“You seem to have a lot on your mind lately, Arinel.” Lady Alens’s voice broke through my reverie. We were having tea time after finishing our etiquette lessons.

“My lady…” I hesitated after almost bringing up the subject with her. It didn’t seem like the appropriate time to discuss it.

“Yes?”

“Ah, it’s nothing. I was just… thinking about something else.”

“How silly, I’m reminded of something you once told me.”

“I did?” At my question, Lady Alens let out a soft chuckle.

“When I was feeling tired of life in Galnem and struggling with depression from living in a foreign land for so long, you reached out with your tiny hand and said…”

I couldn’t quite remember this story.

“That there was a magical way to cure depression.”

“Ah.”

 Only then did I recall that day when I was eight years old. My longtime neighbor, Lady Alens, had reached out to me. Reminiscing about memories from Galnem, I smiled happily and took Lady Alens’s hand.

That day, I took her hand and brought her to my house, asking her to help pull out sugar beets.

We got covered in dirt from head to toe pulling sugar beets, and though she grumbled at first, she eventually worked in silence.

The lady’s… Aunt Piolet’s face was dripping with sweat.

When we finally finished everything, I brought her a cool drink made from sugar beet syrup.

“I never knew… this could taste so good. It’s my first time… having such an excellent flavor…”

Her voice was filled with wonder.

Unlike before when her face was full of gloom, now it was flowing with vitality.

Sunlight and exercise are the best medicine for depression and lethargy.

“Wasn’t I right? Are you still depressed?”

Auntie shook her head.

And looked at me with eyes full of admiration.

“I’ll make you some delicious syrup with the sugar beets you pulled.”

“This is the first time I’ve been comforted like this. Thank you, Arinel.”

From the next day on, auntie would purposely come to find me to farm together, and ask me to teach her recipes.

“That’s right. I must have forgotten. Exercise is the best when your head is complicated!”

After our brief reminiscence, we both jumped to our feet.

“Even though we don’t have soil and sugar beets here, I can still make you practice dancing until you’re drenched in sweat.”

I nodded at the lady’s words.

“After all, you’ll have to dance with His Highness the Crown Prince at the upcoming birthday ball.”

“Ah…”

“Let’s go, Arinel.”

Aunt Alens winked.

And she called for Adam, who had recently been acting as my dance partner.

Fortunately, Adam was much better at dancing than I was.

Clap.

As the lady’s clap rang out, I placed my hand on Adam’s waist, who was much taller than me.

“My lady, please step gently on my feet.”

Adam’s polite voice was heard.

It was time to focus on dance practice and step away from complicated thoughts for a while.

***

Rip-

Thud-

The buttons on his carefully chosen ballroom shirt tore with a loud noise as soon as he turned his shoulders.

“Is there no shirt made of stronger fabric?”

The servant replied with a trembling voice to the heavy metallic tone.

“I apologize, Your Grace, but anything stronger would be armor…”

Between the torn shirt edges, bulging muscles were visible.

“But today is the selection ceremony.”

“Pardon?”

“The Red Witch seems to have half given up, but I have not given up on that child, and the Black Ferret will definitely not let go either.”

Famel Guermont looked at himself in the mirror while running his hand through his mohawk-style hair.

He needed to give the impression that the path forward wouldn’t be difficult even if he was chosen as the military department’s successor.

“Make all possible preparations.”

Though it was obvious it wouldn’t be an easy battle with the Iron-Blooded Minister Siegfried participating…

Famel Guermont was the Military Minister who had never lost a single battle until now.

“Victory shall be mine!”

***

The one whom Emperor Parmes Aslet chose as Crown Prince Briton’s fiancée.

The one personally taught by Lady Alens, the legendary socialite and Palace Minister.

The one protected by the ruthless Iron-Blooded Military Minister Famel Guermont.

That was my reputation, as Adam had told me.

But to be honest, there were many people who viewed me with skepticism rather than warmth.

What’s so special about her?

That sort of thing.

To people, I was just a country girl who played in the dirt, who luckily came to the capital, who luckily gained the favor of those important people through Dad’s influence – in other words, an incredibly lucky girl…

‘When you’re too lucky, you’re bound to attract jealousy…’

While it’s true that my abilities were somewhat revealed through the red sugar beet sherbet incident at the masquerade ball, once people decide to dislike someone, even that gets dismissed as luck.

The only difference between Lariel Matzert and some others was that she chose to show her dislike openly while others hid it.

That’s why Lady Alens warned me not to trust everyone coming to my birthday ball today, not to reveal my true feelings…

The lady, who understood the essence of high society better than anyone, was one of my most precious advisors.

Even this beautiful pink dress I’m wearing today was personally chosen by her.

“Huu…”

I took Briton’s hand as he came to escort me and stepped down from the carriage.

The evening view of the Imperial Palace at sunset was breathtaking.

“Happy birthday, my lady.”

Briton brought my gloved hand to his lips and placed a light kiss on the back.

The purple sky mixed with sunset colors, the sparkling imperial palace behind him, and his face as beautiful as a work of art…

I felt as if I had stepped into a fairy tale, it felt so surreal.

‘That’s right, after rolling around in Galnem for over 10 years, now it’s time to enjoy being a proper romance fantasy novel lady!’

Making this small resolution, I met Briton’s eyes and smiled brightly.

“Let’s go, Your Highness.”

All the adults and young ladies and gentlemen gathered for the ball were watching our entrance.

Though my heart felt a bit heavy remembering Lady Alens’s warnings… it’s my birthday, I’m the main character, so there’s no need to be overly conscious of others.

Walk confidently anywhere and everywhere!

As I gripped Briton’s arm more firmly, he chuckled beside me.

“Are you nervous, my lady?”

His soft, gentle voice.

“No, but…”

Even I could tell my voice betrayed my nervousness, which was a bit embarrassing.

“Sigh, is it that obvious?”

“Yes, a little. Perhaps quite a lot.”

Ugh! I drew in a sharp breath.

Briton smiled slightly and held me more securely.

Soon after, we approached Parmes Aslet.

Beautiful silver hair and deep ruby-red eyes… the sculptured appearance of the original male lead and my future father-in-law.

And the one who had declared that my birthday ball would be held at the Imperial Palace.

“I greet His Majesty the Emperor.”

I greeted Parmes with the imperial etiquette I learned from Lady Alens.

Parmes, wearing a faint smile, leaned slightly toward me and whispered.

“You’re truly lovely, Arinel. Radiant.”

His direct compliment made my face feel a bit hot.

Parmes continued.

“This ball is prepared for you, so enjoy it to your heart’s content. And come receive your gift a bit later.”

“…A gift?”

“It’s your birthday, so there must be a gift. But if I give it to you before the ball even starts, you might be too preoccupied thinking about using it to enjoy yourself.”

He winked.

“I’ll give it to you toward the end.”

“Yes. I understand, Your Majesty.”

I nodded, feeling somewhat dazed.

What could be the gift that Parmes had prepared for me?