Up until last year, I had never even imagined something like this would happen, so I felt a bit awkward and strangely ticklish. Just as I had expected, as soon as the dance ended, Isabella came running over.

“Why are you such a good dancer?”

“What? Do you want to dance with me too?”

“……”

“You’re not denying it, huh?”

Greta chuckled lightly and started dancing with Isabella. Isabella’s partner, now left alone, approached me.

“This is quite an enjoyable party, Duchess.”

His long hair, his skin, and even his clothes were all white, giving him an especially mysterious aura. I greeted him while glancing at the black band that covered his eyes.

“Lord Oran, thank you for gracing us with your presence despite your busy schedule.”

“Busy? Hardly. The investigation into the Empress’s assassination has concluded, so I have plenty of free time. If you were to flee once more, Duchess, I suppose I’d have something else to do.”

That must be a joke, right? I gave a vague smile. I didn’t know much about him, but according to Isabella, he was a very, very powerful magician.

The title “Lord of Light” meant that he was the most skilled light magician in Laran, and aside from the princess and Raphael, he held the highest status among the Laran delegation.

I was curious why someone of his stature would bother teaching Isabella, but I held back, thinking it might be rude to ask. However, Lord Oran seemed to have something to say to me, as he leaned in and whispered.

“To be honest, I thought you’d ask Raphael for help. That’s partly why I cooperated so half-heartedly.”

…Ah, is this the man my mother mentioned, the one who supposedly restored the scene of me escaping from the bank? A vague memory of my mother’s words surfaced.

“Raphael lent you a dagger, gave you medicine, and even offered you top-quality roscari to help with your awakening, but you didn’t contact him even once, did you?”

Then, out of nowhere, Lord Oran began chuckling. I was a bit taken aback. Why was he laughing?

“Oh, I’m sorry. It’s just too funny.”

Feeling somewhat awkward, I responded, “Are you trying to say I’m being ungrateful?”

“Hmm, not at all. I simply find it amusing to see that guy get rejected by a woman. Please don’t misunderstand.”

“…What?”

“You see, that’s why good-looking men are no good. They never put in the effort.”

Lord Oran suddenly began criticizing Raphael, saying he didn’t try hard enough and was unlucky to be born into royalty. Feeling uncomfortable, I said, “I think there’s been a misunderstanding. Raphael helped me purely out of kindness.”

“I see.”

Lord Oran nodded as if he understood, but that somehow made me feel even more uneasy. Frowning, I asked, “…May I ask why you’re teaching Isabella?”

I hadn’t planned to ask, but I suddenly began to worry that Lord Oran might have ulterior motives for teaching Isabella. If that were the case, the difference in their statuses was so great that I feared Isabella might get hurt. Without hesitation, Lord Oran answered my question.

“Because I like her.”

“What do you mean?”

“She’s full of desire.”

…What does that mean? I furrowed my brow, unsure of how to respond. As I was pondering what to ask next to probe further, he added with a serious expression.

“She’s the most ambitious person I’ve ever seen. Ambition is the source of magic, after all. That’s why Bella has a lot of potential, enough to make me want to teach her.”

With his eyes covered by a black band, it was hard to read his expression. If I could see his eyes, I might be able to tell whether he was being sincere. I wanted to ask more, but before I could, Isabella approached with Greta after finishing their dance.

“What were you talking about?” Isabella asked.

“About how pretty you are,” Lord Oran replied, his red lips curling into a smile. I thought to myself how seductive his smile was for a man, but Isabella laughed loudly and responded.

“Please stop teasing me. You know my face isn’t real.”

“It’s real to me. You shine so brightly to my eyes.”

Is this what Lord Oran considers effort? But it didn’t seem to have any effect on Isabella, who began to scold him instead.

“You’re not trying the same lines on the Duchess, are you? Duchess, you shouldn’t believe anything my master says. Especially if he asks you to help him because he can’t see—run away. Even though he’s blind, he can see everything with magic.”

“I never did that,” Lord Oran muttered defensively.

It seemed Lord Oran was the one getting hurt here, not Isabella, so there was nothing to worry about. Though now that I thought about it, I might not have bothered controlling my facial expressions, thinking he couldn’t see. I quietly withdrew to the edge of the hall when I heard Phillip’s voice.

“Duchess.”

“Phillip, Sierra. Welcome.”

I smiled warmly as I saw Sierra, whom Phillip had brought with him. Sierra gave a small bow.

“Duchess.”

“How are you feeling?” I asked.

“I’m fine. I heard this was a special party—thank you for inviting me.”

Feeling a bit guilty, I hastily explained with an apologetic expression.

“I wasn’t sure whether to invite you because I heard you’re still experiencing morning sickness.”

“As long as the Duchess invites me, I’ll gladly come anytime. However, once my morning sickness ends, I’ll be going to my family estate to prepare for the birth. I’m so glad I could see you before I leave.”

As I helped guide Sierra to a table, I thought to myself. Phillip hadn’t told his wife about Ian and me getting divorced. Maybe it was because he’s a man of few words, or perhaps he wanted to avoid shocking her during her early pregnancy. Since I didn’t want to alarm her either, I simply smiled. I couldn’t shake the feeling that this might be the last time I see her.

“Will the baby be born in the fall?”

“Yes, probably after the social season ends. It’s a good time. I hope Phillip will have some free time by then.”

I felt a pang of guilt and couldn’t bring myself to respond. Once I divorced, there wouldn’t be anyone to manage the estate, so Phillip would probably be even busier than before. Sierra, noticing my sudden silence, looked at me curiously. I quickly smiled and made an excuse.

“I was just thinking about what gift to give the baby.”

“Anything would make us happy. But actually, I do have a request.”

“Oh? What is it?”

I was relieved that she brought it up first since I’d been wondering. But when I heard her request, I froze.

“I’d like you to be our baby’s godmother.”

“……”

“We’re thinking of holding the christening in spring since winter feels a bit risky. It’ll probably be around this time next year.”

I managed to quickly compose myself and smile, but I couldn’t bring myself to accept her request outright. Sensing my hesitation, Phillip stepped in.

“Why are you asking her that? I was supposed to ask His Grace to be the godfather.”

“Well, can’t they both be the godparents? If something were to happen to us, the Duchess would take care of our child anyway. It only makes sense to start off on the right foot.”

“Sierra, would you like to dance?”

“What? But we just sat down.”

“Come on, let’s go! It’s been a while since we’ve been at a party. Let’s not waste time.”

Phillip gently pulled Sierra up, despite her slight surprise. She didn’t seem too bothered, though, and after exchanging a glance with me, she followed him to the center of the hall. I waved at Sierra with a smile. After instructing the musicians to play a slow tune, I glanced toward the entrance and saw Ian coming in.

“Liv, were you waiting for me?”

I stared blankly as Ian walked toward me, smiling. Ellen really is a genius. For him to create something of this quality from my crude sketches—he’s definitely a genius.

“Hmm, does it look okay?”

Ian cleared his throat, looking a little self-conscious. I blinked and then laughed.

“Yes, it looks amazing. Even better than I expected.”

As Ian walked in, it was like he was posing for a photo shoot. He looked almost model-like in his sleek suit, his frame slimmer from having searched for me for so long. Ian naturally took my hand and escorted me back to the center of the hall. Unfortunately, since I had asked for a slow song for Sierra’s sake, Ian and I had to awkwardly start dancing to it.

“I wanted to come sooner, but Cade kept holding me up.”

“That’s okay. Thank you for helping me, even though you were on vacation.”

Ian had taken time off to help me prepare for the party early, but I had asked him to fill in for Phillip at work so Phillip could go pick up Sierra. Ian had ended up staying behind, doing Phillip’s work as well, and arriving late. In the past, I wouldn’t have dared to make such a request, but I had become a bit bolder. After all, I was managing the estate; I figured I could ask for this much.

“Phillip needed a break too. Without you, I wouldn’t have even thought of it.”

Ian glanced at Sierra, who was dancing nearby. Her face radiated happiness, with no trace of fear or worry about the future. Turning his gaze back to me, Ian added, “Everyone seems to be enjoying themselves.”

“Do you think so?”

“Yes.”

I thought so too. Despite my worries, no one seemed uncomfortable with my commoner friends. In fact, many were showing interest. Greta, in particular, hadn’t stopped dancing the entire evening and was now dancing with Sir Murray. Their lively chatter reached our ears, especially with the slow music making everything else quieter.

“See? It’s awkward to dance to a song like this without a partner. That’s why you and I should dance together!”

“Why us?”

“You promised to take responsibility for me! You swore it in front of dozens of people, and now you’re going back on it?”

“When did I ever…”

TL NOTE: Visit and bookmark the story at dusk blossoms for more advanced chapters and updates of its latest release.