Alicia’s plan to skip dinner was thwarted before it even began.

Just as she was about to leave, flustered by Rayleigh’s words, an imperial servant arrived with news that the Emperor was waiting for both of them.

Once she heard that the Emperor was waiting, it was impossible to leave.

‘Since he knows I’ve given up on Killian, there shouldn’t be any other problems.’

As long as Alicia was a princess and Killian was the Duke of Eregron, she couldn’t avoid him forever.

The Emperor must have known this and invited her to join him, likely to help her get used to Killian’s presence.

Since they had planned to join dinner right after their walk, Alicia and Rayleigh followed the servant to the dining room where the Emperor was waiting, without needing to change clothes.

“Greetings, Your Majesty.”

“Greetings, Your Majesty.”

When Alicia and Rayleigh arrived at the dining room, people were already gathered.

Alicia smiled at Adrian and Sienna who welcomed her, then approached the Emperor and kissed his cheek.

“I’m afraid I’m late.”

“Not at all.”

“I’m sorry for keeping the three Dukes and Duchess waiting.”

“We arrived a bit early, so please don’t worry about it.”

Duke MacLeod, the eldest of the three Dukes, spoke on behalf of the group.

With short gray hair speckled with white and steel-gray eyes, he was known for having shaken up high society in his youth with his handsome face and gentle personality.

Though his marriage to the Duchess had been arranged, everyone knew their relationship was full of affection.

Even now, they were showing off their overflowing love, patting each other’s hands on the table while gazing into each other’s eyes.

“Princess Alicia is as beautiful as ever, even after so long. But really, don’t worry. I just came early because I was hungry.”

Duke Fraser said, his pink eyes sparkling as he devoured the pre-dinner bread he had already received, one piece at a time.

His claim of hunger didn’t seem to be a lie.

‘…Is he even chewing?’

It was like watching some kind of magic, the way the bread disappeared instantly every time Duke Fraser opened and closed his mouth.

“Shall we serve the meal?”

At the head butler’s question, the Emperor nodded, and a quiet dinner began.

The Emperor sat at the head of the table, with the Crown Prince and Princess to his left and Duke and Duchess MacLeod to his right. They were enjoying a very pleasant meal, exchanging small talk about trivial events from the past winter.

However, a completely different atmosphere prevailed between Alicia and Rayleigh, sitting next to the Crown Prince and Princess, and Killian and Duke Fraser sitting across from them.

While Duke Fraser was too busy filling his stomach with his portion of food to think about talking, the remaining three maintained a suffocating atmosphere that was palpable even to onlookers.

Killian gazing at Alicia, Alicia avoiding Killian’s gaze, and Rayleigh looking back and forth between the two with an indecipherable smile.

‘I feel like I’m going to choke.’

Alicia sighed as she poked at the garnish next to her steak with her fork.

She had expected this gathering to be uncomfortable, but the pressure from the gazes in front and beside her was beyond her imagination.

She was contemplating whether to excuse herself, claiming to feel unwell, when…

“By the way, I heard there was an interesting incident before I arrived?”

Duke Fraser, who had somehow swallowed a steak without even cutting it and was already on his third, spoke up.

“Thalia, stop.”

Duke MacLeod, seemingly guessing what she was about to say, tried to stop her by calling her by a name he rarely used, but Duke Fraser was a bit quicker.

“Fleming? Flying? Anyway, that Count’s daughter tried to jump on you, Killian, right?”

What was the purpose of deliberately bringing up a secret that everyone had tacitly agreed to ignore?

Of course, since it was Duke Fraser speaking, there probably wasn’t any ulterior motive.

She probably just thought it was truly an interesting story and wanted to hear the details.

But was it necessary to ask about it in front of the person who had nearly been assaulted?

“It’s Count Fleming, Thalia. They’re a fairly well-known family, so shouldn’t you at least remember the name correctly?”

“Oh, come on, what’s the use of names when it comes to fighting?”

“I heard that recently, during a trade with barbarians, a great battle broke out because someone mispronounced the name of the god they worship?”

The Duchess opened her mouth, apparently feeling her husband’s intervention wasn’t enough.

Fortunately, Duke Fraser didn’t ignore her words, given their long-standing friendship since childhood.

“Well, it’s a foreign language, so that kind of thing can happen.”

“…I heard they were communicating in the Imperial language?”

“Penny, no matter how much I love you, you shouldn’t become as nitpicky as the old man. I really hate that.”

Is this what comes with experience?

The Duke and Duchess MacLeod had skillfully redirected Duke Fraser’s attention elsewhere.

While this was probably a regular occurrence for them, at this moment, Alicia felt grateful to the wise couple.

Thanks to them, Sienna’s expression seemed to brighten a bit, and just as Alicia was about to let out a sigh of relief, Duke Fraser’s words completely shattered her sense of ease, causing her to drop the fork she was holding.

“No, forget about that! Killian, tell me. Is it true that Count Fleming’s second daughter tried to jump on you?”

Duke Fraser, unusually remembering what she had initially brought up, turned to Killian and spoke again.

“…I didn’t know you were interested in my affairs.”

“I’m not interested in your affairs, of course. I’m curious about what kind of brave and foolish girl would jump into the fires of hell.”

Killian glared silently at Duke Fraser, whose eyes were sparkling with curiosity, then resumed his meal, which he had momentarily paused.

It was clearly an attitude of refusing to engage further, but Duke Fraser didn’t seem to care much about his reaction.

“Your Highness, the Crown Princess. So what happened to that girl?”

“Count Fleming himself cast her out.”

It was Adrian who answered instead of Sienna, to whom the question had been directed.

Adrian put down his utensils, wiped his mouth with a napkin, rinsed his mouth with cold water, and then spoke in a calm manner.

“He bowed his head before His Majesty, begging forgiveness for failing to raise his child properly, and then apologized to Duke Diaz, promising that his daughter would never set foot in the capital again as long as she lived. Since she was the second daughter, not the eldest, the decision must have been easy.”

Isn’t it strange?

This time, Alicia hadn’t done anything.

She hadn’t taken over Sienna’s duties out of her own greed, nor had she gotten angry and punished Isabel for what she had done.

She had simply let things run their course.

In the process, she had learned that Killian had become curious about her other side, but she really hadn’t done anything regarding Isabel’s punishment.

And yet, this was the outcome.

Count Fleming blamed his own daughter, not Alicia or Killian, and banished her from the capital.

As in the past, those who had harbored resentment towards Isabel were likely harming her behind others’ backs, but…

This was now beyond Alicia’s control.

Even if Isabel were to die as she had in the past, Count Fleming wouldn’t blame Alicia.

All this had happened just because she had given up her feelings for Killian.

Now all that remained was for Adrian to safely succeed to the throne.

She also needed to keep an eye on the Emperor’s health to ensure that Adrian wouldn’t suddenly have to inherit the throne.

‘Then there won’t be any problems. Unlike before, we can reach a conclusion where everyone is happy.’

With that thought, it felt a little easier to endure Killian’s gaze upon her.

She might not be able to ignore it completely, but she had gained enough strength to withstand it.

“Serves that man right for causing so much trouble.”

“Thalia, mind your words.”

“Don’t talk like my father, old man. It makes me feel like I’ve returned from some far-off place.”

“…Watch your… Someone might think your father is dead.”

“He’s old and left home to explore snowy mountains, and we haven’t heard from him since, so it’s pretty much the same, isn’t it?”

Alicia, who had mistakenly thought that the former Duke Fraser had died without her knowing, unconsciously let out a sigh.

Even before her regression, she had almost forgotten about his existence as he hadn’t returned from the snowy mountains, so she had nearly mistaken the former Duke for being dead.

Seeing Alicia like this, Rayleigh, sitting next to her, let out a small laugh.

He seemed to have figured out what she was thinking.

Embarrassed, she blushed slightly, and for some reason, Killian’s gaze on her became even sharper.

‘Why, why is he doing that?’

She hadn’t made any mistakes, had she?

Had she unconsciously done something to offend Killian?

Alicia lowered her head, crumpling the skirt of her dress on her lap with her hand as she tried to gauge the situation.

“I think that’s enough of that story for now.”

The Emperor, who had been observing the situation until now, finally spoke.

At his words, Duke Fraser energetically replied “Yes!” and resumed her magical eating.

The Duke and Duchess MacLeod, laughing helplessly at her behavior, also refocused on their food while engaging in light conversation with the Crown Prince and Princess sitting across from them.

Everything in the dining room seemed natural, as if Alicia was the only one uncomfortable with the situation.

“I hear Duke Diaz’s preparations are almost complete.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

As dessert was placed before them, the Emperor moistened his lips with warm tea and spoke in a quiet tone.

“I’m sorry for imposing such a busy schedule on you all due to my sudden whim.”

It was only natural that Killian’s preparations for the banquet were nearing completion, as he had arrived first.

This meant that the day when he wouldn’t need to visit the Imperial Palace was approaching.

Once they safely got through the spring banquet, she wouldn’t have to face Killian anymore.

He would leave for the west in the summer, and Alicia would find a suitable match and get married.

She hadn’t yet told the Emperor about her intention to put herself on the marriage market, but as a father who prioritized her happiness, he would surely strive to find a partner who could make her happy.

“While we’ll discuss the details later, it’s better to share the current situation as soon as possible.”

With the Emperor’s words, the warm and gentle atmosphere in the dining room suddenly changed.