“Is it over?”

Ilion asked in a low voice. Why did you follow me anyway? I told you I was going to the bathroom. Do you need to follow me to the bathroom to feel satisfied?

When I subtly showed my reluctance to go, Ilion glared at me with his characteristic expression.

Thinking that I’d only hear more nagging if I went back anyway, I lingered and glanced towards Alice, only to find her looking down at me and Ilion sitting on the floor. She had arrived at some point.

With her arms firmly crossed.

“What are you doing here, Duchess?”

“A-Alice?”

Alice glaring at me with her reddened eyes was quite frightening.

“W-Well, cleaning the floor?”

“With the Duke?”

“W-We have a hobby of cleaning floors together. Haha.”

“……”

It seemed she didn’t believe my words at all.

“Y-Your Grace, we’ve finished cleaning, shall we go back?”

I quickly left the place, taking Ilion with me to avoid Alice’s piercing gaze.

Anyway, this is all because of you. I could have watched a bit more.

“I feel like I’ve seen her somewhere before.”

“Who?”

Ilion, who had been muttering incomprehensibly to himself, turned his gaze to me.

“More importantly……”

“Miss!”

Almost at the same time as Ilion was about to speak, Lily called out to me. Lily saw Ilion and quickly bowed her head as she approached me.

It was perfect timing, just when Ilion’s nagging was about to start, so I welcomed Lily gladly.

“What’s the matter?”

“Um, Marchioness Lancel has arrived.”

“Ah! Right. I was supposed to meet her a bit earlier today.”

“Ravenne, I’m not finished talking……”

“We can’t keep the guest waiting, so let’s continue our conversation later, Your Grace.”

Leaving behind Ilion, who looked like he might explode at any moment, I hurriedly followed Lily.

Judging by Ilion’s state, it seemed the purpose of the surprise party had already been achieved.

As evening fell, carriages of guests began to arrive at the mansion one by one.

Ilion, who had been looking for me all day, and I, who had been running away from him, finally met at the entrance of the mansion. To greet the guests.

“Welcome, Marquis Steran. It’s been a while.”

“Thank you for inviting me.”

Ilion reluctantly had to greet the guests, and had to endure dozens of awkward congratulations on the 7th anniversary of his accession.

It was commendable that he didn’t grab me by the collar.

“Why commemorate such a useless day?”

Ilion asked with a sharp gaze when he finally had a moment.

“My, how can you say it’s useless? We’re celebrating the 7th anniversary of your accession, Your Grace. Did you know? Seven is a lucky number.”

“……”

His expression showed he couldn’t understand no matter how much he thought about it.

Why are you trying to understand? Just accept it. You should learn from Michael. He gives up quickly.

“Hello, Your Grace. How is your health?”

And Michael was no gentleman.

“Welcome, Sir Michael.”

“Hello, Miss.”

He looked quite gaunt compared to before as he greeted us. His complexion wasn’t good, suggesting he had been through a lot.

“Did you invite Michael too?”

“……”

“Of course we had to invite him. We’ve received so much help from Sir Michael. Haha, Your Grace, you’re embarrassing him.”

Michael closed his mouth, seemingly flustered by Ilion’s unexpected coldness, and I quickly pulled Michael into the hall.

“You’ve been found out, haven’t you?”

“……Yes. I’m sorry.”

Taking him to an empty terrace, I bowed my head in front of him like a great sinner.

“What am I supposed to do now, Miss? There’s already an uproar upstairs because of the accident, and if I fall out of favor with the Duke too, I’ll really be fired.”

“Then I’ll find you a good job.”

Michael looked desperate, as if he might cry at any moment.

Feeling very sorry for him, I nodded for a while as I listened to his complaints.

Although there were things I did wrong, I felt I might have to ask him for another difficult favor.

After lamenting his situation for a while, Michael calmed down, and I asked the question I had been holding back.

“Um, Sir Michael. How’s the atmosphere in the Imperial Palace these days?”

“Why do you ask?”

“Just wondering how it’s been since the incident.”

At my question, Michael poured out words as if he had been waiting for this. It seemed he had a lot pent up, just like with his complaints.

“Don’t even mention it. It’s like walking on thin ice.”

Michael grabbed his forehead as if just thinking about it gave him a headache.

“Since that day, those responsible for the incident are being reprimanded daily, and I’m worried someone might lose their head at this rate.”

“Then, what about the Saintess?”

I quickly skipped over the magic department affairs that I wasn’t particularly interested in and asked about Artia.

“The Saintess? From what I hear, she’s been confined to her room.”

“Confined? Why?”

“I only heard that His Majesty ordered her to be confined to her room. How could we possibly know all of his thoughts?”

“Then, is it possible to see the Saintess……”

“It’ll be difficult for a while. Well, unless His Majesty changes his mind.”

“……”

I unconsciously bit my lip at the situation, which was more serious than I thought. There was no such content in the original story.

In the original, Artia attempted to escape taking advantage of the lax security in the Imperial Palace due to the preparations for the harvest festival, and until then, she was able to move freely around the palace. Of course, her successful escape was all part of Klaus’s scheme.

I never thought she would be confined to her room.

This seemed like an order targeting Ilion. Deliberately preventing Ilion from meeting Artia.

Could it be that Klaus also knows about Ilion’s curse?

My head started to ache from the story that had become so different from the original.

“Um, Sir Michael. Can I ask you for one favor?”

“No. Absolutely not. Definitely not.”

Michael shook his head in horror before even hearing the request.

“It’s really nothing big.”

“No, absolutely not.”

“Come on, just one more……”

Just as I was about to plead while pulling on Michael’s clothes, Marchioness Lancel peeked her head through the slightly parted curtain.

“Oh my, Miss Rischefeld……”

“Ah, Marchioness.”

She blinked, looking back and forth between me and Michael.

“Um. Did I interrupt something?”

Only then did I realize that the posture of Michael and I was perfect for misunderstanding. I hurriedly let go of Michael’s clothes and shook my head.

“No, nothing’s happening.”

“That’s a relief. If it’s alright, could you come out for a moment? Everyone’s waiting because today’s main character isn’t here.”

Saying this, she pointed inside. There, Ilion was looking this way with a cold face.

“Shouldn’t the two main characters dance for the banquet to start?”

“……”

Dance? Surely she doesn’t mean me and the Duke standing over there?

I wanted to deny it, but who else could be the main characters other than me, the host of this banquet, and Ilion, the subject of this banquet?

The banquet starts with a dance? Was starting a banquet always this difficult?

Even when I danced with Klaus, I felt like I was going to die of discomfort, but it wasn’t any better with Ilion. Just that there was a bit less worry about dying if I stepped on his foot?

“You seem to be on good terms with Sir Michael?”

“Isn’t that better than being on bad terms?”

“Still, being alone on the terrace might cause rumors.”

Even while dancing, he was nagging again. I thought I was used to his scolding and nagging, but my heart wasn’t. I wanted to retort.

“My, Your Grace. Are you perhaps jealous?”

“……”

As I looked at Ilion, acting coquettishly as usual, he suddenly asked without responding.

“Would that be wrong?”

“……Pardon?”

“I asked if that would be wrong.”

For a moment, I unknowingly stopped my steps and looked at Ilion.

Somehow, he seemed unable to meet my eyes.

A sudden ominous thought crossed my mind.

When did I start feeling that Ilion’s attitude was different from before?

Was it when I hid in the attic to avoid the tutor? Or was it even before that? It was hard to say exactly when, but it was probably around that time.

I had questions about his attitude that showed occasionally, but I deliberately ignored these changes in Ilion. Pretending not to know, pretending not to see.

Because it was easier that way.

There was no need for me to get involved and complicate the already tangled story.

And this was the result of ignoring those small changes.

Would it be wrong? Of course it would be wrong. Considering your situation where you might not survive this winter, it’s not the time to say such foolish things.

You should be with Artia, not me…

“Ravenne?”

When there was no movement, Ilion called my name.

“Are you feeling unwell? Your complexion looks bad.”

“Ah, no. I’m just a bit tired. I guess I’m worn out from preparing for the party.”

I hurriedly continued my steps as I answered. I silently nodded at Ilion’s suggestion that I should go rest early.

“Oh my, Miss. Are you going in already?”

“Yes. You stay here and help the others.”

I decided to go rest in my room for a while as Ilion suggested.

Lily worriedly asked if it was okay for her not to come with me, as my complexion seemed bad.

“It’s okay. I’ll just rest for a bit and come back.”

“Um, then what should we do with the cake you made earlier?”

“Ah, that.”

I had completely forgotten about it. It was a cake I had made with the help of the Marchioness for the anniversary.

Well, is that important right now?

“Just throw it away.”

“……Pardon?”

“On second thought, it doesn’t seem fit to serve to people. Let’s just throw it away.”

Saying this, I quickly left the hall.

***

The banquet ended safely, but the ban on going out was still in place. And judging that it was no longer meaningful to persuade Ilion, instead of pestering him, I chose a faster method.

“Welcome, Sir Michael.”

I deliberately called Michael at a time when Lily wasn’t around, and fortunately, Michael responded to my call.

“Why are you looking for me again, Miss? And this outfit……”

Michael asked, seemingly unable to understand my attire.

“This is the last time.”

“Pardon?”

“Please help me one last time.”

Seeing how serious my expression was, Michael cautiously asked.

“Um, what’s the matter?”

“Take me to the Imperial Palace. That’s all. Don’t ask for details.”

“The Duke won’t stay quiet about this.”

“It doesn’t matter. Anyway……”

Anyway, we won’t be seeing each other for long. Swallowing those words, I pleaded with Michael. I needed his help one last time.

“This is really the last time.”

In the end, being soft-hearted, he couldn’t refuse my request and nodded, attempting to teleport.