“You two are already getting along well.”

As the Crown Prince kissed his future wife, one of the Emperor’s close aides chatted with the Emperor.

“I never expected His Highness the Crown Prince to become such a romantic.”

The Empress’s gaze was cold as she looked at Resban and Esika.

Callian was seen approaching Esika, then bowing his head deeply and walking away.

And Yuri, trembling and looking at Esika with furious eyes, hurriedly following behind Callian and calling out to him.

But Callian did not answer and quickly left the banquet hall.

At their sight, the corner of the Empress’s mouth twitched.

A small sound escaped.

“Useless things…”

The Empress closed her eyes as if praying to calm her irritated mind.

But there was more than one plan that had gone awry.

**

“Excuse me.”

After the kiss ended, a soft voice was heard near her ear.

Esika looked into Resban’s deep golden eyes.

She knew that Callian was approaching her.

She also knew this was a trap set by the Empress.

But she didn’t expect Resban to choose such a bold method…

“…Yes, it’s alright.”

A light kiss at an engagement party is not against etiquette.

But it seems no one imagined Resban could do such a thing.

He was a man who had so many rumors circulating about him not meeting women.

There was a moment of silence in the banquet hall, and after it passed, ladies could be seen fanning their blushing cheeks while exclaiming “Oh my.”

Callian too left with a completely heartbroken expression.

His kiss was an appropriate action at an appropriate moment, but… it’s a bit embarrassing.

Esika silently lowered her gaze slightly.

Her cheeks too were feeling a faint warmth.

A moment later, they walked towards the Emperor and Empress.

Having entered the banquet hall prepared for them, they needed to greet the Emperor, the host of the banquet.

The transition from a sweet atmosphere to a solemn one was not awkward.

Because even within the solemnity, an air of joy was flowing.

“We pay our respects to Your Majesties the Emperor and Empress.”

Resban knelt on one knee to show a servant’s courtesy, and Esika too made a gesture of greeting to them with perfect palace etiquette.

Esika’s demeanor was completely different from Yuri, who had greeted earlier by lifting her skirt.

Everyone who saw them doubted Callian’s state of mind for having an affair with someone like Yuri when he had such an Esika.

“Yes, I’m glad to see you at the engagement party. Everything is appropriate.”

The engagement party was like an informal verification procedure before becoming a member of the royal family.

It’s usually at places like this where unsettled ex-lovers or rumors tend to surface.

And with Callian, who had almost caused a commotion by grabbing Esika’s arm, gone, there were no more factors to hold her back.

“Thank you for your kind words, Your Majesty the Emperor. And, Your Majesty the Empress.”

The Empress’s hostility was clear, but at least the Emperor was showing obvious favor towards Esika.

“May the great justice of Tameron bestow upon you both.”

The Empress with cold eyes added a heartfelt blessing after the Emperor’s words.

Esika, who had been stabbed with a sword in the name of Tameron’s judgment by the Empress, knew that those words were clearly a curse, but she smiled brightly and looked straight at the Empress.

And that’s when it happened.

“Oh, I’m late.”

The Empress’s eyebrows raised at the belated appearance of the Second Prince Brayton.

People murmured and shifted their gaze to Brayton.

“Ah, the Second Prince has come too. I heard you weren’t feeling well.”

“Yes, Your Majesty. I came to congratulate my elder brother’s engagement. The Crown Princess even sent an invitation letter herself… Well, I easily overcame a mere cold.”

Second Prince Brayton’s nose bridge was already red, as if he had been drinking since the afternoon.

The Empress glared at Esika with a face that looked like she was grinding her teeth.

“Oh, is that so? You’re already taking good care of your brother-in-law, Crown Princess.”

“I only did what was natural, Your Majesty.”

The Emperor smiled with satisfaction at Esika’s humble response.

“That’s good.”

“Your Highness the Crown Prince. Your Highness the Crown Princess. Congratulations. Now all that’s left is to become a real family. I look forward to your guidance in the future.”

Brayton grinned with a drunken appearance.

Esika smiled in response, and to others, it might appear to be a warm situation at a glance.

But the Empress’s mind became rapidly complicated.

She had clearly instructed Brayton. Not to come to the Crown Prince’s engagement party.

Because if there were to be a dispute between Callian and Esika at this engagement party, she had mainly invited loose-lipped nobles who would spread dirty words well.

She had mainly seated people of poor quality who would fear the Crown Prince yet envy Esika who was to become the Crown Princess.

If Brayton’s engagement party were to be held, the composition of invited people would be completely different.

So this place was not an appropriate place for Brayton.

“Then go and enjoy the party.”

As they turned to return to the ball at the Emperor’s words, it happened.

Brayton was immediately blocked by several women.

“Your Highness…?”

“…Hah…”

Brayton’s stiff lips formed a smile as he stopped for a moment to look at them.

The Empress glared at the back of Esika’s head as if she wanted to kill her.

“It’s been so long. I was so hurt that there was no contact…”

“I’m sorry. You know, lately with that coming up…”

“You can’t forget about me just because you’re getting married. Okay?”

“Me too. You promised to buy me a ruby bracelet. When are you going to buy it?”

Unfortunately, some of the poor quality nobles she had invited were women who got along well with the Prince.

Esika recalled the saying that birds of a feather flock together. People tend to be drawn to similar types.

And now, with the marriage to the Grand Duchess of Heinz approaching, the Empress would have been thoroughly blocking the Prince’s relationships with the poor quality people he used to associate with.

To prevent fatal rumors from reaching Heinz.

But Brayton winked once at Esika, his sister-in-law, to express gratitude, then began to walk with women on both sides.

The nobles would think, old habits die hard.

The Empress’s anger rose towards Brayton, who had thoughtlessly come out here and was falling for Esika’s tricks.

‘…Damn it…!’

And that anger was naturally directed at Esika.

She wanted to grab her by the collar and confront her right away, but… how could she scold Esika who had just been praised by the Emperor for taking good care of her brother-in-law?

She could only seethe with anger inside.

‘May you die cursed by Tameron!’

Watching Esika begin to dance with the Crown Prince with a bewitching smile like a witch, the Empress silently cursed her inside.

**

Esika matched her steps to the rhythm of the music.

So… dancing in a ballroom like this was a first for her, considering both her previous life and current one.

There was no culture of paired dancing like this in the Imperial Palace of the Middle Kingdom, and after marrying Callian, although there might have been opportunities, he had never taken Esika to such a place.

Callian was always embarrassed of Esika.

“…”

Esika met eyes with Resban, who was gently leading her body.

He had taught her about dancing when teaching her royal etiquette.

They had danced like this many times, with him lightly holding her waist and matching their steps.

“Seeing you under the chandelier.”

Resban’s low voice was heard.

His deep golden eyes held only Esika’s face.

“…You look even prettier.”

At the blatant compliment, Esika slightly rolled her eyes, but her heart was beating to a pleasant rhythm.

The music flowed towards its climax.

Others had stopped dancing and were all watching the two.

They couldn’t help but be the center of attention, as the Crown Prince had never danced in a ballroom before.

He was known as a man who could only create a bloody atmosphere by coming in blood-stained armor.

But at this moment, Resban was the image of a Crown Prince that every woman would admire.

His handsome and dignified appearance that no noble’s son could match, along with the Crown Prince’s uniform, was so magnificent that one couldn’t take their eyes off.

And his movements, while not artistically sensible, didn’t miss a single step… exuding a manly charm like that of a soldier.

“…Wow.”

“Jenny, Hanis. Who are you looking at now? You said you wanted to see me…”

In one corner, Brayton was expressing his dissatisfaction to the two women who had their attention stolen by his brother.

Resban’s gaze was fixed only on Esika.

It was the image of a man that women desire most.

Cold and wall-like to everyone else, but fiery only to me.

After today’s engagement party passes, Esika will be known in social circles not as ‘the poor woman who will marry the war-crazed Crown Prince’, but as the luckiest woman in the world.

As the music’s climax passed, the two stopped their feet.

Resban looked at Esika and said in a husky voice, as if sighing:

“I can’t concentrate on dancing.”

Thinking ‘What do you mean when you danced so well?’, Esika stared into Resban’s eyes.

His pupils looked as if they would devour Esika at any moment.

A leisurely yearning voice was heard in a low vibration that only she could understand.

“I keep seeing only your lips.”