“Your Majesty the Empress!”

The Duchess of Geminia knocked on the door frantically, forgetting all decorum.

However, no sound came from inside the door.

It was so quiet that not even the sound of breathing could be heard, let alone any sign of people moving around.

The Duchess instinctively realized. Something terrible must have happened inside.

“Call the locksmith, quickly!”

The maids moved in unison. The Duchess shook the unmoving doorknob vigorously, calling for the Empress.

If there was any problem with the Empress’s safety, it was only a matter of time before the blame fell on the ducal family.

Soon the locksmith arrived, and the door was quickly opened.

The Duchess rushed in frantically, pushing aside the workers, and the Empress came into view.

“Your Majesty!”

The Duchess’s scream pierced the ceiling. The doctor and maids who saw the situation inside hurriedly entered.

Selina lay motionless on the floor. Her beautiful pink hair was ominously scattered across the carpet.

**

“Is this the first time the Viscountess Gerdia has come to the capital?”

“Her Majesty the Empress is known for her benevolent nature, so she must have sent invitations even to the provincial nobles.”

Luminesse de Gerdia turned her eyes towards the people eagerly gossiping. At her firm and intense gaze, they had no choice but to close their mouths and leave their seats.

The Viscountess’s teal dress was impeccably neat, with no room for gaudy decorations.

And her bearing? Her posture matched the rumors of her training with soldiers in the North.

One might think her neck and back would ache from standing so straight, but the Viscountess gazed straight ahead without wavering.

Beside her stood a woman who had just shed her girlhood, looking around nervously.

“Is that the Viscountess’s daughter?”

“I hear she’s her niece.”

The Viscountess who adopted her orphaned niece after she lost her parents to an epidemic and raised her like her own daughter. Her presence was enough to be the talk of the people.

“As expected of someone from the North, they have no sense of aesthetics and are terribly rustic.”

“Every little habit must have been influenced by barbarians… I wonder if she’ll be able to find a match in the capital’s social circles.”

Awen heard their gossip clearly. The source of the disparaging remarks was a young lady and young master who still looked quite young.

It was an extremely rude attitude, only possible because they had grown up in an environment where such talk was commonplace. Awen’s brow furrowed slightly.

Seizing the opportunity, a noble man interjected. Awen immediately realized. This man was the father of the young master who had been eagerly looking down on others just moments ago.

“Are you Awen Jahar, the owner of the Jahar Trading Company?”

You’re asking even though you clearly know? Awen swallowed the words that rose to the tip of her tongue and greeted politely.

“Yes, pleased to meet you.”

“It’s truly an honor to meet you like this. The reputation of the Jahar Trading Company is known to few in the Western Continent.”

Awen merely smiled faintly without adding anything else. The noble man was the one getting impatient. Finally, unable to bear it any longer, the noble man spoke first.

“Actually, our family has several trading companies under our command. We control most of the trade through land routes, so the scale is quite substantial. So…”

“You want to open trade with our Jahar Trading Company, is that what you’re saying?”

The words the man wanted finally came out. Awen put down her wine glass on a nearby table and turned her gaze slightly towards the man. The noble man’s face was flushed red with excitement, up to his earlobes.

Awen knows what the man wants to hear. And she’s also aware that with just one nod from her, the deal would be sealed.

And Awen Jahar doesn’t have a very good personality.

“There’s a saying in Pegaia: You reap what you sow.”

Children absorb their parents’ words and habits exactly. Parents are the closest benchmark and mirror that children grow up watching.

The young master who had been badmouthing the young lady from the North came into Awen’s view.

The noble man seemed completely unaware of how Awen was assessing his son with her gaze.

“Even within the same empire, there’s discrimination based on regions, let alone the Eastern Continent…”

She ran her fingers through her hair once. The red strands caught on her fingertips slowly ignited, forming a beak.

Awen stretched out both arms and instantly drew a magic formula. People watching gasped at the sight, which resembled a beautiful painting.

“It’s as clear as day, isn’t it?”

As soon as the words ended, brilliant sparks shot out from the completed magic formula. With one gesture from Awen, the flames were shot up towards the ceiling.

The sparks, breaking apart like grains of sand, were enough to captivate people. Everyone began to look up at the ceiling, admiring the faintly twinkling embers.

Oh my, how pretty. Awen watched the beautiful fireworks reflected on the chandelier with her hands behind her back.

“Ah, is this too obvious a sight for you, my lord?”

There was nothing more to say. Awen turned around without hesitation.

Song-hyun, who had been watching the situation, approached Awen and started nagging. Instead of opening trade with the empire’s nobles, wasn’t she ruining everything?

“My lord, please curb your personality a bit. Can’t you see the ambassador’s expression doesn’t look good right now?”

“…He’s not displeased because of me.”

Awen didn’t have mind-reading abilities, but when it came to her brother, she could guess his mood just from a fleeting expression.

And she noticed that Lindein’s gaze kept lingering on the Empress.

It was an expression too awkwardly twisted to be just for reading the Empress’s mind.

‘Should this be considered a big deal?’

Could he make such a face even towards a woman? Awen’s head tilted to the side.

Well, as long as it doesn’t ruin the work. She dismissed her sworn brother’s unusual behavior as insignificant.

How can one stop the heart of a person that flows like a river? As long as it doesn’t intrude, that’s enough.

**

The attendant standing guard in front of the hall had just taken a moment to catch his breath.

Checking invitations and letting people in required considerable effort.

What if some vicious person were to imitate Her Majesty the Empress’s signature and enter? He had been racking his brains, anxiously checking for any forged signatures or seals.

Just as he was about to relax, thinking it must be over now.

A man approached from the other side.

A tall man in black clothes, wearing a ceremonial cloak, approaching the ballroom where the dance was being held.

He seemed familiar somehow. The attendant tilted his head and stopped him.

“Please show your invitation.”

The man did not stop walking and placed the invitation on the silver tray the attendant held out. Then he entered the ballroom without hesitation.

“Excuse me, just a moment…!”

His steps were too quick for the attendant to stop him. He hurriedly checked the invitation.

It clearly bore Her Majesty the Empress’s signature.

Then there was no reason to stop him. The attendant could only stare blankly at the back of the man entering.

‘How can a person exude such coldness…’

He clicked his tongue and tried to shake off the chill running through his body. He couldn’t tell if this was a person entering a ballroom or someone starting a hunt.

Though calm and refined, it was a distinctly different atmosphere from the etiquette worn by nobles.

Lebel walked silently down the long corridor. Occasionally, some of those he encountered recognized him and pointed, showing surprised expressions.

However, no one entered Lebel’s field of vision. There was only one person he wanted to see.

He would probably be able to meet Ilarid after passing through that bright place ahead. He did not slow his steps even for a moment.

The ballroom froze at Lebel’s appearance.

A song had just ended, and the dancers split into two sides, focusing on the newly arrived man.

The first reaction of those gathered was excitement and curiosity. Lebel’s handsome appearance also played a part. Whispers of wondering which family’s son he was could be clearly heard.

And the next reaction of those who realized his identity was shock.

“How can that bastard be in a place like this…”

Among the imperial guard officers present, some immediately recognized his face. How common is such a face in the empire’s capital? It was an impression too strong to forget.

The final reaction was an instinctive wariness towards Lebel.

Of course, this only applied to the males.

Some ladies were already staring mesmerized at Lebel’s walking figure, rather than their partners beside them. Even stopping their gaze seemed a waste of time.

The men in the hall had to sharpen all their senses towards this new rival in the marriage market.

The reason noble ladies’ gazes were focused on him was that he appeared properly dressed in formal attire despite being a mere mercenary.

A new heat filled the ballroom. Women quickly whispered behind their fans, hiding their flushed faces. And they began exchanging information about the newly appeared man.

“He’s said to be the leader of a mercenary group contracted with the imperial family.”

“No wonder…”

“Wasn’t there some rumor about him and Her Majesty the Empress? Looking at him now, it’s understandable. With that handsome face and physique…”

Lebel walked step by step through the murmurs towards the figure waiting for him there, in that dazzling place ahead.

Ilarid watched the dark blue light slowly approaching her.

She had imagined that the entire ballroom would fall into appropriate confusion at the sight of the well-dressed Lebel.

But she hadn’t imagined it would cause this much of an impact.

‘I feel like I’ve fallen into a trap.’

Lebel, who approached Ilarid, seemed as unfamiliar as if meeting for the first time.

When checking his formal attire earlier, she could vaguely guess why Lynette had insisted on sending him out. When she casually asked why, hadn’t she answered in a playful tone?

‘You can look forward to it.’

As Lynette said, the sight of Lebel properly dressed in formal attire exceeded expectations.

Finally, the man as black as if he had swallowed all the colors in the world reached Ilarid. He knelt on one knee, offering a formal greeting.

“I greet the noble and supreme moon of the empire. I am Lebel, leader of the Likas Mercenary Group.”

It was a greeting without unnecessary frills. The natural acting continued as if they were meeting in an official capacity after a very long time.

“…Thank you for attending such a difficult event.”

Reaching out a hand, kissing the ring finger, diving in with gazes and carefully unraveling each other – these actions followed.

Lebel, holding the tip of Ilarid’s hand, uttered the words he had rehearsed over and over in his mind.

“Your Majesty the Empress. Would you grant me the honor of dancing with you?”

It was an unexpected request. Ilarid hesitated, examining Lebel’s expression. Could he dance?

As the host of the event, it would be a great discourtesy to leave a guest standing like this. How could she refuse a guest’s invitation to dance? She whispered softly so only Lebel could hear.

“Can you do it?”

“Yes.”

He had practiced diligently and even earned Lynette’s approval. He could be with Ilarid in the center of their watchful eyes, as if to show them.

That fact was enough to slowly elate Lebel.

Ilarid felt Lebel’s fingertips trembling slightly.

‘It’s alright.’

Sometimes hands can speak in place of words. She gently enveloped Lebel’s hand. It was such a warm gesture that she almost regretted wearing gloves.

“Captain Lebel. Shall we go together?”

The gray-blue eyes wavered at Ilarid’s words.

That day, it was the very first proposal and small salvation Lebel had offered to Ilarid.

It was truly fortunate to be able to return that warmth.

The people in the hall focused on the mercenary captain greeting the Empress.

They were probably busy creating stories now, comparing the article from the previous gossip magazine with reality.

But gossip is just a rumor to be chewed up and spit out. In reality, Ilarid and Lebel were simply the host and a guest of the ball, the Empress and a mercenary, just that level of relationship.

This chaotic atmosphere now was the optimal situation and the best opportunity to bring Lebel’s existence to the surface.

The envoys from the Eastern Continent would also be closely watching this mysterious man who suddenly appeared.

If really quick, today, or at the latest in a few days, they would face Lebel at Cledius’s summons, but it doesn’t hurt to show him in advance.

Ilarid’s eyes sparkled, filled with a fresh energy. Her silver eyelashes moved slightly, whispering to Lebel.

“…Show them your existence. Are you ready?”

Lebel accepted Ilarid’s hand, her order, as it was.

“Yes, Your Majesty the Empress.”

Gladly. If it’s what you wish.