pity for that poor child left all alone, without fault?”

I was at a loss for words at such brazen nonsense.

The surrounding nobles looked at us with interest.

Already, there were whispers about the Empress supporting the Lady of Groban, questioning the punishment of the baron.

“I dislike it.”

“What… What?”

The Empress was taken aback by Nathaniel’s unexpected response.
He pulled my waist and kissed my forehead, saying,

“I refused only because I dislike holding hands with any woman other than the one I love.”

I simply grinned at his shameless reply.

The face of the Empress, who knew well how we had married, turned bright red.

It was a bold lie, but it seemed that the Emperor quite liked Nathaniel’s response, as he laughed loudly.

“Ha ha ha. Nathaniel, you’ve fallen for Jaina, haven’t you? Well, then that’s how it must be. I too had a time when I didn’t even want to look at any woman other than the one I loved.”

The Emperor smiled kindly with a distant expression.

But I knew.

How many women had cried and laughed due to the Emperor’s flirtations.

I became needlessly upset as he recalled his own innocence, looking at Nathaniel.

“So you mean to leave Diana standing there like that!”

The Empress had never imagined that Nathaniel would so openly favor Jaina.

She had only thought of him making a modest refusal or Jaina refusing.

She never even dreamed he would refuse while carrying on such a radical show of affection in public.

The Nathaniel she knew was not of such character.

“Is there not someone greater in the Empire than me?”

At Nathaniel’s response, I turned my gaze to the Emperor.