Despite all his flattery, Count Levian, who was strangely anxious, added one more thing for everyone’s safety.

“And from now on, baseless suspicions and groundless jealousy are not acceptable. Such things are poison to relationships.”

Having milked Count Levian dry for mechanically predetermined consolation, Princess Lariessa faithfully followed Count Levian’s advice.

She was not originally the type to listen to others, but the conflict with Prince Alfonso that day was too shocking for Lariessa.

Not being loved by the one she loved, it was as if her world was ending.

Living in a black and white world, Lariessa gathered all the strength she had left and faced Prince Alfonso. But after that day, Prince Alfonso never showed more than the minimum courtesy required by social norms.

While watching Princess Lariessa, who was oscillating between heaven and hell, more precisely, sitting in a hell of her own making, in the carriage, Count Levian cautiously brought up a story to cheer her up.

“Princess, have you heard that there will be a spring festival when we go up to San Carlo?”

“Spring Festival?”

“Yes, there’s a ball and a street festival. Young men and women become the spirits of daffodils and fairies of spring water and become mascots of the festival.”

He hinted to the excited Princess Lariessa.

“I got a message from the Etruscan side’s working team. They told me to prepare to stand as a partner with Prince Alfonso at the ball.”

March 25th was a holiday of the Etruscan religion commemorating the conception of Gon of Yesak.

San Carlo celebrated the traditional Spring Festival for a week from seven days before the March 25th religious holiday, the Conception Day.

San Carlo prepared a spring flower festival by planting tulips and daffodils in squares at the local level. There were countless squares in San Carlo, each with a well in the center and serving as the focal point of the community.

The local residents chose a young man, ‘the spirit of the daffodil,’ and a beautiful maiden, ‘the fairy of the well,’ for each square and presented them with a laurel crown and a bouquet of tulips.

Nobles considered it an honor for their daughters to become ‘this year’s debutante’ at the Debutante Ball held every April, but for commoner daughters, it was the greatest honor to become the fairy of the spring festival.

Who was the fairy of which square this year, it was a joyful festival with the streets buzzing.

Even if one was not a candidate for a spirit or a fairy, there was plenty to enjoy at the ‘Spring Festival’.

The squares and the alleys connected to them were filled with food stalls and stands selling snacks and souvenirs. People enjoyed the festival with snacks and bouquets of flowers.

“Am I to become the fairy of the spring water, too?”

Unable to contain her excitement, Lariessa asked Count Levian.

“The fairy of the spring water is chosen by the common people, so it is not selected at the royal palace ball held on the first day of the festival. After all, isn’t the highlight of the Spring Festival the royal palace ball held by the nobles?”

He skillfully flattered Princess Lariessa.

“Your Highness, it is confirmed that you will dance the first waltz at the ball with Prince Alfonso, which essentially makes you the star of the Spring Festival.”

Upon hearing that she wouldn’t have the chance to become the fairy of the spring water, Lariessa was momentarily disappointed. However, her color brightened upon hearing the confirmation that she would be partnering with Prince Alfonso.

“That’s right, the important thing is not the title.”

The opportunity to be with Prince Alfonso, to win his heart, was what mattered most. Princess Lariessa pledged to solidify her position by his side as a beautiful ball partner.

Upon hearing the news that the palace was returning from Taranto, Ariadne’s face brightened. Sancha, who placed a vase of daffodils on the side table in Ariadne’s room, praised her mistress with a smile.

“Lady, when you smile like that, you’re as bright as a daffodil.”

“Sancha, flattery. If you say it like that, I might believe it.”

“It’s the truth, so you should believe it.”

“You’ve been getting better at flattery. By the way, when is Collezioni’s costume room visiting?”

It was time to get a dress for the spring social season.

“It’s this afternoon. Today’s schedule is… The dress for next week’s mass has already been adjusted, so you just need to confirm the size, and you need to choose the dress for the ball at the ‘Spring Festival’ the week after next.”

Ariadne had already decided on the dress she would wear to next week’s mass. The mass next week was to celebrate the safe return of the palace people to San Carlo.

It was the first event where the palace people and those who had remained in San Carlo would meet for the first time this year. In other words, it was the day when she would meet Alfonso for the first time since their last kiss.

‘I want to look beautiful to Alfonso.’

Realizing her thoughts, Ariadne blushed and opened the window wide.