Despite her straight posture, Esther’s legs were restlessly shaking inside the heavy dress.

The hem of the dress fluttered with her seriously trembling legs, as if she had sold her dignity somewhere.

If this were not the imperial palace, she would have been in the mood to bite her nails. Being in such a place, she had to be careful with every word and expression.

Esther sent a sharp-eyed request for help to her elder sister.

“……”

“……”

Seira, expressionless, ignored her younger sister’s gaze and stood by the door with the palace maids.

There was no conversation, but the twins’ communication got through. It meant to handle it on her own for now.

‘Hah, this damn Count Gordon.’

She thought she would be dealing with an old marquis, but he suddenly changed course to the imperial palace.

‘This fat old fox. Filled with nothing but greed. How dare he try to involve our lady with a cut-off prince?!’

As she was inwardly cursing, the door connecting to another room opened.

“I apologize, young lady. I was not prepared.”

The prince appeared, with his light wheat-colored hair styled in an updo, wearing a well-tailored banquet attire as if attending a party.

Diana’s expression nearly crumbled at the excessively extravagant attire.

Esther, wanting to shout ‘This marriage talk is void!’ right away, restrained herself and cast a spell on herself.

‘I am Diana Beatus. I am Diana Beatus.’

“Indeed, you look great. I especially like the jewels on those cuffs.”

Damn it. The lady doesn’t say such things. Esther almost bit her tongue.

“I hastily dressed up, so I’m glad you like it.”

Not glad at all though. The prince scratched his hastily styled hair, looking embarrassed.

This timid prince couldn’t even look at the coldly chilled pink eyes.

‘Even if the lady had come herself, her expression would have been rotten.’

Esther, knowing Diana too well, thought so.

“Well, it may be improper to say this upon first meeting, but you are truly beautiful. The rumors are not to be believed.”

The youngest of the Beatus family, who lives in seclusion in the mansion. Diana Beatus.

She was also famous for not attending banquets.

She would briefly attend major parties of the royal family and then disappear, so few had properly seen her face.

So the rumors were even more rampant. That she was hideously ugly, unlike her beautiful brothers. That she was fat. That she had a physical defect.

Despite the mostly negative rumors, the Beatus family did not respond. They acquiesced as if those words were true.

The prince realized it was all to protect the beautiful youngest. It was even more so, seeing that she remained unmarried.

What defect. She was so beautiful. A reddish glow spread across the prince’s fair face.

“When will our marriage vows take place?”

Esther widened her pink eyes. Crazy. This prince, he’s impatient.

“Oh my, isn’t it too early to discuss marriage? We met for the first time today.”

“Pardon? But haven’t the families finished the discussions?”

‘Damn it. Are the discussions already over?’

She had to buy time. Esther dejectedly lowered her eyes in Diana’s appearance.

“Since I only stay in the mansion, I don’t know much about these things. I’m startled by this sudden marriage talk.”

“I, I was also startled to hear about it today. But if it’s you, young lady, I view this marriage positively……”

Grab. The prince couldn’t finish his words at the held hand.

“Right? You understand my heart, Your Highness?”

“Yes, yes?!”

The prince lost his mind at the beauty’s sudden touch.

“Young lady, you’re too close.”

Esther rose from her seat, brought her face close, and didn’t give the prince time to think.

“We should meet at least three times before deciding, shouldn’t we? No matter what, it’s an important matter for the imperial family. Besides, the crown prince should hold his wedding ceremony first. We are still in the stage of exchanging marriage talks. I don’t think we’re at the stage to make a marriage promise yet.”

At the words spewed like a machine gun, the prince blankly looked at Diana. The prince was unknowingly nodding.

“That, that makes sense.”

“Right? So, Prince.”

“Yes?”

The imperious impression changed with the narrowed eyes. The beautiful smile was overly stimulating.

The prince, stiff at the approaching woman’s seduction, tightly closed his eyes.

“Then, I shall take my leave for today.”

She whispered in his ear like a fluttering breeze and quickly stepped back.

What was he expecting? The prince exhaled the breath he had been holding and looked up at her.

“Are you leaving already?”

When he asked regretfully, Diana raised her gloved hand and lightly touched her forehead.

“Ah, I feel dizzy from leaving the mansion after such a long time……”

Seira approached her right on time and supported her.

“I apologize, Your Highness. Our lady has an illness, so she can’t stay out for long.”

“What illness do you have?”

“An illness where she can’t breathe the outdoor air for too long.”

Seira covered the lady’s mouth with a handkerchief.

For a moment, with that serious attitude, Diana became a lady with a strange illness, but escaping this situation immediately was the priority.

Moreover, for Diana to break off the marriage talks with the prince, she had to become a woman with flaws.

“Are you alright? I kept you too long. I will escort you to the carriage.”

“No, Your Highness. I can’t take up your precious time. Then, farewell.”

She bowed deeply according to the imperial palace etiquette and quickly left the prince’s palace.

Her steps were graceful and light like a butterfly, but there was a hint of urgency somewhere.

Thud. As soon as the carriage door closed, Esther loosened her strength and sank into the chair.

“We haven’t left the imperial palace yet.”

Seira nagged, closing the carriage curtain.

“Phew. I’m dying. Give me a break.”

It’s suffocating. Originally, Esther’s plan and goal was to seduce the person in front of her with Diana’s face, no matter who they were, and have a one-night stand on the first day.

However, it’s a different story if it’s the imperial family. This was too big to act recklessly, even if the size was big.

“No, are you crazy? Why the prince of all people?! Even if he’s cut off, he’s of imperial blood. How can we kill him?!”

If they acted recklessly, the aftermath that Diana would have to handle later would be huge.

“I told you not to speak vulgarly with the lady’s face.”

“Ah, I don’t know. I don’t know. When is our lady coming? At this rate, our lady might get married before the eldest lady.”

They can’t recklessly cause trouble and make decisions. They can only buy time until Diana arrives.

They won’t let it go according to the will of the old fox who nested in the Beatus family.

Beside Esther, who was burning with fighting spirit, Seira suddenly flung open the carriage door while looking out the window.

“Hey, where are you going!”

Esther sighed, looking at the back of Seira who jumped out of the moving carriage.

Following suit, Esther also jumped out of the carriage with her face covered in a veil.

The man who left the square and entered a shabby alley was walking hurriedly.

The man, who had long noticed the presence following him, stopped, took out a hidden weapon from his bosom, and turned around, generating a reaction force.

Gasp− The woman who instantly blocked the attack made the man hold his breath.

“Young lady?”

Although covered by a veil, it was clearly Diana Beatus. Esther, who blocked the man’s wrist with a gloved hand, lifted the veil and grinned.

“Brother, it’s me.”

The man’s eyebrows rose disapprovingly.

“Esther. Why are you in this state……”

“Perfect, right?”

It was truly perfect, but grinning playfully with Diana’s face definitely felt strange.

“Brother, where have you been? Are you with the eldest young master? I have something to ask.”

The man was the right-hand man of Debir Beatus, known as Black. He was one of the people they couldn’t find no matter how much they searched.

All the business sites were withdrawn, and everyone connected to Debir Beatus had vacated their positions.

Their communication network was also completely cut off. It was frustrating not being able to meet them at all.

If Seira hadn’t spotted him with her sharp eyes, they wouldn’t have met for a while.

“Go back. I have things to do, so I need to go. Seira, you take care of your younger sibling and go back. It’s dangerous to be here in the lady’s appearance.”

“Where is the lady?”

“I don’t know.”

At Seira’s urgent voice, which was always serious, the man pondered. How much should he say?

Diana was currently missing. She was supposed to stay quietly in the north. She apparently went missing on the way to the capital.

Heli, who delivered the news, had to be beaten to death by Nathan, who had arrived first.

It was no different from venting, but Heli endured Nathan’s venting without changing his expression.

The aftermath was not easy to handle. The master’s mood was not good either.

“Wait. She will come soon.”

That was all he could say. She had disappeared as if she had evaporated. He had sent people, but they couldn’t reach anywhere.

“Buy as much time as possible. The imperial family can’t move easily either. Even if it gets delayed further, we can end it with an engagement instead of a wedding.”

Seira, who was waiting for an answer with her hands behind her back, raised her head and asked.

“Did you know?”

It was a question of whether Debir Beatus knew about this marriage talk.

“Yes.”

“Are you going to use our lady as a long-term piece?”

“Watch your words.”

“Why should our lady alone have all information cut off under the pretext of protection?”

At the sharp question, the man’s aura changed. The murderous intent that clashed because their masters were different was suffocating.

“Hey, why are you guys like this? We’re all one family. Brother, I got it, so don’t get angry. We’ll get going.”

Esther pulled her elder sister away from the man. The man silently watched them and walked in a different direction.

“Are you crazy? You know that brother isn’t the right-hand man of the eldest young master for nothing, right?”

Ignoring Esther, who was rambling that she would have died long ago if not for her, Seira simply proceeded.

“Hey, where are you going again!”

“To find the lady.”

Esther sighed, looking at the back of her elder sister who had gone mad.

‘Lady, please come quickly.’

Esther followed Seira with tears in her eyes.

Diana, whom the Seira and Esther siblings were desperately searching for, was currently holding her aching temples.

“How many minutes has it been?”

“It’s been over 2 hours.”

Not only were the unwell knights a problem, but they couldn’t head straight to the capital using magic because it was a time when the Black Forest was stirring.

As if seizing the opportunity, Bern’s courtship began, and Rodrick, unable to endure it, exploded.

The fight that started under the pretext of a duel had been going on for 2 hours without end.