Overwhelmed by that unique atmosphere, Renéve had felt fear several times before.

But it was closer to say he was merely intimidated.

This was the first time seeing Ikar exert force, and even more so seeing him lose his composure.

Quickly angered, Ikar growled in front of Renéve, who then thought about his own recklessness for obstructing him.

‘Is it possible to be this fearless?’

Yet Renéve realized one thing.

The belief that Ikar wouldn’t harm him.

Even after thinking about it again, it was a baseless belief, but he had been believing it subconsciously.

As Ikar’s blazing eyes, like a sudden flame, came to mind, Renéve couldn’t help but shiver.

“Lady, it seems to have gotten rather chilly inside. Shall we close the windows now?”

Approaching the windows, Kieran asked in a worried tone.

Seemingly mistaking his shivering as being due to the cold.

“…That would be best.”

Kieran closed the window and promptly brought a shawl to drape over Renéve’s shoulders.

Feeling sorry for being needlessly troublesome, Renéve added,

“The weather’s been unpredictable lately. Thank you for taking care.”

“Not at all. Taking care of the Lady is my job. Shall I add some more logs to the fireplace?”

“Please do.”

Renéve nodded agreeably.

After throwing a few dry logs into the fireplace, Kieran prodded around with a poker.

Just then, Amber rushed in, taking heavy breaths.

“Miss! The palace is buzzing with today’s tea party!”

“I can imagine.”

Renéve gestured for Amber to sit.

Kieran also approached, eyes shining, as if waiting for Amber to deliver the news from the palace.

“What are they chattering about?”

“About how the foreign princess is so frank and bold. They’ve never seen such a tea party gift. Mostly talks like that.”

“Frank and bold?”

Renéve prompted, and Amber began to detail the day’s events at the palace tea party.

“The princess suddenly rose from her seat and pulled out the decorative flowers.”

“Flowers?”

“Yes, she made bouquets from the flowers she picked and gifted them to the ladies in attendance.”

Kieran’s mouth fell open.

“Quite an unprecedented gift she prepared.”

“Indeed. Ah! There’s more.”

Catching Kieran’s accompanying grin, Amber continued.

“Talks are also swirling that His Majesty the Emperor and Lord Belkein had a fistfight near the venue.”

“…!”

Renéve tightly shut his eyes and put his hand to his forehead. Kieran also clenched his lips and frowned.

“What should we do, Lady?”

“The atmosphere is cautious. Probably an order to watch the tongue has been given. I don’t think the rumors will spread too far.”

Saying this, even Amber didn’t look too optimistic, knowing Renéve’s plan to quietly return to Paradium after filling the peace treaty term.

“If His Majesty wants to keep mouths shut, then they will be. Not much to worry about.”

Renéve assured the two with certainty.

Still, he was internally uneasy.

From his experience prior to returning, drawing nobles’ attention hadn’t led to anything good.

“If His Majesty doesn’t want anyone talking, then no one will talk. We all only have one life, after all.”

Confidently, Kieran added.

Hearing the long-serving Kieran affirm, Amber finally relaxed her forehead.

“Actually, if such handsome men like His Majesty and the Lord fought over you, Lady, it just proves your overwhelming charm. I’m rather disappointed that no rumor is spreading.”

With Kieran’s added remark, Amber chuckled.

“I feel the same way.”

Externally, Renéve also chuckled lightly.
But the situation had become a bit more complicated.

It reminded her of the tea party at Paradigm Palace before her regression.

It was not long after Eshika became Lucius’s queen consort.

“The Empress still needs to show openly in front of the nobles that she remains the hostess of the palace,” Countess Langcaster, formerly a lady-in-waiting to Reneb, advised in a stern tone.

It was necessary to show the nobles who were gossiping that the Emperor’s affections had changed that the Empress was still in good health.

Given the high risk of miscarriage in the early stages of pregnancy, Reneb had stayed in her bedroom for some time.

Despite that, she ended up losing the child.

Though she hadn’t fully recovered after the miscarriage, she found reason in Countess Langcaster’s words.

“You absolutely can’t let a mere queen consort arrogantly roam around the palace, Your Majesty the Empress,”

Reneb’s maids were infuriated by Eshika’s arrogance, as if she herself was the Empress.

But in retrospect, it was more likely that they were worried their own authority would plummet if the Empress’s standing weakened.

At the time, Reneb had no mental energy to think deeply.

On top of the miscarriage of her hard-won first child, she had heard news of the death of Duke Seiren.

Plus, her husband’s infidelity.

During a time when she was emotionally crumbling, Reneb was easily swayed by her maids.

So, she hosted a tea party at the palace, seemingly conscious of Eshika, and also invited Lucius to it.