Lucy and Eden greeted the guests in the banquet hall, and Eriel was able to have a conversation with Lucy before long.

“Mom, I’m going to go play with the kids.”

Lucy smiled at Eriel, pointing to where Benjamin and Elisha were. The children had already gathered in groups to play among themselves.

“Okay. Go ahead.”

After saying goodbye to Lucy, Eriel also walked to where the ladies were.

“Greetings to the Duchess of the Empire.”

The ladies’ greetings were directed at Eriel. Eriel responded to their greetings by gracefully bending her eyes and took a glass of wine from a passing attendant’s tray.

“Hello, everyone.”

“We saw the young lady greeting alongside His Highness the Crown Prince. How is it that you can pull off even such a color, young lady? You look absolutely beautiful.”

Lucy’s attire was so unique that it immediately became a topic of conversation.

With so many unpleasant things happening, like kidnappings and rebellions, Eriel was tense about what would come up as a topic, but it seemed that Lucy’s outfit had the effect of offsetting all of that.

Eriel softly smiled and answered their questions.

“Lucy said she wanted to look strong. Fortunately, His Highness the Crown Prince also liked it very much.”

“She wanted to look strong?”

The noble ladies’ eyes widened at Eriel’s question.

“Yes. I think it’s because she has worn soft colors a lot lately and wanted to show a different side of herself.”

The noble ladies nodded at Eriel’s words.

“It seems the young lady also wanted to show a new side of herself for her first visit to the Imperial Palace.”

“His Highness the Crown Prince’s uniform is also white in color, so it’s like they matched in a way.”

“By the way, I heard that His Highness the Crown Prince personally went to the Duke’s residence to pick up Lucy. Is that true?”

Eriel slowly nodded at the noble lady’s question.

“Yes, His Highness the Crown Prince came in person.”

“Oh my!”

The noble ladies who had opened their fans burst into light laughter.

“The young lady and the two of them already seem to have a good relationship.”

The noble ladies’ eyes sparkled.

As it was the birthday banquet of Crown Prince Eden, there were many noble ladies with daughters around Lucy’s age.

They must have had their eyes set on Eden as a potential son-in-law, as he had a gentle personality and showed genius in various aspects.

Although children’s personalities can change as they grow up, the personalities of past emperors could only be inferred from their childhood.

After growing up, their true nature is hidden behind the image they create, so it is impossible to know an emperor’s true character unless it is during childhood.

No mother would want to see her daughter suffer.

Crown Prince Eden, who has had a gentle personality since childhood, would be the best son-in-law for noble ladies with daughters.

Of course, Eriel did not want to place her daughter in the Imperial Palace, but she actually liked many things about Eden himself. Just this morning, for example.

He brought a gift that he had put a lot of thought into for Damian.

Just by looking at the gift, one could see Eden’s attentive side.

Such a personality would surely lead to deep consideration for his wife as well.

“By the way, I heard that His Highness the Crown Prince personally came to make a partner request.”

Eriel spoke up.

“Oh my, that’s the first time I’m hearing about this. Did he also go directly to the Duke’s residence to make the partner request? Not by letter?”

“Yes, he came to the Duke’s residence to make the partner request, toured the Duke’s residence garden with Lucy, and this morning, he came early to pick up Lucy. I was in awe of His Highness the Crown Prince’s thoughtful consideration.”

Eriel smiled slightly. She did not forget to add words to prevent misinterpretation of the children’s pure actions.

“They are still young, so it’s probably just a passing affection, but isn’t the pure love of children beautiful? I intend to watch over their current untainted purity.”

The noble ladies nodded vigorously at Eriel’s words.

“They are still very young. The affection at this age is truly pure and beautiful. It will be a wonderful memory not only for Lucy but also for His Highness the Crown Prince.”

Thud-.

“Oh my!”

A passing attendant’s tray accidentally hit the elbow of a noble lady who was about to drink wine.

The wine splashed onto the hem of Eriel’s dress.

“Duchess! Oh my! What should we do about this?”

The noble lady apologized profusely to Eriel, looking at the hem of her dress in dismay.

The attendant was also startled and immediately handed the tray he was holding to another attendant and knelt down.

“D-Duchess, I apologize.”

Eriel gestured to the attendant and the noble lady who had spilled the wine that it was alright, then called the maid who was waiting at the edge.

“Gasp, Madam!”

The maid was startled and approached Eriel, taking out a handkerchief from inside her apron. However, the red wine obviously could not be wiped away with such a thing.

“Madam, the spare clothes are in the carriage. I will go get them, so will you be in the powder room?”

“Yes. It’s alright, so take your time.”

“Yes, I will be back quickly.”

“Duchess, I will accompany you.”

The noble lady who had spilled the wine bit her lip, looking apologetic to Eriel.

“It’s alright. The clothes just need to be changed.”

Eriel softly smiled at the noble lady and left the banquet hall.

It just so happened that she was tired of facing people after a long time.

She also didn’t know what topic would come up once the discussion about Lucy’s dress and the Crown Prince ended.

Eriel walked into the empty corridor.

Perhaps because everyone was in the banquet hall, not a single noble or attendant could be seen in the corridor.

Eriel walked, briefly stopping at a fork in the road.

“The powder room is…”

Eriel hesitated for a moment, tilting her head. It had been so long since she had come to the banquet hall of the Imperial Palace that she had momentarily forgotten the way to the powder room.

Eriel, with an awkward smile, turned her steps to the right. She wasn’t sure, but she thought she would go and come back if it wasn’t the right way.

“It can’t be done.”

Someone’s voice rang out.

“We have to make the first move.”

However, at the next voice, Eriel’s steps stopped.

Count Scala?

Eriel’s eyes widened.

Perhaps because Eriel naturally walked very lightly, those who were having a conversation at a slight distance seemed to have not yet heard her footsteps.

Eriel, swallowing her saliva, took off the shoes she was wearing.

When she took a step barefoot, there was no sound at all.

Eriel looked at the end of the straight corridor.

It seemed like the sound was coming from the corner at the end of the corridor.

“Doing something at His Highness the Crown Prince’s birthday banquet wouldn’t be right, would it?”

It was clearly the voice of Count Scala’s aide. At first, she didn’t recognize it properly, but upon hearing it again, it seemed to be him.

Above all, the next words spoken by Count Scala were unmistakable.

“Then what, are you saying we should wait until the hunting festival!”

“Count…”

Count Scala, who had raised his voice, burst out in anger.

However, Eriel flinched in her barefoot steps forward. She had gotten too close, and their voices rang right next to her.

Moreover, it seemed that they were not moving away from the corner but walking around the corner towards the corridor where Eriel was.

At the sound of the two men’s shoes echoing in the corridor, Eriel looked at the long corridor she had walked along.

Even if she ran at full speed from here, it seemed that they would discover Eriel faster.

Eriel, holding her shoes in her hand, turned around for now.

“Mmph…”

Someone’s arm wrapped around Eriel’s waist and pulled her strongly.

Eriel was drawn behind a pillar lined up on either side of the corridor.

Eriel, who had suddenly entered darkness from a bright space, had her mouth covered by someone’s hand.

But somehow, from the moment he wrapped his arm around her waist behind the pillar, she didn’t feel any unpleasant emotions.

Before her eyes could adjust to the darkness, Eriel’s entire body realized who the person in front of her was.

‘Damian!’

As Eriel moved her lips, Damian made a shushing motion with his fingers and lowered the hand covering her mouth.

“This is not the right time for the hunting festival, don’t you know that?”

In response to the aide’s words, Count Scala replied with a long sigh.

Eriel pricked up her ears to listen to their conversation again, but her gaze rose to Damian in front of her.

Fortunately, Count Scala and his aide didn’t seem to think that there would be someone behind the pillar, so they passed by.

‘Damian!’

Eriel moved her lips towards Damian, frowning.

However, Damian, who had been paying attention to the outside, lowered his head to Eriel’s lips as the footsteps of Count Scala and his aide faded away.

“Mmph…”

Eriel slightly frowned. Damian’s hot breath entered Eriel’s mouth.

With one hand wrapped around her waist and the other holding a cane, he pressed Eriel against him.

Eriel gradually tilted her head back, her hands placed on his chest in the already narrow space.

Damian’s kiss lengthened.

“Haa… Damian.”

Eriel looked up at him, finally pulling her lips away after a long kiss.

The light from the corridor seeped in beside the pillar, illuminating Damian’s lips.

Damian’s moistened lips were visible, and his head lowered towards Eriel once more.

“Mmph.”

Eriel closed her eyes as she accepted his lips. Just before her vision closed, the last thing she saw was Damian’s passion burning hotter than ever.