“But… who is that person next to Sir?”

When Cardel gave a lukewarm response, Ashiel targeted Evolaine, who stood beside him.

“My escort knight.”

“Escort…?”

Ashiel’s voice trembled slightly at the unexpected answer.

As far as she knew, among the Radelica heirs, only the eldest daughter Ashili had officially chosen an escort knight.

‘But he brought an escort?’

“The reason I brought them to today’s banquet is to formally introduce them.”

“…I’m a bit surprised since I hadn’t heard any news.”

Ashiel covered her face with her fan, and the nobles nearby began whispering.

Speculation flew between them—everything from wondering if the face under the robe was hideous to suggesting the robe was deliberately worn to hide their identity.

But Ashiel heard none of it.

‘Just who are they that he’d bring them here wearing a robe?’

Clearly he brought them to introduce them, but having them wear a robe was also intentional.

The goal must be to reveal their identity in front of everyone.

‘Are they really that remarkable?’

Ashiel approached the robed Evolaine.

“Who are you? Remove your robe.”

As Ashiel approached, Evolaine’s heart began pounding wildly.

‘You can do this, Evolaine. You can do this.’

Evolaine grasped her clothing, steadying her mind through near-hypnotic repetition.

There was nowhere to run anyway.

“I greet the Flower of Vesasium.”

When Evolaine removed her robe, not only Ashiel but everyone nearby couldn’t contain their shock.

“I am Evolaine, a member of the Lacrel Knights and escort knight to Prince Cardel.”

Deep navy hair tied up high. Eyes blue like a clear sea.

These were unique characteristics of the La Voletta family. More specifically, the traits of a child born with Kelic!

Every descendant of Kelic had navy hair and blue eyes.

This was like an immutable law with no exceptions.

“…You resemble someone I know quite well.”

“……”

Though she didn’t state it explicitly, everyone present knew she was referring to the Marquis of La Voletta.

‘She’s the spitting image of the marquis.’

It was just a few months ago that the Marquisate of La Voletta announced they had an illegitimate child.

Despite keeping it tightly under wraps until then, Ashiel finally understood why they chose to reveal it now.

‘They were trying to make the first move.’

After hearing news that the illegitimate child had entered the Duchy of Radelica, they announced it first.

So they could respond to whatever situation arose.

But that calculation was wrong.

‘A descendant of Kelic belongs to the Radelica Knights, not La Voletta…’

She could feel that both sides had prepared thoroughly. But Evolaine won this round. Against the marchioness, no less.

Ashiel’s eyes sparkled as she detected something interesting.

Meanwhile, the marchioness’s eyes widened when she spotted Evolaine with her hood removed.

‘Wh-what is this?’

Why is she standing there? Right next to Prince Cardel?

If things had gone according to plan, she should have been crumpled in a corner or quietly keeping to herself.

Having realized her place as an illegitimate child.

So why was the First Princess standing next to that girl?

“Mother, that girl…”

Hesion, seeing Evolaine for the first time, trailed off.

A girl who resembled their father so completely that anyone could tell she was illegitimate.

“…Where is Verit?”

“I heard she was chatting with friends and then went to the princess…”

Hesion’s gaze swept the banquet hall before stopping at one spot.

“…It looks like she’s already seen everything.”

Her younger sister stood frozen behind the princess, wearing an expression that combined bewilderment, surprise, sadness, and anger.

Her gaze fixed on her half-sibling.

* * *

“……”

“……”

Two girls who shared the same father but had different mothers and grew up in completely opposite environments finally discovered each other.

‘So that’s the marchioness’s daughter.’

People said she was the spitting image of the marquis, but her half-sibling was not.

Long brown hair and amethyst eyes like red gems.

The marquis’s young lady, dressed in a beige gown and adorned with accessories matching her eyes and coloring, wore a completely frozen expression.

Evolaine and the marquis’s daughter observed each other in silence.

‘She seems to take after only the marchioness.’

Strangely, the marquis’s daughter showed not even a trace of the marquis’s features.

Instead, she saw only the marchioness she’d grown sick of seeing.

‘I heard she has a brother—where is he?’

Evolaine’s gaze moved busily.

Since the Marquis of La Voletta’s daughter had appeared, the marchioness and young marquis must be nearby.

“Verit.”

Sure enough, moments later a man with similar features to the marquis’s daughter approached her.

‘That person is the Young Marquis of La Voletta…’

He likewise looked like what the marchioness would look like if she were male.

“Brother?”

“Mother is calling for you. Let’s go see her for a moment.”

“But…”

“She said it’s urgent and asked you to come quickly. Hurry.”

The Marquis of La Voletta’s daughter—Verit—looked back and forth between Evolaine and the young marquis before finally leaving.

‘As expected, the marchioness is nearby.’

The marchioness sending the young marquis here was both to observe her and to extract Verit at the same time.

She wouldn’t want her coming face to face with the illegitimate child.

“I greet the Flower of Vesasium. I apologize for my late greeting, Your Highness.”

“It’s fine. I’m more worried about Lady Verit. She didn’t look well earlier…”

“…She said she wasn’t feeling well since this morning, and it seems she still isn’t. We’ll have her treated, so please don’t worry too much.”

At the young marquis’s words, Ashiel responded lightly.

“That’s a relief, then.”

A lie.

The princess, Evolaine, and Cardel all knew his words were a blatant lie.

But who would question the truth at a banquet?

Many eyes watched and many ears listened. But none among them wanted to know the truth.

“…Since Prince Radelica has chosen an escort and the duchess has returned, it’s a double celebration. Congratulations, Prince.”

“Thank you for your congratulations, Young Marquis.”

The topic naturally shifted to one of celebration, but the atmosphere continued with a twisted undertone.

In the midst of this, Ashiel watched the situation with eyes that found it all fascinating.

Cardel, whom she wanted to obtain, cut off every question with short answers, conserving his words, while the young marquis attempted conversation with Evolaine, who had become an escort knight.

What a rare spectacle this was!

‘And this is an opportunity for me too.’

Though she was the First Princess, Ashiel was not the empress’s child but a concubine’s child.

In other words, her position was no different from an official illegitimate child.

Ashiel’s mother, the Second Imperial Consort, had no powerful family backing like the empress, and had long since stopped participating in high society.

Ultimately, for Ashiel to become a member of the imperial family and survive, she absolutely had to catch the empress’s eye.

‘The empress dislikes the Marchioness of La Voletta.’

Then shouldn’t she remove that marchioness who was such a thorn in her side?

‘And after that…’

Cardel—no, the Duchy of Radelica and La Voletta’s illegitimate child.

Which to choose first was simply a matter of order.

In the end, Ashiel would grasp both.

Secretly, soundlessly.

* * *

Evolaine kept her mouth firmly shut in silence, but her eyes sharply searched the surroundings, including the young marquis.

‘Where is the marchioness?’

The original expectation was that the marchioness would show herself at this spot or at least nearby.

But right now, the marchioness had sent the young marquis instead and wasn’t appearing at all.

‘Verit is gone too. Did the two of them leave the banquet hall?’

Too absorbed in her surroundings, the princess’s voice belatedly began to register.

“…so I’d like to request a conversation with the prince’s escort knight. Would that be possible?”

“I don’t think Your Highness has anything particular to discuss with my escort knight.”

“I wonder. I heard that the escorts chosen by the Radelica heirs are lifelong companions. Perhaps everything from simple tasks to death, all of it.”

“……”

“We’ll soon be engaged… can’t I at least have a conversation with your escort?”

Those words startled Evolaine.

This was her first time meeting the princess today, and there were no topics they could possibly discuss.

And engagement? Do nobles normally arrange marriages when they’re young?

“If the prince refuses, I’ll ask the knight directly. Dame Evolaine, I’d like to converse with you. Do you have a moment?”

Cardel pressed his temples firmly, answering with silence.

Seeing his reaction, it seemed this wasn’t the first or second time she’d demanded something this way.

“Is there something you wish to ask me?”

“Of course. Quite a lot, actually.”

Evolaine glanced at Cardel. If his face was completely crumpled, it meant his mood was thoroughly twisted and she needed to politely decline.

She usually confirmed his mood through degrees of crumpling—heavily crumpled, slightly crumpled, etc.—but today he wore a peaceful, expressionless face.

‘He seems fine.’

“…If you send word, I’ll visit.”

“See! Dame is a hundred times better than the stubborn prince. I’ll definitely send word.”

“…Yes.”

She didn’t know why the princess was making such an aggressive request, but she wouldn’t have spoken to her without purpose.

Especially not in such a public setting.

When Evolaine accepted the princess’s proposal and approached, Cardel was too dumbfounded to continue speaking.

At her reaction—like a puppy asking “I did well, right?” seeking praise—he couldn’t construct sentences with appropriate words.

“…Dame, I. No…”

“Yes?”

How can she be so pure, my escort knight?

The First Princess was like a snake, using every means available without discrimination, manipulating things freely to her taste.

That’s why he tried to avoid conversation by keeping his answers short…!

“…Let’s talk when we get back, Evolaine.”

“Yes? Yes…”

Evolaine was about to ask why, but after checking Cardel’s face, she closed her mouth.

‘I’m doomed…’

Because her lord’s face was completely crumpled…

* * *

“What’s all the commotion?”

Sensing the unsettled atmosphere in the banquet hall, the emperor asked his attendant.

“Well… Her Highness the Princess was conversing with Prince Radelica, and the escort knight’s identity was revealed…”

“The prince’s escort knight?”

‘The prince chose an escort knight and brought them?’

Come to think of it, someone wearing a robe had been constantly at his side. Given the circumstances, that must be the prince’s escort knight.

“Yes, but that escort knight resembles the Marquis of La Voletta. So…”

The attendant trailed off and subtly stepped back.

The empress standing beside the emperor, who was trying to understand the situation, wore a vicious expression.

Sensing that opening his mouth any further would not be tolerated, the attendant quickly shut his mouth and moved away carrying a tray of champagne glasses.

“Your Majesty, it’s just a small disturbance. Surely the marquis’s illegitimate child wouldn’t openly reveal themselves? Especially in front of our princess.”

“That may be so, but… why would the attendant have reason to lie?”

D*mn it. The empress bit the soft flesh inside her mouth, grasping at her fleeing rationality.

The plan had clearly failed, causing this mess.