“Princess Terosia?”

“Yes. With her due date approaching, she seems to miss her homeland. She frequently talks about you.”

Princess Terosia, Khalid’s sister, had married the Crown Prince of the Ludrian Kingdom and became the Crown Princess. To Ryuel, she was literally his sister-in-law.

In other words, the ‘respected older brother’ Ryuel had mentioned before referred to Crown Prince Arkiel.

Known for his qualities as a sage king, it was understandable that Ryuel would follow him to the point of being teased as having a brother complex.

‘Come to think of it, Sister Terosia did mention Prince Icaryuel before.’

Ryuel said he had heard about Aristie through Terosia, and thinking back, Aristie also recalled hearing about Ryuel through her.

She had talked about how handsome Prince Icaryuel, the Crown Prince’s brother, was and how popular he was in social circles.

He had said he wanted to escape far away due to the overwhelming attention from women, but who would have thought he would actually flee to a distant foreign country. And even pose as a delegation member.

Though he probably didn’t expect to have to flee again during the auction.

“Is that… so.”

Aristie bit her lip to suppress a laugh at the unexpected revelation of Ryuel’s actions. She hadn’t expected to see him again, but she couldn’t help feeling delighted to the point of smiling.

Anyway, Sister Terosia… Fell madly in love with the Crown Prince of a neighboring country and is finally going to meet a beautiful baby.

“I am truly happy to hear about the baby. I would like to visit and congratulate Her Highness personally after the birth.”

Aristie expressed her affection for Princess Terosia. Meanwhile, she was recalling the good old days in her mind.

When she was young, she, her brother, Khalid, and Terosia were all as close as siblings.

Until one day, the position of Empress suddenly felt like a shackle to her.

“If the lady does so, my sister-in-law will be very pleased.”

“I will try to plan a visit. Thank you for the news. Then, have a good rest, and I’ll see you at the banquet.”

Talking with Ryuel was enjoyable as always, but they were no longer in a position for that. Moreover, this was an official setting, and Khalid was right next to her, so she couldn’t show her emotions.

Ryuel, knowing the situation, politely bowed and withdrew.

After he left, Khalid, who had been patiently waiting, subtly spoke to Aristie.

“You seem to be acquainted with Prince Icaryuel…”

“Did it seem that way?”

“It did…”

How did he know? I didn’t really show it.

And why does he keep dragging out his words?

Khalid’s attitude felt somewhat strange. Come to think of it, he had also tried to speak to me before the delegation entered, only to mumble.

I wanted to ask if he had something to say, but Aristie kept her mouth shut, fearing her voice would come out sharp. Khalid seemed like he wanted to say something repeatedly, but Aristie pretended not to notice until the end.

Until all the meetings with the delegations lined up were over.

“You did well, Your Majesty. Then I’ll go take a rest. There’s time until the banquet meeting, so please rest as well.”

As Aristie was about to leave after her greeting, Khalid stopped her.

“What about lunch? Won’t you join me?”

“Ah… I’ve been tense all along, so I’m not very hungry. Then I’ll see you at the banquet.”

Aristie refused with a gentle smile. It was the best expression she could muster.

Having neatly set a boundary, Khalid couldn’t hold her any longer. As she passed through the long corridor and stepped outside into the sunlight, someone approached her quickly.

“I’m sorry for being late. I’ve been looking for quite a while.”

It was Ryuel.

He handed something to Aristie, whose eyes were round like a rabbit’s.

It wasn’t some grand gift.

It was just a cup of water.

The cup of water he had gone to fetch at her request once, but couldn’t deliver because she had run away.

“I remember you saying you were thirsty and asked for a glass of water.”

Did he remember that flimsy excuse…?

Aristie’s heart stirred painfully. It felt unbearably heavy.

But she had firmly decided to leave that day as just a memory. Still, she couldn’t ignore the hand he extended, so she carefully accepted the cup.

“Thank you for being so considerate.”

Ryuel looked at Aristie tenderly as she took a sip of water, then spoke.

“So, it seems fate has brought us together again.”

“Prince Icaryuel…”

“Please call me Ryuel, as before.”

“I can’t do that to a prince…”

“Ryuel.”

“But Ica…”

“Ryuel.”

Stubborn.

Aristie scolded him inwardly but eventually surrendered.

“Alright, Ryuel.”

Only then did Ryuel’s stern gaze soften a little.

But it was only his gaze that softened; his voice became even more resolute.

“That day was not an end for me but a beginning. Now that we’ve met again, I don’t want to retreat easily.”

“……”

“I must tell you, I am not someone who meets women lightly. It was with sincerity that I spent time with you.”

“…I know. It’s just that from my side, I can’t continue the connection from that day.”

She thought he would understand with this. She nodded in farewell and moved to walk away, but Ryuel spoke to her back.

“I plan to stay in the Empire for a while as a delegate and a student at the academy. I hope we have many opportunities to meet.”

Aristie hesitated, then turned her head slightly to reply.

“I am soon to become the Empress of the Empire.”

But Ryuel seemed unfazed.

“But not yet, right?”

Aristie looked up at Ryuel in surprise. Then she quickly turned her head away and walked away from him.

* * *

A banquet event where high-ranking nobles of the Empire and overseas delegations exchange.

It was a tense gathering of prominent figures from around the world. It was particularly so for Aristie.

Because Estelle was also attending today’s event.

Since Estelle was adopted into the Vascus marquisate, Aristie had anticipated a day like this would come. Still, facing it was quite uncomfortable.

‘Of all times, to end up sitting at the same table as Khalid.’

The only saving grace was the seating arrangement. Estelle was positioned far from the main table where she and Khalid sat.

A place where voices could be heard but eyes wouldn’t meet. Khalid must have arranged this in advance.

However, the lack of eye contact was limited to Aristie; Khalid and Estelle could see each other’s faces if they wished. Thinking of this made Aristie feel uneasy, and she lowered her gaze to her plate.

“Do you have no appetite?”

Ryuel, sitting beside her, asked.

The seating was arranged primarily considering status and position, so Ryuel was seated next to Aristie.

“I guess I’m a bit nervous. But I’m fine.”

Aristie replied lightly.

Ryuel knew nothing about Estelle. She had no intention of telling him.

She sincerely didn’t want to give him any personal leeway on any topic.

“Ahem! Thank you to all the guests gathered here, and I will briefly offer a toast.”

The banquet, which began with the Emperor’s toast, was in full swing by the time the Duke of Yentrice, seated opposite, stood to give a toast. Aristie fiddled with her champagne glass, half-listening to her father’s speech.

Eventually, everyone raised their glasses to the air and set them down.

In the meantime, something unfamiliar appeared next to Aristie’s plate.

‘……?’

This is…

‘…a snail?’

It was a snail, no matter how you looked at it.

Of course, it wasn’t a living creature but a small model snail folded from a handkerchief.

“You seemed to have no appetite. I thought you might want to eat this.”

When Ryuel whispered unexpectedly in her ear, Aristie couldn’t help but let out a small laugh.

“Pfft.”

Fortunately, no one noticed.

Except for Khalid.

Khalid immediately reacted to her laughter and quickly spotted the handkerchief snail on the table. Aristie hastily grabbed it and lowered her arm under the table.

It felt like being caught playing a prank with a friend by the teacher.

“……”

Khalid’s golden eyes darkened. It was a phenomenon that always occurred when his emotions were stirred.

Ignoring his gaze, Aristie and Ryuel calmly continued to use their forks on their plates.

“Oh my! Lady Vascus is truly clever.”

At that moment, a lady exclaimed from a distance.

It was the Duchess of Halo, a delegate from the Kingdom of Brisen.

At the banquet, delegates from each country would discuss the state of affairs in their respective nations. Naturally, they were particularly interested in the customs and systems of the great Ferzen Empire.

As a result, a situation arose where the delegates asked questions, and the nobles of Ferzen answered. Among them, Estelle stood out quite a bit. Her efforts to excel in various fields were evident.

The Duchess of Halo was impressed after conversing with such an Estelle.

“Shouldn’t spices also be a matter to address?”