Handling daggers skillfully! Goosebumps covered Halmang’s entire body. Halmang listened intently to Kai’s words, and the thought of someone daring to threaten the Emperor of the Credion Empire was unthinkable.

“What should I do? Just say the word, and I’ll take care of it immediately!”

“Some operate covertly. They are individuals who never attract the attention of others.”

“Sigh. Even the shadows of Your Majesty?”

“Yes. The shadows move so discreetly and secretly that even they can’t do anything about it.”

It seemed like the person had remarkable skills, more than Halmang had anticipated. Overwhelmed, Halmang closed his eyes as if the surroundings were spinning.

Kai chuckled ironically at Halmang’s reaction. Although Kai genuinely found it amusing, it looked like a forced smile to Halmang, adding to his heartache.

“Your Majesty, how can you just leave such a dangerous person alone?”

“Exactly. Why watch and do nothing? I’ll…”

Kai’s gaze had shifted to Iber, who had fallen asleep on his desk in a round shape. Despite poking at the round belly several times, Iber continued to wriggle without waking up. The sight caught Kai’s attention unusually.

“Oh my, Princess Stella didn’t even know she was invited here.”

Caitlin, who had been lingering around, finally noticed Stella and approached as if making a new discovery.

While Annette was separated from them, she was engaged in a private conversation with Lady Melissa.
The princesses, who always circled around Annette, discovered Stella and approached her, clustering together like ducklings that had lost their mother. Stella, not wanting to respond, gave a formal smile and only nodded. When they approached first to greet her, they once again pretended not to know Stella and began talking among themselves. The problem was that their conversation was loud enough for Stella to hear every word.

“It’s quite shameless, isn’t it? If I were like her, with no grace as Princess Annette, even if I were invited, I wouldn’t come.”

“What happened after that? Anything new?”

“You didn’t hear? Well…”

Fortunately or unfortunately, due to Caitlin questioning the princesses about what happened next in a whisper, Stella couldn’t hear it. However, the princesses, with expressions as if they had just bitten into a bug, looked at Stella, making faces.

Gathering together for a while as if sharing a significant secret, the princesses suddenly scattered to another place, seemingly making some kind of agreement.

Suddenly, there was no one around Stella. Most people at the party, consisting only of ladies, were either chatting in groups of three or five or sitting together, enjoying tea or wine.

The only person sitting alone as if on a distant island was Stella.

It seemed better to return to the castle. She regretted not following along to the market if she knew it would turn out like this.
As Stella stood up and turned around, a sudden cold liquid poured onto her chest.

“Oops!”

“Oh, I’m sorry, Princess Stella.”

The person holding an empty glass on the opposite side was Annette. Red wine spilled on her pristine white dress, creating an unpleasant stain.

Stella worried more about not being able to wear the dress than feeling embarrassed and flustered.

“Well, be more careful.”

Annette muttered apologetically, covering her mouth as if she were about to die. It sounded more pitiful than sorry.

It was evident that she intentionally spilled it. Stella had just stood up, and Annette had come here, so Stella was in no position to retaliate.

Annette took out a lace-detailed silk handkerchief and dabbed Stella’s damp dress, making the red stains spread even more with each movement. Annette held back her laughter while swirling her lips to avoid bursting into laughter.

Her expression clearly showed that she wasn’t trying to clean it but rather making the stains spread more. Stella, unexpectedly retaliating, grabbed Annette’s wrist and forcefully pushed it away. Annette, caught off guard by the unexpected counterattack, momentarily lost balance and staggered.

If Caitlin hadn’t intervened in time, Stella’s grip was strong enough that Annette might have tumbled over.

Annette’s face turned red with embarrassment as a rush of shame overwhelmed her. It was the first time someone had treated her so recklessly in her entire life.
“What’s going on?”

Annette deliberately shouted loudly so that others could hear. As intended by Annette, other princesses, noble youths of the empire, and even Melissa, gathered their attention in one place.

Due to the sudden commotion, people stopped their conversations and turned their heads towards this direction.

As Annette’s plan succeeded, she immediately choked up as if about to burst into tears.

“Stella, I apologize for my mistake. But there’s no need to be so harsh like this.”

As Annette, whose wrist was caught by Stella, murmured an apology, Caitlin quickly stepped in beside her.

“Oh my, Annette. Is your wrist okay? You pulled it so hard. Despite apologizing, how can…”