From the night of the wedding, a royal ball was held for three days. It was extremely tiring to deal with the nobles who were watching with smiling faces while wearing heavy dresses and constantly smiling.

The picture depicting me and Cahirun kissing in the carriage heading to the temple was plastered on the front page of the newspaper.

People seemed shocked by the sight of Cahirun smiling. There were already rumors that the First Prince was completely smitten with Reneola Violet, but this was the first time they had seen it with their own eyes.

Marchi told me that both those who saw it on the streets and those who learned about it through the newspaper were all abuzz with our story.

The kingdom’s people, who were interested not only in my love but also in yours, began to be curious about us.

Unlike Floria’s love story, where even family matters were revealed in detail, there was nothing clearly revealed about my story with Cahirun.

While pointing fingers at me as a villain, everyone seemed curious about what aspects of me had captivated that Cahirun de Hilic.

“How did you two first meet?”

Faced with the question I had received throughout the three days of the ball, I smiled brightly.

“I first saw His Highness when I became his maid.”

Then the question that followed was the same.

“Who confessed their feelings first?”

“His Highness confessed that he fell for me at first sight.”

Although I hadn’t coordinated this part with Cahirun, I always answered that he fell for me first and actively courted me when asked.

Cahirun heard what I was saying from beside me but didn’t particularly stop me. Rather, he only amplified the credibility of my words by wrapping his arm around my waist and kissing my forehead.

Cahirun seemed pleased that I was showing signs of receiving plenty of his love in front of others.

“It’s true that I fell for you.”

“Oh my, how romantic!”

When I (made up) said that I received flowers by the lake, the noble young ladies squealed enviously.

But I knew well that despite their favorable words and actions, they were scrutinizing what aspects of me had captivated Cahirun.

I was worried that my messy and chaotic reputation might cause a big problem with Cahirun’s support, but that was unfounded.

Apart from the kingdom’s people, the nobles’ trust in Cahirun seemed to waver at first, but soon solidified as if nothing had happened.

The things he had built up over a long time were not weak enough to crumble so easily. I understood why Cahirun had scoffed at my worries.

Many people wanted to curry favor with Cahirun, the powerful heir apparent, and as such, I had to be surrounded by noble ladies who wanted to make a good impression on me throughout the ball.

However, this inevitably weakened the basis for my necessity that I had asserted to Floria. I turned my gaze to Floria, who was standing in one corner of the banquet hall, talking amiably with the ladies.

While visits from the Violet family and support from the kingdom’s people certainly benefited her, it seems she wasn’t satisfied with just that.

Throughout the three days of the ball, she appeared wearing a necklace with a red jewel. There was no way I couldn’t recognize that jewel as my heart. I got goosebumps at how she thought to wear that around her neck.

Floria occasionally rolled the jewel in her hand. Of course, I knew it was a threat directed at me.

Floria looked at me with eyes that said, ‘I can kill you anytime.’ I wanted to rush over and snatch the jewel from her neck, but it would break in her hands faster than it would come into mine.

As I kept glancing at Floria’s necklace, Cahirun, finding it strange, asked me the reason.

When he learned that the red jewel hanging from the necklace was my heart, he set his expression grimly. He looked as if he might strangle Floria right then and there.

“Shall I take it back?”

Cahirun asked casually. As a Sword Master, he might be able to retrieve the jewel in an instant. But Shana was by her side. I didn’t want to take risks with my life at stake. Cahirun seemed to think the same.

Instead, whenever I drew in a breath due to the pain in my heart as she rolled the jewel in her hand and applied slight pressure, he wrapped his arm around my shoulders and clenched his fist until his veins popped out. It was clear that he was barely holding back.

“Are you alright? Your complexion is pale. You’re sweating too.”

While Cahirun was away briefly, as I furrowed my brow at the pain inflicted on my heart again, Isola, who had been talking with me, quickly supported me.

“I’m fine.”

As I caught my breath from the pain that fortunately subsided quickly, Isola clicked her tongue.

“You’re not suffering because of the First Prince, are you? Well, dealing with such a personality must be no ordinary hardship.”

Misunderstanding something, Isola held my hand with a wistful expression mixed with gratitude and apology as she spoke.

“I have so much to apologize to you for. I feel like I’ve accumulated bad karma.”

“It’s not like that, Lady Isola.”

“As I told you before, if anything happens, please contact me anytime. I will surely repay this debt.”

I glanced around slightly as I listened to Isola’s advice that married people say you should take the initiative in marriage from the beginning.

Viscount and Viscountess Violet were trying to engage disgruntled high-ranking nobles in conversation, and Eliya was eyeing young men passing by.

Eliza was talking with people she knew, and I could see the Second Prince raising a champagne glass.

Among the familiar faces and strangers, I finally spotted the face I had been looking for. As I inwardly smiled in satisfaction at the sight of a middle-aged woman who had only appeared on the third day of the ball, Isola spoke up.

“That woman is still wearing that unpleasant mask.”

As I turned my head to where her gaze fell, Floria was talking to the Queen with an incredibly gentle face.

“It’s clear to see that she looks down on Her Majesty the Queen.”

Isola was still good at seeing through people. After confirming that the Queen had moved away from Floria’s side, I excused myself from Isola and approached her.

Floria offered her congratulations to me with a beautiful smile.

“Congratulations on your marriage again, elder sister.”

“Thank you, Your Highness.”

I could feel the gazes watching the two of us.

Well, with stepsisters marrying brothers, and one being called a saint for being the kindest girl in the world while the other was the villain who tormented that kind girl, curious gazes were bound to gather whenever we faced each other.

“I’ve been looking for an opportunity to talk with you, elder sister, but it’s been difficult to find a suitable moment.”

She meant that she didn’t like me being surrounded by fawning noble young ladies.

Floria gave me a look as if telling me to cause some mischief. But I, not wanting to further damage my reputation for the sake of Cahirun and future matters, pretended not to notice and drew closer to her.

“I have something to tell you.”

Floria tilted her head at my low voice, almost a whisper.

“Please speak.”

“There are many eyes watching, so I’d like to speak in a quieter place.”

Floria, who had been eyeing me suspiciously as if wondering if I was up to something, soon nodded obediently.

I went out to the terrace with her. I closed the terrace door to prevent any words from escaping.

“I’ve cast a sound-blocking spell, Your Highness.”

At Shana’s words, Floria relaxed her expression as if unsealed.

“What do you want to say? Actually, I’m not in a very good mood right now. I keep feeling like I’m being deceived somehow.”

Floria scrutinized me with sharp eyes. She seemed to be suspecting my betrayal. It’s no wonder she was suspicious, given how affectionate I had appeared with Cahirun throughout the wedding and the ball.

“Please believe that my loyalty has not changed, Your Highness.”

“Well, things aren’t going as much in my favor as I’d hoped.”

“That’s actually why I asked to see you separately like this. I’ve obtained information that could be helpful to Your Highness.”

Floria looked intrigued at my words.

“The First Prince doesn’t let go of his documents even in the bedroom. So I secretly extracted this information while he was asleep.”

“After what happened with the mine last time, I find it hard to believe that the First Prince would be so careless, Your Highness.”

As expected, Shana raised an objection. But soon Floria raised her hand to silence her.

“We confirmed that the mine was real this time, didn’t we? So let’s keep listening.”

Floria gestured for me to continue speaking.

“You’re probably already well aware that the Hambert territory originally served as a trade route connecting the geographically isolated north and west.”

“Go on.”

“But due to a major flood this time, that route has been completely blocked. As a result, both the north, which needs to receive goods, and the west, which needs to sell goods, have suffered no small impact. On one side, goods are piling up, and on the other, there’s a shortage.”

I pulled back the half-drawn terrace curtain and looked into the ballroom. Floria and Shana’s gazes followed.

“Do you see that middle-aged woman in the red dress over there? The one twirling her champagne glass and looking around?”