In the end, Bake, unable to watch his wife’s bewildered expression, stood up from his seat.

“I will escort my wife.”

“….”

“She is my wife.”

Only when Bake pressed his eyes did Calix finally release his hand.

Bake quickly grabbed Liviana’s hand as if snatching it.

Liviana flinched as if surprised, but rather than refusing Bake, she followed him and sat down.

“I’m sorry. You must have waited a long time. It took me a long time to change into the dress.”

“No. Aren’t you the one who must be tired? Your health isn’t so good as it is.”

“I’m fine to this extent. And thanks to you, I got to wear such a dress.”

Liviana smiled to reassure Bake, but Bake himself was not in a mood to smile.

Contrary to Rosen’s words that it was his sister’s, the dress fit Liviana perfectly. It was certain that the Emperor intended to soil Liviana’s dress from the beginning.

Because Duke Pieren wanted Liviana.

As long as Calix was backing the young Emperor, who hadn’t yet firmly established his position, the Emperor would do anything to win the favor of Duke Pieren.

But Bake had no intention of standing idly by. Regardless of what anyone said, Liviana Cretin was his wife.

Bake glared at Calix, who was sitting opposite him, unabashedly coveting another’s wife.

Rosen, with an expression of utmost satisfaction, swept his gaze over the dining table once and lightly applauded a few times.

It was time for the interrupted meal to be prepared again.

“Although it’s late, I’m glad that everyone has gathered. We should organize such occasions from time to time. Since Duke Pieren has been away for a long time, it would be good if there was someone to help him get accustomed.”

“I’m not sure if my help would be needed for Duke Pieren.”

“Of course it’s needed. Duke Pieren has to get married too. In that area, Count Cretin is a senior, so teach him well. How to be loved by a woman.”

“…..”

“Or rather, it might be better if the Countess Cretin taught him.”

“Me, I?”

Liviana, who had been quietly occupying her place, blinked at the attention focused on her.

Due to her memory loss, the impeccable manners she always showed were nowhere to be seen, only the image of a young maiden with little social experience remained.

“A woman would understand a woman’s heart better. It wouldn’t be bad to teach a poor man who hasn’t found his partner yet.”

“…..”

“Your Majesty, my wife.”

“Actually, what I wanted to ask from the Countess Cretin is a similar thing.”

Rosen interrupted Bake’s words and lifted his knuckleclenched hand onto the table.

The young emperor always managed to laugh brightly no matter the situation, but that didn’t mean he looked easygoing.

He was a man with a naturally tall and robust physique. His muscular body, built from long training, was better than that of most knights, and merely being with him naturally suppressed one’s spirit.

“…..Your Majesty, you have a request for me?”

“Don’t be too nervous. It’s not a big deal. I just want you to take care of someone.”

“There should be a limit to jokes.”

Without the energy to care about manners, Bake hurriedly intervened in the conversation.

Rosen laughed heartily at Bake and shook his head lightly.

“It wouldn’t be bad to teach Duke Pieren a thing or two, but what I want to ask for is Detangst.”

“Detangst?”

Detangst was a special imperial event that gathered the aristocratic children who were preparing for their debut every year, allowed them to see each other’s faces in advance, and learned the etiquette that they should not forget.

It was customary for a distinguished noblewoman of the highest status to take charge, and most of the time it was a royal person, but there was no noblewoman in the current royal family to lead Detangst.

“When my mother was around, it didn’t matter, but unfortunately, she is no longer with us. And I don’t have a wife either.”

“Your Majesty, I appreciate your words, but my wife still needs to rest.”

“I heard that the health of the Countess of Creighton is not good. But she can’t rest forever. Especially at times like these, she should show the world that she is healthy. Isn’t that right, Count of Creighton?”

Bake, who was staring at Luzen, only moistened his lips and couldn’t dare to open his mouth. If he made a mistake, Riviana could find out about Merial’s existence.

In the end, all Bake could hope for was that Riviana would refuse herself.

“I’m sorry, Your Majesty. I appreciate your words, but I’m not capable of taking on such a big task.”

“That can’t be. Even if she lost her memory, where would the socialite white deer go? It’s a wellknown fact that she was famous even before she made her debut.”

“That’s…”

“Of course, I don’t plan to force her. Even if we made a promise, the current Countess of Creighton can’t remember it.”

“…You said I made a promise with you, Your Majesty?”

“Didn’t I say it earlier? We were close. Thanks to that, we made quite a few promises in secret.”

Luzen’s words were not credible, but because they were premised on being a secret, it was difficult to distinguish between truth and falsehood.

Luzen skillfully exploited this and revealed it leisurely.

Although it was a story from the past, the Creightons were originally a family that valued faith. Riviana, who remembered those times, would have tried to keep the promise in any way possible.

‘Now that I’ve laid out this much, I can expect a good return.’

Even in the face of some of the most notable men in the empire, Luzen pulled up the corners of his lips as he looked at Riviana, who was pretending not to know anything.