“Wow… I feel like I’m going blind from the pink. Ah, Lily, I really can’t see ahead. I guess I can’t go to the banquet…”

“Shall I call the priest?”

Lily just smiled brightly at my desperate act. It seemed Lily had become accustomed to dealing with me. Seeing that this ridiculous act no longer worked at all.

“Lily, can’t we wear that navy dress we have? Even I think this is a bit…”

“You wore that last time. This is the second official banquet, and wearing the same dress is unthinkable.”

But isn’t this a bit much too? Look at this. This blinding pink! The gold embroidery is hidden by the pink!

They’ll know it’s me from a kilometer away!

“And it just stands out a bit, but I think it suits you more than you think.”

Yes, I acknowledge the designer’s skill in making this dress beautiful with this crazy pink fabric, but… the problem is it stands out too much!

I’m already drawing attention as Ilion’s fiancée. There’s no need to exude the aura of ‘Everyone! I am Ilion’s fiancée. Haha, yes. I am that famous fiancée! Can you see? It’s me, me!’ like a show-off.

I just want to be invisible! No, I don’t even want to go to the banquet if possible!

“I also feel sick…”

“Shall we stop by the temple on the way to the Imperial Palace? I’ll let Sebastian know.”

Lily said with a still bright smile.

Lily, when did you grow up like this? I didn’t raise you this way!

The cute Lily from the beginning had now become a fine adult who didn’t believe in Santa, and she didn’t believe my words, so today too, I was dragged to the front of the entrance.

Wrapped in the dazzling pink dress, facing Ilion, I couldn’t let go of the last hope that a meteor collision might blow up the Imperial Palace.

“The dress suits you well.”

“……”

What is he saying now? Is he really crazy? A meteor collision seems more realistic!

Ilion was getting stranger, but today, too, I acted as if I was pleased to receive the compliment and climbed into the carriage.

***

The carriage to the Imperial Palace was quiet, and enduring that silence was entirely my responsibility.

Eventually, unable to bear it, I asked Ilion a few questions.

They were about Sergio and Julia, which I had deliberately avoided bringing up to not cause trouble.

I tried not to talk about that day as much as possible, but since Ilion’s attitude changed from that day, perhaps this conversation might be a clue.

But contrary to my expectations, Ilion told me in a dry voice that both Sergio and Julia were imprisoned, and the sunflower painting was recovered.

Throughout the conversation, he deliberately erased me, the mastermind of the incident, neither questioning my faults nor expressing anger.

Thus, the conversation ended without much to gain, and with only many thoughts in my head, we arrived at the Imperial Palace.

“When we enter the banquet hall, stay by my side.”

“Do you not trust me that much?”

When I asked while looking at Ilion, he looked at me as if I was stating the obvious.

Seeing this reaction, he’s not crazy…

“And don’t meet His Majesty alone.”

No matter how crazy I act, I know my life is precious. If I’m pushed to meet alone, I’ll bite my tongue and pretend to be dead!

“And your hand.”

“…Yes?”

Why is he asking for my hand all of a sudden? I looked at Ilion with a puzzled face.

“If you really received etiquette training, you should sue that teacher. Isn’t it basic to receive a man’s escort when entering?”

“……”

Then why not just say that? He never knows how to say things nicely.

I quickly placed my hand on his arm. Ilion matched his pace to mine as we slowly moved toward the ballroom entrance.

“Wait. You didn’t say anything like this at the Marchioness’s banquet last time?”

I asked, feeling something was off only when we reached the door, but my words were drowned out by the voice of the attendant loudly announcing our entrance.

Of course, even then, Ilion, who was right next to me, couldn’t have missed my words, but he pretended not to hear and didn’t respond.

As we entered the hall, people I had seen at the Marchioness’s banquet last time began to catch my eye one by one.

The lady who spilled champagne on me next to Julia saw me, bowed her head, and moved away, and Baron Giblin frowned as if he saw something unpleasant and turned his back.

Only Marchioness Lancel greeted us warmly.

“It’s been a while, Miss Rischefeld.”

“Have you been well, Madam?”

“No, I haven’t been well. I was looking forward to you coming to learn the egg tart recipe, but there was no word. I’ve been waiting for your telegram, getting old.”

The Marchioness replied, pretending to be sad as she looked at me.

Oh, right. I said I’d learn the recipe.

I was so busy trying to escape from Ilion that I forgot I made such a promise.

“I’m sorry. I’ve been so out of it lately… I’ll make sure to visit soon.”

“I’m joking. No need to apologize. It’s understandable. I’ve been reading about Miss Rischefeld’s exploits in the newspaper.”

The Marchioness continued the conversation with a smile, as if she had never shown a gloomy expression. It was a relief she wasn’t upset.

“The Duke is fortunate, isn’t he? To have such a talented lady as his fiancée.”

At the Marchioness’s words, Ilion glanced at me and replied.

“Yes. With so much talent, there’s never a dull moment.”

Is he deliberately saying this for me to hear?

“My, to hear such words from the Duke. Was Miss Rischefeld busy because the Duke won’t let her go?”

Well asked, Madam. Thinking I couldn’t lose to Ilion, I intercepted his answer with a serious expression.

“Just between you and me, Madam, you’re right. The Duke seems to never want to be apart from me, always seeking me out every day. These days, I can’t even sleep well at night because of the Duke…”

Trailing off, I opened my fan to cover my face, looking embarrassed.

It was true that Ilion sought me out every day to assign tasks, and it was also true that I couldn’t sleep well at night due to him.

Of course, there were a few deliberately omitted words, but there were no lies.

“I didn’t know you couldn’t sleep at night?”

“Since the Duke doesn’t send me back to my room, how can I sleep at all?”

Ilion forced a smile and replied, and I too smiled brightly in response.

And the Marchioness made a fuss over our conversation, which was perfect for misunderstanding if overheard.

“Being young is great, isn’t it? If only my Marquis were half like Duke Celestine, huh?”

“What’s wrong with me, wife? If it’s about loving you, I’m no less than anyone…”

The Marquis Lancel, who had been quietly listening, interjected, but his words were immediately stopped by the Madam’s hand.

“We agreed to say such things only at home, didn’t we?”

“But you keep being envious.”

The Marchioness, seemingly embarrassed, pulled her husband’s hand and waved to us.

“I’ll just have a word with my husband. See you later, Miss Rischefeld.”

“If you doubt my love, I have no reason to live. Really, wife. Shall we have a third child? I’m ready anytime…”

“It’s embarrassing, so please be quiet. At our age, if others hear about a third child, they’ll criticize us!”

Their whispered conversation sounded like gentle background music. The true lovebirds were elsewhere.

Unlike the show-window couple of the ducal family.

“I didn’t know you couldn’t sleep because I didn’t send you back… I thought you were sleeping well since you always appear with a well-rested face every morning.”

“Sleeping soundly and not being able to sleep are different.”

“That’s not my fault, but because you have a lot on your mind.”

“Oh my, do I look that intellectual? I’m so happy the Duke would give me such a compliment.”

When I made such frivolous remarks, Ilion usually looked at me as if he couldn’t believe it, but today there was no change in his expression. Instead, he looked at me, seemingly urging me to continue.

It was indeed strange.

Like a perfectly played piano piece, the occasional off-key note of Ilion’s actions made my heart pound.

Even if I pondered the reason for his behavior, it wasn’t easy for me, who had only known him for about two months, to find which key was causing trouble.

I only newly realized that thinking I knew him best, next to Sebastian, was all my vain arrogance.

“His Majesty the Emperor is entering!”

Before I could delve deeper into my thoughts about Ilion, I quickly turned my gaze at the loud voice.

A man with dazzling blonde hair and blue eyes, as lovely as a fairy, entered slowly with an escort.

The ornate decorations embroidered with gold thread on his pure white uniform seemed to lose their shine as if they had met the wrong owner. The Emperor’s beauty was more beautiful than the descriptions in novels.

If Ilion had the image of a cold beauty, Klaus was the epitome of gentle beauty.

Who said thoughts are reflected on the face? The person who first said that must not have known Klaus.

Who could dare imagine that someone with such an angelic face would be out of their mind?

Following Klaus, who drew everyone’s attention as he entered, a woman in a pure white dress followed.

Thanks to her platinum hair as white as her dress, she exuded a sacred aura.

That must be the saintess, Artia Sevion…

Her striking appearance made it immediately obvious she was the saintess without needing to ponder.

Walking with her back straight and chin slightly raised, the saintess looked confident. It was a cliché expression, but she truly resembled a graceful swan.

But she seemed too calm and noble for someone who had lost her country.

Did the saintess originally appear like this? Somehow, I thought she was more somber… I tried to recall the vague memories, but it was impossible to remember the trivial scenes of a story I read over two months ago.

I could only lose myself for a moment, gazing at the scene so beautiful that one might believe an angel had descended.