“What happened with Ruans today should obviously be kept secret, right?”

“Of course. Despite Duke Spencer’s repeated warnings, Prince Ruans drew his sword in the Crown Prince’s office. It constitutes self-defense. And being slapped by a man’s palm instead of a fist is too embarrassing to reveal.”

At Lanslon’s words, Ruans trembled.

“Did you hear that, Ruans? Don’t make an issue of what happened today.”

Ruans left his seat with a flushed face and went outside. Lanslon stared at him with an expressionless face.

“The person Ruans is concerned about is not Lady Illina, but Lady Lorencia.”

“Yes, it seems so, Your Majesty.”

Since Lorencia entered the palace, Ruans hasn’t visited the Pol Heredian estate at all. According to reports from the shadows, Ruans hasn’t dated Illina at all.

And Ruans showed considerable obsession with Lorencia. That alone was enough for Adrian to be convinced.

Ruans always treated the women he met kindly. He is considered affectionate and gentlemanly. But Ruans didn’t hesitate to spit out abusive and obsessive words like ‘my thing’ and ‘my possession’ when he saw Lorencia.

“Honestly, this is the first time I’ve seen Ruans like that.”

“It may be his true nature, Your Majesty.”

He thought about how Lorencia, who heard those words directly, would feel. He thought she must have been completely fed up with Ruans.

“If you don’t want anything from the other person, you won’t be obsessed either.”

Adrian’s thoughts grew deeper. And he recalled Mussila, the missing child of the goddess Ella 20 years ago, whom Teishar had mentioned.

Charlotte said that the child of the goddess Ella has immense power. Perhaps Ruans wants the power of the child of the goddess Ella that Lorencia, Mussila’s daughter, possesses.

Otherwise, it couldn’t be explained.

“Lord Lanslon.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“I think there may have been a conspiracy long before we knew about it.”

And it’s been going on for quite a long time.

Lorencia diligently learned writing from Charlotte and Teishar, and etiquette from Evan and Amelin. Eating delicious food every day, she even gained a little weight.

While Lorencia was eagerly eating and learning, a piece of news reached her. It was the news that the date for the duel of honor between Ruans and Lorirolls had been set.

Teishar, who delivered the news, spoke to Lorencia with a worried face.

“I’d prefer if Lady Lorencia didn’t go out in front of people on the day of Prince Ruans and Sir Lorirolls’s duel of honor.”

Teishar tried to persuade Lorencia several times, but was rejected.

“Lord Spencer, I’m really okay.”

“People will gawk at Lady Lorencia like an animal trapped in a cage. I’m worried you’ll be hurt by their gazes.”

The location of the imperial duel is held at the training grounds in the palace. And when the date and time are directly decided by the imperial family, they are notified to the nobleman who will duel with the imperial family member. Naturally, many nobles flock to the training grounds on the day of the duel to watch.

“No matter what people think of me or how they look at me, I’m truly fine with it. I don’t care.”

“Still, I’m worried.”

“I’m not hurt by such things anymore. No, there’s no reason to be hurt.”

Contrary to Teishar’s concerns, Lorencia was only waiting for the day of Ruans and Lorirolls’s duel. Currently, Ruans has thrown a white glove at Lorirolls to defend the honor of the illegitimate child Lorencia. As a result, he has instilled a good image of an imperial family member in the people and noble ladies of the empire.

Ruans was satisfied when his image was positively evaluated. But it seems he knows one thing and doesn’t know two, so she inwardly sneered.

“We need to let the nobles know that Prince Ruans took the dignity of the imperial family lightly and threw a white glove at Sir Lorirolls for the sake of an illegitimate child.”

Illegitimate children are treated worse than dogs or pigs. Ruans threw a white glove for such an illegitimate child.

Just as Ruans took the weight of the white glove lightly, the favor he had built up will disappear just as easily.

“Ordinary noble men don’t throw white gloves for illegitimate children. But he threw a white glove for me. So I have to advocate for him.”

Lorencia looked up at Teishar with a bright smile like sunshine.

“I’ll tell the nobles about Prince Ruans’s good side. How he gave me snacks. How he went on walks with me. And how he consoled me to endure well with Illina even when I was abused by Lady Anne, while applying medicine.”

Teishar’s red eyes looked down at Lorencia worriedly, observing her state.

Lorencia doesn’t think well of Ruans as much as she fears him. Nevertheless, saying she will step forward and advocate for him was frustrating.

Teishar was worried that Lorencia would be hurt if she stood in front of the nobles on the day of the duel of honor. So he even suggested a way for her not to come forward on the day of the duel of honor. But Lorencia said she must advocate for Ruans to the end.

And he reached one conclusion.

“You seem to be looking forward to the day of the duel of honor.”

Like a child going on a picnic the next day.

“You’re right, I’m looking forward to it. Lord Spencer, you have no idea how much I’ve been waiting for the day of the duel of honor.”

The more they talked, the less it felt like Lorencia was stepping forward to positively advocate for Ruans. Clearly she is praising him, but the listener feels like they are hearing ‘criticism of Ruans’.

“I’m so excited and looking forward to having the opportunity to praise Prince Ruans.”

Teishar nodded, looking at Lorencia smiling and speaking confidently. He decided to understand her intention to criticize Ruans in front of people, disguised as praise.

“If there’s anything you need, please tell me. The people of House Spencer. The money. I will give you everything.”

Teishar recalled Lorencia saying that ‘I created the rumors about Ruans myself’.

“Lord Spencer, if there’s anything I need, I will accept everything.”

“I will gladly give you everything.”

“There is something Lord Spencer needs to do for me on the day of the duel of honor.”

“Say it, Lady Lorencia. I will do anything.”

Teishar acted like a big dog who would run and fetch if you throw a stick far away.

“On the day of the duel of honor, please escort me, Lord Spencer.”

“I will also gladly escort you.”

“Are you that happy to escort me?”

“Yes, I am immensely happy.”

Teishar’s eyes, which had been full of worry, narrowed beautifully like a crescent moon. The corners of his mouth turned up.

When Lorencia’s eyes met Teishar’s red gaze, she blinked several times in surprise as if her heart had sunk with a thud, avoiding his gaze. Without realizing it, she tightly grasped the hem of her dress.

She was embarrassed that her pounding heart wouldn’t calm down. The pounding in her heart turned into a painful ache. This pain was a pain she had never experienced in her life. She took a deep breath and let the pain subside. And soon her heart began to tickle.

‘Why is this happening again?’

These days, this symptom gets worse when Teishar praises her and strokes her head. But one thing is certain: this pain or tickling sensation is not unpleasant.

And finally, the day of the duel of honor between Ruans and Lorirolls approached.

Amidst the nobles filling the training grounds, betting on Ruans and Lorirolls was in full swing.

Anyway, the overwhelming majority bet on Ruans winning. But since there is a one in a million chance, there were nobles who bet on Lorirolls.

However, the proud high-ranking nobles expressed strong displeasure at the fact that a duel of honor was being held for the sake of an illegitimate child.

‘The nation is doomed.’

‘For that lowly illegitimate child, even less than the livestock we raise.’

‘Even if she was adopted into the Count’s family, all this for that lowly illegitimate child. Tsk tsk.’

As Lorencia expected, some male nobles gossiped behind Ruans’s back for throwing a white glove for the sake of an illegitimate child. She was happy that things were going according to her intentions.

The blaring trumpet sounded. The imperial family members had all entered the training grounds, and the nobles seated stood up and bowed to them.

Emperor Adolf took his seat. And he said he would hear about the circumstances that led to the duel of honor, calling Lorencia up to the platform.

The murmuring people quietly looked up at the platform in the training grounds.

Waiting for the unremarkable illegitimate child Lorencia of the Pol Heredian family, whom they had only heard about in rumors, to appear.

An attendant came out onto the platform and announced Lorencia’s entrance. Soon after, the door of the platform opened.

And people focused their attention on the small, lovely woman who appeared in a beautiful dress.

‘This is different from the rumors.’

‘She’s quite a sight to behold.’

‘Even so, she’s just an illegitimate child.’

People appraised Lorencia with their gazes as she walked up to the platform with a straight back and graceful steps, escorted by Teishar.

Seeing Lorencia walking out more leisurely than expected, people thought ‘she’s not bad’.

But there was one person who didn’t think ‘she’s not bad’. It was Illina.

“This is unbelievable!”

Illina sighed, seeing Lorencia walking out leisurely. Lorencia walking to the platform like a noble lady was unbelievable. It was a wrongful event that couldn’t be possible.

This wasn’t the Lorencia she knew. A filthy monster treated worse than dogs and pigs at the Count’s estate. It was natural that Lorencia, who was always her emotional punching bag, didn’t even have the opportunity to learn etiquette.

Illina twisted her lips.