Just a few days before Floria’s royal wedding, congratulatory delegations from various countries began to arrive.

The main palace, as well as the palace of the Second Prince, was busy welcoming these guests. Among these visitors, the one who particularly caught my attention was Princess Isolde Blackbrick from Etria.

Arriving last among the delegates, Princess Isolde was a stunning beauty with long black hair reaching down to her waist.

Her arrival was almost a confirmation of her impending marriage to the First Prince, especially since he personally greeted her. However, he remained masked and silent throughout, a gesture of rudeness that didn’t seem to bother the princess.

Uniquely, only Princess Isolde was invited to the royal family’s dinner, indicating her special status.

Floria, not wanting to be outshone by Isolde’s beauty, put extra effort into her appearance.

“Hold on a moment, Lady Floria. It might be better not to wear perfume today.”

I intervened just as Shanna was about to spray perfume on her.

“Why is that, sister?” Floria asked through the mirror.

“I heard that Etria is currently in mourning for the late queen. Usually, during national mourning, it’s customary not to attend foreign events. Since Princess Isolde has come to celebrate your wedding despite this, we must not create any reasons for criticism.”

“Why would wearing perfume be considered a flaw?” Shanna retorted, clearly displeased.

“In Etria, during mourning, it’s customary not to wear anything with a scent. If you go to the dinner wearing perfume, it could be seen as thoughtless.”

Floria glanced at Shanna with a look of reprimand for her ignorance. Shanna bit her lip and bowed her head in apology.

“I’m sorry, Lady Floria. I almost made a big mistake.”

“It’s alright, Shanna. You might not have known.”

Floria, smiling as if she had never been annoyed, turned her gaze to me.

“How do you know such things, sister?”

Of course, I knew because of the original work. If it were not for my intervention, Floria, who would have applied perfume, would have been the subject of everyone’s criticism. I smiled, feigning ignorance.

“I thought it might help Lady Floria, so I looked up information about Etria.”

Floria watched me intently and then whispered to Shanna. She then invited me to accompany her to the dining room, not to participate in the meal but to assist. Curious about the princess, I readily agreed.

Indeed, no one in the dining room carried any scent of perfume, not even the queen, who usually wore a strong fragrance. Floria glanced at me, and I smiled.

“Thank you for coming in person during your nation’s mourning, Princess,” said the king.

“It’s my duty, Your Majesty,” replied the princess.

“How is the King of Etria doing?”

“He sends his congratulations on your wedding.”

The dinner proceeded in a peaceful atmosphere. Princess Isolde was not the hot-headed, impulsive character portrayed in the original work.

I listened to their conversation, once again questioning the personality differences from the original story.

“It’s pleasant to dine together like this. Once Princess Isolde marries our Cahilrin, this will become a routine,” said the king.

“Your Majesty,” the queen interjected, setting down her cutlery to caution the king.

“She’s here to celebrate Eric’s wedding. It’s not appropriate to discuss a marriage with the First Prince.”

“What does it matter? She will soon be part of the family.”

The king seemed quite taken with Princess Isolde, despite the queen’s subtle hints.
While the king looked at Princess Isolde Blackbrick with satisfaction, Floria pretended not to care but was glaring at her, and Prince Eric was openly displeased, continually tipping his wine glass.

Only Cahilrin, the other main subject of the marriage talks, seemed bored, idly spinning his water glass. He, still wearing his mask even in the dining room, naturally didn’t eat anything. He just spun his water glass without even taking a sip.

‘I wonder why he still wears a mask even here.’

I was disappointed, as I had been curious to see the face of the enigmatic First Prince.

At that moment, my gaze met with the First Prince. I couldn’t be sure because of his mask, but it seemed like his eyes were on me. By the time I realized it, he was already looking straight ahead.

‘What was that?’

I blinked, wondering if I had seen it wrong. After that, there was no more eye contact with the First Prince.

The dinner ended in a smooth atmosphere. Despite the king’s hints for him to speak, the First Prince didn’t utter a single word. Princess Isolde didn’t seem to mind either.

‘Doesn’t she have any interest in the First Prince?’

Was their marriage just a political arrangement without mutual interest? Well, it wasn’t my concern.

I had expected a fierce rivalry between Isolde and Floria at the dinner, but surprisingly, nothing significant happened. Maybe because it was just the first day. I swallowed a sense of disappointment, having expected to witness the intense dynamics I had read about in the original work.