-43-

The banquet was to be held in the grand hall of the Crown Prince’s palace. Given that it was the Crown Prince’s birthday, Roan would naturally attend, and Alexandra had also decided to attend a royal banquet for the first time in a while.

“Greetings to one blessed by Neshrua.”

The Neshrua Church was the state religion of Astrid. Hence, people often invoked Neshrua’s name when greeting members of the royal family. I must have adapted well to this world, as I found these greetings quite natural now.

“Thank you for coming, Duke, Duchess.”

“Greetings to the small sun of the Empire.”

Alexandra, standing beside me, also greeted Cameron.

“Happy birthday, Your Highness. Since there are two Duchess Bannisters, please call me by my name.”

“Ah, Lady Alexandra. It’s been a while. I heard you were on vacation; I hope you were comfortable?”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“Good, good. Ah, Duke Roan, aren’t you tired? You’ve been so busy lately that I feel guilty for inviting you.”

Cameron laughed heartily.

Sometimes, seeing the slightly darker circles under his eyes made me pity him despite his handsome appearance.

To be honest, if Roan had any tiring work, it would be 99% related to the Crown Prince. When Cameron becomes Emperor, he’ll have even more responsibilities dumped on him. Sigh.

The hall was filled with high-ranking nobles whose names I had heard at least once. It seemed to take quite a while to greet all of them.

Among the guests, I spotted Sophia, looking excited, likely because it was her brother’s birthday.

“Princess!”

Sophia, noticing me, greeted me warmly.

“Duchess? How have you been?”

“Yes. Oh, and this gentleman is…”

Beside Sophia stood a man in a formal suit I had never seen before.

“He is my guardian knight. He escorted me today.”

“Nice to meet you.”

His speech was as stiff and formal as expected of a knight.

“I am Delis Bannister.”

“I am Jace.”

The lack of a surname indicated he was a commoner. It was rare for a commoner to escort a noblewoman, so this was a bit unexpected. Hmm, I guess she just wanted to bring him along. I greeted him without much thought.

“Sir Jace, pleased to meet you.”

He looked at me with slightly widened eyes, seeming a bit surprised.

“…Yes.”

Not sure why, I tilted my head and looked at Sophia.

She, too, looked at Jace and me with a similar surprised expression.

“Princess.”

A maid’s voice called Sophia from a distance.

“Ah, I need to change my shoes. They’re uncomfortable.”

“Alright, see you later then. You too, Sir Jace.”

Jace bowed slightly towards me and then followed Sophia.

“Duchess, thank you.”

Sophia whispered as she passed by. I wasn’t sure what she was thankful for, but I decided to ask her later.

I looked around the banquet hall. Envoys from other kingdoms were also present, with some countries even sending official congratulatory delegations. It was clear that the Crown Prince’s birthday banquet was on a different scale altogether.

Cameron was practically glued to Roan’s side. Their spot in the hall was arguably the hottest place. Roan seemed a bit annoyed by it, but Cameron either didn’t notice or didn’t care, staying close to him.

With nobles surrounding Roan, I found myself somewhat sidelined.

Alexandra was chatting with some ladies and noblewomen who had recognized her. Among them were Lady Devon and Marchioness Nocturne, former cronies of Delis. I had no interest in joining them and sipped wine from a distance.

“Duchess.”

A familiar, delicate voice called from behind me.

“Princess?”

It was none other than Grace. She approached me with a cheerful smile. Her silver hair sparkled under the chandelier’s lights. Always a national treasure-level beauty.

“Long time no see. How have you been?”

“I’m great And you, Princess?”

“I’ve been well, too.”

“Is life in a foreign country difficult for you?”

“No, it’s manageable.”

Cameron must have been helping her a lot. In the original story, their romantic relationship started from the point when Cameron and Grace got closer. They must be quite affectionate by now.

Cameron, however, seemed unaware of Grace’s presence, being surrounded by people.

“Have you gotten close to His Highness?”

“Pardon?”

Grace blinked her large, innocent eyes and then looked away shyly. I smiled knowingly at her.

“Oh, no. He’s just kind-hearted and treats me well.”

So, she’s still in the “I don’t realize I love him” stage? The progression seemed a bit slower than in the original story. Well, it’s still destined to be (her husband is the Crown Prince).

“And you, Duchess… How is your relationship with the Duke?”

“Oh, me?”

I couldn’t suppress the smile forming on my lips. My relationship with Roan had never been better. Just as I was about to share this happy news with Grace.

“I’m very….”

“Duchess.”

A high-pitched, sharp voice called out to me from somewhere. The voice did not give me a good feeling.

Turning around, I saw the familiar red hair of the Marchioness of Nocturne approaching. Alexandra was also nearby. The Marchioness’ face clearly showed that she was still holding a grudge against me. Quite petty, really. But if we’re talking about holding grudges, I’m no slouch myself. Not that I plan on engaging in any childish fights.

“Have you been well?”

Her tone and expression were dripping with disdain. I almost felt a surge of anger but managed to hold it in. Ah, being the rational person that I am, I must endure.

“Yes, quite well,” I replied through gritted teeth, forcing a smile.

“I heard from Lady Alexandra that you’ve been doing well,”

She said with a smug look on her face. If she already knew, why did she even ask? The retort almost escaped my lips, but I held back. There’s no need to give her the satisfaction of ruining my mood.

“By the way, it’s quite ironic that Lady Alexandra is not referred to as the Duchess, but you are, isn’t it?” The Marchioness glanced around for agreement. Some people nodded slightly, while others watched my reaction.

So basically, she was saying that Alexandra was more suited for the title of Duchess than I was. In other words, she was picking a fight. I decided to ignore her provocation.

“Lady Alexandra, you should rightfully be called the Duchess.”

The Marchioness was lavishing praise on Alexandra, trying to elevate her.

Why is she acting up today? I glanced at Alexandra, who was maintaining a graceful smile.

She must have become more emboldened after chatting with Alexandra. With Alexandra saying nothing, the Marchioness seemed to take it as agreement and became even more arrogant.

There were rumors that the Marquis of Nocturne had a mistress and an illegitimate child. She probably felt a kinship with Alexandra because Alexandra’s husband had an illegitimate child too.

I didn’t particularly care about her actions. After all, Alexandra, whom I had only met yesterday, had no obligation to defend me here.

“Marchioness, it is natural for me to be called the Duchess. I don’t understand why you are so intent on picking a fight.”

I emphasized the word “fight,” causing the redhead to look stunned.

“Huh, a fight?”

She looked around for support but found only the indifferent Alexandra and a displeased Lady Devon. Others avoided her gaze, seemingly agreeing with me.

Lady Devon, with a stern expression, spoke up.

“How do you think Lady Alexandra feels, knowing that she gave up the title of Duchess for your sake?”

“Exactly,” the redhead echoed. I never liked those two since they used to bully Alicia. I should have known they were trouble from the start.

Do they have some kind of inferiority complex towards me? Why are they so eager to tear me down?

“It doesn’t make sense. Why should I have to listen to such talk about being the Duchess of Bannister?”

The redhead bit her lip in frustration, seemingly at a loss for words.

“Lady Alexandra deserves the title more than you.”

She spat out the words venomously.

“Isn’t it a matter of rank?”

“What do you mean?”

“The rank of your husbands. The former Duke, born of the legitimate wife, versus the current Duke.”

The room fell silent at her shocking statement. I was stunned she would say something so vile.

The young ladies around us were too shocked to intervene.

She must have thought Alexandra would support her, judging by her confident expression. The anger I had been holding back surged up.

“Your Duke, on the other hand, has an unclear lineage, doesn’t he?”

I was furious. Roan had no reason to endure such insults.

I was the one who was insulted, but she was actually disparaging Roan. I couldn’t let that stand. My anger didn’t even need to be quelled. I had been too lenient.

I was properly pissed off. I threw the wine in my glass into her face.

TL NOTE: More advanced chapter of this story is already up on the site. Visit dusk blossoms for more advanced chapters and stories