Word spread in no time that the Grand Duke of Valenstein had fallen completely for his wife.

They attended every engagement together and showed a warm, affectionate side in front of everyone, and that alone was enough to set tongues wagging.

On top of that, word passed from witness to witness that he had stopped by the most popular dress shop around these days and personally selected the Grand Duchess’s gowns.

The most startling piece of gossip among all of it was the rumor that Caesar had even chosen the Grand Duchess’s undergarments.

When stories of the considerable sum he had spent were added on top of that, the rumors swelled further, with people wondering just how passionate their nights must be for him to be buying such indecent underthings in such quantities.

The idea that the Grand Duke, known as a handsome but cold-blooded man who cared for nothing but money, doted on the Grand Duchess was not something people found easy to believe.

That was especially true for anyone who had ever encountered him in person. Some went so far as to dismiss it as idle rumor and deny it outright, insisting that a man with a temperament as icy as his could not possibly be capable of such tenderness.

But as eyewitness accounts from the dress shop and the orphanage continued to surface, the rumors gradually began to take on credibility.

Whether to verify the truth of those rumors for themselves, invitations directed at the talked-about Grand Duke and Duchess came pouring in with each passing day.

Caesar sat in his study, unfolding the stacked invitations one by one and selecting among them with care.

This particular invitation mattered more than anything else if he was to drive a nail into this momentum.

He weighed each one carefully, considering the person and family extending the invitation and the nature of the party.

At last he picked up one invitation, luxurious with gold leaf overlay, lifted his pen, and wrote a brief reply.

He then pressed the seal of House Valenstein into it, dripped melted wax over the fold, and sealed the letter firmly shut.

It was a reply confirming his attendance.

Knock, knock.

No sooner had he finished the letter than a knock sounded at the door.

At his permission, the door opened and in walked his aide, Leonil.

He stood with a composed gaze behind his rimless glasses and, with the ease of long familiarity, handed Caesar a document.

“And the man?”

“Eric has already begun, but questionable points are already surfacing. I have compiled what we have gathered so far into a report, so please review it.”

“This could turn out to be more dangerous than expected. Tell him to proceed as discreetly as possible, without drawing any attention.”

“Yes, understood.”

Caesar skimmed the report Leonil had handed him with dry eyes and murmured low.

“Anyone who touches me gets paid back double.”

“Without question.”

At that moment, Caesar’s silver-grey eyes took on a chill, like the surface of ice. He dismissed Leonil with a gesture, and Leonil withdrew without a word.

* * *

Luna had been up since early morning, deep in preparations for the party.

The night before, Caesar had sent word through Noah telling her to prepare for a party to be held the following day. He had added briefly: it was a very important occasion.

Those few words were no different from the terms she had signed her name to in the agreement, the demand that she perform flawlessly as his wife.

The maids who whisked Luna away washed her thoroughly and applied a thin layer of rose oil all over her body. A soft rose fragrance drifted from her moistened skin.

Over the layers of her dress, costly jewels were added to match.

A light coat of makeup was applied to make her fair skin stand out even more, and once a subtle lift at the corners of her eyes completed the alluring effect, she shone with a beauty that left nothing to be desired.

The woman reflected in the mirror was the Adelia that Luna had always known.

Luna and Adelia had been told since childhood that they looked like twins. But Luna’s own thoughts on the matter had always been a little different.

Adelia’s skin was fairer, and her eyes were a touch more vivid and wide. More than anything, the air about each of them had grown increasingly different as the years passed. At some point it had reached the stage where Luna could no longer pass for Adelia at all.

And yet now, she had become her completely. It was a strange feeling.

“My lady, it is time to go.”

There was no time to linger in sentiment. The hour of the party was drawing closer. Catching herself, Luna moved quickly.

The place she arrived at with Caesar was the Crown Prince’s palace. Luna took his hand naturally and was escorted inside the party hall.

Dressed in matching black outfits accented with red, they were, at least on the surface, a perfect pair.

When the talked-about Grand Duke and Duchess entered the banquet hall, a brief hush fell over the room.

The more that happened, the more Luna kept the smile fixed to her lips.

Pretending to be a happy wife. Pretending to love her husband with all her heart.

It was no different for Caesar. He guided her with even more courtesy than usual, and the tender gaze that made onlookers feel a warmth in their own chests rested on his wife alone.

At the sight of the Grand Duke and Duchess looking so perfectly suited to each other, people maintained an outward composure while failing to conceal their inner astonishment.

The expressions of the young noblewomen who had admired Caesar were noticeably stiff in particular. They kept their smiles in place behind their fans, but the bitterness underneath was not something they could hide.

When that suffocating stretch finally ended, Crown Prince Adrian approached them and greeted them with apparent delight.

“Welcome. I did not expect to meet the Grand Duchess I have heard so much about like this.”

Luna lifted the hem of her dress slightly and offered a proper curtsy.

“I am honored to meet you, Your Highness the Crown Prince. It is a privilege to have been invited.”

It was a flawless, polished display of etiquette.

Luna had a fair amount of natural talent for performance, but more than that, this kind of role was not unfamiliar to her.

The movements she had drilled into her body on Adelia’s behalf came out naturally, and she carried them off with ease.

Adrian watched the two of them, who seemed quite convincingly affectionate, and spoke to Caesar with a meaningful look.

“To think you would accept an invitation to a party like this. I was quite surprised when I received your reply confirming attendance. What on earth came over you?”

The fact that a man who had never so much as shown his face at parties had appeared at a social gathering hosted by the Crown Prince drew looks of mingled astonishment. Caesar paid those looks no mind, gazed at his wife with warmth, and answered without missing a beat.

“My wife said she was feeling cooped up, so I came along to give her some air. Isn’t that right, Adelia?”

“Yes, dear.”

A composed question was met with an equally warm reply. The two of them were already keeping pace with each other smoothly, putting on a flawless performance.

Even after that, Caesar was noticeably more attentive toward her in front of Adrian.

He handed her finger food himself, and even gently tended to her lips, saying her makeup looked smudged.

The sight of Caesar transformed a full hundred and eighty degrees drew stunned looks from those around them, but he carried on without any sign of discomfort.

Adrian watched the Grand Duke and Duchess’s cringe-worthy display of affection with a skeptical expression.

Then he let out a small laugh and spoke.

“Well then, I hope you enjoy yourselves.”

With the exchange with the Crown Prince concluded, a wave of people surged in and surrounded them.

It became a crush in no time, filled with those trying to make an impression on the Grand Duke and Duchess and get even a word in, and with the endless stream of people it was nearly impossible to tell one from another.

Every now and then someone would greet her as though they knew her, but Luna had no idea who they were. They were probably acquaintances of Adelia’s. Luna kept her smile in place and played along as best she could.

Cold sweat had soaked through to her back before she knew it from the unexpected situation.

Just as she was at a loss for what to do, Caesar stepped in front of her and spoke.

“Excuse us, I have a prior engagement with my wife.”

In the middle of the crowd, Caesar naturally took her hand and led her away from the throng.

He then guided Luna toward the center of the hall in time with a violin melody that had just begun.

This was a problem. Luna had the etiquette of a noble young lady down perfectly, but dancing was another matter entirely.

She had picked up the basics on Adelia’s account, of course, but this was her first time in practice. There had never been any occasion for her to dance with anyone.

Thinking that an even greater obstacle had arrived, she mouthed silently to Caesar.

‘Let’s. Go. Back.’

She tried to protest in a small voice, but it was no use. The music had already started.

Caesar wrapped his hand naturally around her waist and began to lead.

The black dress and suit were crafted from luxurious fabric that caught a soft sheen with every movement, and the red jewel accents set throughout caught the light and sparkled, perfectly relieving any hint of plainness.

The nobles watching the scene could not hide their envy as they murmured among themselves.

“That dress is a limited-edition couples’ look from 〈Rose Bloom〉. I heard the price was considerable.”

“So it was true that the Grand Duke of Valenstein went to the dress shop in person to choose it.”

“What fortune the Grand Duchess must have. To enjoy everything there is to enjoy and then marry a perfect man on top of it all.”

“She must have saved an empire in her past life.”

They say life is a comedy seen from a distance and a tragedy seen up close.

Unlike the envious gazes of the nobles, Luna, held in Caesar’s hands, was struggling just to keep up with his movements.

But thanks to his skilled lead, the rhythm gradually came together, and before she knew it they were moving in natural sync.

That was in part due to Caesar’s consideration.

He adjusted his pace to match her slightly delayed timing, accommodating her without making it obvious.

Every time she came close to him, a pleasant scent brushed past the tip of her nose. Each time his hand grazed her waist or shoulder, Luna tried her best to calm her racing heart.