“Are you rejecting me because you’re mindful of Lord Vandermir?”

Arasila pondered for a moment at Frederick’s question.

The expression ‘being mindful’ was strange, but it was true that she was rejecting him because of that.

She hesitated, unable to shake the image of Demian pleading with her not to be with Frederick.

How much must it have bothered him to do that?

Rather than feeling displeased at his interference in her relationships, she felt sorry for him, like seeing an anxious puppy not wanting to leave its owner’s side.

That’s why she was rejecting Frederick’s request even more coldly.

“I’m disappointed. I didn’t know you were the type to abandon friendship for love.”

“Don’t exaggerate. Love, friendship, whatever – I’m just someone who’s most comfortable being alone.”

Arasila, who was obviously aware that things weren’t smooth between Demian and Frederick, deflected appropriately.

Since it wasn’t a complete lie, Frederick’s expression became uncertain.

Taking advantage of his momentary silence, Arasila took a step.

“I’m going in now. Do as you please.”

Then without waiting for a reply, she headed towards the attendant standing at the entrance.

After checking the list, the attendant announced her arrival loudly.

“Lady Arasila Vandermir is entering!”

Frederick silently gazed at the cold, beautiful figure entering the hall.

Arasila ignored the piercing gaze she felt on her back as she took a champagne glass and found a spot at one side of the party venue.

As she was sipping her drink and looking around the hall, someone approached her.

“Well, who do we have here.”

It was Lucas, with his slightly grown hair tied back and wearing a sly smile.

“Lady Vandermir, it’s been a while. You’re still as beautiful as ever.”

“Hello, Your Highness.”

Arasila greeted him politely, placing her hand on her chest.

It really had been a while since they’d met, but thanks to Lucas’s friendly attitude, there was no awkwardness.

“It’s a shame Lord Vandermir couldn’t come with you. Actually, I was more looking forward to seeing him.”

“Oh my, you must be really disappointed. Demian had prepared such a splendid cravat for today. Only I got to see it.”

“Oh dear, how jealous should I be?”

Lucas shook his head and joked. A playful smile spread across Arasila’s lips as well.

After exchanging a few more jokes, Lucas left to talk with other nobles.

Left alone again, Arasila looked around. She spotted a group of young ladies her age huddled together.

Her eyes met with one whose name and face she knew best among them.

“……”

The other person flinched momentarily, then soon excused herself from those around her and slowly approached Arasila.

Arasila didn’t avoid her, but stood still waiting for her to come.

“Lady Vandermir, have you been well?”

Nora, with a much calmer demeanor than before, greeted her. Arasila nodded but responded nonchalantly.

“That’s what I should be asking you, Lady White. Well, it seems you’ve been doing fine.”

Arasila smiled slightly. Nora quietly bit her lip.

Even though Arasila couldn’t possibly be pleased to see her, her face was serene. Seeing her face without a trace of agitation stirred up complex emotions.

You have no idea what kind of situation I’m in right now. Maybe this time I could really put you in great danger…

“You seem unbothered to see me, my lady. Are you alright with my return to social circles?”

Nora asked, suppressing the emotions swirling inside her. Arasila answered calmly.

“Why wouldn’t I be? It’s not like you have to live your whole life without showing your face outside.”

Arasila truly thought so.

Regardless of what Nora had done to her in the past, or with what intentions she had returned now, Arasila had no right to block her path.

If she picked a fight again, Arasila would face her, but she couldn’t dictate how Nora should live her life from now on.

“And you said you repented, didn’t you? Of course, this is the first time you’ve come to see me despite all that talk, and I still haven’t heard a proper apology, but…”

“……”

“If those words were true and not lies, then I have even less reason to be concerned about you. You’ll be living your own life now.”

In fact, even if Nora hadn’t repented, as long as she had let go of her hatred for Demian and Arasila, she would not repeat her past life and would truly live her own life.

Arasila thought that was enough.

After all, she hadn’t done those things back then to make Nora repent.

As long as they didn’t have to be involved with each other anymore, that was fine.

Nora’s expression changed subtly as she sensed the sincerity in her words. She seemed to be frowning, or perhaps on the verge of tears.

Grasping and releasing her dress repeatedly, Nora asked with dry lips.

“Have you… forgiven me, my lady?”

“No.”

“Then why did you say such things……”

“Honestly, I’m not really interested anymore. Do you still like Demian?”

Startled, Nora shook her head. Letting go of her feelings for Demian was the one truth without any lies.

“Then I’m even less interested. So, Lady White, stop caring about us from now on. We’ll do the same.”

The revenge was over, and Arasila held no grudges.

While she recognized that she should be somewhat cautious of Nora, she was indifferent to how Nora lived as long as she didn’t interfere again.

Nora’s hand gripping her dress tightened.

In truth, she had hoped Arasila would say something mean to her.

Then what she had to do from now on might feel a little less unsettling.

But as always, Arasila acted exactly opposite to Nora’s wishes. That tormented Nora unbearably.

“…I’ll be going.”

After chewing her lips silently for a while, Nora bowed her head slightly and turned around abruptly.

Arasila watched Nora blend into the crowd for a moment before averting her gaze.

Her indifferent eyes turned towards the stairs that had become noisy.

There, Princess Gloria, the guest of honor of the party, was just coming down.

Gloria appeared wearing a bright yellow dress with multiple layers of thin chiffon.

The delicate and elaborate silver embroidery made her face look even brighter.

With honey-blonde hair and green eyes.

She was a beauty who resembled yet didn’t resemble her half-brothers.

People instantly flocked to her, trying to secure a place by her side. They brought gifts one by one and showered her with flattery.

Arasila also went to meet Gloria with Frederick, bringing the prepared gift.

Originally, this was something Frederick had commissioned for her.

Gloria was very pleased to see Arasila who appeared with her half-brother.

“Oh, Lady Vandermir! Thank you for coming today. I’ve been wanting to meet you, I’m so happy.”

“It’s an honor, Your Highness.”

Arasila bowed her head politely.

Gloria seemed to have a genuine interest in her.

Starting with saying she had heard of her reputation since the academy days, she went on to give numerous compliments.

When the topic of business came up, Arasila handed the gift box Frederick had ordered to the princess.

“This is what His Highness the Crown Prince requested as a birthday gift. I hope it pleases Your Highness.”

“Really? Frederick did?”

Gloria looked at Frederick with surprise as if it was quite unexpected, then received the box.

As Frederick wasn’t usually an affectionate brother, it was very surprising.

She opened the box with an expectant face.

When a lamp that looked like it had captured the night sky itself was revealed, Gloria let out a small cheer of delight.

“It’s so pretty!”

“Happy birthday, Gloria.”

Frederick smiled softly. To others, it would look like the image of a kind and gentle older brother.

“Thank you, brother. Thank you, my lady.”

Gloria expressed her gratitude to Arasila as well, who had made the lamp that perfectly matched her taste, with a bright smile.

Seeing that, Arasila also felt a sense of satisfaction and fulfillment.

Soon, as other people came to present gifts to the princess, pushing them back, she was about to turn around with a happy heart when-

“Arasila, let’s talk for a moment. I have something important to say.”

Frederick gently grasped her forearm and whispered. His face was quite serious. Enough to make Arasila pause for a moment.

…Is it really something important?

Although she was reluctant to be alone with him again, it might be better to listen just in case.

Having made that judgment, Arasila nodded slightly and followed Frederick out of the party hall.

Nora watched their retreating figures with somewhat subdued eyes.

The place they moved to was a lounge with few people around.

As it was in the middle of the party, both the surroundings and the interior were empty.

Arasila sat down on the sofa first and looked at Frederick.

“What is it?”

“There’s something I really want to say to you.”

Arasila nodded as if to say go ahead and speak comfortably. Frederick sat across from her and crossed his legs.

“I feel like our relationship isn’t the same as before these days. Do you feel it too?”

Arasila didn’t deny it.

It was true that Frederick had become a bit uncomfortable unlike before, and she no longer felt as comfortable with him as she did with Paula.

Still, Arasila tried her best to understand Frederick, thinking of the memories they shared at the academy and the friendship they had built over 7 years.

But not knowing his fundamental feelings and thoughts towards her, it wasn’t easy to understand him.

“Arasila, I don’t want us to grow apart. We have such a special relationship. Our first meeting was fateful, wasn’t it?”

“You mean two people with no sense of direction meeting?”

“Out of all the countless people living in this world, you’re the most special to me.”

Frederick’s voice, half mixed with air in his pronunciation, was so sweet it seemed like it would melt like cotton candy.

However, Arasila looked at Frederick with a face showing little emotion.

It’s not like she was hearing this kind of voice for the first or second time. There was nothing new to be excited or happy about.

Rather, she found Frederick unpleasant for getting caught up in his own emotions and rambling on when he said he had something important to say.

‘Ah, I shouldn’t have come. What important thing is this to call me out in the middle of the party…’

Just then, Frederick reached out and covered the back of Arasila’s hand.

Her fine brows twitched at the uninvited touch.

Firmly grasping the hand trying to slip out of his grasp, Frederick spoke passionately.

“I really do feel that way. Things that would upset me if others did them are fine when you do them, and I want to give you things I wouldn’t give to anyone else. And for a while, I thought you felt the same way about me.”

“Me? About you…?”

“It’s okay if you say you don’t. It won’t change how I feel about you.”

Arasila was surprised by the sudden deep and heavy feelings.

She did consider Frederick a close friend, but she didn’t know he thought of her to this extent.

Moreover, his words gave her an inexplicable sense of déjà vu. His statements implying favoritism towards her reminded her of Paula’s advice.

Just as she hesitated for a moment and was about to say something, a dull thud was heard from somewhere.

“…?”

While Frederick was also puzzled wondering what this sound was, someone burst open the door without knocking.

“Your Highness, you must evacuate! There’s been an explosion!”

Men wearing Imperial Knight uniforms rushed in. Arasila slightly narrowed her brows as she looked at them.

A sudden explosion? Frederick was equally bewildered and frowned with one eye as he questioned.

“What do you mean, an explosion?”

“Currently, an unidentified explosion has occurred in the hall and everyone is evacuating. Your Highness must quickly take shelter as well!”

The lounge was quite far from the hall, but you never know.

Explosions could occur in places other than the hall too. At the knights’ urging, Frederick got up.

“Let’s go, Arasila!”

Frederick grabbed Arasila’s hand and pulled her along.

Following him out in a daze, the corridor that had been quiet until just now was in an uproar.

Arasila narrowed her eyes as she spotted Nora among the young ladies fleeing under the knights’ guidance.

Surely there had been no one but themselves around the lounge, so when did they arrive?

She felt an inexplicable uneasiness, but there was no time to dwell on such facts in this urgent situation.

Surrounded by knights along with Frederick, Arasila moved to the garden.

All of today’s party attendees were gathered there.

Black smoke could be seen rising from the direction of the banquet hall where the party had been held.

‘How did an explosion occur?’

It was the princess’s birthday with other royals present.

They would have thoroughly checked safety in advance and tightened security. It was incomprehensible how an explosion could have happened.

As if aware of Arasila’s wish for someone to explain what had happened in the hall while she was away, Ben Diark, the captain of the Imperial Knights who had been urgently dispatched to assess and handle the situation, approached Frederick to give a detailed report.

In the absence of the Empress and Emperor, Frederick, as the Crown Prince, held the highest rank.

Arasila stood next to Frederick and listened to what Ben Diark was saying.

Soon, her face gradually hardened.