Conrad simply believed that his father must have realized that something was wrong with the current situation, as he always did.

Until now, as always, he had thought conveniently.

At that moment, Olivia left the banquet hall with Edwin’s escort. The footsteps of Howard and Winchester following behind were pleasing to hear.

The fresh night air came in through the open corridor window. Instead of the artificial coolness suppressing the heat of the banquet hall, a pleasantly cool breeze brushed against the warm cheeks.
Olivia’s gaze softened. Even though the necklace’s gem regulated the temperature, there was nothing as pleasant as the night air.

“You seem to be in a good mood, Olivia.”

“…It was a more enjoyable banquet than I thought. Of course.”

At the end of Olivia’s muttering, a clue was revealed. The three men who had been listening intently to that condition smiled broadly at the following words.

“Not as grand as the banquets in Bicander, though.”

Olivia curled the corners of her mouth. No matter how perfect the banquet might be, it would be difficult to surpass the two banquets that had taken place in Bicander.

Ah, who knows what will happen at the upcoming wedding celebration.

“Did you have a lot of fun, Olivia?”

“Of course. I danced five times, and the perfect attire fitting the concept. Even.”

Olivia looked at Edwin, Howard, and Winchester carefully as she finished her sentence. A grateful feeling wafted subtly over her emerald eyes.

“My very dignified knights protected me.”

“Oh, come on. Recognizing that again. Thank you, Miss.”

“It was just a matter of course.”

Winchester and Howard’s responses were opposite, but the prideful look on their faces was the same.

Olivia chuckled. Indeed, the banquet was more splendid than she had thought. Despite briefly exchanging words with the prince, she ended up saying what she wanted, and she didn’t encounter the princess or the Marquis of Mandelaine at all.

The image of the Marquis of Mandelaine attempting to approach me briefly came to mind, but Conrad blocked it.

Conrad. Olivia’s eyes glazed for a moment at those three letters. The face that briefly turned back to me before Conrad blocked the Marquis of Mandelaine flashed through her mind.

Ironically, if Conrad’s gaze, which had been consistent throughout his life, was different today, was it just my misconception?

Olivia shook her head.

With Winchester and Howard present, even if Conrad hadn’t blocked, the Marquis of Mandelaine couldn’t have approached me. So, there was no need to feel gratitude.

While Olivia was neatly organizing her thoughts, Edwin suddenly turned around to face Winchester and Howard, as if he had remembered something. A sly smile crept over his red eyes.

“That’s right. Knights, haven’t you forgotten our bet?”

“What bet are you talking about?”

Winchester asked in confusion. It was the first time Olivia had heard such a thing.

“When Olivia mentioned this concept, I immediately said I would get it right, but you guys said it might not be you, right?”

At Edwin’s forceful words, the faces of the two knights became unjustly resentful. And contrary to the knights’ appearance, Olivia quickly extended her hand towards them.

“No, when did I… I just said there are so many concepts, so I really don’t know if it’s possible. …Sir Calder said the same thing.”

“Howard? What are you saying now?”

Howard turned a sarcastic arrow towards Winchester. Bewildered, Winchester, who suspected Miss Olivia for the first time, couldn’t say a word.
It was the result of Edwin’s cunning and Howard’s agility. Winchester felt unjustly accused, but Olivia willingly sided with Winchester to make things difficult.

“Hmm, did you make such a bet?”

“No, it’s not like that! I just didn’t have a clue about the concept…”

Winchester nervously raised his hand. His appearance, not knowing what to do with the playful banter between Howard and Edwin, was quite different from his usual composed demeanor.

Olivia burst into laughter at the sight of them turning this place into a duke’s mansion rather than a palace.

That’s when Maria Ethel appeared.

“Already leaving the palace? The main banquet hasn’t even started yet.”

Maria stared at Olivia with venomous eyes as if she had hurriedly followed, even though she seemed unaware that the atmosphere of the banquet had already changed.

Smiling softly at Edwin, who was trying to intervene, Olivia raised her head and approached Maria Ethel step by step.

Instead of a response, Olivia slowly gazed at the woman. Maria Ethel’s face turned pale as she seemed to understand the meaning of Olivia’s scrutinizing gaze on her clothes.

It was an amusing sight. Despite not writing the concept on the invitation, she dressed up alone as a ‘fairy.’

Only Olivia and Maria knew that this attire was one of the dress candidates for the princess at a previous banquet.

“This, this is…”

“I enjoyed the banquet. Your dress is really lovely.”

Nonchalant words were dropped. Simultaneously, a blush of embarrassment rose over Maria’s face.

“I knew it from the beginning.”

Maria seemed to be breathless. Olivia’s face, not responding, felt like it was mocking her.

Come to think of it…

Maria looked at Olivia, who perfectly matched today’s banquet, with her blue eyes. Even though she didn’t announce the concept. Could it be that someone among the maids of Tiaze Palace conveyed the concept to Olivia?

Maria’s heart trembled for a moment. Her lips trembled. Were the maids of Tiaze Palace still following Olivia instead of her?

“How did you know the concept…”

Turning pale, then red, and now looking at Olivia’s face that turned white, Olivia lightly smiled. Leaning towards Maria Ethel, she whispered as if sharing a secret.

“…You used what was stored in Tiaze Palace very cleverly.”

Guessing the concept without it being written on the invitation turned out to be easier than expected.

The princess would never host the summer banquet.
If that’s the case, Maria Ethel would be in charge. Even though there is Lady Sophron, if the concept isn’t even written on the invitation, it was clear that everything must have been desperately decided until the end.

And among the remaining party items at Tiaze Palace, the concept item almost perfectly preserved was ‘Fairy’s Night.’

However, there was no obligation to kindly inform her of this fact. Maria Ethel trembled pitifully, as if thinking about something.

As if feeling betrayed, a deep sense of humiliation rose over her blue eyes.

It was strange. Maria Ethel, who always harbored ill intentions toward me, always tried to portray me as a bad person when dealing with her.

There was no need to face her anymore. Olivia turned around without any lingering feelings and approached Edwin.

Edwin, who had been observing the entire situation, grinned. With a smile that seemed to ask if she was okay, Olivia shrugged her shoulders. There was no reason not to be okay.

I’ve had a perfect banquet today.

“…I don’t know about other days, but be sure to attend tomorrow!”

Thinking that everything was over, a fierce scream came from behind. Olivia didn’t even glance back. However, the voice screaming as if venting out curses continued to follow Olivia’s back.

“I will show you something very interesting! Be sure to attend!”

No one paid any attention to Maria. Olivia Madelaine didn’t spare a second glance for the desperate Maria, who continued to shout with a gaze filled with bitter resentment. And when that figure completely disappeared.

A bit late, Jade Madelaine rushed in, panting. But the carriage with the insignia of Vichander had already departed.

And late at night, Olivia’s room at Madelaine Ducal Residence.

The sound of flipping through a diary was chilling.

Although all paper-flipping sounds might be the same, Conrad looked at the rabbit doll on the bed while swallowing dry saliva. It was when he felt like his hands were trembling.

“So, what do you want to say?”

At his father’s nonchalant voice, Conrad blinked his eyes bewilderedly.