The nobles around scattered one by one at the appearance of Ivan Rio Kartos, and Biare swallowed her anger and showed him courtesy.

“Glory to the Holy Marta Empire. I greet Your Highness the Crown Prince.”

“Yes, you may raise your head.”

In the past, he should have been heading to the southern front by now instead of attending a birthday banquet.

But the imperial family must have heard about the southern rebellion in advance and prepared a counterattack.

‘It would have been better if he stayed there longer.’

Although the current situation was not to her liking when thinking of Ivan, Biare had to be satisfied as it was good for Ushua.

She was biting her lips as her mind wandered here and there.

“As expected, there are many people here since it’s the princess’s birthday.”

“I’m grateful to the nobles who attended.”

“To hear words of gratitude from the princess, this is quite unusual.”

“I didn’t think Your Highness would attend.”

Though he must know well that those words were not meant for him, his face seemed to be getting thicker day by day.

Biare couldn’t understand why he was here since she didn’t remember inviting Ivan.

Chuckling as if amused by her expression, Ivan replied nonchalantly.

“You don’t know how hard I worked to get an invitation from the duke.”

‘…To think he even involved father.’

If he had already received an invitation from the duke, he was a guest visiting as a noble.

Even if she didn’t want it, there was no way to tell an invited person to leave.

“Then I hope you have an enjoyable banquet.”

It was the moment when Biare, calmly accepting the inevitable reality, was about to leave with a light bow.

“Princess, won’t you dance with me?”

Annoyed by the unwelcome guest asking for a dance, she swallowed a sigh inwardly and answered.

“Unfortunately, my partner for today is my father.”

“Oh my. But the duke already seems to be under the influence of alcohol.”

That couldn’t be; her father was hardly a person who drank alcohol.

Due to his constitution of getting drunk with just a little alcohol, he was avoiding it as much as possible.

She knew well that her father was not the type to make such a mistake even on a special day.

“…Surely you didn’t switch my father’s glass?”

At those words, he smirked without giving any explanation and brazenly insisted on his words.

“We should consider the duke’s age. What if he stumbles and steps on the princess’s foot?”

“…”

“Well, it’s fine if the princess is okay with that.”

As his behavior increasingly crossed the line, Biare, feeling dizzy, was trying hard to suppress her rising anger.

This was her birthday banquet venue, and there were many nobles gathered to congratulate her.

Moreover, Ivan seemed to have calculated thoroughly that she wouldn’t be able to refuse his proposal.

“Wouldn’t I be better than dancing with other nobles?”

It was the basic etiquette of the Marta Empire for the protagonist and their partner to start the first dance of the banquet.

The first song was already prepared for the banquet, so she couldn’t delay any longer in front of the guests.

Biare stared blankly at Ivan’s outstretched hand with a complex expression, and after hesitation, accepted his proposal.

“Then I’ll respectfully ask Your Highness for one dance.”

“Good. You’ve thought well, princess.”

Ivan, looking satisfied, raised the corner of his smooth lips and placed his hand on her waist, and soon began to dance to the music.

He continued his movements smoothly without a single flaw, and Biare also carried out the movements adequately without much difficulty.

“Not bad, princess. Indeed, you’d be perfect as the Crown Princess.”

“I’ll continue to decline that position in the future as well.”

At this, he gradually removed his playful expression and asked in a somewhat serious voice.

“Why do you dislike me, princess?”

“…”

Biare was deep in thought about what to say first, as there were too many reasons why she disliked him.

“Huh― Are there that many reasons?”

Biare held a bitter smile at the sight of Ivan clicking his tongue, saying he thought there would be only one or two reasons at most.

She felt like vomiting at the thought of him trying to put her in the position of the next empress by any means.

Clearly, in the past, he had proposed marriage to Biare a few times, but gave up quickly after being rejected.

That’s why she might not have thought to doubt Ivan until now.

But seeing him so persistently approaching her now, suspicion began to grow little by little.

‘Could the imperial family really be involved in Sion’s death?’

However, this was just a faint suspicion. Without any evidence.

‘It seems too far-fetched.’

She couldn’t be sure carelessly.

Looking at Ivan waiting for an answer, Biare swallowed her frustrating feelings.

“I’m not generous enough to accept another woman.”

“Hmm, wanting to monopolize the next sun of the empire, you’re quite greedy yourself.”

It wasn’t just that reason, but it was the answer she thought most appropriate to hide her emotions.

“So Your Highness doesn’t need to keep a greedy woman by your side.”

“Still, I think you’re just perfect for that position.”

“Unfortunately, my man shouldn’t be frivolous.”

Ivan shrugged his shoulders and released Biare’s hand as the latter part of the song was coming to an end.

“Not frivolous, you say. It seems quite difficult to win your heart.”

As the first song of the banquet completely ended, Biare glanced at him and politely showed her courtesy.

“Eternal peace to the Marta Empire.”

Finally escaping the stage, Biare approached a group of young ladies her age with familiar faces.

“You’ve already arrived, Princess.”

“Thank you all for coming, are you enjoying the banquet?”

The young ladies all nodded briefly with flushed faces, seemingly satisfied with the banquet atmosphere.

The Asithera young lady standing next to them also spoke, exclaiming in admiration.

“It’s thanks to you. This is the first time I’ve been to such a splendid banquet.”

“I’m glad to hear that.”

Biare’s birthday banquet was flourishing brilliantly, and before she knew it, the sun was setting as she dealt with the nobles.

While the tricky time kept flowing, Dension showed no signs of appearing at the banquet hall.

‘Is it not time yet? He usually wasn’t this late.’

Biare, who had been glancing at the wall from time to time, felt her anxiety growing like wildfire as he still hadn’t arrived at the banquet hall.

Eventually, the Asithera young lady looked around and said in a voice only they could hear.

“Come to think of it, it seems Lord Verdeum isn’t attending this time either, right?”

As if her feet were tingling, Biare slightly stiffened her body at the mention of the man she had been thinking about all along and said.

“He must be a bit late.”

Then, one of the young ladies with clear eyes around started to joke thoughtlessly.

“Shouldn’t he have arrived much earlier for that? He didn’t show up at the debutante either.”

As if agreeing with those words, the surroundings began to whisper about Dension Verdeum.

“It seems we won’t be able to see the lord’s face this year either.”

“It really seems that way, doesn’t it?”

With her head starting to throb at their murmuring, Biare said she would go out for some air and headed to the rear garden.

The night sky she looked up at with a heavy heart was, as before, only twinkling with faintly embroidered starlight.

‘I just wanted to watch from afar.’

Even if it was just self-satisfaction.

‘It’s really pathetic that I’m doing this when I don’t even have the right.’

She thought coming outside would clear her blocked breath a little, but she still felt only a sense of suffocation.

Knowing she shouldn’t, Biare was still waiting for Dension.

Even though he still hadn’t shown up, unlike in the past.

‘But you never know.’

Unable to ignore her growing longing for Dension, she decided to indulge just this once.

She wanted to see him, even if just for a very brief moment.

So she began walking towards the place that held memories with him.

She hurried her steps without minding the blisters caused by her shoes.

Although she hadn’t prepared at all for what to do if she met him, her emotions overcame reason and made her chase after Dension.

As she reached the lush undergrowth, Biare’s heart was pounding like a drum with anxiety.

‘What should I do if you’re not here either?’

She became increasingly afraid that if she didn’t meet him here, even her connection with him would completely disappear.

Biare, who had passed through the wall overgrown with winding vines as before, bent down and carefully entered the small passage.

Straightening up and looking around eagerly at the place where he used to sit in the past, Biare could only close her mouth.

‘In the end, you didn’t come.’

Because he was nowhere to be found.

Questions mixed with resentment about why Dension hadn’t come, whether he had gotten hurt on the way, were tangling up and randomly rummaging through her mind.

Biare, who had still waited for him while trying to deny it, felt her eyelids getting hot and her throat churning.

‘I’m the same, but why are you…’

It felt like one precious memory with Dension was disappearing, so she was just floundering in loss and sorrow.

Biare, who had been bending her knees and hanging her head for a long time, had to pull herself together.

Because there was a place she had to return to, even if she didn’t want to.

Biare’s hair fluttered in the cool autumn evening breeze as she moved her heavy steps towards the banquet hall.

As she was walking weakly through the garden, someone’s sturdy hand grabbed her slender arm.