Most of the invited nobles seemed to have arrived, so Elicity entered the banquet hall.

To be honest, she was extremely curious whether Alex had really gone to escort Princess Lucellia.

Of course, Elicity knew that her husband had no feelings for Lucellia. If he had wanted her before the regression, he would have divorced Elicity without a second thought and remarried Lucellia.

However, reason and emotion were different, and as she stepped into the banquet hall, Elicity’s pace quickened.

She refused the aperitif offered by a servant and glanced around the hall, when her gaze suddenly fixated on one spot.

‘Did he really enter the banquet hall to escort Princess Lucellia?’

A surge of anger rose, quickly followed by a pang of disappointment.

‘Well… she truly is beautiful. They call her a peerless beauty for a reason.’

Elicity quietly observed the two standing together. The beautiful young princess and the young duke looked like a perfect couple.

For a moment, a dull ache spread near her heart.

A thought crossed her mind—if she had left Alex’s side when the king had ordered their divorce, perhaps the tragedy before her regression might never have happened.

‘Yes, that was entirely my selfishness.’

She had convinced herself that she was not suited for Alex and had obsessed over making Bella the queen, which had ultimately led to her daughter’s unhappiness.

If she had not been Bella’s mother, perhaps Bella could have been happy.

As that thought spiraled, a suffocating heaviness settled in Elicity’s chest.

“…No, no. I mustn’t think like this.”

Elicity forcefully pushed away the thoughts that threatened to pull her deeper into despair.

She believed that she had developed a close relationship with her husband in the present. No matter what had happened in the past, the present was what mattered.

‘I must steel my heart. The past before the regression doesn’t matter.’

Resolving herself, Elicity straightened her attire and approached the princess, the marquis, and Alex.

But then, her daughter Isabella came running and clung tightly to Alex’s leg.

To anyone watching, Isabella’s behavior was clearly an act of wariness toward Lucellia, and Elicity was shocked.

‘Goodness, Isabella. No matter what, you must observe proper etiquette before the princess.’

Even if she had resolved to raise her daughter freely, she could not allow her to be criticized. Instinctively, Elicity quickened her pace.

Just as she reached them—

“Yvella.”

Lucellia pronounced her daughter’s name incorrectly, and at that moment, the veins on the back of Elicity’s hand, which gripped her fan, visibly tensed.

Elicity immediately berated herself for ever thinking Alex and Lucellia looked good together.

What did it matter if they looked compatible? Lucellia would never be able to raise Bella well. She claimed to love Alex, yet she could not even remember his daughter’s name correctly.

Unconsciously, Elicity’s voice gained strength.

“Regrettably, my daughter’s name is Isabella Zeroden, Your Highness.”

“Oh my, Duchess…”

Lucellia hastily raised her fan to cover half of her face at Elicity’s words.

She clearly did not want anyone to see the corners of her mouth twitching in embarrassment.

“How unfortunate. I distinctly said Isabella, but perhaps the orchestra’s music was too loud, and it was misheard.”

“…That could be the case.”

Since she could not outright criticize royalty, Elicity forced a smile and nodded.

Pleased with Elicity’s compliance, Lucellia lowered her fan and lightly waved it, her arrogant expression brimming with haughtiness.

“But, Duchess.”

“Yes, Your Highness?”

“It seems the young lady does not know how to properly greet royalty. She has been clinging to the duke’s trousers this whole time.”

She had elegantly pointed out that Elicity’s daughter was being rude. While Alex’s brow twitched, Elicity sternly rebuked Bella.

“Isabella. How did I teach you to behave in the presence of royalty? Did I teach you to act so rudely?”

Startled, Bella quickly released Alex’s leg.

She then smoothed out her small dress with her tiny hands and bowed politely.

“Lady Isabella Zeroden greets the Fourth Princess. May the light of Madonia shine eternally.”

“…Hmph.”

Seeing such a flawless bow, Lucellia sharply turned her head.

She was frustrated. She wanted to find fault with something, but there was nothing to criticize.

Today’s banquet was different from before. There was no flaw to be found.

She had called out the child’s rudeness, but her mother had immediately reprimanded and corrected her, leaving no room for further reproach.

Not to mention, Lucellia had already exhausted insults like belittling the Lawrence family, mocking someone’s plain looks, calling their posture vulgar, or ridiculing their dress for being outdated—they had all been overused and had lost their sting.

After some deliberation, Lucellia concluded that it would be wiser to join the noblewomen chatting in the distance and gather gossip instead.

She approached the duke, seductively fluttering her fan.

“Duke, it was a pleasure conversing with you.”

“…”

“Then, I look forward to the banquet later. Duchess, I hope you enjoy the tea time among the noble ladies.”

“Princess.”

Just as Lucellia was about to step away, Elicity stopped her.

Lucellia’s eyes narrowed in irritation.

“What is it?”

“My apologies, but there is no seat for you at the tea time.”

“What?”

Lucellia snapped her fan shut with an audible sound.

“What are you saying!?”

“In Madonia, uninvited ladies are not permitted to attend by etiquette. Royalty is no exception, as I am sure you are well aware. The seat at this tea time belongs to Princess Yurea.”

“…Yurea?”

“Yes. Of course, since it is merely a matter of etiquette, you are free to disregard it. However, Your Highness just lectured my daughter about observing etiquette, so I trust you will adhere to it as well.”

Elicity smiled elegantly.

That beautiful and composed smile made Lucellia’s face twist in fury.

In the end, words burst out of the princess’s mouth without filter.

“Right now… are you seriously saying you’ll seat that lowly mistress’s daughter at the head of the table instead of me? How utterly vulgar, just flocking together like the wretches you are…”

“Sister!!”

At that moment, a loud shout came from behind.

It was the Second Prince, Helios.

***

“Let go of me!”

“Hah…”

Currently, a bit of commotion was unfolding inside the ballroom of the ducal residence.

It was a sibling quarrel.

The only unusual aspect was that both of them had golden hair and blue eyes—they were a prince and a princess.

“As a member of the royal family, could you refrain from such disgraceful behavior, Sister?”

“Are you saying I acted disgracefully? Nonsense. I was merely trying to reclaim the man who was supposed to be mine.”

“Sister, do you even have any sense of reason? Sometimes I wonder if we were truly born from the same womb.”

The Second Prince, Helios, looked remarkably like Lucellia, yet he was a rational and diligent man equipped with common sense.

Helios let out a deep sigh as he grabbed Lucellia by the wrist, attempting to drag her out of the ballroom.

“For heaven’s sake, who in the world calls a duchess vulgar… Who speaks like that to their own half-sister…? Because of you, Sister, I can’t even face Alex!”

“What? Did I say something wrong?”

Lucellia smacked Helios’s hand away with a sharp slap.

“She lived almost as a commoner after her noble house fell—of course she’s vulgar! And wasn’t Yurea’s mother just a maid to the former princess? She used her body to climb her way up to the position of a consort—if that’s not being a harlot, then what is?”

“Sister. Please…”

Helios was on the verge of losing his mind.

If he ever failed to become the King of Madonia, the biggest reason would undoubtedly be his insane sister.

Talking sense to a fool was utterly pointless. Helios gave up on persuading her.

‘Where is my sister’s guard…?’

As he scanned the ballroom, his gaze suddenly froze on something.

“Lorraine Fertel?”

“What are you mumbling about?”

“Why is Fertel here…?”

The prince’s blue eyes locked onto a particular spot. Naturally, the princess’s gaze followed.

There, a strikingly beautiful young lady sat alone, looking dejected.

Lucellia, already displeased with this ball, found the sudden appearance of a beautiful woman even more annoying.

Shockingly, Lucellia valued her own “beauty” even more than her “royal bloodline” and believed that, at any social event, she alone should be the center of attention.

But now, out of nowhere, an unfamiliar beauty had appeared at the gathering.

This was intolerable. Lucellia’s lips twisted in irritation.

“Who is that wretch? I don’t recognize her. Is she from a fallen noble house? Ugh, birds of a feather, I swear.”

Hearing this, Helios clenched his jaw tightly.

“Sister, for the love of the gods… mind your tongue for once.”

“Ack!”

Helios grabbed Lucellia’s wrist once more.

“Adam!! Take the princess away!!”

***

The moment Helios and Lucellia disappeared around the second stone pillar into the hallway, Elicity gasped aloud.

She nearly collapsed as her legs gave out, but Alex caught her in surprise.

“Elicity?”

“My love. Was I too bold just now?”

No, asking wouldn’t change anything. It was already done.

Elicity clutched her throbbing forehead.

“Oh dear. I actually talked back to Princess Lucellia… I might be expelled from high society.”

“Hahaha.”

Alex suddenly burst into laughter, loud enough that nearby aristocrats turned to stare.

“My love?”

“Well, it’s just that… I don’t think I’ve ever seen you stand your ground against the Fourth Princess before.”

Elicity blinked in surprise but, upon reflection, realized he was right.

Across both her current and past lives, she had always shrunk before Lucellia.

With her dazzling beauty, pure royal lineage, and—above all—the fact that she and Elicity’s husband had once been engaged…

She had always felt small before Lucellia, more so than with any other member of the royal family.

That was precisely why she had poured so much effort into Bella’s education.

If she could make her daughter, Bella, the Queen of Salita, then at least she would be on equal footing with a princess.

“……”

As Elicity fell silent, lost in thought, Alex gently placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.