Biare, who had been preparing since early morning, yawned lazily as if still half-asleep, her mind hazy.

Diane, who was helping her put on the party dress, looked at her with worried eyes.

“Young lady, did you have trouble sleeping last night?”

“Yes, I’m a bit tired.”

Biare, who hadn’t been able to sleep much the night before, answered while gently rubbing her half-closed, blurry eyes.

As requested, Biare straightened her back and glanced at Diane, who was carefully tying the ribbon of the dress.

She seemed to be burning with enthusiasm as if Biare were to be the protagonist of the world today.

“Please use the lightest accessories possible.”

“Oh no, that won’t do.”

Ushua, who had appeared at the door without notice, approached Biare with a bright face.

“Happy birthday, my sister.”

“Thank you, Ushua.”

Ushua gave her a light hug and then handed her the birthday gift she had prepared.

“Biare, I specially ordered this thinking it would suit you. I hope you like it.”

The gift she handed over was none other than a necklace densely studded with topaz that resembled Biare’s eyes.

“I really like it.”

The topaz, imported from an eastern country, was emitting a brilliant and beautiful color befitting its precious nature.

Biare’s nose tingled at the thought of her friend who had gone to such trouble to find this gift.

Although it was clearly a gift she had already received in the past, the emotion she felt as an adult was new, so she silently gazed at the gift.

Watching this, Diane exclaimed excitedly, pointing at the topaz necklace.

“Oh my, it would be perfect for your party dress, young lady!”

“You think so? I’ll wear it today then.”

“I’m glad you like it. Then I’ll head down first.”

“Alright, I’ll be down soon,”

As Ushua went downstairs, the dressing maids began to move even more busily.

Her fine wheat-colored hair was shining with fragrant oil, and Biare, satisfied with how it looked, expressed her intention not to apply any more makeup.

Diane seemed particularly disappointed at this, but followed the young lady’s wishes and finished the preparations.

Having completed all preparations, Biare descended to the lower floor where they were waiting, passing through the cluttered long corridor.

Her father, Gaizen, and Ushua were all gathered in one place.

“My, my daughter. Your beauty truly shines more and more.”

Biare felt embarrassed by the Duke’s effusive praise so early in the morning, but she responded with a subtle smile of gratitude.

“I was going to give this to you after the party, but I thought you might be staying late today.”

Saying this, her father took out a small gift box from his jacket and said with a bright smile.

“Happy birthday, Bia.”

“Thank you, Father.”

The gift was a lily of the valley-shaped hairpin, no different from what she had received before.

The intricately and finely crafted diamonds were emitting a soft light between the lily of the valley flowers.

Lily of the valley was also Biare’s favorite flower, and the reason was simple.

‘Happiness regained’, that flower language was like a hopeful leap for her.

When Biare made an indescribable expression, Gaizen’s worried voice was heard.

“Elder sister. Are you alright?”

Following her brother, her father also looked at Biare with concerned eyes.

“Well, if you don’t like it, I’ll prepare a different gift.”

Shaking her head at those words, Biare answered with a faint smile on her lips.

“No, Father. I really like it.”

Finally reassured, the Duke left for the banquet hall with Ushua, saying he would have a business conversation with the next head of the Genxiaoti family.

Gaizen, who remained by Biare’s side, was heard muttering in a small voice.

“I wanted to attend elder sister’s birthday party too.”

“We can go together next year.”

Gaizen, who had not yet had his debutante, could not attend official social gatherings.

Not knowing he wanted to participate in social events this much, Biare thought she should move more busily for Gaizen’s debut next year.

“I prepared a birthday gift for you too, elder sister.”

“What? You did?”

Biare was clearly surprised, as she had no memory of receiving a gift from her brother today in the past.

“This is……”

“It’s a self-defense dagger. If there’s any bastard who dares to make advances on you…!”

Not quite sure where he got such an idea, Biare cut off his words in a firm voice.

“That won’t happen, Gaizen.”

‘Still, a dagger like this might be necessary.’

As it was a practical gift that she might use somewhere later, Biare patted his head.

“What you’re worried about won’t happen. Gaizen, thank you for the birthday gift.”

“…You must come back safely, elder sister.”

“Yes, I will.”

The Duke’s banquet hall was not far from the mansion, but because the scale of the Duke’s residence was so grand, there was quite some distance.

Perhaps because she chose a slightly roundabout way than usual, the distance felt even longer.

But Biare needed time to mentally prepare.

It was because today was the day she would meet Dension, and she hadn’t been able to sleep at all.

‘For him, this would be our first meeting.’

A bitter smile played on Biare’s lips, and a deep shadow of sadness settled in her blue-green eyes.

‘Right, act as if nothing’s wrong.’

Lightly tapping her cheeks to gather her resolve, Biare reached the banquet hall doors, trying to hide her trembling hands.

When the doorkeeper opened the banquet hall doors, the sparkling light from the chandeliers spread strongly through the gap, filling her vision.

After entering the banquet hall and looking around quickly, the main forces of each family were already gathered in groups, but it seemed Dension had not yet arrived.

No one would know how much Biare had agonized and put her heart into sending the invitation to the Verdeum Marquis’ residence.

She let out a faint sigh due to her nervous feelings, then quickly hid her expression and approached the people with a bright smile.

Now it was time for her to play the role of the Duke’s daughter celebrating her seventeenth birthday.

“Thank you all so much for coming to my party.”

The first place Biare revealed herself was where the noble ladies were gathered.

Biare felt like her mouth was about to twitch at the gaze of the Duchess, who was looking at her as if examining her with her face half-hidden behind a fan.

No matter how much the Ruschef family formed the central axis among the four great families of the Marta Empire, there were still those who ostracized them.

Just like the Duchess of Hertia standing right in front of her.

The long-standing and historic Hertia Duke’s family had particularly despised the Ruschef family.

‘I was hoping she wouldn’t attend this party.’

Biare silently looked at her, as her intentions for visiting here while still rejecting her family were too clear.

“Shouldn’t I attend a party hosted by the Ruschef Duke’s daughter?”

Biare barely held back a scoff, finding the Duchess’s sneering attitude laughable.

‘It would have been nice if she had aged gracefully.’

For some reason, the Duchess of Hertia particularly disliked Biare.

If Biare had been the seventeen-year-old of the past, she would have been hurt by her words and tried hard to improve their relationship.

However, Biare had grown too much now to be hurt by such things.

There was no need for Biare to show hostility to the Duchess just because she had heard thorny words from her.

“Is that so? I’m embarrassed that you’re paying so much attention.”

The Duchess, irritated by Biare’s attitude that didn’t care about her provocation, could only flutter her innocent fan.

To refresh the stagnant atmosphere where silence was flowing, a nearby Marchioness spoke in a gentle voice.

“Duke’s daughter, you look so beautiful today.”

“It’s true. Didn’t you say you’re about to come of age soon?”

The Duchess of Lisandro chimed in with the Marchioness’s words and looked at Biare with a gentle smile.

The young Marquis of Lisandro was also a long-time friend of Gaizen, so the two were close enough to freely visit each other’s residences.

‘I didn’t expect her to help me too, even if it’s understandable for Gaizen.’

Therefore, Biare thought it unexpected that the Duchess, with whom she had no personal acquaintance, had helped her, and replied.

“Yes, Madam. I’ll come of age next year.”

“There must be many who want to dance with the Duke’s daughter today.”

From the past until now, there had been many who asked for a dance, and she had received quite a few marriage proposals, so Biare felt no particular excitement.

But now she was a seventeen-year-old girl.

Biare, acting with an expression full of expectation no less than any seventeen-year-old, answered with a smile full of anticipation.

“Then I should think hard about my dance steps.”

Not long after, the Duchess of Hertia closed her fan and raised the corners of her mouth, speaking as if she had recaptured lost prey.

“The Duke’s daughter must be so pleased. How timely for him to arrive just now.”

At the end of the Duchess of Hertia’s gaze stood a tall man wearing a red cape.

And as he approached where Biare was, people in the banquet hall began to whisper and murmur.

At that moment, Biare alternated between feelings of humiliation and shame at her situation, no different from a clown.

Truly, nothing was going right.