Chapter 93

Patrizia attended every ball held after her engagement with Johann was broken.

She adorned herself even more lavishly than before, including her hair accessories.

She was afraid the nobles might dare to look down on a Princess just because she was rejected by the Duke of Blumhart.

Since almost all the high-ranking nobles attended her half-brother’s birthday banquet, today too, she put more effort into her appearance than anyone else.

‘From head to toe, I’m adorned with only the finest, so no one can look down on me.’

Since Johann had gone so far as to get engaged to a commoner woman, perhaps even more blatant stares than usual would be directed at her.

Her pride would not allow her to avoid the event just because those stares annoyed her.

‘Why should I be the one to avoid it for someone else’s sake?’

Despite her mother’s words that there was no need to attend, she went to the ballroom.

‘…Surely the Duke won’t bring that commoner woman and humiliate me, will he?’

That thought came to her late, and goosebumps ran all over her body.

The Duke had his social reputation, so he wouldn’t do something so crazy.

‘No matter how much Father acknowledged that woman as a noble, her origins are still common!’

What if he really did bring her?

How would I even lift my head from the shame!

Patrizia bit the inside of her cheek.

“……Entering now!”

With the attendant’s shout, the doors of the ballroom opened.

Patrizia rolled her eyes, searching for Johann.

“Oh, Lia?”

Florian muttered, looking somewhere.

“……Over there!”

She also looked in that direction.

There was Lia, who had come with Johann.

“Patrizia.”

Unable to contain her boiling anger, Patrizia started to move, but Narcissa grabbed her daughter’s wrist with a firm grip.

“As I told you before, you are a Princess, not some street ruffian.”

Narcissa warned her daughter in a low, quiet voice.

“Mother, but….”

Patrizia called out to her mother in a voice full of injustice.

“Child, it’s not as if you couldn’t have expected this, right? They’re engaged, so you should have considered the possibility she would come. More than that, that woman is the birth mother….”

Narcissa stared intently at Lia.

‘Her face looks very familiar.’

She was sure she had seen that face somewhere.

Narcissa slowly walked, flanked by her son and daughter, trying to recall.

‘…Yes, she was said to be the nanny of the Duke of Blumhart’s daughter back then.’

So she had the nerve to lie to me.

She wished she had wrung her neck that day; she truly regretted it.

Soon, Narcissa’s party arrived in front of Johann and Lia.

Lia swallowed nervously as the Interim Empress approached.

“Blessings of Goddess Hecate. I, Johann of Blumhart, greets you, the Interim Empress, the glorious moon in the sky.”

While Johann greeted Narcissa, Lia made eye contact with Carmen, standing behind the Interim Empress.

Those blue eyes, filled with murderous intent, stared at Lia as if to devour her.

‘Why is she staring at me like that?’

The blatant hostility, with no attempt to hide it, was so unpleasant that it gave her chills.

“May the blessings of Goddess Hecate reach you as well. It’s been a while, Duke of Blumhart.”

Narcissa received Johann’s greeting, her gaze fixed on Lia.

“Yes, Your Majesty the Interim Empress.”

“Duke, would you introduce me to your new fiancée?”

Narcissa smiled softly, drawing a gentle arc with her lips.

For some reason, Lia found that smile chilling.

“This is my fiancée, Lia von Blumhart.”

Johann, keeping his characteristic expressionless face, introduced Lia to Narcissa.

“Blessings of Goddess Hecate. I, Lia of Blumhart, greets you, the Interim Empress, the glorious moon in the sky.”

Remembering what Isabella had taught her, Lia lightly lifted the hem of her skirt and gave the Interim Empress a polite greeting.

“So shamelessly you called yourself a nanny to me….”

Instead of answering Lia’s greeting, Narcissa muttered quietly.

Lia’s face instantly froze as she understood that mutter.

‘…That’s right, back then I lied and said I was Raffy’s nanny.’

She had only seen her briefly—who would have thought she’d remember?

What if she pressed her about why she lied?

Her palms grew sweaty.

If the Interim Empress caught something to use against her, Johann would be in trouble too.

Lia bit her lip.

“…The main characters of today’s birthday banquet, His Highness the Crown Prince, Her Highness the Crown Princess, and Her Highness the Imperial Princess, are entering!”

Just then, the attendant announced the arrival of the Crown Prince and his family.

The Crown Prince walked toward the Interim Empress with his family.

“I never imagined you would personally attend my birthday banquet, Your Majesty the Interim Empress.”

Matthias spoke to Narcissa with a formal smile.

“As a mother, of course I must attend my son’s birthday banquet.”

“My mother is in the arms of the goddess….”

“Crown Prince, you are a child born from my heart, so I wish you wouldn’t draw such a line.”

With a brazen face, Narcissa took Matthias’s hand.

“……Your Majesty the Interim Empress, you truly have a generous heart. Then, since His Majesty the Emperor cannot attend today, may I ask you to give the congratulatory address at my birthday banquet, Your Majesty the Interim Empress?”

Matthias, never losing his smile, escorted Narcissa to the platform where the Imperial Family’s chairs were arranged.

‘…Phew, thank goodness His Highness the Crown Prince arrived.’

Watching them walk away, Lia let out a sigh of relief.

“To everyone attending today’s birthday banquet for the Crown Prince…….”

After the Interim Empress finished her congratulatory address for the Crown Prince, the attendants brought out a large four-tier cake decorated with fresh flowers to the platform where Matthias was seated.

Matthias cut the cake with his daughter Lucia, and the gift-giving ceremony began.

When it was Lia’s turn, she went up to Matthias with Johann.

“Congratulations on your birthday, Your Highness, Crown Prince Matthias.”

“Thank you. And congratulations to you as well, Duke of Blumhart, Miss Lia, on your engagement.”

Matthias smiled gently at Johann and Lia.

Lia felt a strange sense of familiarity from Matthias, seeing him up close.

‘…It’s definitely my first time meeting him today, but it feels strange.’

She felt the same sense of familiarity as when she had visited the Crown Prince’s Palace.

While Lia was lost in thought, Johann handed the gift to the Crown Prince’s personal attendant.

After checking the gift, the attendant handed it to Matthias.

“Oh, a work of Celine Brays!”

As soon as Matthias saw the gift, he sprang to his feet.

The gift Johann gave was a work by a famous painter who lived in seclusion in the forest, painting only pictures.

“How on earth did you get your hands on something so hard to find?”

So surprised, Matthias spoke as if they were in private.

Celine was a painter who only gave her paintings to people she liked, so even as Crown Prince, it was not easy for him to obtain one of her works.

“The owner who had the piece recently passed away, so it came up for auction.”

“…It was at auction and I didn’t know?”

Matthias, puzzled, sat back down.

“Your Highness, what matters is that the work is now yours.”

Celine Brays’s work had appeared in the black market Johann was keeping an eye on.

He didn’t know how it had ended up there, but thanks to that, Johann was able to prepare a gift for Matthias.

“It’s better to pretend not to know, isn’t it.”

“Thanks to that, I was able to present you with a work by Celine Brays, so please overlook them just this once, Your Highness.”

The reason Johann was monitoring that place was not because of crimes, but because of the Interim Empress.

He was concerned that the Interim Empress might leave traces related to black magic or monster poison there.

“Yes, I should do so with my generous heart.”

Matthias nodded, unable to take his eyes off the painting.

“Your Highness, you can look at the painting later when you return to the palace.”

The Crown Princess gently took Matthias’s arm and handed the painting to the attendant.

“Ahem, I was so focused on the painting that I neglected Miss Lia.”

“Not at all, Your Highness.”

Lia waved her hand.

“…Johann. Now that you’re engaged, next time bring Miss Lia and Rafaella to visit the Imperial Palace.”

“Yes, Miss Lia. You must come visit us.”

The Crown Princess chimed in from the side.

The Crown Princess, Josephina, felt different from the flamboyant rose-like Interim Empress and Princess.

Despite her gentle appearance, her voice carried a deep weight.

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Lia replied shyly.

After the Crown Prince’s gift-giving ceremony ended, the real banquet began.

The first dance was performed by the Crown Prince and Crown Princess alone, and from the second piece, the Crown Prince and Princess as well as the nobles danced together.

“Lia, there’s no need to be nervous. Just dance as comfortably as you did that day.”

Johann whispered as he led Lia to the center of the ballroom.

Perhaps thanks to Johann’s gentle voice?

Lia was able to dance more comfortably than ever before.

At first, she was a little tense and stiff, but as the music progressed, not only her expression but even her movements became smoother.

Before she knew it, a gentle smile appeared on her lips.

That smile, filled with pure joy, left the nobles who had been watching her with scornful eyes looking blankly at her.

Even Florian, dancing with a young noblewoman, almost stumbled when he saw Lia.

Seeing this, Johann moved to block Florian’s view of her, displeased.

‘…I’d like to do something about all the men looking at Lia.’