“Isn’t Valious famous for its abundance of precious minerals? Confucius made strings of pearls here in advance when he was in this place.”

Listening to Elion, the purpose of the jewelry-filled box that he had received as a pregnancy gift finally made sense.

Observing the nobles eagerly waiting for their turn to approach Leopold, Valier realized the purpose of the box full of jewels he had handed over as a gift.

‘Even this luxurious ball, everything is just for show. He wanted to show Henri and the nobles how wealthy he is.’

As the scion of a conglomerate, he had become accustomed to showcasing events and starting small businesses to flaunt his wealth in his past life.

Even simple birthday parties for Valier’s parents were meaningless events without any connection.

Valier felt embarrassed thinking about how he had used his imagination to the fullest while looking at the jewels in the box.

She went straight to Leopold.

The nobles around Leopold looked at Valier with cold eyes and stepped aside.

“Truly wealthy, aren’t you?”

Leopold asked with an expressionless face.

“What are you talking about?”

“This.”

An emerald pendant from the box Leopold had given was hanging on Valier’s neck on a chain made of pure gold.

“It suits you well.”

“Is this not a congratulatory gift?”

“What are you talking about? A gift sent in anticipation of my nephew’s birth…”

“No. You just wanted to show off the items like emeralds, amethysts, opals, diamonds, and pearls in that box to the nobles here, right?”

Leopold smiled gently, sweeping his fingers down his hair.

Although his demeanor seemed relaxed, there was a dangerous feeling somewhere.

In his leisurely smile, Leopold’s golden eyes sparkled sharply, giving off a sense of awe, as if facing a wild animal.

“Do you really think so? I just wanted to express my feelings to the beautiful Lady Bellian, that’s all.”
Leopold, slightly lowering his waist, whispered softly into Valier’s ear, displaying a final charming smile before shifting his steps towards others.

For a man who showed no emotions, pretending kindness was surprisingly easy. However, for Valier, who had just become an adult, cruelly enough, his meaningless smile at this moment had somehow pierced into her mind.

Valier stood frozen like an ice sculpture in that spot for a while.

“Viscountess Bellian, are you okay?”

When Brienta, the Viscountess who attended the ball together, gently shook her wrist, Valier finally came to her senses.

“Oh, I’m fine.”

Valier nodded with an awkward smile, and her face turned as red as a familiar apple.

Certainly, revealing the gift box filled with enormous jewels at the Alhyun Feast had a significant effect.

Alhyun, where major nobles gathered, was not only pressuring Henri, who was going through financial difficulties but also an excellent opportunity to showcase the economic power of the Valious Empire, known for its jewel mines.

Moreover, with today’s luxurious ball, wouldn’t the eyes of the imperial faction nobles, who were ignoring him inside and out, change?

No matter how loyal they were to the imperial family, they were still human beings in the end. Faced with material benefits, they would inevitably have to reconsider their beliefs.

Just today, there were more than a few subtly suggesting trades.

Public opinion doesn’t move without any gain.

Leopold planned to capture the nobles first and then target the common people.

Rather than causing a troublesome civil war, isolating Henri thoroughly and entering the palace without bloodshed was Leopold’s best goal.

His top priority was not the throne but the safety of Ermendalin and Ferdant.

Of course, there was always an alternative plan in any strategy, so Leopold didn’t forget to secretly deploy his troops to a nearby foreign country.

Therefore, he must smile today.

As the host of the event, he had to face the nobles with a relaxed smile, but managing his expression was not easy.

Due to wandering around the world, engaging in various trades with different people, Valier thought he had mastered acting, but whenever facing the woman named Henri in the government, her true feelings seemed to keep surfacing.

“Is she crazy? Does she really think that she dedicated that gift box for her sake? Did she forget whose child was in her womb?”

“First love, an old lover – all those sayings were just groundless rumors. How could she blush so much when it’s been so long since losing the child? Does she have some ulterior motive, acting recklessly like a child who doesn’t know how to protect herself?”

Leopold wanted to scold Valier for imagining such disgusting thoughts, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it. So, he reluctantly managed to smile, hiding his annoyance, and wondered what strange fantasies Valier had entertained during that time.

“Where did you meet such a thoughtless woman, Henri?”