The dress Melissa had lent her was as subtle as the color of her hair. As Melissa had mentioned, the dress fit Stella as if it had been tailored specifically for her.

The dress, which left her shoulders bare, draped naturally over Stella’s curves like water flowing quietly, cascading downwards.

It was designed according to Melissa’s preference, as she utterly disliked wearing petticoats to puff up dresses.

It didn’t squeeze her waist too tightly, making it comfortable to breathe. Yet, it was far more alluring than the dress she had worn just a moment ago.

If one could create a dress out of the moonlight pouring down, it would be this dress.

Stella felt unfamiliar with her reflection in the mirror. She felt like a truly precious princess.

“It suits you well. It fits perfectly,” Melissa remarked, observing Stella standing in front of the mirror with a dazed expression. Honestly, Melissa was also surprised by how well the dress suited Stella.

She hadn’t expected to feel relieved that Kai wasn’t present to see this.

“Thank you. I’ll make sure to return the dress,” Stella said, gently touching the soft fabric. The smooth texture under her fingertips felt as if the dress might flow like water through her fingers.

“No, just keep it.”

“But—”

“I don’t wear things that others have worn. Just take it. Besides, since the accident happened at my party, it’s only right that I handle it.”

Melissa spoke with clear pronunciation and precision, appearing incredibly impressive, even from a woman’s perspective. It wasn’t just because she had taken Stella’s side in that situation.

Stella admired Melissa’s resolute gaze. It seemed as if she could withstand any trial like a rock, never wavering.

I want to be strong like her.

Looking at Melissa standing before her, Stella wished strongly once more.

“Thank you.”

“I’ll send the dress to Verdura Castle as soon as it’s cleaned.”

“Thank you.”

She felt frustrated that all she could say was “thank you,” but no other words came to mind. She wasn’t confident she could reciprocate with a gift as precious as the dress.

Moreover, she couldn’t just give Melissa, the Marchioness, some spinach or carrots she had grown.

“Shall we go out now? When everyone sees Princess Stella, they’ll be shocked. You’re so beautiful.”

Part of it was sincere, and part of it was a teasing remark born out of jealousy. Unaware of the mixed feelings, Princess Stella smiled shyly. It was a pure smile that made one want to ruin it.

Melissa felt strange emotions she hadn’t experienced in a long time. Until now, the only person she had ever felt jealous of was Kai.

He was born holding something Melissa could never have, something that couldn’t be obtained through hard work.

So she concluded that she needed to have Kai. Only after making that decision was Melissa able to free herself from the jealousy that had been gnawing at her.

Despite the sudden, unfamiliar emotion, Melissa couldn’t help but feel curious about Stella.

She seemed to belong to none of the types of people Melissa had met before. Plus, she was so straightforward, saying, “Because it’s delicious.”

Unlike other nobles who hid their emotions and maintained a façade until the end.

Recalling the earlier situation, Melissa chuckled again. It was a pure laugh that broke through her firmly held will.

Did Kai laugh like this because of this woman?

However, the thought that followed erased the smile from Melissa’s lips completely. Her eyes, now cold, watched Stella’s retreating figure.

If this faint affection got in the way of achieving what she wanted, Melissa could destroy it without hesitation. Whether it was an object, a place, a person, or a useless emotion, it didn’t matter.

Only those on the special invitation list could enter the Ruby Hall, so Milla and the other maids waited in the lounge next to the hall.

Of course, the lounge was equipped with comfortable sofas and food for the maids to relax.

There was a peculiar tension among them, meeting for the first time since the commotion at Ore Castle.

Specifically, there was tension between Milla, Beth, and the other maids. Divided into two groups, they only glanced at each other without speaking.

“Milla, did you really write and submit an apology letter by dawn the next day? Did you stay up all night? How did you manage to do all that in one night? That’s amazing. I couldn’t finish mine that day and ended up getting five more points deducted, so I did it the next day. I think Sarah got more penalty points. Sarah’s always been slow at writing.”

Beth gave a thumbs up to Milla, who sat composedly. The maid’s pledge was over ten pages long.

Writing it ten times in one night was nothing short of impressive.

Hearing her name, Sarah, who was sitting far away, turned her head abruptly. She glared at the two as if she could kill them with her eyes.

But no more commotion like before occurred. If they got penalty points for the same reason again, the deduction would double.

Milla and Beth were thoroughly ignored by Sarah’s group. Other maids who didn’t side with Sarah also refrained from speaking to them.

It was best to pretend not to know and ignore it in such situations.

If Beth hadn’t been the type to enjoy meddling in others’ affairs, Milla might truly have been alone.

Milla was grateful to Beth, who always came to her side, even though she wasn’t particularly affectionate. But she found it difficult to express that gratitude.

Beth always had so much to say that even when Milla barely responded, her stories flowed without pause.

“Oh, I’m so tired of looking at the Maid’s Oath. I’m never writing another apology letter again. I thought my fingers were going to break.”

Beth vividly recalled the pain of that day, spreading her fingers like a fan and shaking them. Milla couldn’t help but chuckle at Beth’s tendency to exaggerate.

When Milla’s expression finally softened after sitting like a statue, Beth felt relieved.

“Yeah, keep smiling like that. You’re too serious. If you keep bottling everything up, you’ll get sick, you know?”

“If I talked as openly as you do, I think I’d get sick too.”

“Well, there are some side effects, actually.”

Beth shrugged her shoulders and chuckled, amused by her own words. She knew that Milla was one of the warmest people she had ever met. Whatever her story was, she just struggled to express it.

Beth liked that Milla wasn’t as talkative as she was. It meant she could chatter away without interruption.

No matter how much she thought about it, Beth couldn’t shake the feeling that Milla was her soulmate. There was no one else who listened to her as well as Milla did.

So when Sarah’s group started spouting nonsense, she naturally had to take Milla’s side.

“Princess Annette and Princess Caitlin are leaving.”

It was the peak time of the party, but the sudden announcement of the princesses’ departure made Sarah and Hannah jump up as if they’d been burned.

Not understanding the situation, they looked at each other with wide eyes before quickly leaving the lounge.

“What’s going on? Why is Princess Annette leaving first?”

It had been a good opportunity to get close to Marchioness Melissa. Annette leaving the party first, despite bringing a gift for her, was not a good sign.

Knowing this, Sarah and Hannah couldn’t help but feel dismayed as they headed out.

After the two left the lounge, the remaining maids exchanged glances before hurriedly gathering at the entrance. They craned their necks and listened intently, but no sound came through.

Annette and Caitlin had left the Ruby Hall and boarded a carriage back to the castle without saying a word.

“What on earth?”

Beth, as curious as a four-year-old child, couldn’t contain her curiosity.

“I’ll go find out what’s happening.”

Unable to resist, Beth stood up abruptly, but Milla quietly pulled her back down.

“Why? Aren’t you curious?”

“The Maid’s Oath, Article 13.”

“Alright, alright. Enough with the oath talk. My fingers are starting to cramp again.”

“Drama queen.”

Milla smirked lightly, and although Beth was dying of curiosity, she stayed seated until the party ended. However, the events inside the Ruby Hall soon spread to the lounge.

“Oh my gosh! So Princess Stella got close to Marchioness Melissa?”

“Who knows.”

Even though Beth was excited, Milla remained calm. In truth, her heart was racing more than anyone else’s, but as always, Milla skillfully concealed her emotions.

“I heard the Marchioness even lent her a dress. They must be really close now. Princess Stella is amazing. I mean, who is Marchioness Melissa? She’s the Emperor’s closest confidante. Sarah’s going to be so deflated now. Serves her right.”

Beth chuckled with excitement as if it was her own business. Other maids, who had kept their distance, began to inch closer to Milla’s table upon hearing the unexpected news from the party.

Feeling guilty for not supporting her when Sarah caused trouble, they hesitated before speaking up.

“Milla, we didn’t believe Sarah.”

“Yeah, I didn’t believe her either. It’s just that Sarah was so sharp, we didn’t want to step in and make things more complicated.”

But Milla simply nodded without saying anything like “It’s okay” or “I understand.” She didn’t want to say things she didn’t mean just to smooth over the situation.