As I had promised, I sent a letter that day, saying Joyce had collapsed during her walk and would be returned after a few days of rest. The next day, a carriage from the Mollys arrived at the Keppel mansion’s main gate.

I had the butler tell them Joyce and I were out and sent them back, asking them to come later, as the Duchess was delighted to be meeting with a friend after such a long time. A few days later, another letter arrived from the Mollys, asking that she be returned before the upcoming royal New Year’s Ball, as preparations were necessary with only a few days left.

“Where do they get off sending letters telling us to send her back or not? Such arrogance. They should be here on their knees begging us in person.”

I crossed my legs and twirled the pen in my hand. How should I write this to make it famous for its cleverness? I saw Joyce, seated on the sofa sipping tea, swallow hard. I smiled sweetly at her and began drafting my reply. The letter flowed smoothly as I skipped over the customary, pointless opening and even the formalities.

[Lord Louis, you are not one to summon a pregnant woman at will, not even for the New Year’s Ball, which only happens once a year. Speaking of which, it seems Lord Louis has sent a carriage for his pregnant wife. You must not be too worried about her, then. I, on the other hand, am quite concerned and plan to stay by her side until she reaches a stable phase. Please, cease with the letters.]

It would probably be the first time Louis would even learn his wife was pregnant, but I doubted he’d have the nerve to ask if it were true out of sheer embarrassment. I then wrote another letter to Lady Molly, in case Lord Louis tried to hide the pregnancy news.

[Lady Molly, were you aware that your son, Lord Louis, keeps sending personal letters under the guise of Joyce? I’m concerned scandalous rumors might arise, so please restrain him. I fear my gentle friend might suffer emotional distress from Lord Louis’s actions, which could affect the child. Also, my husband is quite displeased with the situation.]

Upon reading the letters, Joyce covered her mouth with her hand.

“Well? Won’t they freak out over what this means?”

“They might faint…” Joyce replied with a laugh.

* * *

Finally, the day of the New Year’s Ball arrived. As soon as I entered the hall, I placed my hand over my heart. I thought I’d be fine, but memories of that time came rushing back, leaving my heart cold. Ian looked at me with a worried expression and asked,

“Are you all right?”

“Yes.”

I forced a smile, thinking he’d suggest we leave immediately if I said otherwise. Ian remained concerned and kept a close watch on me after we entered the ballroom. His attention soon drew people’s curious stares, and I found myself speaking sharply without meaning to.

“Ian, stop staring.”

“….”

“Look ahead. The debutantes for this year.”

I quickly added, sensing my tone was a bit too cold.

“It seems the era of petticoats is ending. Your mother’s influence is quite impressive, isn’t it?”

Ian didn’t respond. I sighed inwardly. Did I hurt him by telling him so bluntly to stop looking at me? I hadn’t meant to, yet I felt uneasy knowing I’d likely hurt him again. While I was gauging his reaction, Ian finally replied, somewhat dully.

“I see.”

“Not much of an opinion, is it?”

He’s so hard to converse with. I wanted us to remain on friendly terms even after the divorce, maybe even as friends. But Ian replied calmly, almost as if he sensed my thoughts.

“Our distance has become closer.”

“Pardon?”

It wasn’t until we took our place on the dance floor that I realized what Ian meant. With the disappearance of the petticoat, the distance between dancing partners had indeed become closer. I’d danced with Ian last year as well, but I hadn’t noticed this at the time. Ian looked at my face and remarked,

“You’re not wearing a corset either.”

Not sure how to respond, I hesitated before answering.

“…It’s too uncomfortable.”

“Well done.”

For what? I felt my face grow hot. Through the thin fabric of my dress, I could feel the firmness of Ian’s hand on my back.

“It’s hard to breathe in one, isn’t it?”

“Yes, that’s right…”

His hand resting on my waist was so distracting that I tripped over my own step without meaning to. Ian started laughing. It was the first time I’d seen him smile tonight, and it made me a little annoyed. Was he mocking me?

“Why are you laughing?”

“Just. Even Liv can make mistakes?”

“You find my mistakes amusing?”

“Is it bothering you?”

I paused, wondering at his question’s intent. Was he asking if I was bothered by his laughter? Or by the feel of his hand at my waist? Either way, I couldn’t answer.

“No one would notice Liv made a mistake.”

Ah, so he was asking if the mistake was bothering me. Embarrassed by my own stray thoughts, I lowered my head. True, just last year, I remember feeling so on edge, worried about making any missteps during a dance. I wanted to change the topic, but no good ideas came to mind. While I hesitated, the dance ended sooner than expected, and Cade came over as if he’d been waiting for his turn. I sighed inwardly.

“Duchess, may I have this dance?”

“It would be my honor, Your Majesty.”

As we began dancing, Cade observed my expression and spoke cautiously.

“Is it too much, dancing two in a row? If not with you, I’d have to dance with Lady Avery, and that would be a bit difficult.”

“I’m fine, Your Majesty.”

“Wouldn’t want you fainting either. Ian would kill me.”

Cade grumbled.

“Well, isn’t Her Highness Ophelia here?”

“Ophelia’s terrified of me. And Princess Eloise is dancing with Ian. You’re the only one I can turn to.”

I’m terrified of you too, you idiot. Knowing all too well how ruthless he could be toward any noble except for Celia, I wanted to avoid speaking to him if I could, lest he find some reason to cause trouble.

“I hear Ian plans to build a hospital.”

“Yes.”

“He seems, hmm, to be putting in a lot of effort.”

I felt puzzled as I watched Cade struggle to find the right words. What effort? Of course, I knew more than Cade about Ian’s plans, having seen the proposal and heard the detailed explanation from him directly. But Cade seemed to be talking about something else.

“Hmm. So, he’s likely to find a way.”

What way? I furrowed my brow and looked at Cade, trying to make sense of his words. Suddenly, he sighed as if he were frustrated.

“I mean a way for you to give birth safely.”

Oh…

“What exactly is Ian working on?”

This was news to me, especially given that we were about to get divorced.

“Ian said he’d be building a hospital and conducting research to integrate magic with medicine. Why would he be so proactive? It’s all likely because of your condition. So don’t worry; he’ll find a way for you to have a child and live long enough to see that child grow up and be filial.”

If I had heard this before, I might have doubted Ian. But I had the divorce agreement that Ian had drawn up for me. All it needed was a few more documents to be submitted to court, and that would be the end. This wasn’t Ian harboring ulterior motives; it was just Cade’s personal wish. So I could smile.

“I hope that’s true.”

If Ian had kept our divorce a secret from Cade, he probably had his reasons. Even if not, Cade would have countless reasons to oppose our divorce.

The empire had finally stabilized; no emperor would want his right-hand man to be embroiled in scandal. I suddenly realized that I could now fully trust Ian. In the past, I would have been plagued by doubts, questioning everything, even the smallest things.

“I’ll, hmm, do my best too.”

Cade cleared his throat awkwardly. In the past, I would have suspected this madman of having some ulterior motive, but now it almost felt genuine. Maybe, in the end, it wasn’t these people who had changed but me.

After the dance, Cade personally escorted me back to my table. It was an unusual courtesy, as the etiquette usually required the lady to approach the throne and offer her greeting. Naturally, it attracted attention, and I felt a bit uncomfortable.

“Thank you, Your Majesty.”

“Oh, this is nothing. Last year, you saved both the Empress and the unborn Prince at this ball. You’re a benefactor of the imperial family; what wouldn’t I do for you? If I could, I’d carry you around on my back.”

“Hearing that, I think I should avoid visiting the palace as much as possible.”

It wasn’t a grand joke, but Cade laughed loudly, clearly drawing attention. Calling me a benefactor of the imperial family was clearly to support me.

I tried not to be too conscious of the eyes around us. Empress Celia, who had also finished her dance, naturally approached.

Instead of taking the main seat, Celia chose to sit with me at the table, joining me on my side. When Cade noticed Ian approaching us, he pulled him away, saying he shouldn’t intrude on a conversation between ladies.

“You had a party, didn’t you?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“If only Benny wasn’t so young, I would have loved to attend…”

Not having sent her an invitation, I suddenly felt a little guilty.

“It wasn’t an event worthy of Your Majesty’s presence.”

“But the Crown Princess boasted so much about it that I was nearly envious. And they say the first female knight of the Cadia Empire was there?”

Her question, laden with curiosity, began stirring whispers. Just as Vanon had said, everyone seemed curious about my party.

“Technically, she’s not the first.”

“Then perhaps we can call her the first female knight of common origin?”

“….”

“I heard her name is Greta. What kind of person is she? I can hardly bear the suspense. What did Dame Greta wear?”

It seemed she already knew.

“She didn’t wear a dress, Your Majesty, but her uniform.”

“The White Knights’ uniform?”

“Yes, that’s what they sometimes call it.”

“Oh my.”

The official name was the First Knights, but the white uniform had become famous enough to warrant the nickname. As Keppel’s representative knight order for escort and protocol, their uniform was suitably elegant and elaborate.

“I can’t wait to invite her to my own party. Though I suppose some time is needed, given that Benny is still young and Dame Greta isn’t an official knight yet… In fact, I’ve already asked His Majesty to move up her investiture ceremony.”

Celia spoke as if sharing a secret, though her voice was loud enough for everyone around us to hear. This was a problem. Greta still had many tests to pass, and to earn her title sooner, she’d have to go through her exams more quickly. But from the royal family’s perspective, it was an exceptional favor, so I smiled and expressed my gratitude.

“Thank you, Your Majesty.”