Inside the guild, it was as lively as any other day.

Although it was the time when everyone should be asleep, the atmosphere in the bar was now reaching its peak.

Mikhail, standing behind the bar as usual, skillfully crafted cocktails and served them to the customers in front of him.

“Oh, the drinks given by guys are tasteless. Where are the women? Pretty ladies.”

While Mikhail was dealing with the intoxicated customer, another bartender entered the bar.

“Mikhail, it’s shift change time.”

Though he was giving orders, the eyes looking at Mikhail were polite. There was no one in the guild who dared to be above Mikhail.

Mikhail left the bar and went upstairs.

The cheerful smile that seemed to be drawn in front of the customers disappeared, and behind the glasses, his eyes showed a cold glint.

As if waiting for him, a subordinate approached and handed over some documents.

“Personal documents of the investigation subject. It took a while as I had to go all the way to the Duchy of Delmarc.”

“Good job.”

The subordinate bowed his head respectfully and stepped back. Mikhail handed over the received documents.

The documents, requested by Blair about ‘Caligo Elpharind,’ contained information about his birth.

[Discovered abandoned in front of a temple right after birth and taken in by priests. Raised in an orphanage within the temple until around the age of thirteen. Entered the Delmarc Knight Order recommended by Pope Gerald Lumiel.

Subsequently, participated in wars alongside the Duke of Delmarc…] Mikhail’s forehead gradually narrowed as he read through the documents with an odd expression.

‘Why this person of all people.’

Caligo Elpharind was not someone particularly pleasant for Mikhail. Was this really just a coincidence?

After reading the documents to the end, he became curious.

Why Blair was investigating this man.

????????????

“A banquet?”

Blair, who was taking a stroll to enjoy the warm weather, widened her eyes at Mason’s unexpected suggestion.

“Yes. Since the passing of the former Duchess, there hasn’t been a single banquet in the past ten years.”

“Ah…”

“Now that Madam seems to have adapted to the life of a duchess, I thought it would be nice to welcome spring with a banquet.”

A banquet was not just a day for enjoyment; it was a day to reveal everything about the family to outsiders.

Not only the wealth but also the atmosphere of the family, the relationship between the Duke and Duchess, and even the influence of the family within the empire could be discerned by those who attended the banquet.

It was truly an occasion to lay bare everything about the family.

Especially, the first banquet after a change in leadership had even more significance.

It was a moment for outsiders and the family’s patrons to gauge and judge the new head of the household.

For Blair, it was a more challenging event.

‘Come to think of it, in the past life, I also held a banquet around this time.’

When she was a princess, she never had to prepare for a banquet herself.
Blair herself wasn’t inclined to enjoy lively parties, and major events like birthdays or coming-of-age ceremonies were handled directly by the imperial family.

The princess didn’t need to do anything.

Regardless of what kind of party the princess prepared, who dared to judge the imperial family’s wealth and her actions.

For Blair, who had lived in such a world, preparing for her first banquet was difficult and inevitably clumsy.

‘Besides, back then… my health wasn’t great either.’

It was a party that she contemplated and struggled to prepare for.

During that event, Blair happened to hear the family’s patrons criticizing her. The reasons were diverse.

Whether it was because the princess casually prepared a lavish party just overflowing with money, or because she arranged for white wine instead of red, or because she didn’t separately prepare a party for the children…

Those words struck Blair’s heart without mercy.

Rather than being blamed for her efforts, her heart ached at the thought of what impression she was giving to Herdine and the reputation of Delmark.

But now she knows.

No matter how perfect the banquet, they would eventually find some excuse to criticize her.

It’s not about the party not meeting their expectations; it’s about herself, the daughter of the imperial family, Katrina.

Therefore, she now understands that there’s no need to be personally hurt by each of those words.

“Madam, the past month in the Duchy has progressed according to the budget you’ve prepared. So, I believe you will handle the banquet preparations without any trouble.”
As Blair hesitated in her response, Mason, considering her passive demeanor as a sign of retreat, encouraged her and highlighted her capabilities.

Reading the meaning embedded in his gruff yet sincere encouragement, Blair responded positively, “Yes, it’s about time to start preparing for the banquet.”

Personally dissatisfied with certain aspects of the previous banquet, she wanted to address those shortcomings and organize it properly this time.