Daphne and Margo had tea at a nearby café after finishing their fittings.

Margo was different from other women her age. She didn’t try to lecture or talk only about herself.

Though she did express frustration about her son who was stuck in the countryside, she didn’t embarrassingly try to introduce him to Daphne.

“Margo, I truly enjoyed our time together.”

“Not at all. Thanks to you, my stiff ears and mouth have loosened up. I should be thanking you for the enjoyable time.”

The two agreed to meet at the Founding Day celebration before parting ways.

⁕⁕⁕

Zenos’s assistants and researchers were restless.

The Founding Day presentation was just around the corner, but he had scrapped his completed clock and shut himself in his laboratory.

Yesterday, some strange impulse had driven him to go out with a grave expression, only to return with a bandage around his wrist. Judging by how he clutched his chest with every step, he seemed to be badly injured.

‘He’s like a lit bomb.’

Despite enduring everything until now for the sake of their grand academic dreams…

The frightened researchers fingered their resignation letters, which they kept close to their hearts.

Contrary to their concerns, however, Zenos was only as irritable as when he was in an extremely good mood. He had also taken out an old stone-cutting machine and started modifying it.

Wondering if this was another bout of madness, the researchers who had been afraid to even breathe deeply now moved like Zenos’s hands and feet, exclaiming, “As expected, a genius idea!”

⁕⁕⁕

The Founding Day celebration, the largest event in the Empire, had begun.

That morning, Gustav sternly warned Leonhardt before allowing him to attend.

But his warnings were unlikely to affect a young man who had been confined without seeing his lover.

He had already made plans to meet Anaïs.

‘Wait just a little longer, my love.’

He kissed the cufflinks Anaïs had given him as her first gift. The sunset-orange gemstones gleamed brilliantly.

He hummed a tune as he attached the cufflinks to his sleeves.

His mind was so preoccupied that he didn’t even notice Barbara’s absence.

⁕⁕⁕

During the day, Zenos showcased a machine that could simultaneously excavate and spray water.

His invention, combining an ingenious concept with practicality, stood out remarkably.

The Emperor rarely gave such high praise, and competitors couldn’t find any fault.

As soon as Zenos left the stage, purchase inquiries flooded in. His assistants and researchers embraced each other, shedding tears of joy.

Unlike his usual self, Zenos didn’t scold them for being overly emotional.

Naturally, Christine was overjoyed, her eyes reddening with emotion. As she approached Zenos to offer congratulations, Daphne reluctantly followed.

“Zenos, congratulations. Your invention will go down in imperial history.”

As usual, Zenos’s face crumpled at the excessive praise, but then his eyes met Daphne’s. After briefly assessing the situation, he accepted the congratulations without his typical irritation for the first time.

“Th-thank you.”

Though the words were reluctantly uttered, Christine was overwhelmed. She had no idea it was thanks to Daphne and was so moved that she only had eyes for Zenos.

Daphne watched expressionlessly.

That evening, a ball was held to celebrate the founding of the Empire.

Given the significance of the occasion, the largest ballroom in the imperial palace was opened.

The venue was divided into three main areas.

The Grand Ballroom was where the Emperor, high nobles, and heads of each family mingled. The Small Ballroom was for unmarried nobles to socialize.

The two ballrooms were adjacent and clearly visible to each other, but an invisible barrier separated them.

Those in the Grand Ballroom could freely enter the Small Ballroom if needed, but the reverse required permission from someone in the Grand Ballroom.

Servants busily moved between the two areas, conveying summons from the Emperor or family heads. This was how people from the Small Ballroom could enter the Grand Ballroom.

At the far ends on both sides were powder rooms for gentlemen and ladies to rest. Despite being called rest areas, they hosted even more secretive exchanges and conversations than the two ballrooms.

The entrances to both ballrooms bustled with arriving guests.

High nobles were announced by doorkeepers as they entered. Even nobles not important enough to be announced arrived dressed in their finest, accompanied by their families.

Among them, members of House Mücke and the Armin family were nowhere to be seen.

Werner and Ludwig were returning quickly but were still crossing the sea.

Zenos would be late to the ball as he was dealing with a line of businessmen.

Christine was naturally with Zenos. Knowing as little about business as he did, she could only stand there smiling like an ornament. Yet she was so absorbed in her role as a devoted stepmother that she had forgotten about Daphne.

The youngest, Fabian, was studying abroad. With his graduation approaching, he couldn’t spare the time and had to miss this Founding Day celebration.

In the end, Daphne arrived at the ballroom alone.

No matter how high-ranking a noble might be, without arriving with the head of the family, the doorkeeper wouldn’t announce their entrance. So Daphne had to enter quietly by herself.

But such things no longer bothered her.

Daphne greeted her peers and responded with a bright expression to those inquiring about her family.

Though her answers essentially amounted to “everyone’s busy,” she delivered them with exceptional conversational skill and a beautiful smile. Thanks to this, her conversation partners didn’t worry about having asked awkward questions and continued chatting comfortably.

However, there are always tactless people wherever you go.

“Didn’t you come with the young Duke Mücke?”

A noblewoman from an territory near the capital asked. She apparently hadn’t heard about the discord between the couple.

Others glared at her as if to say “why would you ask such a thing,” but the tactless noblewoman, oblivious as ever, waited for Daphne’s answer.

Daphne smiled warmly and replied:

“Well, I haven’t received any communication, so I’m not sure myself.”

“Your fiancé didn’t even suggest coming together…… Has something happened?”

At this point, it seemed like she was pretending ignorance just to pry.

While Daphne might have been outside her family’s attention, the Marquis and his wife didn’t openly neglect her. It was unclear what gave this woman the confidence to be so rude.

Someone who couldn’t bear it anymore jabbed the noblewoman in the side.

“Ouch…… Why did you do that?”

Hah.

The people around were just about to step away from her in disgust when commotion began near the entrance.

Leonhardt was entering the ballroom. Beside him was a woman in a splendid dress.

The tactless noblewoman’s jaw dropped in surprise.

“Isn’t that woman a princess from the Kingdom of Lucia? Why is she entering with the young Duke of Mücke?”

Thanks to the noblewoman announcing their entrance instead of the doorkeeper, more people turned to look at the entrance. Soon, everyone was looking back and forth between the pair and Daphne with shocked expressions.

If Daphne showed confusion or fled the scene, it would only fuel people’s base curiosity.

But Daphne remained composed, as if these people had nothing to do with her. If anything, she seemed to be watching with the same fascination as everyone else. Her face was clear without a trace of darkness.

Thanks to her composed response, the commotion quickly died down, and people’s interest cooled.

The Founding Day celebration was an extremely important event. Yet here he was, appearing alongside his mistress while his fiancée was present.

“Is it youthful recklessness or just foolishness? Tsk!”

An elderly lady clicked her tongue and turned away from Leonhardt and Anaïs.

Taking this as a cue, the adults in the Grand Ballroom turned away with cold expressions.

Only then did Leonhardt and Anaïs become the focus of the young ladies and gentlemen in the Small Ballroom.

Leonhardt’s friends approached first.

“Leon, isn’t this too much? Your fiancée will cry.”

They spoke carelessly, regardless of who might be listening.

While greeting Leonhardt with their words, their eyes kept glancing at Anaïs.

Unlike most redheads whose hair tends toward auburn, hers was as vivid as burning fire. Combined with her deep blue eyes, her impression was intense. Moreover, her full bosom and impossibly narrow waist naturally made mouths water.

They only withdrew their lingering interest after noticing Anaïs’s necklace with the same orange gemstone as Leonhardt’s cufflinks.

Leonhardt smirked. He fully understood what men felt when looking at Anaïs. After all, she was a beauty any man would desire at least once.

He puffed out his chest proudly.

After smiling affectionately at Anaïs, who made him feel so proud, he answered his friends:

“What if the Duke finds out?”

“A challenge like this isn’t so bad once in a while.”

Leonhardt was quite pleased, but Anaïs’s expression stiffened slightly.

‘Not so bad, he says….’