Until now, Monette had been completely absorbed in the ginkgo leaves. But it was unclear when she had started listening to the conversation.

“Monette?”

Eve glanced at Monette with an astonished expression.

“What’s wrong? Won’t a school boy be Mommy’s partner?”

“Of course. Mommy has so many friends. And they all know that Mommy is married.”

“That you’re a Princess too?”

“Yes.”

The conversation between mother and daughter sounded muffled to Victor’s ears, not registering at all.

Victor blankly repeated what Monette had said in his mind.

“Daddy? Then, will Mommy dance holding hands with a boy classmate?”

“What’s wrong? Won’t a boy classmate be Mommy’s partner?”

Boy classmate.

With this, it was certain that the graduation party was no small matter.

* * *

Duke Victor Mikhail Magnus’s office in the main castle of Hessen was noisy with civil servants who had been called in early. They were employees of the Treasury Department of Hessen’s main castle, under Victor’s command.

“What’s going on, being summoned at the crack of dawn?”

“I know. It’s a bit cold in the mornings now that autumn has arrived.”

Although their superior was known for strictly respecting work hours, the employees who had been gathered in the meeting room before working hours expressed their dissatisfaction while remaining curious.

The man who had thrown away his title as Duke Mikhail to become a mercenary for his beloved Princess, was now the Princess’s consort and the next King Consort, and had received the title of ‘Duke Magnus’ from King Peter Gion.

‘Magnus’ was a name bestowed by King Gion along with the territory.

This meant that Victor Mikhail Magnus, the superior of the civil servants gathered here, was no ordinary madman.

“What was the original name of that territory again? It was something like ‘Way-something,’ but they changed it to ‘Magnus’ to match the duke title, right?”

“I heard he named it ‘Magnus,’ meaning ‘great,’ for his own territory.”

“That’s impressive.”

“It certainly is.”

“His Grace the Duke is here.”

With the announcement from Victor’s aide, their master appeared.

Victor, who sat at the head of the long conference table with confident strides, looked unusually solemn today.

In an instant, a gloomy atmosphere like that of an execution ground before a hanging pervaded the meeting room.

His golden eyes, resembling a lion’s, were so fierce that the employees gulped.

“Thank you for coming out so early. Today there is a very important matter, so open your ears and listen.”

Could it be a declaration of war against another country? Is a foreign delegation coming? Or has someone from the royal family been assassinated?

The employees’ various predictions missed the mark completely.

“First, a question: How old do I look?”

“Pardon?”

Dozens of employees asked back in unison. Though it wasn’t an inappropriate question, Victor asked again.

“How old do I look? Don’t overthink it, answer intuitively.”

Had they misheard due to excessive workload? The employees just rolled their eyes, but none of them readily answered.

As expected. These Treasury Department guys are quick with calculations and never do anything that would disadvantage them. They were people with the same disposition as himself.

Seeing Victor twist his lips and cross his arms, his aide, who had become anxious, provided an answer instead.

“You look younger than your age on your profile.”

“…So you’re saying I look over 30.”

What does that mean now? The employees’ hearts burned with anxiety due to their superior’s incomprehensible statements.

Can’t be helped. Victor, gathering his thoughts, opened his mouth.

“By the end of today, prepare and report a plan to revise the Education Department’s law regarding school graduation parties, and obtain profiles of graduates and current students of Hessen Art College.”

“What? You’re saying we should amend the Education Department’s law?”

“Profiles of Hessen Art College students?”

Murmurs of confusion were heard from all around. Victor raised his right hand to quell the commotion and began to calmly explain the reason.

“Her Highness the Princess has decided to attend the graduation party the week after next. This is highly confidential, so proceed with caution. Isn’t it your duty as servants of the state to do your best for her safety?”

‘That may be true, but why us, the Treasury Department, when there are perfectly functional Palace and Justice Departments?’

All the employees were asking this with their eyes, but no one dared to voice it.

Victor’s eyes, having already sensed their thoughts, shone even more brightly.

“That’s why I said it’s confidential.”

Taking a breath while brushing back his fallen bangs, Victor added one more thing.

“The participating team will receive 5,000 Lofrans for confidentiality. And the team that completes the task first will receive an additional bonus of 20,000 Lofrans per person.”

Gasp. A moment of silence followed the exclamation.

After a while, breaking the silence, the employees began to volunteer enthusiastically.

“Me! I will serve with all my heart.”

“Your Highness! Just leave it to me.”

“I can do it well!”

Victor, leaving the aftermath to his aide, exited the meeting room with a satisfied smile.

“I can’t prevent Eve from going to the graduation party.”

Originally, Victor didn’t particularly like parties, but attending the graduation party with her seemed like it would create a good memory to cherish for a long time.

What if the law can’t be changed?

“As quietly as possible, I’ll screen the men in advance at my level.”

* * *

After dropping Monette off at the entrance of the royal kindergarten and turning to leave, Monette suddenly stopped and tugged at the hem of his coat with her small finger. She kept glancing to check if her mother Eve had already gotten into the carriage.

“Daddy, I saw everything. Aunt Joan told Mommy that some boys sent letters asking her to dance with them.”

“Letters? Boys?”

When he looked at Monette with surprised eyes, his daughter shook her head.

“Mommy said no, but still, Daddy, don’t be relieved just because you’re handsome. I secretly took what Mommy was going to throw away.”

Monette slipped a card into his side with her maple leaf-like hand, saying it was to encourage him.

“In exchange, you have to buy me five dolls, okay?”

‘What a thorough child, I wonder who she takes after.’

‘Indeed, she is my daughter.’

The past tenacity that Victor had put aside for Eve began to stir within him.

* * *

‘Did I ask unnecessarily?’

Eve was distracted during school dance and singing classes.

Beads of sweat formed on Eve’s forehead and trickled down her cheeks to her chin.

“Haa, haa.”

After a one-beat pause, she began a continuous turn, starting the chaîné movement.

In her spinning vision, the past years flashed by like photographs.

During these 5 years, Victor had willingly devoted himself to her dreams.

As the husband of the Princess, Victor had accepted the position of Duke and restored his status.

Originally, Victor had strongly declined, but when King Gion Peter, Eve’s father, threatened not to acknowledge him as a son-in-law unless he accepted, he had no choice but to comply.

Victor had taken care of Monette in place of her, who was too busy with studies, performances, and Princess duties to have a moment’s rest.

Even with a nanny, a child needs the touch of parents.

He’s not that kind of person anymore, but he might still feel bad.

Victor had smiled affectionately and kissed her forehead when she got out of the carriage.

‘The last expression I saw looked like a wounded big cat.’

Now only the final movement remained.

“Eve, come here.”

It was the moment she was about to bend her waist for the ending pose.

This morning, under the flickering gas lamp, that thing that had heated up like a red-hot iron rod came to mind.

‘I must be crazy.’

‘Why am I thinking of that?’

“Senior, what’s so funny? Tell me too.”

“Ah.”

Eve, suddenly coming to her senses, straightened her waist and faced the approaching man.

Right, he was a freshman? His name was Isaac.

“Isaac.”

“Good work, senior.”

Isaac, with soft brown hair, revealed his white teeth in a pure smile.

“You too, Isaac.”

“You dance so well. You sing well too. I bet no one in our school can match you, senior?”

“Thank you for the compliment, Isaac.”

“So that’s why you monopolized the lead role in the graduation performance, right?”

Isaac’s kind eyes suddenly flashed sharply.

“Isaac?”

‘Did I see wrong?’ When Eve looked again, Isaac was smiling with a gentle face.

Maybe the heat rising in her body was making her vision blurry. The tight dance clothes seemed to make her feel even hotter.

‘It’s hot, so hot. I need to change clothes quickly.’

“Well, I’ll be going now.”

Eve greeted with a slight bow and looked around the practice room. There were only a few people left in the room now.

As Eve was fanning herself and about to head to the changing room, Isaac followed her and held out a card, asking:

“Have you received Senior Marin’s card?”

Marin? Does he mean Marin Whale? She and the fellow graduating student were merely on greeting terms.

Ah. Eve recalled the card Marin had given her recently. With Marin’s smiling face, saying she wanted to hang out together at the graduation party and keep in touch afterward.

“I did receive it.”

“Please be my partner at the graduation party instead of Senior Marin.”

“…?”

“Hahaha.” Eve burst into laughter. Isaac was from a foreign country, so perhaps he didn’t know.

“Isaac, you don’t know about me. I’m married.”

“That doesn’t matter.”

“…Isaac?”

“It’s just a graduation party partner.”

“Isaac, no. Do you know how old I am even though I’m in my twenties?”

“Actually, I liked you. I fell for you at first sight on the first day of class.”

‘Liked’? Did he misspeak? This kind of thing needs to be properly rejected. Eve turned away, speaking firmly:

“Isaac, I originally planned to hang out with my friends. So find another partner. I’m declining.”

“Th-then, at least take this.”

Isaac threw the partner request card at her and ran away.

“What a troublesome friend.”

Thinking she should send a polite rejection card, Eve picked up the card that had fallen at her feet, changed her clothes in the changing room, and came out.

Throughout her walk across the campus after leaving the building, gazes poured toward Eve.

Being accustomed to people’s attention, she didn’t pay much mind and didn’t listen.

“Hey. Is that senior the Princess?”

“Really? I’ve only heard rumors, but she’s truly beautiful.”

“Since she’s a graduate, will she attend the graduation party too?”

“I heard she will. Have you heard her sing? She’s truly my muse. And her dance lines are amazing. Plus, her acting is fantastic!”

“I saw her at last year’s festival performance. I heard she’s had a fan club on campus since her freshman year?”

“It’s such a waste, really. Our Princess got married too early.”

“That’s why men are lining up to request her as a partner. Since outsiders are prohibited, her Duke husband can’t come.”

Eve slowly crossed the campus and walked toward the gate to take the carriage sent from Hessen Castle.

She was relieved that there were fewer people passing by than on campus, but suddenly male students appeared from somewhere.

“I’ve been admiring you. Please accept this!”

“What?”

They handed her a graduation party partner request card and left.

‘Why would they like an older woman like me?’

Eve tilted her head, watching the backs of the male students who were running away as if escaping.

Maybe they think the graduation party is an opportunity for deviation.

With a hollow laugh, she reached the gate, when a splendid voice stopped her in her tracks.

“Don’t laugh like that, Your Highness.”

Eve’s heart dropped to the floor as she raised her head and looked straight ahead.

The silhouette of the perfect man that she hadn’t grown accustomed to even after 5 years.

“Victor?”

“Anyone would fall for you. This won’t do. From today, smiling is forbidden!”

Victor gently folded his golden eyes as he lightly stepped over the school gate.

Victor was acting strange.

“Darling, didn’t you miss me?”

Her husband had invaded her school.