On a day when the boundaries between late spring and early summer were blurred, numerous nobles were flocking to the imperial palace to attend the belated debutante of the imperial princess.

As rumors spread that Dorothee Lua Kartos, the only imperial princess of the Marta Empire, had finally overcome her chronic illness, the imperial family could no longer hide her behind the sun.

The nobles seemed to be contemplating whether to line up for the emperor or for Dorothee, wondering if a new wind had blown for Ivan.

Biare, who had been leaking information to gossip magazines and newspapers to create rumors, must have finally achieved a satisfactory result.

Of course, Ivan attended the banquet with his usual face, as if this matter had no impact on him whatsoever, and he truly seemed not to care at all.

For he was an arrogant man who had no doubt that he would sit on the imperial throne.

Biare was satisfied with just the gentle breeze of influence Dorothee had on the nobles.

While Biare was taking a sip of champagne, Ivan had already approached her side.

He stared at his half-sister, following Biare’s gaze.

“Hmm, now it seems I might even become jealous of the imperial princess.”

“It’s because Her Highness the Imperial Princess is so beautiful.”

Although she already knew that Dorothee was quite a beauty, she was truly beautiful as the protagonist of the banquet, all dressed up.

The pale blonde hair inherited as a symbol of the imperial family and the blood-red eyes would further solidify her position.

Ivan tilted his head as if he didn’t understand, and then gestured towards the princess’s dress, saying,

“I heard my sister helped you before.”

He clearly wanted to show a caring side for his sister in front of Biare.

Ivan, who had heard from his spy about Biare’s previous visit to the imperial princess’s palace, sent dresses and jewels to Dorothee when he learned that she had taken care of his fiancée.

Of course, Biare had already been informed about this by the imperial princess whom she had ‘accidentally’ met in the imperial library a few days ago.

However, Biare looked at the half-siblings alternately with a somewhat embarrassed face, as if hearing this for the first time, and said,

“I was worried that I might have offended Her Highness the Imperial Princess.”

“Don’t worry, I’ve given proper compensation. After all, we’re about to become family.”

A normal person would find it strange to compensate family, but Ivan seemed to have no awareness of this.

At his words, Biare, with a graceful smile on her lips, nodded and pretended to be shy as she replied,

“Yes, it’s really not long now.”

‘Until I take everything from you.’

Ivan, who had been quietly looking at her smiling face, coughed a couple of times and emptied his champagne glass.

“On a day like this, I can’t steal a lady’s time, so I’ll take my leave first.”

As it was a banquet held for the imperial princess’s belated debutante, he was planning to just show his face and return to his place.

It was welcome news to Biare, so the corners of her mouth turned up gently, but she quickly covered her mouth with a fan and pretended to look regretful.

After Ivan left, Biare, who had shown polite and humble courtesy, approached where Dorothee was.

“Glory to the Marta Empire. I greet Your Highness the Imperial Princess.”

“Grand Duchess, please raise your head.”

Dorothee, who showed an elegant attitude without any disruption despite the alleged differences in education, was truly amazing. She was clearly a born imperial.

When Biare, the current crown prince’s fiancée, showed respect to the imperial princess, the nobles who noticed this began to murmur here and there. As if they had seen something they shouldn’t have.

Among them, Biare thought the faces of the families backing Ivan were particularly worth seeing.

Presumably, those attending today’s banquet had already noticed that the imperial princess’s situation was changing.

The nobles who had lined up for the crown prince never greeted the imperial princess first, keeping their heads held high, but Biare and Dorothee intended to subtly exploit this situation.

As if the abandoned imperial princess had never existed from the start.

As if the woman who couldn’t show herself due to illness was actually the crown prince’s precious half-sister.

Dorothee pretended to stagger as if dizzy and purposely spilled champagne on her dress, then said as if flustered,

“This dress was a gift from my elder brother, and I…”

She emphasized her fragile appearance, even using the term ‘elder brother’ which she had never called Ivan before.

It was necessary to show at this place that the imperial princess had no desire for the throne, to lower their guard.

Moreover, those with an eye for dresses and jewels would have already noticed that the attire Dorothee was wearing was not something just anyone could wear.

If the crown prince had personally gifted the dress, it was a different story, so the nobles were looking at each other’s faces, unable to hide their surprise.

“Are you alright, Your Highness?”

“I think it would be best if I change my clothes. Everyone, please enjoy the party.”

Exchanging glances with Biare, she rose nobly from her seat and hurried out of the banquet hall.

Even the nobles who couldn’t speak to the imperial princess due to being wary of the crown prince and his backers seemed to want to follow her out of the banquet hall.

Away from the audience’s attention, Dorothee had now gained time to comfortably converse with the nobles who would become her allies.

‘I should hurry too.’

Biare, who had been observing her surroundings, moved in the opposite direction of where the imperial princess had gone without showing any particular sign.

Perhaps because early summer was approaching, the air outside the banquet hall was warm as if heated, even though it was evening.

Like the changing of generations, the spring flowers were fading one by one, and the flowers heralding summer were revealing themselves, each opening their buds.

Although she had come out of the banquet hall under the pretext of getting some air, for some reason, there was no figure to be seen where Biare was now standing.

It seemed she would have to postpone her plan to find like-minded nobles to build her power.

Not hiding her disappointed expression, she walked where her feet led her, and eventually reached the fountain in the central garden where she had met Dension during the crown prince’s birthday banquet.

Remembering that day when she had to endure Dension’s reproach and disgust while shedding tears endlessly in front of the fountain made her heart heavy.

This was the first time she had attended an imperial banquet since that day, so naturally, it was also the first time she had visited the central garden in recent times.

She thought slowly about how her feet had led her here, but no answer came.

Biare swallowed a deep sigh and approached the wide fountain, quietly looking down at her reflection in the water.

“Sion, when all the revenge is over…”

‘Then, perhaps I can become a person a little more worthy of you.’

Of course, she had no intention of revealing all the truth to Dension even if such a day came.

Knowing him, he would constantly feel heartache and torment thinking about her who had returned to the past to save him.

Not wanting him to feel pain, Biare just planned to bury the truth deep in her heart.

“But I’ll still miss you.”

Because of the chirping insects, Biare didn’t hear the footsteps approaching her, and she turned around startled by the suddenly close presence.

‘Why are you here…’

Staring blankly at the man standing in front of her, she swallowed dry and then politely showed her respect.

“…I greet you, Marquis Verdeum.”

“I didn’t expect the Grand Duchess to visit this place again.”

Biare knew well that the fountain was a place of unpleasant memories for Dension.

At his voice, sharp as if displeased, she spoke in a deliberately calm tone without revealing her dejected state of mind.

“I was just taking a walk, wanting to get some air.”

“Here… of all places?”

At those words, Biare looked steadily at Dension and tilted her head as if asking if this was a place she shouldn’t come, and replied,

“Of course. Isn’t this the most splendid fountain in the imperial palace?”

Inwardly anxious that a spy planted by Ivan might be watching her, she rather pretended to be nonchalant in dealing with Dension.

However, his blue eyes that met hers for a moment seemed to look at her with contempt, causing Biare to bite her lower lip.

“I really… don’t know what your true self is, Grand Duchess.”

“…”

She couldn’t reveal to him the fact that the crown prince was monitoring her; Biare didn’t want to create any situation where Dension might be in even the slightest danger.

‘I just need to become the villain for your sake.’

With a faint smile on her lips, Biare opened her fan and looked at the dim moon.

The moon, hidden in thick clouds, was revealing itself, boasting its bright light.

“I want to become that moon.”

She lied to him, saying she was coveting a position she had never desired even once.

“Is that… your answer?”

Looking briefly at Dension’s expression, filled with disappointment as if he couldn’t believe it, she closed her fan and said, turning around,

“Yes, so please watch me.”

‘So that I can fully complete my revenge, so that you can stay away from death.’

For his sake, Biare was willing to become the villain.