As the old woman quieted down, Greta let out a sigh.

“Why are you talking about that? It’s because of those people that she’s like this. And you say such things right in front of the biggest victim?”

“Then where should I talk about it? Should I go complain to the palace gatekeeper?”

Greta jumped up, furious, but I could tell she was just worried about the old woman. I gently grabbed Greta’s arm and shook my head.

“It’s okay. She was just telling me something I didn’t know.”

I sighed. The old woman had wanted to tell me this story ever since she learned that I was related to Count Hershey. She answered all my questions because she wanted to share this. So, I figured the least I could do was listen.

“And… the Bailey family’s target wasn’t His Majesty the Emperor but Her Majesty the Empress. They probably wanted to install the Empress, who’s a wizard, as the ruler. Count Bailey knew too. He knew the current Emperor is not the real one.”

I never thought I’d see the day where I’d defend Cade with my own words. Life truly is full of surprises.

“Count Hershey, too, originally planned to leave Cadia, hiding the fact that he’s a wizard. He could have lived comfortably as the Lord of the Wind in Laran, but he stayed here for the sake of the wizards in Cadia. Even now, he’s working day and night, unable to even return home.”

Though my words couldn’t solve the situation, I hoped they would ease some of the unease. Thankfully, the old woman spoke with a noticeably more relaxed expression.

“I hope that’s true.”

“How about talking directly to Count Hershey? Actually, I came here today to give you an invitation. Would you attend my party?”

I handed her the invitation, hoping my smile looked harmless. She accepted it with both hands, looking humbled. I explained for a long time that she didn’t need to prepare anything, that it was just a party for people I’m grateful to, not for nobles. But the old woman merely fiddled with the invitation without saying anything.

“…Thank you.”

That wasn’t exactly a promise to attend, but I mistakenly felt reassured by her response.

That evening, I returned to the estate without delivering the invitation to Betty because it got late. If I had gone alone, I could have given it to her, but Jane and Greta suddenly became very hungry, so we had to head back early.

During the usual dinner, Ian cautiously spoke up.

“You handed out the party invitations today, right?”

“Yes.”

“…Did you give them all out?”

“Not yet.”

At that, Ian’s expression brightened slightly. As I chewed on the appetizer, I couldn’t help but wonder if he also wanted an invitation. He’s the owner of the house, after all.

“Then when will you give out the rest?”

“Tomorrow. Why?”

Ian didn’t ask for an invitation for himself. Instead, he sighed and said,

“Phillip asked me to find out… why he didn’t get one.”

Ah.

“Shall I deliver it to Phillip if you’re going to give him one?”

I hadn’t thought about Phillip. He might not care, but his wife, Sierra, would probably feel hurt. She’s always been kind enough to attend and fill the seats whenever I hosted a party. I decided I’d write an invitation to Sierra tomorrow morning. But Ian wasn’t finished.

“And… Sir Wayne seems to be expecting one too.”

Sir Wayne is the head knight of the 1st Order, responsible for guarding the main Keppel family. I didn’t expect him to want an invitation, so I was quite taken aback.

“Um, Ian. It seems like people don’t really understand the purpose of this party…”

“I tried explaining, but since it’s been so long since Liv has hosted a party, everyone seems to be looking forward to it.”

“That’s not good…”

I groaned. I just wanted to express my gratitude to my friends, but it was starting to spiral into something bigger. Ian, sensing my discomfort, hesitated before saying,

“I told Cade it wasn’t going to happen.”

Ha. I let out a bitter laugh. I quickly changed my expression and said sternly,

“Why is it that news of me hosting a party is spreading everywhere?”

“Liv, it wasn’t my fault. I just applied for leave in advance for that day, and Cade figured it out… because he’s sharp.”

You applied for leave for a party that’s in the evening? Why did you even do that so early? I was about to snap, but I held back and asked,

“What about Sir Wayne?”

“Probably because Greta mentioned it. I don’t know.”

When Ian raised his hands in surrender, I was at a loss for words. He seemed scared that I might get angry, so he quickly added,

“Should I tell Sir Wayne not to expect anything?”

On second thought, it didn’t seem right to exclude Sir Wayne from attending a party Greta would be at, considering her future. I sighed.

“I’ll write invitations for both Phillip and Sir Wayne. You can deliver them tomorrow. But no more. Ian, you need to stop it from spreading further, understood?”

“Yes.”

Ian responded seriously, as if he had just received an important mission. I couldn’t help but laugh, finding the situation both ridiculous and amusing. Ian, seeing that I didn’t seem upset, looked relieved. He cautiously asked,

“You’ll need a new dress for the party, right?”

“No, why? There won’t be anyone there to criticize me for wearing the same dress.”

Ian frowned. For the record, that expression isn’t one of anger, but one he makes when he’s being stubborn. It’s a bit unfair when I think about how nervous that face used to make me. Ian spoke in a concerned tone,

“Those old dresses are heavy and uncomfortable to breathe in. And they’re not even in style anymore…”

I chuckled.

“You never cared about fashion, Ian.”

“Liv, what if you collapse from wearing such clothes to the party?”

Ian’s serious face was full of concern. I scratched my face, feeling a bit awkward. I never know how to respond in these situations. As Ian waited for my answer, he sighed and said,

“Also, with mother’s workshop doing well, it wouldn’t hurt to help out by getting some clothes from the new boutique.”

“That’s a great idea. I hadn’t thought of that.”

It was surprising that Ian had such a thoughtful idea. Mother-in-law would have been really happy to hear this. He had never shown much interest in her business before, but maybe after dealing with Ellen’s issue and meeting with the lawyer, he had become more attentive. Or so I thought, but then Ian gave a bitter smile and muttered under his breath,

“I think I’m starting to understand how to convince you now.”

“Sorry, what?”

“Nothing.”

I hadn’t heard him clearly, so I was curious, but it seemed Ian wasn’t planning to repeat himself. Instead, he changed the subject.

“You haven’t set a dress code for the party, right?”

“No. Since not all the guests are nobles, I told them to come in their usual clothes… Hmm.”

Mid-sentence, I paused in thought. Women’s dresses had undergone a lot of changes recently, but men’s formalwear had remained largely the same. Sir Wayne would wear his knight uniform, but Ian and Phillip would likely be in black tailcoats. The other guests, though, wouldn’t have tailcoats. Would it feel awkward?

“Ian, would you be willing to try out a new design?”

Ian looked at me with a puzzled expression. I grinned, excited at the thought of dressing him in a modern suit.

“You haven’t attended any parties recently, so you haven’t had any new clothes made, right? And you’ve lost some weight. Since we’re making new clothes anyway, I have a design in mind that would go well with the latest trends in dresses.”

“Sure.”

Ian was more agreeable than I expected. I couldn’t believe his willingness, so I added an explanation.

“It might be different from traditional formalwear. It’ll be more like a lounge suit but slimmer and more modern.”

“That’s fine.”

Why was he being so easygoing? I expected him to resist when I mentioned something similar to a lounge suit. Originally, lounge suits were made for nobles to wear more comfortably, but over time, they became popular among commoners, so now they were mostly worn by them. Nobles, wanting to distance themselves from commoner fashion, stopped wearing them. Still, I asked, a bit bewildered,

“Really? You’re okay with it?”

“Of course. Will you be designing it yourself?”

“I have an idea, but I’ll need Ellen’s help. I’ll ask her tomorrow when I give her the invitation. If you don’t like the final product, that’s fine, but I’d like you to wear it at least for this party. After all, Bill’s and the other guests’ partners probably won’t have tailcoats either.”

Though Ian responded positively, I couldn’t stop talking, still a bit incredulous. My mother-in-law had popularized daring dresses, but that was easier because she was a woman, and women in high society were always eager to stand out. Many had attempted even bolder looks.

But the men’s fashion scene in Cadia was extremely conservative. No matter how colorful the women’s dresses were, men could only wear black tailcoats, and that was proof enough. Yet, here I was asking Ian to break that mold, and he wasn’t even hesitating. Noticing my uncertainty, Ian smiled gently and said,

“I get it. You’re worried that if I dress too formally, the other guests might feel uncomfortable, right? Even if we said they could wear their usual clothes, someone might feel embarrassed if they don’t have proper formalwear.”

“…Yes.”

Now reassured that Ian wasn’t just answering carelessly, I finally felt at ease. Of course, I could have done what I did with Walter and sent a tailor to each guest, but since I didn’t know who my friends would bring as partners, that wasn’t feasible.

I hadn’t even planned for this to be a partner-invited party in the first place, yet somehow, everyone seemed excited about bringing one. All I had intended was to invite my friends, feed them well, and show them a good time, not introduce them to high society.

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