“His Grace is even more meticulous than you, Madam. It’s futile, though; he can’t outshine the Empire’s little sun.”

In truth, Callis had left Chloe alone to greet the guests, claiming he needed to assist Helena.

Considering it more beneficial to chat with the guests than to spend time with the family, Chloe had no objections.

‘Where is everyone?’

The banquet was about to begin, yet none of her close friends, whom she had personally invited, were in sight.

‘Maybe I was selfish to hope they’d come.’

After her marriage and the subsequent events, Chloe had distanced herself from her friends.

She would often invite them to official events, but the gulf between them was already too great to bridge.

A glimmer caught Chloe’s eye.

A carriage had stopped at the garden gate, a fair distance from the mansion’s main gate. It was a large carriage, clearly visible even from afar.

“Lady Lerianne of the House of Kerberus!”

A booming voice of a knight was heard.

“Lady Arket of the House of Plen! Lady Pione of the House of Christin! Baronet of Helcyon’s….”

The cries didn’t stop with just one name. A string of noble youths’ names were announced, confirming that the large carriage was not merely a display of extravagance.

These were also the names of the friends Chloe had personally sent letters to.

The carriage approached, and it was an open carriage designed to transport guests from the garden to the mansion.

“Lady Lerianne of the House of Kerberus, Lady Arket of the House of….”

Arriving near the main gate, the coachman recited his list once more.

A moment later, the main gate opened, and the guests began to disembark. All those who had received a letter were present.

“You all!”

She was so amazed that words escaped her.

“Chloe!”

Lerianne was the first to approach and hug Chloe.

“It’s been so long. By the way, that shawl is…”

Upon gently pushing Lerianne away, Chloe’s eyes widened in surprise. The shawl her friend wore was eye-catching.

Although the North was colder compared to other regions, it was still early autumn. The shawl that covered Lerianne was somewhat inappropriate for the current weather.

“I have a plan.”

With a sly wink, Lerianne slightly revealed the inside of the shawl.
“I saw the duke’s name at the boutique. Didn’t think you’d want it as a gift, so I picked one up for myself! Spent quite a bit of money.”

Lerianne shrugged her shoulders, looking mischievous.

“You wrote a letter wanting this, didn’t you?”

“To some extent. Knowing your personality, I was sure you’d do something like this.”

“Smart and cunning, our princess!”

With a clear bell chime, the banquet began.

The servers wandered around carrying champagne and finger foods, and the high-level orchestra that had been arranged for today began tuning their instruments.

The nobles were busy enjoying the grand banquet. Since banquets were rare in the sweltering summer, this extravagant event was a welcome change.

Shortly after, the orchestra began playing. A cheerful music welcomed the guests who had graced the event with their presence.

They introduced themselves and exchanged greetings with those who had attended the banquet during the music.

‘The next thing is…’

Standing in the middle of the stairs leading to the stage, Chloe suddenly looked up.

As she had expected, Helena and Callis were entering the banquet hall.

His walk mimicked that of a noble, yet could not hide the rough strides of his knightly past. And her steps struggled to sync with his, unfamiliar with proper decorum.

Their combined footsteps crossed the hall and ascended the stage.

“It is a beautiful night.”

Callis, who had reached the top, continued speaking while holding onto the railing. His relatively free opposite arm was affectionately holding his lover.

“Today is the birthday of the woman I love. It is a day exceptionally special and happy for both of us. I hope my happiness is shared with all of you. Cheers!”

The spectacle led the nobles into murmurs. Apparently, not just the duke, but all the nobles seemed unaware of the purpose of the banquet.

After all, no one would attend such an event without good reason, especially when it could jeopardize the royal reputation.

After the toast, the orchestra resumed their performance, this time for a slow dance.

A slow yet sensual tune guided the nobles as they found their partners and left.

‘Callis is…’

Chloe unconsciously sought out Callis. It wasn’t a foolish hope that he would come looking for her.

If anything, she wondered how much more foolish he could get.

‘As expected.’

Descending from the stage, he without hesitation took Helena’s hand. The woman who had been initially reluctant to dance was now stepping in tune within her lover’s arms.

In contrast, Chloe remained conspicuously alone.

The nobles watched the scene unfold with intrigued expressions.

People who had always looked at Chloe with eyes full of admiration were now treating her as a mere subject of gossip.

Their murmurs grew louder, as if they believed their voices would be lost in the music.

“Enough already…”

She was about to caution them to be careful when she hadn’t even opened her mouth yet, but the murmuring suddenly stopped.

It didn’t take long for her to realize why.

Stride.

A walk that cut through the crowd, graceful yet rugged, an utterly contradictory stride.

And an extended hand.

When Chloe lifted her head to verify her counterpart,

“Am I too late?”

It was only after the last sender of the uncounted letters in her heart had appeared before her eyes.