While Duke Sherwood was giving a long speech to the nobles to gain attention again, Serena quietly left the banquet hall. Fortunately, she could avoid people’s eyes thanks to Lucas’s large build.

“Phew…”

Anna, who had been watching only Serena from the corner of the banquet hall, quickly came out and supported her arm as if assisting her.

“Are you very tired? Still…”

“No, I’m fine. Their Majesties aren’t coming back. His Highness the Crown Prince arranged it.”

“Pardon?”

Anna’s expression was puzzled, but it was not something to explain in the corridor.

“For now, let’s go to my quarters and rest. It’s alright. I’ll explain later.”

Serena’s expression was sincere, so Anna nodded her head blankly. However, both Serena and Anna were unfamiliar with the palace and couldn’t get their bearings.

“Hey, Lily. Come here.”

Anna called the young maid Lily who was waiting in the corridor outside the banquet hall.

“Yes, ma’am.”

While Serena leaned against the wall with difficulty, Anna asked Lily a few things and then sent her back.

“Your Highness, hold my hand and stand up. Someone might see you.”

The title of ‘Your Highness’ was always thought to be Lucas’s alone, but when she was actually called that, it felt very awkward and ticklish.

However, as Anna said, it wouldn’t do for someone to see her, now a royal highness, leaning against the wall in an unsightly manner.

“Hmm… Where shall we go?”

“Someone will come to guide us. Lily has gone to call them now.”

“Who?”

The head attendant Peter was also unfamiliar with the interior of the palace. They couldn’t just grab any royal maid either. If they did, the plan to hide their traces as quietly as possible would be in vain.

“There is a maid assigned to the Crown Princess’s quarters. She will be waiting nearby and will come soon.”

Indeed, there was no way the Crown Princess would only have one head maid. While Serena was preparing various things at the ducal residence, the preparations at the palace must have been more thorough and busy.

“Greetings to Your Highness the Crown Princess.”

A girl around Lily’s age, dressed in a palace maid’s uniform, came and bowed deeply to Serena.

“I am Becca, who will be serving Your Highness the Crown Princess from now on.”

When Serena nodded, Becca rose from her bow and stood straight.

“There is a passageway with no prying eyes, so I will guide you.”

It was a welcome thing to hear.

“If you take a carriage at the rear entrance, you can reach your quarters in no time.”

“A carriage?”

The Astel ducal residence was also large, but since there were no family members, the detached houses were not used, and naturally, there was no need to take a carriage to move within the residence.

“Since there are so many carriages today, it won’t stand out much.”

Becca’s calm voice and composed demeanor already appealed to Serena. Especially at the forked road in the corridor where they didn’t know which way to go, Becca confidently took the lead, which Serena liked the most.

“This way… We’re at the exit now.”

Serena took a deep breath of the outside air, which she hadn’t smelled in a while. Finally, it felt like she could breathe after leaving the crowded and hot banquet hall.

Becca called an attendant waiting at the entrance, and soon Serena was escorted to a small carriage. As Serena, Anna, and Becca got into the carriage, the attendant immediately mounted the front of the carriage and spurred the horse.

“The palace is very vast. This is the largest banquet hall, and Your Highness the Crown Princess’s quarters are in the inner palace, so it will take about 5 minutes to arrive.”

The scale of the empire was indeed different. The Astel territory was also very vast, but there was no space within the residence that required a 5-minute ride to reach one’s quarters.

“The name of the attendant driving the carriage now is Allen. He is the attendant who will be serving Your Highness the Crown Princess.”

Serena just nodded her head while looking at the wide and elaborate garden unfolding outside the carriage window.

“Also, there is a maid named Sia waiting and tidying up the quarters. Her Majesty the Empress said that Your Highness the Crown Princess should employ familiar people, so the head maid and head attendant will be the ones you brought.”

Serena didn’t know much about Adeline yet, but she was already grateful that she had meticulously prepared for the royal wedding and arranged the personnel with Serena in mind.

“Yes. I’ll hear the details later.”

After a while, the carriage stopped, and as Serena got out with Anna’s assistance, a completely white palace came into view. It was evident that it had recently been newly decorated, as everything was shining and not a single blade of grass was out of place in the garden.

“Greetings to Your Highness the Crown Princess.”

Perhaps hearing the sound of the carriage, a maid around Becca’s age came out and bowed.

“I am Sia.”

Serena nodded, and following Becca’s guidance, she entered the Crown Princess’s palace. The white marble and various stylish and delicate decorations were nice, but what she needed most right now was a bed.

“The bedchamber is on the second floor.”

The stairs, symmetrical on both sides, were covered with a plush carpet, so there was no sound of footsteps at all.

Following the corridor on the second floor to the innermost part, a large and grand door came into view. Anyone could tell that this was the most important place, the bedroom.

“I will open the door to the bedchamber.”

Becca carefully announced and opened the double doors at once with Sia.

“There are two receiving rooms, one waiting room, and the bathroom is attached to the bedroom at the very back.”

In the past, the Astel ducal residence also had a bedroom with a receiving room, but the scale of the palace was on a different level.

Just on the way to the bedroom, there was a bouquet of flowers that looked as fresh as if they had been picked today, a relief on the wall that was sculpted like a work of art, masterpieces by artists, and curtains that draped just as beautifully.

“Then, I will open the door to the bedroom.”

Though smaller than the door to the bedchamber, the door with various auspicious patterns carved into it opened without a sound. There was a sofa and some furniture in the bedroom, but for now, only the bed caught Serena’s eye.

“Everyone, please leave. I will attend to Her Highness the Crown Princess.”

Anna took control of the situation and closed the bedroom door. In the meantime, Serena had already jumped onto the huge bed with four posts.

Serena, who had buried her head in the soft bed, let out a long sigh as Anna took off her shoes from her swollen feet.

“Ah, I feel alive.”

Looking back, she hardly had any memories of wearing shoes in Astel. She used to ride horses herself and lead an active lifestyle, so her life was very far from the existence of shoes.

“It’s a good thing Lady Abigail isn’t here.”

If she had to be specific, the last time she wore such high-heeled and smooth shoes was probably at the engagement ceremony 6 years ago.

“Yes, if she saw it, she would have been shocked. If she were a little younger, the head maid of Your Highness the Crown Princess would have been her, not me.”

“Ugh… A horrible thought.”

While Serena shuddered, Anna skillfully helped the prone Serena unbutton and remove her clothes from her back.

“Please get up a little.”

Only then did Serena manage to get up, throw off the heavy dress, and lie back down on the bed wearing only a white chemise.

Anna inwardly felt the sense of distance she had felt from Serena, who had become the Crown Princess, disappear at once. In the end, people do not change.

“What time is it?”

“It’s 5 o’clock. His Highness will probably come after 10 o’clock, so it would be good to rest a little before then, have a meal, and then take a bath.”

Anna’s words were all based on the premise that the wedding night would take place tonight.

“On the first night, you have to wear a special nightgown, and it’s already prepared, so you just need to take a bath and put that on.”

“Mmm…”

“You only need to wear the nightgown and no accessories, so it won’t take long or be bothersome. And while Your Highness is taking a bath, the maids will decorate the bedroom.”

Serena, who had her head buried in the bed, half-raised her body and looked at Anna as if asking what she meant. How could they further decorate this beautiful and perfect bedroom?

“On the wedding night, it is customary to drape a white veil over the bed. The sheets and blankets are also changed to pure white.”

The reason was obvious even to someone lacking in wits.

“Tomorrow morning, as the head maid, I will come to check the sheets and burn them on the roof, which is a custom signifying the couple’s harmony.”

The bothersome customs were endless. However, it was good to hear about this in advance.

“Is it okay if only the head maid checks?”

“Usually, the maids all celebrate together as a sign of…”

“No, if I want, can only Anna see it?”

“Of course.”

Anna smiled as if she understood the bride’s embarrassment.

“Anna.”

But Serena had a serious expression on her face for a completely different reason and gestured with her hand.

“Yes. There’s nothing to be afraid of. It’s all natural…”

“No, listen to me.”

Serena held Anna’s hand tightly.

“His Highness the Crown Prince will stay in this bedroom tonight.”

“Of course.”

“But… that… that thing won’t happen.”

Rarely, Serena stammered and then quickly averted her gaze.

“Pardon?”

“I mean, the sheets won’t get dirty.”

“…Pardon?”

Anna’s eyes wavered. They clearly just had a wedding ceremony, so what was this about?

“We decided on that. His Highness the Crown Prince said he would respect my choice, remember?”

“Don’t tell me, that choice is to not have the wedding night?”

Marriage was synonymous with having the wedding night. For Anna, who had learned and lived that way all her life, it was shocking to hear.

“I can’t tell you the details, but yes.”

“But that could really become a big problem.”

“It’s fine. It’s better than submitting to someone against my will.”

“But he is Your Highness’s husband?”

“Even so.”

Serena cut her off firmly.

“Anna, I know you can’t understand. Instead of understanding, just accept it for me.”

Anna, who cherished Serena more than anyone in the world, could not refuse this request.

“The sheets won’t get dirty. But… can we make others think so?”

If a still shy bride entrusted the wedding night sheets only to a close head maid, no one would say anything. In the first place, having a wedding ceremony and not having the wedding night was beyond common sense, so no one could be suspicious.

“If this is what you wish… I will make it so.”

“Thank you.”

Serena’s hand holding Anna’s hand tightened.