The large pink eyes holding the ruby jewel closed.

The mana stored within the ruby was not from a curse, but Angela’s pure mana.

A crimson aura enveloped her in a haze. Her pulse and breathing quickly returned to normal, and her fever subsided.

The pain disappeared and her original stamina was restored.

With her eyes closed, she was recalling the conversation she had with Black.

‘Black, you know I was kidnapped and held in the Black Forest? When I opened my eyes, I found myself in an abandoned wizard’s castle.’

‘…A castle, you say?’

Seeing Black’s troubled expression, Diana’s eyes sharpened. It wasn’t as if he was completely unaware.

‘It was elder brother, wasn’t it? The one who kept me in the Black Forest. Elder brother gave the orders.’

Although she didn’t know why things unfolded differently from before her death, she should have woken up in the estate. Black swallowed and answered,

‘We escorted young lady to the estate in the Black Forest and left.’

‘Estate?’

‘It’s a hidden estate that our lord informed us about.’

He said it was an estate, not a castle. Even though she hadn’t seen any other buildings. There were many suspicious aspects, but she let it go.

‘Why did you try to move me in the first place?’

‘For your safety. He wanted to keep you far away from the imperial palace.’

‘Why?’

‘I do not know beyond that.’

‘Then just one more thing. What about elder brother Nathan? Didn’t you say only the eldest brother and elder sister could use my power?’

If all the siblings were connected, Nathan should have been included as well.

‘He has a unique constitution. No mana can pass through him.’

“Young lady! I’m all ready.”

The door flung open and Jamie entered, interrupting her thoughts.

Diana, who had been sitting in a chair rolling the ruby in her hand, slowly opened her eyes.

“How is it? Do I look like that wicked wench?”

Reflected in her pink eyes was undoubtedly Zelony. The curly green hair and red eyes, the symbol of the Beatus family. Even the nasty-looking face was perfectly reproduced.

However, the pallid complexion could not be hidden even with the disguise. The body concealed beneath the dress was still covered in unhealed wounds.

“I told you I would disguise myself as Zelony.”

“Aww, if not now, when else would I get to order young lady around as a maid?”

When Jamie, disguised as Zelony, winked mischievously, Diana let out a deep sigh. She was dressed as a maid with brown hair.

“But wouldn’t it be better to wait until the New Year’s ceremony? Black told us not to enter the imperial palace.”

“There’s something I need to check.”

Jane had not returned yet either. Since they were going in, she planned to bring Jane out as well.

Riding in a prepared luxury carriage, they looked every bit like a noble young lady and an ordinary maid.

“By the way, young lady.”

Shaken by the bumpy ride, she glanced at Jamie.

“Don’t you have any more of these magic tools? Even if my disguise is perfect, it’s nice to have this to change my voice too.”

Who knows where she threw away the one originally given to her. Jamie was wearing the newly provided ring-shaped magic tool.

“There aren’t any more now. I’ll get you more later, so cherish and wear the one you have.”

“As expected, our young lady! There’s no one but young lady for me!”

Jamie smiled brightly like a child receiving a gift. It was ironic that her appearance was that of Zelony.

The carriage traveled for some time. Upon reaching the front of the imperial palace, it got nicely stuck in traffic.

Knock knock. With the sound of knocking on the carriage, the door opened.

“Pardon me. What is the purpose of your visit?”

Jamie, disguised as Zelony, raised her chin haughtily.

“I’m here to attend the banquet. There’s an after-party following the meeting, right?”

Every night after the council meeting, a party is held to honor the efforts of the nobles who attended.

In reality, it was a place for high-ranking nobles to socialize before the New Year’s ceremony and make their presence known.

Noble families with unmarried sons and daughters engage in a subtle battle to arrange marriages before the New Year’s ceremony.

“I apologize, but all the nobles on the guest list have already arrived and been assigned rooms.”

“I arrived late because I wasn’t feeling well. Is Beatus not on the list? That’s our family. Here’s the identity tag.”

When she presented the previously stolen identity tag, the suspicious-looking guard frowned at Zelony.

“My father is Viscount Gordon Bruiser! You’ll know if you check, won’t you? How long are you going to keep me waiting here? Hasn’t the banquet already started? Will you take responsibility if I’m late?!”

Zelony, shouting loudly, had no dignity as a noble.

Jamie, who didn’t care about Zelony’s reputation anyway, had decided to go all out. This was Zelony’s true nature.

“I will check. Please wait a moment.”

As the guard turned around, Zelony rolled her eyes and sat in the carriage, not hiding her foul mood.

When Diana gave a discreet thumbs-up, out of sight of the guards, Jamie held back laughter and made a serious, angry expression.

“It has been verified. Please go in.”

“Hmph, do your job properly from now on!”

She pulled the door shut with a loud bang. Perfectly reproducing Zelony’s temperament, they entered the imperial palace.

Unlike the first day, which even the empress attended, as time passed, the council meeting and banquet proceeded freely without solemnity or formality.

Under the splendid chandeliers in the large and spacious banquet hall, the heads of each family and their relatives participated.

Before sending off the New Year’s ceremony, which even lower-ranking individuals attend, the high-ranking nobles gather to socialize.

The gazes of those eagerly seeking top-tier prospects in the marriage market were focused in one direction.

However, the atmosphere was too ominous for anyone to approach recklessly.

No one had the courage to shamelessly approach them.

The well-proportioned physiques and outstanding appearances of the men intimidated the noble ladies and their daughters, who could only watch from afar with watering mouths.

“Brother, even if you’re just acting as the head of the family, shouldn’t you engage in some social activities?”

Felice, with his fine sky-blue hair neatly combed back, spoke with a pleasant smile on his face. In contrast to his fabricated smile, his voice was as cold as could be.

“……”

Ignoring Felice’s words, he stood by Nathan’s side, holding up a glass of whiskey.

“Rodrick, my brother, wish for what you want. This guy won’t bother to please those old farts.”

Nathan sat askew with his legs stretched out on the white table laden with delicacies, as if he were at a tavern.

Despite his delinquent posture, he didn’t appear vulgar at all.

Elderly nobles looked at him with discomfort, but his handsome appearance, with his red hair and masculine rugged charm, made them forgive everything.

It took but a moment for the young ladies to become smitten.

“Why are you here, Sir Nathan?”

Glancing at Felice’s smiling face, Nathan poured liquor into his glass and spoke.

“Me? I came as an aide to the Duke of the West.”

“But why?”

He had always wanted to ask. Why did he leave his family and wander around like this?

In the distance, Viscount Gordon, who came as the representative of the Beatus family, treated Nathan like he was invisible.

“Do you want to know?”

Nathan grinned mischievously. Felice almost broke his smile, feeling irritated for no reason.

Nathan gulped down the contents of the glass in one go.

Slamming the glass down with a refreshing clunk, Nathan spoke in a low voice with a serious face.

“If you know, you’ll get hurt.”

Sigh. What was I expecting from this guy? Felice inwardly shook his head and looked at his brother.

Rodrick was silently emptying his glass, maintaining a blank expression. His sharp gaze seemed to ask, “Why aren’t you leaving yet?”

Tsk, this guy and that guy were all the same.

“Alright. Alright. I’ll work hard for the sake of my future nephew.”

Felice naturally thought that the future nephew born between Diana and Rodrick would succeed the family.

However, there was someone right in front of him who disagreed with that idea.

“Hey, brother Rodrick. What did you just say? That nephew won’t be my sister’s child, right?”

“I will be going then. Please enjoy your drink.”

Felice quickly bowed his head and escaped from between them. Nathan messed up his well-groomed hair, fuming with anger.

“Rodrick Schwartz, aren’t you going to properly control your brother?”

“I’m leaving.”

Regardless, Rodrick placed his empty glass on the table and turned around.

As he strode away with his long legs, Nathan shouted at the young ladies hovering around him.

“You too, if you sent a marriage proposal to my sister, behave yourself properly.”

Although he hadn’t given permission, he glared at the fluttering young ladies as if to warn them that he would kill them if they cheated.

Thud. Thud. As he passed through the gold-embossed doors of the banquet hall, a maid who had been standing by followed him.

“I will guide you to the Schwartz quarters.”

“……”

His blue eyes gave off the feeling of an untamed, ferocious beast.

Despite the dangerous atmosphere that prevented anyone from approaching him, the maid stepped in front of Rodrick.

It was not unusual for a palace attendant to guide the way, but it was a maid guiding him. Moreover, she was strangely fearless.

Rodrick silently followed the maid. The footsteps of the man and woman echoed gently through the imperial palace corridor.

The maid leading the way stopped walking.

It was the quarters assigned to the Schwartz family. As they stood in front of the door, the maid naturally placed her hand on the doorknob.

As the door opened under the maid’s delicate touch, bang! A rough male hand emerged from behind the maid and closed the door.

Trapped within Rodrick’s embrace, the maid looked up at him with startled eyes.

In contrast to his bland expression, a fierce voice escaped through his teeth.

“What are you doing?”

“Pardon? That’s, what do you mean…?”

“Did I ever give you permission to open the door?”

They were close enough for breaths to mingle. The corridor was so quiet that even the maid’s gulp could be heard.

“Oh my.”

A voice interjected without any sign of approach. The gazes of the man and woman turned to the empty corridor at the voice that startled them enough to make their hearts race.

“……”

“……”

Brown hair and a meticulous face. Overall, it was an ordinary appearance that wouldn’t be remembered, but the pink eyes retained their beautiful light.

Looking at Rodrick and the unnamed maid, Diana, who had infiltrated in a maid’s uniform, smiled brightly.

“Can I consider this an affair?”