“The invitations have all been sent, the dresses for the banquets have all been chosen…… what else is left?”

“I believe all that remains is for you to review the guest list for tomorrow’s first banquet.”

Tilda said as if confirming, and Lady Miller came forward with the attendance list.

“This many guests?”

Blair flinched at the densely written names and furrowed her brow.

“It is the time of year when the most guests visit the palace.”

Blair felt the fatigue setting in already and skimmed through the guest list.

Then a name caught her eye.

“……Jake Roman?”

It was a name marked separately as the head representative of the Valia Duchy’s diplomatic delegation.

“Oh, I heard the delegation from the Valia Duchy this time is quite large?”

“That’s correct, Your Highness. It is said to be the largest among the foreign delegations.”

At Lady Miller’s precise answer, Tilda beside her asked,

“Count Roman…… he’s Grand Duke Clovitz’s nephew on his sister’s side, isn’t he?”

“Yes. He is Her Highness the Queen’s cousin.”

Blair found herself thinking back to the history she had been digging through until not long ago.

The war with the Valia Duchy, the ceasefire negotiations and what Duke Brienne had done around them, and the many things that had followed in the aftermath.

Since her conversation with Kalintz, she had been trying to set aside her interest in all of it, but there were still questions inside her that had not been answered.

Questions like how Duke Brienne had managed to build such a favorable relationship with the Valia Duchy in so short a time.

He was the diplomatic envoy who led the ceasefire negotiations, but…… is that really all there is to it.

Blair stared at the parchment bearing the name of the Valia delegation’s representative and sank into thought.

“……Your Highness! Your Highness!”

After a long while lost in thought, Blair finally heard Tilda’s voice and came back to herself.

“What were you thinking about so deeply?”

“Oh, sorry. I was just thinking. What did you say?”

“Tomorrow’s banquet. I said the two of you will open with the first dance.”

Tilda said with a lingering look of puzzlement.

“Not His Majesty the King and Her Highness the Queen?”

Blair asked with mild surprise.

“It seems it was decided that way as a gesture of celebration for the new union formed within the royal family.”

At Lady Miller’s explanation, Blair lowered her gaze without a word.

Thump, thump. She became newly aware of a sound beating inside her chest.

“Are you feeling unwell?”

“No, my lady. I’ll read through this slowly on my own. Everyone go rest for tonight.”

Tilda and Lady Miller gave proper bows and left the room.

“……Haah. Really.”

The moment Kalintz came to mind, Blair felt a fluttering in her chest.

‘I’m worried about you.‘

What was it about those words?

She had told herself it was nothing, but hearing it from his own lips had made her unbearably aware of him.

Those strangely captivating golden eyes that refused to let her look away kept drifting back to her. The steady, unsmiling gaze. The fittingly low voice. And……

‘I said I’m worried. About you.’

“……Why? Why are you worried about me?”

Blair made a sound that was somewhere between a groan and a sigh and slumped forward onto her desk.

Right. It’s the face. It’s because of the face.

That absurdly handsome appearance was the problem.

By any objective standard of beauty, Kalintz sat at the very peak. And his build, for that matter. She had teased him for being full of himself, but his physique was genuinely exceptional.

On top of that, he looked out for her while pretending not to. He seemed arrogant but quietly accommodated her in ways she did not expect. Unlike most royals, he actually listened to others, and he had no prejudice or hypocrisy. And he had a real sense of responsibility……

“……It’s not because of the face.”

Blair murmured with a blank expression.

“Haah…… nothing good can come of this.”

Blair let out a reluctant sigh at the unfamiliar feeling stirring faintly inside her.

❀❀❀

The next day, the capital was exactly as crowded as she had heard it would be for the Founding Festival.

Following tradition, King Rubens and the royal family marked the start of the Founding Festival with prayers at the grand temple.

After that came a speech in the central plaza, and once the procession was done, the full festivities would begin.

“What an enormous crowd.”

Blair murmured, watching the people gathered like a sea of clouds, waving their hands.

“Tonight’s banquet won’t be easy either. Best to brace yourself.”

“……Yes.”

Blair paused before giving a short answer. It was because she had glanced at Kalintz and caught that characteristically attractive smile at the corner of his lips.

She became far too conscious of it and turned her head away quickly, only to feel Kalintz’s puzzled gaze land on her immediately after.

It was a rather pointed and persistent gaze, but Blair pretended not to notice and went on waving to the crowd.

The first banquet of the Founding Festival’s opening day was more lavish and grand than any banquet Blair had attended before.

“Goodness! That chandelier, it looks like it’s decorated with processed dargon. Look at that soft shimmer.”

“I heard that tapestry is the finest silk, only found in the eastern continent.”

The nobles were captivated by the splendor of the Great Hall, and the foreign guests were equally generous with their admiration.

“It’s beautiful. The space, and the people.”

“You as well.”

“Pardon?”

At the sudden, unexpectedly tender words from Kalintz, Blair startled and looked at him.

Then King Rubens and Queen Rhea beside him came into view, along with the other nobles around them.

“The prince has said what I was going to say.”

Queen Rhea smiled warmly. Kalintz stood beside her, watching Blair steadily.

“Oh…… thank you.”

Only then did Blair realize those words had been said for the benefit of those around them, and she smiled awkwardly and offered a modest reply.

“I had heard the two newlyweds were very close indeed. It seems that was true.”

An unfamiliar voice came from somewhere nearby. A man with reddish-brown hair slicked back with oil, leaving an oily impression.

“Count Roman.”

“Your Majesty the King, it has been too long.”

Jake Roman. The head representative of the Valia Duchy’s diplomatic delegation, and Queen Rhea’s cousin on her mother’s side.

“I trust Your Highness the Queen has also been well.”

Count Roman greeted her with a smile, but Queen Rhea’s expression was ice-cold.

“My father has been worried. He says his letters go unanswered.”

“One can only reply when there is something worth replying to.”

The gentle warmth in the queen’s voice from moments ago was entirely gone.

“And it would be Grand Duke Clovitz. Not my father. The Valia Duchy’s diplomatic envoy cannot even manage a proper form of address.”

The queen’s tone as she pointed out her cousin’s use of a private title in an official setting was sharp enough to cut.

“……I was careless. In my gladness to see you, I forgot myself. Please forgive me.”

Count Roman bowed his head with a slightly stiffened expression, but the queen said nothing in return.

Blair swallowed involuntarily at the queen’s ferocity, a side of her she had never seen before. Kalintz quietly placed a hand on her shoulder.

“We should go fulfill our own duties.”

Blair had no idea what he meant until she followed the direction of Kalintz’s subtle glance. The orchestra was finishing its preparations to play the opening piece for the first dance.

“Oh, I hear the two of you will open tonight’s banquet with the first dance. I look forward to it.”

Count Roman flashed a wide smile and disappeared toward the delegation.

“……We look forward to it as well.”

Queen Rhea, who had been silent with a briefly uncomfortable expression, smoothed it away and took her leave with a faint smile.

“Her Highness the Queen seems quite displeased.”

“He is from the Valia Duchy, after all.”

“I think she would dislike him even if he weren’t. That smile of his is so slippery.”

At Blair’s blunt assessment, Kalintz let out a small laugh.

Watching that smile made her heart flutter helplessly again, and Blair bit her lip lightly.

The orchestra finished preparing for the first piece, and Kalintz naturally placed his hand against her back.

It was not as though this was their first time dancing together.

The large hand against her felt far too noticeable today. Blair let out a quiet internal sigh and placed her hand on his shoulder.

The melody was nothing short of beautiful and gentle. But none of that helped. Blair could not focus on the dance at all.

She was unbearably aware of how close they were. Every step brought a faint warmth and the soft sound of his breathing, and her heart beat faster for it.

“……You’re really not focused today.”

Kalintz whispered close to her ear, puzzled by how stiff she was.

The unexpected whisper made Blair flinch and pull her waist back. Kalintz furrowed his brow and pressed his hand more firmly against her back.

“Can you not…… stay so close.”

“What?”

Even at Kalintz’s displeased reply, Blair was too busy worrying that he might hear her heartbeat.