The grand banquet hall.

Despite it still being early evening, the hall was filled with nobles and envoys.

Majestic music echoed through the crowd. The rhythmic beat of drums approached like waves and collided with Duke Madeleine, who solidified his forehead and massaged the back of his neck.

With each beat of the drum, his head throbbed. The back of his neck was tense and pulled. The Duke knew better than anyone that the cause of this discomfort was not solely the drumbeat.

His breath quickened. Just as he thought he needed to take a moment to catch some air, Conrad appeared in his field of vision. The Duke’s gaze turned cold.

Earlier, in front of the imperial palace, Conrad had blocked him. However, now he was greeting the envoys as if nothing had happened.

“The one to blame is not that child over there.”

Due to Conrad, he missed Olivia nearby. When he questioned what kind of act this was, Conrad’s response was dismissive.

Disappointment-filled words filled his mouth. He didn’t express it, but he was a son who was proud enough to trust and entrust the household.

But now, he was saying it wasn’t that child’s fault. Then, who should he blame? His head spun for a moment.

It was an unprecedented thought. If it wasn’t that child, then who should he blame…!

Interrupting the confusing thoughts, the Duke attacked Conrad with sharp words.

“Then, your suggestion is to push your sister into the royal family instead of that child.”

Conrad couldn’t respond. Looking at his disappointing son, the Duke turned away coldly.

The words he heard from the Empress’s palace without a proper answer came to him first, rather than his son’s.

“The affection I raised seems meaningless, Duke. The lady talks as if the Duchess is nothing more than an unmarried maiden from an insignificant family. Do you know that?”

After saying she was going to a tea party, Olivia seemed to have attended that event. The Empress, who was always as if she were shaking Esella as a hostage, had shaken her again.

“I thought we were on the same side, Duke. It seems the Duke is eager to give away his second daughter.”
At the center of everyone’s attention, the princess stood. Her gaze, fixed on the shattered glass fragments, seemed awkward as she moved towards the noble’s bonfire.

Come to think of it, even when they crossed paths on the way out of the Empress’s reception room earlier, the princess had that same expression.

Strangely,

A face pale as snow.

“The royal palace’s timekeeper visited the preservation library. He is currently looking for Viscount Ublar.”

How much did the Emperor notice?

Is it now that the mine is no longer in my possession? Or that it has fallen into the hands of the lady I once underestimated?

Just guessing, the princess felt as if someone were tightening her chest, making it impossible to breathe.

Her blood chilled, and a chill swept over her. All sounds became muffled. Her hands trembled uncontrollably.

Crash[—].

“Are you all right, Your Highness?”

Amidst the noisy cracking sound, a comforting voice was heard. Oh, this is the banquet hall.

The princess regained her dizzying senses. She looked around and spoke.

“Oh, excuse me. For some reason, my hands are not cooperating today.”

“Even so! You’ve seemed absent-minded since earlier. Is something wrong with your health? Why did you come to the banquet immediately after the tea party ended? How about taking a break now, Your Highness?”

Lady Rivorne, the young lady of Viscount Rivorne, grabbed the princess’s hand with a sense of urgency. There were no visible wounds on her fair and delicate hands.

Lady Rivorne hesitated for a moment.

The tips of the princess’s nails, which were beautifully adorned, were a mess. As if a young niece had bitten her nails.

Come to think of it, there was a faint red mark on the back of the princess’s hand. The mark resembled a small crescent moon…

“I apologize. Your Highness. I’ll clean up immediately. It seems dangerous, so I’ll take care of it.”

The timekeeper quickly approached and cleared away the shattered glass pieces. The emblem of the Empress’s palace was embroidered in the timekeeper’s sleeves.

This summer party is entirely under the jurisdiction of the princess’s palace.

It seemed that Lady Rivorne was not the only one with strange thoughts. The attendants surrounding the princess exchanged glances with each other.

The princess’s movements had been different from usual since this summer party. She hurried without composure, and her appearance seemed unprepared, unlike the usual perfection of the princess.

Especially today, she looked unusually pale.

More precisely, since she heard the hasty words of Lady Ruhas, the noble lady-in-waiting, during the tea party.

What could be the matter?

However, the princess clenched and released her fist without even noticing those strange glances.

“…It’s not as easy as I thought, Princess. But the person sent to Bicandor will bring back valuable information soon. Just a while ago, I pressured Duke Madeleine too. So, for now, endure it quietly…”