“I should go to the dining hall myself! Lexion is so picky about food……”

“Yes, Miss! Oh, the necklace! The necklace! You should take it off before going!”

“Ah! That’s right……”

Though usually composed, the mistress became flustered only when it came to matters related to Lexion, and the maid, knowing it was impolite, still gave her a fond look.

“Maria!”

Just then, they were startled to see Peter bursting through the door.

“B-brother……?”

Maria looked at the fuming Peter with puzzled eyes.

“What brings you here?”

“What brings me here!”

Striding into the room, Peter pulled out a suitcase from her dressing room and screeched.

“Pack your things quickly!”

“What kind of outrageous behavior is this out of nowhere?”

“Shut up! Do you know what humiliation I suffered because of you!”

“What? What are you talking about? Explain so I can understand.”

“You, how long are you going to keep following Lexion around?!”

“My goodness, brother! No matter how close you are to Lexion, mind your words!”

“Shut up! What’s so good about that scoundrel!”

Maria, appalled by her blood relative’s disgraceful behavior, told the maid to bring tea and dismissed her.

“Do you know how many ears are listening in the imperial palace?! Do you want to be punished for treason?”

“Ah! I don’t know! I don’t know!”

Peter roughly tousled his hair and plopped down on a chair.

“Both you and I have been deceived! Completely deceived!”

“What on earth are you talking about?”

“Lexion has no intention of marrying you! My foolishly innocent sister.”

“…What?”

“I checked on my way here, and that newspaper article came from the imperial palace. Damn it, we were the only ones fooled. And we’ve made enemies of the west for nothing. Sigh… now our family is no different than being on Lexion’s leash……”

Maria’s face turned pale.

“…What do you mean.”

“Lexion used you! To snatch the mining rights our family recently acquired! The magic stones! We’ve just given that bastard wings.”

“But… he promised to accept me after this founding ceremony ends!”

“Do you think I don’t know him? He meant not marriage, but taking you as his mistress.”

“No……. He wouldn’t do that……!”

“I shouldn’t have believed my pathetic sister……!”

Peter burst out in anger, pounding the table, and then his eyes welled up with tears.

“Damn it, I thought we were friends… sob! That bastard.”

Maria, who had been walking on clouds just moments ago, trembled her lips with a shocked expression.

“Brother, you must have misunderstood something……. There’s no way he was nice to me with ulterior motives……. He thinks I’m special!”

“Special? Lexion is the kind of man who can be affectionate even to an old widow if he can use her. How will you explain to Father the damage you’ve caused to our family with your arrogance?”

“I don’t believe what you’re saying! Lexion will definitely marry me!”

“Hah… were you always this foolish?”

After gathering his thoughts for a moment, Peter thought it might be for the best. His father, who always doted on Maria, had been backstabbed too, so he wouldn’t be able to ignore Peter’s opinions anymore. And his sister, who had always disrespected him, would learn a lesson from this incident.

“A fox-like girl talking about love, how pathetic. I warned you clearly. Don’t blame me later if things go wrong. When Lexion abandons you, no noble will even look at you. Come to your senses now and go home to find another groom.”

“…Brother, I truly love him!”

“Sigh……”

What could possibly be appealing about such a sinister, snake-like human? In this absurd situation where even his exceptionally intelligent sister had become a prisoner of love, Peter fell into contemplation.

Is it… his face?

Letting out a deep sigh, Peter waved his hand with a look that said ‘do as you please.’

“Father says to come home and stay quietly instead of making your name a gossip item. I’ve delivered the message, so do as you wish.”

Watching Peter stand up, Maria said in a sharp voice.

“Don’t come to the palace anymore. Your frivolous tongue will damage my reputation as well.”

These two are a matching pair…….

Peter looked at Maria, who was acting like the lady of the house with delusions, with disbelief.

* * *

Estelle boarded the teal carriage with a tense face, holding the hand of her father, Count Merlin. Countess Arcis, who had difficulty moving due to a chronic illness, had not participated in social activities for a long time, so only the father and daughter had to attend the ball.

As the carriage door closed, the black-maned horse let out a long neigh before rattling off toward the imperial palace.

“Is something wrong?”

A wrinkled hand came to rest on Estelle’s hand, which was placed on her knee. Count Merlin was worried about his daughter, whose complexion seemed unusually dark today.

“No, nothing’s wrong.”

“Well, if you’re not feeling well, there’s no need to attend….. How about we go back even now?”

As Count Merlin observed her carefully, Estelle forced a smile, lifting the corners of her mouth.

“I’ve been waiting for this for so long! I’m just nervous, that’s all.”

“Really?”

“Of course!”

Her lips twisted awkwardly. Failing to maintain her excited expression, Estelle gave up managing her face and turned her gaze to the window. Though she had experienced this countless times, keeping her heart calm was difficult every time.

Her violet eyes, staring into empty space, darkened as shadows settled in, turning into a deep navy blue.

Would she succeed today……. After more than five attempts, her determination grew hazy regardless of her will.

‘No, I’ll definitely succeed today. The plan is perfect… don’t be afraid.’

Estelle thought that this time she would finally be able to approach the holy relic.

“My daughter, you’ve always been beautiful, but today you’re especially lovely. If His Highness the Crown Prince sees you like this, he’ll fall for you at first sight.”

At Count Merlin’s compliment, Estelle responded with a lukewarm “Yes.” Despite attending numerous parties, she had never caught Lexion’s attention.

The carriage passed through the square and crossed the stone bridge built over a small lake. People were packed beneath large and small lights, suggesting festivals were being held everywhere.

Estelle thought she must be the only person with a deathly expression while everyone else was in a festive mood.

“This is your first time at the imperial palace since you were little. Do you remember?”

As the carriage sped past the gate covered with red rose vines, Count Merlin asked in an excited voice.

“Well……”

‘Father… I’ve passed through this gate five more times since then.’

Estelle gave her truthful answer only in her mind to Count Merlin, who always said the same thing.

The imperial palace, consisting of five classical castles, was an elaborate structure made of white marble and gold. The roof that boldly stretched skyward in elegant curves, and the sweet flower fragrance from the garden that vibrated all the way to the outer walls, made it seem like a temple of an imaginary goddess that architects had created after putting their heads together.

The father and daughter got out of the carriage, climbed the stairs covered with a red carpet, and handed their invitation to an attendant. The doors opened, and a splendid banquet hall unfolded before their eyes.

The chandeliers illuminating the hall like daylight, the orchestra playing solemn melodies, walls and ceilings crafted with golden stonework, colorful dresses, and sparkling jewels were dazzling.

As Estelle moved forward, escorted by Count Merlin, a strange silence fell over the banquet hall.

Dressed in a snow-white dress, Estelle captured everyone’s gaze. The fabric that revealed the lines of her body and the off-shoulder design that showed a glimpse of her cleavage might have seemed light, but perhaps because it held a pure white light, she looked incredibly elegant. Her long silver hair, half-tied, rippled around her slender waist like fairy wings.

At Estelle’s splendid appearance, the noble ladies covered their faces with fans and whispered.

“My goodness, that’s Lady Arcis, isn’t it? Indeed… her appearance is exceptional. Whose work is that dress? I’ve never seen such a design……”

“It’s bold but unique, and I quite like it. Judging by the style… could it be Viscountess Selena’s work?”

“Does the Arcis family have enough wealth to purchase such a dress from the Viscountess? They don’t even seem to have money to repair their old house. When I passed by last time, the boards blocking the side of the main gate were still there.”

“Hoho! I’m quite embarrassed. But… is that rumor true?”

“What rumor?”

“I heard that Lady Arcis was a child brought in from outside.”

“Oh my! Well… she only resembles Count Arcis’s eye color, not his wife at all.”

“From what I heard, she’s a daughter from another womb… seeing her fair beauty, her mother might be from ‘that’ alley….. You know, though it’s kept quiet, Baron Weller’s second son is also a child conceived there.”

“My goodness, how disgraceful! Why would he choose such a frivolous pr*stitute……”